VCUG

Nora goes in for a VCUG (voiding cysto urethrogram) tomorrow. Due to her bladder infection with such a high fever, they have to check for bladder/kidney issues. Fun stuff. They put in a catheter and some dye is put in and they do an xray. Then she has to pee through the cath so they can see. And she has to stay still for the whole time. Needless to say she'll be sedated a bit. Fun fun fun I tell you. SO wish us luck.

Thanks for checking in
Lori

The word

Still no word on Nora's placement for preschool. I am trying to organize a trip to Albany in Feb. for the school break but it is hard when I don't know what the deal is with Nora's IEP and new school. Hopefully we'll get to stay at her current school but I have a feeling it won't be the case. And the preschool at Emma's school is also full.

She is a giggly girl at the moment. She loves to torment our dog, Ollie, or Lala. She rolls over him and he moans or grunts or licks her and she just falls to a giggly gob.


So we discovered that Nora knows her letter sounds. We have a the leapfrog alphabet magnets, bus, spinny wheel and board. They all say the sounds of the letter when touched. She's known O for a while but now she knows about 10 letter sounds. It is amazing. She'll see a D and say the duh sound. Or A she'll say apple. Or E she'll say eeee. And it is not isolated to just those toys. If we show her a flash card of a letter, she can tell us the sound or if we ask her to point to a letter on her alphabet place mat, she's able to do it. CRAZY!!! And she loves this song http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DK9VPtz3EHQ and video. It was a song I used in teaching the sounds when I taught Kindergarten. (many moons ago) Anyway, pretty nuts.

Thanks for checking in
Lori

...and a happy new year!

2009 has been so far so good. All 10 hours of it. Emma's friend Jane slept over last night and we had dinner with our good friends-the Wilsons and the Brodersons. Fun was had by all and we rocked the house on Rockband. Feeling a bit woosey this morning but good none the less.

Nora is great. She can say cookie now. It sounds more like gook-EEEE. But she can say it and she gets a cookie every time. I am hoping the positive reinforcement will get her to say more words. Or maybe she's so stinkin cute I can't help but give her what she wants!

I am hoping to find out the scoop on her preschool placement next week. Who knows when we'll get any info. I am not so worried anymore as to where she'll go. I just want to get there and get her settled in. She'll only have a week of school before Feb. break so I may just wait and start after the break. Grr.....

Anyway, wishing everyone a happy, healthy and stress free year!

Lori

Merry Christmas

Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year from our family to yours. Wishing everyone HEALTH and happiness in 2009.

Love

Lori

Snowdays and ER visit

So Nora has been fighting a bladder infection. On Wed. she had a 104.6 temp so we had to bring her to the ER b/c it was after 6 and her dr. was closed. After a catheter to get a urine sample and some fun waiting in a 4 x 4 room, we found out it was a bladder infection. And apparently, a 104.6 temp is not "unusual" for a toddler. I was afraid her brain was sizzling. So anyway, a big shot of antibiotics and we were on our way.

She seems to feel a lot better. Getting her to take her anti biotic is a struggle. We have to tie her down and practically funnel it in. But it seems to be doing the trick. She even had enough energy yesterday to go for a sledding session.

Speaking of snow, all last week, NO SCHOOL!!! What??? We had about an inch on the roads M & T so school was 2 hours late. Then the forecast was for snow on Wed. so they CANCELLED school the night before. Guess what, not a flake to be found and 35 degrees so the roads were bone dry. Nuts. Then Th & Fr it snowed so cancelled again. If we were in NY we wouldn't have even thought twice about it. Snowdays in NY had to be at least 12 inches of snow! Those were the good old days. So instead of a 2 week break, it was 3.

We go see Santa today and Emma will ask for all the things that I have no idea what she's talking about. Hopefully Santa will be able to bring at least one of her requests. Nora is easy. She just loves cars and babies right now. And she can say Baby! And she does a little rocking action when we sing rock a by baby and cuddles her doll. Very cute. She is also saying Ol-La for Ollie. It was Lala but she put in the Ol. Way to go Nora!

So only another month or so until we find out where she will be placed for preschool. Hopefully the EEU or Alki. I can't believe she's going to be 3 in Feb. Crazy couple of years.

Thanks for checking in!

Lori

snow and no naps

Nora was a bit tuckered out the other night. Didn't even make it to the dinner table.

Loving the snow!

Freakishly large hands run in our family.

Nora has been very whiny lately and not sleeping well. Makes for a fun day let me tell ya. She won't have school today due to closures so we'll hunker down and stay warm. It is only 23 degrees today. I feel like I'm back in Albany.

Nora is still fascinated with all the ornaments and loves to bring them to me. We now have about 50 ornaments on the upper level of the tree and 12 on the bottom.

Well, I am off to make breakfast. Thanks for checking in.

Lori

Music and stuff

Nora is starting to use pictures (PECS) to communicate. She has a group of songs she likes to sing and she'll find the picture of the song she wants and give it to us so we'll sing it for her. Wheels on the bus is the all time favorite. She is also using pictures a lot at school to follow a schedule or to tell the teachers what she wants. It is used a lot with kids who are non verbal.

She is starting to say more words, or sing words. We listen to a song that teaches letter sounds and she can sing the apple, baby, and elbow plus sounds. She is now using the word baby for her baby dolls too. So she learns a lot through music. I looked into a music therapy class for her. We'll see what her schedule is after she goes to preschool. Her OT also suggested hippotherapy but the only one in Seattle has a 2 year wait list.

On the preschool front, she got all her evals back and the district has all her info. She definitely qualifies for services. She is about 1 1/2 to 2 years behind in most areas. She understands more than she can say which is a good and her gross motor skills are good. It is a kick in the gut to find out how low she is but we see so much progress all the time. And she is not a very good test taker. She is very inconsistant and doesn't like to have to be directed for a long period of time. SO the results are a bit off I am sure.

We wrote a letter pleading her case to stay at her school (EEU) and not have to move. THe ball is now rolling. We should know by mid Jan where she will be placed. The program in Emma's school is full so if we don't get our 1st choice we won't even be able to get our 2nd choice either.

We just have to wait and see.

Thanks for checking in
Lori