New Progress & Oma's visit

After the last "spiritual experience" /episode I wrote about, the following day (4 Dec) Dylan had another crying episode. This time we were trying to get him interested in riding on the bike, now that we managed to pump the deflated tires with the new pump. However he wasn't interested. Mel & I brought him downstairs, thinking he will for sure recall the fun he had on it before. He was quite crazy over it when we just bought the bikes. But whether it's me cycling circling around, or Mel, it just didn't get him excited. So we gave it up & I requested Mel to bring the bike home & it's time with mommy to go walking. He started feeling insecure & started to cry.

He really wanted to go home but followed me up the flight of stairs towards the community club where there's a favourite playground nearby, still crying. He kept running back about 10 steps from me towards our block, but came back to me when I didn't follow him. After crying about half an hour at the nearby exercise corner, I thought he needed to go wee-wee so suggested bringing him to the community club toilet, but he didn't want to go. Then I said I needed to go and please to let me go, even if he didn't need to. First he prevented me, but when he saw that I was still going, he followed me, holding my t-shirt, and stopped crying. We then actually managed to have a nice short walk, and I gave him a short break at another playground.

From that day onwards, there's no more major crying episodes. Hallelujah! I'm so glad also as Juergen's mom is coming over on 14 Dec to stay with us for 3 weeks, and what trauma it would be for her if he continues like this! But thank God he feels secure again, and particpates keenly on our walk and stair-climbing again!

But we do have a new issue since the previous RDI on 1 Dec when we fed the swans & tortoises, as Dylan thinks it's fun to throw things - on that day he threw his chewy tube/hammer which the tortoises tried to covet & which Juergen and park-ranger so heroically retrieved, & he's thrown half-eaten sweet potato from the second floor of Vivo mall, in the cab, unknown stuff downstairs, smashed a bottle of medicine, when previously he would only knock gently on the floor to hear the sound etc. Anyway, we decided not to practice the throwing bread to feed exercise for sender-receiver framework for now.

Then Juergen also fed back to me one day (after Dylan's unsuccessful speech assessment on 11 Dec at AAS, unsuccessful as he was unwilling/unable to point to pictures of objects he's asked to identify, although he did quite consistently pick out the right toys for the assessor) of how much imperative speech & scolding I was into, saying ouch when Dylan steps on me/pull my hair, sometimes going back to my old ways of talking non-stop that he suggested I record myself for half an hour. Anyway, I guess I couldn't accept immediately but realised it's a good thing he pointed that out so I could go back interacting with Dylan in a more reflected (& non-reactive) way. I also took the chance to tell him we really need & request him to be present (body, mind & spirit) with us more often, and I think it was well-taken.

I also had a sort of crisis as my attempt to arrange to work part-time at my current job doesn't seem to be feasible currently.

Since Mom's stay with us 2 days ago, everything's been generally good & peaceful. We have more meals together, and even though Dylan still rather stands on his seat to eat, he doesn't run off so often. We went to Sentosa for a beachside walk after dinner, on Mom's day of arrival, yesterday we went to McRitichie - good thing we gave up on the idea of doing 10km walk as Dylan wasn't really ready to walk long distances, and wanted to be carried quite shortly into the boardwalk.

The progress I noticed is that he's able to take more variations - like my jogging/running then suddenly stop. Sometimes he tries to initiate and run very fast I may go along for a short while, but if I find he's initiating and just expecting me to catch up, I would stop. When he also stops & realises he's ahead of me, he would think for a while & even be able to take 1 or 2 steps towards me! It's really great to see that!

Also at the beach, even though he really wanted to sit in the sand or step further into deeper waters but I stop him, and told him we cannot swim tonite - it's too dark & we're not prepared I told him, see, we have no swiming costume), he would restrain his urge and just stand at the edge of the waters, and kick water instead. He's really come a long way and I'm so proud of him!

Last nite at the exercise corner, I noticed he's much more willing to let me help him with the different exercises. Whereas previously he would run off the moment I come over to assist him. While he still sometimes want to touch say parts meant for the feet & I told him no, it's for stepping on, he would not persist in the touching but instead step on it. He's also more coordinated in the "rower" & even the exercise where one sits (he stands) & pull the handle bars down to raise oneself! He stayed regulated, and let's me help him push all the way down, as he's still not strong enough to go all the way.

The biggest bonus last night was that after a fun neighbourhood walk to the exercise corner & he's feeling really happy with himself, in the lift I squatted to be at eye-level with him & I told him how much I enjoyed the walk together with him, daddy & oma, & I told him I love him & I pucker my lips & say kiss, he leaned over and have his lips touch/kiss mine, & when he let go & I puckered my lips again, his again gave me his lips & this kissing (regulatory pattern) was repeated several times. I'm really elated!

Oh yes, almost forgot to update that since our first session at Jinshin Jyutsu (pronounced jitsu) on 8 Dec (before the RDI home visit session), Mel & I have been doing certain exercises with Dylan when he sleeps (exercise involves our holding a finger & toe 5 mins each till all 10 are done) & we can feel his pulses & I'm wondering if this has contributed to his improvement.

By the way, I also notice Dylan's repertoire of foods he eats increasing- in fact, last night I noted he's eating all the stuff in his plate, which is exactly as we are eating except for the raw veggie salad (beef, broccoli, sweet peas, mushrooms, brown rice) and not his usual faves of fried chicken. This is really great!