Jaxen: 3 Year Well-Check

Last Friday I took Jaxen to the doctor for his 3 year well-check. Things did not go so well while we were there….

He had a major tantrum / meltdown.

The doctor checked everything that was required at this point (at times, while I held him down) and Jaxen is a growing, healthy boy (no shots were needed).

It is funny because here lately when someone asks how old Jaxen is and I tell them - I have been hearing things like “he is tall for his age”, “he’s so big”… but he measured right at 50% for height and weight!

The doctor had no concerns about his health and even (thankfully) did not seem concerned when he saw Jaxen’s legs. They are covered in scratches and bites and scabs and bruises. They actually look pretty banged up right now! But he just replied “he’s a boy!”. I am trying to put medicine on his legs (and arms too) and then put him in long sleeves for bedtime - it keeps him from scratching and picking, making everything worse.

The doctor did have concerns about Jaxen’s speech. And recommended (for a second time) that we take him to a developmental specialist in Rochester. It was recommended to us once before (before he qualified for speech therapy). I had started the process but stopped because he finally got accepted into speech therapy, thinking that would do the trick :)

The doctor basically said that he thinks a lot of the tantrum issues we are having right now are directly related to lack of communication. That Jaxen is getting super frustrated. (Which I think is the case part of the time, but not all). He really thinks there is something more wrong than just his speech, which is why he wants us to get him in while he is still young - so we can get answers.

I made the phone call today and now have to fill out a mountain of paperwork plus include evaluations and reports from everything he has done in speech therapy. After that, they will see if this is the right place and fit for him / then a phone interview / then a visit to their office. This process could take up to 6 months.

Everyone tells me that they can see improvement in Jaxen’s speech. And I can tell some improvement but here lately he has gone back into the mode of pointing, instead of using words. He has also shown some regression with ending sounds on words. He used to say full words - but now it is mainly the first syllable of words…which makes it really hard to figure out what he is saying!

We are considering an integrated preschool in the fall as well. We will see.

Through all this - I am just praying for wisdom. To know what is best for Jaxen at this stage in his life.

Our Sunday Selfie

(Jaxen was super tired, and I woke him up - not a happy camper!)

This kid is pretty funny -

He went on a bike ride with Nik tonight, looking just like that!

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I have a post on all my favorites from our weekend coming up!

And also - Nik leaves tomorrow with 75 teens from our district headed to the 

Nazarene Youth Conference which will be held in Louisville, KY. 

I know they will have a great time and I pray it is life-changing for all of them!