The week in review

On Tuesday Elizabeth had her therapies (feeding, OT and PT) and Oliver had speech. Brynn was awesome and went with me and took Oliver while I did Lizzie's therapies with "Mom".....I am having a harder time with her. Honestly, I am just angry anymore with her for what she has done with these kids, I am angry with the system for allowing her to continue to disrupt their lives and knowing that they will go back and once again be neglected. While Lizzie was in feeding therapy Brynn came and got me to help get Oliver out to the car for the last 30 minutes of Lizzie's therapy. On my way back in to the office I had the chance to talk to Lizzie's occupational therapist. I asked about neglect and if it could be the cause of her delays, she had a OT student with her that day and her reply was "I was just telling my student that I think this is a result of neglect." She was on to talk about how her head was bald in her big flat spot until recently. My guess is that back in December when they started living with Bette and her family is when she started getting out off her carseat some. Bette did tell me though that Mom and Lizzie were gone all day and she suspects it was to be with Dad and so she was probably in the carseat all day then and just out when at Bette's....

Anyway, I talked about getting Lizzie in to speech therapy too. Low and behold she has been approved for it all along but Mom couldn't get her to therapy a second day a week. Well we are already there twice a week for Oliver's speech and feeding, they have to be done on separate days. So, they found her a spot on Wednesday mornings while we are there with Oliver with another speech pathologist who is a birth to three specialist. She had her first session on Wednesday and the therapist thinks she has never had the opportunity or stimulation to vocalize much. She is pretty quiet most of the time, hardly any babbling or cooing and no real words. She does know who to cry though and puts her vocal cords to good use often:) She got her second antibiotic injection on Thursday. Mom met me for that too and she was useless and didn't help with Lizzie so I could attend to Oliver, she is absolutely pathetic. The nurse goes "nice" and points Mom (out of her view) as we were leaving. I love the nurse, by the way:)

John....poor guy, this has been an eye opening week for us on what his needs really are, it is beyond what I ever imagined. First off it has become apparent that he has severe learning disabilities, he cannot count to 3 and does not know his letters or recognize his name constistently. He thinks animals are different ones, and make the wrong sounds. We are working hard but he just cannot seem to pick it up. I have spoken with both of his teachers and he now needs testing for specialized schooling next year in kindergarten. I know part of it is no one has ever worked with him before except at school, I think part of it may be fetal alcohol exposure (unknown but my guess if Lizzie has fetal alcohol syndrome) His behavior is good some days and awful some. Don found a stash of Lizzie's pacifiers (two of which he took out of her crib last night when she was in bed) and this morning we were trying to talk to him about it and he went in to the silent, angry mode and I just put him in timeout. I drug/carried him to his room and when he got in there he threw the pillows of his bed. The other day he smashed something when told to let Oliver play on his own......he also smashed Oliver's fingers. We are trying to see him through all of this and overall he is doing better now that he is feeling physically better. I know he has learned so much from his violent father. Makes me sad that this all he knows. Forgot, on Wednesday Mom spent the morning at John's school but he was so disturbed after she left and for the remainder of the day, she is no longer allowed to visit him at school. This kid just can't recover from it.

Oliver has been a real trooper through all of it. He is a bit needy and wanting Mommy more but overall enjoys having the kids. He takes care of Lizzie and loves playing with John. On Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursdays I am home alone all day and evening with the kids as Don has to either teach or go to class those evenings. It is a long three days. My dear friend Tami came over Thursday evening and helped me with baths and bed, the boys LOVE HER, and she brought me Carrabba's for after they were all in bed. It was so nice!

I am continuing to battle the system and just hate it all but keep telling myself I knew this going in to it. I am frustrated as I still haven't gotten a call from the counseling center and I keep following up on it with no luck, the kids' social worker won't give me their number so I am guessing she hasn't done her part. I am planning to go to her supervisor on Tuesday if I don't hear anything by then.

Got to go take Lizzie to the doctor!