The Great Reece Update

I would say that after a very long and trying week with my middle child, I deserved a week of reward. And so far, it's been that kind of week!

Let me back track a little though.

Before Thanksgiving, I talked to Reece's occupational therapist for a few minutes after his appointment that day. She told me about the strides he was making and how he had met atleast 80 percent of his goals and she really felt comfortable discharging him by the end of the year.

Listen, that was music to my ears in so many ways!

One: he was meeting goals and not just "how to draw a circle" and "how to use scissors" - though those were the goals he had mastered. He was really doing well with transitioning which is a major area of worry I've had with Reece.

Two: we wouldn't have to worry about trying to get secondary insurance to cover the $180/week therapy fee. EEK.

Three: progress. He was truly making progress!

She said she was really going to push him through the end of the year, but we would wrap it up by New Years.

I definitely felt a sense of relief as well as caution -- I know he has really progressed this year. If I sit back and think about where we were in January versus where we are today, he's a different kid. So I feel good about him being finished with OT.

BUT it also scares me -- we don't want to regress, which is why I am on the hunt for activities to keep pushing him to work through transitioning issues and any social issues that may arise. A friend told me about a group here that I'm going to call about, but if anyone has any recommendations or tips, I'll take them!

Secondly, I chatted with Reece's preschool teacher yesterday. We've been discussing which class Reece should enroll in for next school year -- it seems early, but you enroll in January, so I wanted to be prepared!

He is currently in a very young class with two and three year olds. We did this because a) he needed to be going at least three days a week for the routine and structure and this was the only class available with three days and b) they felt that he would thrive in this room, being the oldest, and working on things that at the time, he really needed work on.

Reece has been with Ms. Heather since the beginning of the summer and has done so well with her! She has 'learned' Reece and they get along great!

She said she had been thinking about where to put him and going back and forth with the director on the topic. And she really felt that he would be fine in the pre-K class, which would be two levels from where he is now. She said she thought that he would do just fine -- he's smart enough, his behavior is not an issue anymore and he's sweet. Plus if he was going to go five days, which I think he needs to, he would be with a great teacher who is very structured, which is what he needs!

Again, people -- music to my ears!

To think about where we started in June at school to now, I'm just proud...

And the kicker...

Today, we went to the ear doctor for a follow-up appointment. Reece had tubes put in June 2015. Before he had the tubes put in, we tried atleast two times to get him to do hearing tests (which involved putting these little, soft earbuds in his ears and sitting in a sound proof booth, pointing at noises) and he would NEVER do it. He would lose his mind and scream and freak out... and I would leave sweating and crying.

The last appointment we did was just with the doctor and he did great, letting the doctor look in his ears.

This time, we were doing hearing tests AND the doctor. I was a little nervous, but I had talked to him about what we were doing, what the doctor does, and did my bribe of a new toy (because after what we have went through at past appointments, I would buy him anything to get through this without losing it).

He walked in there, he did all three hearing tests, met with the doctor, let the doctor take out one of his tubes that was about to fall out and he did it all with a smile on his face.

If that isn't MAJOR progress, I don't know what is.

But all I can say is how extremely proud I am of this kid. We don't know what is running through his mind when these things he doesn't like are happening. Heck, I don't know what is running through his mind right now and I wonder what he's thinking about when he's staring out the window in the car.

He is a funny kid. A quirky kid. And that's what he's going to be. But he worked hard this year to overcome fears, which takes some people a lifetime to do.

I know that all of the hard stuff isn't over. Sadly, I'm not optimistic enough to believe that! BUT... I do think we have moved past some things that at this moment, were very hard for him. And that in itself is a huge victory!


XXOO,
Allyson

Things I Could Never Do... So I Think

I could never hold a snake.

I hate them.

They are a top 3 fear of mine, along with tornadoes and school shootings.

I could never live far from my family. We are talking farther than driving distance in a day. We lived 10 hours from my parents when we were in Minnesota and I'm pretty sure that's as far as I could go.

I could never be a police officer.

I have a relative who is one and an uncle who used to be a highway patrolman. The way our world is nowadays, you couldn't pay me a million dollars a week to do that job. There is no winning there. You are either bad just because you're a cop, or you do your job and you're bad because you are a cop. Or you really are a bad cop and you give the good cops a bad wrap because you are a bad cop.

I also could never adopt or be a foster parent.

I follow Shay Shull on Mix-n-Match Mama and she has went through two adoptions since I have become a follower. The first time when they adopted their daughter Ashby from China, I remember sitting there in tears when she posted pictures of meeting her for the first time. It was strange, but I could feel the love that they have for that little girl just through pictures.

Her family just recently adopted another little girl from China and I'm was completely amazed.

Amazed that they had the courage to adopt in the first place, but to do it all over again? And to have four kids?!

I bring all of this up because my wonderful hair stylist and her husband made the decision to be foster parents. They are trying to foster to adopt.

When I saw her first post of their first baby, I was in shock and complete happiness for her and couldn't wait to see her to get the scoop!

So when I did finally see her, I spent a good 20 minutes in the chair just sobbing. The story that she and her husband went through to get to the point that they decided to foster was just unreal. And then once they decided to do it, a week later, they had a four-day old in their arms.

Her story was so inspiring to me and I kept telling her that I could never do it. Because of the unknown.


"Do you know if she will have to go back?" "Do you know what happened to the parents?" "Do you know she had to be given to foster care?" "Do you know what you will do if you have to give her back?"

They didn't know if they would get to keep this tiny baby.

They didn't know what they would do if they had to give her back (which was why I sobbed).

What they did know was probably very little, except that they had open hearts for whatever was to come. 

What they are doing is one of the most selfless things a person could do ... and I don't know if I could do it. I don't know if I would ever be strong enough to bring children into my home, knowing there is a greater chance that they would be leaving again.

I'm so proud to know someone who took this leap of faith, knowing that God would lead the way. It made me really take a step back and put things in my life into perspective.

And I know that whoever these two take into their home and are entrusted with their care, these children will only be loved whole-heartedly.

They have definitely let their faith be bigger than their fears.