How could I have forgotten??!!

I did it! I swore I wouldn't!, but I did. I went and paid to find out whether the new baby is a boy or a girl. The Dr had told me that my next two ultrasounds are going to be done at the hospital, and the hospital's don't tell you. So I called the UC Baby ultrasound place, just for the gender determination only to find out that they could get me in that day! I was so excited. Gary had told me that he didn't want to know, so I had respected that and wasn't going to tell him. I also thought that this was going to be a good way for the kids to take a look at the ultrasound as well. They didn't allow kids in the 'regular' ones. Joe heard the heart beat and covered his mouth is shock, and suprise! It was so cute!! Well you can tell what I'm trying to do now...lol...create that suspense of is she going to tell us what it is...lol...well it is another BOY! I'm happy and excited about that. We will now be two and two. Such a nice balance! I'm so much more excited now that I know what's kickin' in there...lol...and it'll be nice to be prepared! And thus far, there is no CDH, no chromosonal markers, no heart issues...just a health baby!

Joe graduated from Pre-school

So it was Joe's last day of pre-school today. I was suprized that I didn't cry. I think it may be that I'll still be going back to Apple Hill for the next FIVE years with the other three kids...lol. So Joe will start Kindergarden in the fall. How quickly they grow up!

Here Kristen is getting her 'diploma' for finishing her first year of the PALS program at the BC Family Hearing Resource Center

Here's Joe receiving his Cap and diploma for Graduating the PALS program and moving on! He didin't want to wear the hat, well he did once we got home...lol.

They did a drama for us...this is Little Miss Muffet!

Joe was the spider...lol...and Kristen was Miss Muffet! She didn't like to do the drama's at the beginning when they did them, but now she participates. How quickly they grow and change!

I am a proud mom today! My kids are growing up, and doing 'typical' normal everyday kid things. I can't wait to meet my next little one!

Joe's follow-up hearing test

I took Joe in for a follow-up hearing test. His hearing is fine, this is just to check that he knows what to do with the sound. So I told him before we left that we're going to get his hearing checked. Not Kristen's. This is different for him, when it's something the same as her, but for him. So we walk through the door of the audiologist, and he starts tugging at his ear saying it hurts. The audiologist asks me how long he's been complaining that his ear hurt. I said just as we came through the door, and I smiled! Joe then tugs his ear again, and says it hurts, and he needs a hearing aid! LOL!! The audiologist looks at me, and I then point to Kristen and told him that his sister is deaf, and apparently Joe want's an aid too! I don't think that the audiologist thought it was as funny as I did. Because the look on his face told me he didn't have the best sense of humour. So Joe went in, and did fantastic! His hearing is fine, but we knew that from his ABR last year. Kristen's hearing loss isn't genetic, it's from her rough course at birth, so I don't worry about the other kids too much. We still get them tested, no different than getting their eyes tested, or the dentist. It's still important. I just thought that it was funny that big brother wanted to be the same as his little sister!

Not much going on around here

There hasn't been too much going on around here lately. It's been quite nice! Not as much running around, and getting the kids ready to leave the house early in the morning. Courtney is getting her land legs and trying a lot more walking! Kristen is making tonnes of different word like sounds, and Joe is communicating so much more in a functional sense.

The little one brewing is giving me the worst heartburn...I'm predicting a boy...lol. When I was pregnant with Joe, I had it the worst! The girls, not so much, well not this bad anyways!

Phsycological Assessment

I got a call from Sunny hill today, letting me know that there was a cancellation for the 25th of this month. That means that after this phsycological assessment of Kristen, that we will have a diagnosis on July 2!! I'm excited to finally have a direction to work with. At the same time, I'm getting nervous. I'm scared that there is just SOMETHING else for my daughter to overcome and work through. I went through these same emotions when we were going through it with Joe. So I figure it's gotta be normal...lol...normal...what is it anyways!! I know that once we truely know what's going on, we can work with her in her learning style. We can have everyone on the same page. We can have the same goals. We can reduce her, and everyone's frustration. It doesn't make it any easier on me though. I try and be strong. Well in public and to my family and friends. But sometimes it's SOOOO hard. But then I think of her smiling little face, with the softest cheeks and I know my miracle baby is here.

Thomas the Train

We met a family that we hang out with in Squamish to go and ride Thomas the Train with the kids. Well the set up was nice for the kids, but the train ride itself was a sad disappointment. We went back and forth on the track for 25 minutes. I don't think that we got faster than 30 kms/hr!!! The kids didn't mind, but there were other families on the train that were like "that can't be it!" There was one mom who apparently had just started feeding her infant, and barely had the kid latched and it was time to climb off! It was hot, stuffy, and not air conditioned!

The kids didn't know any different, but I do when it was $100.00 for the family to go, just for tickets. And then gas and food. Oh well, the company was nice, and if that's all you have for an expectation, well then you would have enjoyed it! We won't go again, but hey, live and learn!

Goodbye ABA

So I sent off the email to the ABA owner. I have decided to try more speech therapy with Joe and Sylvan learning center for the academics. I had just sent the email and five minutes later, I finally got a reply from the other ladies about scheduling! (I only emailed the co-ordinator not the other's so she didn't know). I didn't tell her my bad experiences that have pushed me over the edge, but just that I don't like the way that Joe is starting to act programmed. But the lady who emailed about the schedules, says 'ok so so and so can start on the 21st, father's day. YAH right, like I would do therapy on Father's day!!! So if she calls and wants to know the details of how everything came to a head, I will share, but other than that, as far as she's concerned, we're just trying another route for Joe for the time being!

ABA!!!

I am soooo finished with ABA. But I'm not sure what else is out there to get Joe the help that he needs!!! It seems that they have him so programmed to give the answers that they need and prompt him that it makes me crazy. We have transitioned to the home based program instead of onsite group therapy. They have been so disorganized as far as scheduling, and getting things in order for me to be ready for it. I now have an email asking for all of these stimuli toys that he needs for his 'programs'. I have no idea when the next person is coming. No one responds to emails! I sent one out on Monday morning regarding scheduling, and no one has gotten back to me, minus the one tonite asking if we have these 'toys' around. I'm just sooooo sick of it all. I know that I've been given two children that have more needs than a 'typical' child. I love them to death. I just sometimes would like to let them be kids, and not have so much intervention. But at the same time, I know that some of the intervention that they get is so very much neeed at this young age!