I am very embarrassed to see I have not posted. Life is busy, but we are blessed!!! I went back to work and it has been a huge adjustment to my energy level and down time between therapy, karate, school, and church, Bible study....no time to excercise. No time to catch my breath. I have enjoyed teaching, but honestly it takes time away from my duties at home in order for our house and schedules to flow.
Carley is a green bet in karate and starting to participate in tournamnets. She enjoys it and we are excited she has something all her own. We are so proud of all her hard work at school as she continues to be on honor roll and is a great artist and author.
Caroline is thriving at her new school. Her language is blossoming and she is talking in small sentences more often than one word utterances. She enjoys coffee milk as her mom seems to drive through Starbucks all too often. She even requests coffee in the am while I am making my coffee on the keurig.
We have a new dog we were able to rescue from the GREAT rescue .She is a red golden and her name is LACEY. We still have pictures of our Lucy Pup and remember her sweet calm temperament and what a great pet she was. Lacey is sweet and about 3.5 years old. She loves being the center of attention. Her and Caroline seem jealous of one another. Cameron seems to be the only one to walk her these days. But she loves laying wiht me on the couch and in my bed. She keeps me company.
Caroline is receiving great therapies at school and is standing with leg braces and asssistance for longer periods of time. She is a big girl and a joy most times. I am struggling to handle her moods and her body physiclly as she is now 49 pounds. One of our newest ways of God's provisioin in our life is through Shriner's hospital. We go about three times a year the orthopaedic hospital happens to be in Tampa. Most of her physical needs medically fall under orthopedic. We will get new foot braces and a new back brace for her scoliosis this week. We are under no obligation to pay for her braces or x- rays - or doctor visits. We are able to take her here until she is 21 years of age. We are on a waiting list to receive help with her diapers and respite needs as we need help continually with getting a break from her care to take Carley places or just a physical break. We are on a four year waiting list. My hopes are to potty train her and my only hope is time training at this point. It is a challenge that she does not walk and her muscle weakness affectes her bowel and bladder control. Just not giving up on my dream of her walking and potty training.
Please pray for Caroline to lose weight. Please pray for my stamina as a mom for both of my girls.
Happy New Year and Happy Valentine's Day!!!!
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
Thursday, June 14, 2012
May - 2011
This month has had many highs and lows for our family. I have so much to talk about I will try to be brief! We lost our beloved pet of almost eleven years at the start of this month. I have really missed her company and wish she had not gone so fast. Golden Retrievers are very sweet and have an easy nature about them. Caroline thinks she is in her crate. Carley is understanding as much as she can that Lucy is in heaven. We were all able to say goodbye before she passed away. We decided to take a mini vacation with the girls after such a heavy month. We rented an RV and took the girls camping at the Fort Wilderness Campground. We really enjoyed our down time and Caroline and Carley did great! I have to say it beats tent camping! We also spent some time in Longboat Key with some dear friends from Tennessee. Then the last week of school came and went and we are right in the middle of a busy summer. Caroline has therapy twice a week. Carley has karate and art classes. And I have begun my search for a golden retriever. Before Lucy got sick I began the process of applying for a scholarship for Caroline to attend school in our adjacent county with a great special needs program and knew it may be tough to get into. We received her scholarship last Thursday and had a school tour last Friday and met with assistant and head principal. We were not guaranteed a spot, but received our letter of acceptance yesterday! We are thrilled!!!! She will be able to be there through fifth grade. We will not have to re apply for her scholarship. It is a much more positive and smaller environment for Caroline. She will receive music therapy, OT, PT, and SPL as well as adaptive PE.
She will be in a room of varying exceptionalities K, 1st, and 2nd graders. The last two years have been hard and quite an emotional roller coaster learning the way to navigate my way thorough the public school system of special needs and I.E.P meetings and attempting to meet Caroline's needs.
I am truly grateful for God's timing and allowing all of these things to fall into place for our family. The Bible tells us that our steps are ordered by The Lord. It is a great comfort in knowing when things are chaotic and the way is rocky that each of our steps are ordered by God. Carley has some pretty exciting things going for her next year too! She is able to loop into second grade with her same teachers from First Grade. She has two full time teachers and they are both equally wonderful and we will get to have them again next year! She received awards for all E's this year and a year of great behavior and citizenship! I am encouraged that we hopefully will find a dog soon that will be a good fit for our family. I just never knew how much Lucy would be missed.
She will be in a room of varying exceptionalities K, 1st, and 2nd graders. The last two years have been hard and quite an emotional roller coaster learning the way to navigate my way thorough the public school system of special needs and I.E.P meetings and attempting to meet Caroline's needs.
I am truly grateful for God's timing and allowing all of these things to fall into place for our family. The Bible tells us that our steps are ordered by The Lord. It is a great comfort in knowing when things are chaotic and the way is rocky that each of our steps are ordered by God. Carley has some pretty exciting things going for her next year too! She is able to loop into second grade with her same teachers from First Grade. She has two full time teachers and they are both equally wonderful and we will get to have them again next year! She received awards for all E's this year and a year of great behavior and citizenship! I am encouraged that we hopefully will find a dog soon that will be a good fit for our family. I just never knew how much Lucy would be missed.
Thursday, April 26, 2012
School next fall
We need prayers for direction and peace for Caroline's school next year. We have applied for a scholarship that will allow her to attend a public school in the adjoining county without us home or moving. I however wanted one more year at her private school, but may not be able to do both next year due to receving the scholarship. Caroline's speech is really flourishing. She is beginning to speak in one to two words and even sentences. She told me, " I want milk." and "No, I want it!"
She has a great personality and is very aware of things going on in her environment. She is able to even notice when things are out of place. Her way of communicating the differences to me crack me up!!!!
We recently have hired a college student to help with respite care. My back is hurting as well as my hip. I need help almost daily, but we are affording two times a week. It has been a huge help!!!
We also have been accepted to Shriner's for orthopaedic care for Caroline. We will receive a free evaluation as well as possibly a back brace, wheelchair, and orthotics. We are thrilled at God's continued provision for our little girl!!!!
She has a great personality and is very aware of things going on in her environment. She is able to even notice when things are out of place. Her way of communicating the differences to me crack me up!!!!
We recently have hired a college student to help with respite care. My back is hurting as well as my hip. I need help almost daily, but we are affording two times a week. It has been a huge help!!!
We also have been accepted to Shriner's for orthopaedic care for Caroline. We will receive a free evaluation as well as possibly a back brace, wheelchair, and orthotics. We are thrilled at God's continued provision for our little girl!!!!
Mole
Caroline had a very dark mole on her head underneath her hair and ws not obviously visible. I noticed it a year ago. It was noticed again about 3- 4 months which I decided we needed to go see the pediatric dermatologist. She biopsied it right away and called me Monday night and said it all needed to be removed as it was precancerous. We are so grateful we caught this in time!
Monday, April 2, 2012
Spring 2012
It has been a long while since an update from the Abbott family. So we are in full swing! Looking forward to summer. We spent spring break at home this year. Carley has started back to karate and is really enjoying it! She stillloves first grade and I love her funny personality! She loves to read and play Barbies. Most of all she really likes playing with her friends! She just recently went down the waterslide in our neighborhood after two years of coaxing! She has strong opinions and a mind of her own and pretty much only does things when she decides.
Caroline is usually her happy self. She is really into listening to music CD's in her room more thanbooks these days. She can turn the volume up and down and knows which songs are on which CD. SHe pops them in and out at her discretion. We call her DJ Jazzy Caroline. She is growing longer and wider unfortunatley. She can get frustrated when she is told no and easily angers into a crying fit. Her speech as really taken off and she says two - to three word phrases.
We were given agreat gift in December a wheel chair that has really helped us with mobility and travel. Caroline still has a stander and a gait trainer. She enjoys her trike best, but needs to develop stronger muscles and stamina to stand and step. It is a long long journey. We have not been wearing th a back brace often enough because it is so restrictive and cumbersome. She also now sleeps in leg braces calle dpedi wraps becaus eher legs are getting stiff a teh knees and bowing. I worry she won't stnad and yeat get pretty discouraged with all the details of her braces and daily treatment machines and her wheel chair and stander. Sometimes I feel overwhelmed and that it is alot. I feel her pain when she cries. She jsut plain gets sick and tired of always being put in devices and never allowed to decide things for herself. I get it!!!! But time is not on our side so I try to roll with it and do what I can. I need strength adn more consistency in her daily therapy needs. We have recently hired a college stuent to help us with Caroline twice a week to bathe and feed her and tak eher on walks and do her treatments. I have really enjoyed being able to take Carley to karate and get our hous ein better order while I have special help. Our college girl is great with Caroline and is just the extra pair of hands I need!
Caroline is usually her happy self. She is really into listening to music CD's in her room more thanbooks these days. She can turn the volume up and down and knows which songs are on which CD. SHe pops them in and out at her discretion. We call her DJ Jazzy Caroline. She is growing longer and wider unfortunatley. She can get frustrated when she is told no and easily angers into a crying fit. Her speech as really taken off and she says two - to three word phrases.
We were given agreat gift in December a wheel chair that has really helped us with mobility and travel. Caroline still has a stander and a gait trainer. She enjoys her trike best, but needs to develop stronger muscles and stamina to stand and step. It is a long long journey. We have not been wearing th a back brace often enough because it is so restrictive and cumbersome. She also now sleeps in leg braces calle dpedi wraps becaus eher legs are getting stiff a teh knees and bowing. I worry she won't stnad and yeat get pretty discouraged with all the details of her braces and daily treatment machines and her wheel chair and stander. Sometimes I feel overwhelmed and that it is alot. I feel her pain when she cries. She jsut plain gets sick and tired of always being put in devices and never allowed to decide things for herself. I get it!!!! But time is not on our side so I try to roll with it and do what I can. I need strength adn more consistency in her daily therapy needs. We have recently hired a college stuent to help us with Caroline twice a week to bathe and feed her and tak eher on walks and do her treatments. I have really enjoyed being able to take Carley to karate and get our hous ein better order while I have special help. Our college girl is great with Caroline and is just the extra pair of hands I need!
Monday, January 9, 2012
A New Year 2012
Happy New Year! We have had eventful eventful 2011. I will recap some things about our busy lives. Carley is enjoying school and Girls Scouts this school year. She is learning to ride her bike and roller skate. We are hopeful for her as her mom was uncoordinated in these areas. She loves to read chapter books and barbies and playing with friends.
Cam is continually busy at work, but seems to get home a bit earlier than last year. He also has been provided a company car which allows us to meet Caroline's needs. We hope this is not a temporary thing. I have been able to join weight watchers and substitute teach at Caroline's private pre-school. I love it!!!! Caroline has progressed to one and two spoken words in her speech. Her personality as come shining through. She is funny, but so very opinionated and stubborn. She asks me every day to take her "shoes off" and "clothes off". She is not able to crawl or walk yet. My deepest desire is to have her stand and take side steps this calendar year!
She has a great pt who donated a new gait trainer to us and we are hopeful as it is just the right size for her. She still uses her stander for leg strengthening and a back brace at night for scoliosis.
We also were given a huge blessing as our insurance will not cover all of this durable medical equipment. We have special friends and neighbors who are allowing us to use a whee chair that happens to fit Caroline perfectly. She is 35 pounds of dead weight and cumbersome to hold and move now. The wheelchair allows us to go to church easier and walk in parking lots. It allows us to give her a place to eat when there are no highchairs. And it takes the stress off of my back.
She loves to be sitting tall in a very comfy gel seat! This was a tough decision for me to decide because I do not want to give up on her walking!!!! However, God used my friend at the right time to say we want you to use this. I needed it , but was so afraid. It is a blessing and she likes it!
We are at a school five days a week and private pt on Wednesdays in St. Augustine. We have a nice schedule. But I could not do it without my friends who help with Carley when I need assistance for pick up. God hears our prayers and provides for our deepest needs. I pray this year will hold much spiritual growth for myself as well as you. Thank you for reading our blog and praying for us as you think of it! One more praise! Caroline has had no seizures on her medicine!!!!
Cam is continually busy at work, but seems to get home a bit earlier than last year. He also has been provided a company car which allows us to meet Caroline's needs. We hope this is not a temporary thing. I have been able to join weight watchers and substitute teach at Caroline's private pre-school. I love it!!!! Caroline has progressed to one and two spoken words in her speech. Her personality as come shining through. She is funny, but so very opinionated and stubborn. She asks me every day to take her "shoes off" and "clothes off". She is not able to crawl or walk yet. My deepest desire is to have her stand and take side steps this calendar year!
She has a great pt who donated a new gait trainer to us and we are hopeful as it is just the right size for her. She still uses her stander for leg strengthening and a back brace at night for scoliosis.
We also were given a huge blessing as our insurance will not cover all of this durable medical equipment. We have special friends and neighbors who are allowing us to use a whee chair that happens to fit Caroline perfectly. She is 35 pounds of dead weight and cumbersome to hold and move now. The wheelchair allows us to go to church easier and walk in parking lots. It allows us to give her a place to eat when there are no highchairs. And it takes the stress off of my back.
She loves to be sitting tall in a very comfy gel seat! This was a tough decision for me to decide because I do not want to give up on her walking!!!! However, God used my friend at the right time to say we want you to use this. I needed it , but was so afraid. It is a blessing and she likes it!
We are at a school five days a week and private pt on Wednesdays in St. Augustine. We have a nice schedule. But I could not do it without my friends who help with Carley when I need assistance for pick up. God hears our prayers and provides for our deepest needs. I pray this year will hold much spiritual growth for myself as well as you. Thank you for reading our blog and praying for us as you think of it! One more praise! Caroline has had no seizures on her medicine!!!!
Saturday, December 3, 2011
New walker
Caroline was sick with a tummy bug on Fri. We were up all night. I can't believe how well she bounced back. We were able to run errands and get our cards mailed out. We shopped a little and enjoyed spending time together. Caroline is starting to say small sentences. She patted Camerons arm today and said, daddy, milk please. It was so cute and directed at him. She is funny toomwithnher expressive eyebrows. She also has a new walker that we are able to borrow and she is learning to enjoy. And manever she took four steps forward in it tonight with an audience. She was so happy and so was I.
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