Sleep Deprivation :(

LT's sleeping habits have been terrible lately :(

It has been a real struggle getting him to go to sleep of a night.

We put him into bed at 8:30pm and it's not unusual for him to still be awake at 11pm or later.

Last night for example. Bedtime routine began at 7:30pm. Into bed at 8:30pm. Still not asleep at 11pm. Finally falls asleep at 11:30pm out of sheer exhaustion. Wakes up again at 1:30pm but goes back to sleep easily. 3am and he is awake again - this time he refuses to go back to sleep at all. So therefore I couldn't go back to sleep either. I can't sleep when there is a 4 year old left to his own devices within the house *big sigh*

So tonight, if it happens again, I am armed with some Phenergon. Not that I really want a "bandaid" solution for his sleeping problems, but if I don't get some sleep soon, I am going to go crazy! lol

Busy Hands

During one of our early intervention sessions, LT's therapist discussed ways in which to settle LT and to keep him entertained.

One of the ways to keep his little mind occupied was to keep his hands busy!

So today, after a quick trip to the $2 shop and a good look through the craft cupboard, we came up with a nice little stash of stimulating bits and pieces.

From fiddlestix to old cotton reels - a whole box of stuff just for him.

The results have been amazing. Whenever he has become agitated today, I have brought out the little box and sat him down to play and many meltdowns have been avoided :)

He particularly loves colours and can name them all.

He also loves counting and can count up to 15.

We aren't sure if this is just repetitive speech but it's so nice to hear him talk {note the calculator there at his side - he loves that thing!}

Appointments!

So many appointments - and barely enough time for them all.

Yesterday we had a visit from Belinda who works for Aspect

She was really wonderful and gave us all of our options for next year.

LT turns 5 this year so next year he is due to start Kindergarten.

As I don't think he is ready for mainstream Kindergarten, I will be enrolling him with the Hunter school for Aspect. I just need to wait for our physcologist assessment before I can actually enrol him. You need to have both the padiatrician and the physcologist reports before they will accept him.

Today we had another visit from Rani at EISCA {early intervention} and we have been offered a place in their preschool program beginning next Thursday. Insert huge sigh of relief here as EISCA have a huge waiting list and I wasn't sure how long it was going to take before LT was offered a position.

So all in all, things are progressing.

Beginning next week, LT's schedule will go something like this:

Monday - preschool
Tuesday - preschool
Wednesday - preschool
Thursday - early intervention preschool
Friday - speech therapy in the morning. Afternoons kept free for other LT related appts.

I have had to reshuffle a few appointments/activities to make this new schedule work, but it should flow smoothly. With this new routine, I will now have 3 full days and one half day of freedom every week! Which will prove invaluable as I need to catch up with Uni work and study for exams *gulp* which are next month!

Other news, DH has been offered a fabulous new job right here in Newcastle which pays exceptionally well ... which is just as well as LT's appointments/therapies are costing a fortune!

Relief!

It's finished! and handed in! I feel so relieved today :)

I do have another essay looming however ... hmmm, does it ever end?

answer - no!

The next one is only 1000 words though - not quite as scarey as the one I just finished!

LT had a great day at school today. I had a discussion with his preschool teachers this morning about the ASD diagnosis amongst other things. They aren't phased by it at all which is a great relief. They can see the progress he is making everyday he attends which is promising. Depending on my meeting with EISCA this week, I may look at sending him to preschool 3 days per week and leave the other 2 days open for speech and early intervention.

LT actually made me a present at preschool today for mother's day. I am not sure if he knows he made it for me or not, but it is still sweet none the less and the preschool teachers told me he had really enjoyed making it :)

Uni ... blah!

I managed to convince my Uni lecturer to give me until tomorrow to hand in my law essay.

I have 300 words to go. Ho hum!

I just bought ...

this ...

and these ...

4 of these ...

and a set of these aswell :)

The only downside to online shopping is that now I have to wait patiently for my package to arrive :(

Online Shopping

I am such a sucker for online shopping!

I just love sitting back on my comfy computer chair and browsing away until my hearts content {or until someone interrupts me!}

Today I have discovered dusk online!

I just love this shop! It smells divine {which is the only downside of online shopping, you can't smell anything!}

The actual store is not far from home {about 10 mins away} but with a 4 year old who insists on touching anything and everything, I don't get a chance to have a very long look!

Look out credit card - Mother's Day is just around the corner :)