This post, much like most of the others, has been formulating in my brain for a couple weeks as one thing, but has ended up getting posted today as the two month update since Gotcha Day. To use the excuse "it's been crazy around here" is simply unacceptable anymore. We have four kids. "Crazy around here" is the norm. So, that's not really a useful comment anymore!
However, things are progressing. Here's a quick rundown of how life has been going for LGM (little Green man) #2:
His eczema was flaring up pretty badly, despite using all-natural, organic, hypo-allergenic body products and the free & clear detergent. I convinced myself that he must have a food allergy that was exacerbating the situation. So, he braved yet another blood test to see if any common food allergens were giving him problems. That came up negative on all counts (as did his follow-up test for Giardia... so yay for that!). However, he did have an ear infection, we discovered during one of our many visits to the doctor last month. I noticed that, once he was on the antibiotics, his rashes cleared up really well, almost immediately, and his extreme snot rockets went away too. Once he finished the meds, however, they have slowly started to come back. I'm not a doctor. I kinda wish at this point, that I had gone to medical school because I'm pretty sure all my doctor friends are sick of giving me free medical opinions, but these kids have been non-stop sick sick sick! Anyway, cleft kids commonly have trouble draining fluid from their ears, and are thus prone to ear infections, as I understand it. I think I heard the statistic that only 10% don't end up with tubes in their ears eventually. So, I wonder if his ears went right back to being infected, and if the rash is his body's way of alerting me? Maybe? Does that sound ridiculous? Did I mention I am not a doctor? He never had any other "normal" ear infection symptoms. Anyway, I don't know. I think the girls have a follow up visit this week with the Dr. because they both had ear infections as well. So, he'll come along for the ride and we'll take a look.
He also goes to see the craniofacial team at the Children's Hospital next week. I am interested to hear what they have to say. An ENT will hopefully shed light on the ear tubes situation, and I am very interested to consult with the speech therapist. This will also give us a better idea of our timeline for bone graft surgery for his palate, which shouldn't take place for a few years still.
He understand just about everything we say to him, I would venture to say. He has been known, however, to conveniently forget English when he's being corrected or doesn't like what we're saying. He'll just furrow his eyebrows and look at you like "No Hablo Ingles!" After a little incentive, however, the comprehension magically returns. For example "Asher, give that toy back to your brother." (He gives that quizzical look.) "Asher, Mommy said give the toy to your brother" (another quizzical look.) "OK then, Asher, let's go sit down for time out then." (Instant eyebrow lift, and Benjamin gets his toy back. Asher looks at me like "Oh! This toy? Of course I will give it back to my beloved brother, mother dear!) Haha! He KNOWS!
He is trying to talk more. He still relies on the sign language a lot, but also tries to verbally say things. He does pretty well, except for the fact that he still only uses the consonants /m/ /n/ and /l/, in addition to the vowels. So, most things still sound like "mama," "Elmo," or some variation thereof. On the upside, however, a good chunk of things he usually wants to discuss actually do include either Mama, Elmo, or both of us. So, it all works out.
The biggest challenge for me lately has been discipline. He definitely is more comfortable with life here. However, that also means that he's pushing boundaries. We've had to figure out the best way to figure out what to do with that, and also with reprogramming his little brain to understand that those temper tantrums that he throws (though they're not as bad as before) are not going to get him what he wants. It's trying on the patience, but I have to keep reminding myself that he's used to that being how he gets what he wants. He's not doing it just to rub me the wrong way, and it's my job to teach him that around here, we use different methods to get our way. All in all, we are making progress. It's just a process. He is learning, and he is progressing. We keep moving forward.
All in all, things are good. The LGMs are so funny together. They egg each other on towards mischief, but they get along really well now, and they definitely notice if the other is around. They enjoy playing and laughing and chasing after each other. The girls still adore him, and he thinks they're pretty neat too. I can't imagine not having him around. Four is a nice number...
4 is a nice number!!!
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