Big Boy Bed

I should start this post by telling you that Kayla has been in a toddler bed (Big Girl Bed) for several months now (since May) and James has still been in his crib. We had been noticing the past few weeks that their crib blankets had not really been cutting it in terms of keeping the twins warm at night. So we decided that for Christmas we would get them each new bedding for their beds. Then we thought maybe we should just bite the bullet and move James out of his crib when we put on his new bedding.

We gave them their new bedding on Christmas morning and they were (to our surprise) very excited. I say that we were surprised because James is very attached to his Green Blanket (kinda Linus-like). But he was definitely excited to have these new sheet and comforter. So the next morning we took apart his crib and moved it to the attic and brought out his new Big Boy Bed (identical to Kayla's - thank you Wagners). He watched David and me set it all up and was very excited to have it.

At nap time that day he came out of his room about a dozen or so times and we were worried that he might not nap ever again. But then that night he only came out of his room 2 or 3 times and then slept really well. The next day my mom was going to be here with the twins during nap time and I was certain that he would take advantage of that but she said that he only came out once. Okay, this might actually work.

And it has!!! He basically stays in his bed once we put him down for a nap or nighttime. He loves it and we are so proud. I have heard so many stories of autistic or spd kids who sleep in their cribs till they max out the weight limitations. We thought that this might be James. He loved his crib so much and loved to get in it. But we have made a few other changes too (new night light because the old one was shining very brightly right in his eyes) and he go down without a fight and stays in bed. (Still can't say that this is completely true of Kayla yet.) I will keep ou posted...

Update on Kayla

Here they are the much-anticipated nails!

Aunt Day

I think a monster has been created... For Christmas my sisters gave the twins "Aunt Day" - a special day just for the 3 aunts and the designated child. Today was Kayla's Aunt Day. Lets just say that it was awesome for her (and I think for them, too). They took her to the mall and she got to get a Build-a-Bear. She chose a hot pink teddy bear that has magnets in her hands and face so that she can look like she is blowing kisses. She also has a heart on her tummy and on the bottom of one of her feet. After making the bear they let her "dress" her newly born friend - named Wish. She chose the identical matching outfit to her Halloween costume - Tinkerbell! Complete with magic wand and pink sequined sneakers (the same shoes she wore with her costume). But it wouldn't be complete without the Hello Kitty pjs. Yes, that's right she got Hello Kitty pjs for her new friend. I think that they might have let her buy anything and everything if she had known to ask!

Then they took her down stairs to the nail salon. Yes, that's right, my 3 year old had her first visit to the nail salon. She chose a polish color that matched the fur color of her new bear. Of course the ladies in the salon couldn't get enough of this grown up toddler and gave her the Star treatment. They gave her a sparkly top coat and diamonds on one finger of each hand.

Next she got to "ride" on all the mechanical rides before they took her to Wendy's for dinner. She got her own Kids Meal (we usually go ala carte and share) and then her aunt Kat shared an Oreo shake with her.

As you can imagine she was so excited when she got home and couldn't wait to tell/show us all the things that she had done. Then she pulls out a book and says, "Here James I got this for you." Little did I know but her aunts had taken her to the toy store in the mall and she was able to pick out some new toys and she chose something for her brother. It doesn't get much better than that.

Needless to say next time we go to the mall she is going to have some strong opinions about what we do and where we go. I will add though that she does not like the way that the nail polish chipped off and she informed that she "never, ever wants to get her nails polished again, ever." But I am sure that will change! **I will post some pics as soon as I can. I was able to shoot a few of her sparkle nails before they completely chipped off.

Dedication

On Saturday my dad and step mom came into town (from St Charles, IL) to visit. We hadn't seen them since July 2006. The kids were excited and so was I! Because this was such a special time - hadn't seen my dad in awhile, first time they were seeing John - we decided that this was a perfect opportunity to have John dedicated.

What does that mean???? Some churches do infant baptism but ours dedicates their babies. All of us stand before the congregation and present John. Our pastor asks us some important questions: Do we promise to raise him to know and love the Lord? Do we dedicate him back to the Lord knowing that he is a gift from God? Then he asks the congregation if they commit to coming alongside us in bringing him up to know and love the Lord?

My favorite part was being able to give testimony about John. I wanted to share with all of you what I shared (to the best of my recollection).

Many of you know that we had difficulty getting pregnant with the twins and were told by the doctors that we would not be able to have more children without medical assistance. So last winter when we found out we were pregnant we were surprised to say the least. We decided to name him John which means God has been gracious. This was a very fitting name. During my pregnancy we went through a few months of difficult transitioning James from Early Intervention to public preschool. Through it all I was feeling good and remained healthy. No morning sickness really and a decent amount of energy. Having a boy also meant that we could pass on the name David. Along with being my husband's name it is also the name of David's dad's brother who passed away as a teenager. It is a special family name and we were glad to be able to pass it on. It is also a tradition in our family to give our children two middle names. So we decided to give John the name Charles after a very dear friend. He has been like a brother to both me and David. He is a special man of God who has been there with us both on our walk with the Lord.

The last thing that our pastor does during a dedication is present the child with a verse. Our pastor chose John 3:30 "He must increase, but I must decrease." Fitting for a life lived to glorify the Lord.

Uncharted Waters

Today I took James to see a new doctor. Her name is Dr Ginsburg and she is what some might call a bit "crunchy" and out-there. But she comes highly recommended. She specializes in autism and women's health and her "thing" is alternative bio-medical treatments. It was overall a great visit. She was encouraging and had lots of suggestions. We are starting Melatonin supplements tonight and will possibly start Methyl B-12 shots in a few weeks. Melatonin is the hormone that your body naturally makes to make you sleepy. Some kids who have sleep problems (this includes James) respond well to Melatonin and we are hoping that James will get better sleep and therefore have better days as a result. The B-12 shots are a bit more controversial and could have a negative effect instead of a positive result. There are a lot of critics out there who think that you shouldn't give your kids anything that isn't approved by the FDA. Funny though some of those are the same people who say we should question the government and big corporations and not just do "what they tell us." So we shall see... There are others who think that you shouldn't inject your kids with needles (even the tiny insulin needles required for B-12 shots) and I say, "If your child had diabetes and needed insulin shots multiple times a day you wouldn't hesitate. So why now?" My feeling is this: Autism is scary because there is no beaten path. No two kids seem to respond to the same course(s) of treatment and so there is no "norm." And for me I have to ask myself, "Have I done enough to try to help my son get better?"

After we have tried the shots for a couple of months she wants us to put James on a gluten free-casein free-soy free diet! He is already casein free and I am super scared about this one because I know that most of the work and adjustment is going to be on our (mine and David's) part. Learning how to cook and shop all over again. But again if it means steps forward for James I am willing and getting ready!