HAPPY RED BIRTHDAY ANDY!

Andy is 6. his favorite color is no longer orange - it is red. he changes his favorite color on his birhthday. he has done this since his 4th birthday. we have NO idea why! he knows it isn't normal and he know he doesn't have to - but he wants to. He had his party at the MA school on Saturday! He got to bow e/o in and out AND e/o (incl daddy!) had to bow to him! how cool is that? we also got him a punching bag to practice his moves on. He is also getting a copy of his book (see the sidebar!) tonight - as well as his very first chapter book!

Party Pics- click to enlarge! my camera battery died, but my FIL took plenty of pics. I'll have to scan them when I get copies though.

Disturbing

I just read a post on the Vegan Doc's blog that made my stomach turn.
http://veganheartdoc.blogspot.com/2007/05/vegan-parents-starve-child.html

appearantly a uneducated and seriously misguided couple killed their infant by feeding him their take on a vegan diet. those of you who read this regularly know the ordeal I went through with Colin and getting his weight back on track. it was really hard, but we actually took him to the pedi.. and 2 specalists and did EVERYTHING in our power to help him get better. I could NOT imagine sitting back and watching him waste away and do NOTHING to help him. wasn it obvious that what they were doing wasnt' working??? the grandmother commented that he didnt cry more than any other baby... well do you think it could be b/c he was to friggin weak to cry??????

FWIW- although Todd and I are omnivores, Colin is still vegan. in fact all of my kids were vegan until 9-12mo...

Speaking of Colins health, he had to go to the pedi yesterday. his nose was running like a faucet (first time ever - now that his nasal passages are open...) and he was coughing and feverish. he had 2 breathing treatments and prednisone before he was OK to go home. he is now on prednisone, albuterol, and amoxil. Not sure WHY he is on antibiotics if ti is allergies and he is BF'd. not to mention that I am HIGHLY allergic to it and they were supposed to note the chart that although none of the kids have reacted to it, I have a severe contact reaction and it is NOT supposed to be in our house! yes, I did put a call into the dr. they are swamped right now and she is supposed to call me back.

Ryan is on Allegrea b/c he is having a tough time with spring, and Andy is still on his Singulair, but still coughing a bit. he coughed until he vomited 2x over the w/e :( Is the pollen done yet??? I think it is tree pollen getting all of us.

IT!

I got tagged by Shannon..

7 random facts about me,

1. My favorite tea is Yorkshire in the Orange box.
2. the smell of coffee makes me sick to my stomach.
3. I LOVE dark chocolate!
4. I pre-oredered Harry Potter!
5. my fave authors are Stephen King and Morgan Llewelyn
6. I need a "new" car that I can fit all of my kids in.
7. I really enjoy going for walks in my neighborhood.

7 blogs I read

1. yarn harlot
2. crazy aunt purl
3. post secret
4. indigirl
5. I'm knitting as fast as I can
6. wendy knits (don't you just LOVE Lucy???)
7. Marnie Talks

and tag 7 other bloggers...

1. VeganHeartDoc
2. Diane
3. Cynthia
4. Deb (Ha Ha Ha!)
5. Christine
6. You
7. You too!

post #200!

Here is a picture of Colin and his new buddy Duncan.. yep.. time to drag out the trains that I just put away... sigh...

We got a notice last night from Andy's teacher with his current reading level.. they want it to be a 4 by the end of the year... it is 6 now!

...but then he is a published author now... http://www.lulu.com/content/822642

If you want to pick up a copy of this adorable book... I am donating 100% of my cut to The Autism Society of CT.

Blingity Bling

Some Crochet Bling for me! I made this using Amy Swenson's pattern in "Not Your Mama's Crochet". link on the sidebar! It was SO much fun! In all the years I've been crocheting, I have never worked with wire or made jewlery. I am still waiting for the clasps to come from the e-bay seller. I need to get earring wires too. The earrings were an after-thought.. but I LOVE it! I think my next one will be something of the purple variety and I am going to use seed beads or some other kind or spacer on the alternate stitches. I may try some on hemp for another look... I cranked these all out this w/e while running all over creation with the kids! very simple, very pretty! and I think it is the sort of thing my "wardrobe" is lacking.. aside from clothes that fit... but that is another post!

Andy got some Karate Bling... Gold belt w/ black stripe! I am so proud of him! Martial Arts is really helping him more than I can clearly express in a blog! I am eternally indebeted to his instructors for their patience, consistancy, and values! they have the same expectations of him as they do the rest of the class and they know he is a SN student. he tried extra hard on Friday b/c he knew he was testing!

Ryan also earned his first stripe on his white belt on Friday! he will probably be a gold belt before he starts kindergarten!

Andy wasnt' the only one who tested Friday night! Todd tested for his Gold belt at his class Friday Night. It was too late for the boys to go, so no pics... but trust me! he has a gold belt! I'll have to get a picture of all 3 of them in their new belts this week! Andy isn't the only one benifiting from the classes. Todd is really getting in shape, eatign better and maybe he'll quit smoking again soon.. maybe! he wants to be around for his kids for a long time! and he doesn't want to be crippled for it either! I think he realized what ignoring his health was doing to him long term. he is also gettign the connection between a good diet and exercise and his BPD. it is a healthy release for him too.









How about some Karate BLAM BLAM? They let the kids beat each other with giant Q-tips!





Ryan seemed to be confused by being told to hit somebody... he needed a little help to get going....

Andy was really agressive! I was impressed - very un-Andy-like.. BUT he said he was doing his best b/c he was testing!

How could I forget!!!

I got this in the mail last week! SO cool to actually have it in my hands finally!!! It really is a fantastic book! lots of great patterns that I can't wait to try! soem great recycled projects too! in addition to my design using recycyled silk threads from sari making, there is a pattern for a throw rug made out of old jeans and a tote made from plastic shopping bags! My next project is the "Crochet Bling" as soon as my silver beading wire gets here!!! GREAT job Amy!!!

contemplation

I am trying to decide how much info about Andy, his testing, therapies and possible diagnosis to share on the internet...

on the one hand.. he is HF and may not be dx with anything and if he is, it is likely he'll be able to blend right in with the rest of us "normal" folks in short order. I dont' want his disabilities to define him or limit him. he is brilliant and loving and fun... jut not terrible coordinated or flexible (in any sense!)

on the other hand.. I don't want him to feel ashamed of who he is or that we are in any way asamed of him. I don't want him to have to carry a big secret around with him (weather he knows it or not) . the only way we can change poeple' s perceptions of ASD is by showing them ALL the faces of Autism...

so, I just don't know how much I want to get into.. but I will say this.. the school is evaluating him and trying to come up with a plan to deal with his behaviors. not a DX by any means, but if it helps him in school..GOOD! I am working with him at home to learn to make eye contact while talking. and Karate continues to strengthen him physically and mentally. (testing for his next belt tonight!!!!) that is all I have to say about that.. for now anyway...

Colin is doing great! he went to the ENT last week. she put a camera up his nose and found out that part of the nasal passage is enlarged and causing the "congestion". today is his last day of the sterroid drops. Todd will give her a call today and then she'll see him again in 3 weeks. we've noticed a big difference in hsi sleep! he has jumped from 4-5 hour streached to 8-9 hours! I woke up in a puddle of milk this morning! BUT I was able to pump an extra bottle form him before I left... good news there!

Ryan will be getting his very first stripe on his white belt tonight and Todd tests for his Gold belt tonight too! expect pics monday!

as for me .. I've been knitting and sewing away for my clients! BUT I am reserving my Thursday nights for quilting with Mom! I have been workign on a quilt now for.... crap I dont' know how long! 4y? anyway, I now have a goal! Mom is goign to sign me up for her guild this fall so that I can enter the quilt in the show next April....which gives me roughly 11 months to finish! AAAHHHH! a deadline!!! it is only a small wall quilt.. I've made bigger.. but this is FAR mroe complex! I paper pieced the fish. I used random blocks for the sea floor and now I am on th string piecing for the bottom, the water above the fish and then the fishing pole. then there are the appliques for the reel, more paper piecing for the lures then some embroidery and embelishments in addition to the quilting, binding, sleeve and label...

Hmmmm... maybe if I posted a little more often, I wouldnt' have a novel.. SORRY!

OH.. I may have a BIG announcement comming up!!! (and NO I am NOT pregnant!)

why Karate is better than Kindergarten...

So, Andy - who we suspect is mildly Autisitc, but cant get anyone to test him any time soon, has been taking a martial arts class since the fall. he's NOT the athleate in the family, but he enjoys it and he gets some exercise... Todd started takign the Adult class (he needs the exercise too!) and the 2 have been practicing together. we have found that when we tell him to stand at "attention" (they have another word for it - but I can't remember) he will pay attention to us and listen... really! he even stands still and makes eye contact! so, Friday we were telling this to his instructor. we were also saying that we are trying to get him eval'd for autism. she said "Oh, I thought he was" really.. the KARATE teacher (who is a beautician by day!) can see the that the behaviors are autistic!!! she told us that when they were walking into teh gym one day (it is an after school program), the walked by the office which has "mailboxes" for the different rooms labeled with the numbers. well, there is no room 4 or room 9 - they were converted to computer labs. he noticed that w/o really looking at them and he finds it EXTREMELY upsetting. to this day! that was when she figured he had ASD and then when he had a hard time paying attention and focusing in class.. which is why they moved him to the smaller class...
and his SE teacher actually listed his disruptive behavior then told me they wouldn't test him b/c they didn't think he was autistic b/c he has friends! (one of which has AS btw...)

Ryan did jump in to the class on Friday as well. the boy is GOOD! a natural athleate! he needs to work on listening adn following directions.. not to mention showing me a LOT more respect. Not the same issues as Andy - he is just being a spoiled little brat! he is pushing me to see if my rules are the same as Daddy's. I also think he is still bent about me going back to work... I think the MA class will really help. I also think more school will do him a world of good! he'll have to spend more time taking turns and waiting in line next year.

Frogwebs, Fish, and appointments

First - cute fluff pics.. cause it is my blog and I can!
Spiderfrog - made by me! Cotton print outer, lime seuadecloth inner, red snaps


I also got my custom KND from www.clothdiaperoutlet.com Beatiful craftsmanship. crazy fast shipping - she MUST know someone! nice trim fit! it is higher in the rise than I am used to, but that may be a good thing! the monkey has worn it once, so cant give a full review on fit, but A+ on quality and shipping


Thing #1: PPT was tuesday. Good: He is doing GREAT academically, he has a nice little group of friends and he has made tremendous improvements. the SLP said his vocab and comprehension were above grade level. the teachers were also impressed that he was so proud of his faith and that he was donating a part of his allowance to charity...(a Grandmother in need of children to Granny gave A&R each $1 for being SO good in church on Good Friday! she told them to buy themselves something. what did THEY decide to do? they put it in the collection basket on Easter! THEIR idea! I'm a VERY proud Mama!) oh - he is also grasping hte concept of "personal space"!
Bad: he still doesnt get that talking is a 2-way form of commumincation that involves speaking and listening! his voice is almost always too loud. he has a lot of ritualistic behavoirs - and has a FIT if life deviates from the ritual. he is stubborn and usually insists on having things his way - or he melts down. they finally noticed his stimming, humming and retreating into "Andyland".
Ugly: It took reminding adn pressuring to get them to retest him for speech w/pragmatics before his 6th bday or he will lose eligibility. I also asked that he be screened b/c ALL of those negative behaviors the teachers noted above are Autistic behaviors. they are disruptive to the class and make learnign difficult for him. BUT when I asked them to test, they tried to tell me they didn't think he was Autstic. I do not wnat him to be... but the reality is that he may be. he may need more services and I will fight for him to get them! I have begun with what I think was a nice f/u letter to the principal reiterating what was said in the meeting, confirming the Speech testing and requesting the ASD screening. we are also takign him to a psychologist and looking into a developmental pedi. fun never ends!

Thing #2: had his MMR and medical forms complete for kindergarten! he is starting Karate tonight (attempt #2). he is cute, smart, and a PITA.. but I love him!

Thing#3: is trying to crawl when not being smothered by two overly loving big brothers! he had his check up on Tuesday as well. he is up to 15.9# which is good, but still the 5%ile. we wen tover the allergy test results and she gave teh go-ahead for more solids... YAY.. he is sucking down food like he has never been fed.. but still isnt' catching up. since he is STILL congested 24/7 we are takign him to the ENT. the same one the sleep center referred us to for Ryan. we really liked him. I hope we'll get some answers there. if he could breathe better, I KNOW he could eat better! speaking of food.. as much as it kills me to have to supplement, we ahve been able to get teh insurnace to cover the formula... further reinforcing my view of it being medicine.

And a belated Happy Easter & Passover

Settled....

almost 3 years after the fire, we've settled with the insurnace company. Still not nearly what we should have gotten, but it would have cost more in legal fees than the difference is worth. suckd when the systems screws you. suck when the insurance company hires a contractor that does more damage than they fix. You pay your premium and you expect your insurance company to be there when you need them. well, we found out the hard way that just in't true! IMO, Vermont mutual is out for the $ and could care less about the people and the homes they insure! at least that is the message they sent us! the FD did an EXCELLENT job! they responded in just a couple minutes and they kept the damage to a bare minimum. so WHY did it take 18m before our house was livable? and 30m after the fire it still is not completely finished b/c we've been fighting over several tousand dollars! If your house ever catches on fire, get teh family out and let it burn!

Call for patterns

I got a brilliant idea over lunch (ie. pumping & knitting) I am going to out together a pattern book of wool diaper covers. longies, shorties, wraps etc. since this is a fairly new idea, I'm not sure yet what I can bribe you designers with. any schwag ideas? I've got 9 pattern ideas so far. it'll also include the basics on wool as a diaper cover and a materials guide. to submit a pattern or pattern idea, drop me an email and we'll chat.

other than that.. I've been busy stocking the cart... my NEW improved purple inserts! a couple of pockets, 2 recycled wool wraps, and 1 pair longies. swim dipes and a swim sling (for me - not the cart!) some pics...




not shown are the microfiber swiffer covers. they work SOOO much better!!! than the $$$ pads! now if I could just figure out how to refill the cleaner bottle.....

I'm hoping the weather will let me dye some self striping wool this w/e....

Cowboy Colin

not only is he a CD cowboy, but he has 2 teeth!!!

AND he started giving "kisses" yesterday!! SOOOO sweet!!! I love my boys!

I am in the midst of making them matching easter outfits!! they love to match with daddy... but they've never matched wiht Colin.

Also in new news... I have my First self-published pattern!! it is called Twisted and is available through my store. I'm going to post a pic with link in my sidebar asap. It is a comprehensive pattern for shorties and longies (or capris!) with step-by-step photos. I'm very proud of it! I have the next one in my head and need to catch up on some orders and swim dipes so that I can start on it. yes.. I said swim dipes! I'm making some for Colin and I am making a swim-sling too! depending on how the dipes turn out, I may put them in my cart as well. we shall see!

'Erin Go Braugh' - means Ireland Forever!

I won't be able to post tomorrow as I will be preparing a feast fit for St. Patrick Himself!!! We should all wear our green with pride tomorrow! Irish or not. Catholic or not!!! Yes the Wearing of the Green was to let the world know you were an Irish Catholic. It was supposed to be a punishment- intended to suppress the Catholics. Instead, it was used as a rally to bring them together and defend their home and heritage. So matter your faith or nationality, wear your green proudly in remembrance of those who fought to preserve theirs!



thanks for the food suggestions ladies! I am eating a LOT of rice noodles! and finding other alternatives. I found great teething cookies for him that are wheat and dairy free (may even be vegan...) other than that we are going slow with the solids for him. mostly stuff he can pick up and explore - banana, avocado, sweet potato, mashed potatoes. we want to push the calories and not fill him up on solids just yet. I actually get the o'soy yogurt for Ryan. it comes in kid sized 6-packs. Colin will get that when he is older too. I don't' expect any of the kids to outgrow the DA. I haven't and neither have my mom or sister. Don't think my niece has either.... any other suggestions are appreciated!

I gotta give my 'props to the Vegans.. I just went to lunch with my office and ordering a meal that contained no: wheat, dairy, nuts, peanuts, or meat - NOT EASY!!! BUT If you find yourself in downtown New Haven and in need of a nice Irish Pub, I HIGHLY recommend the Playwright on Temple Street. They were accommodating to my "please no pine nuts or cheese and can I have a wedge of lemon instead of dressing" the chef forgot to add my Portables to my salad. Before I even had a chance to notice, the server delivered them to me. shortly after, the chef came out and apologized for forgetting them (with an Irish accent!). Excellent food and FAB service! prices were fairly decent too.

now for more C pics....

Long time no blog...

I could make excuses, but who wants to hear them, really? so how 'bout some Kid pics instead?







Colin had a tummy virus. He was vomiting for about a week straight.. poor kid :( he is back down to the 5 th %ile as of last Friday, but he'd already gotten his appetite back. so he should be back to playing catch-up by now...

I am in the midst of designing some shorties for C. and I am thinking of offering a free version here on the blog and a full version for sale on my hyena cart . still in the swatch/sketch phase right now. I think I'll make the full version in sizes NB through 3T. Any thoughts or suggestions are welcome in the comments!

speaking of wool... I have some hand-dyed wools in my cart now.

Update on Colin

he is now over 13# and he broke the 10th %ile!!! (he was born at the 90th!) looks like he probably has about 4# plus normal growth to go, BUT this week he doubled his weight gain from 0.5 oz/day to 1oz per day! GO COLIN!!!

In a realted topic, his allergy testing finally came back! he is HIGHLY allergic to dairy, nuts and wheat. dairy is done, nuts are easy, but wheat is a toughie... we'll figure it out tho. there is a great heath food store near me and I am sure they can point me to some good substitutes.

Todd actually got the results when he called the dr b/c we have reason to suspect Andy may be diabetic. she gave him an order for b/w and hopefully we'll have some answers there soon.

Ryan is doing great!very healthy! he starts karate on Friday and he got a fantastic report card! he is ready for kindergarten NOW! Andy's was fantastic too!

My diaper Biz is doing good. Click on my new logo in the sidebar to visit my store. I restock thursdays at noon.