Here we go ...

So here we go.

This is a new venture that I have decided to take on to help record and share the fun that myself and my two boys, Dew1 and Dew2 have every day.

This will likely be my longest post ever. But the beginning must be documented in order to know how we got to where we are today.

We have been given challenges in life to meet - some big and some small. As a result, some of the things we tackle are unusual, or may appear to be age-inappropriate. But this is our family and our life and we take each day as it comes.

Dew1 was a 34-week 4 pound preemie. Arriving 6 weeks early because I got sudden-onset severe Pre-Eclampsia. Our lives forever changed that fateful Monday morning at our routine doctor's appointment. Instead of the usual chipper check in with the nurse, we were met with silence, double checks of tests and blood pressure, and immediate instructions to lie on my left side. The doctor was with us immediately. Seemingly overnight, my blood pressure had skyrocketed, and as I had other symptoms, I was told that I had Pre-Eclampsia, and that the good news was that the cure for it was delivery of the baby. The bad news was that it was going to be this week. So much to struggle with, but after a few days our baby boy arrived, and immediately sent to the NICU where he stayed for 2 weeks. He was small but healthy. I was less so. It took a week and one relapse before I was well enough to go home. All in all, we were very lucky. So many other families are less so.

Dew1 has been healthy. He got Plagiocephaly very early on, and wore a StarBand cranial remolding helmet 4 months. Emerging with a beautifully rounded head and a lifetime of medical complications averted, we were on track for the arrival of his baby brother.

Dew2 arrived after a much fretted but otherwise uncomplicated pregnancy. My full term, 8 pound bear came on the scene in full force and has not stopped since. The difference between the two was remarkable. Dew1 came home from the hospital eating no more than 45 mL at a feeding. Dew2 came home from the hospital eating 2 to 3 ounces. Dew1 was a wonderful sleeper. Dew2 was a horror. Dew1 is in the 50th Percentile, Dew2 is in the 95th. The similarities? Dew2 developed Plagiocephaly as well, and spent 6 months in a StarBand.

When Dew1 turned about 18 months, we started to become concerned about his speech delay. We had given him time to work it out on his own, and nothing was happening. A hearing test showed loss. An appointment to the ENT showed massive amounts of fluid - that had possibly been there for 8 months (he had a very mild ear infection way back when.) After 6 weeks of antibiotics, and the institution of a daily dose of Zyrtec, the fluid began to disappear, and his hearing tests got better and better. This led to an evaluation by Early Intervention that revealed not only a speech delay, but developmental delays, as well as some OT issues (later diagnosed as Sensory Processing Disorder, or Sensory Integration Disorder.) The snowball had started rolling and wasn't about to stop yet. A consultation with a Developmental Pediatrician resulted in a diagnosis of mild autism. He was high risk for these things - first born, preemie, male.

The therapy began. His OT started him on a brushing technique. I didn't get it ... what's this about brushing Organizing him? but it was working. slowly, his crashing behaviours slowed down. Speech started with him, as well as Ed (a "special teacher".) Eventually, a Verbal Behaviour program was introduced, and he attended an "after school program" twice a week that focused on all sorts of things - ABA, OT, sensory, fine motor, manding, group activities. And through all this, he was attending a "typical" preschool, where he was with his age mates, and getting wonderful socialization.

We are just now a year from that beginning, and his progress is amazing. A year ago, he was learning to sign "open" and "help" - and we marveled at the walls that even the little bit of communication opened. Now, he is beginning to speak in 3 word sentences. His play is much more functional - he wants to play with a toy instead of just holding it and checking it out. We still have sensory challenges - his eating is sporadic (he 'squirrels' his food a lot) and he still crashes, but sensory therapy is fun and there are a lot of things we do to help him out. We have transitioned to the Intermediate Unit of Early Intervention, and his new team has been in place for almost 2 months now. He's back in his typical preschool. This year is harder, though, because the delay is so much more obvious than it was last year when they were all 2 years old.

And Dew2? Well, when Dew2 turned about 18 months old, we suddenly realized that we'd forgotten to teach him how to talk! With all of the teachers coming and going for Dew1, Dew2 had fallen between the cracks. We had him evaluated by Early Intervention as well, and he is receiving weekly speech therapy. Luckily, he has yet to show any signs of anything other than a speech delay. In fact, his fine motor is amazing, and his logic and reasoning is wonderful.

Dew2 had his hearing test last week. The test was a disaster - significant loss in both ears. The next day at the doctor's office we discovered that both ears were packed full of fluid. Massive double ear infection. Gee, this is familiar. So he's on antibiotics and we're to check in again in 2 weeks. Who knows how long this has been going on. But at least he's a little less cranky that he was the week before, so we can hope that this will improve his disposition (although, to be honest, he was born cranky...)

So here we are. Dew1 is just over 3 years old, and Dew 2 will be 2 in January. They are about 4 inches apart in height, and 2 pounds in weight. People are starting to ask me how old my twins are. A girlfriend referred to Dew1 as my hollow chocolate bunny and Dew2 as my solid chocolate bunny. I couldn't have described them any better myself.

Since the diagnosis and therapy has began, I have been online searching out anything and everything that will help me help my boys. I was amazed to have a world of homeschooling, Montessori, and Tot School opened up to me. As a Children's Librarian by trade, I thought I knew what I needed to know to let my boys grow and thrive, but was I wrong! I have found more resources than I will ever use, and such wonderful people willing to share what works for them. It is all of them that inspired me to start this blog. I have been blogging on my personal site for at least 8 years, but this is different, and as such I wanted to keep it separate.

Our lives are very chaotic with the therapists coming and going, but we try to do bits and pieces of things. We are also restricted by space. One day I would dream to have a 'classroom', but until then, our dining room (which, incidentally is open to a kitchen that is not eat in, so it is our main eating area) functions quite well. Our living room is also a work area. We do not have neatly organized trays and shelves, as traditional Montessori would lend. We do not do workboxes (yet!). They are still at the stage of pulling everything out and making a mess. But we love it. And wanted to share it. This blog is growing just as we are. It's not pretty today - no funky page colour or fun graphics. But right now I'm too busy with my boys to spend hours and hours making this look neat. But who knows what it will look like in a day, or a week, or a month. I think it will be fun.

I hope that anyone who might decide to read all of this will give us a shot. It's a crazy life but it's ours and we love it.