Heaven in a rocking chair

Last night, at about 10:30, my little Jelly Belly started crying. She does this occasionally. Sometimes, when she wakes from sleeping, the best thing to do is to leave her alone, safe in her crib, and let her fall back asleep. If we go to her, she wants to play, charming me and her dad with her snuggles and smiles. And then I let her play for a while, and she stays up way to long. And bad habits form. So usually, we let her cry for a few minutes before we decide whether or not we need to go in. I was pretty hard core about this with Moe, but with Jelly, Jeff has to be the enforcer.

But last night, I heard her. Jeff was doing dishes. (Stop to contemplate that for a moment. My husband was doing dishes. I'm a lucky girl.) But, because of the dishes, he didn't hear her. I thought maybe if I could comfort her before she got too upset, she would go to sleep quickly. So I went in.

And oh, it was worth it. My baby girl was so sleepy, and I sat with her in my arms in the rocking chair. She fell asleep on me, which she hasn't done since she was born and would only sleep that way. I wasn't so thrilled about it then. But last night it was bliss. She was heavy and calm, with just the slightest snore from the dry air. I couldn't get up. I wasn't afraid I would wake her, but I simply didn't want to be anywhere else.

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Meltdowns

Moe's sessions start at 8:00 in the morning, so between 7 and 8, I have to get myself up and dressed, give Jelly Belly her bottle, and get Moe up, dressed and fed. Even with Jeff's help, this often seems like an impossible task. But we've managed to get it done. Until recently.

Meals have become a challenge in our house. Moe is starting to have an attitude opinion about what he eats. He knows what he wants, but isn't usually able to tell us. He has been getting very, very frustrated. Moe knows how to say "more" and many other food words, but when he's tired, and hungry, and frustrated, he has trouble finding the words. This battle often ends with him, and sometimes both of us, in tears.

The best way to deal with this type of meltdown is to try to avoid it. Our program director suggested I make sure to give him the words he needs to use, then sit back and wait. For example, I'll say "do you want more waffles?" Then I'll wait. But it doesn't usually work. Maybe those aren't the words he needed because he wanted something else. And once the frustration and tears have set in, it is very hard to get past them. Sometimes I think I hear a word, but can't understand it because of the crying.

So I'm trying a new approach. Kids without speech are sometimes taught the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS). We don't formally do PECS or use picture schedules with Moe yet. But during his circle time, the therapists have Moe choose the song he wants to sing by using picture cards, so I decided to build on this concept.

I made some laminated cards (http://www.goosiecards.com/) with pictures of Moe's favorite foods on them. Right now, I'm introducing the concept by showing him the cards with the picture of whatever he's eating at the time. I am also starting to present a choice, by showing him two cards and asking if he wants, say, "pizza" or "chicken nuggets." (Yes, that was the choice. Don't judge me.) Moe isn't very patient, so if he chooses pizza, but doesn't get it RIGHT THEN, he might lose it. So I'm finding this works best right now with things at the ready, like yogurt and applesauce. Moe has trouble making a choice, so it also works best with only two choices.

As time goes on, we can expand the time delay and the field from which Moe chooses. My goal is to start avoiding some major meltdowns during meals. And Moe should be happier too.