Update

Homefront:

So much has happened in the last couple of weeks.

We had Samuel fitted for his helmet,and it is finally finished, so we are going for a final fitting this week. I am praying that he tolerates it well, and that it keeps us all from being hurt. He has a forehead full of bruises; sometimes we just don’t get to him quickly enough to prevent him from hitting.

He has, since birth, had trouble transitioning from sleep to waking. He was sleeping on me, and as he woke, his head hit me in my right cheek, and it immediately began to swell. This was after both of my lips had been hit and were in bad shape. I had to have a CT scan. The doctor thought my cheek bone was fractured, but thankfully it was just super swollen. The struggle is real!

It is healing fine now, and I am trying to be more cautious with Samuel.

His weighted vest came in, and as much as we were all hoping it would help, he just hates it and bangs even more.

But, the weighted blanket my mama ordered, made by a wonderful company called SensaCalm, came in yesterday. It is a specially handmade blanket with individual pockets, so that the weight is distributed evenly. Because of Samuel’s size and height, his blanket is weighted at 4lbs. When I opened the bag, he started laughing at the bright blue color it is. I scooped him up and put it on him. He instantly stopped moving, became completely calm and drifted to sleep in a matter of just a few minutes. Scott, Maggie, and I were stunned. My parents were able to see it all on facetime. None of us could believe the effectiveness of the blanket. He ended up sleeping 12 hours last night. I cannot remember him ever doing that. Praising the Lord for this!

Here is a picture of him asleep on his daddy last night. The blanket is cotton and not hot at all. He is just a sweaty sleeper.

This is the link to the Sensacalm site:

http://www.sensacalm.com/

He is actually sleeping in the bed as I type. I don’t even know what to do with myself. He is snuggled into his blanket, and my arms are free! I never dreamed in a million years it could help so much.

How it works/helps:

“One of the most commonly used and “prescribed” therapeutic interventions in the Occupational Therapy world is the use of weighted products and treatments that involve what we call “heavy work”, proprioceptive input, and deep pressure. The therapeutic use of weight and “deep pressure” to the muscles, joints, tendons and ligaments allows the central nervous system to better interpret and integrate both tactile (sense of touch) and proprioceptive (sense of movement, body position, and pressure) input.

This therapeutic concept and particular treatment is used in schools, clinics, homes, and communities world wide. The use of weight and deep pressure is at the core of almost all OT treatments for SPD. It is safe, effective, and can make enormous differences in these children! Their families rejoice and daily life becomes more tolerable, physically calm, and emotionally regulated.”

http://www.sensory-processing-disorder.com/weighted-blankets.html

School:

We signed all the necessary medical and admissions paperwork for Samuel’s APPLIED BEHAVIORIAL ANALYSIS (ABA)school yesterday. He starts Monday morning, March 9th. He is in an intensive program that requires 30-40 hours of therapy weekly. I was able to talk with the director yesterday, and I was so excited that they agreed to let me have Fridays with Sam. So, he’ll be getting 32 hours weekly, and I will still have 1 day a week of just Mama and Sam time. That has done a lot for my anxiety about him going everyday for such a long time. I am just not ready to give up my baby, yet. Everyone is super nice, and once a month we will meet with his team of therapists and watch footage of his interactions, learning, new skills. We’ll discuss what needs to be worked on more, adjust his schedule if need be, too.

They also have a monthly time for Maggie to come play with Sam in his environment. I think she is really going to love that.

Maggie:

Maggie is doing really well in school. She is sprouting in so many areas, and I am such a proud mama at how she conducts herself in class. She has an orthopedic appointment in a couple of weeks to have her tailbone rechecked; she fractured it over the summer. And, he will check the degree of her scoliosis. We are praying for no brace or surgery.

I am looking forward to our girl time next week, while she is on Spring break. We are going to paint pottery, see a movie, maybe head out to a couple of museums. It is much needed, and I am thankful she will be with me during Sam’s first week of school. God’s timing is impeccable!