I always wanted my son to go to Yale, but certainly not under these considerations. We dropped Sophia off to her Nana's house (her surrogate grandmother/babysitter) and off we were to Connecticut to the Yale Child Study Center Toddler Developmental Disabilities Clinic on Tuesday, November 26 - ironically, two days before Thanksgiving. We began his evaluation on Tuesday and and followed up with a further evaluation on Wednesday. Details are coming - a final report is expected within the next few weeks. But alas - all went as I anticipated, although, not as I hoped for.
After two days of evaluations, we met with the social worker and head of the clinic. They reviewed the results of his test with us, and when there was no more material to review, I could feel apprehension, the pending doom - the look of "How will they respond to this?" as they went on to give the diagnosis. Zach has been diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder.
Showing posts with label zach. Show all posts
Showing posts with label zach. Show all posts
Friday, November 28, 2008
Sunday, October 26, 2008
The Letter
Friday, October 24, 2008
To Our Dear Family and Friends:
We wanted to send a letter out to talk about all that has been going on in the our home.
It’s been quite a journey we have been going through. Some may know of Leanne’s Mom and her recent diagnosis with lung cancer. It was caught relatively early and there are some good treatment options available. It has been a tough journey for Mom with lots of bumps and wrong turns down the path, but alas, it is looking like she will likely be able to start treatments soon. She has been quite a trooper throughout this.
The other part of our journey has been dear Sophia. She recently started pre-school and seems to like it a lot. She has been identified as having sensory/motor issues and will begin starting occupational therapy twice a week. She has great skills, and tested very highly in several areas of her development tests. Her occupational therapy will hopefully help her with issues such as picky eating, sleeping difficulty and inability to sit still as well as fine motor skills. She scored quite high in other areas and the evaluators have told us that not only will she do well in school, she is likely to exceed and be quite above average in her intellectual development. Anyone who talks to her can see that!
Now on to Zach. Many of you are aware that he has been speech delayed. Unfortunately, we have seen regression in his speech as of late. We are going through the process of getting him formally diagnosed, which is a painstakingly long time (likely in the 3-6 month range in order to meet with a developmental pediatrician). In the meantime we have been doing Early Intervention with Zach which is getting him provided with speech therapy services, and will be adding a occupational therapy service soon.
Steve and I have been researching what is going on with Zach; there is a plethora of information online, several books, speaking to several development professionals, and have a close friend whose child lies on the autistic spectrum and has provided her experiences. We have been able to locate some of the screening and diagnostic tools used by professionals and have done a preliminary assessment of Zach’s current situation. We are fairly confident that Zach will be deemed to have a PDD – Pervasive Developmental Disorders, which autism is part of. We have addressed this with Zach’s pediatrician, who seems to concur, although he did not give an official diagnosis. We have also discussed this with Zach’s speech pathologist whom also concurs, but does not have the credentials to give such a diagnosis.
What we are doing? Continuing to research and talk to professionals right now. The professionals have all indicated that next year is crucial in getting him treatment to affect his outcome. Leanne is considering a leave of absence from work in order to give Zach as much of her attention as possible, while making sure Sophie gets her time too. This decision is a very difficult one and will have a big impact on the family, most likely financially.
Now – the crux of why we are sending this letter. We want you to know a lot more about PDD/autistic spectrum disorders so you know what to expect. Attached is some information that may answer some questions.
Having cared for someone who has recently gone through (and still is in) this process of dealing with a child on the spectrum, we wanted to let you know what can help us. We witnessed our friend and even unfortunately subjected her to stories that we came across on children with autism. She let us know that everyone and their brother did the same. We understand that people will want to reach out to us, and don’t know what to do. What we don’t want from people are anecdotes of people who know someone whose kid didn’t talk until late and their child turned out just fine. Zach’s issues are more than late speech. We don’t want the internet news clips of autistic children who scored the winning basket of the game or who were able sing at the United Nations on International Disability Day. We have likely already seen the clip.
So what do we want at this point? First of all- educate yourself with the provided attachment and anything else you can find on PDD/autistic spectrum disorders. Realize most of the professionals are indicating there is no cure and this is likely a life-long diagnosis.
Second, we will need everyone’s help in making sure our approach will be adhered to – Zach will likely be on a strict diet in the near future – and will need everyone to cooperate and respect it. We have decided to take a holistic approach to the issue – in addition to Zach’s diet, we will be adding supplements that have shown to have helped those children with PDD in conjunction with medical analysis and therapies. His diet will likely avoid gluten and casein, which are mostly wheat and dairy products – very restrictive for sure! We will provide all of Zach’s food. For those concerned with proper nutrition, I assure you we are doing our research and have consulted a registered dietician and his pediatrician to help us in the process.
Third, if you know of any preferred physicians (developmental pediatricians and pediatric neurologists) or therapists (speech pathologist and occupational therapists), we will gladly take the names and references, even if they are not located in central New York.
Fourth, a babysitter once in a while wouldn’t hurt. One study conducted in 2006 indicated that 85% of marriages of children with autistic spectrum disorders fail. I can certainly understand why, however, I know that Steve and I recognize it is not what we want and it is one of our many goals for our family. We also want to make sure that Sophia gets the individual attention she deserves.
Now what else do we need? Your love, support, prayers. I assure you that this is the most difficult thing we have ever been through – compared to Ph.D. dissertations, colic, job problems, etc. To give those of you an understanding, it is much like the loss of a loved one, with the exception of no closure. For those familiar with grief staging (Elizabeth Kubler-Ross), we are certainly feeling a loss. Hopefully, as we go down the path we will gain more acceptance and understand the situation God has given us.
We feel so blessed in many ways, to have all of you on our side, and to have the two beautiful children we have. We hope to continue to recognize that we have been blessed and that God will provide us the strength and love to contend with the journey in front of us, with grace. Please keep us in your prayers as we do all of you.
And please stay in touch. This can be a lonely journey. Although we don’t expect everyone to actively participate on our journey, we still need interaction with you all.
God Bless,
Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) formerly Pervasive Development Disorders (PDD)
ASD is one of the most commonly diagnosed developmental disabilities in children. It is a lifelong disability that is usually diagnosed before the age of three. ASD can interfere with a person’s ability to process information, interact with others, and learn common tasks. Autism is a spectrum disorder, meaning that there are varying degrees of it, from the very profoundly affected, to high functioning.
Certain types of high functioning autism are often diagnosed as Aspergers Syndrome and Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise Specified or PDD-NOS. Symptoms include delayed or absence of speech, the inability to appropriately relate to others, repetitive movements, such as hand flapping, and an insistence of a routine. If a child is suspected of having autism, they should be tested and diagnosed by a reputable professional, such as a pediatric neurologist, or child psychologist who is familiar with the disorder. With the correct intervention, the higher functioning autistic child can learn to overcome his difficulties and eventually be mainstreamed into a regular classroom. However, there are some recommendations and guidelines that must be followed when training and treating these exceptional children.
Once a child has been diagnosed with ASD, seeking treatment as soon as possible is crucial. In the U.S, each school district is mandated to offer intervention programs to assist children with this disorder. Establishing an individualized educational and therapy plan is the first step in treating children with this disorder. Since autism is not a disease, there is no single solution to addressing it. Rather, a series of therapies must be mapped out for the affected child. These include development of social, behavioral, communication, and motor skills. An Individualized Educational Plan, or IEP is formulated through teacher, specialist, and parent inputs. It is this plan that lays the groundwork for the child’s necessary therapy and academic training.
To Our Dear Family and Friends:
We wanted to send a letter out to talk about all that has been going on in the our home.
It’s been quite a journey we have been going through. Some may know of Leanne’s Mom and her recent diagnosis with lung cancer. It was caught relatively early and there are some good treatment options available. It has been a tough journey for Mom with lots of bumps and wrong turns down the path, but alas, it is looking like she will likely be able to start treatments soon. She has been quite a trooper throughout this.
The other part of our journey has been dear Sophia. She recently started pre-school and seems to like it a lot. She has been identified as having sensory/motor issues and will begin starting occupational therapy twice a week. She has great skills, and tested very highly in several areas of her development tests. Her occupational therapy will hopefully help her with issues such as picky eating, sleeping difficulty and inability to sit still as well as fine motor skills. She scored quite high in other areas and the evaluators have told us that not only will she do well in school, she is likely to exceed and be quite above average in her intellectual development. Anyone who talks to her can see that!
Now on to Zach. Many of you are aware that he has been speech delayed. Unfortunately, we have seen regression in his speech as of late. We are going through the process of getting him formally diagnosed, which is a painstakingly long time (likely in the 3-6 month range in order to meet with a developmental pediatrician). In the meantime we have been doing Early Intervention with Zach which is getting him provided with speech therapy services, and will be adding a occupational therapy service soon.
Steve and I have been researching what is going on with Zach; there is a plethora of information online, several books, speaking to several development professionals, and have a close friend whose child lies on the autistic spectrum and has provided her experiences. We have been able to locate some of the screening and diagnostic tools used by professionals and have done a preliminary assessment of Zach’s current situation. We are fairly confident that Zach will be deemed to have a PDD – Pervasive Developmental Disorders, which autism is part of. We have addressed this with Zach’s pediatrician, who seems to concur, although he did not give an official diagnosis. We have also discussed this with Zach’s speech pathologist whom also concurs, but does not have the credentials to give such a diagnosis.
What we are doing? Continuing to research and talk to professionals right now. The professionals have all indicated that next year is crucial in getting him treatment to affect his outcome. Leanne is considering a leave of absence from work in order to give Zach as much of her attention as possible, while making sure Sophie gets her time too. This decision is a very difficult one and will have a big impact on the family, most likely financially.
Now – the crux of why we are sending this letter. We want you to know a lot more about PDD/autistic spectrum disorders so you know what to expect. Attached is some information that may answer some questions.
Having cared for someone who has recently gone through (and still is in) this process of dealing with a child on the spectrum, we wanted to let you know what can help us. We witnessed our friend and even unfortunately subjected her to stories that we came across on children with autism. She let us know that everyone and their brother did the same. We understand that people will want to reach out to us, and don’t know what to do. What we don’t want from people are anecdotes of people who know someone whose kid didn’t talk until late and their child turned out just fine. Zach’s issues are more than late speech. We don’t want the internet news clips of autistic children who scored the winning basket of the game or who were able sing at the United Nations on International Disability Day. We have likely already seen the clip.
So what do we want at this point? First of all- educate yourself with the provided attachment and anything else you can find on PDD/autistic spectrum disorders. Realize most of the professionals are indicating there is no cure and this is likely a life-long diagnosis.
Second, we will need everyone’s help in making sure our approach will be adhered to – Zach will likely be on a strict diet in the near future – and will need everyone to cooperate and respect it. We have decided to take a holistic approach to the issue – in addition to Zach’s diet, we will be adding supplements that have shown to have helped those children with PDD in conjunction with medical analysis and therapies. His diet will likely avoid gluten and casein, which are mostly wheat and dairy products – very restrictive for sure! We will provide all of Zach’s food. For those concerned with proper nutrition, I assure you we are doing our research and have consulted a registered dietician and his pediatrician to help us in the process.
Third, if you know of any preferred physicians (developmental pediatricians and pediatric neurologists) or therapists (speech pathologist and occupational therapists), we will gladly take the names and references, even if they are not located in central New York.
Fourth, a babysitter once in a while wouldn’t hurt. One study conducted in 2006 indicated that 85% of marriages of children with autistic spectrum disorders fail. I can certainly understand why, however, I know that Steve and I recognize it is not what we want and it is one of our many goals for our family. We also want to make sure that Sophia gets the individual attention she deserves.
Now what else do we need? Your love, support, prayers. I assure you that this is the most difficult thing we have ever been through – compared to Ph.D. dissertations, colic, job problems, etc. To give those of you an understanding, it is much like the loss of a loved one, with the exception of no closure. For those familiar with grief staging (Elizabeth Kubler-Ross), we are certainly feeling a loss. Hopefully, as we go down the path we will gain more acceptance and understand the situation God has given us.
We feel so blessed in many ways, to have all of you on our side, and to have the two beautiful children we have. We hope to continue to recognize that we have been blessed and that God will provide us the strength and love to contend with the journey in front of us, with grace. Please keep us in your prayers as we do all of you.
And please stay in touch. This can be a lonely journey. Although we don’t expect everyone to actively participate on our journey, we still need interaction with you all.
God Bless,
Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) formerly Pervasive Development Disorders (PDD)
ASD is one of the most commonly diagnosed developmental disabilities in children. It is a lifelong disability that is usually diagnosed before the age of three. ASD can interfere with a person’s ability to process information, interact with others, and learn common tasks. Autism is a spectrum disorder, meaning that there are varying degrees of it, from the very profoundly affected, to high functioning.
Certain types of high functioning autism are often diagnosed as Aspergers Syndrome and Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise Specified or PDD-NOS. Symptoms include delayed or absence of speech, the inability to appropriately relate to others, repetitive movements, such as hand flapping, and an insistence of a routine. If a child is suspected of having autism, they should be tested and diagnosed by a reputable professional, such as a pediatric neurologist, or child psychologist who is familiar with the disorder. With the correct intervention, the higher functioning autistic child can learn to overcome his difficulties and eventually be mainstreamed into a regular classroom. However, there are some recommendations and guidelines that must be followed when training and treating these exceptional children.
Once a child has been diagnosed with ASD, seeking treatment as soon as possible is crucial. In the U.S, each school district is mandated to offer intervention programs to assist children with this disorder. Establishing an individualized educational and therapy plan is the first step in treating children with this disorder. Since autism is not a disease, there is no single solution to addressing it. Rather, a series of therapies must be mapped out for the affected child. These include development of social, behavioral, communication, and motor skills. An Individualized Educational Plan, or IEP is formulated through teacher, specialist, and parent inputs. It is this plan that lays the groundwork for the child’s necessary therapy and academic training.
Monday, October 20, 2008
Driving down the highway
We had left work and were off to pick up our beautiful daughter from the sitters. Steve and I have the luxury of carpooling together which is sometimes the only time we get to really talk to one another. This was 3 years ago, and I still remember it so well. We had just found out that I was pregnant again and we were totally excited. Would it be a son to complement our daughter? I thought about telling all my family and how exciting that would be. And then I thought about how lucky my family was, out of my 3 siblings, all the children were relatively healthy and happy, normal kids. I blurted out to Steve something on the order of: "You know, my family has been really lucky in the kid department, with the exception of a few minor issues, we have had very little go wrong. My nieces and nephews are all healthy. It's almost like my siblings were all so lucky - odds are in my favor that I won't be." That thought still lingers in my mind. Steve remotely remembers this conversation. Did I know something was up even back then?
I remember when they first told me at the ultrasound that we were having a boy. The dark room glowing from the light of the ultrasound machine, I could see my dear husband smiling like a young boy on Christmas morning. And if you knew my stoic dear Steven, you would realize how big that is.
And then there was the call from my OB/GYN. You're almost 40 weeks, she said. Baby is measuring really large, she said. You had a difficult birthing with your last one. Lets do a C-section. How I cried. I called everyone and asked what to do. Safety first, they all prudently reminded me. Stories of shoulders getting caught in the birth canal, broken collar bones, nerve damage. Go ahead I told the OB/GYN. Schedule me. I never had the opportunity to go into labor.
And just like that - he was here. Beautiful with 10 toes, 10 fingers, APGAR scores of 9 and 9. Big bobble head. And 9 pounds; no where near the 10.5 pound bundle they threatened me with. He nursed well. He slept well. He was so quiet compared to his sister who left the womb screaming and hasn't stopped since. He smiled at 5 weeks. Relief. He sat up and cooed and smiled at everyone. My beautiful boy. OK - so he didn't crawl until late. Some kids don't the pediatrician said. My mother-in-law told stories of cousins who scooted much like Zach did. All other milestones appeared on target. He took is first steps right at 12 months. He was saying Mama, Dada, baba, sit (he would yell at the dog). He smiled. He laughed. He was perfect.
A friend whose wife had given birth to their own little precious boy bundle just 3 weeks prior to Zach called one day. They were concerned about K.'s speech. Could they come over for a playdate and see how the boys compare? Sure. They come over. Zach says more words than K. K. also has some strange tendencies - like going through the house and closing all the doors, over and over. K. has temperament issues. But alas, they are not all that different with milestones.
Certainly, nothing was wrong. We were both used to our wonderfully intelligent, early speaking daughters. K. started early intervention for speech therapy. We held off thinking he was just quiet like is old man. Finally, after hearing stories of K's progression with the speech therapist - I give the doctor a call, we get a checkup, and he says go for it. Early Intervention comes and does their assessment and says speech twice a week for a half hour each. OK. The service coordinator remarks that we'll have him talking in no time.
If only that was true.
I remember when they first told me at the ultrasound that we were having a boy. The dark room glowing from the light of the ultrasound machine, I could see my dear husband smiling like a young boy on Christmas morning. And if you knew my stoic dear Steven, you would realize how big that is.
And then there was the call from my OB/GYN. You're almost 40 weeks, she said. Baby is measuring really large, she said. You had a difficult birthing with your last one. Lets do a C-section. How I cried. I called everyone and asked what to do. Safety first, they all prudently reminded me. Stories of shoulders getting caught in the birth canal, broken collar bones, nerve damage. Go ahead I told the OB/GYN. Schedule me. I never had the opportunity to go into labor.
And just like that - he was here. Beautiful with 10 toes, 10 fingers, APGAR scores of 9 and 9. Big bobble head. And 9 pounds; no where near the 10.5 pound bundle they threatened me with. He nursed well. He slept well. He was so quiet compared to his sister who left the womb screaming and hasn't stopped since. He smiled at 5 weeks. Relief. He sat up and cooed and smiled at everyone. My beautiful boy. OK - so he didn't crawl until late. Some kids don't the pediatrician said. My mother-in-law told stories of cousins who scooted much like Zach did. All other milestones appeared on target. He took is first steps right at 12 months. He was saying Mama, Dada, baba, sit (he would yell at the dog). He smiled. He laughed. He was perfect.
A friend whose wife had given birth to their own little precious boy bundle just 3 weeks prior to Zach called one day. They were concerned about K.'s speech. Could they come over for a playdate and see how the boys compare? Sure. They come over. Zach says more words than K. K. also has some strange tendencies - like going through the house and closing all the doors, over and over. K. has temperament issues. But alas, they are not all that different with milestones.
Certainly, nothing was wrong. We were both used to our wonderfully intelligent, early speaking daughters. K. started early intervention for speech therapy. We held off thinking he was just quiet like is old man. Finally, after hearing stories of K's progression with the speech therapist - I give the doctor a call, we get a checkup, and he says go for it. Early Intervention comes and does their assessment and says speech twice a week for a half hour each. OK. The service coordinator remarks that we'll have him talking in no time.
If only that was true.
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Therapists, therapists, therapy all the way
So that previous line should be sung to the melody of "Jingle Bells" to get the real effect.
We had Zach referred to early intervention for speech delay. This required a full evaluation that looked at not only communication, but physical, cognitive, social-emotional, and adaptive issues. According to them , the speech delay was the only issue they were concerned with. So here we are 2 months later, with speech therapy 2x a week. He dislikes his speech therapist. If I am around when she has her visits, he cries, and begs me to take him out of the room. He has made no language progress at all. Zach prefers the company of men, with one major exception, and that is me. I can tell you at times it drives me bonkers, but I also must confess that it snags at a heart string or two for some reason. I love my kids more than I ever thought I could love anything, and when I see this sort of attachment, it does feel like some kind of reciprocation. Hopefully, none of this is unhealthy. I digress. So, there are no male speech therapists. This in turn has prompted my speech pathologist to say we need OT. Is she right? Well, perhaps, but I don't think so. It just leaves me wondering how he would deal with yet another stranger in the mix. Hmmm. Child prefers men and has stranger anxiety - I know let's bring a strange woman around to teach hi hot to adjust.
Sometimes I wonder if I should have kept my mouth shut, and just let the kid naturally progress. Sometimes I wonder if I should just stay home and....
Can't think that way. At least not now. Too many bills to pay.
Then there is Sophie - this will require a part deux to get through that story.
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
Edition number 11 for Zach's first year newsletter
Zach is now 11 months and up to no good! :)
He is crawling and then some now. He tends to crawl without using his knees - makes him look like a 4 legged spider. He does this rather quickly I tell you. He can go up the stairs at pretty much lightening speed, but still has to figure out how to negotiate his way down.
Big news for this time period is that Zach is standing on his own, unassisted, and without pulling up on anything. It is so fun to go to the park, put him on the ground, watch him crawl around, and in the middle of nowhere, he just stands up with his hands outstretched like a surfer riding a wave. So cute - and do you think I can capture a picture of this? Of course not.
He is eating everything now, pasta, rice, meatballs, pulled pork (loved it), veggies and fruits. Nothing he hates - although I have noticed a tendency to go for the sweets. (Dear sister always seemed to like the salty...)
Zach still has Steven's hairline - but Steve tends to think that with his genetics, it's probably good that he doesn't get too attached to the hair he will get.
He says Dada, Mama and tickle and a lot of gibberish that sounds like he is trying to take part in our conversations. It can be very amusing. When he hears sister Sophie start a rant (which she happens to do often....) he puts on his own little show and it sounds like a the McLaughlin Group guest starring Pat Buchanan has come to the Morphet household. I look forward to the spirited conversations that will one day take place...
We managed a trip to Massachusetts and the kids did great. We snuck in a trip to the a contemporary art musuem called Mass MoCA (http://www.massmoca.org/) always a good time. One of everybody's favorite pieces? "7 melting snowflakes" "A "white" drawing documenting the almost imperceptible traces of melting snowflakes". Imperceptible YUP.
Tanglewood was another story. We rushed to get there and grabbed dinner there - Mom noted it was a bit on the pricey side for the fare we received. After a large bottle on a rather warm evening, Zach decided to hurl on Grandma Boulware just minutes before the start of the concert. Did I mention he did this at least 3 times and had her covered from the shoulders on down. YUCK! Off Steve ran to the gift shop to buy an overpriced T-shirt in an effort to ward off the funk. As Mom freshened up a bit (in a public restroom), Steve announced to the rest of us: "Dinner at the park: $45, T-shirt at the gift shop: $22, watching Babcia getting hurled on - PRICELESS." We cracked up.
Our trip to the NY State Fair was a lot more tame - Zach and Sophie loved it!
We are asking for your prayers that we quickly sell our current home, especially now that we have closed on our new house just yesterday. (HURRAY!!!)
That's it for now - next month is the big 1 year. We are planning a party Sunday October 7 - further details to come. We would love for you all to join us in our new house! (Even if we haven't moved in yet...)
Saturday, August 11, 2007
Zach is 10 months and Sophie is 3!
Hi everybody:
Just a little update on our family.
Zach turned 10 months and is now crawling. HURRAY! He is also standing on his own, and wanting to walk with assistance everywhere. (It's tough being tall sometimes - my back is killing me.)
He is eating like a champ - loves baby food of all sorts, yogurt, pasta, blueberries, DILL PICKLES and SAUERKRAUT (?!?!). I am thinking he definitely is showing his Polish genes. He is taking a bottle real well now (finally) and holds it by himself for the most part.
He is saying dada, and mama, and baba, and this, but I think he is only getting the Mama part for now.
Don't ask about the sleeping - it aint been pretty.
As for Ms. Sophie - she is 3 and officially potty trained. We aren't at 100% yet - but we are getting there. Unfortunately, Sophie was running a 104.5 degree temperature on her actual birthday so we had to cancel her official kid party - but alas we were able to share her Uncle Robby's party and her Babcia Morphet was able to attend all the way up from N. Carolina. As for what she is up to: She knows her letters pretty well, can spell STOP and SOPHIA 50% of the time, and is a total musician - great pitch and interest. She's been counting for awhile and recognizes numbers 1-11. She knows her numbers in Spanish too. (Thank you Dora) She loves Elmo, Dora, Nemo, Veggie Tales (especially Larry Boy). We are getting into some Leap Frog products right now and she really enjoys them.
So if you are wondering why this email is so late - well, Zach and Sophie have both been ill recently (3 solid weeks of high temps and nausea). And we are about to put our home on the market (for sale by owner - I know, I know - are we nuts - but check out the website http://infotube.net/180909) and the good news - we are moving in September! We purchased a house out in Camillus and should be closing in early September. YEAH! Housewarming party/ Zach's first birthday party is expected to be at the new residence October 7 - so mark it on your calendars.
Zach has been so sick that I have few pictures to share. I'll attach a few and lets hope I can get him feeling better and back to his old smiley self.
Saturday, May 5, 2007
7 months for Zach today
Hi All:
Zach is officially 7 months today.
He has yet to pop anymore teeth, but he has figured out how to chomp on Cheerios nonetheless. He is eating 3 square meals a day now and then some. He still seems awfully skinny to me - probably because big sis always seemed like a linebacker!
He is not quite sitting up totally unassisted yet - probably within the next few weeks, He rolls both ways very well. He can scoot and rotate on his tummy and roll - so he is mobile. I love setting up toys around him and watch him go for them. He sleeps on his tummy now which makes me nervous - but better than Sophie and her insistence on sleeping with the covers over her head.
He loves to stand, and does so very well with good balance and longevity. I do hope we can keep him from walking until his first birthday!
He has a great grip and very accurate reach. I am hoping we can start the self-feed finger foods soon.
He is still our happy little boy and gives lots of smiles. (Except at 3 in the morning... yeah - we will one day get sleep again.)
All in all - we are all doing well and enjoying our little family.
We look forward to the summer!
Gotta run - someone is crying....
Sunday, November 5, 2006
Zach is 1 month
So we hit the 1 month mark successfully. Zach is doing well and we are adjusting to life with two in diapers.
Sophie loves her brother and has yet to request that we return him.
Unlike his sister, Zach has some fussy periods - but not the full blown colic that Sophie had. PPHHEWWW!
Anybody considering getting pregnant - I recommend targeting a spring due date - the icky dark weather is not fun in Syracuse - you are stuck inside most of the time. BLEK!
Halloween was great since Babcia (Grandma) Morphet was up for 3 weeks from North Carolina and we had the opportunity to go trick-or-treating with Sophie. Thanks Babcia for all your help!
Life is more hectic than ever - aren't we lucky?
Looking forward to the holidays.
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