Scared of the Dark

The other night as Melanie and I were getting the kids ready for bed, Whitney started whimpering.  It wasn't like she was throwing a tantrum or screaming.  This was different.  She just got teary-eyed and started sobbing quietly as we were tucking her in for the night.  Melanie and I were worried and tried to ask her what was wrong.  This is tricky because Whitney has a habit of pointing to her ears even when they're not infected.  Or she'll often respond with the sign for dog, just because.

Luckily, Melanie was persistent in her questioning.  Finally, Whitney pointed to the window in her room and I think we understood.  There have been several nights recently when the wind has whistled around our house and rattled the windows.  We think this has scared Whitney and made her a little bit afraid of the dark.

Melanie kindly explained that no one is going to hurt her and that nothing is outside of her window.  Melanie even pulled the curtains aside so Whit could see.  She seemed a little more confident after that and settled in for the night.  We were grateful, that although communication with Whitney is sometimes difficult, we are able to understand our daughter's fears and help her to be comforted when she needs it.

Dads and Donuts

This morning, Whitney's elementary school hosted a special event before class.  Dads were invited to bring their students for donuts, milk and reading time in the cafeteria.  So instead of riding the bus, Whitney rode with me to the school.

When we arrived, Whitney and I found some donuts, some milk and a spot to sit and read her Disney Princess story book.  We looked at pictures of all of Whitney's favorite princesses.  Whit chugged her milk but refused to eat any donut.  So I did the honorable thing and ate hers after I finished my own.

We sat with a little boy in Whit's special ed class and her father.  Whit gave her little class mate a big hug as his dad explained that the two of them are pretty good friends at school.  This was a fun thing to learn since Whitney can't really tell us about the friends in her class.

Then before we left we saw that the school was giving away a free book to each child as a way to encourage kids to read.  Whitney and I perused the tables of books.  I suggested several and Whitney shook her head at each one.  Finally, I spotted Clifford the Big Red Dog.  I pointed the book out to Whitney.  She grabbed it and excitedly signed dog. She had clearly made her choice.  Whit's teacher told me later that Whit is a huge fan of Clifford.  They read about him all the time in class, so she'll love reading that one at home as well.

I enjoyed spending a some quality time my little lady this morning and I'm grateful for all the great programs we get to participate in at her school.  And I'm sure when I get home tonight I'll get to read Clifford with all three of my little book worms.

The Special Needs Tooth Fairy

Typical children our society have a pretty good grasp on currency by the time they're old enough to start losing their teeth.  In fact my four year-old son, Liam, is getting pretty good about asking for his allowance on Saturday after he's had a good week helping out around the house.  However, Whitney is now eight and beginning to lose her baby teeth but she has no clue about money.  The only time she shows any interest is when she steals Liam's piggy bank and shakes it because she likes the sound.

As you can probably guess by now, this is all leading up to an important question.  What does the Tooth Fairy bring a special needs child?  Whit lost her second tooth over the weekend.  When she lost her first one, she swallowed it.  (We think.) So Melanie and I were kind of off the hook.  But this time, we've got the tooth in hand.  And we'd like for Whitney to have a positive experience related to losing teeth.  It's been kind of traumatic for her so far.  We don't need to go into it too far but something about having a parent hold her mouth open and pull on her teeth doesn't sit well with her.

So to make things more positive, we're considering having the Tooth Fairy bring some candy or a bag of chips!  That'll probably seem pretty strange to most people but those are some of the things Whitney enjoys most.  At dinner, if she eats well, Whitney asks for chips instead of dessert.  And she's always digging through the diaper bag looking for hidden packs of Smartees, Pez or other crunchy candy.

So I guess that's what we'll try.  Should be entertaining to try and stick a bag of chips under a sleeping child's pillow.  No wonder the Tooth Fairy usually just opts for cash.

Have any of you other special needs parents out there been through this?  How did you handle the Tooth Fairy in your home?  I'd love to hear some of your stories.

Birthday Time

Our family had a wonderful time celebrating Whitney's 8th birthday last week.  Fist, off it was dinner at Arctic Circle, Whit's dining establishment of choice.  I have a hunch it's because they serve chicken nuggets and have an indoor playground.

Melanie did up some birthday cupcakes and had Whitney try to blow at least one candle.  But she's still working on that skill.  So after a few attempts, little brother, Liam was happy to step in and extinguish the flame.

Then it was time for presents.  Whit got a new dress, a new shirt and hair clips from her cousins and some new shoes to go with her new ankle braces.  Just like with her new iPhone case that I mentioned last time, Whitney picked out her new shoes.  Melanie took her to Payless and the two of them spent quite a bit of time finding different styles that would fit over the new braces.  By the way, black, white and pink seem to be Whitney's favorites right now when it comes to footwear.

I promised a few readers I'd try to give some info on what we found that fit well, but there was no trend where certain brands or styles fit.  Mel and Whit mainly went by trial and error until they found a couple of pairs that worked.  One thing I can say is that, as Whitney's feet have grown and the braces she uses have gotten longer in relation to their width, shoes that fit have gotten easier to find.  So for parents of younger kids, you'll have better success in your shoe search.  It may just take a few years.

Happy birthday to my little Whitney.  You're not so little any more.  Thank you for all you've taught me over the years. I can't imagine my life without you.  And I know we're in for another adventure of a year this year.

Birthday Shopping

It's fun to watch as special needs children grow and become much more able to express their preferences and personal style.  In Whitney's case, as with many challenged kiddos, communication starts with getting messages across about basic needs.  But as time has gone on Whitney has been able to share more about her likes and dislikes and things that are her favorite.

This was brought to my mind again as Whitney's birthday is coming up.  She is in need of a new dress some new shoes to go with those new braces (that should be coming in the mail any day now) and a new case for her iPhone. (She uses it to speak and to play.)

We're still in the hunt for Whit's birthday dress and shoes because finding things that fit can be a bit of a challenge.  But a case for Whitney's hand-me-down phone is taken care of.  Whitney sat down with Melanie and looked at case designs on the computer.  Whit told her the colors she'd like and pointed to patterns that looked fun.  After narrowing things down for a while, Whit decided on a case that is black with pink flowers and butterflies on it.  It totally reflects her style and I know she'll love it.

A shopping experience like that something most parents would take for granted, but for special needs parents it's a different story.  It makes me so happy to know that even though my daughter doesn't really speak, she can enjoy shopping with her mother and picking out things she loves using signs and gestures.

Next up, clothes shopping and a birthday party.  Should be an adventure!  I'll report back on the celebration.

New Ankle Braces

Whitney had a visit with her physical therapist this week.  The first one of the new year.  It was time to get measured for some new ankle braces.  Whitney has worn her current pair of Dynamic Ankle Foot Orthotics (DAFOs) for over two years and they were getting way too small.

As part of the fitting, the therapist watched Whitney walk with and without her braces.  Whit is actually really improving in her ability to keep her ankles straight without as much help.  She can keep her right one a lot straighter then her left.  So we're going to try something new.  On her left foot, she'll still wear a traditional DAFO that is custom molded to give her the support she needs. But on her right foot, Whitney will begin wearing a Cascade JumpStart Leap Frog.  The JumpStart is not custom molded but still provides Whitney with plenty of support.  And it's quite a bit cheaper.  Which doesn't hurt our feelings.

As always, the therapist let Whit pick out the colors.  And even though Melanie encouraged her to try pink or purple, Whitney insisted on blue trim for her new braces, just like in the picture here.  So the left foot mold is off to manufacturing and we'll await a new pair of braces to help Whitney get around on her own two feet.

Then it'll be off to the shoe store to find those all important new shoes.  By the way, picking out shoes to go over DAFOs can be a bit of a challenge.  Reader, Angie, posted just this morning about using Saucony running shoes in a wide width for her daughter.  They're light and breathable and worth checking out.  Thanks for the tip!  I'll report back on what new kicks Whitney will be sporting once the braces arrive.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Whitney got sick to her stomach and started her Christmas vacation a couple of days early this year.  She missed her school party, but we made up for it at home once she was feeling better.  Thankfully, by Christmas day, Whit was feeling great and able to participate in all the fun.

Whitney understands all about presents and opening them at this point.  The one thing we have a little trouble with is getting her to move on to the next gift when she's unwrapped something she's really interested in.  This year in addition to some great toys and clothes, Whitney got some fun iPad games that teach about numbers and letters.  She loves playing on the iPad and hopefully she'll learn some things while she plays.  Whit also loved being around so many members of the family over the Christmas break.  Grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins all got their share of Whitney hugs.

As we look to the year ahead, Melanie and I are hoping to get to work on potty training again when Whit is off track from school in January.  We'd sure love to have Whitney make some progress in that department this next year.  Whit's also got a heart checkup coming soon.  It's been a couple of years and we need to make sure her unusual rhythm isn't causing her any troubles.  So there will be plenty of adventures coming up.  I'll be sure to share them here.  Thanks for reading and following along.  From Whitney and the family, our best wishes for a very happy new year!