It's been a few weeks since I've posted and a lot has happened! The family trip to Disneyland went as well as expected. Jacob was crazy with excitement when he met Mickey Mouse, and Madison especially loved the dancing and singing that happens in the "It's a Small World" ride.
The trip was excellent, and my children behaved well, although they were exhausted. I will say that Madi had enough of the stroller before our two days in the park were up, but she was a trooper. It is definitely a different experience, enjoying the park as a parent. I have always been a fan of Disneyland, and have been to the park with my parents as a child, and also as an adult. Last time I went, it was just Austin and me, which was great because we were able to do whatever we wanted without worrying about the agendas of various group members. I have always been a thrill seeker and lover of the "big kid rides," but this trip I found myself getting excited about the little stuff and the shows. I was more interested in seeing how my children reacted to their surroundings than having fun myself. Needless to say, they did not disappoint and I had a blast!
I downloaded the Disneyland app on our iPad before the trip to help give Jacob an idea of what we were going to do. It was a great tool for helping to prepare him and I'm so glad I did. (The app was free, for anyone who is interested). He still looks at it almost every day, and he calls out certain places he remembered and liked. This has been a great activity for recalling memories with Jacob.
Another great thing from our trip: Since we have been home, Winnie the Pooh has been loved in our house as much as The Rodent (Mickey Mouse), and for that I am thankful.
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I have some other exciting news! In the past month, Austin and I have finally set a date for our wedding (you know, the one that was supposed to happen and then Madison happened instead. ;)
We will be married this October in a Masquerade Ball wedding inspired by the Phantom of the Opera. I am so excited- this theme encompasses the geekyness in my soul. It's going to be a small backyard wedding, and I'm attempting to DIY for almost everything, so it has kept me very busy! (Which in turn has kept me from posting).
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The kids have been busy too. Madison is seven months old now, and she is crawling all over and cruising the furniture. She is an incredibly busy lady who is difficult to direct. She's also started getting some solids, and she is OBSESSED! Every time she sees someone eating something she has to crawl over and open her mouth as wide as she can. It's cute and very funny.
I am slightly concerned because she doesn't seem too interested in making a lot of closed mouth/syllable type sounds. She babbles all the time, but it's mostly open mouth sounds. I'm trying not to be too paranoid, but given Jacob's delays, it's proving difficult.
Jacob is doing well. He's started spontaneously using some sentences to make requests, and his vocabulary is growing every day. Unfortunately, he's also adopted a nasty temper, which has been very trying on my patience. Any time he hears something he doesn't want to, such as the word "no" or a redirection when he is misbehaving, he puts his hands over his ears and screeches a most horrible banshee screech. I'm still trying to figure out what to do with that one. It's really hard to reason with a child who can't hear what you are saying because he screams every time you try to talk to him. I'll let you know if I crack this code in the near future. Any suggestions are always appreciated.
I finally got Jacob in to see the developmental pediatrician that we have been waiting to see for some time now, so we are on the road to finally determining a diagnosis for him. Hearing problems were ruled out by the Audiologist, and he no longer has tubes in his ears. I'm pleased to hear that he can hear fine, but I can't help but mourning the news a bit because it means his delays are developmental and there is another cause somewhere. Some people might judge me for that, but it's just how I feel. It's hard for me to cope with the knowledge that my baby might struggle socially and with communication for his whole life.
Anyway, we are going to do some bloodwork to rule out genetic disorders like Fragile X, and if nothing is found he will go through extensive testing for Autism.
No matter what, I love the little guy and putting a label on him is not going to change that. The only reason I want answers is so we can find out if there is anything else I can be doing to help him.
Thanks for reading this update! Hopefully it won't be too long before I post again.
