Fun older pics

This is Jimmy and Sarah, he is 12 and she is 1.


This is the furthest Sarah came along in her motor development. I believe she is 2 here. She could crawl only if i moved her left leg forward for her.


She is a year old here. Could sit if placed but couldn't get there by herself.


She is 2 here. This was her bed. A mattress on the floor with a bed rail.


She was 3 here. She could see much better when I discovered she needed glasses!


This was her gait trainer. She is about 5 or 6 here. She preferred to sit in it rather than move.


And she is 3 here. That's when she got her first haircut. After her hip surgery at age 6 she has never been able to sit like this again.

In a lull

All is quiet here on Cape Cod in our little life. It has been 3 days of rain. Plenty of time to not do much. Old movies for me, music DVDs for Sarah, laundry, schoolwork and talking to the boys on the phone. They are hanging in there with typical issues of 19 and 23 year olds. Thanksgiving can't come soon enough, when I will have both of them back where they belong--in my house, of course!
The pace will pick up this week. Tuesday Sarah has horseback riding, Wednesday is a long appointment at Children's Hospital with her orthopedic surgeon. Xrays will be taken of her spine(scoliosis check) and hips(to be sure they are staying where they belong-IN the sockets!) Left hamstring issues will be discussed as well as her difficulties with anesthesia(ileus). Whew. Thursday is school for her and I work Friday and Saturday.
So we are enjoying the down time while we can. And I love the rain :)

'Not Me' Monday

To see what others are NOT doing, hop on over to my charming kids and join in!



So here are some of my 'did nots'.

I did not leave Sarah in her stander longer than she should be because I was so busy reading blogs. I would never do that.

I certainly did not have to rewash a load of clothes because I left them in them washing machine for so long. Nope. Not me.

Tonight I definately will not get Sarah into bed early so I can watch the lastest episode of John and Kate Plus Eight. Because, of course, I am absolutely not addicted to that show.

I didn't eat half a huge bag of M&Ms in one sitting. That would be disasterous to my diet.

And finally, I did not drink right out of the milk container in the fridge this morning. Nope. Not me.

A fact for you

It is no fun sneezing when Sarah is not in the room. It is no fun because after the sneeze you are not rewarded with her contagious giggle/laugh/cackle. No fun at all. Just silence.

The culprit

I am pretty sure I have found the answer to Sarah's troubles....


C-O-N-S-T-I-P-A-T-I-O-N


So now I am busy attacking things from both ends(so to speak).

I need a new long term plan for her. The previously successful plan is not doing the job anymore.
So to experienced parents I go, asking for advice, suggestions, success stories.
Constipation is a common issue with these kids. And it can sneak up on you over time.
Until, like Sarah, they are just not acting right, lethargic, and pale. For some kids there are increased seizures and large amounts of pain, loss of sleep and pure misery. And to top it all off, they cannot tell you what their discomfort is:(

So hopefully things will look up for Sarah in the next week or so. Fingers crossed.

Morning Glories and unease

My morning glories are blooming! They are so pretty. The ironic thing is that I am not a morning person!!! By the time I get up they are fading :( However, one morning I was up early ministering to sick John over the phone. There are few things that can get me to crawl out of bed before 9 am, but a sick kid is always effective. And so I took some pictures.

And my Sarah. I am uneasy. She is pale. Just pale. But always pale. Every day. No fever. Eating well. Drinking OK. Acting happy for the most part. But she is definately happiest lying down....hmmm. I'll give it one more day and then maybe bring her in to the doc with a urine sample. You never know. But something is up. I realize she could have picked up Mono from John but it is too soon for her to get it. It takes longer than that to develop. Hmmm....And don't even get me started if she needs bloodwork, like we are going to get blood out of those veins!

Dare I say it?? and Andy

...I think we are all on the mend!!!!! Sarah is back to her rosy self and John is feeling better too. I am cautiously looking forward instead of drowning in anxiety.

Sarah had her first day at school today and did marvelously well. She was eager and happy. Although we are in a different room this year and Sarah's 'peer' is new-she tolerated the alternate surroundings and was very busy listening to and looking sideways at "Andy". He's an adorable redhead with freckles across his nose. He is close to her age and willing to engage with her. He is chatty but sensitive to her. They will do some OT together, with Sarah learning to initiate communication and take turns. He is delightful.

One of the main things for Sarah to experience this year is interaction with a 'peer'. A child her age. One on one. It takes a special child to work with Sarah. Andy is that child. A more or less typical peer so she can learn the ins and outs of communication-with flashcards, a switch, gestures...He is interested in Sarah, curious as to what she is all about, and not afraid to ask questions. He will benefit as well, not only with his own OT but he will get to know a child who has multiple disabitities and will learn to see her as a person. A thinking, feeling, interactive person. I wish every child could have this opportunity.

In limbo

Still doing the 'should I bring John home' dance. Every day is different for him. Some days good, some nights bad. He sees the nurse practitioner again this morning.....

Mono

That's what he has :( Things got a bit worse late last night as his temp went up and his throat became quite sore. I spoke to his pediatrician and also the nurse practitioner who examined him this morning at Seton Hall. They both feel he can stay at school. So far, his symptoms aren't too terribly bad, so he will take it day by day. Poor kid. Tough way to start the school year. At least we now know what is going on.

One way...for now

Well, his dad dropped him off as he feels a bit better. He is settled into school and has his first classes today. However, he still has a low grade fever. 99.3. It is just sitting there. I told him that if he still has it Friday then he must head to the college health office and be seen. He will have had the fever for a week. I'm thinking some bloodwork must be done. Unless something pops up in the meantime. Then he will go sooner. Fingers crossed that this just goes away. John does not want to talk about it anymore :)

One way or round trip?

John and his dad are headed down to Seton Hall University. He still has a low fever. He had some vomiting but that seems to have quieted down this morning. He ate a waffle. He is mildly dehydrated, but no headache today. This persistent low grade temp is on the 5th day now. He says he feels better today. Tonight they are staying at the Marriot near the school and tomorrow is move-in day if he is still improving. If he is doing poorly then Slick will just bring him back home. And we will head to the doctor's office.
I didn't want him to leave yet, but he is so insistent, so we shall see......It's just too bad that he was so healthy all summer, gained 10 pounds and seemed all set for school. Then in the last week this crops up :(
So what will the trip be for John? One way or round trip?