April 2009 Episode 15 Bebe & BB have babies n stuff

[PuzzleRocks]

Ta da

how do i get Moo to start going potty outside while on outings?

Auld- sounds stressful ontop of the not knowing where to move stress :( any solutions yet? Dh and I are constantly at odds about where we ought to move...it's not easy.

Boff- :) :) Do animals often come into your home and steal furniture? We've got a dragon and dinosaur problem here...that and feet disappear A LOT which makes getting socks and shoes on so we can go out problematic.

Puzzle- good to know it's not thyroid.

BB- sounds very promising with K :)

Bicnod- so feeling the sleep deprivation too. the few nights I get sleep I think maybe we've cracked it...and then it's long weeks of little sleep once again until I think maybe I'm going fall into a billion little bits... lots of sleepy vibes for your little ones. Hopefully they get with the 'drift' soon.

Feel like I missed someone...

Thanks all

So sorry for the blatant me post that's coming...

Took k to the hospital for his tests today and it turns out he has quite poor hearing because of severe glue ear. They think it's been developing over the past 12-18 months which directly ties in to his speech issues and he may need a small op to remove the blockage if grommets don't do the job but we have been referred to ENT and waiting on the appointment for decision on which way to go first.

I'm relieved and horrified in equal measures, I'm relieved there is a genuine problem and reason for his lack of speech, I'm relieved that it can be resolved even if it takes time but I'm also furious. I'm furious with myself for not pushing it sooner, I'm cross that we took him to the drs asking to have his ears checked specifically for glue eat and they said they were red but fine and to leave him alone until he was 3 (although i realise looking
Inside a 2 year olds ear isn't the easier job! I'm cross that his old nursery kept trying to tell me he had 'underlying issues' as he didn't respond to them and didn't join in during group work (the poor boy couldn't hear them) and I've spent 6 months batting them off with a stick rather than enjoying his time there. I'm cross because I had to basically have a full on tantrum to get him referred in the first place. I'm devastated that he's spent the past 18 months hearing nothing but muffled sounds but I'm excited to hopefully fix it and hear his voice for the first time.

aw! BB terrible and wonderful at the same time! ((hugs))
Thank goodness there is a physical thing that can be done to help the problem and good for you for keeping at it until something was done/found. It so easy to be undermined I think as a parent. xx
Hopefully the referral comes really quickly and K is back to jabbering soon!

BB3 I'm so so so so glad they've finally diagnosed K properly - Orbit has glue ear and I wish I'd suggested it to you earlier but it sounds like you suspected it anyway but were badly served by your healthcare people.

If it's any help, once one of Orbit's ears unblocked even a bit his speech improved really really fast, so I'm sure now K is getting the right help he'll catch up super quick. Our doctor said they don't normally do grommets until they're at least 3 as it's a general anaesthetic so it's better to wait till they're a bit bigger. Apparently they're also increasingly using hearing aids instead of grommets, there's a boy in DS1's class who has them and his parents say they work really well. It's easier to manage - in winter when his ears are bad he wears two, and in spring/summer he wears one and sometimes none. Grommets can be a pain as they fall out and need replacing.

I'm not surprised you're furious - Orbit's nursery were able to make special efforts to support him once we knew the problem, and it made a big difference, so it must be heart breaking to think of the time he's spent not being able to hear. Really hope it all gets sorted really soon [hugs]

Oh BB - I really feel for you, I would be beside myself too.

Thank goodness he has now been diagnosed and you can all start moving forward.

My nephew has glue ear and his speech has improved massively since they started treatment - he was diagnosed much later than K. Teachers had him pigeon holed as a trouble maker as he didn't do as he was asked etc but, like K, the poor kid couldn't hear :(

Sending hugs x

Thanks ladies

It's reassuring to hear the treatment helped quickly.

Bicnod - bless your nephew, you know having experienced it first hand I was pretty appalled at how quickly some nursery staff are to label children and put them in a box! K's new nursery is great and I've every confidence they'll be able to help him.

Wfh - yes I thought that there was something wrong but we must have taken him to the gp 4/5 times and every time they said it was a cold or just a bit inflamed or just red and not to worry about his speech until he was 3. Then when we started s&l they'd clearly been 'informed' about Karahan's 'behavioural issues' by the nursery (makes me so cross even writing that!) and all they wanted to do was get him assessed which I point blank refused to do until he had access to proper hearing tests and was given time in his new nursery to mix (which he's doing so well in) and not be kept to the side with a member of staff like he was at the old place.

We talked a bit about options although need to wait for ent for final decision. The ideal would be hearing aid but he hates stuff on his ears and head (refuses to wear hats!) and we both thought there was a high chance he'd be pulling them off all the time. He'd need two as both ear tests showed a completely flat response and they said because it's been so long they'd try grommets but he may need a small operation to clear it fully. He'll be three in a couple of weeks so we'll see what they say! I was supposed to wait a week before speaking to my gp about an ent referral so they would have the hospital report but I phoned them yesterday and told them I didn't want to wait another week and wanted the process started now.

I am fighting to urge to meet his nursery and ask what they were playing at now I have physical proof but actually I don't trust myself not to scream at them!

I'm up for a meet, where?

Bicnod, how's the house? And the boys?
Wfh - How's work? And the boys?
Bebe - How are the girls doing? Has g's screeching calmed a bit?

BB I'd be tempted to talk to the (previous) nursery if only to say, you need to be more aware of what you're doing as you could be/are harming children if you're pigeon holing them...

The girls are ok.
Jem is screaming as we speak because I took some paper Moo was cutting up away from her. Moo is wrapping her toys up as presents. Jem sounds a bit spoiled when she screams...tho I know at this age she really cannot be...she's so reactive it seems. We have one chew toy that seems to do the trick with the teething issues, but it's not always teething... just trying to keep my cool.
We're trying to get out for a 'unique' outing twice a week instead of just doing our typical townie playparks and museum stuff and it seems to be helping with Moo's demeanor. She's becoming more reasonable again. She's still struggling to sleep through the nights when DH is not home... but we're trying to ease her concerns by making special trips to see daddy when it's reasonable for us to do.

Oh love, thank goodness he has such a brilliant Mum fighting his corner. A friend's 4.5yr old has just been given the same diagnosis after much the same experiences. What does the test involve? I wonder why it isn't something that is routinely checked.

Puzz, it's a hearing test in which K had to sit at a table playing with toys. They played a sound and at the same time lit up one of three black boxes in the corner of the room - inside of which was a dancing animal (like cause and reward), that went on until the sound stopped. Once K associated the sound with the animal (and looked automatically to that corner of the room), they made the sound on it's own to see if he recognised it and looked towards the boxes then gave him the animal dancing afterwards (was very simple but clever) - there were 5 levels of sound and K can only hear the top one, the other four he has no recognition of whatsoever. They then did a glue ear test which is a probe in the ear to recognise if sound is travelling through the ear and it produces a line (which shows peaks where sound gets to the end of the ear). His lines were completely flat which meant that nothing was going through at 'normal' frequencies. They said that the s&l team would only ask for him to be retested in 3 months but given how long it's been going on I had to push my GP to refer me to ENT so that we can get it sorted asap.

Bebe - all babies are spoilt aren't they? My three definitely are! It's good you're doing other things to help, it's hard on the oldest I think as they are used to much more freedom then suddenly babies come along and they are stuck inside for a while!

How is E puzz?

And it should be a routine test, at least a hearing test IMO but I guess it all comes down to budget. They don't even do 2 year checks in my area any more.

Dx

Yes 3 months is what they told me friend but she too is not prepared to wait. Why 3 months? Surely they don't expect it to suddenly correct itself? Or am I missing something?

E is great, she has the odd bad night but on the whole she is much better. The warmer weather is helping. She got a glowing report at parent's evening and as a reward I bought her this god awful Barbie dvd she wanted. She looked at it and told me she was so happy she could cry. We are thrilled with the school, her class teacher is just fantastic. We should find out in two weeks whether H has a September place at the nursery.

Apparently it does sort itself out in the majority of cases, which is why they don't recommend doing really invasive things unless it's causing distress which it clearly is in poor k's case! One of orbit's ears is improving by itself and we've been lucky with nursery staff that have been really supportive and careful about how they talk to him. I can't believe hw rubbish your nursery have been bb3

I would tell you about work but i'm too tired to even think which probably tells you all you need to know!

Haha puzz, 'I'm so happy I could cry!' she's such a lovely little girl! I'm really pleased shes doing so well, fingers crossed H gets her place too x

Wfh - don't even get me started on the nursery - it's been 6 months of pure crapness that started when they kept him crying his eyes out for 4 hours without calling me, three months of trying to get a scared little boy back inside the door and involved constant attempts to persuade me he had underlying behavioural issues because he was still to scared to stay alone and culminated in them telling me he had no sense fear and was a danger to himself because when they are out playing in the garden (and I quote) 'he climbs the climbing frame even if an adults not there!!!'

His new nursery are great so I'm really hopeful and it's good orbit is doing so well!

Heavens, a two year old with no sense of danger? What next? A bear that craps in the woods? What is the world coming to?

BB3 they sound seriously rubbish, you are well rid. And maybe in a weird way it's good that this came up - as otherwise you might not have realised so quickly how crap they were? At least he's out of there soon enough that he won't even remember it.

I'm so glad K's new nursery is good - it must make such a difference knowing he's being properly cared for.

Puzz your children are clearly awesome. And well done you for buying a Barbie DVD even though it must have pained you deeply .

Yes that did make me chuckle, such flagrant disregard for health and safety is not something one normally expects from the under fives. Silly arses.

WFH, dare I ask whether you have bunk beds?

BB, glad you are getting things sorted, but at your previous nursery.

Puzzle, fingers crossed for nursery place.

WFH, can we ask how work is now that you're not just off to bed? And about the bed saga?

Bicnod, hope you get some sleep soon.

A slept on the bottom bunk last night with DS1 above him. After looking huge in his cot, he looked so tiny in the bed! When I went in this morning, he'd climbed up and was in DS1's bed, giggling with him.

DS1 wants to know who puts the presents in his stocking, and "it's a secret" is cutting no mustard. Has demanded I tell all after school this afternoon. Think he's been arguing about it in the playground. He says flying reindeer are a daft notion, but is unsure about the whole Santa issue. I am loath to burst his bubble, but he is handing me a huge needle and begging me to do it. I don't want him to then go and divulge the truth to A, though...

Yes I know! I did ask why they had a climbing frame and slide in the garden if they DIDN'T want kids to climb it! Also you know K and how bloody physical he is, the boy was running up and down hills at 1 year old, a climbing frame is a walk in the park for him!

Auld - I am not even going to ask as it obviously is not going well but I will send you virtual hugs and wine!

Oh yes wfh - bunk beds?

Auld how old is DS1 now? Could you tell him the whole story of St Nic and that today you put presents in his stocking and why and then ask him to keep it a secret as only really grown up boys are allowed to know? I have no idea how I will deal with situations like that when they arise!! [head in sand emoticon]

I am off to New York today to see my friend and I cannot wait! 3 whole nights of SLEEP! (if you count the flight too!) YAY!

BB what they said abt K and the climbing frame sounds like just the sort of kid Meg is...she's all into the climbing and the play whether it's 'bigkid' stuff or not. She very capable. She's very very cautious actually and won't do things if she's really not capable. It seems utterly ridiculous that they'd 'open outdoors up' if they didn't want the kids playing on the stuff...

lots of supportive hugs Auld

xx all hope the more Springy weather is lifting spirits.

Bebe k is the same, he'll often jump from the toy box / side tables to the sofa (yes my house is like a jungle gym). He lines them all up and if he thinks it's ok far he climbs down and pushes them closer. When we swim at the weekend he won't jump on unless he knows he can reach you, he's very aware. I'm not sure he is road safety conscious yet but he's never really needed to be but in all other aspects he is! I'm on the way to the airport

K and M could be twins ;) :)

Enjoy your NY stay :) very jealous of US-y stuff (because I'm missing my family) Have a fab time. :)

Have a brilliant time lovely and I hope you get lots of r&r. Enjoy.

Oh lordy. Because I have been lurking I feel like I have been keeping up. But I haven't

Bicnod , feel for you with the feeding. What a lot of pressure on you as the sole provider of milk for J. Are you getting anywhere with the bottles? On the plus side, he is gorgeousssssssssssssss. But I presume you already knew that.

Puzzle, what E said is so lovely. Hope you are enjoying not having to worry about her health.

Bebe, how is juggling two going? Is the screaming abating?

BB3, so hard, but NOT YOUR FAULT. How were you meant to know he had glue ear? Anecdotal reports I hear are that speech sorts itself out really quickly once grommets are in. And it's such a simple procedure. So glad you at least have a concrete cause for K's problems. And jealous of NY. But, as usual, you are superwoman. And the twins are adorable.

WFH, any less tired?

AA, ca va?. DH took DS to Deep Sea World a couple of weeks ago. Though of you and the boys . DS spent most of the time sitting on the moving walkway in the tunnel, fascinated.

All ticking over in the Warrior household. I'm back at work and really enjoying it, although I'm working a day more than I want to be. I have a plan though. DS is much better company these days - tantrums less often and is generally pleasant to chat to, articulate and cheerful. We're about the buy a proper pedal bike for his birthday as he's nailed the balance bike.

DD is a second centile tiny tot, but completely healthy and chubby with it. She's not long off crawling. She is smiley and laid back and a total pleasure to have around.

DH and I are not on the best of terms, although I think it is mostly a product of sleep deprivation and month or two of back-to-back viruses. I suspect a normal sex life and some more sleep would sort it .

Zulu I hope you find the light soon. The sleep deprivation is tough enough without throwing illness into the mix.
How many days are you working? Could you feasibly drop one?