It's Been An Eventful Month!

Alayna now enjoys sitting in her tub ring and chewing on Douglas's foam tub toys!

Alayna is trying on her new AFO's!

Very tiny AFO's for Alayna to wear while she is in her new stander.

Alayna is sitting better each month. She will sit for minutes at a time, but I'm still a bit protective and put a pillow behind her to catch her fall. A toy on her lap seems to help her balance and forces her to use her tummy muscles to straighten back up again.

Alayna playing with her v-tech car toy. She still continues to love sounds and light toys.

Double-fisted and watching the water! It thrills me that she enjoys having these toys in her mouth in hopes that someday she will be able to eat a cracker or anything else with more texture.

All clean!

Douglas begged for a picture with his little sis! He thinks taking a bath with her now is cool!

Otolaryngology Appointment in Iowa City

A few weeks ago we took Alayna to Iowa City hoping that we would get a sedated ABR. Her first one showed positive results with normal hearing levels, however, they thought we should get a follow up hearing test in a year. The doctor first wanted to try the sound booth, but developmentally Alayna is nowhere ready for that. So, a sedated ABR is the best answer. When we got to the appointment, the protocol was to double check her ears for no infection or fluid so the test would be accurate. Well, low and behold her left tube was no longer in the correct place and she had fluid in both ears. So, out came the tube in the left ear. They decided to not do the test and instead Alayna has an appointment for new tubes on April 17th along with a sedated ABR that will be done in the OR at the same time. I was a bit disappointed, however, now I know why she may have had many sleepless nights and had been rubbing that ear so much. The tubes lasted for about 13 months and that is good.

Stander & AFO's

The stander is finally here and so are the AFO's!! I apologize for not having any pictures of her in it yet, but today her PT, Kim, came out to the house and did all of the necessary measurements to make sure the straps and pads were in the right spots. We also needed training on what to do and how to put her in it. It's a bit intimidating at first. So, she hasn't been in it much yet, but photos will be coming. There is a small problem with her AFO's being so fitted and tight. Our PT doesn't like them that way, so we have to make another appointment to get them adjusted. This isn't at all uncommon. I just want Alayna to be comfortable in them and learn to like them as much as she can! Right now they are too difficult to get her foot into and that does us no good. We are very excited to get her standing. For now, we are starting to do a few minutes at a time until she tolerates it longer. We are also starting at about a 45 degree angle and not completely upright until we know she is ready and can tolerate that as well. It's all about baby steps!

Other Miscellaneous Updates

Alayna has been loving bath times and sitting in her siblings old tub ring. For now it is working just fine. I put a bath sponge on the bottom so she doesn't slip around. I plan on looking for an alternative bath seat that will work for us down the road. As she grows, she won't be able to fit into this forever. Alayna has been sleeping really good (please, I hope I didn't jinx myself). I'm not sure what her problem was a few months ago, but whatever it was has seemed to pass. There is an occasional morning where I might wake up to a cry very early, but for the most part the pacifier fixes the problem. I love the light projector she got for her birthday last year from the Redlinger family and use it about every night. And she has a glow seahorse that plays music too. Love both of them! They help me buy minutes in the morning when I'm still getting ready for work.

Alayna continues to do well eating and drinking. She hasn't expanded her menu much since the last few posts. She loves any and every kind of oatmeal and will eat the entire packet on most mornings. It amazes me! Some days she eats more than others, but that is so typical of any kid. She still isn't quite ready for significant texture, but I keep trying. On average, I'd say she gets at least 15-20 ounces of fluid a day plus food.

I've been using Amlactin body cream on Alayna's legs and arms two times a day for about 2 weeks and I highly recommend it to anyone who battles bumpy skin. It hasn't completely taken the bumps away, but they are noticeably smaller and less red. I'm glad our dermatologist recommended it because so far it has been the only thing we've used and seen any results.

Alayna continues to be a joy to our family. She is a precious little girl and I enjoy holding her and hugging her. She is becoming more alert, watching me talk, grabbing at my hair, my earrings and my necklaces. Getting her to smile is much easier now and the kids are really enjoying her more too. Alayna is very sweet and we continue to say our prayers to keep her healthy and happy. May God continue to watch over her.