Jaden

Fireman's badge sticker

2009-11-07T19:37:37Z

Fireman's badge sticker, originally uploaded by blackpiano.

We said hi to the firemen near the house

2009-11-07T19:14:39Z

We said hi to the firemen near the house, originally uploaded by blackpiano.

Wearing the hat in the firetruck

2009-11-07T19:14:06Z

Wearing the hat in the firetruck, originally uploaded by blackpiano.

secret life of dollar store band-aids

2009-11-07T04:02:34Z

secret life of dollar store band-aids, originally uploaded by blackpiano.

They're really only good as toddler entertainment!

Jaden is starting to like preschool after two solid months of crying!

2009-11-05T05:41:17Z

Yesterday, when I picked up Jaden from school, I saw a small group of kids and teachers clapping and singing in a circle- and Jaden was in the center DANCING! He danced/jumped for the whole song and then cheered and clapped for himself! When he saw me, he wanted me to come dance with him in the circle so I did and he was soooo happy. The teachers said he liked the music class and is starting to interact with the kids. Before, the music class was the most intimidating to him but now he likes the teacher!

Today, he was jumping around and playing with another kid when I got there. He wanted me to come in and play with him again. His teacher said he's sitting at the table with the other kids when they do art projects, he's talking, AND he's eating more now. He eats well at breakfast, nit-picks his lunch and then eats all the snacks they give him through out the day. Up until last week, he would go all day without eating anything!

We said good bye to the teachers and kids and he said he wanted to come back tomorrow to play. He waved to everyone, "See you tomorrow!" and even gave some of the kids high fives when prompted by his teacher. All the kids waved back and some of them mentioned that he doesn't cry anymore.

We went back to the class room to get his beloved Lightning McQueen nap blanket and he decided he didn't want to leave. He asked for a paper cup of water and showed me where to get it. When he was done, he threw his cup in the trash like a good boy and went straight to playing with legos. We played there for another 20 minutes before he was ready to come home.

He's still having big moments of acting out, being negative, or wanting to scratch/hurt himself but it seems to be less often the past few days. The only time he's been really frustrated is on the long hour home when he's tired. We're taking him for a follow-up doctor appointment for his ear infections which are hopefully all cleared up and we're going to bring up all this behavioral stuff and see what she says. My worry is that something could be physically wrong (like headaches) and he doesn't know how to tell us.

We're also implementing a good-behavior reward chart and he got to his first mini-prize today for listening to us!

Early Christmas miracle? Maybe!

He's back to doing his art projects

2009-11-05T04:10:00Z

He's back to doing his art projects, originally uploaded by blackpiano.

Jaden didn't want to leave school today!

2009-11-05T04:09:11Z

Jaden didn't want to leave school today!, originally uploaded by blackpiano.

Off to the next house

2009-11-01T03:15:51Z

Off to the next house, originally uploaded by blackpiano.

IMG02386.jpeg

2009-11-01T03:13:42Z

IMG02386.jpeg, originally uploaded by blackpiano.

Trick or treat!

2009-11-01T03:11:48Z

Trick or treat!, originally uploaded by blackpiano.

We've never seen him eat so much! Normally he won't eat these foods at home, either!

2009-10-30T20:15:44Z

We've never seen him eat so much! Normally he won't eat these foods at home, either!, originally uploaded by blackpiano.

Jaden had a good time the Halloween party at school! He smiled, talked to the kids, wanted to sing with the group and he told all his teachers "happy halloween!" They were all thrilled to see him not crying for once, I'm sure! He even kept his costume on the whole time and didn't want to take it off after we got back in the car to gop home. He's passed out asleep in his Wubbzy costume right now!

Wow Wow Wubbzy in the Halloween walk

2009-10-30T20:08:41Z

Wow Wow Wubbzy in the Halloween walk, originally uploaded by blackpiano.

Wubbzy Jaden

2009-10-30T20:01:08Z

Wubbzy Jaden, originally uploaded by blackpiano.

Halloween parade through the neighborhood!

2009-10-30T19:55:11Z

Halloween parade through the neighborhood!, originally uploaded by blackpiano.

Jaden's class singing to the assisted living residents across the street from the preschool

2009-10-30T19:47:30Z

Jaden's class sings to the assisted living residents across the street from the preschool, originally uploaded by blackpiano.

Preschool Update

2009-10-22T23:25:09Z

I had a long conversation with Jaden's new teacher this morning. At this point, everyone who works with Jaden has asked me if there's anything they can do/say to help him adjust. Any toy they can give him? Any foods that he actually will eat?

They recommended that I have them keep a log of his daily activities/behaviors and then take that to his doctor for further assessment because he just isn't adjusting.

He's ready on an intellectual level, but emotionally he's a wreck. He knows his colors, shapes, numbers, abcs, and has a large vocabulary... but he refuses to do ANYTHING but cry all day at school. He argues everything teachers say to him and he does the same at home, too. He is defiant and stubborn and it's really draining on everyone!

We should have introduced him to smaller groups of kids and moved our way up to the preschool level but we just had no idea the adjustment would be this traumatic for him. Now we are figuring out what to do next...

Sugar Packet Card Dealer

2009-10-19T20:29:19Z

IMG02312.jpg, originally uploaded by blackpiano.

Jaden's idea of heaven

2009-10-17T20:19:39Z

Jaden's idea of heaven, originally uploaded by blackpiano.

Preschool update

2009-10-17T06:52:32Z

Jaden has managed to get ear infections in both ears. This explains a lot! He really just doesn't feel good and that can make anyone cranky. Plus, i'm sure he associates school with feeling sick so it's no wonder why he cries at school. He was given an antibiotic but it made him throw up at school and all evening long. Today, we got a different perscription and we are hoping this will be easier on him. The worst part is getting him to take the darn stuff. He fights and spits and cries and pushes it out of his mouth every time now. Ahhh, the good old days where he would willingly take his medicine and say, "mmmm, good!"

We made him a locket with a picture of the three of us and attached it to a little felt heart. He wears it as a bracelet and he shows people, "This is my family!" which is the cutest thing ever. He has so much pride when he opens the locket himself and shows people the picture inside. As far as I know, he wears it all day at school.

The teachers are saying he doesn't cry "as much" but he's still crying most all morning long. I spoke to the director of the school and she suggested that we switch Jaden to the 3 year old's class since he's almost 3 anyway. That way, he doesn't have to be with the teacher who doesn't know how to deal with him and he can be with the teacher that he does like. We are hoping this will make things a little easier for him. We are both going to volunteer for the halloween party at school and I'm hoping that having both parents there will help him see that school is really not so bad...

Lately, Jaden has started asking for his daddy more and wanting him to do things for him instead of mom. "No! Don't change my diaper! DAD can do it!!" It's nice for a change! This evening, jaden cuddled with his dad and fell asleep which is amazing because normally he needs his mamma in order to fall asleep. He's growing up and changing every day!

Here he is right before taking him out of the car for school. Doesn't it just break your heart? Poor thing! (that's his "family locket", too)

Harvest Festival

2009-10-10T05:07:28Z

Jaden cheers about pumpkins and paper rockets

Here he is making his rocket

He put it on the rocket launcher

Here's jaden pumping the hand-pump to 50 psi (with a little help). after that what you do is turn the crank twice which turns on a red light on the right side, you then flip the cover and arm the switch, then countdown and press the red button and blast off! jaden loved it, and his rocket flew the highest of all the kids around at the time...a good couple hundred feet up.

Running to the landing site

YAY!!

Preschool update

2009-10-03T04:38:45Z

Today seems to have been a turning point for Jaden. He only cried for the first half of the day and then mellowed out a bit in the afternoon. For the first few weeks, he was crying, mumbling, or saying the negative version of everything he hears (I CAN'T paint, I DON'T want to stop crying, i don't have to eat THAT!). He has also been crying or screaming when he wakes up from his nap which then wakes up all the other kids. He even scratched his throat until it bled a few times from his uncontrollable anxiety. We had to sign documentation on his self-inflected cuts!

Today, the teacher was able to calm him down for the first time. He actually talked to her and they had a good conversation that didn't involve crying. She asked him if he was hungry and he said, "yeah..." so she gave him some animal cookies. She asked if he was thirsty and he said, "yeah..." so she gave him some water, too.

Normally, every day when I pick him up, he's in the gym, standing by the teacher crying his eyes out worried that I won't come back. Today, he was walking around while the other kids played and ran around. He wasn't clinging to anyone, he wasn't crying in a corner, he was just walking around!

The kids in his class have all taken turns talking to him and a few of the kids hold his hand because they are genuinely concerned about him. They tell him everything will be ok and tell him he doesn't need to cry. It's so sweet to see the kids reaching out to him!

Singed fingers from touching a hot light

2009-10-03T03:32:23Z

Jaden burned himself for the first time this evening. He saw a halloween display and reached through the decorative fence to touch a spotlight. He wasn't badly hurt, just more inquisitive about the pain than anything else. I gave him a cold baby wipe to hold on his fingers and he decided to sit for a little bit to contemplate his owie.

Burned fingers from touching a hot light, originally uploaded by blackpiano.

Listening to the ocean in his shells

2009-10-03T03:20:57Z

Another great emo picture by dad!

Listening to the ocean in his shells, originally uploaded by blackpiano.

IMG02210.jpg

2009-09-27T21:23:17Z

IMG02210.jpg, originally uploaded by blackpiano.

IMG02209.jpg

2009-09-27T21:20:37Z

IMG02209.jpg, originally uploaded by blackpiano.