On a roll!

Audrey, tonight as Daddy and I were getting Liam to bed and dinner ready, you were laying on the floor relaxing. Daddy walked by at one point and realized you were on the opposite side he had placed you on. You rolled over! So we flipped you back over and continued getting things done for a couple minutes. Next time I looked at you, you had rolled again! So we reset you again, and again, watching you go from your side, to your back, to your other side. You flipped over a total of 8 times! That is SO BIG Audrey!


We caught a couple of your rolls on video. This particular time, Daddy encouraged you to roll by coughing—one of your favorite silly sounds. This video has an added bonus! You said “Dada” perfectly in sign language mid-roll. You were really trying to turn over to talk to that funny Daddy.

Happy Turkey Day!

We always go around the dinner table and talk about what we are grateful for. I spoke up for you saying that you have been so healthy, and doctor visits have been super rare.

Can you guess what I am most thankful for? Definitely you guys. But what I talked about was that I am able to stay home with you and brother. I would be so sad if I needed to leave you to work. Instead I get to spend my days with two of my most favorite people on earth, waiting for number one to come home.

I love my family.

Just a Swingin'

Oh my goodness. Have you ever seen a happier girl? Daddy is the most fun daddy EVER.

Mitten Kitten

You have been pulling your mittens off all day. I am super proud of you. That is a big, talented girl. But leave them on. Otherwise you will pull out all the hair we have worked so hard at growing!

Record Breaking

Audrey Lee!!

I was just scheduling an appointment to pick up your new contacts and check the fit. It felt like it had been awhile since I sat and waited on hold forever. So I checked my calendar. When we go to this appointment on Thursday, it will be a whole FIVE WEEKS since we last went to any sort of medical appointment for you.

That is by far a record! For the first several months of your life we were in the med center at least twice a week...if not three or four times. I remember being thrilled when we finally got down to once a week. Since you have turned 2, I would say average is once every other week. But never, ever as long as 5 weeks.

I think it really shows what kind of progress you have been making. We don't have nearly as many unresolved issues at this point. No surgeries on the horizon and only a few unanswered questions.

Now we can just concentrate on development!

Life is good Audrey Boo.

Home Sweet Home

I was so happy to see you when I got home today! I missed my family so much! I know you missed me too, but you didn’t appear exceptionally sad over the last few days. Brother didn’t handle missing Mommy quite as well, but you are the big sister and you did great.

Perspective

A stomach bug has been going around our church nursery. Liam got it Friday morning and I got it last night. I am in Colorado for a training conference for Teen CBS, not the ideal place for me to be sick. I am pretty miserable, and I can’t help but think of you. This is how you feel every single day. I hate that for you, but you handle it so well. You get sick, are sad for a few minutes, and then go right back to your sweet, happy little self. You’re the strongest person I know.

Transition

Today I went to a transitional meeting in Katy ISD to learn about one of our options for your education. At age 3 you are no longer eligible for ECI, and at that point you can enroll in a program called PPCD. It seems like a very well run and wonderful program, that would be a great option for many kids. Unfortunately, I didn’t get the impression that it is well suited for you.

Things such as circle time and centers are an awesome way to teach and engage children, but I don’t think you would get much out of it. For one, you can’t even really see the board or the books in circle time, and can’t get yourself around to centers. Secondly, children are placed in classes in the order enrolled, not based on abilities. You may be in a classroom full of kids with speech problems and you could never be expected to keep up in that environment. And lastly, PPCD seems geared more towards acidemics rather than development. I don’t care if you know the letter “c”, I just want you to be able to sit on your own.

There is another program for visually impaired children, and most of them have complex situations like yours. Without having seen it for myself yet, my gut tells me this will be the better option for you.

Trunk or Treat, 2010!

You did awesome on the drive home from Ft. Worth today. I don’t expect anything less than a happy camper from you.

Daddy and I, on the other hand, were worn out. We got home about 4:30, just in time to unload most of the car, throw on your costumes and leave for church by 5:00. Every year we have “trunk or treat” in the parking lot at JVBC, a fun and safe alternative to trick or treating.

The plan was to be characters from Harry Potter. I love the Harry Potter books, and with the first installment of the 7th movie coming out, I thought it was fitting. So I was going to by Hermione and you were going to be Crookshanks, my cat. Daddy was going to be Harry and Liam was going to be Hedwig, his owl. Except Daddy and I were not up for putting on our costumes. So you just wound up being a cat, and Liam an owl. Not quite as cute as I anticipated. At some point we will all have to put on our costumes so we can have a picture of the four of us the way we SHOULD have looked. Still, you were the most precious kitten I have ever seen!

(After downloading and browsing through pictures of the night, it occurs to me that there isn't a decent picture of any of us. Sorry--exhaustion must have taken its toll on my shooting finger. But I promise you were CUTE!)