Asher's First Day of Preschool

Tuesday, Asher was FINALLLLY able to go to preschool!  The poor thing has been asking for weeks to go to school- "Asher go kool"- we held a bit since he was having surgery, and then he had his EEG on Monday.  

He was so incredibly excited when it was Tuesday morning, he could hardly eat his breakfast- which is saying something since he usually eats a ton!  We had already visited his class- it is the same class that Alden started in at Goddard!  His teachers are so sweet and his classmates adorable! It was nice to see him interacting with other 3yr old boys- and to see him fitting in!  He loved his first day and did great!  His only issue- he was distracted when he had to pee and kinda went all over the place...  When I arrived to pick him up, he ran over to me with a huge grin on his face and thanked me for taking him to school! I just hope this continues for the next 15years or so....

SO excited!!

Everyone went to drop him off!

Holding his lunch outside his classroom door!

On a side note- Annalise pitched a huge fit that morning- she did NOT want to share HER school with Asher.  Once she realized that he would not be in her class, she calmed down.  Guess it's an added blessing that they are no longer considered twins!

Asher's EEG

Monday Asher had an EEG.  Part of his septo-optic-displaysia is a possibility of a seizure disorder.  We had not seen anything alarming or that would cause us to think he had this, but it needed to be ruled out.  This test took 1.5 hours and he was amazing during the entire thing- sweet and completely compliant!  The techs who set him up said that he was their 3rd patient of the day- another child and an adult earlier in the day- and he had been their best one!  His happy, laid-back personality certainly are a blessing during these appointments!  

After the test we were able to meet with his Neurologist.  She shared the results of the EEG- no seizures!  He could develop them as he gets older, but it looks unlikely at this point!  There was some "background chatter" meaning that part of his brains activity is slightly disorganized.  This could be a sign of learning disabilities- but given his age and the fact that he seems to be overcoming issues left and right, anything is possible!

She also reviewed the findings of the endocrinologist and agreed that he is probably 3- 3.5 years old.  Also, she couldn't get over how much English he knew and how much he had grown since we last saw her a little over a month ago.  SOD has a wide range and he is thankfully on the least-affected side!

So handsome waiting!

He LOVED the windows over-looking the traffic- his passion for moving forms of transportation continues to grow each day!

All marked up and ready for the electrodes!  He is singing along with the Frozen sound track...

He happily watched and sang along with Frozen the entire 30min of the test!

Snack and more Frozen made waiting for the Dr a piece of cake- or a piece of Pirate Booty...

Asher and his Neurologist- Miss Perry!

Asher continues to astound the Doctors- we are excited for this and look forward to continuing to see him learn and physically grow!

2 Month Anniversary

It's so hard to believe that Asher and Annalise have been Perreca's for 2 whole months now!  Some days it feels like they have been here forever, and some days it feels like they just got here.  Our family is better, louder, more loving, laughter-filled, and just more amazing because of these two!  Adeline and Alden have grown and changed into even more amazing big siblings.  Al and I have learned more about grace, forgiveness and joy.  It hasn't been easy, and I know it won't ever be easy, but we are so thankful for these 2 new beautiful additions into our family!

Now, for the top 10 things we have learned about each of them....

 Spunky Annalise

1.  LOVES all things sparkly or shiny.  Her top moment I would guess would be getting her ears pierced!

2.  Sharing is HARD- she loves that the clothes she wears go BACK into HER closet after they are washed!  Outgrowing clothes is an issue we are working through....

3.  Fruit and veggies are her favorites!  She is learning to like donuts and bread- mostly thanks to the example set by Adeline and Alden, without that, she may never eat carbs!

4. TV- she still isn't a fan and rarely sits still to watch more than 15min, but it's an improvement!

5.  Books- she is learning to love them and will now sit for a long time flipping through them, making up stories that she tells out loud.

6.  English is quickly becoming a part of her chatter- she understands 100% of what you tell her and her sentences are typically 1/2 Lithuanian and 1/2 English!

7.  Adeline is what she needs to fall asleep- she needs Addie in their room or else she cries herself to sleep!  Addie is learning to sleep through her snoring.

8.  School is her favorite place- she asks to go before she goes to bed, she asks to go the moment she wakes-up, she squeals with delight when we pull up to Goddard!  We are working on not pitching a fit when it's time to leave and come home at the end of the day....

9.  Playing outside is awesome- she happily plays outside whenever we will let her!  She has discovered baseball hats and loves to wear them backwards when playing outside!  Happily she will put on her rain boots and tromp through the muddy creek in our back yard!

10.  Loving others- she is finally comfortable enough in our family that she is starting to love others!  Our neighbor, Miss Jennifer, the director of her preschool, Mr. Stephen, and my friends Karen and Kristin are her current favorite people outside of our family!  Still, she runs into my room in the morning to get her morning hug- we are so glad to see her feeing safe enough to reach other to others!

 Silly Asher

1.  Silly- he loves to laugh and make others laugh!  He finds humor in everything and his laugh is completely contagious!

2.  Playing outside is his all time favorite thing- he jumps for joy when he is outside playing!  He cries when it's time to come inside- you may have heard him at times....

3.  Trucks- all things truck-like make him super excited!  His most common phrase is, "Momma!  Look at that truck!"  So cute!  He plays with all the trucks we have and will often nap with one tightly clutched in his fists.

4.  Eating- he loves fruits and veggies and often has to be coaxed to eat meat and carbs.  He struggles with low blood-sugar and is excited that he gets snacks all the time!

5.  NOT a donut fan at all- this we will have to work on.  We love donuts and they are celebratory in this family!  He has zero interest in eating them....

6.  Adores his siblings- he still jumps up and down, squealing with delight when Addie and Alden's bus comes around the corner- he loves seeing Alden when he wakes-up in the morning!

7.  School is finally his- when he was finally able to go to preschool, he about came out of his skin he was so excited!  He marched in and didn't look back!  He loves being with other kids and is doing a great job at following directions!  Thankfully he is happy to see me when he is picked up at the end of the day!

8.  Music- you love it and sway in time to it!  He loves church because of the music and currently sings along to many praise and worship songs as well as the Frozen sound track!

9.  TV and Movies now hold your attention!  You love movies, especially on the iPad or sitting in Mommy or Daddy's lap in the living room.  You can now enjoy them from the couch and no longer need to sit super close!  Eye surgery has drastically improved your life!

10.  You are more than likely 3- not almost 5.  After lots of medical tests and specialist appointments, we are fairly convinced you are 3- 3.5.  This is actually a good thing since you fit right in with that group intellectually and physically.  Speech therapy is helping you catch-up and PT and OT will be starting soon to help with that as well.  He loves his new 5-point-carseat that he had to be moved to since he is too young for the booster....  This is a crazy change- but we are excited he is so young!

So much has happened in these 2 months- we cherish being a part of this growing process and are excited to see how they will continue to grow, change, and be able to communicate with us even more!  We love you, Asher and Annalise, to the moon and back!

Asher's Surgeries

Today was Asher's Big Day- he had 3 different doctors operating on him!  Since Al was called out of town, friends and neighbors jumped into action to help us!  Our good friend and neighbor came over to the house at 6am when Asher and I needed to leave- he was the first surgery for the day scheduled!  Jennifer took the 3 big kids to school and Mary, our other neighbor, picked them up so I could simply focus on Asher today.  Another good friend, Karen, picked-up Asher's pain medication and lunch for us- and she also brought my favorite, CFA Diet Dr. Pepper!  We are so incredibly spoiled and loved!

Asher's procedures went super smoothly- his paperwork was incorrect when we arrived, they had him confused with Annalise....  All 3 doctors said that he was a true champ- he will have a different outlook, literally, on life in the next 24hours!  He had his eyes fixed- he can now look at you with BOTH eyes at the same time!  His snoring was fixed by having his adenoids shaved.  His tongue was clipped- so we can now chew and talk correctly! His man parts were tweaked and thus saved him from possible infections!

We are so excited for this next chapter for him- the possibilities are endless!

Very early morning departure

Waiting- such a cutie-pie!

Goofing-Off while we waited for their paperwork mix-up to be fixed

All ready- so cute!

Before- eyes different directions and tongue a perfect heart!  Still in good spirits!

Meanwhile back at the ranch- the 3 big kids made it to school!!

All done- he happied-up once he had Mommy and some apple juice! 

So cool- juice and glasses- heading home!

All snuggled up- snoozed in Mommy's lap!

Speech Therapy

Both kids had issues with speech in Lithuanian, so we have been working on getting them speech help in English!  Monday was their first speech therapy session, but that was snowed out...  They were both SO excited to go and worked super hard for the Speech Therapist!  This is just the beginning- soon they will have a therapist that will visit them at Goddard!  They will get 30min each, twice a week- and more if we feel they need it!

Waiting for their turn- they LOVED the stuffed dog

Posing...

Asher working hard

Bossing the dog around....

Annalise working hard!

We look forward to seeing their English grow and become more understandable!

Annalise's First Day of Preschool

Annalise has been chomping at the bit to start preschool- and snow delayed her start by a few days.  To say she was excited is a huge understatement!  She probably asked me one million times in the 24 hours leading up to it, "Momma, me go preschool now?"

She picked out her outfit herself- she is a totally fashionista!  Once we arrived, she walked right in, popped her backpack in her spot, and started playing.  Her only hesitation was as she crossed the threshold into the classroom- and that was because Addie and Alden ran to HER teacher and hugged her- it is Mrs. Monica!  We LOVE  Mrs. Monica!  Asher and I ran some errands and when we came to pick-up Annalise, she pouted and cried- she did NOT want to leave!  I did mention we could go eat chicken for lunch to celebrate- Chick-fil-A- and she happied up.  I also reminded her that she could go back the next day- and that did it- she finally was smiles!

We are so grateful to have such an amazing, loving, and caring preschool where our kids LOVE to go!

Asher did meet his teacher and classmates- and didn't want to leave- but he will get his own post when he starts next week!

Cortisol Test

Part of septo-optic displaysia is cortisol dysfunction.  Cortisol is needed for a body to know to kick into gear if it gets sick or stressed.  That is a verrrrry simple definition.  You need to have a score of 18 in order to be deemed "safe."  Asher's scored a 7 on his test.  That is in the dangerous zone.  Once again Dr's were kind and 2 days later, Asher was scheduled to undergo a lengthy test to see how his body reacts to having his pituitary and adrenal glands tricked into making cortisol.  The test would take 3hrs and involve Asher not eating or drinking (2 of his favorites) from midnight to about noon.  If you know Asher, you understand what a challenge this was going to be....  But since this is a life-threatening concern, it was top priority.

I got to take him for this test- up to this point, Al had taken him for most of the testing.  We arrived at the Children's Hospital at 8:00am and checked in.  We were sent to the 4th floor where we had to wait for almost 2 hours to actually start his test.  It was a small room with 4 armchairs.  There were 2 other kids there- each having a test that Asher will probably have to have- growth hormone and glucose.  Asher was sweet and happy despite being incredibly thirsty- which is a part of another disorder he has.  The best part- the window in the room overlooked a major bus stop for the local medical college- lots of busses coming and going- and a construction site!  This little boy was thrilled!

When it was finally his turn- at 9:45am- he gave one little simper when the port was placed in his hand.  That was it.  The test involved taking lots of blood- over 5 vials worth- over the span of 3 hours. He was given medications to see if his pituitary gland would create cortisol and then if his adrenal glands would respond.  He did great.  Watching out the window, watching the movie Shaggy Dog, working on his ABC puzzle, and eventually napping, helped pass the time.  He was such an amazing little man! I enjoyed getting to just snuggle and comfort him- and he loved being the center of attention!  Once the test was over, he drank 32oz of water- yes, 32oz- and peed very little of it out- and enjoyed his snack.  When we got home, he passed out and took a 2hr nap- poor little guy!

We actually got results later in the day- which I need to discuss further with the Endocrinologist.  She said the good news is that he is no longer considered cortisol deficient- his baseline went from a 7 to an 11.  I'm not sure how that is still deemed "safe" and she said he needed to be an 18!  11 and 18 are not the same.  Even our Pediatrician is still concerned.  Evidentially what is "normal" can change....  At least it seems like it's good news- that his body does respond appropriately to being sick.  It still means we have to monitor him- he can get very sick, very quickly.

The next test should be the growth hormone- which will be just like the cortisol one, but longer....  We are thankful for the kind and compassionate doctors and nurses who continue to make Asher a priority- the people who were with us during the cortisol had waited 2months for their appointment and we waited 4 days!

Waiting- he was a true champ!

Port in and he still feels good enough to make silly faces! 

Sleeping during the final 30min and then FINALLY being able to eat!

His blood sugar continues to be a concern- he is a fan of nutella, cheese and being given food every 2-3 hours!

Snacks after naps- time to work on replenishing his poor body!

Cleared for Earrings!

Annalise has wanted, rather desperately, to have her ears pierced.  The tears that she shed where heartbreaking when she discovered that her Mommy AND sister BOTH had pierced ears and she did NOT.  I comforted her by telling her once her ear was fixed, she could get her ears pierced.  

We had her follow-up appointment with the ENT on Thursday.  He had cleaned her ear and put in a tube 2 weeks ago, but wasn't holding out much hope that this simple procedure would undo years of untreated ear infections.  God is good, and this time, when the Dr looked at her ear, he was astonished- it looked fantastic!  She didn't need the cat scan (which was good since it is designed for adults, not children, and if she had needed it, she would have needed to be sedated....).  She passed the hearing test for spoken voice (not totally passed, but we will take what we can get!)!  When the Dr said her ear looked great and would not need further surgery, Annalise got this huge grin, and started pulling on her ear lobes, asking about getting her earrings!  She totally understood what the Dr had said!  We are so thankful for an amazing Dr and for the healing of Annalise's biggest obstacle!

We did wait for Saturday to pierce her ears since she wanted Adeline to come with her.  Adeline was such a sweet sister- she held her hand during the piercing.  Annalise is one tough cookie- once she recovered from the fact that we would NOT be purchasing the $100 fake sparkling diamonds for her first pair, but instead a simple silver star, she did great.  She didn't even flinch when the earrings went in!  The lady who pierced her ears was floored at how well she did!  As we walked away, she literally was floating she was SO excited!

Annalise, here is to your fresh start- eyes and ears both fully functioning!  The sky's the limit for you!  Next up- preschool!

Waiting with Daddy for the Dr to come in

She makes the best faces- here she is in the cat scan chair.

Before, during and after- our even prettier girl!