Sorry it has been so long since I've posted but life has been busy and we have lacked Internet connection for a few weeks.
First things first...Olena's progress. She is doing great! I couldn't be happier with the results that therapy has brought on. Teresa, her Occupational Therapist is a blessing. She is kind, sweet and very helpful. It took me some time to "break her down" but she now knows I mean business :) I say "break down" in reference to the Olena " beauty blindness" that many people suffer from. Olena Beauty Blindness is the fact that about 99% of the people who know her feel that she is perfect because of how cute she is. Of course I think she's perfect! but she is far from it in reality ;) but believe it or not, that has been my biggest hurdle in having her as a daughter. Everyone is so involved in how beautiful she is, they don't hear or notice anything else. I know for a fact I do not want her growing up thinking her looks are going to get her what she wants in life...I am doing everything in my power to avoid that from happening but the comments, the gushing, the stares, it is never ending. Jason and I laugh sometimes because it is like having "paparazzi" around us when we go out with her. Pray for us - that's all I can say :)
Anyhow, back to Teresa - the second therapy session she was again, talking to Olena telling her how pretty she is, and I just told her nicely..." I appreciate your kindness. Olena is beautiful...I know and she knows it. But her beauty is not want needs to be addressed, her behavior does. So lets start working from there and worry about how cute she is AFTER our therapy session! I am tired of hearing my daughters cute, I want to hear what I can do and what you can do to help her sensory disorder" She looked at me in shock for minute and then smiled. She apologized said that was one of the best things she could have ever been told by a parent.
As I said, the therapy is going great. We are still doing the brushing and joint compressions and even better, we are able to span it out longer throughout the day. Verses having to do it every 2 hours, she can usually keep herself in check for a good 4 hours now. Her MRI and EEG that we had done on the 11th were normal! and she her passed all of her developmental testing with flying colors - she is right where she should be.
We are still having some trouble with her speech so I did decide to go ahead and start her in speech therapy once a week. Her stuttering has improved, though it does still lurk...but at the end of her words now. Very strange. Even the therapist was baffled. For example she will stutter saying rac,c,c,c,e car. I personally think its cute, but the main reason for deciding to move forward with it is her inability to pronounce the letters R , T, F and H.
She is growing like a weed in height but she is still only 24lbs. I was just looking at some of her pictures from last summer and I was so sad! she is growing up so fast. I just want to squeeze her and keep her little - does anyone know if that's possible?
I keep thinking about how old she is getting and how happy she would probably be to have a sister or brother. I am also starting to panic because the big 30 is right around the corner - August 12th. I had hoped to have my family of 5 completed by now, and I am still on number 1. I just don't think its time. I have prayed about it and I have been listening to my heart, and so far everything I feel is "not now!" so I'm going with it.
First things first...Olena's progress. She is doing great! I couldn't be happier with the results that therapy has brought on. Teresa, her Occupational Therapist is a blessing. She is kind, sweet and very helpful. It took me some time to "break her down" but she now knows I mean business :) I say "break down" in reference to the Olena " beauty blindness" that many people suffer from. Olena Beauty Blindness is the fact that about 99% of the people who know her feel that she is perfect because of how cute she is. Of course I think she's perfect! but she is far from it in reality ;) but believe it or not, that has been my biggest hurdle in having her as a daughter. Everyone is so involved in how beautiful she is, they don't hear or notice anything else. I know for a fact I do not want her growing up thinking her looks are going to get her what she wants in life...I am doing everything in my power to avoid that from happening but the comments, the gushing, the stares, it is never ending. Jason and I laugh sometimes because it is like having "paparazzi" around us when we go out with her. Pray for us - that's all I can say :)
Anyhow, back to Teresa - the second therapy session she was again, talking to Olena telling her how pretty she is, and I just told her nicely..." I appreciate your kindness. Olena is beautiful...I know and she knows it. But her beauty is not want needs to be addressed, her behavior does. So lets start working from there and worry about how cute she is AFTER our therapy session! I am tired of hearing my daughters cute, I want to hear what I can do and what you can do to help her sensory disorder" She looked at me in shock for minute and then smiled. She apologized said that was one of the best things she could have ever been told by a parent.
As I said, the therapy is going great. We are still doing the brushing and joint compressions and even better, we are able to span it out longer throughout the day. Verses having to do it every 2 hours, she can usually keep herself in check for a good 4 hours now. Her MRI and EEG that we had done on the 11th were normal! and she her passed all of her developmental testing with flying colors - she is right where she should be.
We are still having some trouble with her speech so I did decide to go ahead and start her in speech therapy once a week. Her stuttering has improved, though it does still lurk...but at the end of her words now. Very strange. Even the therapist was baffled. For example she will stutter saying rac,c,c,c,e car. I personally think its cute, but the main reason for deciding to move forward with it is her inability to pronounce the letters R , T, F and H.
She is growing like a weed in height but she is still only 24lbs. I was just looking at some of her pictures from last summer and I was so sad! she is growing up so fast. I just want to squeeze her and keep her little - does anyone know if that's possible?
I keep thinking about how old she is getting and how happy she would probably be to have a sister or brother. I am also starting to panic because the big 30 is right around the corner - August 12th. I had hoped to have my family of 5 completed by now, and I am still on number 1. I just don't think its time. I have prayed about it and I have been listening to my heart, and so far everything I feel is "not now!" so I'm going with it.
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The word "fruit" is usually "poot" and when we go "say ffffffffruit", she says "ffffffff poot". It's riotously funny. I have to say that I am still loving all the mispronunciations. Maybe because she's my baby and I don't want her to outgrow EVERYTHING babyish yet. A freind of mine (who happens to work with kids with speech problems) keeps tabs on Lyra and told me not to worry as long as she is showing improvement. She seems to be about 3 months behind Olena in speech so I just read your blog to know what she will be doing soon:):):).
Miss you guys! And very cute pics, as always. What a smoochie bear she is!