"Swiming, Swimming, keep on Swimming"

I can't help but laugh when I think of our drive to swim lessons with TJ. He says "swimming" several times and gets SO excited. A few weeks ago Ron started singing the Nemo part where Dory sings, "Swimming, swimming, keep on swimming....." TJ reminds me of this because he says it a lot on our way there. He is and always has been a water baby. I remember when he was almost 2 and we had a life vest on him in the little baby pool area and an old timer swim/lifeguard gal said to me "take that vest off of him". I looked at her and laughed while saying, "He'll go under. He doesn't think or listen, he'll surely die" Of course I was smiling while saying this but really? Take off his vest just to keep getting in the wading pool to get him up. Not my idea of fun. She insisted and told me she knew what she was talking about. He will learn to hold his breath very quickly. So she was totally right. He was going under, holding his breath and all sorts of craziness. He is now older and has even less fear. He will jump into the water, go under and pop up all excited. He is a swimming maniac.
After his first lesson we felt sorta like we needed to apologize for TJ's behaviors. Ron told her that he has a communication delay and is way behind in speech but knows what is ok and not and to be firm with him. However, he kept bothering the other two boys in him class. I was so proud of him for being less afraid and clearly more comfortable in the pool than any of the other kids, but felt kinda embarrassed because he was so touchy, touching them, spllashing, and patting them talking to them. But then again he was communicating with them. That was great to see. He usually is just doing his own things and doesn't pay much attention to others. Then he was scooping water and drizzling it on the poor boys head who was already a crying mess. He kept scooting towards the slide and the lifeguard that is in pool watching the kids on the side had to get him, bring him back and redirect him over and over and over again. If it wasn't that it was to not splash, or not to drip water on the other boys. Those things made me want to cry as I was so afraid he would be misunderstood, which I think he is so much of the time. It looks like he is a child that gets to do whatever he wants and isn't given boundaries, a swat when needed, not disciplined, etc.... I was so worried about what the other parents were thinking. I want TJ to be loved and seen for all the really awesome qualities he has.
I think his teacher is understanding and seems to think TJ is quite the water kid. She said "the water is his place. It's his thing!" We were happy to hear this. This was the first lesson.
The second session was last Wednesday and she worked with him 1st one on one and instead of putting him back on the side of the pool she put this floating waist thing on him to keep him up but if he let go of the side he would have to swim, work at keeping upright in the water. She let him leave the side some and the last half he swam with her while she worked with the other boys one on one. I was very excited about this. He simply loves the water. SO here I am off to his next lesson. I think I will have to find the money and keep him in lessons. He is ready for more but just doesn't listen. So we will see where it goes from here. But for now, this is exciting.

TJ is still saying a lot of words. He is still pointing out things and saying the correct words. We are only seeing improvements and not him regressing or losing words like in the past. He calls us by our names, mommy, dad, auntie, nana, papa, gamma, gampa, KK(Kaelyn), Maddy, Book(brooke), Lili, Carbon. When we drive by the fire station he says station. He is just retaining so much and it is wonderful. He is always pointing out things that he has learned as we drive by familiar places. Just everywhere he is saying things. I love hearing him talk and understand what he is actually saying. YAY!

DAIRY UPDATE:
As I sat down to type this morning I was very excited to think that he has only gotten into one thing with dairy in just over a week, BUT he got a hold of my blended coffee I treated myself to this morning from a local coffee shop with a much appreciated gift card from my parents for Mothers Day. He only took one drink but still. One drink is all it takes I hear. A few days ago, he got into the girls mini ritz cheese crackers. I am not sure how much he had but he seemed to be a terror that afternoon. I am not convinced it was because of that because Ron was gone that whole day and I was on my own that evening. So it could have been me a little less patient. As far as the no dairy goes Ron and I feel like he is a little more calm. He seems to be less "overactive and super busy". He still is but it seems a little better. Not sure though. We may just feel like it because we want to see it that way. You know the whole mind over matter theory. we'll see. But as far as we know he is doing well on rice milk and no dairy. However, I have a freezer full of freezer meals that was made with my group of ladies and TJ cannot have any of them. So it will be a little harder to pull them out to use since I will have to make him his own meal. But we will survive.

Eval update:
I am turning in Tj's papers to his speech path tomorrow and praying she gets it filled out and faxed to OHSU right away. I will be faxing his info today too in hopes of speeding the process along for him to get an evaluation appointment made. I am hoping too to have some info on his ESD eval. Yes, we are getting two done. Mostly to get one asap. It's hard being in limbo not knowing what a professional in the area of autism thinks. We are also up in the air with whether or not to have his tubes redone, adenoids and tonsils out. I think we will do this and hope to have it done before his evals. That way, again, we will have done anything and everything to eliminate possible reasons for his behavior/delayed speech issues. Ron and I are a little, only a little at odds with the surgery, so we will see for sure. Right now it's more of a money issue. We don't really have the money for the surgery at this particular time. He gets bloody noses a lot and has had two just today. One from the air being dry I think and the 2nd because he fell and hit hit nose. It was a bad one though. Maybe it would help. I think I need to ask about having nose coterized too while he is out. Hmmm!

Hope all you mommies had a great Mothers Day. I know I did. I loved spending the day with my family which hasn't happened on the actual holiday/s in a long time. My mom is usually working so it was WONDERFUL!!! Have a great week.

UPDATE:
Here I am just 2 hrs after posting this. I am fighting back tears as I think about TJ's lessons today. His teacher last week put a swim thing on his waist last week which allowed him to swim next to her while working with the other kids when his turn was technically over. He didn't stay at the side very well. He didn't listen very well today. The instructors were SO patient with him as they told him over and over again (The whole time really) to stay/come back to the side. It was cute at first when he was so excited and happy to be there then it turned into worry that he is not anything like anyone else there. It's moments like this that hurt. Noone has said anything so far, he is not bothering anyone else, but he really looks like a child that isn't desciplined. It sucks as to be in these shoes. I wish I could take back any judgement I have ever put on any parent as I saw a meltdown, defiance, or flat out a child not listening. I am that mom who has a child like that. SO I ask if you are reading this to be cautious when seeing a child in public, hyper, uncooperative, acting immature. Maybe a mom smiling when their child behaves this way. I do that. I smile and sometimes roll my eyes at my child, mostly because I don't know how to respond. We love TJ and part of our job loving him while serving God is to discipline. We do. I don't care what anyone thinks or wants to say. We DO! Yet I look at him and think of all the things I thought of other children and their parents when I saw a child not listening, and/or getting more attention from teachers, staff, and adults because they act up, or just don't seem to get it. I feel pretty crappy right now. I pray that people have understanding with TJ. He is a lot of work but is so loving and wonderful to have as a son at the same time. I feel pretty overwhelmed with the thought of autism today when I think of how he was in the pool. Today I'm pleading with God that he doesn't have autism and that I just need to be harder on him, discipline more, or that I need to be more consistant!
I recently read on a blog I like.... I'm suffering from MG. Mothers Guilt! And it totally sucks!