Welcome Audrey

I have officially closed Audrey's blog and going forward will use this blog for both kids. I guess I could change the name to Smallest Smykays, but that seems like a lot of work for one little letter. Head on over to Smykeeny Baby Blog one last time to check out a video montage of the littlest one during her first month.

Mobility

Things have been understandably hectic around here (mostly in a good way) and my computer decided to take a vacation, but it is back, and I am going to try once again to devote a little more time to updating the blog.

The kids couldn't be more different in so many ways, but today they both worked toward a common goal: mobility. While neither of my children are independently mobile at present, they both spent a little time today working on their motor skills in their own ways...

Bittersweet

Audrey surpassed Fletcher in a motor skill this week. It was only a matter of time. She rolled over from supine to prone (back to front). It was amazing, thrilling, and, well, a little sad. It is crazy just how differently her body moves compared to Fletcher. It is just so easy.

I thought that prone to supine usually came first, but what do I know about typical development. Trevor was on a trip, so I called him with the exciting news and he informed me that she actually did this a couple times for him a few days ago and he must have forgotten to tell me... men.

Sorry for the prolonged silence and lack of recent pictures. My laptop is on the fritz, with the pictures tucked safely (I hope) inside. Maybe someday I will rescue them. In the meantime I am taking it one day at a time as Trevor has been working a lot and Fletcher is going through a SUPER CLINGY phase (at least I am hoping it is a phase).

Along with his clingy-ness, Fletcher has been throwing the biggest temper tantrums when I leave him alone in a room, especially at night when I go upstairs to put Audrey to bed. I mean cry-and-scream-at-the-top-of-your-lungs-till-you're-sweaty-and-snotty-and-hoarse tantrums. They have been pretty intense for the last month or so, but have gotten particularly unbearable since his surgery (adenoids and ear tubes) a few weeks ago followed by an out-of-town trip for me. Don't know if either of these things are related to the severity and frequency of the tantrums, or completely coincidence. Because he is non-verbal, I can't tell if he is just displeased that I am tending to Audrey over him, or if he is legitimately scared when I leave the room (after all, I am his arms, legs, and voice). I want to treat him as normally as possible, which includes disciplining him when appropriate, but I also want to respect any legitimate anxiety he may be feeling. It is really a tough line to toe.

Wordless Wednesday: For the Birds

A Couple of Links

I know, I know, I need to do an actual post, but by the time I find the time to write, I am too tired for original thought. So, in an effort to post something to the blog, I'd like to share a couple of links.

First is a blog post by my friend Katy, and yes, it is not the first time I have linked to her (and likely not the last... I like the way this girl thinks). She recently did a post on some beliefs she has come to hold as a parent to a child with special needs. I hold many of these same beliefs. Although a part of me wishes I had read this list earlier in my special needs journey, I think many of these beliefs come only through experience and can't be fully appreciated unless you learn the lesson yourself.

Second, while the focus of this blog, at least now, is cerebral palsy and how we are choosing to deal with it, another big factor in Fletcher's life, and mine as a parent, was his stay in the NICU. Disabilities aside, going through the NICU experience itself was a stressful and life changing experience during which support was crucial, as discussed in this recent New York Times article.

Some people prefer personal face-to-face support, which is one reason why I am excited about the new March of Dimes sponsored parent support group at the NICU where Fletcher lived for the first three months of his life. Other people, me included, turn to online support groups. I have gained invaluable information from online groups consisting of other mothers of micropreemies or children with cerebral palsy. In fact one of the moms quoted in the article is in one of my online support groups and is a tremendous resource and support.

No New Post

But I have added pictures and more detail to our authentic Chinese restaurant experience on Trevor's Birthday. Check it out!

Still Here

Where has the summer gone? It has been a busy one around the Smykay house.

I began the summer backlogged on blog posts, and now I am even further behind. I still need to post the run-down of Fletcher's last stem cell injection and I also wanted to write about a few of the fun things we did while in China, as well as an update post with any improvements stemming (no pun intended) from the treatment. Soon after our return Audrey was born, which I actually did manage to write about on the Smykeeney Baby blog. The three weeks or so thereafter we spent holed up in the house figuring out the whole newborn thing. Next I was treated to a really fun girls weekend when some college friends from Texas flew in to remind me that there is life beyond babies. Then came two family reunions and two road trips in opposite directions, north to northern Illinois and south to southern Texas. And in between we've managed to attend an ABR training session, get a new PT/aquatic therapist and speech therapist, and have lots of fun.

Trevor is in town for a couple of days, and my goal is to write at least one post a day during this time in an effort to catch up. Of course my other goal is to clean house... wonder which one I will get to first?

And since no post is complete without a photo or two, here are a couple of Fletcher's first experience with corn-on-the-cob. Up to this point I was a little concerned that corn would be too hard for Fletcher to chew. But we were in Dallas at Trevor's aunt's house, the corn looked great, and I thought why not try it. Never would have guessed it would be such a hit!

And, of course, being a "special needs momma" I can't just leave it at my son likes corn. I must turn it into therapy, so I am thinking that there may be some way to configure the cob-holder-thingies to encourage wrist supination, or at least discourage pronation, no?