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This is one of Sweetie’s favorites of Papa and Tanner.?? I came across it recently and wanted to post since it’s one of my hall of famers too.?? 🙂

I have not taken any pictures of my kids in the last couple weeks – NONE.?? Can you believe it??? I have been so busy lately.???? Last week was one of those weeks that I don’t care to repeat.?? ONE of the downers of the week was Tori getting roseolla (at least I think that is what she had).?? She was C R A N K Y!??

One night she was crying in her crib and I decided to bring her in with Jim and I for awhile.?? She woke right up when she got in our bed and decided she wanted to kiss her daddy.?? She kept pointing at him, and making kissing sounds at me.?? Her non verbal language is quite good.?? She was asking me if she could crawl on Daddy and kiss him to which I kept saying no (he was asleep).?? She would give me her pouty lips and start to cry and then ask again.?? (Jim actually doesn’t mind being awakened by kisses hee hee but he had to work and I didn’t figure he wanted to play with the baby at 2 AM).

She learned to crawl into her swing but can’t get out without flipping herself onto the floor face down.?? Not good.?? Wish she would quit climbing stuff.?? She is starting to play with her dolls more now.?? It’s so cute.?? She pats them, and pushes them in her doll stroller.?? I saw her trying to give her baby a bottle yesterday and when Daddy got off work, she met daddy with a doll in her hand.?? I think she wanted Dad to kiss her doll too.?? She often insists that we kiss her baby.?? She loves to give kisses but it’s on HER agenda.

Ty had his meeting with the Developmental Psychologist last week too.?? Jim and I were not a bit??surprised to hear a ADHD diagnosis.?? Duh.?? Anyone who has spent five minutes with our darling knows that one.?? I was thankful that the Dr. made the comment that Ty clearly did NOT have behavioral issues.?? Sometimes people blame behavior on ADHD and sometimes kids with true ADHD get labeled with behavioral issues.?? I was glad that the Dr. recognized early on that Ty is a sweet??little boy – not defiant.?? Also quite charming.?? He (copied me) and shook her hand and told her it was “nice to meet her” without any prompting when we left.?? He makes me smile.

We learned some interesting things at this meeting about some learning issues that I not only had never heard of, but wasn’t aware Ty had.?? One example is verbal retrieval.?? I told the Dr. that Ty was a great communicator so I was really surprised when he he struggled with communciation testing.???? The most difficult for him was verbal retrieval.?? Here are some examples – easier than trying to explain this.

*?? Ty was asked what is wet and falls from the sky.?? He said a rainbow.

*?? Ty was asked what he chews with.?? He said a fork.

*?? Ty was asked what he sees with.?? He said his glasses.

*?? Ty was asked what is on his head that he hears with.?? He said noise.

Also several times he would answer “I can’t find it”.

According to the Dr., children with neurological issues often KNOW what word they want but they literally “can’t find it” – therefore, Ty’s answer was quite accurate.?? She said children with verbal retrieval issues often say that.?? It’s like he knows what isle the word is on but grabs something associated.?? Ty has given me answers like this a lot but I always chalked it up to not paying attention and didn’t make the connection until it was pointed out to me.

His OT skills are way behind (but we knew this already).?? I am going to look into “Handwriting without Tears” because I seriously have NO idea how I am going to teach him to write his letters.?? Due to either CP, or maybe dispraxia, he still struggles to even draw a straight line or circle.??

Without going into any more detail about that appointment, I will close with two points that need to be highlighted.

First…the Dr. said she had been following NICU babies for 17 years and considering Ty’s early birth story (25 weeker with bilateral brain hemorrages and PVL), she told us that he is an absolute MIRACLE.?? Yes he has struggles and is going to have to work harder but considering the circumstances, pretty amazing!

Second…Ty always beats the odds.?? He may take longer to reach developmental milestones but he does get there.???? Ty and I both realize that there is more than one way to do things and he and I will do our best to find the work around.?? The cool thing about the brain is that even when some parts have been injured, other parts have the ability to take over.?? You just have to direct the brain to work around the injury.?? I can’t say that I know how to do that right now but, you know me.?? I’ll do my homework and when I get stuck…I’ll ask you.?? :)?? Ty is going to be just fine.?? Better than fine.?? I wouldn’t change him for all the world.

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