Spring Break

So the girls are on spring break. I hope it doesn't rain the whole week! It snowed yesterday. Crazy. It may be a long long week inside.

Nora is changing so much every day. Her teachers comment on how much she is doing since the beginning of the year and even a few months ago. She is so much more animated and vocal. She'll let you know if she's mad. Still no words or signs. She can say a few animal sounds-a crow says caw caw, a sheep says baba, a duck, a dog, a lion. She knows when we say it's time to eat, milk, go upstairs, go out, kiss. She'll tap her head on command, clap, go get her baby and knows who Emma is. It is really amazing how much she understands us now.

Today I was holding her but not looking at her. She was making noise but I didn't turn to look so she grabbed my cheek and pulled my face to look at her, very intentionally. Pretty funny.

Emma has been a beasty girl lately. Not listening and defiant. SO we got a sticker chart to reward good behavior. She had a fit. She did NOT want a chart for some reason. There was no convincing her that it was a POSITIVE thing. So we'll see if this helps. If not it really will be a long spring break with no school! Yikes.

Lori

new link

I just found this new epilepsy website that tells many different stories. Michael and Caroline's stories are the most relevant to Nora. It is very interesting and informative. Check it out. http://www.massgeneral.org/childhoodepilepsy/index.htm

Hoppy Easter!
Lori

Who's Who

Not much exciting here. Emma and I played hookey today and went to see Horton Hears a Who. It was pretty cute and Emma only got scared once. (Scary vulture Vladimir) She is a G rated girl. Anything remotely scary and she's a mess.

Nora had school this morning and speech therapy after. She is doing great. Nothing really new to tell. She is obsessed with looking out the windows at the cars going by. Anytime we go for a walk she has to stop and watch the cars. We live on a relatively busy street so it takes a looooonnnnnnngggggg time to go 1 block. And she hates having her hand held which makes it that more fun to go for a walk.

Anyway, bath and bed time.

Check back soon. I'll post some Easter pics!
Lori

Sleepless in Seattle

So for the past 7 nights, I have been woken up at least once every night. Either Nora wakes up and putzes around for an hour or so, Emma wets the bed or is "scared" or Ollie starts whining to go out. Alex has been in Europe for work since Sunday and finally gets home tonight. I am exhausted. And I have been extra grumpy and have had no patience. Just ask Emma. And Ollie.

And I can't think of anything to make for dinner. That's so frustrating. I don't mind the cooking part, just the thinking of what to cook part. Grr...

Nora is doing great. She is always such a good girl. (except at 4 in the morning) She just keeps herself occupied and is always happy. School is going well, speech therapy is good and we've been doctor free for a few weeks now. She is scheduled to go in for her 2 yr. check up and get her over over due vaccinations but I am so reluctant to mess with her progress. If a vaccine has any chance of making her seizures come back or make her "autistic" characteristics any worse, I'll chance getting measles, mumps or rubella or pertussis. Really. I have no problem with that. All the doctors of course recommend vaccines but it really makes me nervous and I think a mother's intuition in best. I am just not ready and I think messing with Nora's progress is not the smartest move. So, we'll see. Maybe the chicken pox vaccine. I haven't heard any horrible side effects of that one. I am sure there are stories out there.

Well, thanks for checking in. Hopefully we'll be better rested when Alex gets home and I won't be such a grump.

Lori

Bowling

We went bowling last night with Lucas, Lisa and Tian. It was a challenge keeping Nora occupied. She just wanted to walk around which made it hard to watch Emma as well. At one point she got a bit ahead of me and went onto a lane. And I went after her and proceeded to fall flat on my back. They are slippery! So now I have a sore elbow, good thing it wasn't my bowling arm!

I had Nora's IFSP meeting on Thursday. That is the document where we put down the goals we want Nora to work on for the year. We had updated it in Oct. because she had completed all of her last year's goals and now we put some new ones in as well. She has been developing quite quickly which is good.

She still has trouble with attention. She won't do an activity for more than a few minutes at a time but she is getting better. And she is trying to verbalize with many sounds, they just don't mean anything yet. She needs to learn a way to ask for something, point, sign or say the word. She gets very frustrated and mad so she starts to tantrum until she gets what she wants.

I need to work on that at home because I usually just anticipate her needs and don't really make her ask for things. It is much easier for me but it is not good for her. Her motor skills are pretty good. She needs to work on going up and down stairs safely and learn how to use ride on toys and roll a ball. She also needs to use a spoon. She is starting to learn how to point if someone prompts her by touching her elbow. And maybe using some words???? Maybe more, go and uh-oh. She definitely understands more than I had really thought. The teachers asked me to write down all words she understands and responds to.

SO some more positive news for Nora but she still has a looooooong way to go.

Thanks for checking in
Lori