Chewy Noodle and Other Musings

Over the past couple months Samuel has started waking up during the middle of the night and jumping into bed with us.  Some nights I notice him jumping in bed and other times he sneaks-in while I am sound asleep. I get tickled at his routine, as he always runs into our room to the other side of the bed where April is sleeping, climbs over her legs, and then crawls in between us to sleep. Some nights he is so wiggly that I end up spending the remainder of the night in Samuel's bed.  However, I wouldn't trade it for the world.  I'm thankful that he feels comfortable getting in bed with us and knowing that we are always there for him. (It also helps that he is small enough to fit in between us right now :)).

Another habit Samuel has developed recently is constantly biting his sleeves.  It had gotten to a point where some days his right sleeve would be so soaked that we would need to change his shirt.  We have read that this is very common of children with autism and it is a way to calm anxiety that he is experiencing.  For Christmas, April purchased a "chewy noodle" that clips on his shirt for him to bite on.  He took to it right away.  We are hoping this is a coping mechanism that will help him deal with the various anxieties that he faces (while keeping his sleeves dry).

Also for Christmas, we gave Samuel a weighted blanket and a "scoop rocker".  These are suppose to help autistic children feel more secure by being enclosed.  It's only been a few days, but so far Samuel hasn't really taken to either one of them.  I am curious if other parents have had good results from certain types of products?  We have found websites that give various product suggestions, but are not sure what may or may not work best.  Of course every child is different, which involves lots of trial and error.

It is nice to have this week off from work so I can spend some quality time with April and the boys.  Samuel is a little confused about why I am home and how come he is not going to school.  Cameron, on the other hand, is enjoying it just fine!  We have still been mentioning school to Samuel in an attempt to keep him mindful of it, but I don't think he has a concept of time, especially when it involves something a week out. Hopefully, this vacation will not throw him off too much, so he can return to his normal week routine when school starts back.

Thank you for the many kind words that were expressed after I mentioned this blog on Facebook.  It is extremely encouraging to know how much support is out there.  Writing this blog is therapeutic for me, but I mostly hope that it will bring joy and awareness to those that take the time to read it.  I'm hopeful that it will be something positive for other parents out there and be a forum to share experiences with one another. God has great things in store for Samuel and I feel incredibly blessed to be on the ride!