Quick One...

We had speech and physical therapies today. Both went really well. In speech, Beth got Harlie up to four cards with the PECS. Beth brought us a 3-ring binder with pages with velcro in it, so the picture cards can be stuck to the pages. There is also velcro on the cover, so you can pull just the cards you want to focus on for easier access. Harlie is definitely scanning all the pictures and choosing the one she wants. At one point, she chose a card and pulled it off the velcro and then realized she didn't want that toy, so she put it back and then picked a different card and handed it to Beth. We are going to continue to work with just four cards for the next week to make sure she's got it before going up anymore.

In physical therapy, she walked a lot. The walking was getting really bad and I was afraid that it was starting to be too negative for her. But a few nights ago I realized that she will walk between Tom and I if we read her one of her favorite books. I read a page and then pass the book to Tom and she walks to Tom to have him read a page, etc. It has been working great! She doesn't even seem to notice that she's working! Traci has been saying that we can't make her, she has to have something to motivate her. So, it looks like we found something for the time being. So, when Traci got here this morning, we brought out the book and started to work. She's definitely not too happy about having to walk to get it. The praise we give doesn't seem to do too much to make it better, either. Oh well. I guess the prize of getting the book will have to do. The BEST was when Traci put the book on the ottoman. So far, she's only walked to one of us, and we catch her if she falls forward (which she does a lot). So, I was VERY nervous about her walking to an object without someone being there to catch her. Plus, I think we are all very nervous about her hitting her face. Well, she walked to the ottoman just fine! I am so happy about that! It's like she knew that she couldn't fall forward, so she just put out her hands and went without any trouble. She definitely CAN do it. She just needs to get over her fears. Traci said that it will help if she knows that she can get back up if she falls. And that means that she has to be able to get up without grabbing onto anything. So, that's our "assignment" for the next few weeks. We need to work on getting her to get up into a standing position in the middle of the floor. It's so funny that just when I think that walking anytime soon is impossible, she has a good few days and I start to think it COULD happen! In her development, a lot can happen in three months. It would be so great if she could walk by September!!!

Well, July 1st marks four weeks post-op. Hard to believe how fast it has gone by. Just five weeks to go to get her wires removed! In just one more week more time will be behind us than in front of us. I am getting so anxious to see what she will look like. And to start oral trials again. Unfortunately, the soonest I could get her in to see her ENT in DC isn't until September 5th. So that means that after her wires come out (Aug.5th) we will have to wait another month to find out if the surgery was successful enough to make a difference in her ability to breathe through her mouth and nose. Ugh - talk about agony!!! I just hope that Baby 3 cooperates and doesn't come early!!

Well, that's it for tonight. I hope you are all well!

Take care,
Christy