FINALLY!!!!!!

Well, we got the word yesterday that People is doing the article!!!!! We are beyond thrilled. A few weeks ago it seemed like it may have been a lost cause. Todd and I wrote and sent a letter expressing our sadness over the article not going forward. While it is a very big deal for us to be in any sort of publication (truly!) what disappointed us most of all was that the good work of Dr. Landa and the wonderful staff at Kennedy Krieger wasn't being highlighted. Something clicked with the editors and we're back on!! We are so fortunate to have been given this opportunity to share our story through the pages of People.

In other "finally" news, B is walking!!!!! He's been working so hard using all those little muscles in those cute little legs and last Saturday it just clicked. Just this afternoon I spent about an hour just watching him walk. Walking here, walking there, walking, walking everywhere!

I'm not sure what, if anything, we said about the Baltimore County Infants and Toddlers program will make it into the article. We obviously feel very strongly about Early Intervention and the tremendous difference it can make. We have been blessed through the years to work with some truly wonderful people in the BCPS I & T program. They are all amazing people, but we have to give some special praise to Mary Pat Summers and Carole Coleman. Mary Pat has been working tirelessly with our little B to get him walking and using his muscles in the correct way. She has a big, big fan in little B, that is for sure. His face lights up when she walks in the house. Mary Pat has always answered my (many) questions, no matter how silly or insignificant they may be. And she does it all with a smile and a heart of gold. We love you Mary Pat! Our relationship with Carole goes back to late 2004 when we first realized A had a speech and social delay. She came in, got to work immediately, and gave Hubby and I all of the tools we needed to work with A at home. We could never begin to pay back what Carole has given us. I have such fond memories of Carole coming over each week to work with A--as soon as Carole came through the door A would run into the family room, sit down, and be prepared to work!! And work she did--she ALWAYS took a great nap on "Carole days." And now--5 years later--we are again blessed to be working with Carole. She is helping to get B talking more--he is such a quiet little guy. He's starting to babble more and more and we are hopeful he'll be a chipper little chatterbox very soon. It is true that his big sisters do all the talking for him, at the moment, at least!

Thanks for reading everyone--and remember to pick up a copy of People Magazine next week!!! I *think* it will be the March 29th edition, out on newsstands approximately Friday March 19th. (shameless plug, shameless plug)

Early Intervention works--pass it on!!

Updates on B & People Magazine

B continues to work VERY hard on his physical milestones. Mary Pat with BaltoCo. Infants & Toddlers has been working with him more lately but he still lets those darn little toes curl under. Have any of you had a child do that? I don't remember A & C doing it. A & C both walked at 14 months...so maybe late March is our time!! B has had one visit also with Carole--also w/ BaltoCo. Infants & Toddlers. Carole is a Special Educator who is just helping B increase his communication skills. She thinks he's fine--but thinks he is a very quiet little guy. Yup--he is!

I MISS going to the gym during the day!! I just signed up for Pilates--and while I can take classes on Sunday afternoons I would much rather be doing so on Tuesdays or Thursdays while B is in the playroom at the gym. The little guy can't go there until he is officially walking :-(

People Magazine......It is still my favorite magazine, but we have hit a few bumps in the road with the story. Sharon Cotliar contacted me earlier this week and took some updates from me. She let me know that she is trying very hard to push for our story, of course it is in her interest, as well, to have the story go to press! Sharon told me that the story was going to the Art department for a re-design, and we are again hopeful that we will see it soon. I must sound like a broken record, friends, but I am so excited about this. It has been my dearest hope that our story will help someone out there. Please help spread that word that Early Intervention works!!

We *heart* our Early Intervention heros--Mary Pat Summers & Carole Coleman!!!!

Is it Spring yet??

Update on B's Infants & Toddlers visits, part ii

B continues to be seen by Mary Pat with Baltimore County Infants and Toddlers. She visits us a few times a month to work on his trunk strength, toe curling (why DOES he do that??), and emerging walking skills. She is teaching him to use muscles in his body properly--and it is a hoot to watch her do this. The little guy is ready for a nap when she leaves!

At this point we will begin seeing her a bit more frequently as Mary Pat feels he is on the cusp of walking, but is having some "old habits" come back that are affecting his balance. (see prior posts) He wants to hold his arms out and back, as if balancing himself in an exersaucer, cursed piece of baby gear!

B is a joy each and every day. He eats a lot, smiles a lot, plays a lot, makes us laugh a lot. He celebrated his First Birthday a week ago.

In addition to Mary Pat, we'll also begin seeing our old friend Carole Coleman again (she worked with A four years ago). Carole's specialty is early special education and she'll help us to get him communicating. We've all noticed that he is a particularly quiet baby. At times this is because his older, well-meaning sisters talk for him--at other times it's just because. Regardless--whether it's indicative of a problem or not--we're taking the proactive approach and beginning the therapies. It can't hurt--it can only help. Plus, the visits with Carole and Mary Pat are fun. I can only hope that "one day" when I am back in the working world that I have a job that touches the lives of families and children in the ways these women do.

We continue to be in touch with Sharon from People Magazine. There have certainly been delays in the story, bumps in the road perhaps. She has been keeping in touch via email and phoning occasionally too. We continue to be hopeful that our story will soon reach millions of families and perhaps offer a little hope to a child who is having trouble communicating, or who is on the Autism Spectrum.

Thanks for reading, thanks for asking about us. We appreciate the care & concern!

Snow in February Takes Me Back

Seven years ago I was a 37 week pregnant woman. No kids to chase around, no job--I'd left in early January--and plenty of time on my hands. It seems like an eternity ago--yet I can practically taste the ice cream sundaes Hubby used to bring me home nightly. (He knew better than to come home empty handed, after all.)



Fast forward to today--an almost 7 year old, star of First Grade, holder of my heart. How does that happen? How does time DO that?



The snow began falling on Valentine's day that year. I remember the day well. It was a Friday and I emailed Hubby a list of necessities for both our house and our elderly neighbor. I am pretty sure her list contained tea bags, twinkies, and soup. I'm sure ours contained Coca Cola and Fritos--these two things have sustained me through all my pregnancies. The forecast looked like it could be a doosy. Family members were nervous. Hubby was panicked I would go into labor. I was convinced, of course, that I wouldn't go into labor. (just a few weeks prior when told that I had made no "progress" at my internal exam I declared to Hubby that he must take down the crib because the baby "simply wasn't coming")



I had just, the day before, had a pedicure and manicure. What a treat--yet what a chore--it was to climb into that big, soft, vibrating chair. I can still feel the hot and bubbly water around my fat ankles.



With the snow already falling we decided I should rest a lot, not move around, not walk around too much. I made a comfy bed for myself on our leather sofa, and gathered around me pillows, blankets, and some precious novels. (Anita Shreve's Eden Close & Strange Fits of Passion) I devoured the books, one on Saturday and one on Sunday. I am sure they have splashes of Coke and crumbs of Frito within their pages to this day. Chocolate too. I was big on the chocolate.



The snow came down. Fast. Deep.



Hubby, wonderful man that he is, kept up with the shoveling. I have pictures of him outside our old house on Willoughby Road, standing proudly (he would debate this fact) by his shovel. You can just barely make out our Chevy Blazer behind him. On Sunday I ventured out to the porch in my Old Navy Maternity coat and trusty blue hat. Despite the coat's girth--my own couldn't be buttoned in. All was white in Parkville that day.



The evening was quiet, I forget what time we went to bed.



By 7:30 A.M. or so I was on the phone with my OB/GYN. There was only about 2' of snow. Yeah--2'!! I calmly got myself together, Hubby showered, shoveled, showered (yes--you read that right--2 showers) and we set about on our journey to parenthood. What typically would have been a 10 minute drive on a holiday Monday (President's Day) took us about 45 minutes. I-695 was down to one driveable lane. We made it though, safe and sound.



This was about 10:30 A.M and by 3:30 P.M. I was holding my sweet baby girl. My BIG baby girl--she would be the biggest baby I would give birth to at a whopping 8lbs 14.2 oz.



As the snow continues to fall out there tonight--and with a forecast for much more this coming weekend--my mind goes back to that wonderful time back in 2003. I've lived a lifetime since then, but a simple snowfall can take me back.



Different house now, same wonderful Hubby, three kids, and complete chaos. Life, as the saying goes, is good.

The Day After

Oh.My.Gosh.

I can't believe that, in the days leading up to Christmas, I thought that perhaps I hadn't bought enough. Our family room looks like a picked over Walmart on Black Friday. One cannot walk without stepping on some form of molded plastic. And the batteries...my God the batteries. I keep thinking I need to own stock in Duracell. I own all the batteries they ever made. And I'll just keep on buying. And buying. And buying.

We spend a lot of time with our television. This is an important thing to know before you proceed here. This year we saw that AMC decided to air a "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation" marathon--against TBS's "A Christmas Story". In my book Christmas Eve is about 2 things. Watching "It's a Wonderful Life" and then quickly switching the channel in time to see Ralphie nearly shoot his eye out for the first time in a twenty-four hour cycle. I love "NLCV" so much that I can very nearly recite it if the sound died on my tv, but my girls have started to enjoy "A Christmas Story" this year. I felt goosebumps when A recognized what movie it was! They keep asking what soap tastes like and why Ralphie's mom made him eat it. Hubby and I explained that since Ralphie was "sassy" he had to have his mouth washed out. **all the while praying that during the tire-changing scene they didn't ask any further questions!!

My point is that this movie, along with a host of other things (Stauffer's lasagna, Mom's egg casserole, socks with monkeys--or in this special case--socks without monkeys) has become part of the tightly woven fabric of our family Christmas. I have spent way too many brain cells on comparing my family's Christmas to others' celebrations that in some ways I've failed to see what really matters. We have a heck of a good time on Christmas. I really do dream of the day when Christmas dinner is served on fine china (and not dollar store paper plates) and the food on said China is a melt-in-your-mouth-beef-tenderloin (and not a frozen meal from aisle 7) but for now, I'll take it. TV and all.

I'm Back--For Now

It has been a while since I've sat down and allowed myself the luxury of blogging. A lot has been going on and I regret I haven't written more. As things happen around me I often am inspired to write, though with the blur of kids and mess and glitter glue, I seldom do just that. Then the moment passes. Ugh!!! I really hate that feeling. Then I don't write. Then I think maybe it's not worth writing. Then a month and a half passes.



This fall has been eventful and fun, though not without its lowpoints. A is having anxieties over some things, mainly dogs and stage fright. The dog-worries have ME really worried. We haven't yet sought outside help, but we have enlisted A's guidance counselor at school, and family and friends as well. I very clearly remember being awakened one night months ago because A had a bad dream that dogs were biting her. I didn't think much of it at the time, just kissed her, tucked her in and promised her it was just a silly dream. Soon after that the anxiety began. She would avoid going outside if a neighbor's dog was out, walking to the bus stop got to be just plain painful--for me and her! To date we almost exclusively drive. Up until this past week our friends Andrea and Anna brought A back from the bus in the afternoons. I could tell they would soon be on my porch because I could hear A's screams of terror. Not because a dog came up to her, simply because she saw a dog. Even if it was leashed and on the other side of the street! Mrs. B at school has been helpful, sending home cute coloring pages of dogs and talking with A about her fears. I do think we're seeing some minor improvements. It all starts with baby steps I guess!



This fall has also brought change to my own life, as the season of a friendship came to an end. What a hard decision that was. I've been blessed in my life not to have ever had to endure a bad breakup--until now. It was, at first, like I had lost a limb--something that was always there had simply disappeared. Little by little though the sun shined a little brighter and I realized I was feeling something new: relief. It still breaks my heart that it happened at all, but I've come to accept it as the right decision. I'm still having the occasional bad day over it, but they are fewer and farther between.



As a parenting team, Hubby and I work pretty well together I think. This fall, however, has tested our limits. Why?? Quite simply: The Bean. C's nickname is The Bean--or Wa Bean, as we call her in Hubby's family. She has decided that this fall was the time to make a name for herself, carve out a little niche just for her, earn herself some street cred. She is, quite simply, tiring. To quote from one of my favorite children's book series, (Olivia by Ian Falconer) "...(she) wear(s) me out." We always joke that her pig tails hide her horns. Thank God she is cute--its the only reason we keep her around. That and the hugs. And the way she can't yet say "r's". "Mommy, is Bennett my bruh-vah?" "Yes, Honey, Bennett is your bruh-vah" I answer back. Geez I love that. Oh--and she is funny...we also keep her around for that. Her favorite joke?? It's a Beanie original: Why did the chicken cross the road? To get to the uh-vah side so he could poop and pee. Potty humor--she will purposely walk into a bathroom and start shouting "Poop and Pee, Poop and Pee, I can say dat because I'm in the baff-room." I just think it's kind of neat that she knows that Potty Humor is funny. It's not a learned thing--she just gets it. (And it IS funny) OK, it's official. We'll keep her. For now.



B is doing great....(how is that for a segue?). We continue to see Mary Pat with Infants and Toddlers and he continues to cruise and crawl and get into things. He smiles a lot and is just a dream of a baby. Very happy, very content. Happy baby + full nights of sleeping = Happy Mommy. He continues to be adored by both A and C, in addition to our many friends and family members. B is (on this very day) now eleven months old and just a few weeks ago we were called back to Kennedy Krieger for his ten-month follow up testing. I wasn't surprised to hear that he behind in speech and language skills, but I was surprised to find out just how much that shook me. I knew going in he is sort of a quiet baby, and they confirmed that he is indeed about 2-3 months behind. I called Hubby on the way home and talked to him about it. It shocked him not at all and he was quick to talk me off of the ledge I was building in my mind. We are both thrilled with B's development--and we are equally thrilled to still be participating in this groundbreaking research at Kennedy Krieger with Dr. Landa's team. I just have to remember that part of the process is that they are very thorough AND aggressive with recommending early intervention. (thanks to Chris Hess at KKI for reminding me of that :) ) When I returned home that day I contacted Mary Pat and requested an extra visit in December and further requested adding special education/communication education to our IFSP.

While all of this has been going on we've also been in communication with Sharon, the writer from People Magazine. (yes, still my all time favorite publication!!). The story looks like it could be in a January issue. This could be timely as the CDC is announcing that the incidence of Autism in children is going from 1:150 to 1:100. If one family reads the story and begins early intervention as a result of our story, I would be ecstatic. One of the things Sharon and I spoke about this week was my experiences with other parents who eschew early intervention merely because of it being on a child's "Permanent Record." One parent told me that she sought speech therapy through a school system--but declined it when she was told it fell under the umbrella of "Special Education." I don't know how to get the word out effectively enough--early intervention matters!! It is crucial if there is any doubt, whatsoever, that your child isn't hitting important milestones. This goes further than just looking for Autism, but for any developmental problem. Fears and worries are keeping kids from getting the care and attention they need and deserve. Baby steps, Teri, baby steps. We'll get there. Someday.

As I conclude this (very long) entry this evening, I find myself looking back on a truly remarkable and lifechanging year. The year began with me becoming the Mom of three, giving birth to my first boy and my last child. What a joy he is! The year has had plenty of ups, and, sadly, some downs, but it has been a good year. As we begin this week of Christmas I continue to be thankful for how truly abundant my life is and how blessed I am to be surrounded by good people who love me and my little family of five. The year will end, and a new one will begin, and I can't wait to see what it holds for us.

Have a happy and healthy holiday season & the best wishes for the happiest of new years.

Update on B's Infants & Toddlers visits

We have now had several visits with Mary Pat, our Physical Therapist with the Baltimore County Infants and Toddlers Program. She has been here three times and each time has been blown away by B's progress. We really haven't seen any of the head-lag that he demonstrated at our Kennedy Krieger eval a few months back, and some of the flat-foot concerns that were demonstrated and the initial I & T eval have all but gone away too. Mary Pat has noted that Ben keeps his toes curled up a lot of the time, like while he's sitting on the floor, and we just try to help him relax those little piggies. The biggest thing that has changed since my initial blog post about B is that he is crawling. Everywhere. He had been doing the "Army Crawl" for the longest time and about a week or so ago he began "actual" crawling. It's adorable...and I guess I'm wrapped up in it so much because he's my last baby and all, but man--I had forgotten just how dangerous it is to have a crawling, very mobile baby and a (insert dangerous object here.) The biggest danger is the fireplace. We've had a bump or three from that! The other thing that is hard, now that our basement is finished...well, refinished, is the steps. With A and C coming and going from the basement playroom the door gets left open. Ugh...electrical outlets, electrical cords, doors, bricks, oh my. We have some IKEA bookcases in our family room and basement that have managed to leave straight line red marks on B's forehead. He doesn't seem phased by it of course. People keep telling me this is what having a boy is like. Bumps, scrapes, and bruises. Bumps, scrapes, bruises. I'll take that.