Sunday, May 27, 2012
Keeping up the good work
I am so happy and so proud that Megan is still spending time on her feet today. She has been doing really well with being on her feet at the wagon, different tables, and just with me. In the past by Saturday it has been difficult to keep her going but today she was still going strong, which is really important since there will be no pony rides for the next 3 weeks.
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
MRI
Post written on Thursday, May 17th
The neurologist that Megan saw when she was 7 months old requested that we have a new MRI done of Megan's brain so that she could compare it to her original scan and get a baseline of her brain. This is not something we were comfortable having done because Megan would have to be sedated for the procedure. Also, there wasn't a need for the MRI it was being requested as a "nice to have". When we discussed it with her pediatrician he agreed with us that it would be better to wait and that unless Megan started showing symptoms that needed to be investigated that we didn't ever have to have one done.
The neurologist that Megan saw when she was 7 months old requested that we have a new MRI done of Megan's brain so that she could compare it to her original scan and get a baseline of her brain. This is not something we were comfortable having done because Megan would have to be sedated for the procedure. Also, there wasn't a need for the MRI it was being requested as a "nice to have". When we discussed it with her pediatrician he agreed with us that it would be better to wait and that unless Megan started showing symptoms that needed to be investigated that we didn't ever have to have one done.
A couple of weeks ago I was doing some research online about some things related to Megan's therapies, etc. I came across a blog by a mother who was answering a question for another mother about MRIs and their benefits. She said that an MRI was a diagnostic tool that would show potential areas where your child would need assistance to master a skill; and not to look at it as a "this is what is wrong with your child" type of thing. You could use the information to get help for your child in advance of them being "behind" on a skill. We have been speaking over Megan that she is healed, healthy and whole since before she came into our lives. We believe that regardless of any test that Megan is perfect and able to accomplish anything she wants to in life.
So after stumbling upon the above information Will and I discussed it and decided it was time to have the test done. We scheduled an appointment with the Neurologist and she scheduled the MRI. The scan was this morning.
The four of us loaded into the truck at 7 am and drove the 51 minutes to the hospital in Raleigh. Almost as soon as we got on our way Megan started asking for cheerios. We weren't allowed to give Megan anything to eat or drink after midnight so of course we had to tell her no several times on the way to the hospital. We arrived just before 8 am and waited for our turn to register. After registration we were told to go to the MRI waiting room around the corner. We checked in at the waiting room and were told that we would be taken back in 5 minutes. About 12 minutes later we were escorted to a room. They asked us several questions regarding Megan's health and her exposure to metal. After several minutes of paperwork we were informed that her actual appointment wasn't until 9:30. Seriously? We were told that due to her age she would be up first or second (she was second) and 9:30 is their second appointment of the day. There was no way Sam was going to make it until 9:30 for breakfast (we weren't going to feed him in front of her) so I took him to the cafeteria to feed him once we were informed of that her appointment was still 45 minutes away.
I had time to feed Sam breakfast and go back into the room for several minutes before they came and got Megan. She went with the nurse without any issues and was happily checking out her scrub cap when we left. The three of us went to the cafeteria so Will and I could eat and to burn some time. About 42 minutes after they took Megan from us we were called back to the recovery room. We were both expecting Megan to be awake at this point because that is how it went after her surgery, plus we both thought that the nurse who came and got us told us she was awake. However, that was not the case and when we turned the corner Megan was lying on her back, asleep, with an oxygen mask on her face and a partial tube in her nose. I literally had to catch my breath. I wasn't expecting this and it was a little difficult to see. After a few minutes (3-4) Megan started trying to roll over so the nurse removed the mask and tube and she rolled onto her tummy and pulled her legs underneath her. They let her sleep like that for about 15 minutes. She said that they find that if they will let the kids sleep for about 15 minutes after the anesthesia wears off then they are a lot less cranky when you wake them up. When it was time to wake her up I went to the other side of the bed and held her hand and made sure she knew we were with her. She did so good. She was a little groggy and wasn't thrilled that the nurse was removing the leads from her chest but she handled it just fine.
At this point the nurse let me pick her up and hold her in my lap. We started offering her some water in her sippy cup and she drank and drank which meant they could remove the IV. By this time Megan was pretty much awake and looking like herself, contrary to what the kid who had the appointment before her looked like when they left.
By the time we got Megan to the truck and into her seat she was asking for Cheerios. This made me so very happy. She felt so awful after her surgery that she didn't want to move when we put her in the car and then she threw up 4 times on the way home, so her acting like herself and asking for food was a great sign. She ate Cheerios all the way home and then as soon as we got home I made lunch and she ate a full lunch.
Initial Phone Call
On Friday I received a phone call from the nurse. She said that Dr. Schaffer wanted her to call with the results of the MRI. She said "the MRI showed changes consistent with her birth difficulties". I asked her what that meant and she said that they could see the damage that was present at birth. She couldn't really answer my questions and said that was what the doctor said to tell us and that she would go over everything in detail at our appointment on Monday. Initially I was stuck on the way the information was presented and researched that wording, unsuccessfully. Eventually, after I got Will on the phone and told him what had been discussed, I was devastated. We have believed from day 1 that Megan is healthy and whole and I felt like this scan was God letting me down. I am okay now - I know that no matter what the scan or the doctor says that Megan is whole and able to accomplish anything she wants. God is in control even if I didn't get the scan that I was hoping for, He is still taking care of Megan.
Tomorrow morning the kids and I will meet with the doctor and she will tell me what she thinks Megan's scan means. I will be taking a recorder and will be requesting that I be allowed to tape it so that Will can get all of the information. I will be taking notes, but I will also be taking care of both kids so I am sure a little distracted. I am going into the appointment with the same attitude that I have had from the beginning. My daughter is capable of anything and anything that I am told to the contrary will be disregarded.
Results
On Monday morning the kids and I headed to see the neurologist to get her feedback on Megan's results. She allowed me to record the visit since Will couldn't attend, though neither of us have listened to it yet. She started out by explaining the terminology in the report she handed me. Next she went through the scans showing me what she saw. I am going to give a brief overview of what she said.
First, there are basically two parts of the brain - grey matter and white matter. The scan that Megan had when she was 4 days old showed generalized (meaning all over) damage to both her grey matter and her white matter. The grey matter is the part of the brain that learns things or accomplishes things and the white matter is the conduit for signals to get from one part of the brain to another, etc. There is a ton about the brain that doctors don't know or understand. They know that infants/children's brains can recover from injuries and/or rewire themselves. She said that damage to the grey matter is permanent and that the white matter is the part that can recover.
Megan's current scan showed that her grey matter has healed completed and is growing as it should. There is no damage whatsoever to it. MIRACLE #1. This is not supposed to be possible.
Her white matter has atrophied since the last scan meaning it has gotten smaller. She still has white matter throughout her brain it is just thinner than it should be or less than it should be. What this means is that in her current state it is more difficult for signals/messages to get through. So, obviously this is an area that continues to need prayer. We are praying and believing that Megan's white matter is increasing.
It has been proven that you can improve your white matter. You can eat certain things that help, take supplements and complete exercises. Thankfully we have already been feeding Megan the foods that will help her and we just need to increase their volume (blueberries, strawberries, black-eyed peas, fish). We added an Omega supplement yesterday to get her started and will be ordering a very potent version of the supplement as well.
MIRACLE #2 or #2000......children who have a scan that looks like Megan's don't learn to roll over, sit up, clap, hold a cup, feed themselves, etc. She told me that and said, "I guess in Megan's case having a family that loves her has been what made the difference". She really is stumped. We have never expected anything from Megan other than to develop like a "regular" child. She is healed and whole and capable of doing anything and everything.
In my opinion there was definitely some negative information from the appointment but a lot more positive. I haven't received/seen the miracle I was expecting yet but we are definitely witnesses to a lot of miracles in Megan's life.
The neurologist doesn't need to see her again for a year and I know that the next time she sees Megan she will be ready to hear how it is God who has made the difference in Megan's life. Because by her next visit Megan will be walking and talking and where a 3 year old should be and it will be too much for the doctor to ignore.
Initial Phone Call
On Friday I received a phone call from the nurse. She said that Dr. Schaffer wanted her to call with the results of the MRI. She said "the MRI showed changes consistent with her birth difficulties". I asked her what that meant and she said that they could see the damage that was present at birth. She couldn't really answer my questions and said that was what the doctor said to tell us and that she would go over everything in detail at our appointment on Monday. Initially I was stuck on the way the information was presented and researched that wording, unsuccessfully. Eventually, after I got Will on the phone and told him what had been discussed, I was devastated. We have believed from day 1 that Megan is healthy and whole and I felt like this scan was God letting me down. I am okay now - I know that no matter what the scan or the doctor says that Megan is whole and able to accomplish anything she wants. God is in control even if I didn't get the scan that I was hoping for, He is still taking care of Megan.
Tomorrow morning the kids and I will meet with the doctor and she will tell me what she thinks Megan's scan means. I will be taking a recorder and will be requesting that I be allowed to tape it so that Will can get all of the information. I will be taking notes, but I will also be taking care of both kids so I am sure a little distracted. I am going into the appointment with the same attitude that I have had from the beginning. My daughter is capable of anything and anything that I am told to the contrary will be disregarded.
Results
On Monday morning the kids and I headed to see the neurologist to get her feedback on Megan's results. She allowed me to record the visit since Will couldn't attend, though neither of us have listened to it yet. She started out by explaining the terminology in the report she handed me. Next she went through the scans showing me what she saw. I am going to give a brief overview of what she said.
First, there are basically two parts of the brain - grey matter and white matter. The scan that Megan had when she was 4 days old showed generalized (meaning all over) damage to both her grey matter and her white matter. The grey matter is the part of the brain that learns things or accomplishes things and the white matter is the conduit for signals to get from one part of the brain to another, etc. There is a ton about the brain that doctors don't know or understand. They know that infants/children's brains can recover from injuries and/or rewire themselves. She said that damage to the grey matter is permanent and that the white matter is the part that can recover.
Megan's current scan showed that her grey matter has healed completed and is growing as it should. There is no damage whatsoever to it. MIRACLE #1. This is not supposed to be possible.
Her white matter has atrophied since the last scan meaning it has gotten smaller. She still has white matter throughout her brain it is just thinner than it should be or less than it should be. What this means is that in her current state it is more difficult for signals/messages to get through. So, obviously this is an area that continues to need prayer. We are praying and believing that Megan's white matter is increasing.
It has been proven that you can improve your white matter. You can eat certain things that help, take supplements and complete exercises. Thankfully we have already been feeding Megan the foods that will help her and we just need to increase their volume (blueberries, strawberries, black-eyed peas, fish). We added an Omega supplement yesterday to get her started and will be ordering a very potent version of the supplement as well.
MIRACLE #2 or #2000......children who have a scan that looks like Megan's don't learn to roll over, sit up, clap, hold a cup, feed themselves, etc. She told me that and said, "I guess in Megan's case having a family that loves her has been what made the difference". She really is stumped. We have never expected anything from Megan other than to develop like a "regular" child. She is healed and whole and capable of doing anything and everything.
In my opinion there was definitely some negative information from the appointment but a lot more positive. I haven't received/seen the miracle I was expecting yet but we are definitely witnesses to a lot of miracles in Megan's life.
The neurologist doesn't need to see her again for a year and I know that the next time she sees Megan she will be ready to hear how it is God who has made the difference in Megan's life. Because by her next visit Megan will be walking and talking and where a 3 year old should be and it will be too much for the doctor to ignore.
Wheels & Daisy
Megan has been fascinated by wheels lately. She will turn a toy over so she can turn the wheels and see how they work. She is reaching down to touch/turn the wheels on the stroller and wagon; and she is trying to make the walker wagon go by pushing on its wheels.
Today was Megan's last Spring session on Daisy. She was so excited about going to ride Daisy that every few minutes she would crawl to the front door, reach her hand out to say "let's go outside" and then make her "lets go" noise. I would tell her that it wasn't time to leave yet and then I would take her back in the living room. A few minutes later we would replay the entire scene. She really loves riding Daisy.
She is fighting another cold that she picked up at the hospital on Thursday, but she is handling it pretty well. When she finally got on Daisy she was so happy she was clapping and smiling and giggling. The volunteers always love it when she does this. She is doing great with helping to mount and dismount, turning around and getting Daisy to go and go faster.
After her ride she got to feed Daisy the carrots we brought her to say thank you. Margie held the bucket with the carrot pieces in it while Megan was sitting in her lap and Daisy ate it. Megan kept reaching up and touching Daisy's face and patting her mane. She did so good. I hate that we have to take 3 weeks off while we wait for the Summer session to begin.
Today was Megan's last Spring session on Daisy. She was so excited about going to ride Daisy that every few minutes she would crawl to the front door, reach her hand out to say "let's go outside" and then make her "lets go" noise. I would tell her that it wasn't time to leave yet and then I would take her back in the living room. A few minutes later we would replay the entire scene. She really loves riding Daisy.
She is fighting another cold that she picked up at the hospital on Thursday, but she is handling it pretty well. When she finally got on Daisy she was so happy she was clapping and smiling and giggling. The volunteers always love it when she does this. She is doing great with helping to mount and dismount, turning around and getting Daisy to go and go faster.
After her ride she got to feed Daisy the carrots we brought her to say thank you. Margie held the bucket with the carrot pieces in it while Megan was sitting in her lap and Daisy ate it. Megan kept reaching up and touching Daisy's face and patting her mane. She did so good. I hate that we have to take 3 weeks off while we wait for the Summer session to begin.
Sunday, May 20, 2012
Carwash
This afternoon Will was washing his truck in the driveway. When Megan woke up from her nap I took her outside to see him and we climbed into the truck. She was sitting on my lap in the driver's seat and Will sprayed the window. The first time it scared her but after that she liked it.
When he was doing the passenger side of the truck she was sitting in the seat by herself. She asked him to spray the window and every time he did she would laugh. She was laughing and laughing.
When he was doing the passenger side of the truck she was sitting in the seat by herself. She asked him to spray the window and every time he did she would laugh. She was laughing and laughing.
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
What a difference a pony ride makes
Megan has begun having issues with cutting her molars. We are giving her Tylenol and orajel prior to her nap and Motrin and orajel prior to bedtime. Even with the medicine she starts crying about 10 minutes after you lay her down and she continues to escalate for a long time. On Monday she didn't fall asleep for her nap until a few minutes after 3. She was supposed to have her PT session with Mandy at 4 but she didn't wake up until 5 so we cancelled her session. Mandy had a cancellation for this morning at 8:15 so we rescheduled her session.
Megan gave Mandy a very hard time. She wouldn't stand up and when Mandy managed to get her on her feet she would sit down after a few (10-15) seconds. A few minutes after Mandy left we loaded up and headed to the farm to see Daisy. Megan had a great time riding Daisy facing forward, backward and even sideways. She rode in the indoor arena and then they took her outside and up into the outdoor arena for a few minutes. I didn't put her supergirl shoes on her when we got home (she isn't allowed to wear them on the horse) because it was 11:45 and I would have to take them off in 30 minutes anyway when she got dressed for nap.
Nap time today was a disaster. She went down just fine, per usual, and then started crying about 15 minutes later. She escalated into full on screaming and throwing herself around the crib. After about 75 minutes of crying/screaming I went into her room, put the items back in her crib that she had thrown out and covered her up. She remained calm after this but never went to sleep. She did spend a lot of this time up on high knees playing with the crib railing and I watched her try to stand up but she was doing it with both legs at the same time so she didn't quite make it; but she did try that numerous times. Normally I get her up between 3 and 3:30 depending on when she wakes up but today I left her down until 4. I wasn't expecting anything out of her this afternoon since she didn't nap and I debated even getting her shoes on her but decided to go ahead and do it. I fed her snack, put her in the floor and went to get Sam.
When I came back down she was sitting in the corner by her walker wagon, which is across the room from where I put her. I put Sam down and carried the wagon into the middle of the room and she followed me. She reached up and grabbed onto it and before I knew it she took a step. SHE TOOK A STEP. I wasn't touching her. The last time she took a step behind the wagon I was holding onto her hips for support and she took steps. BUT this time I was holding onto the wagon and she took a step. One step and then she sat down - I think it surprised her. I immediately got her to stand up again and I held onto the wagon and pushed it away from her a little bit and she took 2 steps. I was so excited for her I clapped and cheered; which of course she loved. She wasn't up for more work so I let her go play and then I called Will.
By the time Will got home from work Megan had taken 2 steps 7 or 8 times and then took 4 steps one time. Each time I was pushing the wagon and Megan was stepping to keep up with it. Eventually she stood up and pushed the wagon herself and took a step. She did this 3 times - pushing the wagon and taking one step and then sitting. The last time she did it she stood up, pushed the wagon and took 2 steps and then let go and stood there for about 2 seconds before sitting down.
I was told today, by the therapist at the horse farm, that no one understands or has ever seen a reaction like Megan is having. I reminded her that Megan has had the ability to stand up and cruise for months but that the issue had been her desire to do so and somehow riding Daisy is giving her that "want to" that we have been missing for so long.
Megan gave Mandy a very hard time. She wouldn't stand up and when Mandy managed to get her on her feet she would sit down after a few (10-15) seconds. A few minutes after Mandy left we loaded up and headed to the farm to see Daisy. Megan had a great time riding Daisy facing forward, backward and even sideways. She rode in the indoor arena and then they took her outside and up into the outdoor arena for a few minutes. I didn't put her supergirl shoes on her when we got home (she isn't allowed to wear them on the horse) because it was 11:45 and I would have to take them off in 30 minutes anyway when she got dressed for nap.
Nap time today was a disaster. She went down just fine, per usual, and then started crying about 15 minutes later. She escalated into full on screaming and throwing herself around the crib. After about 75 minutes of crying/screaming I went into her room, put the items back in her crib that she had thrown out and covered her up. She remained calm after this but never went to sleep. She did spend a lot of this time up on high knees playing with the crib railing and I watched her try to stand up but she was doing it with both legs at the same time so she didn't quite make it; but she did try that numerous times. Normally I get her up between 3 and 3:30 depending on when she wakes up but today I left her down until 4. I wasn't expecting anything out of her this afternoon since she didn't nap and I debated even getting her shoes on her but decided to go ahead and do it. I fed her snack, put her in the floor and went to get Sam.
When I came back down she was sitting in the corner by her walker wagon, which is across the room from where I put her. I put Sam down and carried the wagon into the middle of the room and she followed me. She reached up and grabbed onto it and before I knew it she took a step. SHE TOOK A STEP. I wasn't touching her. The last time she took a step behind the wagon I was holding onto her hips for support and she took steps. BUT this time I was holding onto the wagon and she took a step. One step and then she sat down - I think it surprised her. I immediately got her to stand up again and I held onto the wagon and pushed it away from her a little bit and she took 2 steps. I was so excited for her I clapped and cheered; which of course she loved. She wasn't up for more work so I let her go play and then I called Will.
By the time Will got home from work Megan had taken 2 steps 7 or 8 times and then took 4 steps one time. Each time I was pushing the wagon and Megan was stepping to keep up with it. Eventually she stood up and pushed the wagon herself and took a step. She did this 3 times - pushing the wagon and taking one step and then sitting. The last time she did it she stood up, pushed the wagon and took 2 steps and then let go and stood there for about 2 seconds before sitting down.
I was told today, by the therapist at the horse farm, that no one understands or has ever seen a reaction like Megan is having. I reminded her that Megan has had the ability to stand up and cruise for months but that the issue had been her desire to do so and somehow riding Daisy is giving her that "want to" that we have been missing for so long.
Sunday, May 13, 2012
Happy Mother's Day
Will had the kids pick out their gift for me and Megan chose an interactive purple puppy. She talks and sings when you push her paws or tummy. You can upload songs and phrases, etc to it. I will work on that this week in all of my spare time.
She definitely loves her gift to me. She has had a lot of fun playing with it.
She definitely loves her gift to me. She has had a lot of fun playing with it.
My Little Miss
Megan this post is for when you are older and you want to
know what you were like as a child. Most
of this blog is about things that you do so I thought that today I would
reflect on who you are as a person.
You are so very affectionate. You love it when we give you kisses and
snuggles and you definitely give them back.
Sometimes you will grab our hands and have us caress your face or hair,
or have us rub your arms or legs. You
return the favor too – rubbing your little hand on our cheeks. You love to kiss and touch and snuggle your
little brother too. He is not always
interested yet but you keep trying.
You have a great sense of humor. You laugh so easily and freely. You crack yourself up a lot while you are
playing, especially if you accidentally bonk yourself with a toy. Somehow, quite some time ago, we discovered
that you think it is funny if you get bonked on the head with a ball/soft
toy. We will throw balls at/to you and
hit you in the chest or the top of your head and you laugh and laugh and
laugh. Sometimes you pick up the ball
that just hit you and hit yourself again in the same spot. Lately we will get you laughing so hard that
you start snorting and snorting; and even laughing so hard that you fall over. It is really great when Sam does something
that makes you laugh – it is such a sweet sight. You have mommy’s sense of humor because you
think it is funny when someone drops something or falls down/trips.
You are so smart and bright.
You are very thoughtful when presented with a new situation or toy. You think about it and then do
something. You are starting to figure
out new toys on your own without being shown how they work. You know where toys are stored in the living
room and can go get a specific item when you want to. Sometimes I will clean up the living room and
move toys around and the next morning you go looking for what you want until
you find it. You currently wear glasses
and you know how to put them on by yourself and you definitely know how to take
them off. You are great about wearing them
but you have your times when you just don’t want them on. When you are trying to accomplish something
you concentrate and if what you are doing doesn’t work you will change your
approach – change which hand you are using, change the position of the toy,
etc. until you get it to do what you want.
You love books. You
like it when we read to but you prefer to read the books by yourself most of
the time. You will pull the basket of
books out from under the coffee table and sit with a book in your lap, turning
the pages until you finish the book and then you start again. Eventually you decide to change books. There are days when you sit and read by
yourself for 20 minutes.
You are so much fun to spend time with. I love playing with you. You are inquisitive and engaging. You get so excited when we play together. You love to play chase right now and will
chase Sam or mommy or daddy. You get
very excited when we chase you too.
You are extremely compassionate. If Sam is crying you stop what you are doing,
crawl over to him, and pat him on the back.
You will put your head up next to his and give him a kiss. You rub his face or leg. If he doesn’t stop crying though you
eventually decide you’ve had enough and you bonk him on the head and take off
as if to say – enough bubba. You don’t
like it when mommy or daddy is hurt either.
You get very still and quiet and we have to tell you that we are okay to
keep you from crying. You have such a
sweet and tender heart.
You are mischievous.
You know when you are not supposed to do something and when we correct
you, you tilt your head to the side and grin and almost bat your eyes at
us. When I am working with you to get
you to walk you routinely rub your cheek on mine and give me lots and lots of
kisses like you are trying to bribe me into letting you sit down.
You are a very happy little girl. You love music. You clap whenever we turn on some music for you and will dance and clap to the songs. You love to eat and get such a sweet smile on your face when we ask you if you are hungry and want to eat. You are easy-going and it is not hard to make you smile.
You are a very happy little girl. You love music. You clap whenever we turn on some music for you and will dance and clap to the songs. You love to eat and get such a sweet smile on your face when we ask you if you are hungry and want to eat. You are easy-going and it is not hard to make you smile.
You are a beautiful little girl inside and out and I am so
very happy and honored to be your mommy.
Thursday, May 10, 2012
Great report from Dr. Board
Megan's appointment this morning was a 6 month follow-up from her eye surgery. Dr. Board said that her eyes look perfectly straight in her glasses. We discussed how much she is wearing them and how the patching is going. I told him that we have noticed that after 1-2 hours without her glasses on that her eye starts trying to turn in and he said that was normal because she still needs the glasses.
He said that things were looking great and that we didn't need to patch anymore. But by the end of the appointment he had talked himself into us continuing to patch for 1 hour a day just to be on the safe side. He said it won't hurt her but it might help so we should just keep it up.
He gave me some flash cards to work with Megan once she is talking. They are the images he will use for her eye test once she can communicate with him. He wants to make sure she recognizes the pictures so that she doesn't fail a test by mistake.
Her next appointment is in 9 months. She will keep wearing her glasses until then and wear an eye patch 1 hour a day (as much as possible). Hopefully by then she will be talking and able to take an eye exam. The concern is that her right eye has as good of vision as her left (the reason you patch is to ensure this) and there is no way to tell until she can tell us.
It is a relief that he almost had us stop the patching because that lessens the pressure/stress on me to make sure it happens. There are days when she just doesn't want to wear it and it has really stressed me out to think that I might be hurting her eyes by not fighting her more.
He said that things were looking great and that we didn't need to patch anymore. But by the end of the appointment he had talked himself into us continuing to patch for 1 hour a day just to be on the safe side. He said it won't hurt her but it might help so we should just keep it up.
He gave me some flash cards to work with Megan once she is talking. They are the images he will use for her eye test once she can communicate with him. He wants to make sure she recognizes the pictures so that she doesn't fail a test by mistake.
Her next appointment is in 9 months. She will keep wearing her glasses until then and wear an eye patch 1 hour a day (as much as possible). Hopefully by then she will be talking and able to take an eye exam. The concern is that her right eye has as good of vision as her left (the reason you patch is to ensure this) and there is no way to tell until she can tell us.
It is a relief that he almost had us stop the patching because that lessens the pressure/stress on me to make sure it happens. There are days when she just doesn't want to wear it and it has really stressed me out to think that I might be hurting her eyes by not fighting her more.
Mommy is tired....
Today is Thursday and this morning we went to our 6th appointment of the week. During a normal/average week we have 2 appointments so this has been an extremely full week. We have 2 more appointments before the week is over and I will be so happy about it.
Megan's hair has gotten so much longer, she has had a hair growth spurt. She has grown new bangs - hair where there wasn't any before. Her hairline was a little far back and about 2 weeks ago hair appeared in front of her hairline and now it is about 1.5 inches long. The rest of her hair grew that much as well. She has a great ponytail now.
It is strawberry season so we have had some from the grocery store and Megan loves them. She gets so excited you have to watch out or she will have the stems in her mouth too. Yesterday we went to a strawberry farm and got some fresh ones before her horse therapy. They are so very yummy, Megan can't get enough of them.
Yesterday, for the first time, Megan rode Daisy in the outside arena. She had so much fun and loved it when they sped up and got Daisy stepping over boards (like a very mini jump). She rode backwards again too. When the session was over and they took Daisy away Megan asked for her back. She really loves riding that pony.
Yesterday while we were at the farm Sam broke his seat belt in the wagon. When it was time to leave I had Megan sit in that seat and she did great. At one point while we were going up hill she reached forward to get Sam's cup and then realized she was going to slide out of the seat so she sat back up. I was proud of her.
Megan's hair has gotten so much longer, she has had a hair growth spurt. She has grown new bangs - hair where there wasn't any before. Her hairline was a little far back and about 2 weeks ago hair appeared in front of her hairline and now it is about 1.5 inches long. The rest of her hair grew that much as well. She has a great ponytail now.
It is strawberry season so we have had some from the grocery store and Megan loves them. She gets so excited you have to watch out or she will have the stems in her mouth too. Yesterday we went to a strawberry farm and got some fresh ones before her horse therapy. They are so very yummy, Megan can't get enough of them.
Yesterday, for the first time, Megan rode Daisy in the outside arena. She had so much fun and loved it when they sped up and got Daisy stepping over boards (like a very mini jump). She rode backwards again too. When the session was over and they took Daisy away Megan asked for her back. She really loves riding that pony.
Yesterday while we were at the farm Sam broke his seat belt in the wagon. When it was time to leave I had Megan sit in that seat and she did great. At one point while we were going up hill she reached forward to get Sam's cup and then realized she was going to slide out of the seat so she sat back up. I was proud of her.
Saturday, May 5, 2012
You crack me up
Megan has been laughing hard a lot lately. When she gets going she starts snorting, a lot. It was so stinkin cute to watch her laugh so hard. Sometimes she laughs so hard she falls over.
Thursday, May 3, 2012
Anywhere but the coffee table
Today was another big day for Megan. She has zero interest in working at the coffee table. She doesn't want to stand at it no matter what I put on it so we played with everything else I could think of today.
She stood behind and took steps with the wagon several times again today. She will stand at the wagon without me touching her but only steps if I am holding onto her - still a huge improvement from 2 days ago. Today she even pushed the wagon so that she would have to step to get close to it again.
With me holding onto her hands she walked from the front door to the kitchen which was about 20-25 steps for her. And she is doing this differently now - before I was having to pull her and now she is stepping on her own and I am having to keep up with her. Today anytime she wanted something that was across the room I had her stand up and walk to it and she did it every time.
We also played at the table in our entry way. She stood up in front of me and was getting items off of the table, which is right at the top of her head when she is standing. I was putting hangars on it and she would take them off and then reach down to the floor, pick them up and try to hang them back on the table like I had them. She was also reaching up and grabbing things off the top of the table. The entire time I am holding her at the waist and she is just reaching around with both hands. At one point she did grab on with both hands and pull herself onto her tip toes.
And for the biggest, biggest, biggest skill today.....while working with her at the entry table I let go of her and she stood there by herself for 1-2 seconds. I grabbed her again, not because she was falling but because I didn't want her to fall and then be afraid of it and not be okay with me letting her go again. She remembers things and would have latched onto falling over and it would have taken some time to be able to do it again. Megan stood by herself today.
Man if Daisy is ever in need let me tell you we will be in line to help her out.
She stood behind and took steps with the wagon several times again today. She will stand at the wagon without me touching her but only steps if I am holding onto her - still a huge improvement from 2 days ago. Today she even pushed the wagon so that she would have to step to get close to it again.
With me holding onto her hands she walked from the front door to the kitchen which was about 20-25 steps for her. And she is doing this differently now - before I was having to pull her and now she is stepping on her own and I am having to keep up with her. Today anytime she wanted something that was across the room I had her stand up and walk to it and she did it every time.
We also played at the table in our entry way. She stood up in front of me and was getting items off of the table, which is right at the top of her head when she is standing. I was putting hangars on it and she would take them off and then reach down to the floor, pick them up and try to hang them back on the table like I had them. She was also reaching up and grabbing things off the top of the table. The entire time I am holding her at the waist and she is just reaching around with both hands. At one point she did grab on with both hands and pull herself onto her tip toes.
And for the biggest, biggest, biggest skill today.....while working with her at the entry table I let go of her and she stood there by herself for 1-2 seconds. I grabbed her again, not because she was falling but because I didn't want her to fall and then be afraid of it and not be okay with me letting her go again. She remembers things and would have latched onto falling over and it would have taken some time to be able to do it again. Megan stood by herself today.
Man if Daisy is ever in need let me tell you we will be in line to help her out.
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
STEPS in the right direction
After nap today I was ready to get Megan up and her feet and moving again, but she didn't want to. She wouldn't stand at the table for more than 1-2 minutes and she fought me the whole time. I stayed with it for 7-8 minutes because sometimes she will come around. Well, she didn't come around and I was starting to think that Daisy had lost her powers.
I decided to try something else. You may recall that we purchased a Radio Flyer walker wagon for her several months ago. She hasn't ever been interested in it other than to put stuff in and take it back out. During her session on Monday Mandy tried to get her to use it and she wouldn't stand at it - she just plopped down. I grabbed the wagon and sat down with Megan in my lap right in front of it and she stood right up. After a few minutes of adjusting to it and just standing leaning on me it was time to get moving. I held onto Megan's hips and used my foot to keep the wagon from going very far. I leaned Megan back and forth and she walked 5'-6' across the floor behind the wagon, very slowly sometimes holding onto the wagon and sometimes just standing straight up. She did this twice for me before she was done. It was amazing. I was in happy tears by the end of the second trek across the floor.
Couch and Daisy
Yesterday, for the first time, Megan pulled into standing at the couch completely by herself. I was sitting on the couch and she was after the box of kleenex beside me. She stood up and then sat back down 2-3 seconds later. She was even barefoot at the time.
Megan had her session with Daisy this morning and she did great. She finished her entire session and even rode backwards on Daisy for a few minutes. They even got Daisy trotting a little and Megan loved it. Margie said that there is another pony, slighter bigger, who has more movement in her walk and that if she is available during the Summer sessions they will try Megan on her.
Megan had her session with Daisy this morning and she did great. She finished her entire session and even rode backwards on Daisy for a few minutes. They even got Daisy trotting a little and Megan loved it. Margie said that there is another pony, slighter bigger, who has more movement in her walk and that if she is available during the Summer sessions they will try Megan on her.
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
Jumpaholic
When Megan got sick, 15 days ago, she pretty much spent all day in my lap because she didn't feel up to doing anything. At one point I was carrying her and walked past the jump-jump - her favorite toy from some time ago. She reached out and asked for it, so I put her in it. She had such a good time. She has asked for it every day since and most days more than once a day. Since I have been working with her so much she goes over and asks for it when she is tired. She jumps and spins and actually walks as far as the straps will let her. Sometimes she lays her head back and swings.
Today she hasn't really wanted to work on standing. I haven't had to wipe her nose since yesterday morning so I think she is finally over the cold, but she isn't quite back to 100%. So today, literally every few minutes she has asked for the jump-jump. I put her in it and 7-10 minutes later she is done but then 10 minutes later she is back over there asking to get it in again. She even asked Will to put her in it at lunch today which is a big deal for her to give up daddy time.
I purchased an inflatable bounce trampoline thing at the end of year clearance last summer. I am so excited for her to get to the point where she can use it because she is going to have a blast. We definitely have a real trampoline in our future.
Today she hasn't really wanted to work on standing. I haven't had to wipe her nose since yesterday morning so I think she is finally over the cold, but she isn't quite back to 100%. So today, literally every few minutes she has asked for the jump-jump. I put her in it and 7-10 minutes later she is done but then 10 minutes later she is back over there asking to get it in again. She even asked Will to put her in it at lunch today which is a big deal for her to give up daddy time.
I purchased an inflatable bounce trampoline thing at the end of year clearance last summer. I am so excited for her to get to the point where she can use it because she is going to have a blast. We definitely have a real trampoline in our future.
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