Time's a Flyin'

I would say that I'm not sure where the past 2 weeks or so went...but I know exactly where they went - we've been busy. There are times when I literally feel like a secretary for Mary Louise and David...many times...and lately, that's been the case:

David had his evaluation with the public school system while Mere and Pops were here helping us. It went, well, badly really. I've never seen him so uncomfortable (and that's saying an awful lot). He clung to me so tightly that there was no way I was even going to TRY prying him loose. They didn't want me to leave or anything. The people were all very nice. But something about just walking in the building made David tense up like I've never seen. There were toys set up in accessible areas and he wanted nothing to do with them. There were 2 boys there when we first arrived to wait and he wouldn't even consider playing with them (they were MUCH bigger than him and seemed pretty aggressive...and one of them had a grandmother who constantly yelled at him - a little bizarre.) 

Anyhow, they decided to do a brief hearing test as he hasn't had one in awhile. The audiologist actually walked around with us with the little headphones attached to David's ears to get a clear reading. (He had to be completely quiet - as opposed to hysterical - for the test to work). He passed and we were off to the next evaluation. 

When the kids turn 3, they officially age out of the Early Intervention system here and are eligible for continued services (if qualified) through the public school system. It gets a little complicated from there. Certain deficiencies require trips to group therapy in a school setting and certain ones are offered in home from what I understand. I'm obviously still navigating it all and learning with the help of our Family Service Coordinator (who happens to be fantastic) and haven't asked that many questions as I'm not sure what, if anything, David will be eligible. 

After the hearing test, I took a break with David in a little rest room. We talked for a minute and I explained, again, that I was not going anywhere and there were some very nice people who just wanted to see him and get to know how great he is - then we'd go right home. He nodded and seemed a little better - for a minute or 2. Then we walked into the room with 2 therapists and a social worker. 

Toys were on the table, they all spoke very quietly and gave him plenty of time to warm up (which eventually he did) and by the end, he was sitting in the lap of the speech therapist after kicking a ball around the room and digging in every drawer he could reach. He didn't say all that much though so to complete the evaluation, the therapists and social worker thought it best to schedule a home visit. They'll be here at the end of the month and we'll see where things go from there. 

Sweet David was totally exhausted after the - umm- experience...to be honest, so was I. We'll continue to follow through though and see what the completed evaluation says about our little guy and go from there...

In other news, we have officially and completely switched to cloth diapers! I'm pretty excited about it - and the money it's saving:

We were still spending about $100 per month in disposable diapers and supplies. David still had relatively chronic irritation warranting constantly application of diaper creams to keep his skin as healthy as possible - and let's not forget (for a second) about our little Sugs on the way!! So, the start up cost for 14 pocket one size diapers (I chose Fuzzi Bunz brand after MUCH research and milling over the issue) is right at $340. No joke and no small expense. It included the diapers with inserts- which fit babies from 7 to 35 pounds and are wildly adjustable - detergent for about 3 months (or a little less time than that), 2 dry diaper pail hanging bags, a natural cleaner for the kids' bums that I plan on making myself after this small bottle runs out, and 100 flushable liners (to catch poop) rather than using a "dunk and flush" system or a sprayer. The 14 diapers have proven to be enough of a stash for now with the little ones. I will likely order some cloth contours with a few covers for the new baby - at an estimated expense of $100 bringing the total investment to $440. There will be recurring costs for flushable liners which I have since found for about $8 for 200 as well as the detergent cost which is $15 for 90 loads and I do a load of diapers every day and a half or so - many times daily. There are no long soaks - unless the diapers get stinky which depends on the washing machine, water level, diet of the child, and proper detergent use from what I've read. It's actually comparable to loading, running and unloading the dishwasher: an extra thing in the day that can pretty easily just become part of a routine. The diaper "pails" make things easy and touch free with the way they are made and with very little practice, this has simply become part of our everyday. Oh - and that almost constant irritation sweet David had been experiencing is completely gone - no more creams (though we could use some in a pinch with the flushable liners in place) and the wash I got has made cleaning so much easier. 

So that's that - I'm still learning - but I'm really loving the ease of this transition - and again, the money we'll save in the long run doing things this way. 4 to 5 months to almost no diapering costs? yes please! (oh, and I suppose it's work mentioning that this makes my hippie side pretty stinkin' happy as well - as in, it's doing a Woodstock-ish jig as I type). 

And finally, my dear dear Granny made her way here for a visit. We've had Granny, Collin, and his girlfriend Lhee here for a few days and have so enjoyed their company. Though it's been an exceptionally difficult time for Granny, we've had a few laughs, a number of trips down memory lane, and a good cry - or 14: all part of life - especially now. 

Granny has read to Mary Louise and David each afternoon as they snuggled with her on the sofa for a few minutes. Of course I took photos- desperately wanting to freeze each minute in time.

My burgeoning belly made 26 weeks yesterday. Today, I'll administer my progesterone shot and start the final 10 countdown (for those) as I stop the injections at 36 weeks gestation. Little Suga kept me up for awhile last  night by beating up my right side. It was pretty fantastic even though I was exhausted. At times, my belly jumps and wiggles so much it can easily be seen through my clothes. Active little buggar - yep - another LeBlanc baby for sure! 

xo,

Heather