Sensory Integration Disorder....that was the diagnosis just 2 years ago.
Had I known how our lives were about to change for the better I would have pushed for evaluations much sooner. Had it not been for our close friends, Mike and Marty I may never had even pushed for the evaluations.
So what does living with a child that has SID look like....well it depends on each child and family. The spectrum for SID is very wide just like autism. Each child deals with sensory experiences differently.
For Kristofer it varies from day to day and moment to moment. We have some days like Thursday that he is off the wall wild. Nonstop activity. Constantly jumping, climbing, running into people, pacing, humming, screaming just to scream and then screaming because everything is too loud, screaming because everyone is too close to him or they are touching him. Then the very next moment he is crying cause he can't get close enough to me...so I cradle him as he nestles into my arms with his face pressed into my neck. Occasionally I have to cradle him like I use to when he was a baby breast feeding. It gets harder to hold him like a swaddled baby with his legs hanging off the other side of the chair. Days like this day it is hard to bathe him. He hates his hair washed and screams the whole time..."it hurts...you're killing me!" On days like this one all he wants to do is eat. Great you might think but all he eats on any given day is apples, Tyson chicken crispy strips, hard sliced cheese, and right now his favorite is Doritos. Nothing else! No soft foods at all and definitely no veggies! Just fruit, chicken and cheese usually! oh and a must is chocolate milk.
Then we have days like yesterday. Days it takes everything we have to get him to pay attention, stay in the moment and come out of his little world. He gets immersed in his world, plays quietly (meaning not constantly moving) and doesn't want to be disturbed. He will play for hours at one thing; usually with his dinosaurs or with his legos. He lays around, wants to just watch TV or a movie and is at peace or should I say we are at peace because he is quiet (not constantly moving). On days like yesterday we have to repeat his name many times at varying levels of volume to get his attention. Usually we have to touch his shoulder or even tickle him to get his attention. On days like this we can bathe him and wash his hair without too much argument and on days like this he barely eats. Just wants "chocolate milk and that is all."
When he is at school I am not sure how he is acting. His teacher has not complained of nonstop activity but when he comes home he is a wild man. Guess I should be thankful that he is not a wild man at school. The biggest problem is that he has once again lost 5 lbs. He is not very heavy as it is. He is at a very healthy weight according to his doctor but he doesn't need to loose weight either. So when he is on the starving to death mode we feed him as much as his tummy wants. Right now we may have to increase his calories again with Carnation Breakfast drinks instead of just choc. milk. Anything to get him the extra calories his growing body needs.
So when it comes to SID everyday presents a different challenge at home and more than likely at school too. He receives OT, Speech and has Resource help. He seems to be learning alot and he is very smart. Once he sees it and hears it he knows it. Somethings take a bit longer to learn but he pretty much gets it quickly. Kristofer is such a blessing to our family. There are times when he completely wears us out...us meaning all of us including his sibs. But without him our family is not complete. God blessed us when He gave us Kristofer and although I wish things were easier for him I could never imagine my life without him in it!
Oct 14, 2007
Oct 12, 2007
Friends from home and then some...
Yesterday we were blessed to have some friends from home come to visit us!
Tammy and Tim came and it was like a breath of fresh air all the way from Florida. It was great to see how God has been moving in and changing Tim. He was a very struggling teen who desperately needed God. He found Him in a real sense in a program through Teen Challenge. Thank God there are programs out there that can reach these struggling teens!
It was great to have time to talk with Tammy. She is a dear friend and prayer warrior! She is a true blessing to Sean & I.
Then today out of the blue (ok so they called Monday to let us know they were coming) our dear friends, Mike and Marty came to visit us for a couple of days!
They are our best friends! I went to college with them and they were in our wedding. They have to wonderful kids who also struggle with some issues such as SID and PDD-NOS. Their kids have made such strides! They are a blessing to us! If it had not been for them we probably would not be were we are today with Kristofer. They encouraged us to seek help for Kris and get an accurate diagnosis. Mike is a special ed teacher on top of that! It's so cool how God orchestrated that one! God knew Mike was going to need his special ed training for his own kids!
Watching the kids playing together...Lucy with Sara and Jay with Kris. It was especially nice to watch Mike and Sean playing kick ball with all the boys while Marty and I were watching the girls and talking! I am so glad we live so close to them now. Just 5 1/2 hrs away! YEA!
Tammy and Tim came and it was like a breath of fresh air all the way from Florida. It was great to see how God has been moving in and changing Tim. He was a very struggling teen who desperately needed God. He found Him in a real sense in a program through Teen Challenge. Thank God there are programs out there that can reach these struggling teens!
It was great to have time to talk with Tammy. She is a dear friend and prayer warrior! She is a true blessing to Sean & I.
Then today out of the blue (ok so they called Monday to let us know they were coming) our dear friends, Mike and Marty came to visit us for a couple of days!
They are our best friends! I went to college with them and they were in our wedding. They have to wonderful kids who also struggle with some issues such as SID and PDD-NOS. Their kids have made such strides! They are a blessing to us! If it had not been for them we probably would not be were we are today with Kristofer. They encouraged us to seek help for Kris and get an accurate diagnosis. Mike is a special ed teacher on top of that! It's so cool how God orchestrated that one! God knew Mike was going to need his special ed training for his own kids!
Watching the kids playing together...Lucy with Sara and Jay with Kris. It was especially nice to watch Mike and Sean playing kick ball with all the boys while Marty and I were watching the girls and talking! I am so glad we live so close to them now. Just 5 1/2 hrs away! YEA!
Oct 10, 2007
Fall is in the air!!!
We awoke this morning to wonderful crisp fall air!
The temp was 50 degrees and the high is only
suppose to reach 70 today. Later this week we are
suppose to have highs in the low 60's!
AHHH fall is here!
The leaves are starting to change. Some have
actually lost all of their leaves. The picture above
is from last year. It was taken just down the road
from where we live now.
I love fall! I love the crisp air, the falling leaves,
the variety of colors all around and of course all of
the pumpkin patches! Fall is one of my favorite seasons.
It is why I love the northern states. Florida can not
compete when it comes to fall!
In a few weeks Sara and Eli's pre-K class has a
pumpkin patch field trip that is open to the whole family.
It is actually on a pumpkin and apple farm which
will be lost of fun for the kids. When we lived in
Florida we would go to a local church that sold
pumpkins for missions. It was so much fun to go
and take pictures of the kids sitting in the midst
of the pumpkins. This year shall prove to be even
better. I have been told that it is a wonderful
farm and the kids will have a great time!
So be looking for those pictures at
the end of the month!
Oct 7, 2007
We're gonna get married and have some kids!
On the first Sunday of every month we have a fellowship dinner after the first service. It is always fun and full of good food. Tonight Kristofer showed interest in one of the little girls at church. Yes our 5 yr old has fallen madly in love with a little blond named Koreena. She is a cute blond haired brown eyed 5 yr old. She is in his kindergarten class as well. He was a sweet gentleman with her. He pulled her chair out so she could sit down and then he went and got her and himself a piece of cake. It was like watching teenagers trying to impress each other! Just on a smaller and much younger scale!
Tonight the older boys were teasing him. He didn't care he stated matter of factly that "Yes I love her! I think she is beautiful!" Then later that night after she had left Jaron asked her do you really love Koreena and he said very boldly with a HUGE smile, "Yes I love her. Some day when we get older we will get married and have us some kids!" Just smiling away. Every adult in the room just lost it. The way he said it was too funny! So proud and full of smiles!
Now the night would not be complete without Sara trying to kiss Jordan, another 5 yr old little boy who comes to the church and is also in Kris' class. Sara has a small crush on Jordan, she bats her eyes at him and tries to sit close to him all the time. It's sweet!
Now Mom and Dad are thinking slow down you two! Sean said he we wanted to pass out when Kris said what he said. Had he seen Sara try to kiss Jordan he might have! I am just really happy to see Kris reaching out to others! Sometimes because of his SID he seems to be in his own world most of the time. Sometimes so much so that it takes us a while to pull him out of his world and into ours. So to see him actually showing an interest in someone else other than family is GREAT!
Tonight the older boys were teasing him. He didn't care he stated matter of factly that "Yes I love her! I think she is beautiful!" Then later that night after she had left Jaron asked her do you really love Koreena and he said very boldly with a HUGE smile, "Yes I love her. Some day when we get older we will get married and have us some kids!" Just smiling away. Every adult in the room just lost it. The way he said it was too funny! So proud and full of smiles!
Now the night would not be complete without Sara trying to kiss Jordan, another 5 yr old little boy who comes to the church and is also in Kris' class. Sara has a small crush on Jordan, she bats her eyes at him and tries to sit close to him all the time. It's sweet!
Now Mom and Dad are thinking slow down you two! Sean said he we wanted to pass out when Kris said what he said. Had he seen Sara try to kiss Jordan he might have! I am just really happy to see Kris reaching out to others! Sometimes because of his SID he seems to be in his own world most of the time. Sometimes so much so that it takes us a while to pull him out of his world and into ours. So to see him actually showing an interest in someone else other than family is GREAT!
Oct 5, 2007
Sing Praises to God!
God is so good!
God is so good!
God is so good!
He's so good to us!
He loves us so!
He loves us so!
He loves us so!
He's so good to us!
Just have to sing His praise tonight!
How can I How can I keep from Praising Your name
How can I ever say enough
How amazing is Your love,
How can I keep shouting Your praise
I know I am loved by the King and it
Makes me want to sing....
God has been blessing our socks off this week!
We always tithe! God always provides. Sometimes not
how we want Him to but He does provide!
But this week we received "two" not expected blessings!
Actually it was 3 blessings not expected...
1. Sean got a 25 cent raise!
(not expected!)
2. Sean received a retro active
check associated with the raise
(not expected!)
3. Sean received another check today based
on no workman comp claims for the quarter
(not expected!)
How can we not say thank-you Lord for
all He does for us!
Oh another blessing my children have received!
Today we received a play climber for outside.
Plus we were told this same couple
(a daughter of one of our deacons)
will be bring us a large swing set!
So you tell me:
How can we keep from praising His name??
How can we ever say enough
how amazing is His love!
How can we keep from shouting His name
We know we are loved by the King and
It makes us want to sing!!!
You can't have my friend!
Yesterday I heard the best statement from Eli when I went to pick him up at school. "You can't have my friend!" he said to Sara. Why you might ask do I think its a great statement...Well because Sara and Eli are twins! They have shared everything from the start of life. Eli has always been passive to Sara's dominate personality. Yesterday he asserted himself without hitting, biting or kicking his sister! YEA ELI! You use those words!
I learned from their teachers that they behave so well at school now. Sara plays with the girls in the home center, art center and book center. She loves playing house, cooking and doing art projects. In fact they have to usher her out of the art center so other children can have a turn. Which doesn't surprise me! She has been the one out of 4 kids to color on almost every wall we have. Thank God for Clorox Color Erasers! Right now her favorite thing to draw is teddy bears and mice and self portraits.
Eli has been playing with just the boys. He has so good buddies, Mick Jagger (yes that is his first name!) he comes to play with the kids 2-3 days a week. He lives down the street. Eli also likes playing with Andrew and a few other little boys. He truly loves going to school. He primarily plays with the cars, trucks, trains and planes in the block center, book center and listening center. He likes art but its not his favorite thing. In fact Eli is the 1st of our three boys that truly enjoys cars and toys of the like.
I am proud of them that they have separated themselves and have found their own sets of friends. Sometimes twins tend to stick to each other and that is what they did for the first month of school. I am so happy that they have become individuals and can play with others without needing each other exclusively. The teachers shared the only time they even look for each other is when they are on the play ground. That is when the kids are being picked up at the end of the day.
I learned from their teachers that they behave so well at school now. Sara plays with the girls in the home center, art center and book center. She loves playing house, cooking and doing art projects. In fact they have to usher her out of the art center so other children can have a turn. Which doesn't surprise me! She has been the one out of 4 kids to color on almost every wall we have. Thank God for Clorox Color Erasers! Right now her favorite thing to draw is teddy bears and mice and self portraits.
Eli has been playing with just the boys. He has so good buddies, Mick Jagger (yes that is his first name!) he comes to play with the kids 2-3 days a week. He lives down the street. Eli also likes playing with Andrew and a few other little boys. He truly loves going to school. He primarily plays with the cars, trucks, trains and planes in the block center, book center and listening center. He likes art but its not his favorite thing. In fact Eli is the 1st of our three boys that truly enjoys cars and toys of the like.
I am proud of them that they have separated themselves and have found their own sets of friends. Sometimes twins tend to stick to each other and that is what they did for the first month of school. I am so happy that they have become individuals and can play with others without needing each other exclusively. The teachers shared the only time they even look for each other is when they are on the play ground. That is when the kids are being picked up at the end of the day.
Oct 2, 2007
From Golfballs to crutches
Today was my follow up with the surgeon today. I learned a few things. First of all God has been protecting me and kept me from serious injury. He also kept me from having a terrible infection! THANK YOU JESUS!
My gall bladder was holding two large stones. One was just over an inch and the other stone was 2.8 inches almost 3 inches in diameter! He said my gall bladder was in terrible shape and reiterated to me how amazed he was that I was not in more pain and more sick. He just kept saying how bad it looked and how enflamed it was. He also said the pressure it was putting on my liver was not good but I have NO damage to the liver. I told him it was due to God's healing power and all the people that were praying for me! Thank you for your prayers! I do feel so much better! I don't have the constant pain after eating now although my system is a mess. I am sure in time it will get better!
As for my knee...I was suppose to see the Orthopedic doc today but he had an emergency and had to cancel all appointments this week so I go to see him on the 16th. My knee is feeling better. The ligament pain is no longer there when I sit down or stand up! YEA! BUT I do still have pressure and pain insdie the knee. It feels like it is always ready to let go and it often times goes backwards on me. It is not pleasant and it hurts every time it does it. So keep praying for that!
God is a big God and He can do anything! Even heal my knee completely before I see the doc in 2 weeks!!
My gall bladder was holding two large stones. One was just over an inch and the other stone was 2.8 inches almost 3 inches in diameter! He said my gall bladder was in terrible shape and reiterated to me how amazed he was that I was not in more pain and more sick. He just kept saying how bad it looked and how enflamed it was. He also said the pressure it was putting on my liver was not good but I have NO damage to the liver. I told him it was due to God's healing power and all the people that were praying for me! Thank you for your prayers! I do feel so much better! I don't have the constant pain after eating now although my system is a mess. I am sure in time it will get better!
As for my knee...I was suppose to see the Orthopedic doc today but he had an emergency and had to cancel all appointments this week so I go to see him on the 16th. My knee is feeling better. The ligament pain is no longer there when I sit down or stand up! YEA! BUT I do still have pressure and pain insdie the knee. It feels like it is always ready to let go and it often times goes backwards on me. It is not pleasant and it hurts every time it does it. So keep praying for that!
God is a big God and He can do anything! Even heal my knee completely before I see the doc in 2 weeks!!
"It slipped out of my teeth and went down to my tummy!"
The title says it all! Last night Kristofer came to me and said those exact words. I just looked at him, my initial response was "What?" He then handed me one of two of my wrist watch batteries! I had put them in a cup in my craft closet at the top! I thought they were safe there...I was wrong!
All kinds of things went through my head as I tried to get him to tell me when this happened. The story of when and where changed with each question the only thing that stayed the same was how the battery slipped down and is in his tummy. I just kept thinking about a friend's little boy, Jonathan. Jonathan was 3 and got into his mommy's medicine. I watched this little boy go into seizures while holding a newborn kitten in my home. His mom took off to get his dad and I was left with this small little boy who was literally close to death. It scared me so bad. It was just a year after we lost our little boy Sean Patrick. I swore I would never go through something like that! Thankfully and his parents will give all the glory to God he is alive and well and a very smart young man now.
So I being a calm parent...not! Called Sean and then called poison control. Ok Poison control was of no use! The guy just kept saying is he choking...well no! Kris at the time was laughing and screaming in delight as he and his brothers had a pillow fight! Trying to get him to just sit and not move is like trying to tame a wild mustang! So after many different phone calls we finally talked to the pediatrician and was told not to worry. It will pass. We just have to check the stool! Oh yea! Can we just say "GROSS!"
Sean told Kristofer this morning that he was going to have electric poop. Which he and Eli thought was funny. Tonight we took our family to church for prayer night. Usually its just Sean at church for prayer of Tuesday night. Actually he always says "there was 4 of us, The Father, The Son, The Holy Spirit and me." We have decided that from now on he and I will go to prayer and the kids can join us at the end. They play in the nursery. Eventually we are praying that other members of the church will join us!
Anyway, we had all the kids come and we prayed for each child and they prayed for each other. It was soo sweet to see them really praying for each other. We prayed for Kris and we prayed he would "poop" out the battery. Which sent Eli and Sara into giggles! If there is one thing I have learned from this it is this: NEVER under estimate your kids and their curiosity! Kris told me he just wanted to see if it was hard!
All kinds of things went through my head as I tried to get him to tell me when this happened. The story of when and where changed with each question the only thing that stayed the same was how the battery slipped down and is in his tummy. I just kept thinking about a friend's little boy, Jonathan. Jonathan was 3 and got into his mommy's medicine. I watched this little boy go into seizures while holding a newborn kitten in my home. His mom took off to get his dad and I was left with this small little boy who was literally close to death. It scared me so bad. It was just a year after we lost our little boy Sean Patrick. I swore I would never go through something like that! Thankfully and his parents will give all the glory to God he is alive and well and a very smart young man now.
So I being a calm parent...not! Called Sean and then called poison control. Ok Poison control was of no use! The guy just kept saying is he choking...well no! Kris at the time was laughing and screaming in delight as he and his brothers had a pillow fight! Trying to get him to just sit and not move is like trying to tame a wild mustang! So after many different phone calls we finally talked to the pediatrician and was told not to worry. It will pass. We just have to check the stool! Oh yea! Can we just say "GROSS!"
Sean told Kristofer this morning that he was going to have electric poop. Which he and Eli thought was funny. Tonight we took our family to church for prayer night. Usually its just Sean at church for prayer of Tuesday night. Actually he always says "there was 4 of us, The Father, The Son, The Holy Spirit and me." We have decided that from now on he and I will go to prayer and the kids can join us at the end. They play in the nursery. Eventually we are praying that other members of the church will join us!
Anyway, we had all the kids come and we prayed for each child and they prayed for each other. It was soo sweet to see them really praying for each other. We prayed for Kris and we prayed he would "poop" out the battery. Which sent Eli and Sara into giggles! If there is one thing I have learned from this it is this: NEVER under estimate your kids and their curiosity! Kris told me he just wanted to see if it was hard!
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