It has been a good day again in Graz...somehow all your worries seem rather non existent in a place like this!
We had swimming early this morning and Tayden had an absolute ball! If ever there was a water baby born, his name was Tayden! We have even got him kicking around in the pool, jumping off the edge into daddy's arms and generally just enjoying himself. He also doesn't seem to mind having the other children in the pool with him, unlike at home. The difference i have realised - the kids here don't cry in the water, they LOVE it, each and everyone of them, there are no tears, no tantrums but big smiles from each and everyone of them. The only tantrum at the pool this morning was Tayden's, when we had to get out...eish! I hope that this is going to give him a good grounding for home swimming, as the 30 minute screaming in my ears is hard to bear...
We had free time until play picnicso we went out into the city for a walk, Tayden loves to see the trams and travel on them, so off we went. We got caught in the rain on the way back but luckily we were well prepared with Tayden's rain jacket (thanks Kim!) and an umbrella.
Rob took Tayden to OT today and it was apparently quite bad, they arrived at play picnic with Tayden's eyes cried red and swollen and Rob looking quite stressed with scratches on him. Apparently Ingrid did get Tayden to crawl through a tube today but nothing else. At this point l am not even sure what they wanted to do with him, but is was unsuccessful. He did react quite forcefully though...which had ME questioned by the child psychologist later as to his anger and how he deals with it. Eish. Now she wants to see us again on Friday and interact with Tayden again as she feels that perhaps he doesn't know how to express his anger and frustration and she is going to teach him how to do that.
Tayden settled down for a sleep this afternoon after play picnic and then we went for a walk through town again. Each trip we explore a different part and a different street which makes things interesting and is teaching us about the city. Three things we know for sure about Graz so far:
1. There is a bakery on every street corner and sometimes in the middle of the block on the way to the corner,
2. When they saw that a tram is arriving in 1 minute, it is 1 minute, not 2 and not less than! We learnt that the hard way by missing the tram by literally a minute! Luckily it took about 5 minutes before another one arrived right on time!
3. The people of Graz have - before Tayden - NEVER seen a child on a harness before! Tayden's harness works well for him and us, it is a sense of security for him and here he can have freedom but we can still be in control of how far he wonders etc. In SA as you know, people make use of them all the time im public places but here in Graz...let's just say they have never seen it and keep it at that! We even had Prof Dunitz and Prof Scheer question us about the fact that we had been seen out with Tayden on a harness! Grief....l had no idea we were causing such waves!!! And more importantly, who saw us in town and reported back to them?????
We have hit one little snag here in Graz which has actually annoyed me quite a bit. When we registered for the program and before we left PE, l asked how much formula l must bring for Tay, will they have the type, I gave them the name etc. I was told to bring enough for 3 days and we would order more here, NO PROBLEM!
I brought enough for 9 days (you know how mothers are!) and have been asking since Saturday PM about his formula. Today, when l have 60ml left in his bottle l get told that they don't make his formula in Austria and they cannot get it. They will give me something with the same nutritional make up. Problem. Big problem. Tayden will only drink the pediasure and only the vanilla AND we find out today only the powder mixed with water. From SA. Not the readymix ones at all.
Jason's mom Jill was even kind enough to leave some readymade Pediasure with me, from the UK. He took one sip of the new bottle and spat it out. Wouldn't touch it. The same with the readymade Pediasure formula which Christina's parents gave us. Tayden won't touch it. So, if anyone knows of any South African travelling to Graz in the next 10 days willing to act as a courier for a 900gm tin of Pediasure powder, let me know please! LOL.
Jokes aside, l must admit l am now feeling nervous about this new development as l have watched him refuse to drink this afternoon and tonight. I am not sure what tomorrow will bring - a SA fairy godmother carrying a tin of Pediasure? - but will feel quite nervous taking out his mic key on Friday if he has not settled down to drink something else. To this point everyone has been very happy with his drinking and his weight and l know that is because he is drinking the pediasure with all the nutrients in it, like he got at home through his tube. He has refused all different types of drinks - and believe me we tried, everything from Coke, Sprite, Fanta, vitamin juice, water, juice, watered down juice, yogisip, soups, tea, fruit juice, normal mixer juice, warmed normal milk, vanilla milk etc - so not sure how this is going to affect our time in Graz...
I have posted some new pics from the last couple of days, hope they give you a good idea of what is happening here.
We had swimming early this morning and Tayden had an absolute ball! If ever there was a water baby born, his name was Tayden! We have even got him kicking around in the pool, jumping off the edge into daddy's arms and generally just enjoying himself. He also doesn't seem to mind having the other children in the pool with him, unlike at home. The difference i have realised - the kids here don't cry in the water, they LOVE it, each and everyone of them, there are no tears, no tantrums but big smiles from each and everyone of them. The only tantrum at the pool this morning was Tayden's, when we had to get out...eish! I hope that this is going to give him a good grounding for home swimming, as the 30 minute screaming in my ears is hard to bear...
We had free time until play picnicso we went out into the city for a walk, Tayden loves to see the trams and travel on them, so off we went. We got caught in the rain on the way back but luckily we were well prepared with Tayden's rain jacket (thanks Kim!) and an umbrella.
Rob took Tayden to OT today and it was apparently quite bad, they arrived at play picnic with Tayden's eyes cried red and swollen and Rob looking quite stressed with scratches on him. Apparently Ingrid did get Tayden to crawl through a tube today but nothing else. At this point l am not even sure what they wanted to do with him, but is was unsuccessful. He did react quite forcefully though...which had ME questioned by the child psychologist later as to his anger and how he deals with it. Eish. Now she wants to see us again on Friday and interact with Tayden again as she feels that perhaps he doesn't know how to express his anger and frustration and she is going to teach him how to do that.
Tayden settled down for a sleep this afternoon after play picnic and then we went for a walk through town again. Each trip we explore a different part and a different street which makes things interesting and is teaching us about the city. Three things we know for sure about Graz so far:
1. There is a bakery on every street corner and sometimes in the middle of the block on the way to the corner,
2. When they saw that a tram is arriving in 1 minute, it is 1 minute, not 2 and not less than! We learnt that the hard way by missing the tram by literally a minute! Luckily it took about 5 minutes before another one arrived right on time!
3. The people of Graz have - before Tayden - NEVER seen a child on a harness before! Tayden's harness works well for him and us, it is a sense of security for him and here he can have freedom but we can still be in control of how far he wonders etc. In SA as you know, people make use of them all the time im public places but here in Graz...let's just say they have never seen it and keep it at that! We even had Prof Dunitz and Prof Scheer question us about the fact that we had been seen out with Tayden on a harness! Grief....l had no idea we were causing such waves!!! And more importantly, who saw us in town and reported back to them?????
We have hit one little snag here in Graz which has actually annoyed me quite a bit. When we registered for the program and before we left PE, l asked how much formula l must bring for Tay, will they have the type, I gave them the name etc. I was told to bring enough for 3 days and we would order more here, NO PROBLEM!
I brought enough for 9 days (you know how mothers are!) and have been asking since Saturday PM about his formula. Today, when l have 60ml left in his bottle l get told that they don't make his formula in Austria and they cannot get it. They will give me something with the same nutritional make up. Problem. Big problem. Tayden will only drink the pediasure and only the vanilla AND we find out today only the powder mixed with water. From SA. Not the readymix ones at all.
Jason's mom Jill was even kind enough to leave some readymade Pediasure with me, from the UK. He took one sip of the new bottle and spat it out. Wouldn't touch it. The same with the readymade Pediasure formula which Christina's parents gave us. Tayden won't touch it. So, if anyone knows of any South African travelling to Graz in the next 10 days willing to act as a courier for a 900gm tin of Pediasure powder, let me know please! LOL.
Jokes aside, l must admit l am now feeling nervous about this new development as l have watched him refuse to drink this afternoon and tonight. I am not sure what tomorrow will bring - a SA fairy godmother carrying a tin of Pediasure? - but will feel quite nervous taking out his mic key on Friday if he has not settled down to drink something else. To this point everyone has been very happy with his drinking and his weight and l know that is because he is drinking the pediasure with all the nutrients in it, like he got at home through his tube. He has refused all different types of drinks - and believe me we tried, everything from Coke, Sprite, Fanta, vitamin juice, water, juice, watered down juice, yogisip, soups, tea, fruit juice, normal mixer juice, warmed normal milk, vanilla milk etc - so not sure how this is going to affect our time in Graz...
I have posted some new pics from the last couple of days, hope they give you a good idea of what is happening here.