For the love of God! When will this child sleep?! February 2, 2008
The first night he was born, the nurses kept bringing Ronan into my room.
“He won’t stop crying. Sorry, hon. Maybe you should try to nurse him again.”
This went on only every ten minutes or so, until I just said, “Oh, alright already! Just sleep in my bed with me!”
Thus began a new circle of life for Robyn and Brian, parents of “The Baby Who Never Sleeps.”
Ditties (the nickname for my boobies), sleep. Remove ditties, wake up. Ditties, sleep. Remove ditties, wake up…and on and on and on. This lovely cycle was broken up by intermitten hours of filming infant Ronan, with one of those old clunky cassette video recorders, propped up on the couch at various times in the a.m., when only bats, owls and other nocturnal animals roam the earth.
I began to look like one of them. My eyes were black-rimmed, I was in a zombie-like daze - walking into walls and forgetting proper hygene (like actually washing myself), and I was obsessed with finding ways to get him to actually sleep without being attached to the ditty.
The Ferber Method = cry until vomit, then cry more. Never stop crying. Vomit. Cry.
Daddy walking and rocking, then slipping Ronan quitely into his crib = bolting upright in 0.001 second flat. Screaming. Vomiting.
The No Cry Sleep Solution = Ha Ha Ha Ha, yeah right.
For two years, I just caved and gave the ditty. I learned how to sleep like a fugitive in an escape tunnel, one arm had to curl around the top of his head. Ditty had to be fully accessible. Pillows were aplenty, and positioned just so, to support my frozen frame. As long as I didn’t move – at all- Ronan would sleep, nurse, sleep, nurse, and maybe some nights, he wouldn’t wake up for his 4 hour a.m. stretch.
When I finally decided to wean him (at over 2 years old - that’s another post in itself), a new cycle began in the life of Robyn and Brian.
It was called, “The Child Who Never Sleeps”
Snuggle with Ronan in his bed until he falls asleep. Wrench your body out from under his digging feet at 1 cm. an hour. Finally get out of the bed. Lay in your own bed. Roll over to finally sleep and immediately see a small figure hovering over you.
Walk back into child’s room. Repeat. 4 nights out of the week, shoot footage of owl-child awake with brand new digital camcorder.
Flash 5 years forward, and we are still walking Nosferatu back and forth to his bed. Still zombies.
Everything from melatonin, vigorous exercise, magnesium, joint compression, and a trillion other things have been tried.
I have pretty much resigned myself to the idea of being an old zombie. Then we’ll call him …
“The Man Who Never Sleeps”
Feel free to send me your suggestions, please, for the love of GOD!
P.S. Don’t let this picture fool you! I tried to trick him up by putting his little brother beside him to snuggle…maybe they’ll find comfort cuddling each other, and he won’t come looking for me!
Yeah, right. 5 minutes after I took this picture, he was hovering over me…THE CHILD WHO NEVER SLEEPS!!!!!
Mmm, hmm! January 30, 2008
“low functioning means they ignore your assets, high functioning means they ignore your liabilities.”
-quote from an adult on the spectrum
The Loudon of the Day January 30, 2008
Just your reminder of the day not to mess with The Loudon.
Look at his face, he’s like pissed Chihuahua plotting to rip off an appendage. Don’t mess.
Gratefully, We Have Terrific Services January 29, 2008
We just got back from Ronan’s parent-teacher conference, and YAY!
The first thing his special ed teacher said to me was, “I have to tell you what he was doing at recess! He was playing with a tennis ball with all of the kids today – back and forth throwing, chasing and talking. It was fantastic. I wish you could have seen him!”
I wish I could have seen him too!!!
So special to hear little things like this. I never thought I would get so excited by news that my five year old was playing ball with another child.
Basically, he is really improving in his ability to tolerate transitions and rules in school. He is hardly screaming when he gets frustrated at all anymore in his integrated K class.
His academics we don’t have to worry about - he’s got that Einstein syndrome going for him : )
So, really excited by that!!! YAY!!!
Of course, he does still have his challenges. He will still walk around the playground by himself at recess sometimes, and it’s hard for him to sit in Library – and the language is coming, slowly, but still improving all the time.
He is finally showing understanding of the concept of “why”. This is so huge! I am getting glimpses of his thoughts now that I wasn’t ever sure I would get to see!
Autism is a journey I never expected. But it’s changed me completely, and I am a much better person now.
Thanks Ronan James!
And many thanks to the staff at his adorable school, too!
Parent Teacher Conference Today! January 29, 2008
We’re meeting with Ronan’s Special Ed. teacher today, along with his teacher in his integrated Kindergarten class.
We’ll update you when we get back!
Seriously? Where Are the Services for This Kid?! January 29, 2008
MOBILE, Ala. — Billy Bass shakes the hands of dozens of people who’ve turned out to support his 12-year-old son…a boy being booked into the Strickland Youth Center after an alleged run in with his teacher at Causey Middle School. “A 12-year-old autistic child charged with felony for grabbing a teacher’s arm,” said Billy Bass.
Parents and caregivers for special education students say instead of helping kids with disabilities stay in class with their peers – schools are turning to youth detention centers. “We feel like child shouldn’t be criminalized or made a criminal in [this] situation,” added Candy Knickerbocker, a parent of a special needs child.
Parents say their beef isn’t with the juvenile justice system – but the school system for sending a 12-year-old autistic child to Strickland. They say putting him through the court system isn’t the answer.
“Why are you using the court system to help an autistic child with discipline problem?” questioned Bass.
The Bass’ say they know their child isn’t perfect – they also know he isn’t like every other child either. They say he was diagnosed with a form of hi-functioning autism – that means he has very limited social skills – and needs one-on-one assistance during the school day…something his parents say he isn’t getting and that can trigger a rage cycle like the one involving the teacher.
What does the school system have to say? Spokesperson – Nancy Pierce says under federal law she isn’t allowed to comment on a particular case. The 12-year-old boy has a court hearing set for Tuesday morning at Strickland – his parents say he is facing felony harassment and assault charges.
Ummm, Maybe I Shouldn’t Have Breastfed for THAT Long. January 29, 2008
Now, I don’t knock extended nursing. I did it until my kids could ask for it in full sentences with a please at the end. But…
Example #1 -
Sweet ABC school paper by Ronan James
Now, that’s fabulous. Especially all of the great spelling for a 5 year old kid.
Example #2 -
Hmm, read the title of the post again.
Letter U has an interesting picture for itself, mmm, hmm!!!
P.S. What 5 year old knows how to spell “udder” or even knows what one is?
This is what happens when you nurse until your kids are ridiculously old….sigh…
