I finally broke down and bought the girls a pair of shoes. They have been wearing the Robeez moccasin shoes for the past four months. I love them because they are like walking around with bare feet and don't come off unless Mommy takes them off. Unfortunately, the girls' physical therapist started requesting time in shoes which sent me to the shoe store in search of shoes!
Well, Adeline doesn't seemed bothered by her shoes. Off or on, she doesn't care. Lila Grace cares!! She can't stand wearing them on carpet. She stumbles, trips and eventually sits down and takes them off. Often I see one hanging from the mouth as she "limps" over to me requesting that I take the other shoe off as well. This "shoe frustration" seems to subside when she is downstairs. Oh, the clickety clack of the soles on the hardwood floors is music to Lila Grace's ears. If you catch her with her shoes on downstairs, she is most likely doing laps. . . back and forth with a few giggles in between.
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Last Snowman??
As I sit and watch the snow accumulate, I wonder, "Is this our last snowstorm?" "Will the babies ever know what it is like to build a snowman?" "Will they ever be driven from the couch with the desire to catch snowflakes on their tongues like their big sister was today (with two ear infections and a fever)? "
I guess the trade off of our move will be a winter that is warmer and healthier. Less illness is worth is worth a winter without snow in my opinion.
I guess the trade off of our move will be a winter that is warmer and healthier. Less illness is worth is worth a winter without snow in my opinion.
Monday, January 14, 2008
One Man's Work is Another Man's Joy
Who would think that dirty laundry could be so fun? Lila Grace didn't come up for air until well after 30 minutes of dragging the laundry in and out of the laundry basket. Clearly, Santa got it wrong this year. Who needs toys, when you have dirty clothes?
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
Developmental Follow-Up Appointment
This post is extremely overdue.
We took the girls to their developmental follow-up appointment on December 5th. These appointments are always days when I hold my breath, pray my girls are in good spirits and try not to be reduced to tears when hearing about all the "issues" Adeline could have down the road.
During the first hour or two of the appointment, both girls meet with psychologist. This portion of the appointment has been rather hard for Adeline in the past. It requires her to sit up (mainly unassisted) and perform certain tasks. This appointment was the first time Adeline could sit independently which significantly decreased her work of breathing etc. This allowed her to concentrate on the task.
After reviewing Adeline's chart the psychologist felt it appropriate to start her line of questioning with, "Can she sit up?" I was happy to report that she could sit up, roll over, commando crawl and pull to stand. This was an obvious surprise. Adeline then started her testing and to my relief was in good spirits. She smiled and babbled, listened and tried to perform while at the same time was her endearing self. Of course, after an hour and a half of being asked to "find the car," and "put the block in the cup," every baby starts to show signs of disinterest.
After both girls were done testing we were given a report of their progress. Lila, as we expected was a super star and showed no clear signs of delay. Of course, they are correcting both girls when they assess them and therefore, on target would mean 12 months, not the 15 months that they are. We were told, "You would never know Lila was a preemie - we just can't believe how well she is walking - she is strong."
Adeline's report was a bit different and a huge surprise. . .
"Adeline's developmental skills are progressing well, and she has made a number of gains since her last assessment. Her cognitive, play , receptive language, fine motor, behavioral, and social-emotional development are currently within the expectations for her adjusted age. Remaining areas of delay include expressive language and gross motor skills."
Translation. . . she actually fell within the NORMAL category!! Granted it is the low end of normal but I will take it. I was so proud of her. Never have we heard someone step out and say, "She is in the normal range" with anything. "Delayed, slow progress etc." is what we are more accustomed to. I was shocked and relieved. So proud to be her mom!! She has worked very hard for this report.
I still fee that it is important to point out that Adeline is still behind. There is no doubt about that. There is a range for specific domains of development. For example, it may be normal for a child to walk any where from 9-15 months. That would be our girls. Adeline closer to 15 months and Lila closer to 9. When watching them in the same room, the difference in their development is notable. Lila Grace, walks, climbs falls and doesn't miss a beat. She says, Ki Ki for kitty, uh-oh, Elmo, all done, and signs for more. Adeline, is just starting to cruise, crawls slowly and babbles da-da and ba-ba. We hope for her to start to move from the low range of normal to an average range.
We aren't quite there yet, and Adeline has a lot of WORK ahead of her. There are questions about her leg and why it turns out when she stands. Cerebral Palsy has not been taken off the table yet. Speech is a concern and the fact that she is reluctant to eat table foods troubles some.
I become less troubled over time. This is who we are - who they are. I can't change it. For the most part I wouldn't change anything. There are moments when I get caught up in my girls and prematurity is so far from my mind. My frustration and stress is rarely linked to their prematurity these days - more toddler related "moments." For the most part I feel "normal." Well, as normal as I can with 4 therapists in my house and 8 hours of weekly therapy for the girls.
Figured I should mention the following to those of you who don't get to see the girls. We don't look normal - (Adeline is smaller than a 7 month old and Lila is no where near a 16 month old in size) - both girls are still in their infant car seats. Adeline is 17 pounds and Lila just hit 20. Not bad when you consider where they started and how hard they work to hit their milestones.
Thank you for your thoughts, prayers and well wishes leading up to this appointment. We are so lucky. There are no words to describe how amazed I am when I look at pictures of the girls during their first days of life while at the same time letting the word "normal" sit in the back of my mind.
Congratulations girls!!! You couldn't have made me more proud!!
We took the girls to their developmental follow-up appointment on December 5th. These appointments are always days when I hold my breath, pray my girls are in good spirits and try not to be reduced to tears when hearing about all the "issues" Adeline could have down the road.
During the first hour or two of the appointment, both girls meet with psychologist. This portion of the appointment has been rather hard for Adeline in the past. It requires her to sit up (mainly unassisted) and perform certain tasks. This appointment was the first time Adeline could sit independently which significantly decreased her work of breathing etc. This allowed her to concentrate on the task.
After reviewing Adeline's chart the psychologist felt it appropriate to start her line of questioning with, "Can she sit up?" I was happy to report that she could sit up, roll over, commando crawl and pull to stand. This was an obvious surprise. Adeline then started her testing and to my relief was in good spirits. She smiled and babbled, listened and tried to perform while at the same time was her endearing self. Of course, after an hour and a half of being asked to "find the car," and "put the block in the cup," every baby starts to show signs of disinterest.
After both girls were done testing we were given a report of their progress. Lila, as we expected was a super star and showed no clear signs of delay. Of course, they are correcting both girls when they assess them and therefore, on target would mean 12 months, not the 15 months that they are. We were told, "You would never know Lila was a preemie - we just can't believe how well she is walking - she is strong."
Adeline's report was a bit different and a huge surprise. . .
"Adeline's developmental skills are progressing well, and she has made a number of gains since her last assessment. Her cognitive, play , receptive language, fine motor, behavioral, and social-emotional development are currently within the expectations for her adjusted age. Remaining areas of delay include expressive language and gross motor skills."
Translation. . . she actually fell within the NORMAL category!! Granted it is the low end of normal but I will take it. I was so proud of her. Never have we heard someone step out and say, "She is in the normal range" with anything. "Delayed, slow progress etc." is what we are more accustomed to. I was shocked and relieved. So proud to be her mom!! She has worked very hard for this report.
I still fee that it is important to point out that Adeline is still behind. There is no doubt about that. There is a range for specific domains of development. For example, it may be normal for a child to walk any where from 9-15 months. That would be our girls. Adeline closer to 15 months and Lila closer to 9. When watching them in the same room, the difference in their development is notable. Lila Grace, walks, climbs falls and doesn't miss a beat. She says, Ki Ki for kitty, uh-oh, Elmo, all done, and signs for more. Adeline, is just starting to cruise, crawls slowly and babbles da-da and ba-ba. We hope for her to start to move from the low range of normal to an average range.
We aren't quite there yet, and Adeline has a lot of WORK ahead of her. There are questions about her leg and why it turns out when she stands. Cerebral Palsy has not been taken off the table yet. Speech is a concern and the fact that she is reluctant to eat table foods troubles some.
I become less troubled over time. This is who we are - who they are. I can't change it. For the most part I wouldn't change anything. There are moments when I get caught up in my girls and prematurity is so far from my mind. My frustration and stress is rarely linked to their prematurity these days - more toddler related "moments." For the most part I feel "normal." Well, as normal as I can with 4 therapists in my house and 8 hours of weekly therapy for the girls.
Figured I should mention the following to those of you who don't get to see the girls. We don't look normal - (Adeline is smaller than a 7 month old and Lila is no where near a 16 month old in size) - both girls are still in their infant car seats. Adeline is 17 pounds and Lila just hit 20. Not bad when you consider where they started and how hard they work to hit their milestones.
Thank you for your thoughts, prayers and well wishes leading up to this appointment. We are so lucky. There are no words to describe how amazed I am when I look at pictures of the girls during their first days of life while at the same time letting the word "normal" sit in the back of my mind.
Congratulations girls!!! You couldn't have made me more proud!!
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas!!
This Christmas I had the pleasure of watching Lila Grace tear open packages, play with toys and delight in all the festivities. She quickly learned that each package had a ribbon tied around it which could be used as a scarf! Possibly the best part of Christmas for Lila. The fact that she figured it out, could manipulate the ribbon and had fun doing so was impressive to me. Lila is strong, healthy and accomplishing more than I ever had imagined a year ago. This baby is NORMAL for the moment and I rejoice in that.
Tuesday, January 1, 2008
Christmas Eve
Congratulations to my little Adeline on the anniversary of her homecoming!!
Sometimes if feels like a lifetime and some days I am still in awe that it has already been a year. This Christmas Eve I celebrated Adeline! Her strength and determination has powered her through. The road has been long and hard but Miss Adeline holds her head high and continues to defy the odds. It is a privilege to journey beside her.
I love you baby girl!!!
Sometimes if feels like a lifetime and some days I am still in awe that it has already been a year. This Christmas Eve I celebrated Adeline! Her strength and determination has powered her through. The road has been long and hard but Miss Adeline holds her head high and continues to defy the odds. It is a privilege to journey beside her.
I love you baby girl!!!
Monday, December 31, 2007
Traditions
One of my favorite things about celebrating the holidays in my own house is laying the foundation for our family traditions. We have had all but one of Savannah's Christmas' at home and we are starting to find our own way in this season of "madness."
I grew up in a house full of Christmas cookies. My mom started cranking them out in mid-November and froze them until December. Although, I don't claim to come close to such numbers (the looks of them tell you I have had very little practice in the cookie department) we make our own none the less. Luckily, while I was in Texas house hunting my mom was making the much needed cookie dough. On Christmas eve, after church, we came home and rolled out our cookies for Santa. No pressure for them to look or even taste good (shhhhh) made it the best Christmas decorating experience one could have. We sprinkled, stuck large and unsightly decorations all over and stuck them in the oven. The excitement of arranging three cookies (one from each girl) for Santa was palatable. We poured his chocolate milk, wrote a note and then went upstairs for a valiant attempt at sleeping.
Although the babies couldn't really participate in the production of the cookies to my big surprise (especially considering Adeline only cares for purees) - they worked very hard at the consumption. Are these really my kids - one baking/writing legible notes, one eating a whole cookie in less than a minute and the other slowly eating her cookie but eating a solid none the less? It really isn't the difference of a year that is currently amazing me during my reflection on Christmas Eve, it is what lies ahead. Most of the time I am the first to tell you that three is harder than one but in this instance, three fills the room with love, laughter and memories!!
Other traditions that stand out in my mind and I hope eventually grow into what my children define as "celebrating the season as a family" are going to Christmas Eve service (even if we fought very hard to stay seated together in sanctuary), feeding the Reindeer when returning home from church, and counting down the days to Christmas eve on whatever school project is hung on my walls. Gathering around while Daddy read, The Night Before Christmas was a first this year but worth repeating in years to come.
Less focus on presents, more focus on family was the road we took this season and it was incredibly fulfilling. I can't believe we are "here" already. Last year was so far from a holiday celebration and this year was everything I could have wanted in my holiday and more.
I grew up in a house full of Christmas cookies. My mom started cranking them out in mid-November and froze them until December. Although, I don't claim to come close to such numbers (the looks of them tell you I have had very little practice in the cookie department) we make our own none the less. Luckily, while I was in Texas house hunting my mom was making the much needed cookie dough. On Christmas eve, after church, we came home and rolled out our cookies for Santa. No pressure for them to look or even taste good (shhhhh) made it the best Christmas decorating experience one could have. We sprinkled, stuck large and unsightly decorations all over and stuck them in the oven. The excitement of arranging three cookies (one from each girl) for Santa was palatable. We poured his chocolate milk, wrote a note and then went upstairs for a valiant attempt at sleeping.
Although the babies couldn't really participate in the production of the cookies to my big surprise (especially considering Adeline only cares for purees) - they worked very hard at the consumption. Are these really my kids - one baking/writing legible notes, one eating a whole cookie in less than a minute and the other slowly eating her cookie but eating a solid none the less? It really isn't the difference of a year that is currently amazing me during my reflection on Christmas Eve, it is what lies ahead. Most of the time I am the first to tell you that three is harder than one but in this instance, three fills the room with love, laughter and memories!!
Other traditions that stand out in my mind and I hope eventually grow into what my children define as "celebrating the season as a family" are going to Christmas Eve service (even if we fought very hard to stay seated together in sanctuary), feeding the Reindeer when returning home from church, and counting down the days to Christmas eve on whatever school project is hung on my walls. Gathering around while Daddy read, The Night Before Christmas was a first this year but worth repeating in years to come.
Less focus on presents, more focus on family was the road we took this season and it was incredibly fulfilling. I can't believe we are "here" already. Last year was so far from a holiday celebration and this year was everything I could have wanted in my holiday and more.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)