A couple of weeks ago I decided to give Anna her first responsibility in the kitchen. When she finishes eating, she has to put her bowl and spoon in the sink. She's still a bit shy of reaching the sink well so most of the time they end up on the edge of the sink, but that's fine for now! Most of the time I have to remind her to place the items in the sink but recently she's been doing it on her own.
Yesterday afternoon I gave her some Cheerios before Pam arrived and left her to play while I worked on a project in the kitchen. I had my back to her when she finished and was surprised when she put the bowl in the sink without having to ask her to do so. She simply put it in the sink and returned to her cars. Such a big girl! Maybe tonight she'll make dinner!
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Milk
As I reported last month, Anna finally learned how to use a sippy cup but would only drink juice or water out of it, not milk. So I let her have milk in a bottle through the month of August. But after talking to the speech therapist, I decided to take the bottle away from her entirely since she is able to drink from the sippy cup and was just simply being stubborn about it (go figure!).
I thought she'd eventually give in to drinking her milk from the cup since she seems to like it so much, but the stubborn mule simply takes a quick sip to appease me and then gets to eating! I let it go for awhile since she wasn't making any progress even when I was being 'hard' on her and decided to ask the doctor when we saw her for her check up. After all, a couple of weeks without milk wasn't going to kill her!
Luckily the doctor had a great solution that worked very quickly. She suggested I mix the milk with drinkable yogurt. I bought it right away and gave her about 1 part milk to 2 parts yogurt. Anna was hesitant at first but gave into the deliciousness! Now I give her half and half and she's been doing well with it.
The only problem is that the yogurt has a lot of sugar, it's expensive and doesn't last long. So last night I bought some frozen strawberries and am going to mix it with the milk and half a banana. I was feeling lazy after I returned from the grocery store so I simply gave Anna the yogurt/milk mixture. But I'll try the 'smoothie' soon and let you know how it goes. Thanks Dr. Coy!
I thought she'd eventually give in to drinking her milk from the cup since she seems to like it so much, but the stubborn mule simply takes a quick sip to appease me and then gets to eating! I let it go for awhile since she wasn't making any progress even when I was being 'hard' on her and decided to ask the doctor when we saw her for her check up. After all, a couple of weeks without milk wasn't going to kill her!
Luckily the doctor had a great solution that worked very quickly. She suggested I mix the milk with drinkable yogurt. I bought it right away and gave her about 1 part milk to 2 parts yogurt. Anna was hesitant at first but gave into the deliciousness! Now I give her half and half and she's been doing well with it.
The only problem is that the yogurt has a lot of sugar, it's expensive and doesn't last long. So last night I bought some frozen strawberries and am going to mix it with the milk and half a banana. I was feeling lazy after I returned from the grocery store so I simply gave Anna the yogurt/milk mixture. But I'll try the 'smoothie' soon and let you know how it goes. Thanks Dr. Coy!
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Frustration
One of the down sides to 2 1/2 is that Anna gets very frustrated very easily. She knows how to say 'help' but I'm not sure everyone around her understands when she does so she's taken to having small fits when things don't work out the way she wants or she can't reach something or she drops something or she can't do physically do something that cognitively she understands. I'm trying to teach her patience and how to ask nicely for help rather than getting worked up right away, but I think it's just something that time will take care of. I try to be patient myself with her and intervene before she goes berserk, and depending on the time of day and the situation, it works. Other times I just let her go and let her get over it herself. Doesn't usually take too long unless she's especially tired or hungry. Generally if she's playing by herself and starts to get annoyed, if I act as if I don't notice, she figures it out herself or asks nicely for help. It's when she catches me noticing her problem, that the freak outs are the worst. Can anyone say 'manipulative'?!
Practice Makes Perfect
Anna's OT and I discussed how to increase Anna's leg strength. She suggested having Anna walk and play on her knees. I used to do more formal sessions of therapy with Anna when she was younger and less capable. But it's as if she was paying attention to our conversation yesterday and came up with a game on her own. An hour or so after Joanne left, she was kneeling in front of my computer with a car on top of it and running it back and forth the top of it for quite some time. She took a break for dinner and then went back to 'work' afterwards. Now she's playing catch with Dave, but earlier they were crawling and she decided that rather than use her arms for help, she'd walk on her knees. Grant it, she used the couch for some support, but she only used one hand and she did it all on her own. I think she'd make a good personal trainer - very self motivated!
Throwing
Granddad found a ball while we were away on vacation together last week - a light weight wiffle type ball. He, of course, gave it to Anna. Anna, Granddad and Daddy had more fun tossing and rolling it around and crawling around the floor playing 'catch' and 'fetch'. Not only was it fun but it was also very funny - Anna didn't stop giggling the whole time they played. Not to mention, it turns out Anna has a pretty good arm for a two 1/2 year old. Now we have to work on the catching!
Hi Mimi
Anna is on the phone with Mimi as I write this and just said 'hi Mimi'. She's strung a couple of words together over the last ten days or so, but that was one of the clearest strings yet. I have a feeling that over the next couple of weeks (possibly a year to the day that Anna started walking) Anna will be have a huge speech burst. Her progress has been great, but I feel a true explosion coming. I'll look back come early to mid-October and see if I'm right! In the meantime, we need to work on the low tone in her mouth so her speech is clearer. The words are definitely here and coming faster and faster every day. Now we just have to be able to understand them!
Cheese
Anna is starting to say 'cheese' when we pull out a camera, still or moving. She stays still for about two seconds, lifts her head up and scrunches her face up and says 'cheese'. It's not her best look and she barely stays still long enough to capture it. As a result, I wind up with lots of blurry shots as I ultimately snap the picture after Anna's broken her 'pose', but it's always fun to see evidence of ever increasing understanding of the world around her. We just bought a new camera so hopefully between its increased speed and Anna's growing understanding of what's involved in taking a good picture, we'll have some better pictures to share over the coming months. I'd especially like a good one in front of the Christmas tree this year. I took over one hundred shots last year and wound up giving out a picture from our summer vacation instead!
Colors
Anna had OT yesterday and when Joanne asked her to point out colors, she named them with 100% accuracy. So receptively Anna understands the concept of color and can identify them. But ask her what color her shirt is or shoes or anything else for that matter and she says 'yellow'! If the item isn't yellow, I tell her to try again. Her second choice is 'blue'. Then she goes back to yellow or sometimes says 'pink'. I guess practice makes perfect!
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Hickory Run State Park
Here is a picture of Dave and Anna at Hawk Falls at Hickory Run State Park. Since Anna is so terrible at posing for pictures, I was happy to at least get an 'action' shot that wasn't blurry. Enjoy!Play Time
Anna's increasing maturity is evident in her ability to play by herself for an extended period of time. I love to watch her play surrounded by toys making sound effects for the action on the floor. I especially like to watch her rediscover a toy that hasn't been played with in a long time. Inevitably her rediscovery highlights her increased skills and understanding and I am reminded of how far she's come in the last couple of years. It certainly helps relieve my fears of any permanent disability she may end up with.
Art
Anna has a magnetic drawing board that can be used over and over by clearing the screen with a swipe of the board. She refers to it as her 'art'. She loved it the very first time I showed it to her, but we keep it at Grandma's house so I rarely get to see her play with it and watch her progress. But this past week on vacation, Grandma brought it for Anna and it was by far the most played with toy of the week (other than Grandma and Granddad themselves, of course!).
When she first used it, she'd draw and someone would show her how to clear the screen. Usually she needed some help to move the piece back and forth to refresh the screen. Over the months she has gotten very efficient at moving it back and forth with her left hand while holding it steady with her right hand. I was so proud and relieved watching her wipe it clean over and over again with ease. Sometimes I regret certain toys I buy her, but this one was the best $10 ever spent!
When she first used it, she'd draw and someone would show her how to clear the screen. Usually she needed some help to move the piece back and forth to refresh the screen. Over the months she has gotten very efficient at moving it back and forth with her left hand while holding it steady with her right hand. I was so proud and relieved watching her wipe it clean over and over again with ease. Sometimes I regret certain toys I buy her, but this one was the best $10 ever spent!
PB&J
I forgot this part of our vacation story. Anna had her very first peanut butter and jelly sandwich on white bread. We stopped for lunch on our way back from a short trip to Hickory Run State Park and no one ordered anything that was a good item to share with Anna. So I decided it was time for her to taste her very first PB&J. She eats almond butter all of the time on our multi grain bread. Not quite the treat that this eatery offered. This was truly the PB&J experience as it was very messy on the whitest bread I've ever seen heaped with grape jelly. After a little surgery on my part, I handed pieces of the sandwich over to Anna. What a mess! She truly enjoyed it as made evident by the number of wipes it took to clean her up afterwards - I think it was four!
Block Party
We went to our neighborhood block party last Sunday and Anna had a blast. She enjoyed watching all of the older kids and even played with them a little. But her favorite part was walking up and down the driveways with steep slopes. It was as if she was training for her very own mountain climb. I was telling her OT about it today and noted how funny it is that she seems to know her weaknesses and seeks ways to improve her strength. If only I had her endurance and dedication - I'd be in pretty good shape!
But the funniest part of the block party was when dessert was served. Dave was standing with Anna at his feet offering her a strawberry. I guess this was an awkward way for her to eat because she told Dave to walk, ushering him over to a chair and patted the chair with her hand telling him to sit down. Then she moved in next to him and opened her mouth now ready to accept the strawberry originally offered. I love a girl who know what she wants and goes for it!
But the funniest part of the block party was when dessert was served. Dave was standing with Anna at his feet offering her a strawberry. I guess this was an awkward way for her to eat because she told Dave to walk, ushering him over to a chair and patted the chair with her hand telling him to sit down. Then she moved in next to him and opened her mouth now ready to accept the strawberry originally offered. I love a girl who know what she wants and goes for it!
2 1/2
Anna was 2 1/2 last Saturday. This milestone has brought improvements in all aspects of her life. Her speech and cognitive ability have improved, her play skills are continuously increasing and her willfulness has sky rocketed! I guess you have to take the bad with the good. Sometimes it brings a smile to my face that I have to quickly camouflage and other times it sends her to her room for a much earned time out.
Busy, busy, busy
Anna is a busy bee. Her fall schedule has her doing something every day of the week, with only her weekends free (and those are filling up fast - although not entirely for Anna!). Monday and Thursday Anna is in school. Tuesday Joanne comes to play (OT), Wednesday we play with Pam (speech) and Zeinab (PT) comes on Friday. School is only a half day but by the time we get home, it's lunch/nap time so it only leaves a few free hours in the late afternoon for free time and errands. Of course, it's nice to have some time to myself Monday morning to catch up on my chores. I'm back to work Tuesday through Thursday four hours each day so that only leaves Monday free for me. Her therapy sessions only last an hour but they prevent the freedom I'd like to have after work to take her somewhere or simply run some errands. I rush from work to my mom's and then home again so that we're home in time for Anna's sessions. They're helpful, of course, and Anna likes them, for the most part, but I'm looking forward to the days that all therapy is done in school - that will definitely free up our time for our own therapy and play time! And that day will be upon us soon enough as Anna will be three in less than 6 months - can't believe it! That reminds me, I better get in touch with her coordinator so we can schedule our tour. Time flies when you're having fun!
Vacation
We went to the Poconos this year for vacation. We left the Saturday after Labor Day, right in the heart of hurricane season! We had a few beautiful days and a few not so beautiful days (thanks Ike!). We rented a four bedroom house so there was plenty of room for Dave, myself, Anna and my parents. The house was in the middle of a gated community called Timber Trails and part of a larger community called Lake Naomi. We had access to a community center equipped with a gym, pool (closed for maintenance - bummer!) and recreation area. The membership also gave us access to the lakes/beaches and club house (restaurant), but we didn't get a chance to take advantage of that part too much due to the cool weather.
Anna did go in the lake one day - Daddy didn't give her much of a choice! But as usual, she loved it after she got used to the cool water. She caught a little bit of a cold and I was concerned that it was going to be a repeat of last year's vacation (her very first cold on top of five teeth coming in - fun!), but luckily we only had one night of her in our bed breathing heavily due to congestion. The rest of the week, she had her very own room - definitely the way to travel! And even though her cough lingered, it didn't make for any completely sleepless nights for anyone so we got lucky.
Anna enjoyed the play area in the community center. She loved the train set and, of course, she had to take the stroller and a very odd looking hot pink baby/creature for a walk around the second floor of the center. We bought a bike seat for her and although not thrilled at first (she wanted to walk), she quickly adjusted and seemed to enjoy the ride. Of course, it was a bit of an adjustment for me as I'm not used to an extra thirty pounds on the back of my bike, but I grew more comfortable after I practiced with a weighted down diaper bag while she took a nap one day. I'm still not perfectly comfortable with it but found a local bike trail that I want to practice on with her when I get a free moment (unfortunately, Anna's busy schedule doesn't make it easy!).
One of the best parts of the bike seat was after a quick ride, the three of us returned to the house and were welcomed by Grandma. When Grandma asked Anna who she went on a ride with, she said 'Daddy and Mommy' quite clearly - her first string of words. Yay!
In other speech related news, she started saying 'all done' also quite clearly and seems to be saying phrases/sentences even though we can't quite understand what she's saying. It used to be that she'd put together a bunch of similar sounds, but now the babble sounds more complex and more like a language - a foreign one, but language all the same!
We returned last Saturday and had a busy day Sunday with two (not one, but two) picnics. Probably our last chance to swim this summer as the days are getting cooler but a fun way to end the season. Anna returned to school yesterday and had a little difficulty adjusting to life back at home. Nothing too horrible, but it's going to take a couple of more days, I think, for her to get used to being home and adjusting to her fall schedule.
So good bye Summer 2008. A pretty good one - Anna grew by leaps and bounds in and out of the pool. We're looking forward to seeing what her jam packed fall will bring. I'll keep you posted.
Anna did go in the lake one day - Daddy didn't give her much of a choice! But as usual, she loved it after she got used to the cool water. She caught a little bit of a cold and I was concerned that it was going to be a repeat of last year's vacation (her very first cold on top of five teeth coming in - fun!), but luckily we only had one night of her in our bed breathing heavily due to congestion. The rest of the week, she had her very own room - definitely the way to travel! And even though her cough lingered, it didn't make for any completely sleepless nights for anyone so we got lucky.
Anna enjoyed the play area in the community center. She loved the train set and, of course, she had to take the stroller and a very odd looking hot pink baby/creature for a walk around the second floor of the center. We bought a bike seat for her and although not thrilled at first (she wanted to walk), she quickly adjusted and seemed to enjoy the ride. Of course, it was a bit of an adjustment for me as I'm not used to an extra thirty pounds on the back of my bike, but I grew more comfortable after I practiced with a weighted down diaper bag while she took a nap one day. I'm still not perfectly comfortable with it but found a local bike trail that I want to practice on with her when I get a free moment (unfortunately, Anna's busy schedule doesn't make it easy!).
One of the best parts of the bike seat was after a quick ride, the three of us returned to the house and were welcomed by Grandma. When Grandma asked Anna who she went on a ride with, she said 'Daddy and Mommy' quite clearly - her first string of words. Yay!
In other speech related news, she started saying 'all done' also quite clearly and seems to be saying phrases/sentences even though we can't quite understand what she's saying. It used to be that she'd put together a bunch of similar sounds, but now the babble sounds more complex and more like a language - a foreign one, but language all the same!
We returned last Saturday and had a busy day Sunday with two (not one, but two) picnics. Probably our last chance to swim this summer as the days are getting cooler but a fun way to end the season. Anna returned to school yesterday and had a little difficulty adjusting to life back at home. Nothing too horrible, but it's going to take a couple of more days, I think, for her to get used to being home and adjusting to her fall schedule.
So good bye Summer 2008. A pretty good one - Anna grew by leaps and bounds in and out of the pool. We're looking forward to seeing what her jam packed fall will bring. I'll keep you posted.
Cheers
Anna loves when we toast at a family function or dinner. In fact she loves it so much that last night when I gave her a cup of milk after she finished her juice cup, she clicked the two together and quietly said 'cheers' to herself before taking a sip!
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Second First Day of School
Anna started school again this morning after the school's short break at the end of August. There were a lot more kids than summer camp so drop off was much more chaotic. Anna said 'no' when we pulled into the parking lot and was hesitant about going inside. She followed me to her cubby but seemed happy as she pointed out the new mat in the cubby area. I walked her over to some kids playing in the back area and she said 'bye' and started to walk away. I leaned over for my hug and went to find the director to tell her my mom would be picking up Anna. I saw it as a good sign that she didn't follow me and didn't come looking for me as I left. I felt a little strange leaving her since I left her in an area where there was no teacher, but I didn't want to chance upsetting her by forcing her to go somewhere against her will. There were a bunch of kids in the back so I assumed it was okay that she was there. Plus, I didn't hear any loud screaming coming from the back so I knew that even if she was mildly upset, it was nothing that she wouldn't overcome quickly.
Even though she spent 5 weeks there over the summer, it still feels so new dropping her off at her first school. It seems so odd not being a part of this aspect of her life. She's spent a lot of time with my parents, but that is very different since my parents are practically her second parents. Not to mention, I get much more feedback from my mom than the teachers at school. I'm trying to accept that no news is good news, but I'm having a hard time letting go. I'm definitely playing by the school's 'rules' by biting my tongue every time I feel inclined to ask a leading question, but my brain goes on overload as soon as I walk out the door. I'm able to calm the voice within after a little while away from school convincing myself that it's nice to have some time away from Anna and that this is a good experience for her. But the questions start flowing once I pick up Anna without much more than a quick 'hello' and 'goodbye' from the teachers.
I guess I need to get used to this and look forward to the day that Anna will speak in complete sentences and jabber on and on about school as we head home. But for now, this will be good training for the day that comes, hopefully much later, when Anna will give me a simple answer of 'fine' when I ask her how her day went. Luckily, I think I have some time!
Even though she spent 5 weeks there over the summer, it still feels so new dropping her off at her first school. It seems so odd not being a part of this aspect of her life. She's spent a lot of time with my parents, but that is very different since my parents are practically her second parents. Not to mention, I get much more feedback from my mom than the teachers at school. I'm trying to accept that no news is good news, but I'm having a hard time letting go. I'm definitely playing by the school's 'rules' by biting my tongue every time I feel inclined to ask a leading question, but my brain goes on overload as soon as I walk out the door. I'm able to calm the voice within after a little while away from school convincing myself that it's nice to have some time away from Anna and that this is a good experience for her. But the questions start flowing once I pick up Anna without much more than a quick 'hello' and 'goodbye' from the teachers.
I guess I need to get used to this and look forward to the day that Anna will speak in complete sentences and jabber on and on about school as we head home. But for now, this will be good training for the day that comes, hopefully much later, when Anna will give me a simple answer of 'fine' when I ask her how her day went. Luckily, I think I have some time!
Breast Feeding
The nurses asked me if I was going to breast feed Anna. When I said 'yes', they showed me how to position her and tried to help her latch on. But she didn't latch on, instead she screamed the entire time we worked with her. After a few minutes of screaming and frustration, we decided to try again later. Anna calmed down immediately and fell back to sleep on my chest.
Dave finally joined us and my parents were there admiring the newest member of our clan. Uncle Jimmy and Uncle Michael arrived a little later for Anna's coming out 'party'. It was fun to show her off to my family while relaxing comfortably in my hospital bed. Part of me didn't want everyone to leave, but I knew it was time for us all to get some rest. Dave left shortly after my parents and brothers, and Anna returned to the nursery so Mommy could finally sleep!
They brought her to me throughout the night to breast feed, but she continued to 'refuse'. She screamed as soon as I cradled her on my chest and put her mouth to my breast. And she calmed down as soon I gave up.
The nurses reassured me that we'd figure it out the next day with the lactation specialists so I quickly returned to sleep not spending too much time worrying about it. After all, she was perfectly happy returning to sleep so maybe she just wanted to rest after our ordeal!
The problem solving started the next day. Laurie, my birth class teacher, was the lactation specialist and she spent quite awhile with the two of us trying to show Anna, and me, what to do. We decided that she had a weak suck so she showed Dave how to feed her with a tube. The tube attached to his finger which he placed in her mouth and she had to suck just as she would on a nipple or bottle. We fed her like this all day, trying to breast feed her at different points but to no avail.
The problem solving continued. Laurie told me to spend 'skin on skin' time with her, which would help her to become more comfortable, encouraging her to latch on. She also helped me try different positions and even gave us a bottle with a more difficult nipple which would help to strengthen her suck.
The nursery graciously used this bottle for one feeding at night but reverted to the typical bottle for the second feeding as the first one took close to an hour; the second one only took 20 minutes.
Anna was born on a Monday and it was now Wednesday. According to her chart, she was peeing and pooping well, and the pediatrician confirmed that she was doing great. She gave us an amount of formula to shoot for during a 24 hour period and we and Anna willingly obliged.
We were tired and frustrated but never imagined the real reason for Anna's difficulty. There's more to this first small struggle in Anna's life, but I will save it for another post. It's time for bed!
Dave finally joined us and my parents were there admiring the newest member of our clan. Uncle Jimmy and Uncle Michael arrived a little later for Anna's coming out 'party'. It was fun to show her off to my family while relaxing comfortably in my hospital bed. Part of me didn't want everyone to leave, but I knew it was time for us all to get some rest. Dave left shortly after my parents and brothers, and Anna returned to the nursery so Mommy could finally sleep!
They brought her to me throughout the night to breast feed, but she continued to 'refuse'. She screamed as soon as I cradled her on my chest and put her mouth to my breast. And she calmed down as soon I gave up.
The nurses reassured me that we'd figure it out the next day with the lactation specialists so I quickly returned to sleep not spending too much time worrying about it. After all, she was perfectly happy returning to sleep so maybe she just wanted to rest after our ordeal!
The problem solving started the next day. Laurie, my birth class teacher, was the lactation specialist and she spent quite awhile with the two of us trying to show Anna, and me, what to do. We decided that she had a weak suck so she showed Dave how to feed her with a tube. The tube attached to his finger which he placed in her mouth and she had to suck just as she would on a nipple or bottle. We fed her like this all day, trying to breast feed her at different points but to no avail.
The problem solving continued. Laurie told me to spend 'skin on skin' time with her, which would help her to become more comfortable, encouraging her to latch on. She also helped me try different positions and even gave us a bottle with a more difficult nipple which would help to strengthen her suck.
The nursery graciously used this bottle for one feeding at night but reverted to the typical bottle for the second feeding as the first one took close to an hour; the second one only took 20 minutes.
Anna was born on a Monday and it was now Wednesday. According to her chart, she was peeing and pooping well, and the pediatrician confirmed that she was doing great. She gave us an amount of formula to shoot for during a 24 hour period and we and Anna willingly obliged.
We were tired and frustrated but never imagined the real reason for Anna's difficulty. There's more to this first small struggle in Anna's life, but I will save it for another post. It's time for bed!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
