Time to update

Well, as usual, I've failed to update my blog regularly.  When I last updated, we were receiving a diagnosis of diabetes insipidus for Kayla.  

Since then, we've been told that her MRI came back perfectly normal (epic high-fives all around) and that her lack of anti-diuretic hormone could possibly be caused by habit drinking.  But don't limit her liquids, just in case. 

I'm skeptical.  I've been watching her drinking habits, finding that she goes through periods where she is drinking an amazing amount of liquids, and other times she is drinking only excessively. 

She still gets upset if there is not a drink nearby.  

Her 2nd birthday is coming up fast in April, and her checkup with her pediatrician with it. At that time, I'll be talking to her to let her know we haven't seen improvement since we spoke last. 

Otherwise, Kayla is her usual strong-willed self. She's talking more, discovered the word "mine" (oh, goody) and covers her big brother in lots of love. Well, love and some wrestling, anyway. 

And Evan?  He's doing great.  Last week, he tried both raisins and apple slices (big win on our part- getting him to eat an apple has been years in the making), and ate enormously for a few days. 

I was practically doing cartwheels over his request for a sandwich and chips at 9:30 the other night. 

He's been discovering the joys of "writing" in some dry-erase books he got for Christmas. 

Christmas was a big hit.  

We got lots of books, which both kids enjoy. 

The biggest news for Evan is that we have been given the opportunity to have him enrolled full time in ABA therapy. 

ABA stands for Applied Behavior Analysis.  

This will be an all day thing, 5 days a week, taking place of his pre-k classes for now. 

They'll be working with him one on one to address behaviors that can be problematic, such as.... Well, this: 

I often joke about Evan's NEED to create a chaotic environment.  But there is an underlying issue with this. There are days he never stops- banging things repeatedly non-stop for as long as I will allow because he like the sound, moving on to destroy something else if he's re-directed. 

As soon as laundry or toys are put away in their proper places, they must be pulled out again, scattered across the floor. 

There are days he's just going non-stop. 

We've also been trying to deal with his frustration and anxiety. Evan can be so very sweet and loving. He's one of the sweetest kids I know. 

But sometimes, he gets frustrated and hits, or will bite. It's been a while since he did bite, but while we've reduced the hitting of other people, he's taken to hitting his hand on surfaces.

Another benefit of the ABA therapy will be the coordination between us and the therapists. 

Strategies that work for him, both at home and in his therapy environment can be shared, and used to help him make more progress. 

His speech is still delayed, but we have been seeing growth there.  He's saying "thank you, Mama" and requesting specific foods (usually chips or popcorn), talking about Curious George, and even starting to ask about the potty. 

Potty training has been difficult- he often refuses to even sit and try, displaying a lot of anxiety when asked.  So we've taken a relaxed approach, and have made minuscule steps forward. 

I hope that ABA therapy will be a good thing for him. I believe that it will.