Hey friends!
Wow it has been a long time since I've even thought about blogging. The truth is, I wanted to document this journey about Riley and SPD but it has taken a lot of learning curves and watching to really understand how severe and how we integrate his SPD with the rest of life. It has not been easy but it definitely has been a rewarding and great adventure.
Riley's eating has finally taken a turn for the better. He is not quite 20 lbs (at his 2 year doctor visit) but he definitely is braver in trying new foods and isn't as defiant.
I would say that he is almost completely integrated in other areas. He uses his WHOLE HAND to experience and touch things which is amazing. We saw this change about 2 months after we began messy play and therapy.
He takes gymnastics to help with his vestibular issues and does some feeding therapy.
The best thing yet is that we as parents have been well equipped with techniques and ways to help him. It has been really interesting learning about SPD but now I feel like I fear it less and love it more.
To all moms out there who have questions about SPD< please feel free to FB message me =)
Friday, November 14, 2014
Friday, April 11, 2014
Rethinking life
Not to have challenges but a Mama's gotta do what a Mama's gotta do.
After an informative talk with a friend who uses essential oils, I went back to my good old California Baby brand and got some body wash and shampoo with Lavendar and Tea Tree oils.
Success.
Riley's bath time was the most calm I have seen. It may be also because he had an eventful day and was tired but the scent of lavendar definitely calmed me too!
As a baby we used the Calendula cream as his lotion and it got rid of baby acne and peeling skin very quickly! I think we are goinf to revert to this brand moving forward!
Another thing I have reverted to is using a towel made of bamboo and looks like an apron. The towel goes around my head and had a snap button enclosure. It allows for Riley to be held right away from the bath tub into my arms. Previously he would cry and scream getting out of the bath and I just thought it was because he loved his bath and did not want to get out. Lo and behold it is another sensory thing where 1. He cannot process the transition from bath to getting dried off and 2. Experiencing water on his skin vs. Towel.
The past two nights of using my bamboo towel has been hard still but he calms down ALOT quicker because I am holding him tight from the get-go.
I also thought I would share some successes we have seen this week!
Tonight at bath time, Riley soaped his own body and hair. Keeping in mind again how he dislikes anything on his hand I was proud of him for asking me to put soap in his hands and then learning as I taught him to "wash your body." We also made a song about it!
More to share on eating and sensory bags and boxes tomorrow!
Tuesday, April 8, 2014
Day 2 of Messy Play
Today was Day 2 of Messy Play.
Praise the Lord for His timing. Jill visits Riley every Tuesday at school and one Friday a month with us. Being that it is Tuesday, it was "Jill" day.
Jill gave me some great ideas in her notes, all of which I was eager to try with Riley during our play time today.
1. Chalk!
Chalk is not super messy, but the idea is to get Riley on his belly and to draw/color while he is on his belly.
Riley did not get down all the way to his belly but sat and got really close to the ground and drew for about 5 minutes. Our neighbor friend came over so he had fun impressing her and she was a trooper and got on her belly with me to encourage him. Thanks E-E!
2. Bubbles
This is not part of messy play but it is part of strengthening his mouth muscles to encourage the chewing motion. He has not quite learned to blow bubbles but he blows when I ask him to and had fun chasing the bubbles around the house
3. Bean boxes
We played with the beans again today and he had no problem using his entire hand to touch the beans. I made him transfer beans to a small bottle and he enjoyed putting beans in and dumping them out and doing it all over again.
Now if you are like me, you're wondering, now how in the world are all of these things helping him with anything really?
Yeap. I have been wondering the same thing.
UNTIL WE HAD DINNER!
Riley touched grits with his hand. And it got ALL over his hand.
Remember, he experiences the world with his thumb and index finger. This is a huge deal!
He ate!
Riley usually takes about 3 or 4 bites with us and he is done. Most of the time he will take 2 textures and be done. Tonight he took in 5 different textures at once!
Riley also has meltdowns when he wants to get out of his chair. Tonight I told him "one more bite" and he actually took it.
He ate sweets!
Riley ate bread with Jelly and drank some apple juice. He hates sweets and only drinks milk and water.
I cannot believe I am rejoicing over these somewhat strange things but my heart is overjoyed in the chances he is taking with his food!
I feel like I'm one step closer to a fat baby! Thank you Lord!
Praise the Lord for His timing. Jill visits Riley every Tuesday at school and one Friday a month with us. Being that it is Tuesday, it was "Jill" day.
Jill gave me some great ideas in her notes, all of which I was eager to try with Riley during our play time today.
1. Chalk!
Chalk is not super messy, but the idea is to get Riley on his belly and to draw/color while he is on his belly.
Riley did not get down all the way to his belly but sat and got really close to the ground and drew for about 5 minutes. Our neighbor friend came over so he had fun impressing her and she was a trooper and got on her belly with me to encourage him. Thanks E-E!
2. Bubbles
This is not part of messy play but it is part of strengthening his mouth muscles to encourage the chewing motion. He has not quite learned to blow bubbles but he blows when I ask him to and had fun chasing the bubbles around the house
3. Bean boxes
We played with the beans again today and he had no problem using his entire hand to touch the beans. I made him transfer beans to a small bottle and he enjoyed putting beans in and dumping them out and doing it all over again.
Now if you are like me, you're wondering, now how in the world are all of these things helping him with anything really?
Yeap. I have been wondering the same thing.
UNTIL WE HAD DINNER!
Riley touched grits with his hand. And it got ALL over his hand.
Remember, he experiences the world with his thumb and index finger. This is a huge deal!
He ate!
Riley usually takes about 3 or 4 bites with us and he is done. Most of the time he will take 2 textures and be done. Tonight he took in 5 different textures at once!
Riley also has meltdowns when he wants to get out of his chair. Tonight I told him "one more bite" and he actually took it.
He ate sweets!
Riley ate bread with Jelly and drank some apple juice. He hates sweets and only drinks milk and water.
I cannot believe I am rejoicing over these somewhat strange things but my heart is overjoyed in the chances he is taking with his food!
I feel like I'm one step closer to a fat baby! Thank you Lord!
Day 1 of Messy Play
Messy Play is a term used by his EI, Jill. Riley has a secret crush on Jill btw.
I am so thankful for Jill because within the first few minutes of Riley's first evaluation, she recommended that we see an OT (Occupational Therapist). She mentioned "sensory issues" and while I thought she was just saying it in passing, she actually started pursuing it in her sessions with Riley. I will not go into my frustrations here in regards to his previous EI, but I only want to encourage moms out there to make your child's health and well-being a big deal.
Jill started out by getting Riley to play with feathers and glue. She could tell he had an aversion for glue but he still completed his craft with her. She continued to pursue sensory play and messy play in her sessions and showed us tools to use when we play with him: those touch and feel books (you may think it is elementary for an 18 month old but wait till I tell you about his progress), glue on his fingers and using cotton balls. We watched as he squirmed (and lets be honest, I was squirming and throwing up in my mouth a little as I watched his hands get dirty) and cried out in frustration. But I mean, if I was feeling that uncomfortable I thought it was only natural. HAH...in hindsight it looks like I may have a sensory disorder too.
This happened last Friday and he was diagnosed on Monday.
Of course I started looking on pinterest and blogs about sensory disorders and messy play and decided that I needed to be proactive with all of this.
I went out to Target and got 2 rubbermaid containers and a bag of black beans.
I made a pact with myself that I would spend 30 minutes everyday doing messy play with Riley.
So we began.
Riley observed the beans for about 2 minutes. He watched as I put my hands in the container and sifted the beans through my fingers. I asked him to help me transfer the beans from one container to the next.
He began by using his thumb and index finger. This is how he experiences the world--with just those 2 fingers.
By the end of the task, Riley began to mimic me by scooping handfuls of beans from one box to the other.
Success.
I am so thankful for Jill because within the first few minutes of Riley's first evaluation, she recommended that we see an OT (Occupational Therapist). She mentioned "sensory issues" and while I thought she was just saying it in passing, she actually started pursuing it in her sessions with Riley. I will not go into my frustrations here in regards to his previous EI, but I only want to encourage moms out there to make your child's health and well-being a big deal.
Jill started out by getting Riley to play with feathers and glue. She could tell he had an aversion for glue but he still completed his craft with her. She continued to pursue sensory play and messy play in her sessions and showed us tools to use when we play with him: those touch and feel books (you may think it is elementary for an 18 month old but wait till I tell you about his progress), glue on his fingers and using cotton balls. We watched as he squirmed (and lets be honest, I was squirming and throwing up in my mouth a little as I watched his hands get dirty) and cried out in frustration. But I mean, if I was feeling that uncomfortable I thought it was only natural. HAH...in hindsight it looks like I may have a sensory disorder too.
This happened last Friday and he was diagnosed on Monday.
Of course I started looking on pinterest and blogs about sensory disorders and messy play and decided that I needed to be proactive with all of this.
I went out to Target and got 2 rubbermaid containers and a bag of black beans.
I made a pact with myself that I would spend 30 minutes everyday doing messy play with Riley.
So we began.
Riley observed the beans for about 2 minutes. He watched as I put my hands in the container and sifted the beans through my fingers. I asked him to help me transfer the beans from one container to the next.
He began by using his thumb and index finger. This is how he experiences the world--with just those 2 fingers.
By the end of the task, Riley began to mimic me by scooping handfuls of beans from one box to the other.
Success.
Where do I begin?
If you don't already know me, I should warn you that this blog will not last long. My blogging habits are as periodical as sales and like them they go by quickly. However, this time around I'm blogging for my own therapy.
It's been about 36 hours since I found out that my sweet 18 month old has sensory problems. I call it a sensory disorder because they all sound one and the same to me. Problems. Disorder. Issues. Now, it is probably not as severe as the word "Disorder" makes everything sound but call it whatever you may, it still left an earth-shattering mark on my heart.
We have always known Riley was a quirky little guy but if you looked and myself and Stuart, you'd understand why. We are pretty quirky. Both of us have OCD tendencies and we are just weird about some things. Why wouldn't we have a weird kid? HAH.
At his 9 month check up, Dr. Jack (pediatrician) noticed something interesting. Riley's weight plateaued from his 6 month-9 month mark.
Most babies do encounter a plateau but it is usually later and it goes along with the milestone of walking. Riley was definitely NOT walking and he in fact, was drinking less milk...but we all thought it was coz he was full! He was eating rice milk and Stage 1 solids so of course it made sense that he would not want more milk.
This discovery led to many long and winding roads, of which I am too exhausted to recount. I guess the most significant road was getting in a program called BabyNet, getting rid of non-helpful people in his life, and through a referral, discovering that he has "sensory problems."
At first I wasn't scared. I was simply answering questions. All of them were YES.
Does he hate being changed?
Yes.
Does he stomp when he walks?
Yes.
Did he skip crawling?
No...but he crawled for about 2 weeks and then walked...
And the list goes on. All of these things which seem pretty normal and sometimes even regarded as intelligence ended being a perfect storm of sensory problems.
The reality of it all hit me when I dropped him off at school (after he was diagnosed) and was alone in my car, driving to work. The realization that my child's world has been so difficult for him, that his future even, may be difficult for him and that I had No clue...was heartbreaking.
I thanked the Lord for answers and I felt the Holy Spirit envelope my heart as I stifled my cries. I felt like I had been holding my breath for so long and I could finally let everything out. Every fear, feelings of anxiety about his future and feelings of inadequacy. How in the world am I supposed to handle a sensory disorder?
My day was a long blur. Each time I explained it to a new person, more revelations came. Why he has meltdowns when his arms cannot find his sleeves...why he hates it when I put lotion on his arms...why he doesn't cry when he bumps his head really hard on my knee or head or arm...
All I wanted to do was completely crumble into Stuart arms. But of course the Father wanted me to go to Him instead. As I continued to process everything in the comforts of my bed, I was thankful to be texting a dear friend. She has a way of encouraging me and reminding me of promises past. I was reminded of Riley's namesake. It means valiant and strong. And once again the promise that "he will fight" that the Lord whispered to me during my 8 week ultrasound, was renewed.
So as much as I am praying for Riley to "be bold and courageous" I am praying that for myself. I don't want to be overwhelmed by feeling sorry for him but I want to extend as much grace and mercy toward him as I can. Something that is SO hard for me to do towards others...so I'm definitely already seeing the Lord prune me.
So the journey of messy play begins.
It's been about 36 hours since I found out that my sweet 18 month old has sensory problems. I call it a sensory disorder because they all sound one and the same to me. Problems. Disorder. Issues. Now, it is probably not as severe as the word "Disorder" makes everything sound but call it whatever you may, it still left an earth-shattering mark on my heart.
We have always known Riley was a quirky little guy but if you looked and myself and Stuart, you'd understand why. We are pretty quirky. Both of us have OCD tendencies and we are just weird about some things. Why wouldn't we have a weird kid? HAH.
At his 9 month check up, Dr. Jack (pediatrician) noticed something interesting. Riley's weight plateaued from his 6 month-9 month mark.
Most babies do encounter a plateau but it is usually later and it goes along with the milestone of walking. Riley was definitely NOT walking and he in fact, was drinking less milk...but we all thought it was coz he was full! He was eating rice milk and Stage 1 solids so of course it made sense that he would not want more milk.
This discovery led to many long and winding roads, of which I am too exhausted to recount. I guess the most significant road was getting in a program called BabyNet, getting rid of non-helpful people in his life, and through a referral, discovering that he has "sensory problems."
At first I wasn't scared. I was simply answering questions. All of them were YES.
Does he hate being changed?
Yes.
Does he stomp when he walks?
Yes.
Did he skip crawling?
No...but he crawled for about 2 weeks and then walked...
And the list goes on. All of these things which seem pretty normal and sometimes even regarded as intelligence ended being a perfect storm of sensory problems.
The reality of it all hit me when I dropped him off at school (after he was diagnosed) and was alone in my car, driving to work. The realization that my child's world has been so difficult for him, that his future even, may be difficult for him and that I had No clue...was heartbreaking.
I thanked the Lord for answers and I felt the Holy Spirit envelope my heart as I stifled my cries. I felt like I had been holding my breath for so long and I could finally let everything out. Every fear, feelings of anxiety about his future and feelings of inadequacy. How in the world am I supposed to handle a sensory disorder?
My day was a long blur. Each time I explained it to a new person, more revelations came. Why he has meltdowns when his arms cannot find his sleeves...why he hates it when I put lotion on his arms...why he doesn't cry when he bumps his head really hard on my knee or head or arm...
All I wanted to do was completely crumble into Stuart arms. But of course the Father wanted me to go to Him instead. As I continued to process everything in the comforts of my bed, I was thankful to be texting a dear friend. She has a way of encouraging me and reminding me of promises past. I was reminded of Riley's namesake. It means valiant and strong. And once again the promise that "he will fight" that the Lord whispered to me during my 8 week ultrasound, was renewed.
So as much as I am praying for Riley to "be bold and courageous" I am praying that for myself. I don't want to be overwhelmed by feeling sorry for him but I want to extend as much grace and mercy toward him as I can. Something that is SO hard for me to do towards others...so I'm definitely already seeing the Lord prune me.
So the journey of messy play begins.
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