Me and The City

One of the gifts DH gave me this year was a weekend in the city (sans stroller, as he put it).  Since this past weekend was a veritable heat wave around these parts, I decided to go ahead and "cash it in" before the New Year.  Why waste time, right?

I got a nice hotel on Hotwire (The Whitehall) and finally booked my massage at The Peninsula.  I wore real clothes, ate at nice restaurants (Fred's, Ralph's, etc) and shopped the north end of the Mile, though I didn't buy much.  I didn't even tell my city friends I was coming in, since the idea was to give my introverted self some breathing room from never being alone.  I haven't done a very good job of meeting my goal of "balance" this year.  Next year will be better...

What some people don't understand about big cities, is they are about carving out your own little space and getting lost in the sea of many.  I love the anonymity.  I read some books (the latest by Malcolm Gladwell and Elizabeth Gilbert, which I recommend) and walked a lot and sat and soaked it all in.  Sometimes you just need to be by yourself (in a city of millions) and trade caregiver for doing nothing much to get back to center.

Enjoying the fireplace at RL...

Happy New Year!  

The Twins are Two Years Old

Merry Christmas!!  Hope you are having a restful holiday.

The twins turned two on the 20th, and we spent the day celebrating at home, then visiting the pedi and having lunch out in the city, and driving up to WI (nearly seven hours) to see the fam, and then celebrating with all of them. It was a good long busy day.

The advantage to having their birthday during Christmas week is not buying them less than if they weren't near each other (of course), it is just buying a bunch of presents at once and then choosing a handful for their birthday. Terribly creative, I know. They were a hit too. Mari's favorite is her first "baby", a doll that I chose since I thought it looked a lot like her with brown hair/eyes, though she is "supposed" to look Hispanic.  Alistair loves everything, my easy going boy, especially his shape sorter (which always seems to be on the Spanish setting).

Our pedi visit was uneventful (no issues, no shots) especially since everyone is walking and talking since our last well child visit six months ago. They have both changed so much in the last few months, which is why we decided it was time for them to go to school. We also had their hearing checked recently and it seems they just ignore me on purpose. They are both just hairs shy of 3' tall (OMG) and they weigh what seems like a lot, though it is only about 25 lbs. Their heights (and heads) are in the 90th percentiles, and their weights are 30-40%, which puts them in the 5th %ile relative to each other.

They eat a lot (and very well), especially Mari, and are still on whole milk (since they don't have a weight issue, which is what gets littles on low fat), since the fat is good for their brain development and calcium absorption. So they must have inherited whatever metabolic issue I can claim as one of my key life advantages.

The complete two year rundown:

Alistair
24 months: 25 lbs. 6 ozs., 35.75", head: 50 cm.
18 months: 23 lbs. 12 ozs., 33.5", head: 49.25 cm.
15 months: 21 lbs. 12 ozs., 32.75", head: 48.5 cm.
12 months: 20 lbs. 10 ozs., 31"
Nine months: 19 lbs. 5 ozs., 29 1/2", head: 46.1 cm.
Six months: 16 lbs. 15.5 ozs, 27 3/4", head: 44.7 cm.
Four months: 14 lbs., 25", head: 42.2 cm.
Two months: 10 lbs. 2 ozs., 22 1/2", head: 39.5 cm.
Three weeks: 6 lbs. 9 ozs.
Two weeks: 5 lbs. 15 ozs. (he surpasses her for the 1st time)
One week: 5 lbs. 6 ozs.
Four days/hospital release: 5 lbs. 2 ozs.
Birth @ 36w4d (breech/IUGR?): 5 lbs. 7 ozs. (5%), 18.25" (10%)

Marielle
24 months: 24 lbs. 12 ozs., 35.5", head: 49 cm.
18 months: 22 lbs. 2 ozs., 33", head: 49 cm.
15 months: 20 lbs. 1 oz., 32", head: 49 cm.
12 months: 18 lbs. 8 ozs., 29 1/2"
Nine months: 16 lbs. 11 ozs., 28", head: 44.9 cm.
Six months: 14 lbs. 10 ozs.,26 1/4", head: 43 cm.
Four months: 12 lbs. 7 ozs., 24 1/2", head: 41.2 cm.
Two months: 9 lbs. 9 ozs., 21 3/4", head: 38.7 cm.
Three weeks: 6 lbs. 7 ozs. (finally surpasses BW)
Two weeks: 5 lbs. 12 ozs.
One week: 5 lbs. 7 ozs.
Four days/hospital release: 5 lbs. 3 ozs. (unexplained 14% weight loss, day one)
Birth @ 36w4d: 6 lbs. 1 oz., 19" (25%)

So no big party like last year, thank goodness, it'll be awhile before we go back there (kicking and screaming).  Big parties for little kids are for adults (as we know), so I decided not to go there with all we had going on this season and instead focused on what they do like: balloons, cupcakes, and their cousins.

I got them big gold "2" balloons  (among others) from Party City, and since they are learning their numbers and how to talk, they can say "two" and it is the cutest.

I made cupcakes from a mix (the horror) from Whole Foods, which was AMAZING.  It is called European Gourmet Bakery mix and we had both the vanilla and chocolate (cake and frosting).  Again AMAZING.  And organic (cuz I'm a freak like that).  Add organic eggs, milk and butter and enjoy.

Decorations (which amounted to cupcake liners (big and mini) and décor (picks and pinwheels)) from Meri Meri (like last year) from Sur la Table in Toot Sweet, which is the most adorable design.

They are really expert gift openers now and had so much fun celebrating turning two (and Christmas) with their cousins.  Happy Birthday kiddos!!

*The kids' shirts are from Old Navy



A Passage to India

We made it to India and back, but since this is not a vanity blog, I figured I'd spill the dirt on how things really went down. In hindsight, while I never really considered it an optional trip, since it was to take the kids to visit DH's family, I wish that we had spent as much time contemplating whether it was actually a wise decision to go at all, as I ended up spending preparing us for the reality that we were in fact going...

Kicking it at O'Hare

The kids actually did pretty well, much better than I even expected them to do, which is a testament not only to them, but the adaptability of toddlers generally, I guess. They didn't suffer terribly for the jet lag going over (there is a whopping 11 1/2 hour time difference), though we are struggling more than we probably should be (as it is supposed to be easier going West) now.  We are just now (over a week later) getting back on a good sleeping schedule.  I read some of the travel tips from the travel clinic (where the kids and I got a typhoid shots and meds for malaria and TD before we left) after we were already en route (my bad), so I didn't get the melatonin they say can sometimes help with that.

As anyone with kids knows, taking them on the road in any fashion just takes your routine and makes it more complicated and difficult to adhere to. And if there is one tip I have for anyone contemplating children (and especially multiples) is to live by the routine, it will save you (even though it may seem like a pain) and your kids will (hopefully) be as happy as mine are with theirs.

Anywho, if you are not familiar with travel to "developing" countries, among many other rules, you can't drink or brush your teeth with tap water, so we use(d) bottled. And in the kids' case, you are also not recommended to bathe them or wash their dishes in it. This obviously adds time/effort to the routine. We tried both boiled (and obviously cooled) water and then iodine added (and then evaporated) for their baths and washed their dishes in boiled water. We fed them almost entirely at home, which helps lessen the likelihood of food borne illness, and they miraculously made it through the trip without getting sick at all. MAJOR VICTORY! (Though in full disclosure they were both sick the week before we left)

Sadly, DH and I weren't so lucky. He got sick soon after we arrived and was very ill for the first several days (including his bday).  I was on a similar trajectory and even with the meds I brought over (and three drs. visits in six days for many many more) an infection took pretty good hold of my body and it was Thanksgiving (over halfway into our trip), before I started to get any relief and feel even remotely human. At one point I was laying in bed, as I had to do most of the time, was nearly delirious from the pain and wishing not only for my own demise, but cursing DH (for bringing us there), and the whole of India (for always making me sick). Not exactly a high point.

We bought the kids their own seats on the flights, which is the only way to fly IMO. We brought their travel car seats, the CR top rated and wonderfully light (and inexpensive) Cosco Sceneras, which they kind of inexplicably love. We brought their workhorse Maclaren Twin Techno stroller and (since they were gifted) the lovely Fjallraven Kanken backpacks (which fit perfectly in the stroller storage) as busy/carry on bags. We flew Lufthansa, which was generally satisfactory but unremarkable, though as DH always notes you must fly international carriers (rather than U.S. domestic) when flying abroad, as the booze is free in coach. (ah, the important things...)  It worked out that there were four of us, as on three of the four legs, we were on 747s, which have four seats in the middle, so we reserved and commanded the entire row, with the kids facing us in the middle seats and each of us on the aisle. The other leg, we were in continuous rows in a similar fashion.

The kids got to see Grandma again, since she left when they were five months old, and meet their uncle and new aunt and baby cousin for the first time, not via Skype.  Mari was a huge fan of her baby cousin, her constant refrain around the house was "baby, baby, baby..."  She also had a major language explosion while we were there and has so many words now.  There was a naming ceremony/party for the baby, which, unbeknownst to me, our kids were included in too, since they obviously hadn't had one of their own yet, which resulted in a heap of generous, yet many much to big to transport easily, gifts, that I was not expecting. DH's mom comes from a very big family, and since they now live in the town where she is from, after raising DH in Bombay, they are all nearby. The party, for immediate family, topped out at 150 or so.

The baby's name is Raayna, changed at the last minute from (my preferred spelling) Raina, which is pronounced "Rye-na" rather than "Ray-na". She is a cutie pie and in the three weeks we were there (starting when she was four months old) she really changed a lot, starting to roll and generally be more and more adorable. She is chubbier than my kids could have ever dreamed of being and I honestly barely remember my kids being such little squishy peanuts.  I got my baby fix, but am so so glad we are forever done...

  

While DH's family is lovely, few of them speak English, so it is sadly difficult for me to get into much of the socialization aspect of going to India.  This was my third trip (the first was for our wedding, the second after FIL's passing), and our longest and most unscheduled.  We didn't get out much on this trip, for logistically reasons, so when we did, it was nice.  I don't do well as a shut in. 

We went to Sula Vineyards on Thanksgiving, which was nice since I love and missed Thanksgiving with my family and I was just starting to feel better.  We had talked about staying over at their resort (sans kids) after we decided against going to the Maldives on this trip, but they book out several months in advance, and it wouldn't have worked out anyway given the kids wouldn't sleep on the trip without us.  Nashik is the "Napa Valley of India", so this has been an increasingly large part of their tourism industry (it is also a religiously significant city, so that accounts for much as well). 

Our vineyard pics are still trapped on my DSLR, so these are all Iphone pics...

Another highlight was when two of DH's best friends from childhood made the trip from Bombay to visit.  It was a meeting of the Alistairs...

  

We also made it to the mall to visit one of favorite stores there, Fabindia.  I had found some pillows for our room on a previous trip, so I figured it was a good stop for looking for textiles for the kids' big kid rooms.  I found a great sari bolster cover and shams for Mari that I think will be a good start as I start mulling over ideas.

MIL may come back in the spring, though I have no idea when we'll be going back to India.  DH would like to go every year, but every other is probably more doable since it takes so much time.  I don't know if/when I'm going back honestly, so he may take them himself when they are four (I'll be on an island somewhere).  BIL has repeatedly gotten turned down for a U.S. visa, he missed our wedding here, but he is going to try again.  What will most likely happen is that we'll meet up in Europe every few years, with various visits all the way interspersed between.

So, long story short, India kicked our asses, but we're back and raring to go for the twins' birthdays, more travel, Christmas, New Year's, and back to (pre)school (for the first time)!

Happy Holidays!!

When in Munich

So we made it to India intact, and our brief layover in Munich last week gave us a little taste of the local Bavarian flavors. Pretzels, of course... Yum! 

And I've never seen so many beer steins, though I betray my German (and quasi-Wisconsin) roots by not being a beer drinker (it tastes nasty and makes me sick).  Thankfully, Germany also makes great wine.  Gewurztraminer and Reisling anyone?

That Santa was super creepy, but of course the kids were totally into him.

And how 'bout these outfits? If we'd had more time, the kids would have gotten fitted for some of these gems. Classic yodeling gear, a la The Sound of Music or something.

Love the hair babe... ;)

Happy Halloween!

The kids dressed up for music class today and kicked off Halloween!  Since we were out of town and missed our classes last week, we were the only ones who missed the message to dress up on Monday.  Apparently Halloween is a week long affair, yep mom of the year, right here.  And since I'm a buyer and not a maker, thank you Carter's/Costco for the cheap, easy, warm and comfortable costumes.
 

 

 

Insisting on holding the big pumpkins, rather than the gourds...

 

 

 

It is supposed to rain and be nasty tomorrow, so I think we will just dress up and hand out candy, which I think/hope they will get a big kick out of, we shall see...

Six strollers

It might seem a bit silly to be buying (and posting about) strollers as we near the twins' second birthday, but I thought in case anyone was interested... An overview on how we somehow got to six, my goodness...

I'd bought a single Maclaren jogger (which they no longer make) before we even started trying to get pregnant, and I actually got to finally use it while we were waiting for Alistair to start walking independently, and Marielle was adamant about walking (I swear that girl would be driving if we would let her).
 

Checking out minivans for fun while daddy gets his car serviced

I haven't taken the kids out separately but once, so it hasn't gotten much use, mainly walks to the park (around the corner) this summer and fall. I was going to sell it, but now we are thinking we might take it to India for our newest niece (who will finally be named in a ceremony when we go to visit).

Now they could be taking me for a walk...

When we finally found out we would be having not one, but two babies at a time (well actually after I was already on bedrest with said babies), we ordered a Baby Trend double snap and go. We only used it and their infant seats for a few short months before unloading them, but worth it for certain. We also started with a Baby Jogger City Mini double (which I also later sold to pare down) and a Maclaren Twin Techno (their fancier double, since I'd long loved their Techno XLR) which we still use and love, especially for travel or whenever space is an issue. The Bumbleride Indie Twin is a wondrous machine, it might be my favorite (since I can't pick one kid, I will pick one stroller).

So Mari loves to walk even more than her brother, but still needs to be strapped in sometimes (for speed and safety), so I'd been thinking about getting a single wide double since I'd had so many frustrating times when the double wides were just too much of a pain in tight quarters.  Ironically, kids' stores seem to be unusually bad offenders, too bad they just won't get my business.  But at this point, I just couldn't justify to myself buying an UB Vista w/a rumble seat or a BJ City Select double, and I'd looked at the Britax and the others out there. But when I recently came across an amazing deal on a new Hauck Freerider double on Woot, I decided to take the plunge.

It has its quirks, but overall I'm very pleased with it. I call it my German bullet train, as it is a German brand.  Super slick. 

Taking our new ride for a spin at one of our favorite Swedish stores

Mari rides in the jump seat, for as long as she can stand to, and Alistair loves the front.  The ride is very smooth and steady, though I wouldn't actually jog with it, not that I do. It came with a car seat adaptor for the front, so like most single wide doubles it is aimed at (and likely perfect for) those with an infant and a toddler.

Still one of his favorite rides

22 months old

Going for a stroll in the city

(when did they get so big?)

The time just goes too quickly, it seems like mere days between my monthly updates.  Alistair has started walking exclusively (and much better) lately, so I felt very confident not going through with his approved physical therapy, as we'd planned (you know, after we didn't... ;) ).  Additional therapies (and children) wouldn't have/don't cost us any more, so you are welcome fellow taxpayers of Illinois. ;). We've just started speech therapy for both of the kids, so we'll see what comes of that.  Coming out of the first session, our first job is to get their hearing tested, which is standard protocol when receiving speech.

Marielle continues to do well.  As time goes by, I realize just how much she is not only my daughter, but basically my clone.  Always trying to help, cleaning up whenever there is a mess (and even when there's not), even rearranging the rugs and furniture.  She is so eager in our classes, it is like watching myself as a girl, it's a little mind bending.  I hope that I'm able to foster her needs and her little joyful personality, minus some of the negative experiences I had as a child.  And keep up with that metabolism, the girl can eat!  I got her those cute pink sparkly shoes for fall, but she much prefers (and is a bit obsessed with) her brother's grey Chucks.  That's my girl! :)

Alistair is, not surprisingly, behind his sister a bit in development which we've known for a long time, but he also seems like he might (or might not) be on a bit of a different trajectory.  We noticed when he was tiny, that he appears to definitely be left handed as well as having a strong affinity for music.  He is more sensitive than Mari, but is also acutely aware of others and (usually) their feelings and is very charming (he's such a huge flirt with the ladies, DH jokes we don't need to question his love of them).  He giggles like I've never heard before, it almost always pushes me over the edge.  He is so in love with animals, especially dogs, it makes me (kind of) sad we'll never have one, due to DH's severe allergies, even though he's been getting shots for years now.  It will be so interesting to see how their personalities develop over the coming months and years.

We are headed off to the thrill that is very small town Iowa for a few days, as DH has leadership training at his company's headquarters there, and we decided to tag along instead of staying behind. Our big trip is coming up soon, this time next month we'll be in India.  We'll be connecting through Germany this time and gone for nearly three weeks.  If we can stay healthy, which would be a first for me, I think all will be well.  Happy Weekend!

Exciting (school) news!

As I continue to ponder whether to send the kids to preschool before next fall, this is definitely for the annals of nerdy suburban parent, but exciting none the less.  Remember when I posted about the top rated math and science academy (M&S) in our district (10 minutes away) that the kids could go to instead of our neighborhood school?  Well...  Now I've just learned the district is turning our neighborhood school (three doors down) into another M&S academy!!!  This is what gets two STEM major parents really excited!!

Besides the curriculum, I'm hoping this will help boost our school's numbers, like it did for the other M&S school since it ends up turning it into a quasi magnet school.  Not that ours is a slouch (up to top 8% in the state) but the other M&S is up to top 5% (and top 20 of all in suburban Cook Co.). NB: It worked! We are up to top 3%!

I was also interested to learn that our district offers open enrollment for elementary schools with dual language/immersion programs in not only Spanish, but also Mandarin and Japanese.  They also have a school with mixed grade classes, which makes skipping grades much easier.  I was in a 1st/2nd grade combined class, which my mother still laments not using to my advantage.  But how on earth do you choose just one of these?!

The powers that be are really conspiring to get me to stop plotting out land in a top 1% horse country district nearby...  Well it's great news whether we stay or sell...

A last hurrah

Since the early summer, our family life has been rearranged for the big project that DH took on for our business.  Don't get me wrong, it was a great opportunity (courtesy of an old grad school friend of his, who is a professor at a local research university), but since I've chosen not to get help (or go back to work) yet, it has meant even more 100+ hour weeks for me solo with the kids.  We are glad to have daddy back soon, partly for me (and him) and partly because the kids are crazy about him, since we've finally come to the very last week of work.  We took the kids to the city on Saturday (since he had to go for work anyway) for brunch at Milk & Honey.  So so good and they are getting so big...

It is finally starting to feel like fall now, and I have so much from the summer that I didn't post about.  Maybe before November... :/  Happy Columbus Day! :)

Apple and Pumpkin picking

Since I see them every week at our local farmer's market, we decided to head up to the Royal Oak Farm/Orchard in Harvard to go apple and pumpkin picking this year.  Our trip to Goebbert's last year for pumpkins was kind of a bust, though we did buy some we didn't get to "pick" them, so we figured a trip out to the country was in order.  Now that the kids are bit bigger, they were all game for apple picking.  I have to admit I'd never given them a whole apple to eat, but they were/are insane for them.  Like they wouldn't put them down.  And now when they see the ones we picked, they go ballistic.  I guess that is the sign of a good new thing in their lives.

It is funny that even though I spent three fall seasons in high school actually working at an apple orchard outside my home town, I had never actually been apple picking.  I worked in the store, so I know more than anyone really needs to about apples, but I had never picked my own and neither had DH.  It was really fun. 

They had my all time favorite, Galas, but we also got some Liberties, Empires, Cortlands (for baking), and few others too.  It was nice we only had to pick a peck or about 15 lbs. (the min. for every four ppl, though the kids didn't count), but you can mix whatever kinds you like, that are ready to harvest, and it is peak season here now.  When I worked at the orchard, the Galas, as gourmet eating apples, were more expensive than all the other kinds, so I felt like I was getting a deal to get so many. 

They also have a petting zoo.  The turkeys and alpacas were a big hit.  Almost like being at Grandpa John's farm.

The forecast was sketchy, but given the radar was clear, we went for it.  We stayed for lunch, but skipped the mini-train (next time), and it started raining about two minutes after we started driving back home.

Alistair made us both very happy Friday night when he went on a walking binge.  Going the length of our open living/foyer/dining area several times, pivoting like a rock star and actually getting up everytime he went down.  If only we could bottle whatever confidence it took for him to do that and give it back to him in large doses.

Back to Boston

Our trip to Boston was pretty close to perfect, and that is saying something given perfection is not even our aim.  Save the elevator being down at the CTA station when we returned, meaning we had to carry all our luggage, the kids, and the double stroller down an obscene number of stairs in shifts, it went off without a hitch and everyone had a blast.

The flight out was in the morning, and though they don't typically nap then, Alistair took advantage of the flight for a snooze.  Marielle got squirrely, as is her nature, but thankfully there was an empty seat next to DH (we sat behind each other in window seats), so she could have her own space.  Flying with a nearly three foot tall (nearly 30 lb.) toddler on your lap is no joke.  They will be sitting in their own seats for the India trip.  They both slept, in their jammies, on the early evening flight home.

It took until the third day for them to nap well in the afternoon, as they do at home, so even with a 2pm late checkout (thanks to the hotel's rewards program), they were still asleep.  I passed on spending $200 to stay until 4, and was going to wake them, but instead figured since we were in a quiet corner of the floor, to just wheel them out into the hall in case someone needed the room.  Of course, no one even came and cleaned the room before we left our little camp about an hour later.

Since we got an amazing deal on our airfare (thanks to AA weekend fares), we decided to splurge on a really nice hotel downtown, since we didn't want to rent a car/take car seats.  He got the Intercontinental on Hotwire (our fav way to save on hotels), which in on the revitalized waterfront and new RFK (the mother) greenway, over the big dig.  Lovely place, and new since I last lived there, and a very short trip from the airport on the new Silver line and a few minutes walk to everything.

We managed to fit in a lot in just over two days.  We had dinner in the North End.  Walked a good part of the city (from the waterfront to the Back Bay) and Cambridge too.  Hung out with my sister and her boyfriend who drove up from NYC.  Had lunch with friends Steph and Vid after a three year drought.

Waiting for the train to the airport (where we can park for free at DH's office)

 

Attempting to ride the dumbwaiter at the airport

Watching the planes as we wait to board

The city view from our room, overlooking the Greenway and the Boston Harbor Hotel/Rowes Wharf (ironically where I went for my 20th b-day)

Ah, the Faneuil Hall AT (where I used to work back in the olden days)

Perfect fall day on the Common

Visiting the "Make Way for Ducklings" sculptures (they were all adorned with little outfits for Ovarian Cancer awareness)

 

 

 

Our crazy girl doing one of her favorite things, running with hands in the air

Smelling the flowers in the Public Garden

Playing peek a boo with his sister at Granary Tavern (highly reco BTW)

Napping in the hallway...

Time to go home... :(

Happy Weekend!  I think we are finally headed out to the boonies to pick some apples and pumpkins!

Early Intervention

It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood...

As part of our long journey waiting for Alistair to start walking, since our peds ortho didn't reco therapy, I decided to reach out to our county's EI program for an evaluation to determine if he'd be eligible for services.  We live in Cook county, but near the border, and our town lies mostly in DuPage, so we were referred from the former, which I'd contacted first, to the latter.  The whole process has thankfully only taken a few weeks.

First, a case manager reached out and we also later met at our home to discuss his development.  While our concerns were primarily with his lack of independent walking (gross motor), they do a series of in home assessments with different specialists/therapists (physical, speech, developmental) as part of the intake process and then we all meet together to discuss the outcomes and any treatment plan(s).  Our final meeting was this morning.

While I knew neither of the kids were setting any records with their language development, I was not overly concerned because they are both very verbal, though it is primarily pre-language jibberish and animal noises.  I was a very late talker (which caused no long term ill effect, save not starting kindergarten early, even though I tested off the charts), and so are/were my sister's (the speech pathologist) four kids (her 20 mo. old mostly grunts and her 3yo talks very little) and since they are twins (and he a boy), raised bilingually (English and Marahti), at home (where their needs are anticipated), etc. etc., I wasn't losing sleep over the fact they "knew" words (could point to/retrieve items), but weren't saying them.  So I figured they'd qualify for some therapy, though honestly I don't know if he'd starting walking sooner, if I would have reached out right now for their speech alone, since they clearly have strong cognitive skills, which the therapist confirmed.

Of course our little stinker started walking the week of his physical eval and also for the therapist, which since she didn't find any other issues of concern, he would have just missed the cut off for qualifying, which for each area requires a minimum 30% delay, based on age, though in the end she qualified him for therapy and recommended twice a month sessions until he is a confident walker (which is our primary goal).

 

We met with the speech language therapist and she also qualified Alistair for therapy, as she also did for Marielle, though a separate formal assessment for her, as she is just slightly more advanced.  Both of them displayed age appropriate skills, except for expressive language, as we knew.  She also recommended two sessions/month, though they will in essence be receiving four as they will be treated separately and together. They understand many words, but their regular active vocabulary includes just a handful of basic words (mama, dada, car, cat, dog, ball, block, me, go, wow, uh oh, and the like).  And though they are always surprising me with new ones, they have yet to string words together, which apparently they should be by now.

Lastly, we met with a developmental therapist, who evaluates global development.  She confirmed that both would qualify for speech therapy, and he for physical therapy. She also said that while it is good that he has finally started walking (though he didn't during her visit), since I told her it is still not his preferred means of getting around, which it should be, that she pushed for him to qualify for physical therapy to "get him over the hump."  We agreed that we thought he would benefit from this as well.

While I'm sure this varies from place to place, we were given the option of using our private health insurance for the therapy (though many do not cover developmental therapies) or whether to pay on their sliding scale ($0-$200/month, depending on family income/size).  We plan to opt for the latter.  I was pleasantly surprised we were given a choice, since we have private insurance, though I have no idea if our insurance covers the therapy (I later found that it is covered, though we've still opted for the monthly plan).  I guess sessions are expensive ($200/ea.) and the state pays the difference.  This is why I don't mind paying taxes, though you can add this to the many many additional costs of multiples.  Can you imagine not having the means to get your child the help they need?  I'm surprised how often I hear this, but I was also shocked that over half of the babies born at Prentice are paid for by Medicaid (no wonder we got such a sweet room).  Their services can continue until age three based on reassessments, and EI participants have priority access to public preschool services.

I'll be sure to give updates on how they do once we get going with the therapy sessions.  Anyone have experience with EI?  How did it go for you?

Have a great weekend! We are off to Boston tomorrow, which will include the kids' first train, plane, bus, and maybe duck boat ride! :)