A Flattened Piece of Cake...

Big day today! I had my very first mammogram. Ever. I was prompted by the latest celebrity news, actually. Giuliana Rancic, who has been publicly going through IVF with her husband, just announced she has breast cancer. One of my fears has actually been that all these fertility meds will somehow cause cancer. So, of course, when I heard about her - I panicked. Turns out that my fears are unfounded. There is no known link between the two. (So they say...) But I was able to immediately schedule a mammogram and I'm glad I did. My doctor ordered a diagnostic mammogram for me - which means that a radiologist reads it right away. I left the hospital this morning knowing that my breasts were healthy. One less thing to worry about!

While we're on the topic of IVF, I'll update you on my current status. I've been on stimulation medication for this entire week. This picture shows my nightly regimen - it's no joke.

These medications are not without side effects. I've been experiencing night sweats (which are oh, so lovely!)...mood swings (SHUT UP!!! sorry.)...and my skin has been breaking out. I'm also nauseous pretty much all of the time and my abdomen and thighs are filled with bruises from the needle sticks. I posted this photo on Facebook recently with the status that in part said, "Please say a prayer that a baby comes from all of this!" Boy, did I get some pounds - from all angles - comments and emails. People wanted to remind me that a baby doesn't come from needles and science...that it comes from God.

A very sensitive friend was prompted to send me this email after seeing that Facebook update and has given me permission to share this personal story from her own life...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kate,

Sooooo, thought this story of some old geezer men in the hills of West Virginia (my dad and some friends) might be fitting.

It's true...

Three miles off the last paved road, about 1 mile from my house, was our little one-room church. Kind of like one room schoolhouses, and we had one of those too, except it was now where we had covered dish dinners, as all the kids in "the settlement" (holler) were by now bussed an hour to the town elementary school. It was where a dozen or so families gathered for church services, bible school, Christmas programs, and Easter services. Out front was a huge, huge tree, probably 3-4 feet in diameter, with a bench built around it that could easily seat a dozen kids in church clothes, and was a favorite place to play hide and seek because if you kept circling, the seeker could never find you.

When I was about 12, the tree was dying, and with every wind storm came a fear that the tree would fall on the church. One Sunday DURING church there was a lively discussion (yeah, it was that kind of place) about my dad and some of the men folk wanting to cut the tree down. A large faction of the members (15-20) felt that God would do something to protect the church, and therefore we should do nothing.

My dad's friend stood up and calmly explained that God had already done something - he invented the chainsaw.

God invented IVF. Go get 'em, tiger!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I really needed to hear that from someone. If you're struggling with IVF and all the stress and worry and physical discomfort that goes along with it...hoping that all of your efforts get you that baby in the end - I hope that her personal email to me brings comfort to you.

p.s. - Don't forget to schedule your mammogram! It was a piece of cake. The piece that someone actually sits on and flattens but is still good kind of piece of cake - but nevertheless, a piece of cake!

You Win Some, You Lose Some...

Today I kinda sorta attended a training session given by the Pennsylvania Training and Technical Assistance Network. The course was called:

"iPads and iPods in Classroom and Therapy Settings: Powerful Tools for SLPs and Special Educators"

Here's a link so you can see what this class was all about.

It was from 9-3 and I must admit...I had high hopes. Three of Gavin's old and new therapists and his nurse signed up, too! Before I got there, I knew I'd need to leave early as I only had my sister until 1 or 1:30. Turned out - I was home by noon. The class, with no disrespect to the other attendees, was kind of a waste of my time. First, they had major technological issues. It was a webinar, meaning it was live in one location and broadcast to several other locations. The video feed kept freezing or skipping and everyone was getting pretty antsy and annoyed. Then, when the video did work, it was all content that I already knew. It just wasn't what I expected. So, instead of sitting there and playing Angry Birds or Scrabble all day on my iPad, I decided to come home to be with the boys.

When I got home the boys were eating their lunch. They had a great morning with their Aunt Bean! She had Gavin giggling...and she told me that Brian amazed her on the iPad showing her all his fun apps.

Speaking of which - today I got wind of an amazing deal! Target's "Deal of the Day" was an iPad for $449. It's a great deal for a first generation iPad that was hard to pass up. I ended up buying it for Brian so he can have his own and stop stealing Gavin's! I've been squirreling away money for this luxury purchase so this deal came at just the right time. Brian's going to flip out when it arrives. Turns out I bought it just in time as they sold out pretty quickly.

I am currently in an appeal process with our health insurance company. They had verbally and in writing promised to cover Gavin's bed back in JULY. Since then it was one stall tactic after another - totally wasting my time with "we need this" and "oh, didn't we tell you we need that?" and "you didn't send this". Finally they called to say they were sending the check - which I expected to be for the FULL amount of the bed which was over $5,000. Well - the check came for $2,000 and needless to say - I'm pissed. They're telling me that I must have forgotten something...which is a bunch of bull. So now it's "in review" - which is also bull since why should they need to review something THEY already promised to pay? I'm staring at the letter right now! (Well - kind of - I can see it out of the corner of my angry eyes)

Why is nothing easy when it comes to getting things covered for our superhero? Clearly they don't know who he is...

iPad Apps - Part Two

Today's entry is a continuation of yesterday's post on iPad apps. Yesterday focused mostly on the apps we use with Gavin for "touch training", communication and his entertainment. While the apps in today's post are also available to Gavin...they are mostly enjoyed by Brian, who will soon be three.

I hope that you're able to discover some new apps from this list - for your iPad or your "i-anything!" And I ask again that if you have apps you'd like to recommend - please leave them as a comment under this post or yesterday's post. I would love it if someone was googling "special needs apps" or "toddler apps" and they found this blog with my list and all of your recommendations...all in one place!!

Books:

There are many Dr. Seuss apps available, but currently the only one we have is Hop on Pop which Brian loves.

Probably our most beautiful book is PopOut! The Tale of Peter Rabbit. It's too advanced for the boys at the moment - rated for ages 4 and up. But I'm glad I have it - a classic book with beautiful graphics.

Five Little Monkeys is a favorite book of Gavin's, which is why I bought it. I was a little disappointed that the song - which is what Gavin loves the most - is not included. And the reading is slow and flat which means I lose him pretty quickly to boredom. Brian likes it, though!

The Legend of Spookley the Square Pumpkin is a favorite hardcover book we have. A beautiful story of a pumpkin that was born square in a pumpkin patch full of round pumpkins. A twist on the ugly duckling story that gets me to tear up every time when, in the end, the square pumpkin realizes that his shape gives him worth. I was thrilled when I saw the app - but really disappointed with the s...l...o...w... narration. It makes the book really boring. I wish all these books had the option to let you record yourself reading it!

We love Sandra Boynton's books, so I had to get Moo, Baa, La La La! for the iPad. It's very cute and one that Brian often chooses. The graphics are great and there are lots of fun surprises depending on where the child touches on the screen.

"My Tales Digital" makes My Bookshelf which features six different books that the child can choose "off the shelf". Brian loves this and his favorite book on the shelf is Mrs. McGee's Coconut...a bit of a strange story, but whatever floats your boat, Bri!

Toy Story Read-Along is another favorite of Brian's and features the real voices of the characters which is a lot of fun!

Sesame Street: The Playground is popular - with Brian. I was disappointed that there were no authentic character voices. And they could have maybe picked a better voice over artist - this guy reading it is not great. But - this book does have the feature of recording your own voice reading it which is what I am planning to do. One of these days. It also has a fun "coloring book" which Brian loves. I was surprised with his interest in this book due to the lame narration and the fact that you just listen and turn pages - it's not one that has hidden features that do something when you touch them. Although it's funny to watch Brian touch the screen to see if anything will move or jump. (He now does that in real books - which is either funny or sad. Not sure which.)

Brian's a little obsessed with Once Upon A Potty. It's such a funny book and has definitely gotten him more interested in his own little potty seat - and his 'little hole for making poo poo'. Yes, that's really part of the book. But hey, we all have one - right?

His absolute favorite book - and mine, too - is The Monster At The End of This Book. I can't say enough about this adorable app!! It has Grover's authentic voice...incredible animation...hilarious graphics...and so much interaction on the screen. Every time Brian touches something - something funny happens and he giggles. If you don't have this book - get it now!! You won't be sorry!

Games and other fun apps:

Monkey Preschool Lunchbox is a BIG favorite - of Brian AND me. It has counting, matching games, colors, letters, puzzles and spot the differences. It's easy to navigate - has adorable graphics -and the little monkey makes Brian laugh. HIGHLY recommend this app!

Interactive Alphabet - ABC Flash Cards is a great app that babies, toddlers and pre-schoolers could enjoy. Each letter becomes interactive - the Z becomes a zipper that the child zips and unzips. They show the upper and lower case letters - and sound out the letters, too. The songs are catchy as well which is a bonus for me!

Another favorite of Brian's is Happyville Pet Shop. It's a book and a game. The narrator takes the child through a pet shop where the child can pet, feed or play games with each animal. Then, at the end, the child chooses a favorite animal to "bring home" to play with. Brian has so much fun with this app!

His current obsession is an app called My Play Home. Think doll house on the iPad. There are four different rooms - the kitchen, the family room, the bedroom and the bathroom. Every room has working lights, TV, fish tank, kitchen sink, washer, shower, etc. Brian can feed the family, put dishes away, build blocks with the baby, put the kids to bed, give everyone a bath, brush their teeth...the possibilities are endless. It's a great way to get him to practice every day words when we play together. Really a very cute app. He can even change the CDs in the stereo!

Talking Anya is one that I chose with Brian's speech in mind. Anya is a little girl that can repeat what he says. She blows bubbles, sings and dances. He can change her clothes, her eye color, her hair and her location! I took a little video so you can "test her out" before you take the leap and get suckered into buying the extras on this "free app."

I have two games by Toddler Teasers. One is Toddler Preschool Shapes which asks the child to identify different shapes. The other is Toddler Preschool Colors. They were popular for a while - but Brian's kind of "over them" now.

My Magic Songs is something that sucked me in because it was free. It creates personalized songs and videos starring your child...and Gavin loves loves LOVES to hear his name. But after downloading it, I realized that only one song is free - the rest are available to buy. So when Brian tries clicking on the other song selections - he gets frustrated when nothing happens. And I feel cheap. I'm on the fence about whether to buy more songs. Some of the "albums" are $7.99! It is a cute app, though, I have to say.

Where's Mommy? is a really cute app. You can load your own photos and record your own voice for each picture. Then it's a game that asks the child to find each picture. I'm currently loading all of Gavin and Brian's cousins pictures and recording "Where's Emily...where's Brendan...Where's Mark...?" etc. It's a fun way to learn all their cousins names in between holiday get togethers!

Toddler Jukebox is just what it sounds like - a jukebox for kids. I got this for Gavin because it has some of his favorite songs on there. It's cute that the kids can choose their favorite song...but it got old pretty quickly and we barely use it anymore.

Little Dialers is not really a game as it is an educational tool. You type in the ten digit phone number you want your child to learn - and he copies it on the phone keypad. The hope is that through repetition and positive reinforcement the phone number will stick in their mind in an emergency!

Pocket Pond is mostly for Gavin's enjoyment. The iPad screen turns into a pond with Koi fish swimming by periodically. If he touches the screen it makes sounds like he's touching the water and creating ripples. And if he touches the fish they quickly swim away. If you're having trouble falling asleep - start fiddling with this app while you're sitting in bed. Works like a charm. Oh, and it's free which means it's cheaper than Ambien. Bonus!

Finally - whew! - there are the Clicky Sticky apps. This is a very cute app - like a sticker book for the iPad. Children can pick backgrounds and then drag stickers onto the page to create imaginary scenes. So far we have the original ClickySticky which includes dolls, ocean, airplanes, dinosaurs and safari scenes. Then I got the ClickySticky Halloween version. You can put costumes on kids, make a trick or treat scene complete with kids holding light up flashlights and create your own jack-o-lantern. And we also have ClickySticky Christmas where they can dress snowmen, decorate houses, fly santa's sleigh and tap the screen to make snow fall.

I was asked what cover we have for the iPad after yesterday's entry. First of all, I had the iPad wrapped entirely with a Zagg Invisible Shield. I did not do it myself - there was a stand outside of our Apple store that provided the service. I highly recommend this. Gavin drools too much so I wanted the screen protected from that - and from scratches. Then I chose the Otterbox Defender for the outside case. I like that it has rubber edges - like bumpers. I like that it has a built in stand. I sort of like that it has weight to it so Gavin can't easily knock it around when it's standing. But the weight is also it's downfall. I will not have this case forever. It's just too heavy for Gavin to carry around someday. But for now it offers maximum protection - which is key. I just pray every day that Brian doesn't drop it on his toes. Ouch.

That's all, folks! Don't forget to leave suggestions for apps in the comments! And let me know if your kids end up falling in love with any of these apps!

iPad Apps - Part One

The iPad, to me, has the potential to accomplish GREAT things in this house. For me, it's a portable sanity saver. I bring it into bed with me every night - like most people bring a book. There, I attempt to catch up on emails (I'm sorry if you're waiting on one!) - but often get sucked into MY favorite app - Flipboard. That is, if Ed hasn't gotten to it first and is playing Angry Birds.

But more than us - the boys will...and have already...benefitted from this iPad. Tonight I will list the apps I have. I'll tell you who they were intended for...what my opinion is of them...and how the boys like them. I hope you find something new for your kids! And I would REALLY appreciate if you'd leave a comment under this entry if you have an app you'd like to share. My goal is to have one, big comprehensive list on this page (not on Facebook or emails) that everyone can come back to.

Actually - this post has been more of an undertaking than I thought! After a long day with the boys - I'm hungry for dinner! So I will continue this post tomorrow with the games and book apps that Brian is obsessed with - and so am I. So you can leave comments today AND tomorrow! Yay!

Our most expensive app - but the one that could potentially be the BEST for Gavin is called Proloquo2Go. For $189.99, although it seems steep, it is thousands (and I mean THOUSANDS) of dollars cheaper than the typical communication devices that are out there. It's been slow going for Gavin with this app. Between his wavering motor skills and his developmental challenges - we're never really sure if he "gets it" or not. But we continue to try and I'm confident that he'll get it someday soon!!

To try to help Gavin get used to touching the screen, I bought several apps that appeal to his love of music, sound and lights.

Musical Hands is one of his favorites. It has color - it has lights - and he makes the music when he touches the screen. The best part is that he doesn't have to touch it in specific spots. Anywhere he touches - something happens. It's a great baby and toddler app - we give it two thumbs up! Here's a video of Gavin using it:

Peekaboo Barn and Peekaboo Wild were two that I got early on for Gavin. They are adorable apps that Gavin seemed to "get" right away.

Boogie Bopper and Sound Shaker are two really great apps. Babies would love these! There are two ways to use these apps, both made by Tickle Tap Apps. One is easy as Gavin can touch anywhere and things happen. The other requires him to isolate a finger and touch specific places when they light up. This will be great down the road as he gets better using the iPad.

Giggle Touch is another fun baby app. It pretty much exactly what it says! Anywhere Gavin touches on the screen, a letter or a shape or a color pops up and is accompanied by an infectious baby giggle. It's hard not to laugh yourself when you're listening to it for a while!

Zoola Baby is cute. They are basically flashcards with real photos of animals. One is a baby - and it will make the baby animal sound. The other is the grown up - which makes the grown up animal sound. Although bought for Gavin, neither of the boys is all that into it.

Magic Piano is probably one of the coolest apps ever. (If you click the hyperlink you'll see a video on their website) It's another pretty motivating app for Gavin as touching the screen continuously plays one of his favorite songs. It sounds like a real piano - and down the road as he gets more adept at finger placement he'll even be able to do chords and harmonies on his own! I love this app - it's pretty addicting for me.

Doodle Kids is another "touch trainer" that I use for Gavin. Wherever he touches - or drags his finger or hand - bright colors and shapes follow.

I HIGHLY recommend the following apps from Duck Duck Moose.

The Wheels on the Bus

Itsy Bitsy Spider

Old MacDonald

Fish School

These apps have beautiful graphics and hidden gems everywhere. Gavin especially loves Itsy Bitsy.

I have every single ABA flash card . I got them a while ago thinking they would be great. Although they are very educational...we rarely touch them.

Where's Mommy is a great app that you can fully customize. You can load photos of your family and record your own voice...asking "Where's Granny" and the child has to find the matching photo.

To be continued...

Mellow Weekend...

We had a pretty mellow weekend here. Despite having work to do over the last couple days, Ed was able to enjoy some time with the boys. Saturday we brought the boys outside in the driveway and he surprised them with a HUGE bubble wand that he bought. The boys LOVE bubbles!!

Brian, especially, was over the moon when he got a private lesson from Daddy.

Gavin decided to go strolling in his walker so the two of us took off up the driveway, down the driveway, into the backyard...he was motivated to walk!

Today was another nice day so we all took off for a walk around the block. I was optimistic and brought Gavin out in his KidWalk, but he didn't last too long before he pooped out. We went back and got his stroller and continued on. Brian loves walking and is so good holding my hand or staying close to us.

Of course we had to stop to shuffle through every leaf pile - and occasionally throw some in the air.

Tomorrow I plan to devote a whole blog to the iPad. I'll list the apps we have for Gavin and Brian - let you know which ones I like and which ones were regrettable. If you have an iPad or an iPhone - and if you have a baby or a toddler - special needs or not - this may be interesting to you. I might be way behind the times with apps that may have been out for years...but who knows, you may find one that you like in our pretty big selection!

This Wednesday I'm attending an all day conference on using the iPad for special education purposes with several of Gavin's therapists. I'm hoping that I learn something useful so I can be sure Gavin is getting the greatest benefit from this technology. I sometimes feel so bad that it's not something he can turn on and access easily like Brian.

But - like everything so far - he'll get there in his own time. This I know for sure. Why? Well - I'm pretty sure I didn't think I'd ever see THIS a year ago...

Emotional Support...

THE BEGINNING

AND THEN

IN CONCLUSION

ANY QUESTIONS?

Mission Impossible...

Today started off early. Very early. I was up before the sun and driving the 35 minutes to the fertility clinic for blood work and ultrasound. I had to be there and back before Ed left for work. The appointment was easy - and when they called me later with my blood test results I got the plan for my next step. Currently I take two injections a day - one in the morning and one at night. This Sunday I will hop to four injections at night...and Ed and I will both go on a strong dose of antibiotics. The antibiotics are necessary to prevent bacteria from affecting our egg and sperm. And the next round of injections are to stimulate my ovaries to produce eggs. The next time I go back is a week from today.

I got home just in time to get the boys up and dressed for the day. Right after breakfast was Gavin's Occupational Therapy with Miss Stephanie. He was not a willing participant today...no matter what she tried! He didn't want her to touch his hands...he didn't want to play any games...he just wasn't into it. At all.

Brian spent the day doing anything and everything for attention. Especially mine! During Gavin's OT, he cracked us up by army crawling under the table - mission impossible style - to sneak a peek at Miss Stephanie's toys.

Later, during an interview for a new helper, he started screaming for no reason - just so I'd look at him. I guess he's a good barometer - if they can handle his antics with grace they get interview bonus points!!

Brian's definitely a charmer. He and I have a very close bond and he's constantly giving hugs and kisses which just melt my heart. He loves his Mommy!! (I hope that never changes, Brian!)

But, boy, is he developing a mischievous side. I think it's time to read the "Super Nanny" book before disciplining becomes an impossible mission!

But look at that face. How can I say no to that face??

(Don't worry - I'm kidding...)