Cousins!

We had quite the treat this weekend.  My sister Erin, her husband Jonny and their son Kai came to our house to visit!

We had a lovely time sitting around in our jammies, taking the kids to see a music show, visiting OMSI, the local science museum, and celebrating my birthday with a fantastic breakfast.

But the really exciting part was watching the two cousins interact and even play together.  Cora has slowly been getting more comfortable around kids over the past couple of months, so I was looking forward to seeing how she'd do around Kai. The last several times they've traveled across the country to visit, Cora's response to Kai has has ranged from wary to terrified.

But this time around she warmed up pretty well.  They were able to play with the same toys and games on more than one occasion.  She even signed, "I love you" to her big cousin.  I can't wait for them to be able to spend more time together when we go up my parents' place for Christmas.

Sharing a puzzle at OMSI.

Showing Kai her favorite apps.

Reindeer Games

Last weekend I learned a fun new thing about my husband.

We were planning out our day, when I suggested that we go to a nearby nursery to show Cora some reindeer.  He gave me a funny look and said, "You mean deer..."  I told him that, no, I meant reindeer.

He gave me another one of those funny looks and told me that reindeer aren't real.

After laughing for a good while, off we went to see the reindeer.

I am surprised that Cora actually smiled in this photo.  She was an unhappy mess during the whole 7 minutes of our visit, most likely because she detests cold weather.

To commemorate Nick's new discovery, here he shows you some facts about reindeer.  

Turns out they do more than pull Santa's sleigh.

This and That and a Christmas Tree

I've been remiss in posting much of anything these days.  My actions have not been living up to my intentions.

There have been a couple of noteworthy things from the past few weeks that are worth sharing.

First off, she had a cardiology appointment, the first one in two years.  And it went great!  I had anxiety that we'd have to hold down a screaming girl for her echo, or that even worse, she'd refuse altogether and would have to schedule one under anesthesia.  But I shouldn't have worried.  She giggled through the EKG, pulled off her own stickers, kept asking for them back, and then sat in my lap and watched Curious George while the echocardiogram was performed.

The results were as good as last time.  No problems with valve leakage, which is pretty rare with that type of surgery.  No problems whatsoever.  She doesn't have to go back for another THREE years! 

So that was exciting news.

She also recently had her evaluation with the school district as she prepares to exit Early Intervention (for those that aren't familiar, it's the in-home special education program for children birth to three years old.)  In Oregon, IEPs don't start until a child is 5, so Cora will still have an IFSP.  But she will be graduating to a new program and a new team, and will be leaving behind the beloved teacher that has been with her since she was a tiny baby.  That sad day will be coming way too fast!

The evaluation itself surprised me.  I was able to choose that they NOT perform a standardized test, which, due to Cora's defiant nature, would probably have revealed that she had no measurable skills at all.  So they observed her and asked me questions.  Overall the report was OK.  Much of it seemed pretty accurate and listed goals that seem reasonable for her.  But there were a couple areas where they obviously underestimated her and suggested goals that she has mastered long ago.  I guess when you have a child who doesn't perform on cue for strangers, or who gets distracted by a huge pile of toys and doesn't want to be directed to "boring" activities, that's what you get.  I plan to write a letter for her file and list the things that she is already able to do, and disagree with the portions that don't sit well with me.

In two weeks we will meet with her current Early Intervention team and her new Early Childhood team and set goals for services.  We aren't planning on having her start preschool right when she turns three.  So she will continue to get services at home, but with a new team.  She will most likely wait and start in September in a more traditional private preschool, rather than go to the school district's special education preschools.  For now that seems like the best choice for us.  Although I know she will likely benefit a lot from the social aspects of preschool, I really don't think there will be any harm in waiting an extra eight months. 

Other than that, we've been indulging in winter traditions, trying to coax Cora out into the cold, and listening to lots of Christmas music.  We will have family in town again soon, and then will be at my parents' house for Christmas.  The rest of the month is bound to be a wild, crazy, busy and fun adventure.

I'll leave you with some photos of us getting our third Christmas tree with Cora.  It was way better than the tears that accompanied last year's visit to the tree farm.  And she has even enjoyed helping decorate. 

 

Happy Holidays!

Family Time

We've been lazy and food-stuffed over the past few days.  We're hanging out in pajamas for way too long, avoiding the outside world, hanging around with family, eating leftovers and enjoying the calm.

But we will be venturing out soon.  In the meantime, some glimpses into the last few days at our house.

Hanging with Daddy, Grandpa Mike and Grandma Pam

Making pumpkin pie.  My, what a good helper!

Story time!

One of my favorite parts of the week has been watching Cora gradually get more comfortable around Grandpa Mike.  In the past year or so she's been more nervous around men than women. And she doesn't get to see her Grandpa as often as we'd like.  So she usually keeps her distance.  But this time, she came around to some snuggles, and even christened him with his very own name:  "Bop bop," said while signing "Grandpa."  Pretty cute, indeed.

Baby Adelyn is getting so big!

Cousins.  This is about as close as they get.  Notice how Cora needs to be held in place.

Uncle Nick is so funny.

My sweet little niece.

Hoping your time with family and friends was as lovely as ours.

Transitions

We've been on a pretty long and slow path in our quest to get a decent night's sleep around here.  I've blogged about it before, although it's been a while.  And although things have improved, it's been a constant struggle.

Before Cora had her tonsils and adenoids out in early 2012, it was not uncommon for her to wake up 50 times a night and to need help to get back to sleep every time.  When you're singing Hallelujah when you get a solid 1-hour block of sleep, you can resort to pretty desperate measures.  Ours included doing whatever it took to get her to sleep as quickly as possible. 

So we co-slept.  Since she had significant sleep apnea, it also helped alleviate our nervousness over her breathing.

Since her tonsillectomy, things got a little better.  But still, she'd awaken quite a few times a night and always need help going back to sleep, often waking for hours in the middle of the night. 

Eventually, she got a mattress on the floor next to our bed, where she'd spend part of the night, and then come in with us, snuggled up face-to-face with her Daddy until morning.

But yesterday, we took a big step:  we got her a real toddler bed and we moved it INTO HER ROOM! Cora's room at our new house has been a play room up until this point.  But now, it's her honest to goodness bedroom, and she couldn't be more thrilled.  (You may notice Cora's unusual shirt-wearing style in these photos: she was also learning to take off her shirt yesterday.)

We're not expecting any sudden or drastic miracles.  Last night she took a long time to get to sleep, and then slept in her room until midnight or so, when she came back in with us.  And I imagine it will take some time.  Our hope is obviously that she can sleep longer in her own bed and get used to being in her room. 

But this is our first real big step.  It feels exciting and a little scary too.  While I was having my own pangs yesterday realizing that I'd be going to sleep in a room without an easy-waking little goose in the corner, I suddenly didn't feel ready.

And I wasn't the only one, apparently.  Even Nick had his own moment of sadness, as he looked at the empty space in the corner of our room where her little mattress had been.

But it's time.  Right now my little girlie is snoozing away in her own little bed, having her mid-day repose.

I'm crossing our fingers for the three of us.

Noodles

Does learning to slurp up noodles count as a milestone?

It seems to me that it should.  I'm sure Cora's occupational therapist and speech therapists would be proud. 

 Last night my good friend came over for dinner and some catch-up time.  I spent the afternoon making chicken pho from scratch.  There's not much that satisfies in the same way, especially on a crisp fall day.

Photo by Christine Shelton

Usually I give Cora's pho a spin in the blender, like she wants the rest of her soups.  But last night she had nothing to do with that.  She wanted to eat it like the rest of us did.  Watching her sit at the table and feed herself with a fork like a big girl (overlooking the noodles I had to scrape off the floor afterward, of course), makes me pretty happy.  It's not often that she shares the same meal that we do in the same form, either due to her allergies, her issues with texture, or her picky nature.

My little eater is coming up in the world.  And she knows good soup and good company.

Why I'm Still Nursing My Almost-3-Year-Old

I've been having a bit of blogging withdrawal, and will be writing some more in the next few days.

But for now, check out my new post our ongoing breastfeeding story on What to Expect.

Why I'm Still Nursing My Almost 3-Year-Old.