Lots To Catch Up On & A Heartfelt Message

Alayna can tolerate sitting in the bumbo seat for 10-15 minutes easily. Okay, as long as she's in a good mood! Teething is interfering with many of our fun activities and I can't wait until they are all finally in.
She loves watching the lights flash on the toy gym. It keeps her focused for awhile and forces her to control her head and neck.
Now she's pooped and crashed on the floor!
Alayna is really interested in people's faces. If you get close enough, she'll touch you. And you may just get lucky enough to get a wet, slobbery hand! The kids love that (just kidding)! Douglas loves talking to his little sister and loves getting a reaction out of her.
Alayna loves Lexi! She is like her little mommy and I think Alayna knows that and feels so comfortable with her. Again, Lexi loves to be smiled back at too and loves to make her giggle.

Proud big sister Alexis with Alayna.
Our two beautiful girls! We are so proud of all of our kids. The truly bring joy to our lives.
I look at this picture and think "what is different?" It's Alayna helmetless. I can't wait until we can finally take that off! But not yet.
Smiley Alayna. We've been battling a watery, red eye for about 3 weeks now. We've tried eye and ear drops, but I really think it is associated with her teething. Some days it is good and some it is worse.
I'm sad to report that the swing is "slowing" down a little. Seriously, Alayna is getting a bit big for it and the swing itself is slower due to that. But we will use it until it works no longer!!! She loves the movement. She sleeps in it, plays in it, smiles in it, kicks her legs in it, and looks around in it.

Wow! This is the longest span of time for a new post in a long time. This time of year is crazy for our household because of all the kids activities (softball and baseball) and me trying to wrap up the end of the school year at work. I've had tons of papers to grade and just something to do every night. Literally, I don't sit down until I go to bed. There is always dinner to fix, dishes to be done, laundry to do, school work to finish, bottles to wash, bags to pack, and oh my the list goes on and on. But, the kids have 2 more days of school and I have an institute day and we are done for the summer! I fuel on the fact that I can throw away our daily "schedule" for a few months.

However, I do have to share that as I'm typing I glanced at our June calendar on the refrigerator and it has something written on it every day of the month. I'm a bit nervous because I've got therapy for Alayna 3 times a week to get to and I've got to find someone to watch the other 3 kids on these days. I'd be insane to try and take them with. Not to mention, Lexi starts the summer off with two weeks of College for Kids and Drake starts off with one week of basketball camp. So, our mornings for the next two weeks will still be earlier than what I'd like. This means I have to get up and shower and put on make-up which I could pass up all together. Oh well!

Alayna had her 1 year review with Early Intervention about a week ago. Overall, it went fine. It's tough to swallow her percentage of developmental delay when it is spelled out in black and white on paper. Prior to discussing anything we were given copies of the evaluations and given time to read them. I found it tough to read and I had to hold back the tears. The great thing is that she is progressing at a steady pace and in the progression that they like to see. She is going in "sequence" so to speak and making gains. All of the therapists (PT, OT, DT and Speech) made an evaluation and scored her using certain developmental tests/checklists. Some skills were difficult to score because she may overlap in the age ranges for that particular skill. The PT evaluation put her in about the 5 month range for development. The speech therapist put her at about a 6-7 month level for speech. In general, Dana and I both feel that she is at about a 6 month level and doing things most 6 month olds do, minus the babbling and cooing.

Early Intervention approved her having therapy once a week. Remember, before she was only going 2 times a month. So, PT will continue to be one time every other week and speech and OT will alternate the other two weeks. I'm glad to have Alayna going to the Children's Therapy Center once a week. She seems to be at a developmental burst right now and her interest in play and toys has increased. We need to take full advantage of that open window of opportunity to expand her skills. She continues to go to Comprehensive Rehab two times a week as well. Our weeks will be full of 3 days of therapy sessions. Again, I thank God for Patti, Alayna's babysitter, and Grandpa Denny for helping with this all through the school year. And I may be calling on Patti a bit this summer - hope that's okay Patti!

At this time we are battling the teeth. I can't believe how Alayna has seemed to get a bunch of teeth at one time. She is currently working on the molars on the top and about 4 more on the bottom. It stinks! Fussiness and not wanting to eat are the issues we've been faced with. Not eating can't be an option for her. She doesn't eat that much on a good day! We've befriended Tylenol for the last week and Baby Orajel. Also, with her teething she usually gets a watery, yucky eye. We visited the pediatrician about a week ago and did eye and ear drops for about 10 days. It has gotten better. It could be a result of cutting teeth or be a clogged tear duct. We'll keep our eye on it!

Alayna is as cute as a button. We love her and she is so lovable right back. Now, there are times that she absolutely refuses to be held and fusses so badly that there isn't anything you can do. Both Grandpa Denny and Patti have both experienced that and it isn't fun. Alayna has her moments too when she fights her sleep. I hope after her teeth come in we see Alayna in a better mood for most of the day.

Alayna is really beginning to grab and hold her bottle while you feed her. She gets pretty proud when she holds it all by herself. She is most intrigued by taking it out and putting it back in rather than drink it. She also likes to bite down on the nipple and pull it out of her mouth quickly to make a "popping" noise. And then she'll look at you and smile. She's funny!

I want to say thank you again to all of our family and friends who continue to shower us with support. It comes in all forms from phone calls, emails, cards, people asking how Alayna is, and of course, from you reading her blog. I mean it from the bottom of my heart when I say that we couldn't do this without you. We are 16 months into our journey and look forward to the many, many years ahead of us. (Alayna turned 16 months on 5-29)

My good days far out number my bad days. But this weekend has been exceptionally difficult. As most of you know our oldest daughter, Alexis, plays ASA softball and enjoys it very much. I enjoy both watching her play and socializing with the other parents. I've missed more games than I've actually seen this year. They are always played on Tuesday nights and Saturdays and Sundays and this weekend she played 7 games. I witnessed only one of them while dealing with a little one cutting teeth and hating the sunlight in her eyes. It was hard to enjoy the game. I get sad when I have to get the "updates" through a text message. So, I'm battling with the struggle of what to do. I have one side that so wants to support my oldest daughter and be there for her and the other side saying to just stay home because it makes things tons easier on my younger one (and me too).

It's difficult to express the ups and downs of raising a child with a disability. What I'm battling the most right now is the fact that I have a 16 month old that can only do most things a 6 month old can do. Thus, this limits our "freedom" in a way and makes outings a bit more challenging. For example, an activity like planting flowers outside would be much easier if she could sit up on her own or even tolerate the sun. Everything has to have a plan and I'm learning to adjust to that.

You know when you raise a "typical" developing child, things progress at a steady pace and things just get easier, pretty quickly. And you get just the right amount or "taste" of each little phase they go through and then it is off to a new phase. Well, I feel like I've been raising a baby forever and I get frustrated because I want to know when things are going to get easier. I'm ready to move on to a different phase. Don't get me wrong, I still have all the faith in the world that God is with us each step of the way. But I'm human and I have every right to cry and shed a tear now and then. And some days it is much easier to do than on others. No one said it would be easy and it definitely isn't at times.

I was doing some searching on the web last night and came across a book titled "More Than A Mom." I plan on purchasing that soon and I'll let you know how it reads. It has wonderful reviews and at this point I'm "thirsty" for any knowledge of what other moms raising a disabled child go through too. It can feel like a lonely place sometimes. So, I urge all of you to support anyone you know who may be going through the same thing. Behind the smile there can still be a little heart ache.

May the Lord lift your spirit, encourage your heart, build your faith, and brighten your day.