Another first....Two of Logan's bottom teeth finally decided to poke through! Thank goodness...I was giving him until 18 months and then we were headed to a dentist for x-rays! Boy, are those little suckers sharp though! I can't feel anything else, up top or in the back, but it's exciting to know that there are really teeth under there!
We also had to say goodbye to Sally on Friday, our wonderful babysitter (Don't worry Sally...I will bring him over soon so you can get some kisses!) Sally has been such a blessing to our lives over the last year. Without her and her friend's advice to ask the doctors more questions, we never would have gotten Logan's diagnosis as early as we did. It is so hard to leave someone who has been such a big part of Logan's life (and ours), but I know Sally will bet there to continue to watch him grow and be his third "grandma". She has been everything we could ask for in a person to care for Logan. And she's not off the hook...I put her on our emergency contact list at daycare : )
It was a hard decision, but we think it will be for the best...Logan is going to start "big" daycare this summer. We are going take him to East Cobb Prep (sounds way more Ivy League than it is) two days a week starting next Tuesday. Sherri (our PT) agreed that he will benefit from the stimulation and from being around other children. When I visited the daycare, the woman was very understanding of Logan's situation and agreed that we would start him off in the 6-12 month classroom. The kids in there are doing more of the same things that he is and the workers will also keep to his schedule...so it's not a set lunch time, snack time, etc. He just isn't ready to be in the 12-18 month room with walkers and circle time ...plus we need to work on his self defense skills if a "bully" decides to picks on him : ) He'd get bulldozed in that room. East Cobb Prep will also let Sherri come in to work with Logan during the day. The workers can get an idea of the exercises they can do with him. Fortunately, Sherri already works with a few clients there so it will be no big deal.
At first, I felt a little guilty to send Logan to daycare when I am off work for the summer....we could be saving a chunk of money. But in the end, Olin and I discussed that my sanity was more important than a few bucks in the bank. From experience last summer, I know that the days get very long when it's just Logan and me. Sure, we can go to the park and the pool, schedule playdates and library time, but Logan has to have help almost with everything. It's not...go to the park and let him run around while I watch from a bench. He has to be carried or put in a swing...he's just not very independent at all yet. I know he'll get there, but we still have some work to do. Additionally, I'm taking my last two core classes this summer to finish my Masters degree. I should be done with these by late July and then only have the Practicum left during the fall....Graduation December 2011! So, having two days a week to work on school will also be helpful. It's taken a little time and reassurance from friends/family, but I don't feel guilty anymore...it will be good for him and for me. I'm confident he'll thrive in a social setting like that.
All things considered...we're doing pretty well. It's such a relief to have Logan's surgery complete. I'm so glad we did not wait until now to do it. Olin and I had a great little vacation this week (without Logan). We spent 4 days in Hilton Head just relaxing and reading on the beach, playing a little golf, and shopping...all of my favorite things! We were so fortunate to have both sets of grandparents (and other relatives too) to watch him while we were gone. As wonderful as it was to just be alone as a couple, we really did miss Logan. Hilton Head is such a family place and we couldn't help but feel like something was missing when there were kids running everywhere around us. Hopefully we can get him to the beach soon...I know he would love the ocean breeze and the warm water, and probably eat alot of sand!
Fortunately, I think Logan is beginning to understand our summer sleeping schedule : ) It has been a struggle for about 6 months getting him to go and stay asleep. I finally asked his pediatrician what she thought about giving him a supplement of melatonin before bed. Olin and I had read some articles about special needs kids needing it to help them sleep. I think the doctor was a little reluctant to try it with him because he is so young, but I explained the lack of sleep was not helping anyone involved. So, every night about an hour or so before bed (usually with dinner), Logan gets a little "cocktail." We laugh because it feels like we're drugging him or something...which we are not...melatonin is a completely natural hormone that helps regulate sleeping patterns. So, we take a quarter of a 3mg tablet, crush it up on a spoon, put it on some baby food, and let the magic happen! For anyone who has seen the movie "Flowers in the Attic", it reminds me of the evil mother who sprinkled rat poison on her kids' cookies pretending that it was powdered sugar. I know...bad association, but you get the idea. Last night he slept for 13 hours and I didn't pull him out of bed until 9:15! Ahhh, got to love summer life as a teacher!
(I have lots of pictures to share, but our computer got a virus right before we left on our trip. All of my documents, pictures, etc. are gone (well, hopefully just hiding). We'll know for sure in a couple of days. Note to self...need to back up our files next time!)
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