Eye Doc and Transition Meeting

We've been busy, just like I said. Appointment after appointment this week. But so far, so good. As already reported she ROCKED her cardiology (heart) appointment. Yesterday after her morning physical therapy (in the mud outside, which she LOVED) we headed to the eye doc. I won't even get into the HOURS of waiting that we did just to be seen for MAYBE a total of 20 minutes (okay, well, I guess I DID get into it a little bit), anyway, the short of it is she continues to look pretty good ("look" haa haa, sorry, no pun intended). There doesn't appear to be any strabismis present (turning in), other than some mild turning in when she looks down. But that turn doesn't "qualify" as strabismis because it's too minor. So at this point, we'll go back in 2 months and just continue to monitor it. I do see her right eye turn in occasionally, but hopefully that's nothing. The bottom line of the appointment was that her eyes look good and we're still in a wait and watch pattern, while she continues to "heal" from surgery.

This morning was the BIG transition meeting (((drum roll)))! The one that talks about my baby not being a baby anymore. I know, that sounds dramatic, and really I'm not too wound up about it. She's my third, so the thought of her going off to preschool just seems so natural. And I'm an Early Intervention teacher so I know that the teachers and therapists will get to know her and love her and provide her with a developmentally appropriate, stimulating, safe and fun environment. And she's going to LOVE it. She LOVES playing with other kids and just playing in general, so I know she's just going to eat up the opportunity to engage with others, and soak up the beneficial aspects that a good preschool program has to offer. So I guess the biggest question for me is "is it a good preschool program"???? I've heard it's great, but I have pretty high standards, coming from being in the field, so I hope it meets my own personal and professional criteria! I think (THINK) it will. Let's hope! So anyway, I'm rambling, but the gest of the meeting was that she'll come in for a morning of observation where she'll get to play with the kids in the classroom (and I'll get to observe the classroom too) and then I'll come in alone another time and participate in the Vineland assessment interview and then we'll meet again in June to make the determination of what is to come for her programming. Today was more a planning for the meeting in June. They said she will automatically qualify for services because she has a developmental diagnosis, so now it's just a matter of figuring out what her services should specifically look like. Fun fun. But so far, so good.

Finally we're in the process of tweeking her home Birth to Three plan. It's so frustrating to me because it seems like they're always trying to cut back on services from her and she's just flourising! To ME I see her flourishing at least in part DUE TO all the services she's being offered, so cutting them seems counter-intuitive to me. And she's only got 3 months left, so I don't understand why they would want to cut them now. Her PT suggested she go down to 2/ce month from once a week, but she's NOT where other 2 1/2 year olds are! She's still a newer, somewhat unbalanced walker. She can't go up or down stairs on her feet. In fact, she can barely manage a step on her own. FORGET about running or jumping or walking down bus stairs. I mean, does this really sound like a 2 1/2 year old who should cut back on her services??? I'm stumped. So I guess as we re-write her plan I have to figure out what it is I think she really needs and fight for it. Fortunately, my mom said she'd help. I think it's time for some back-up.

Well, I think that about covers everything. PHEW! If you've read this far pat yourself on the back! ;)

Another Surgery for Chloe

We saw the eye doc today and they should be calling me tomorrow to schedule eye surgery for Chloe some Friday in January. He said it's really not a big deal for the children (haa haa - I love how he always says that "it's not a big deal FOR THE CHILDREN". As if the parents are a whole other deal!)

Tomorrow we go to orthopedics to check her out and get a baseline. She has signficant in-toeing of her left foot and her PT thinks her left leg is shorter then her right. We'll see what they think tomorrow. I don't know why I'm nervous about this appointment. I was nervous today too. I know the surgery is no big deal, but I'm feeling some anxiety about it. I'm sure everything will work out fine. Just another surgery to put under her belt. She's my little fighter.

Will keep you posted on tomorrow's appointment. :) If you haven't seen the video of her walking and talking, check out the previous post here.

Rolling with the Punches

Chloe continues to keep me busy with the "little things" going on in her life! First things first - her g-tube site closed up nicely after a brief, minor infection after the closure surgery. A little oral antibiotics (and lots of positive thoughts and prayers) and she was good to go! At her post-op appointment the other day the doc was talking to me about what it would look like once the scab fell off and Chloe must have heard her because she popped that little sucker right off! (Sorry, I know, GROSS!) But that gave the doc a chance to look at it and explain to me what we were looking at (a little pink skin with one tiny little opening remaining - which I believe has even closed already after only a day). Chloe is also continuing to eat like a CHAMP. I can't hardly believe how much she's improved. Oh, and we ran into one of her old cardiac docs (he was a Fellow) from when she was mega sick girl and he was SOOOOO impressed. He couldn't get over how great she looks even with a terrible cold (yes, she has a terrible cold!). He said it was such a moral boost for him to see her looking so good. :) You go on about yourself big girl!!!!

Okay, onto the latest drama. First, her foot and now feet are turning in fairly significantly. We stopped using her braces because she was looking so good, but now her feet are turning in so much that her therapist is concerned it's going to affect her bone growth. So back to braces. Booo. I have to be honest, I hate them. I mean, I don't really HATE them, but the pressure to remember to put them on and take them off for varying times each day is a lot to keep up with. I know, that sounds totally LAME. But somethings it's just hard to be consistent and that's what she needs! And while I'm complaining, she needs new ones, so that's MORE MONEY we have to spend (we had a huge deductible for her surgery so we're also dealing with that - argh). Okay, that's it for complaining because putting it all in perspective things could be much worse and the honest truth is she truly "has her health". So what are some stupid braces. They're a great excuse to wear those adorable leg warmers Baby Legs! LOL

Finally, we had Chloe's eye appointment today. Her eye turn has indeed gotten worse and she will most likely require surgery within 4 months from when it started. Soooo, we'll see the doc again in 4 weeks, but in the meantime he wants us to try #1) patching her eyes alternating days for 1 hour a day and #2) getting her to wear prism glasses. (more money, more money, more money - hee hee, just kidding). So she's getting these adorable little glasses, just like Sweet Pea has and will likely rip them off her face every chance she can, but we're going to give it our best effort. It's one month and hopefully by then we'll see some improvement. If not we can expect surgery in early January.

So I think that about does it. She's got this nasty cold which I can't believe she's fought like she has. No fever. No rashes. No drama. Just a REALLY nasty nose and a little bit of a cough. Hey we can handle that and everything else. I was thinking to myself how different things are with Ms. Chloe. Everything we've already been through with her. When these "little things" come up it's like no big deal, but I know if ANY of these things had happened with my older two kids it would have been high drama! I would have been so scared and freaked out. We've certainly learned to roll with the punches!

Labor Day Weekend and Eye Doc

Well, before I give the weekend review in pictures I just thought I'd update Chloe's eye appointment. There was good news and bad news. Okay, not even "bad news", but something we have to watch. The good news is she doesn't need glasses! YAY! Her eye sight is great. Right on. The problem is one of her eyes turns in. It doesn't do it on it's own, just when the doc tests her. We have to watch it and return in 4 months. Because it's present at 2 years of age and because she does NOT have nearsightedness, it is not something that would be treated with glasses, but rather surgery. It's supposedly an easy procedure that the kids quite well with (notice he said "the kids" - LOL - said nothing about the parents!) So my guess is she'll need surgery for it eventually, it's just when. But she's amazed us before so I'll worry about it when the time comes.


Chloe managed to get herself wedged in between the couch and table while the rest of us were watching Camp Rock 2. Earlier that evening Sadie called out to me "MOM! Chloe's sitting in the dryer!" Sadie had opened the laundry room door and Chloe had crawled in the front loader, turned herself around and was sitting in there druming away with chopsticks. It would have made quite a picture if I hadn't been so horrified that she was sitting in the dryer!!!!!!!!!!!!


Sadie sharing some Italian Ice with Chloe at the Taste of the Shoreline in Guilford.


Sadie and Xander all alone in the bounce house.

Chloe watches the action with Nana.

Bouncing together.

Chloe at the beach.

Mommy and Chloe enjoying a beautiful afternoon at the beach.

It was a wonderful weekend.