Potty Training..........SUCCESS!!!!!!

We've been working on something pretty big in Mia's world. Something that makes her feel even more like she's just your average kid. And she's nearly mastered the skill.

We've been working on, POTTY TRAINING!!!
How did this breakthrough come about?! Potty training was something I'd been working on over the years. But, when it wasn't being done the same way in every place that she went, she never grasped the concept. As one of Mia's goals in her I.E.P., potty training was added as a skill for her to learn. When asked how I thought Mia would best learn this skill, you can bet I gave my input!

First, Mia went from wearing pull ups all the time, to only wearing them at night. Big girl underwear during the day meant that every time she had an accident, she would feel it. And since she hates the feeling of wet clothes against her skin, I knew without a doubt that this was the best method to get Mia on her way to toileting success.

The transition from one to the other took her a while to get used to. Because she's a very tactile being, the pull up was a comfort she had grown accustomed to. Underwear left her feeling odd, as though nothing was there. For a bit, it was hard to get her to keep her pants up! But after she realized that she had no other choice but to wear these thin monstrosities, she gave up and taking her pants down!

Then, her school started taking her to the bathroom in short intervals through out the day. Though, because they were seemingly spending more time in the bathroom than anywhere else, they lengthened the amount of time between bathroom visits. The pattern was continued at home as well, and Mia only wore a pull up at night to prevent her from wetting the bed.

Because Mia has always had a hard time figuring out what her body is telling her (i.e. pain means something is wrong, this sensation means you have to go to the bathroom), I assumed it would take a while for her to catch on to these signals the body sends. But, as usual, she surprised me! In just a short couple of months, Mia went from six or seven accidents a day, to NONE! Minus the number two issue, which she's now catching on to as well.

Now, Mia is wearing big girl underwear to bed as well. She has no night time accidents, though now she wakes up confused in the middle of the night when she has the sensation to pee. Cutting back on fluids in the early evening and making sure she goes pee before bed time help, but once in a while she still has to get up. Though she might be a bit cranky about it, I'm proud that she knows when she's got to go!

And, in most recent weeks, she's been going number two on the potty as well!! Well, Some of the time anyways! She still hasn't quite figured out when she actually needs to go, and sometimes her seizure medications bind her up, making it even more difficult for her. But she's getting there!

I'm so excited for Mia's progress in this area! And even more excited that when the weather warms up, I can start teaching her a new bathroom skill. HOW TO PEE IN THE WOODS!! (Yes, her teachers laughed when I exclaimed this notion!)

What, that's a normal motherly reaction, right?!

New Years Reflections

Well folks, we made it through the holiday season. Mia got lots of gifts from Santa. Her favorite being her new pink ice fishing tip ups! (Pictures of pink ice fishing escapades are coming soon!)

Now, a new year is upon us. While many people use this time of year to set resolutions, I use this time to reflect, and count my blessings. 2012 has been a busy and eventful year for us. And, an overall successful one as well.

The year began with a transition to a new living area, with a promise of better schooling to help Mia along in her battle against Autism. This move was planned for many months prior to the actual event. Mia flawlessly grew accustomed to our new surroundings. It was mom that had the harder of times. We now live in a city, with relatively few connections to nature. But, with some effort and searching, we've found that getting outdoors in the city is actually very manageable. And, it makes our further trips into the wild even more enjoyable.

After a few months, Mia transitioned to her new school. Again, flawlessly. She embraced this new setting and new people instantaneously, effortlessly, and courageously. She has made great progress in her new school, and continues to amaze me daily with new skills.

We also managed to get to some new outdoor places to adventure in, and accomplished some pretty great things. Mia experienced a bit of lobster boating when we boarded the Lucky Catch. We hiked to the top of Sabattus Mountain. We camped in White Mountain National Forest. We fished in many new lakes and streams, and visited several of the state parks.

Mia's progress is really what strikes me as astonishing though. This little girl takes triumph in jumping over some of her toughest hurdles. And once she's over them, she courageously takes on the next one. Potty training took her less time than I had assumed, with merely an accident a week at this point! And in the year of 2012, Mia has become increasingly interactive with not only adults and her favorite people, but with strangers we pass in the store, and with children of all ages. Just the other day, she walked up to a two year old boy sitting in the front of a grocery cart, and made her valiant attempt to say hello. She smiled at him, and gave him direct eye contact while doing so. His response of a smile and an outreached hand was more than accepted by little Mia, and she took his hand and giggled at him with pure joy in knowing that she was seen and accepted. This is truly an amazing feat in the world of Autism.

Now that 2012 has drawn to an end, we are looking forward to more adventures, and new experiences. We're setting our sights towards some upcoming ice fishing adventures, and planning our spring hikes.

2013 will be another year of progress and great adventure for Mia and I, and we wish you the happiest and most adventurous year of all!

Thanks for reading!