Last night was bad .... so much so that at 4am I lost my temper with her and had to vacate. I shut her in her room and went for a drive to cool off. As I've said before ... I'm too old for this game!
The treatment for constipation is having good effect and her behaviours are lessening.
The funeral was held today ... very dignified and well organised. It was just as she wished it to be. It was a day that will sit well in our memories.
Friday, February 18, 2011
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
#176 Wednesday 16 February 2011
Last night I was able to re-book my Bali trip .... now 2 - 7 March .... almost exactly a month later than the first booking.
Kaylia's trying behaviour continues. We now suspect constipation .... and the resultant pain. We've treated her for that tonight .... let's hope it works! This is one of the big problems of having a non-verbal child .... she can't tell us what she is feeling. She can only act it out in behaviours that we struggle to interpret.
When I take the car to the mechanic, he connects a laptop to the car and it tells him exactly what the problem is. How I wish that we could do this for Kaylia!
The funeral is tomorrow afternoon.
Kaylia's trying behaviour continues. We now suspect constipation .... and the resultant pain. We've treated her for that tonight .... let's hope it works! This is one of the big problems of having a non-verbal child .... she can't tell us what she is feeling. She can only act it out in behaviours that we struggle to interpret.
When I take the car to the mechanic, he connects a laptop to the car and it tells him exactly what the problem is. How I wish that we could do this for Kaylia!
The funeral is tomorrow afternoon.
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
#175 Tuesday 15 February 2011
Well it has finally happened. Naomi's mother died this afternoon.
After two weeks of an unsettled household, Kaylia has been in "high anxiety mode" today ... so maybe we will see some normality returning. For those who have never experienced it, it is hard to describe just how (disturbing / frustrating / depressing / demoralising) it can be to try to calm a child in the grip of these behaviours. After a few hours of it you feel like screaming.
Zoe has borne the brunt of it today. Well done, Zoe!
After two weeks of an unsettled household, Kaylia has been in "high anxiety mode" today ... so maybe we will see some normality returning. For those who have never experienced it, it is hard to describe just how (disturbing / frustrating / depressing / demoralising) it can be to try to calm a child in the grip of these behaviours. After a few hours of it you feel like screaming.
Zoe has borne the brunt of it today. Well done, Zoe!
Monday, February 14, 2011
#174 Monday 14 February 2011
Zoe arrives 5:20am
This time all went to plan! We arrived home at 6:30am .... to find Kaylia waiting at the door! She was VERY happy to see Zoe again ..... her world is all in order again. Tonight when Naomi left to go to the hospital, it was very clear that she was not happy about it. I worry about the effect of me going away on Wednesday (.... if it happens!)
Kaylia's anxiety behaviours are a worry. Hopefully they are largely due to the hospital situation (which btw still continues ...) so we can figuratively hold our breath till the situation normalises. At present the 'nagging' behaviours are very wearing. The problem is that the things she nags for are activities (eg shopping) which will happen eventually ..... so at some point the bad behaviour will be rewarded in her mind. We can't avoid it.
This evening there is much sharing of travel stories. It's good to have people around again.
Later: Phew ... bed-time routine was bad tonight! I think we can safely say that the anxiety behaviours are in full strength!
This time all went to plan! We arrived home at 6:30am .... to find Kaylia waiting at the door! She was VERY happy to see Zoe again ..... her world is all in order again. Tonight when Naomi left to go to the hospital, it was very clear that she was not happy about it. I worry about the effect of me going away on Wednesday (.... if it happens!)
Kaylia's anxiety behaviours are a worry. Hopefully they are largely due to the hospital situation (which btw still continues ...) so we can figuratively hold our breath till the situation normalises. At present the 'nagging' behaviours are very wearing. The problem is that the things she nags for are activities (eg shopping) which will happen eventually ..... so at some point the bad behaviour will be rewarded in her mind. We can't avoid it.
This evening there is much sharing of travel stories. It's good to have people around again.
Later: Phew ... bed-time routine was bad tonight! I think we can safely say that the anxiety behaviours are in full strength!
Sunday, February 13, 2011
#173 Sunday 13 (I think)
Tina back from NZ 5pm
or so the diary says! .... but my be-fuddled brain couldn't handle that!
At 6:30 this morning, I was dreaming something ... and into the dream popped "Zoe ... airport" ..... I awoke in a panic .... (Naomi was at the hospital doing the midnight to 8am shift) .... I woke Kaylia and bundled her into the car ..... then I thought "If I've forgotten Zoe ... then I also forgot to pick up Tina yesterday!" !! .... more panic ... by this time we were getting toward Helena Valley ... quick - ring their mobiles! NO ANSWER! If they were at the airport they would have their phones on surely?
Now we were on Stirling Road (halfway to the airport) and it was slowly hitting my brain that there wasn't much traffic ..... I started thinking of Naomi's appointments that I'd have to postpone again .... then it struck me .... "Maybe this isn't Monday morning? Maybe it's Sunday?" Oh Duh! Turn around and drive home. Sorry Kaylia .... but maybe you liked the unexpected drive.
This gives you some idea of the state of our household at present! If I'm this bad, Naomi must be twice as bad .... she is under great stress and she is getting much less sleep than I.
You can infer from the above that Naomi's mum is still with us. No change there.
Later: Naomi has gone into the hospital to do the 8 to midnight shift. Kaylia has been showing today that she is being affected by the situation .... lots of anxiety type behaviours. This adds greatly to our stress ... these behaviours are hard to handle at the best of times.
We recently commented that it was good that Kaylia was shielded from it all by her autism (lack of empathy) ..... now we're not so sure .... because she lacks empathy, she doesn't perceive our stress and so she doesn't modify her behaviour.
Tina came home tonight after her NZ travels ... Kaylia was very happy to
see her. She's starting to believe me now when I tell her that Zoe is coming home.
or so the diary says! .... but my be-fuddled brain couldn't handle that!
At 6:30 this morning, I was dreaming something ... and into the dream popped "Zoe ... airport" ..... I awoke in a panic .... (Naomi was at the hospital doing the midnight to 8am shift) .... I woke Kaylia and bundled her into the car ..... then I thought "If I've forgotten Zoe ... then I also forgot to pick up Tina yesterday!" !! .... more panic ... by this time we were getting toward Helena Valley ... quick - ring their mobiles! NO ANSWER! If they were at the airport they would have their phones on surely?
Now we were on Stirling Road (halfway to the airport) and it was slowly hitting my brain that there wasn't much traffic ..... I started thinking of Naomi's appointments that I'd have to postpone again .... then it struck me .... "Maybe this isn't Monday morning? Maybe it's Sunday?" Oh Duh! Turn around and drive home. Sorry Kaylia .... but maybe you liked the unexpected drive.
This gives you some idea of the state of our household at present! If I'm this bad, Naomi must be twice as bad .... she is under great stress and she is getting much less sleep than I.
You can infer from the above that Naomi's mum is still with us. No change there.
Later: Naomi has gone into the hospital to do the 8 to midnight shift. Kaylia has been showing today that she is being affected by the situation .... lots of anxiety type behaviours. This adds greatly to our stress ... these behaviours are hard to handle at the best of times.
We recently commented that it was good that Kaylia was shielded from it all by her autism (lack of empathy) ..... now we're not so sure .... because she lacks empathy, she doesn't perceive our stress and so she doesn't modify her behaviour.
Tina came home tonight after her NZ travels ... Kaylia was very happy to
see her. She's starting to believe me now when I tell her that Zoe is coming home.
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