I have gone MOBILE!

Actually, the blog has gone mobile.

I just added the Mobile Plug-in, which allows me to view the website, edit, and comment all on a mobile device. So any of my bloggy friends that use mobile devices, let me know if my site is not viewable in mobile format, and I can see about getting it added.

In other news, not much has been going on besides attitudes and fights. But that is all for another entry.

For this entry, I want to just write about something I have noticed Derric doing lately. …

See, Derric will pull at his finger nails until one splits, and he can pull it up. Like a partially cut off nail. He than, when flustered, will flick the loose nail next to his ear.

Example.

Kauchana is collecting boxes for her big project, a Museum of Me. She collected a good sized box and Derric kept wanting to climb in and play in it. I told him no, but he wouldn’t stop, so I snapped at him. Mostly because he hasn’t been listening all day, and partly because I was doing other things, and maneuvering around the other kids. So I snapped and told him to stop.

He backed off and started flicking his loose nail. He stayed there for a few minutes just listening to his nail flick.

He has been doing this a lot lately. I tend to cut the loose nail once I see it, and he never liked that. Sometimes he would come up to me to have me cut a nail, but mostly he keeps them loose and flicks them.

He has also started to chew really bad. He chewed a bit during the winter last year, actually chewing the zipper from his winter jacket. So his sensory therapist got him a chew tube. Once they came in, he had stopped chewing as much and wasn’t interested in the chew tubes. The one that came home with him last year got put away and forgotten. A week before school, while I was cleaning and reorganizing things, he had found it and started chewing it. It has gone to school with him pretty much everyday for the past three weeks. We have two, both were at school, until Open House, then they both came home for some reason. One got missed place, so we are back down to one, and that is getting worn out. They were supposed to be good for several months of chewing, and in one month, he has it almost ready to break.

I am also trying to figure out how to get him to do his homework and still fit in a nap. Today he got his first homework packet. Complete with what worksheet to do on what day.

I had him sit down and work on writing his spelling words. He kept whining and writing all over the place. He insisted that the letter “t” looked like a 6 with a line through it. He knows that is not how the letters are written, but he wouldn’t write them correctly. His fussing got really bad that I just stopped and put him down for a nap. He fussed long enough for me to dial a friend and have her pick up. He was out fast. And he slept long and hard. He slept a good hour and forty-five minutes. I know that if I had him nap before doing his homework, I would probably get a little more work from him, but normally, by the time he wakes up, it is supper time, then bed routine time…

He is still very much in need of his naps. I honestly wonder if he will ever get out of nap time. Xavier was the longest to nap, but by mid Kindergarten, he was out of them.. And here Derric is, napping all the way to first grade. And getting this kid to learn to spell… Oh man this will be interesting! I know he can do it, but I just don’t think I can.

Well, this has rambled long enough. Think I will just call it a day. I need supper myself and I need to get little man to bed. But first, reading time.

Kevin had an appointment today. The man I married seems to insist on having some form of medical condition going at all times… I had hoped things would be smooth once we took care of the Grave’s Disease, but I guess that just isn’t in the fates for now. I think the deities of these times are enjoying the fun of putting me through tons of medical for better or worse.

Today’s trip was to Radiology for a CT Orbits scan. Next week it will be with Ophthalmology. Then who knows from there. Oh, and we still don’t have his thyroid meds under control, but until the old PCM PCSes out and the new one takes over, I highly doubt we will even start to get that under control.

Landstuhl was honestly not what I was expected. I think the post was built around the hospital. There wasn’t any real clear sign on where to go. I heard there was a PX, but we couldn’t find it. But there was a section that had the gas station and class six that you had to go through another check point, we didn’t explore that direction. The housing was nice looking, and I really hope I never have to use one of those Fisher houses, even though they looked very comfortable.

The hospital itself was really interesting. From the outside, it didn’t look all that complex, but if it wasn’t for the maps inside and helpful doctors, I highly doubt we would have found where to go. What does one say on an open public form about something militar? How to express the thoughts and feelings of being there, without giving away too much information.

Landstuhl was always the one military base/post, I hoped I would never set foot on, and this year alone, will take me to it’s gates twice, at the very least. Thankfully, for not one of the many reasons I could be there, and thankfully for nothing too serious. But until we get my husband’s eyes taken care of, I have a feeling Landstuhl will become familure.

In other news, Derric’s hyperness is starting to drive me crazy. I need something to focus his mind and energy, but so far, I have no clue what. What could I get him in that would allow him to express himself, but not demand too much on him? But his constent bouncing around the house today has given me quiet the migrain. I really think I am going to go curl up in a dark bedroom….

So, Christmas will be here in 14 days. The kids are really excited, me, I am thinking of everything we need. All presents we have recieved so far have been wrapped. Christmas tree has been up and decorated. The kids helped me carry the storage box up from the storage room and helped me seperate all the different branches then we played the guessing game of which color went where. After we got the tree up, I sent them down to get the ornamet boxes while I “fluffed” the tree.

Kevin and I got the lights and garland up, then got the tree put into place and the kids were the ones to actually put all the ornamets up. They had fun doing that. After it was all said and done, I brought up the presents and we got all the presents put under the tree. The box of gifts from my Grandma arived, so those got wrapped and placed under the tree too. Derric helped wrap his best friend’s gift and for Derric, the tree wasn’t done until that gift made its way under the tree too.

(more…)

Due to Derric’s Autism diagnosis, they wanted to do some blood work on him. They had a decent list of things to test on one so small. There was the Fragile X Chromosome, Thyroid, and one other that I don’t remember the name of.

Fragile X Chromisome gives Autistic like systems to kids. Because non of the other kids have these issues, they think I was the carrier, but instead of testing me, they tested little man. There really is nothing they can do about it if he does have it, except keep an eye out on any of his kids when he is older. Females wont have issues, but any male children will basically be like Derric… So this is just something to watch for when he is older and wants to start his own family.

Thyroid…. This is a very big subject in this house. I still need to get the older three in to get tested, should see about getting that set up sometime soon…. But due to Kevin’s mom and Sister having Thyroid problems, then to add in Kevin’s Grtave’s Disease, thyroids are a BIG concern.

For the life of me, I can not remember what the third test was for.

But due to this, they required two viles of blood from little man. Now for anyone, military and civilian alike, this means a quick trip to the lab to get the blood done, and you probably know the results a couple days latter…. Well, lets throw in we are in a completely different country and the clinics on base don’t do 60% of the blood work….

So I was told to just walk to the clinic with him at any time, before noon, Monday throu Thursday. Ok, no problem. So I went to take him yesterday. No go, they changed the format, now you have to call and make an appointment so they can contact the courier to be there, and they come at 11 now instead of noon…. Hmmm.. why was no one told about this change?? So I said fine, I will bring him back tommorrow, and they said  ok. The courier takes the blood to a German testing site, so how long until we hear back? Who knows…

I go in today, they (all three techs working) were going over everything, three, four times… They argued, they triple checked forms, they quadruple checked viles, weight charts, you name it. They were like, “Sorry, for Pediactric cliants, we like to make sure it is a one stop trip, but for THESE kids, we like to Really make sure it is that way” I am like, ok…… So they finally agree on how many viles, the sizes of the viles, and who is going to do what.. Yes folks, all three were going to work with little man…. You had one holding the arm that was going to be pricked, you had one doing the actual work, and one that was taking the seringe and filling the viles with the blood…. Wow!

Little Man did really well, he flinched a little when he first got pricked, then just watched as his blood filled the seringe. No fussing, no crying, no nothing, just silent watching. I was impressed, the techs were impressed. So they bandage him up with dinasours and say have a good day. I got his coat on him and he took fluffly, then we left the lab. As soon as the door closed behind us, he falls into me and does these small little coughs. He leans into me for a bit, then stands up and wanders away, somewhat tripping over his own feet. I ask him if he needs to sit down, but he mumbles no. He wanders on. Now and then yawning or giving these half hearted coughs.

We wander into the waiting room for after hour care and I am trying to get him to sit down so I can take a look at him, but he throws a huge fit about not wanting to sit down. I think that used up what little energy he had left because he calpses in my arms. I pick him up and carry him outside. As I am walking out of the building, I notice he is sweeting up a storm and has gotten really pale. I am not liking this. I did have two people ask if I needed any help with him, but I said no, that he just had his blood drawn and he was a bit weak. One asked if I needed help taking him out to the car, but I had to say no, we walked here…. I am sure he would have helped walk Derric all the way home if I had let them… But once I had gotten Derric outside, he asked to be put down. It took a bit to get his feet under him, but once I did, he managed to walk home, slowly, stumbly, and very weakly.

I fixed him up some more food and now he is curled up watching tv. I sure hope they don’t need any more blood from this little guy, don’t think I could deal with that again…

Me, I think I will go curl up with him, work on some knitting or something, and just enjoy a Mommy and Me day with him…

I have just been so tired today, I know the reason for this tiredness, but I doubt any of you would want to hear about it lol.

Yesterday I had the IEP meeting for Derric. I felt overwhelmed just hearing about all the goals and objectives they are wanting him to accomplish, I honestly don’t know how he will handle it. But at the same time, I understand the need for them, they are all skill, abilities, second natures that kids are supposed to have anyway, and he is lacking in them. I have a lot of faith in my son, but I honestly don’t know if he can handle all that they want to put on him this year…

Today was my meeting with EDIS. Mostly to tie up some loose ends that the last Dr. didn’t tie up before she PCSed out. She also would answer my questions… My largest question just doesn’t seem to get answered in any way that makes me feel better, or at least to the point that I understand. I know it is stupid, but I feel like a huge part of me is in shadows, trying to understand something about my child, and I can’t grasp it. Maybe because of how old he was at diagnoses, maybe because nothing really fits in these parameters, maybe because I am just in denial… All my friends can attest, I have been researching it, those that I know are in the school field, have been called, emailed, etc. for information. I have joined newsletter groups, BTW, 90% of them are all advertisements for seminars that I can’t attend.

A small portion of my lack of fitful sleep is due to all this…

Anyway, after getting home from my EDIS appointment, I ended up crashing until 2:24. I ran out the door since I need to be at the school by 2:30 for pick ups. Get home, and Derric isn’t as fussy, but you can tell he was tired. I tried to get him down for a nap, but it wasn’t happening… I finally gave up and sent him off, figuring he would hopefully crash soon. Only, I crashed again. I woke back up at 5:30 and got going with supper. I sent Dokota up to the shoppette for some Dr. Pepper and milk.

He got home and asked me if he really looked German. I asked him what he meant, and he told me he had this conversation with the cashier:

*D – Hallo [Hello]
*C – Tag. [Day.] Danke. [Thank you]
*C – Ein und drei-auchzeig Bitte [One and 3 80(83) please]
*D – Ok [OK]
*C – Danke [Thank you]
*D & C – Tusche [Bye]

I told him no, he didn’t look German, but the Germans appreciate it when we attempt German with them. He didn’t seem to understand, so I asked him, if he remembered while we were in the States, how people only spoke Spanish and kinda expected us to, even thou everyone else spoke English. He said yhea, it was annoying… I said exactly, here, their German is like our English back in the States, and our English here is their Spanish. He got that, and said next time, he will get more into it. I just hope he doesn’t get too over board… I wasn’t paying attention to one of the gate guards and ended up having them speak too fast to where I couldn’t understand them…. I had to back them up and tell them I only knew a little German…

Tomorrow is Friday, very thankful about that…