Odin's Speech at 24 months old

Odin will be turning two years old in 17 days and I'm concerned that his speech is not progressing as it should be. He doesn't say any sentences except ones that were learned together as a phrase like "thank you" and "I love you"- He cannot copy after me when I say something, and if he manages to say a word, I might not hear it again. Its like he forgets. He also adds an "L" into his words all the time. The only question he asks is "Whatsthat" and it sounds like "wahdah" run together, no inflection at all. He doesn't actually converse at all, it's mostly just yelling at his sisters or saying random things from his favorite thing "Go Diego Go", For instance, if I ask him his name he'll say "Diego!" He has no response to asking him to make animal sounds. He can point them out if I ask him, "Show me the cow" but he doesn't imitate me saying them or tell me what they sound like. (with the exception of Llama. He does say that because he sees that one on Diego of course.)
Some examples of his speech are:

nay nup= thank you
nut= donut
ee= please
dago=diego
duh duh= anything else he doesn't know
et ee= empty
g low= playdough
et cho clats= santa clause
pone= phone
oooh= buddah
pen= money
mummy=money
klee= keys
glaa=soda
tloy=toy
no= snow
deritis= there it is
glacksin= michel jackson
ee=wee
nup= yup

woo=whale weeble=whale
ooh un=all done
ee all=snail
da=ducks
ah dun=my turn

dladdy=daddy
wee=swing

wee wee, mee mee, and winwe= windy

chloclate=chocolate (I'm actually impressed by that one)

up= help and cup

er= hair

jeb-brar= jaguar (from diego)

dop=stop

you=ewww

kliss=kiss (again an L)

jay tul= gentle

el come= welcome

tres=three in spanish 

quatro=four in spanish

poor=four

Pie po, pee po=Piper

Eye ee=Ivy

Eh a rah=Sierra

Geh=give

Do=two

Be=three

klee-dlup=clean up

et=hat

nee nah=banana

uh me=look at me

yo-k=are you okay

ah dun= my turn

If he doesn't know what something is, he responds with either something else, like exclaiming "Day go!" (diego) or by saying "Doh Doh" or making a hissing sound.
He does say some words correctly. Ball, Mama, baby, Daddy (sometimes… other times daddy is said with that "L" as in DLaddy"
He does get upset when we don't understand him, but it does no good because he simply repeats the word over and over again. If we ask him if he wants milk, he's just scream and keep saying "eeuck eeuck" which is what milk is I guess.
He says "yes" and "no" and they sound so much the same that I'm never sure. Most of the time unless its something about his tv show, I have no idea what he's saying until we go through the list of things he could want.
Am I right to be a little concerned? He is my first boy and I have 4 other girls that talked in sentences by now.Are these errors that are normal for a 2 year old?

I was reading about Apraxia and wondering if it fits that description. So instead of sitting here looking things up I decided to call CDS and set up an evaluation.

Ok. Banning drug references and hate messages on shirts in school i get. Making me drive to school to drop off jeans for my daughter because she wore pj pants today . .is ASS. It makes no sense and angers me. U suck BMS!

When Will Winter Be Over?

We're in the middle of a three day snow storm and I've about had it with winter! I know, I've said it before.. but I really haven't been enjoying winter much anymore. The older I get the more I desire warmer weather. Not only does it bring the cold and snow, but lately its been bringing sickness.

A few weeks ago we all recovered from H1N1 (the swine flu) Some of us were not hit very hard. (me, the hardy healthy one! heh.) And others were. Persephone had to be hospitalized in what was probably the scariest night for me. Two spinal taps, a catheter, blood labs drawn and redrawn, every exam in the book, xrays, .... on a 6 week old baby is not fun. No, I can think of a million things I would rather have been doing for those 4 days. But eventually she got better. Eventually we all get better.

Now only a few weeks later, and Ivy has been sick for two days. She's had a fever of 104 today, and been in bed since Thursday. Poor girl. She was so excited to go to school on Monday and show everyone her new glasses, but I don't think she's going to make it. Hopefully she'll be feeling better tomorrow but I think the fever will hang on. Chief complaints? Head pain, neck pain, stomach pain, fever, throwing up. I've had a headache for a few days now, sore throat and neck pain. Of course, me being mama I don't even realize I'm not feeling well until one of my kids tells me they're sick. Then I seem to take inventory of myself and say, "Hey... come to think of it....my head hurts too.."  I'm known for missing the obvious.

Hey Spring! Can you hear me? I'm done with this winter stuff. I'd appreciate if you'd come a little early this year. Yanno, make things green.. warm stuff up a bit. You can even keep it pretty chilly at 50 degrees if you'd like. Us Mainers will still be outside with shorts on anyway.

I'm going to turn in for the night. 5am comes early around here.

Pipers Scowl

Oh my. .

Piper and Her Snowman

Piper and her snowman!

Its Not a Fish!

Its Piper holding Persephone!

Almost the End of 2009

When you take a group photo of 4 kids six and under, its hard to get a good shot. Someone is either not looking, sticking their tongue out, wiggling too much, and completely out of the shot. This is the best one I got. I like it, even if Piper isn't looking. Again.

So Christmas is over. I know I haven't posted pictures of it. I will. But the tree is already down. I couldn't take it up anymore. Which makes me sad because I remember how much I loved the lights hanging up year round at the farm. I would stare at them and squint my eyes up, and wiggle my head back and forth. I'd watch how the lights would spin when you closed your eyes halfway. How they colors could all swirl into one. I'm not sure how no one knew I was autistic back then. Even to me looking back its pretty obvious. Oh what the power of the internet and google could have done 30 years ago! It would have made sense to my endless spinning. Even when I got older and played with my cousins, I'd manufacturer games that involved spinning. As I watch my daughter interact with kids, I cringe knowing thats how badly I interacted as well. I was bossy and demanding. I know why. I needed them to play the way I was playing because I already had it in my head. THIS was how the Barbies were going to play today. They had boyfriends and they were going to watch and movie. And pretend I said that I loved him. Pretend I was here. Pretend I was there. No! No! Not there! HERE! Uggghhhh over HERE! .... I didn't care what they wanted to do. I didn't like their ideas because I had already written how the playing was going to go. It was already in stone. You can't change that. ..... I watch my 3 year old struggle to play with Ivy because she wants to use her own ideas, and Ivy will have none of that. I've become a broken record; Let your sister play the way she wants to play Ivy. Let her use her own ideas please. Ivy stop telling her what to say. .. Eventually Piper gets tired of it and wanders off to watch tv, which of course leaves Ivy absolutely angry beyond belief because SHE WAS PLAYING!

I look at the picture above and I can see it. I love her to death, and the picture is adorable! However.. her arms are around both the baby and Odin, because then SHE is the one in control. I know her reasons. It helps to control the chaos in her head. It gives her consistency and helps her to know whats happening if she's the one calling the shots. But to others it appears controlling and bossy. And it often leaves Piper out..

One of my New Years Eve things this year... I can't think of the word I'm looking for. Promises... um...oh! Resolutions! One of my resolutions is going to be to make more time for Piper. To pay attention to her more when she talks and grabs my arm. She's the middle girl and she tends to get lost sometimes I think. I don't want that. I want her to know I love her and she's every bit as important as Ivy (chris and my first together and the one with special needs) and Odin (the only boy) and Persephone (the baby) and Sierra (the real oldest but different kid cause she has two homes) .... Piper just IS in all of this, and I want her to feel special too.

I'll post more later, PJ is fussing.

Persephone's First Christmas. 2009

On Our Walk

My Childrens Birth Stats

And finally all in one place, here are my childrens birth stats. Of interesting note: Sierra and Piper share the same day of birth, Odin is only one day off. Ivy and Persephone share the same birth weight, and Sierra and Piper share the same length. Record holders for weight, Piper! Sierra was the smallest. Piper took the award in length as well! Persephone took the award for shortest baby. Odin was the only baby born during the morning hours, and Persephone was the closest to midnight without going over! (why did I just hear the Price is Right theme song?)

Sierra Morgan 6-12-98 9:53pm York Hospital, York Maine
7lbs 4.5 oz 20 inches long
born 3 days past her due date (6/9/98)

Ivy Keriana 7-30-03 6:03pm Southern Maine Medical Center, Biddeford Maine
8lbs 11oz 20.5 inches long
born on her due date

Piper Anastasia 1-12-06 10:37pm Mercy Hospital, Portland Maine
9lbs 1.8oz 20 3/4 inches long
born on her due date

Odin Christopher 2-11-08 8:49am crowned on I295, Mercy Hospital, Portland Maine
8lbs 10oz 20 inches long
born on his due date

Persephone Jade 10-27-09 11:48pm Mercy Hospital, Portland Maine
8lbs 11oz 19.5 inches long
induced at 39 weeks (a week before her due date of 11/3/09)