Buggy Update

Well over a year later....there may not seem like there are a lot of changes for my baby bug, but there really are.  First off, he still points, but with great force....especially if he wants something badly and cannot be patient OR if he wants someone to leave the room when he's in a not-so-friendly mood.

And again...for any new readers, AJ was diagnosed with PDD-NOS at 3 years of age and Intellectual Disability at age 5.  He's had neonatal diabetes since birth.

AJ is now 6 1/2, but still probably more like a 2 year old...some things being less, some more.  He still problem solves and pays great attention to things he wants to know about so he can repeat.  He still can't open the gate or open the doors with the baby locks on them.  We are so thankful for this.  He still can't get dressed on his own and is not potty trained, but he can take off his pants and can pull them up - not perfectly, but pretty good.  He hangs up his jacket and book bag at the door when he gets home from school..

I thought when he entered the LFI program this fall, we were going to see a lot of changes in AJ as he learns and grows more and we HAVE, but they have not been able to connect with him on a level where he demonstrates what he knows in class.  We believe he needs 1 on 1 attention and we are working to make that happen.  He still needs work with his fine motor skills and balance on stairs, etc.

AJ is still very, very HAPPY.  He has his moments like not knowing how to be patient (I'm still anxiously awaiting this one), testing all of the time (doing things he should not while looking at you and smiling or seeing how long he can NOT come when you call him or ask him to put something back), not sharing (not a fan) and throwing fits (because he is not patient and because he is not getting his way)....but I would say he is happy 95% of the time.  He will wake up in the morning and just chat and chat.  He now has an iPad and he uses it all of the time.  He knows how to find a specific youtube video, spongebob movie, his favorite games!  It's really awesome watching him learn and grow with this tool.

AJ has little routines.  Here are the current ones.  In the morning when I come downstairs he says bye, love you and wants me to leave RIGHT AWAY.  If I do not, he gets irritated.  When he comes home from school, he says bye to daddy and wants to go upstairs to my room.  He wants the fan on, the pinwheels set in a place where they will spin, his ipad and a couple of whatever current toys/balls/music or learning item he is currently obsessed  with that week.  Once it is time for dinner, we take all of his items downstairs, make sure the ceiling fan in the living room is on, strap him in his chair (he insists), turn spongebob on the tv and has dinner.  I have to strap him in first thing or else he will be in the fridge, the pantry, playing with the sink faucet, etc.  His newest thing is insisting to call or facetime Gran Gran after dinner.  Then I will ask him if he wants to take a bath.  He FREAKS OUT.  If he isn't stinking, we will skip the bath and do a good wash up.  It all depends on what is worth the misery for him and myself.  After bathtime, he is so anxious to get dressed for bed.  He LOVES to be in his room alone.  He loves bedtime.  This is where I realize how very lucky I am!  He doesn't stay in his bed, but if he's quiet and doesn't play long, i'm okay with that.  After he goes to sleep, I can put his laundry away, turn off his tv and his fan off.  He does not yet cover himself, so we have to keep him warm.  On the weekends, he will wake up well before us and he will knock on his door and say "mommy?  daddy?" - so cute.

AJ LOVES his sister.  He loves to laugh with her and chase her.  When he sees something funny, he will look at her so they can laugh together.  He also still bugs her to pieces by messing with the patterns on her clothing.  :-)

AJ's favorite show is sponge bob and he knows almost all of the theme song.  He cannot sing it, but he does his best at trying to imitate it.  I will have to get it on video.  AJ loves to pretend he is having a phone conversation and will carry on the CUTEST conversations in AJ language for a LONG time!  Avery has a really good recording that I will need to get up on YouTube.  AJ loves to see himself in the mirror.  It is really, really adorable.
AJ also still pays VERY close attention to where we are going on the road.  If you are not going in the direction he wants, he will be MAD!  LOL

AJ doesn't seem bothered by school or the bus.  I love the bus driver and attendant, but to be honestly, i've has such little communication with his teacher that I really don't know what they think about him or what he does in class.  Avery goes every single day to feed him lunch and medicate him.

He loves dogs!  He loves champ so much.  He will climb and lay on champ all of the time.  He loves to feed champ chips, crackers, crust, etc.  He will make dog noises and carry around any puppy toy or stuffed animal.

AJ's words.  He tries to copy nearly everything he hears, but here are most of what I know:
AJ sounds like he's saying want it or don't want it, but we are not completely sure
Hi
Hewwo
Book
The End
Knows his numbers 1-5 and letters A, B, C, D
Ewee: Strawberry
Eeches:  Peaches
Apple for Apples or Pineapple
Roll
Kay Cakes: Pancakes
Waffles
Toast
Shishis:  GoldFish
Bubbles
Bob:  SpongeBob
Pe Pig:  Peppa Pig
My:  Music player
Pin for spinning top or pinwheel
Bawoon:  Balloon
AJ?:  where's AJ? (hiding under shirt or behind curtain)
Dey is: There he is!
Did It?:  Get It?
Mommy, Daddy, NaNa (Christina), Ma Ma (Grandma), GanGan (Gran Gran), Bean (Auntie Bean)
Go, Up, Get Down, More, No
Thank you - he says this ALL THE TIME
Welcome
Champ
Sit Champ
Here Champ
Puppy
BeDAH:  bed with emphasis on the D for some reason
Fine:  while patting his chest which is sign language for fine
Bye Luh You - he says these together most of the time
Out: Ouch

Ahbee: Open

If you knock on door he will say "MIN" which is come in

He will say his words until you repeat back or you answer.  He is SO excited when he knows you understood him.

AJ is still not potty trained, but he now WANTS his diaper changed, does not GO until he gets home from school and will lay down willingly....I believe we are on the way!

He still has issues with people other than family in our home, but he will learn ways of handling it as he gets older.  When there is too much chaos or a voice/noise that upsets his system, he will scream, hit and throw things.

AJ's smile.  Everyone loves it.  His eyes sparkle and his smile lights up the room.  He will walk up to people and say HI over and over again.  Laughing and running and bouncing.

Over a year later...

So it has been well over a year since I last posted.  Since I never did get around to doing an update for Christina after i did AJ's....I will start with her and things I want to remember.

Christina went to Kindergarten this year.  Her last day is a week from tomorrow and she will officially be a first grader.  It is so SO very hard to believe.  She loves going to school, but does not like the "work" part.  I have a feeling first grade might be a bit shocking for her.  :-)  She has done very well in school.  She loves her friends, her teacher, Ms. Jarboe and she's still very much a hand raiser!  Always wanting to ask questions, volunteer, answer things, suggest things, etc.

We moved into our new home last fall so Christina has been able to be in school with a lot of her friends that live in our neighborhood.  Her best friend is Adriana.  They play together practically every day and it is the sweetest friendship between 2 very different little girls.  It's really fun to watch them.  They giggle and talk non-stop.

Christina has taken swim again this year and she absolutely loves it.  We love the location she takes lessons and I can see her doing this long term.  She also started tap/ballet with Adriana.  They are not big fans of it.  They would rather swim, play soccer, some sport, anything....they are rather bored with it.  She says she wants to do hip hop, but the cost of dance and how time consuming it is, I think we will take a break for now and enjoy some team sports along with swimming.  She has a big summer coming up with a huge trip with Aunt Nancy, Grandma and my nieces.  She has VBS and we also will be going to the beach in July.

Christina is very smart, her thinking seems out of the box a lot of the time and she's still quite the planner.  Always thinking ahead.  She likes to negotiate and rarely has an attitude with the few choices she is given...and NEVER has had a meltdown or fit in a store in her life.

She has been pulling out her own teeth rather than letting me do it and for quite some time she's been pretty toothless...unable to say three because it's always sounding like four.  One tooth is coming in pretty good so I'm sure her toothless talking will become clear before long.

I love how she says CARATIVE instead of Creative.  I love how she still sounds the TH as an F and still the R as a W.  She has stopped calling me mommy for the most part and does mama and dada.

Christina IS creative.  She looks at any ordinary object and thinks about what she can make out of it.  I think she draws pretty well for her age.  I keep glue, scissors, paper, crayons, paint, etc. stocked at all times!  She would draw and create and write all day if she had the time.

She has become addicted to lego video games and minecraft this year and is quite impressive!  She has been collecting Beanie Boo's for well over a year, talks about being on dance and singing competition shows when she's older and decided she would not like to be married.

Christina gets herself ready in the morning, most of the time picking out her own outfits, makes her own breakfast and is a really amazing helper.

She plays with AJ a lot.  She loves him and knows how to make him laugh far more than she makes him cry.  She is always trying to teach him words, colors, things we don't want him doing (ha ha!), etc. 

Christina is VERY rough and competitive.  She is always hurting herself because of this.  So far no serious injuries!  I gave her a facebook account to be able to connect with her family to compete in games with them.  She has figured out how to post some of her game pictures to facebook and that's pretty funny.  I tag her account from time to time so that 10 years from now she can go back and see all of the pictures.

Her favorite people in the world are still the Doyle cousins.  Shocker.  Her favorite colors change all of the time.  From blue to pink and back again.  She loves flowers/planting/cooking and thank goodness she has gran gran and antsy to do that with!  She loves dogs, especially her champy.  She always says "ohhhhh he's so precious!  mama look!  isn't he so cute!"  She likes spongebob nearly as much as AJ does, but she also watches other Disney non-cartoon shows a lot as well, such as Dog with a Blog.  She is requesting a Hello Kitty and Peace sign birthday party this year, so that tells you a couple more of her favorite things.  Oh, and random, she doesn't like sweaters???

The last thing off the top of my head for now is the fact that she now is completely embarrassed when I tell stories about her in front of her.  She HATES it and so now I have to wait until she's not around to tell how funny or cute she just was.  They grow up too fast.