Just Swingin

hang on ivey

To Be So Little .......

she sure is stirring up trouble around here.
(At the bottom of this post is a new Ivey video. )

I can't quite figure her out. Weeks seem to creep by with her creeping along at a snail's pace. She may do little things gradually, but with alot of work. Truly, we have learned to appreciate the little things in life - the things we take for granted - the things that most often go unnoticed - the things that the rest of us can just do. Ivey has taught us to slow down and we have no choice but to do so.

Like I said, time can be like a doldrum at times and then there is the 'Click'. She all of a sudden gets it. The past couple of weeks have been full of clicks. Last week she started to get the meaning and correlation of certain signs that we have been teaching her. After months of repitition, it clicked. Last night, after months and months of practicing certain skills in PT another little milestone clicked. So Rebecca if you are still checking in, she finally got it. Ivey rolled from her back to her stomach, got up on her hands and knees, and then she folded her legs into an 'S' shape and pushed herself into a sitting position. Finally! It is a simple task that most of us started doing within the first months of our lives, but it takes work and strength, and Ivey finally got them!

As for trouble, she has learned to flip her eye so that the back of her eye is facing outward. She also started taking her right eye out and chewing on it. We are all warned not to give our children objects the size of a quater, and here we are giving her two things exactly that size. Some times you just have to laugh when you can. Christa came over to keep Ivey this week and here I was leaving instructions on how to put her eye back in---never mind the fact that the rest of my friends are leaving nap schedules and meal instructions for their sitters. Laugh when you can. Lucky for me, Christa is exceptional with Ivey. Anyway, she is also pulling her cap off of her trach just to chew on it. We might have a small problem here. I have no clue how to stop it. Explain to me how to handle this minute discipline problem. I am baffled.

One thing I did learn on Sunday at church is that Ivey can get pretty loud. She may get loud with her cap on, but a trach with a cap does seem to have it's perks. The cap can act like an on/off button. I put the cap on; she tried to compete with the choir; I took it off; Ivey magically got quite. Wa-la.

And as a side note, I had the kiddos at church by myself on Sunday. I am quite certain that the powers that be got a good chuckle out of our crew. Right in the middle of church Walker had to go to the restroom. So off we go, Ivey, me and Walker; Knox stayed in the pew. We get to the restroom and Walker tee-tees right there in the floor in front of the toilet - pants on and all - we were mere seconds late. Somehow - and I still can't figure this out - his undergarments, socks and one shoe got soaked. Miraculously, his pants did not get wet, not one stitch. Now figure that one out. I am emnbarrased to say that Walker made it comando back into church. Is there any scripture I am unaware of about moms insisting their children return commando back into the church? Life with little ones -

Anyway, we did get video of Ivey sitting up. We weren't fast enough to get it from the beginning, but know that this is a GIGanTIc leap for her.

Have a happy valentine's day everyone!!
Gwen

Ivey loves her trach capped off. She is doing great, chatting up a storm!

Here are two videos during speech this morning. Just watch her go. As you can see, she is smiling, talking, playing and learning a little sign language all at once. (You can even see her shoot the cap off of her trach like a bullet in one of the videos. It is lethal if you are in front of it!)

If you want, you can mute the music at the very very bottom of the webpage. Just hit the stop button on the player.

gwen

Up Up and Away

More Please.....

Help Make A Happier Place For Sick Children At Children's Healthcare of Atlanta

Please go to the web site below and vote ATLANTA (Children's Healthcare of Atlanta at Hughes Spalding) to get a new hospital playroom from Colgate.

It will only take a few seconds of time. Click on the website below, then click on Atlanta. It will benefit many of our children who spend their time at the hospital. Help to make a Home away from Home.

Let's win this one for the kids, so pass this along and VOTE - everyday if you like.

Thank you so much for your help with this.

CLICK HERE

or go to the site below:

http://www.colgate.com/app/Colgate/US/Corp/CommunityPrograms/show-the-love.cvsp