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Saturday, July 10, 2010

Today

I think we will clean out the garage today. Carley and Daddy are still sleeping. Caroline and I are awake. I am getting ready to enjoy a cup of coffee. Last night we went swimming with our really good friends in our neighborhood. The girls had a blast. Caroline floated on her back and we taught her to blow bubbles in the water. Her Big sister decided to swim across the pool even though she was dog tired. She kept saying I am almost there every time she took a breath. I hope she is able to swim on our neighborhood swim team next summer. I think she may actually enjoy it. Carley is going to the eye doctor on Monday. We have known for a while she will need glasses before school starts so we will try to start wearing glasses a few weeks before school starts.
Yesterday Caroline told me "tea"....she was pointing to he little plastic tea cup on top of Carley's dresser. I said good job baby! That is a tea cup. She seems to know so much more than I think she does, but if only we could get her to process things in words. She is really frustrated in her in ability to move and talk. She fusses some and desperately tries to crawl. She is pushing up through her hips and knees. Not in a normal way, but she is trying to stand on her knees rather than a crawling position. Our goal and desire is for Caroline to crawl in six months or less.
Have a great weekend!

Friday, July 9, 2010

More Casting/ Swimming/Bible Study

We went to pick up foot braces, but they were too big and we had to stay for re-casting for new ones. We will receive them now on July 27th. It is amazing to me how long things take. We have been thinking and shuffling paper work for these leg braces since April 27th! Anyhow, we missed our Physical Therapy due to our late appointment at Hangar Prosthetics. So here we are again with no new braces.
Carley had her second swim lesson this summer and is jumping and swimming under water fine. They are teaching her to float on her back and flip over when she needs a breath. She is also learning strokes to swim above water. She loves swimming!!!! We finally found something she enjoys!
I am so excited about a Bible study I was able to join this week. It is all about our lives as women and how society had really brainwashed us about our looks, appearances, exercise obsession, food obsessions, and all those things women deal with. It is a real book by a real lady who knows what we go through. I am meeting with ladies from a different church than my own, but they are really wonderful and I am hoping to make some new friends!

Thursday, July 8, 2010

No braces Yet....well maybe Not!

No foot braces today due to a wrong processing code. When you want free you have to be patient with all of the rules. So we will have only PT today. Let me tell you about our last ENT visit last month. Caroline's ears look great - she does not need tubes at this time. Her hearing is great and hole in her left ear is completely sealed! We need to post new pictures of our Long Boat Key Beach trip as well as birthday and NJ wedding trip. We have had a busy summer already and only have about six more weeks before it is over. Funny how things work out....we are going to get our foot braces today after all!!!! We better go get a jump on it since we thought our am appointment was cancelled. I will take picture of these cute little leg braces that hopefully will allow her to stand - what a joyful day that will be for me!!!!!

Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Birthday Time

Caroline soon will be three years old and I can't believe it. We spent last weekend celebrating with friends and family. She has many things on the horizon for her in the coming months. We are considering ESE special needs school part time next fall as well as our current MMO program at church one day per week. She is still using a few words and signing as well. We are excited about our new videos from Nana, Papa, and Aunt Jenny, and Uncle Stephen .
Tomorrow we will get our new leg braces to aid in standing. She really wants to crawl and can pull up on arms, but not knees. I am hoping in the next six months of therapy and practice at home that this may be a reality for her. She still uses her stander to strengthen her leg muscles and stamina, but is still unable to bear weight on her legs and knees on her own.
In August we will be meeting new therapists for PT and OT and keeping our speech and current PT as we transition into September. Once again God has provided leg braces at no cost to us this time. And we will receive some free therapy in special needs school in addition to private therapy that we will begin to pay co-pays for as of her birthdate.
We are excited about Caroline's opportunities, but I am nervous as her mom to know if they are the right choices for her at this time. I do know the journey is long and I could use any assistance available and want to make use of this without losing my interactions as a stay at home mom and my job and role as her mom and teacher. It is a scary spot to be. Yet I know I am going to need to get in the school system and learn the role of therapists and iep's as we will be living this during the next 18 years with her. Please pray for Cameron and I as we embark on a new chapter with Caroline. I appreciate all the love and support that many friends and family give even when we are not aware. Happy Birthday Sweet Caroline!!!!

Thursday, May 6, 2010

Moving Along

We have been busy running errands, going to appointments, and wrapping up th end of the school year. Carley has pre-school graduation coming up and has lost three teeth in 8 weeks. The tooth fairy, Matilda, has been quite busy here. Caroline is progressing most in her speech. She can say many words tat we understand now like, play, t.v., Elmo, and eat.
She is a joy and a delight to watch. She also is scooting faster and trying to get down and wants to walk and jump. It is scary because she is noe getting hurt more frequently and it is very hard to leave her even for a minute. She has no idea of how things can hurt her, like casue and effect reactions. I am tired to say the least and have to constantly think of her safety above anything else we do.
We are looking into new therapies and new therapists as Caroline graduates from Early Steps program with our local early intervention. We are ordering new leg braces that will provide more support for standing and deciding to wait one more year on a wheel chair.
Carley is now palying soccer or should I say chasing her friends in the field. She does not love it, but we only have six games left so maybe we will develop memories and a love for running!
So we have many changes on the horizon for us. But we are trying to sleep when we can and have fun when we can too!!!!

Friday, April 23, 2010

Saturday, March 20, 2010

Words

Words are so important. They can heal or they can hurt, but sweet words from Caroline are amazing!!!! Since December she is saying so much!!!!It is not on demand, but she speaks and repeats things. It is a blessing and warms my heart. I wanted to share this with any of you who are checking in on us. It is spring and we are excited. Carley is signed up for soccer and we are looking forward to nicer weather!!!!
Some of her words are: Mama, Papa, baby, hi, up, Elmo, Dora, Pablo, Coco, Yeah!!!!!
She responds to most all of our questions with yeah!!!!! - her yes! She also has great communication with signs. She shook her head at her dinner plate the other night and signed cheese to me. So she ate cheese and strawberries only. She loves books and coloring books and can now lightly scribble with pens and markers. These things are huge improvements. We rejoice in all of the way God works in our lives. Carley is reading books to us now which is a lot of fun too!
This week Caroline discovered the stoppers on the back of the doors and she loves playing with them and making that funny noise!!!! She would rather play in her sister's room with her books, doll house, and Barbie's this is so funny to me and nice to see her doing new things!!!!
Yesterday I was drinking an iced coffee from my favorite place and Caroline placed her empty cup in the air toward my cup to tell me she wanted me to share with her. She thought it was Chocolate milk. She finds amazing ways to communicate to me and thankfully I am able to determine what she wants or needs most of the time!!!!!
Happy Spring!