BITS -N- PIECES VOL. 9

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Somehow I managed to let the month of November get away from me. (Imagine that!) Our schedule is still busy. Alex started his new Euro-Peds program and is doing very well. I usually take him back to the room and get him settled and then I leave so Emily and Rachel can do their thing and I am not a distraction for him. He has been working on sitting, rolling and doing some sit-ups on the ball to build up his core strength. They are trying to get him to bear weight through his arms, but he is a stinker when it comes to that. HE DOES NOT LIKE IT!

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He is starting to sit better on his own. There are days where he does really well and other days it just doesn’t work for him. It is so hard for me to understand because I have no idea what he is experiencing. He loves to stand on his own in front of us as well as in his stander. I can tell he is to a point where he wants to get up and move but just doesn’t know how to yet. We usually hold him under his armpits and let him walk around the room. His steps are really nice and I am hopeful that someday he will walk, it just may take awhile. We are still waiting on his gait trainer. It was supposed to be in on the 16^th, but there were parts on back order (big surprise) so we are still waiting. It is supposed to be in sometime next week. (Fingers Crossed)

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He and Evan are still going to their play group at school once a week. They both have so much fun while they are there so I know pre-school will be a piece of cake for them. Eric got to take them this past week for the first time and I am so happy he did. I have been telling him all about it every week since they started and it was nice for him to be able to experience it with them!

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Evan is really into Mr. Potato Head and Coloring right now and Alex loves picking blocks out of a box or container. He is even starting to put them in as well – which is a great milestone for him. They are both turning into adorable little men.

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I have been Christmas Shopping like crazy and am really looking forward to celebrating this year. I think the boys are really going to enjoy it. We actually took them to see Santa today and I thought for sure they would scream and cry. Nope, they both sat on his lap and smiled like it was nothing!

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Eric’s birthday is tomorrow so we will be celebrating as a family. (Not sure what we are doing yet – I told him he had to pick!) Tonight we had a nice dinner out with our friends. We haven’t been out in a group in awhile, so it was really nice to enjoy small talk with no interruptions from the kids!

Challenges

Life without change, challenges and choices would be boring. As we await the results of who will be our President for the next 4 years, I am realizing just how much change my family has gone through and how many challenges we are facing right now.

Alex started his new Physical Therapy program at Euro-Peds on Friday. He did better than I thought he would. I figured with new faces and having to go back to the gym alone, he would have had a meltdown. Apparently I was wrong because when I went back to have a peek, he was having a ball with the two girls Emily and Rachel. I couldn’t believe it! I was so happy for him. Unfortunately, we are in a lull right now with Insurance, so we are awaiting approval for the program. We are hoping to resume on Friday.

In other Alex news, his Gait Trainer has been ordered! It’s been seven months since we started the whole process and within two weeks or so, we should have it! It was such a long frustrating process, but I never gave up. I promised him I would keep fighting – and that I did. I am so happy for him and I cannot wait to see him in it for the first time!

Evan, Evan, Evan….I do not know what I am going to do with that boy! He is not into toys at all right now. About the only toy related things that interest him are his Mr. Potato heads, Coloring Books and Crayons and an Elmo Book that has the little buttons for sound. Just yesterday, he got into the cupboards, pulled out my cutting boards, a colander, multiple spatulas and a frying pan and had them all laid out on the stairs. We finally had to child proof the drawers so he would stay out of them. He was trying to open them today and kept saying “Uh Oh” because he couldn’t get them open. He is growing up and I am not liking it!!!

After a couple of months of job searching and interviewing, Eric received a new job offer last week. He accepted and his first day was yesterday. We thought it was a good choice for our family until he got another offer tonight! Now another decision has to be made! I am so happy and so proud of all of his accomplishments. On top of this job transition, he is going to school to get his Bachelor’s Degree, studying for more IT Certifications and helping me with the boys. I hope he knows how grateful we all are that he does so much for our family.

As for me, no real big changes, just the daily challenge of raising two year old Twin Boys!!! I am trying to make time for myself more and I have recently gotten back into Scrapbooking. I have been working on Alex and Evan’s books which are coming along quite nicely. Being Boys, I am not sure if they will appreciate them as much, but even if they don’t, I know I will enjoy them! I may also take up “Mall Walking” this winter. I went for the first time this morning and it was nice. It gives me a chance to get a little exercise in while getting out of the house. I am going to miss my walks at the park, but I cannot handle the cold, so indoors for me it is!

Every new day has its own challenges. I have learned that, being a parent of both a special needs child and a typically developing child. You can either run away and hide or you can embrace it and learn as you go.