Things are slowly getting better!

I am feeling a bit better about things. We seem to be making some progress with getting in to a routine and figuring out what works and keeps things calmer around here. I finally figured out that giving John and Oliver a granola bar and milk in the car is easier that trying to feed them breakfast before taking John to school at 7:30. John is in the head start Pre-K program so he gets free breakfast and lunch when he is at school. And sadly, a granola bar and milk is a great breakfast for Oliver. I have also started picking John up at 12:30 instead of 1:45. It is making a world of difference. I am working on getting all 3 of them in to a naptime routine starting at 1:00. I need a little peace for an hour or so each day. Oliver and John are doing well at napping but Elizabeth seems to not want to nap for more than 20-30 minutes in the afternoon. She does sleep 1.5 hours in the morning which gives me time with Oliver. I really hate having therapy two days in a row but don't have much choice. It makes for two crazy mornings in a row.

I have decided to send Elizabeth to daycare part-time a couple of mornings a week. It is free for us and I think it will help me immensely! I am doing it because she needs some interaction with other kids, I need some time with Oliver and to accomplish some things, and because Elizabeth needs to form positive relationships with caregivers other than Don and me. She is going to have a pretty tough time when she goes back to Mom and it has been recommended to us that this will help her in the long run. I am having a problem placing her as she isn't walking yet and many of the daycares won't accept her in their 1 year old room. She really is more like an 8 month old.

Monday I took Elizabeth to a 3 hour opthamologist appointment and felt like I was part of a three ring circus. Mom and Grandpa came and even both went in to the exam room with me. I guess the neurologist recommended it but I didn't find that out until we went to the neuro on Wednesday. The opthamologist was not impressed with the biofamily, it was embarassing. I guess several of the other grandkids that Grandma and Grandpa are raising go there already and there is an established undesirable history.

The visit to the neurologist confirmed what I think we all already knew, Elizabeth's delays and head are a result of horrible neglect......the Guardian ad litem and I met there and the bio family didn't know about it. Elizabeth is down from her November weight when they last saw her and her head hasn't grown like it should since then. He thought her delays were worse now than when he saw her in November. Makes me sick! He said we are really too late to reshape her head with helmet therpay:( He talked to Mom about it and she had chosen not to do it. It is a lot of work as the helmet needs to be reshaped a couple times a month in Miami....The good news is he thinks mentally she is good and hopefully all of her therapies will help her to catch up quickly. The guardian ad litem will relay the appointment to the judge at the April 15th hearing.

John is doing better, seems limiting contact with Mom is maybe helping. Hoping to get him in therapy/counseling in the next week. It has been a major pain in the ass! Nothing seems to come easy. He has been having more and more frequent accidents, thankfully all #1's....we have offered him a reward if he has 4 dry days in a row. Today was a successful day 1. It is pretty normal to see this kind of regression. He wants me to feed him, rock him, etc. like I do the two little ones. It is challenging. He is better physically. He has a recheck at the doctor on Tuesday and all was well! YAY!

Elizabeth still has ear infections. They are better but not great. The pediatrician wanted her off antibiotics for week before he sees her so we go back on Monday again. Tiresome and just wish she could feel good. I am transitioning her on to soy formula to see if getting off milk helps her runny nose and congestion. She also needs the calories and nutrients of the formula for a while.

I am battling with the pediatrician's office to get them to waive our Blue Cross co-pay as the kids are still on Medicaid as secondary but they won't pay the co-pay due to the fact that BC pays better than Medicaid already. They seem to understand but haven't made a decision yet. I really don't get it. Here is an example....Medicaid pays something like $20 per office visit but BC pays $45 per office visit, so they are still better off with the kids being on BC over Medicaid. I am just frustrated. I really don't want to have incur even more expenses for these kids but am not going back to the old doctor! ARGH!

My mom and step-dad are down for the weekend. They stay in a hotel and I think were grateful tonight to escape the chaos of the Baer house. Can't say I blame them. We really don't have room anymore for guests anyway. I might be able to squeeze someone on a blow-up mattress or on the twin in Oliver's room. Tomorrow is the Easter Egg Hunt at our church which I organized this year. I let a bunch of things slip but oh well! It will be fun to see the kids hunt for eggs and meet the Easter Bunny! I will post pictures. The kids have changed so much in the last weeks. Oliver has filled out and is growing in to such a boy, John looks healthy and happy and Elizabeth has put on over a pound and her color is brighter.

Don and I are doing well. Don has the creeping crud from the kids and I am finally just about over it (knock on wood). Brynn is having a hard time deciding what to do next year. I thought she was pretty set on a school but she is now leaning towards living at home and finishing up her AA at the school she is attending as an early admissions student. She seems to be coming around a little on the kids but is pretty stuck on Oliver. I keep reminding her it is only temporary but we are going to stick it out with these kids. We refuse to add to their problems!