4 Years Ago Today

Well, a year ago from today I did this post about where I was 3 years ago from that day so if you want to see my largely uncomfortable pregnant self again, you can click on that link, lol.

I can't believe that 4 years has gone by in such a relatively quick time. I know I shouldn't be surprised because I have two other kids who hit the 4 year mark, but maybe it seems to go by quicker when you have more to deal with. ;)

I'm so thankful to have this time to reflect on the past 4 years and how far Jayden has come. He really is a joy- despite the times that aren't so easy. I love watching him learn and grow and run around the house singing,"Happy Burp-day to you." He was singing it to Isaiah, and I told him that it's HIS birthday. He says, "No! No, thank you!" Maybe he wants to be like Peter Pan and never grow up. We just got him to finally say how old he is(3 years old), but now I am trying to teach him to say that he'll be four years old. Silly kid. Gotta love him!

Jayden's appointment

It went pretty well. He has grown 3 inches and gained 5 lbs since the last time. The doctor said that he wasn't concerned with Jayden's nutrition(did I say he is a sensory eater?) because of his growth.

Jayden let the dr. listen to his heart and lungs, but that's as far as it went before he started getting anxious and wouldn't allow him to look in his mouth or anything else. Fortunately, the doctor has a great bedside manner and didn't push things. We talked about how he has improved with the therapies he has received in preschool, but I told him that I was still concerned about his other quirks and meltdowns. I showed him the pictures from this blog- thank heavens for smart phones! He told me that there wasn't really a pressing need for him to get assessed because he was already getting the therapies he needs at school, but he understood my desire to get closure on it all, so he set up the referral for Jayden to see a pediatric neurologist. It probably won't happen for a while because there is only one pediatric neurologist this side of the state, so we'll be on a waiting list, but I'm relieved that we have taken the step.

S-P-E-L-L

He really loves to spell.
Mostly things that he has seen on movies. Our refrigerator is covered with letter and number magnets. He also likes numbers. He's been able to read and identify his numbers and count things since he was about 2 1/2.

There is a term for the ability to read above the expected age level and to have an intense focus on letters and numbers- all the while having a hard time with comprehension and the ability to communicate. It's called hyperlexia.

Currently, Jayden's teachers are using these hyperlexic qualities to help him. They ask me to write a script for him to say when he is doing Sharing Time at school, and he reads off the script while showing off his toy or item. It's working well, but now he talks like he's reading from a script sometimes.

His favorite books are anything by Dr. Seuss. When his class celebrated Dr. Seuss week a short while back, he had a grand ole time! The only problem was that he hoarded all the Dr. Seuss books to himself and would get upset if anyone wanted to read with him.


Today is his 4 year well-child checkup. I will be talking to his doctor about his development and the possibility of getting some more assessments done. I hope we can get through the appointment okay. He has a tendency not to appreciate doctors very much. I will post an update later!

All Your Little Cars(and other items) all Lined up in a Row

A hint that might lead one to believe that Jayden is on the autism spectrum is:

And he gets mighty upset when someone messes with his order in any way.