I'm getting cabin fever in a bad way. Both of my kids are sick. Cooper started his fever and lethargy on Monday. Took him to the doctor right away and he was diagnosed with the flu. Tuesday morning the doctor called and said his overnight strep culture came back positive. So, he most likely doesn't have the flu, just strep. Strep isn't something to take likely though. His fever had spiked as high as 105 twice, which is downright scary. I took him to the hospital yesterday to get 2 shots of antibiotics, since he refuses to take oral medication. I tried to get him to take Motrin Monday night and consequently got some spit in my face (as he was coughing/gagging it out), so I know it is only a matter of time before it's my turn.
Maddy spiked her fever yesterday. It got up to 104.5. This morning it's 103. She says her throat hurts. She'll take Motrin and prescription medicine though. Yay for that. We have a doctors appointment for her at 11am. Cooper is clearly feeling better. His fever broke last night and he's excited to go see "Maddy's doctor" though, I told him it was his doctor too. I guess since he's feeling better the doctor will now be Maddy's doctor. Cooper is still lounging on the couch with Maddy, but as long as his fever is gone for 24 hours he should be good to go for school tomorrow.
I started to feel bleh yesterday. I can feel the sickness starting to settle in. I thought for sure I'd wake up with this full blown nastiness, but I am surprisingly feeling okay. I'm a little sniffly, a little stiff, little energy but otherwise okay. I know that probably doesn't sound all too pleasant, but if you compare how I look compared to my kids, it's a world of difference.
So, here's to hoping for a healthier family in the near future and that I stay relatively healthy. I don't get sick days.
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Sunday, January 23, 2011
I'm not good with Titles
Happy 2011! I recently had a birthday on January 9th. Turned the big 3-0. It was a fun weekend of family and friends. I am blessed to have such wonderful people in my life.
I've been in a 'meh' mood for a few weeks now. In a funk. I'm feeling like "omg, winter is never going to end." It has snowed every week since November. In fact, It's snowing now. It's freakin' cold. I'm not exercising and I'm not eating very well. I know what I need to do to make myself feel better. I am just having a hard time doing said things. I'm mentally preparing myself for Monday. Tomorrow. Tomorrow I start fresh and move forward. It'll be easy, I just need to do it. Getting started isn't hard for me, it's keeping going and keeping my head in it.
On Friday we had a meeting at Cooper's school regarding his eligibility for services. We agreed for them to do some cognitive testing, as well as speech and OT evaluations. I was worried going into the meeting. I was worried they were going to cut services because he is doing so well! It's great he is doing so well, but at the same time I want him to have those services, because that is the reason he is doing so well. This meeting wasn't about adding or cutting services though, it was to see if he got enough check marks in the "Autism" category to keep an IEP and additional services. ...if that makes any sense. It's hard to explain.
Anyways, the testing showed that he is one amazingly smart kid. The school psychologist kept referring to the meeting as "A celebration of Cooper!" and when he first said that I thought he was just talking out of his butt... but as the meeting went on, he was right. I need to get copies of some of the cognitive tests they did, but they said he is pretty much off the charts for his age. They said he has so much potential now and in the future. I know my kid is smart, but to hear it from professionals is something else.
I was beside myself. I made the comment, "This is amazing... coming from a kid who had 4 words at the age of 2." I had a moment.... teared up. I am so proud of him. As a parent, hearing the diagnosis of Autism was devastating. We had hoped that some day he would be mainstreamed... we weren't even sure if that goal was realistic. And here we are, Cooper is mainstreamed with a classroom aide and the smartest kid in kindergarten.
He still has autism (got enough check marks) and still qualifies for services. Those changes will be determined at his IEP meeting in the spring. I won't have to worry about another meeting of eligibility for 3 years. Thank goodness. It bothers me that he can have a medical diagnosis of autism but the school can oversee that with their check mark list. If he doesn't get enough check marks then out goes his IEP and he would then qualify for a 504 plan. A part of me hopes he always will have an IEP, because if he decides to go to college someday, colleges adhere to an IEP where as a 504 plan is less concrete. That's my understanding, anyways.
Back to the testing... they said he was super smart, had an impeccable memory, but you just have to know how to work with him and access that information. He has sensory needs and he's working on his socialization skills. He does great with adults, but had a hard time relating to kids his age. They said the first day back to school he greeted all the teachers with a proper adult greeting (not exactly from a typical 5 year old) which was, "Happy 2011, Mrs. B." :) So funny... because I know... he did this with everyone when we went places for the 1st week or so.
We latched on to therapy for Cooper. When he was diagnosed I read somewhere that there is a window before the age of 5 to reach these kids. I signed him up for as much stuff as I could, knowing it was the right decision. I look at him today and I know we made the right decision. He still does a lot of therapy outside of school. Mondays he has 1.5 hours of ABA, Tuesday he has an hour social group, Wednesday 1.5 hours of ABA, every other Thursday an hour of Speech, and Friday 1.5 hours of ABA. He loves all of his therapists, they really 'get' him.
I'm really proud of him and I always will be. He's so funny too... I love him. :)
I've been in a 'meh' mood for a few weeks now. In a funk. I'm feeling like "omg, winter is never going to end." It has snowed every week since November. In fact, It's snowing now. It's freakin' cold. I'm not exercising and I'm not eating very well. I know what I need to do to make myself feel better. I am just having a hard time doing said things. I'm mentally preparing myself for Monday. Tomorrow. Tomorrow I start fresh and move forward. It'll be easy, I just need to do it. Getting started isn't hard for me, it's keeping going and keeping my head in it.
On Friday we had a meeting at Cooper's school regarding his eligibility for services. We agreed for them to do some cognitive testing, as well as speech and OT evaluations. I was worried going into the meeting. I was worried they were going to cut services because he is doing so well! It's great he is doing so well, but at the same time I want him to have those services, because that is the reason he is doing so well. This meeting wasn't about adding or cutting services though, it was to see if he got enough check marks in the "Autism" category to keep an IEP and additional services. ...if that makes any sense. It's hard to explain.
Anyways, the testing showed that he is one amazingly smart kid. The school psychologist kept referring to the meeting as "A celebration of Cooper!" and when he first said that I thought he was just talking out of his butt... but as the meeting went on, he was right. I need to get copies of some of the cognitive tests they did, but they said he is pretty much off the charts for his age. They said he has so much potential now and in the future. I know my kid is smart, but to hear it from professionals is something else.
I was beside myself. I made the comment, "This is amazing... coming from a kid who had 4 words at the age of 2." I had a moment.... teared up. I am so proud of him. As a parent, hearing the diagnosis of Autism was devastating. We had hoped that some day he would be mainstreamed... we weren't even sure if that goal was realistic. And here we are, Cooper is mainstreamed with a classroom aide and the smartest kid in kindergarten.
He still has autism (got enough check marks) and still qualifies for services. Those changes will be determined at his IEP meeting in the spring. I won't have to worry about another meeting of eligibility for 3 years. Thank goodness. It bothers me that he can have a medical diagnosis of autism but the school can oversee that with their check mark list. If he doesn't get enough check marks then out goes his IEP and he would then qualify for a 504 plan. A part of me hopes he always will have an IEP, because if he decides to go to college someday, colleges adhere to an IEP where as a 504 plan is less concrete. That's my understanding, anyways.
Back to the testing... they said he was super smart, had an impeccable memory, but you just have to know how to work with him and access that information. He has sensory needs and he's working on his socialization skills. He does great with adults, but had a hard time relating to kids his age. They said the first day back to school he greeted all the teachers with a proper adult greeting (not exactly from a typical 5 year old) which was, "Happy 2011, Mrs. B." :) So funny... because I know... he did this with everyone when we went places for the 1st week or so.
We latched on to therapy for Cooper. When he was diagnosed I read somewhere that there is a window before the age of 5 to reach these kids. I signed him up for as much stuff as I could, knowing it was the right decision. I look at him today and I know we made the right decision. He still does a lot of therapy outside of school. Mondays he has 1.5 hours of ABA, Tuesday he has an hour social group, Wednesday 1.5 hours of ABA, every other Thursday an hour of Speech, and Friday 1.5 hours of ABA. He loves all of his therapists, they really 'get' him.
I'm really proud of him and I always will be. He's so funny too... I love him. :)
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