Richard John posted an article on
BubbyTimes
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Feb 7, 2012, 6:58 am
Sue and I have been quite good at keeping it together with regards to Emily and her disorder.
When Em was diagnosed, it was badly kept secret, so it didn't phase us ALL that much. However, sometimes I let my guard down and give my imagination free reign to think what it likes. This is dangerou... Comment - Like
Richard John posted an article on
BubbyTimes
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Feb 4, 2012, 12:30 pm
Sue had gone onto the national autism website and arranged for a parent to parent call to talk to us about autism. I personally think this is a great idea, having parents in the same boat talking to each other, knowing we're not alone in the world.
We had great chat for about 90 minutes, and S... Comment - Like
Richard John posted an article on
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Feb 3, 2012, 4:13 am
99% of the time, Emily is a dream. Content, loving, happy. You couldn't ask for more.
The other 1%, she can be a real rat bag. Sometimes it's warranted, like when you tell her she can't have or do something.
Other times, maybe due to her ASD, you have no clue what set off the chain of ev... Comment - Like
Richard John posted an article on
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Feb 2, 2012, 1:08 pm
We attended our first Autism Spectrum Disorder coffee morning at Dragonflies today.
Over the next six sessions, we'll be discussing various aspects of living with autistic children and some strategies we can employ.
Today's session was more of an introduction, including a quite handy "wh... Comment - Like
Richard John posted an article on
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Jan 29, 2012, 3:58 pm
Sue had a call with Emily's occupational therapist on Friday and she was provided a lot of helpful tips.
The one I've really taken on board is deep tissue massage to calm her down. Seems that when she's over stimulated, Emily seeks pressure to help her deal with things. If I can give her a nic... Comment - Like
Richard John posted an article on
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Jan 25, 2012, 4:36 am
Emily's really starting to play up with regards to the Holly situation.
She's not eating at the table properly and dinner / breakfast time has become a bit of a mental warzone.
This morning, however, was one of those times you could have just brained her. Just before 2am she came boundin... Comment - Like
Richard John posted an article on
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Jan 24, 2012, 4:16 pm
Having had the Autism Spectrum bomb dropped on us last week, it was a case of kick 'em while they're down today as a draft copy of the SEYSCAT report came home with Emily from Dragonflies.
This report is compiled by a number of professionals - paediatrician, occupational therapist, music ther... Comment - Like
Richard John posted an article on
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Jan 23, 2012, 7:20 am
Apart from getting back into shape (recent photos are NOT flattering), I've decided that my priority new year's resolution is to be much more tolerant with Emily.
Given her recent prognosis and the fact that she DOES drive us mental with her meltdown and seemingly erratic behaviour sometimes, ... Comment - Like
Richard John posted an article on
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Jan 18, 2012, 6:15 am
We met with Emily's head teacher and the local paediatrician (who works closely with Dragonflies) today. It was vaguely billed as "assessment day".
We were told what we'd assumed for ages - that Emily is on the autism spectrum.
However, like all things, there is hope and light at the ... Comment - Like
Richard John posted an article on
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Jan 17, 2012, 6:21 am
Emily is now able to recite - from memory - 99% of Hairy Maclary's Bone, which is amazingly impressive. She gets stuck on who can't make it out of the building site, all cluttered and stoney.
Today she unveiled the latest addition to her vocabulary - "upside down". Of course, this being a smal... Comment - Like
Richard John posted an article on
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Jan 15, 2012, 4:00 pm
It happens. You go out for the afternoon and you forget nappies. OR you mistaken the newborn nappies for your toddler's nappies.
The fun is when the toddler REALLY REALLY REALLY needs the forgotten nappies.
This happened yesterday when we went out for a nice relaxed four hour lunch (or a... Comment - Like
Richard John posted an article on
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Jan 2, 2012, 12:53 pm
Emily's getting better at going to the loo (loo, loo). Today we went on the toilet, as opposed to the potty and she did two mighty logs... which visibly took it out of her. Congratulations were given by all adults in the house.
Holly on the other hand should be on Britain's Got Talent. Her bac... Comment - Like
Richard John posted an article on
BubbyTimes
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Dec 31, 2011, 8:35 am
2011 has been quite a year for our children in many ways. Firstly Sue got preggers in (or around) March and spent the rest of the year getting larger and tireder. Emily celebrated her third birthday in March as well.
Emily also started her Dragonflies school in September, which has been a gods... Comment - Like
Richard John posted an article on
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Dec 27, 2011, 4:23 pm
We narrowed it down to Chloe, Olivia or Holly.
While Emily and I went for lunch, both Sue and I seemed to have the same mental conversation with outselves - that Olivia just wasn't "soft" enough for a little girl, the way Emily is. We could go for a Livvy or similar, but it just didn't take.
&... Comment - Like
Richard John posted an article on
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Dec 26, 2011, 7:45 am
Our new arrival came at 11.45 this morning. She looks quite fine and is currently having a feed on mummy. We're still trying to figure out which of our name list she suits.
I had a nice 15 minute cuddle whilst they stitched Sue back up. There's a lot of newborn stuff I've forgotten. It's goin... Comment - Like
Richard John posted an article on
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Dec 26, 2011, 5:51 am
The doctor's been round, we've had a nice chat and we should be going into the operating theatre in the next 20 minutes or so.
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Richard John posted an article on
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Dec 26, 2011, 4:08 am
We had a lovely Christmas with dinner, games and presents and we're now at the hospital again ready for Sue's planned c-section.
Not sure what time the op is but Sue's having all the prep work done at the moment. Here's hoping we don't have to wait all that long.
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Richard John posted an article on
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Dec 23, 2011, 9:21 am
Sue has been examined and it's definitely c-section. They gave us the option of today or boxing day... So we're coming in on Monday now. Gives us the chance to have a family Christmas after all.
We get to come straight into the labour ward on Monday and hopefully have a baby around 2pm.
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Richard John posted an article on
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Oct 20, 2011, 4:59 pm
Another milestone for Sue and I tonight. We had our first parent teacher evening.
You hear about them, you see them in sitcoms, but you never really know what to expect.
We went through the initial feedback regarding Emily and how she's settled in during the first half of the first term ... Comment - Like
Richard John posted an article on
BubbyTimes
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Oct 19, 2011, 8:05 am
Had our first school meeting this morning.
Wasn't really sure what to expect, as I can imagine loads of parents actually work and can't really afford to take off 9.30 - 11.30, even if it to discuss their child's future.
As it was, I was only the second dad there, and there were about 8 m... Comment - Like
Richard John posted an article on
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Oct 11, 2011, 10:42 am
The last couple of days Emily's been battling the red raw nappy area.
It's been unpleasant for her, as well as Sue and I as we've been woken up through the night with Emily screaming in pain. I guess it doesn't help that she had the runs at some point over the last few days as well. That kind ... Comment - Like
Richard John posted an article on
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Oct 3, 2011, 4:04 am
Whether it's new school, or Emily's finally getting around to talking, she's actually coming up with new words. Some are helpful in her day to day and actually enable her to communicate - while others are just baffling.
Her books are on a higher shelf than she can reach and for a while now, sh... Comment - Like
Richard John posted an article on
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Sep 26, 2011, 4:58 am
First point - Emily never has a sleep during the day. She hasn't for a long time. If she does, she's ill.
Right, now that's out of the way, we went shopping yesterday and when we came back we were all in the living room - myself putting together purchases and Sue and Em lounging on the settee.... Comment - Like
Richard John posted an article on
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Sep 21, 2011, 3:30 pm
Emily has started to exhibit a strange new behaviour lately.
If she wants to be picked up, she'll normally get in front of you and put her hands up. If you're lucky she'll utter something obvious like "Up" and just make it incredibly obvious she wants to be picked up.
Lately, she's been ... Comment - Like
Richard John posted an article on
BubbyTimes
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Sep 21, 2011, 8:30 am
Emily at Dragonflies.
Got Em to Dragonflies on time this morning. The transport (aka a minicab with a driver and a council "escort") arrived at our house later than it should have (about 8.40am instead of 8.20 - 8.30am), but we got to Dragonflies with time to spare.
It transpired the mini... Comment - Like
Richard John posted an article on
BubbyTimes
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Sep 19, 2011, 3:25 pm
Emily, possibly in a school uniform.
Today marks the end of an era for Emily. The carefree toddler days where school is a distant memory and play, eating and sleeping are the order of the day.
Starting tomorrow, she starts to become a Dragonfly. Sure the first couple of days are light tou... Comment - Like
Richard John posted an article on
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Sep 8, 2011, 1:30 pm
We had the home visit today from Dragonflies. It gave Em's key worker and the head Dragonfly a good chance to get to know Em, as well as let Sue and I know more information about the forthcoming year.
We were left with a couple of pamphlets to review, as well as a couple of forms that need fil... Comment - Like
Richard John posted an article on
BubbyTimes
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Sep 8, 2011, 6:19 am
Still from the classic Next Generation
episode "Darmok"
Lately Emily has exhibited some odd behaviours. Last night on the way home from Helen's, we had to make a detour from our normal journey home to get some food at Sainsbury's for dinner. We took the normal route home, and then made a... Comment - Like
Richard John posted an article on
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Sep 5, 2011, 10:55 am
We have a home visit from Dragonflies this week, in preparation for Emily starting there later this month.
Neither Sue nor I are quite sure what to expect, but in the back of my mind I keep assuming it'll be a quasi "are you fit parents" meeting or a "should we take your child away" meeting. O... Comment - Like
Richard John posted an article on
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Aug 26, 2011, 10:18 am
I THINK Emily's ill (maybe).
I don't know for sure as she can't communicate it to me. It's a bit like trying to diagnose a family pet - she's got a runny nose, screams when she eats and cries when she drinks, but she can't tell me if there's anything specifically wrong. She's not hot, per se, ... Comment - Like
Richard John posted an article on
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Aug 19, 2011, 9:33 am
Emily's starting to make her intentions known, verbally which is good.
She's able to let us know she doesn't like something, which is better than nothing.
If we're reciting a song or a story to her and she's had enough, she'll start telling us "shh! shh! shh!". Likewise, she's started sa... Comment - Like
Richard John posted an article on
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Aug 13, 2011, 11:00 am
We had quite a peaceful plane ride to Canada, which is nice. Em CAN be quite moody and unsettled sometimes when she flies.
There was ONE incident that was quite shocking. I took her to the loo to change her nappy, and there was only wee. I thought she'd like a baby wipe down the back to freshe... Comment - Like
Richard John posted an article on
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Aug 1, 2011, 7:47 am
Got a letter through the post this very morning from Sutton council saying they've accepted our claim and Emily will be provided transport to and from school.
This is terrific news and takes a burden off Sue's and my shoulders. However, we're not out of the woods yet. We need to ensure the eve... Comment - Like
Richard John posted an article on
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Jul 28, 2011, 3:07 pm
Today I picked Emily up from Fennies and she was in high spirits. She was quite warm and I was told she had a bit of a temperature.
Gotta keep mum with this place or Emily gets banned for 48 hours at a time at the first hint of illness. I said I put it down to warm, clammy weather, not the str... Comment - Like
Richard John posted an article on
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Jul 17, 2011, 2:04 pm
We were out shopping this afternoon in rainy Croydon and being the people who know Emily best, took ONE single extra nappy with us.
While waiting for our food to be served in the M&S hot food area, we discovered that Emily had let loose the bowels of hell. One scream-filled change later and we... Comment - Like
Richard John posted an article on
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Jul 16, 2011, 4:57 am
After what seems like a lifetime - and for Emily it was a large chunk - we finally had our Paediatrician meeting yesterday.
Sod's law dictated that, having waited 8 months, I would have to be on-site at a client meeting I couldn't get out of. The only silver lining to that cloud is Emily will... Comment - Like
Richard John posted an article on
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Jul 14, 2011, 5:25 am
Who goes shopping in just a nappy?
Sometimes you can live in a deluded bubble. You think you're a supermodel yet you're so fat you can't fit through the door; you think you're a genius but need a calculator to work out 2+2; you think you can get away with white after Labour Day.
Sometimes... Comment - Like
Richard John posted an article on
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Jul 6, 2011, 5:03 pm
We had our first meeting tonight at Dragonflies. A sort of pre-induction meeting to get us ready for the new school in mid-September.
It was quite informative, which is always good at these types of things. They went through various aspects of what the children will be doing, what they can offer (... Comment - Like
Richard John posted an article on
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Jun 28, 2011, 2:52 pm
Sue had a nice mini-break in Portugal on the weekend which left Emily and I to our own devices. Father - daughter bonding or father utter frustration at child?
Well, it was a mix of both.
We went to an engagement "party" at a pub on Sunday and I spent the entire time chasing Emily and making sure ... Comment - Like
Richard John posted an article on
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Jun 14, 2011, 2:10 pm
Emily had this obsession for ages that doors and drawers need to be closed.
It came to a head a couple of time, when Emily couldn't close doors for one reason or another and proceeded to break down.
While we were on holiday in France last October she actually went out of her way to close... Comment - Like
Richard John posted an article on
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Jun 13, 2011, 10:34 am
Having spent a few weekends attempting to get Emily potty trained - to rather disappointingly wet results - this weekend we decided to give it another go.
Albert Einstein once said that insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. If that's true, Sue a... Comment - Like
Richard John posted an article on
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Jun 8, 2011, 1:26 pm
Today was the day the decision team decided who was getting into Dragonflies and who wasn't.
From everything we've heard, seen and been told Emily would SERIOUSLY benefit from attending the school. Daily and weekly therapies and just an overall approach that benefits children who have disabili... Comment - Like
Richard John posted an article on
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Jun 4, 2011, 11:26 am
We've got a pretty slow weekend planned, so it was decided that we'd do some forceful toilet training with Emily.
We've put her on her potty with no nappy on and let her read books on going to the loo (loo, loo).
She's also wearing cotton kecks, so if she does ANY sort of business, she's... Comment - Like
Richard John posted an article on
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May 31, 2011, 2:20 pm
Emily's getting there making herself understood. It's still a ways to go though.
This evening while I was making dinner, she brought me a box of cereal, telling me what I believe was "hungry"... which obviously sounded a bit more like "hong wee".
She's still crying when she's thirsty, hu... Comment - Like
Richard John posted an article on
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May 28, 2011, 12:44 pm
It's been about a month since my last confession... I mean post.
In that time, nothing of any REAL note has happened regarding Emily. She hasn't written a thesis or magically started talking on complete sentences, etc.
However, there have been marginal gains in her language and developme... Comment - Like
Richard John posted an article on
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Apr 27, 2011, 1:55 am
We've been in Oz now for a few weeks and Emily has had 24/7 mummy and daddy time (well, I was in the UK for her first week here). During this time, it's quite evident that she's come on leaps and bounds in certain areas of her development.
On the flight to Melbourne, she had tired of her books... Comment - Like
Richard John posted an article on
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Apr 8, 2011, 3:11 pm
A couple of months ago during a routine visit from Sheila from Portage, she raised the issue of Disability Living Allowance and whether we'd applied for it. Like any parent without a seriously disabled child (Down's syndrome, missing limbs, etc.) we didn't think we could get it. Having been told it'... Comment - Like
Richard John posted an article on
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Apr 4, 2011, 1:56 pm
It's a bit of a cheat, but tonight is the first time Emily actually dropped one into the loo proper.
She was bent over, as we all do sometimes, with a manic pushing look on her face. A quick check led to the affirmative that the turtle was trying to escape. As quick as you like, we ran up to t... Comment - Like
Richard John posted an article on
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Mar 30, 2011, 9:17 am
You get the books, you share tales, you watch videos, you do everything you can, but at the end of the day toilet training is just one of those rights of passage you wish someone else could do for you.
We're taking the first steps with Emily. We've got her in pull ups (although we just found a... Comment - Like
Richard John posted an article on
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Mar 21, 2011, 3:09 pm
You're not supposed to have a birthday celebrations for each year you are. That, however, is exactly what Emily's enjoyed over the last week.
On Tuesday, her actual official birthday, we had cake and presents and hugs and all the birthday things. On Saturday, we had a BBQ for all our friends w... Comment - Like
British-born, but Canadian bred for a fuller flavour.
I started professional life as an entertainment journalist but somehow segued into the world of Project Management, copy writing and SEO implementation.
Apart from my unwavering love of music and hatred of the music industry, I also love gadgets, tinkering and the internet.
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