A BIG Sticker

Yep, that's right folks! She sat on the potty and actually was SUCCESSFUL! {Side note--I promise my blog is not going to become potty chronicles, but she was so proud of herself! Honestly though, I THINK I may have been a TAD bit more excited!} Since she went on the potty she got to put a BIG sticker on her chart & get a treat...her smile was PRICELESS!

We're getting closer to going on that special outing to pick out "the princess ones"!

Princess Ones?

So, I think my 2 1/2 year old is telling me that she wants to start potty training. Why, you ask? This was our conversation today...

GC: "Momma work puzzles!"

Me: "OK" (getting on the floor to work puzzles.)

GC: "I sit on my knees to do puzzles cuz I have poopoo in my diaper & it's squishy!"

ME: (with my mouth hanging open) Ummm...ok!

I really could not believe she could articulate that...wow!

Out of the blue a few nights ago she told me that she was a big girl & she didn't need diapers, but Ivy did. I told her that when she starts going on the potty we could go to the store & get some special panties. She asked, "Pwincess ones? Like Ca-yine & Mawy Kafwin?" (Caroline & Mary Katherine--her cousins) "YES!", I replied. So, today they made potty charts at school and we are going to make one for our house. She's very excited & I AM TOO! Stay tuned...

Thankful for our Health

This past week or so I've been reminded of how precious life is...especially a HEALTHY life. For those of you who read my blog I'm asking for prayer for four different families. First, my Uncle Bill. He was diagnosed with a very aggressive form of cancer two weeks ago & is undergoing chemotherapy at Baylor Hospital in Dallas. He's home now but will go back for 3 more rounds of chemo the first week of February. Please also pray for my Aunt Peggy (my Dad's sister) as she takes care of him. Second, a childhood friend named Randy. He's only about 30 years old and he had a biopsy done today on a mass the size of a fist in his chest. Doctors believe that because of his age & the location of the mass, it is lymphoma. He & his wife Tonya have 3 little boys & are the SWEETEST family! Third, a sweet little girl named Bebe lost her battle with cancer today. She was about 5 years old, I believe, and a former student of a good friend of mine. And fourth, a beloved friend of our family, Kay, died this past Saturday. We attended her visitation Monday night & funeral on Tuesday. She was 60 & had just been diagnosed in October. Please be in prayer for her husband Doug, daughter Molly who is a dear friend of mine, and son Jason. I've known them my whole life & Kay was such a faithful servant of the Lord! Her mom had just died a few weeks earlier. All of these families weigh heavy on my heart tonight.

I took Ivy Jane & Georgia to the doctor earlier today because they have had congestion & a cough since last Thursday. Tonight I find myself thankful for medicine that will hopefully clear up the ear infections that both of my baby girls have, and thankful that it's only ear infections that we have to worry about.

Despite feeling crummy, they've been little sweeties the past few days...

This picture makes me smile...and get teary-eyed all at the same time! SO THANKFUL for these two little girls that love each other!

Sensory Diet

I talked about Georgia's sensory diet in a previous post. Today we've had a REALLY great sensory diet day! We actually got all of her skin brushing, joint compressions, and listening therapy completed! WOOHOO! Granted, my house is a disaster, but I really don't care because she is doing so well!

I'm addicted to Pinterest and have found some of the BEST ideas on it! Every time I find something new I think, "Why didn't I think of that?!" My newest little project is toddler activity bags. {SIDE NOTE--I got the idea of making snack bags from my sister Kathy about a year ago. Instead of scrambling to make snacks for the girls before we leave the house, I take about 30 minutes once a week or so and make little snack bags that I keep in a basket in my pantry. So, now when we are headed to therapy or to the store or on a trip, I just tell the girls to "grab a snack" and they pick out their own snack...goldfish, pretzels, raisins, granola bars, animal crackers, cheerios...whatever they want. I always seem to be running late & it just saves me a step when we are headed out the door.} That being said, ...I'm in the process of making these little activity bags to grab when we are headed out. One idea includes pony beads & pipe cleaners (Georgia worked for AT LEAST 30 minutes on these today and it is a fine motor activity that is strengthening her little muscles in her hands). Other activities are small play-doh containers & a few tools, a small box of crayons & a few coloring sheets, felt pieces to make different pictures, stickers & a landscape to add them to, small books, clothes pins & color blocks to match (another hand strengthening activity)...and I'm sure I'll think of more! I'm always grabbing a few toys and throwing them in my bag but now I'll save even more time when we are heading out the door by grabbing a few activity bags! Yay for organization! I might actually be ON TIME or (gasp) early?!?!?!

Here's that precious little girl working her hardest at putting the little pony beads on her sparkly silver pipe cleaner!

SUCH concentration! She sat in her little chair and put beads on the pipe cleaner until it was FULL! She was so proud of herself! "I did it!" she exclaimed when she finished!
Ivy Jane enjoyed dumping the beads out of the bag and putting them back in the bag...
I think I said, "Don't eat the beads!" about a million times, but we had fun! They are small and bright...I'm sure if I was 17 months old I would try to eat them too!
And later, on to the next activity. This proved to be a little harder for GC. Opening a clothes pin is HARD WORK, people! I just took a piece of scrap cardboard and divided it into 8 sections. I cut out 8 different colors of construction paper and glued each of them to a square. Then I glued a little rectangle of the same 8 colors onto 8 clothes pins. Her job was to open the clothes pins and match the colors. She did GREAT with the matching, but opening the clothes pins was a difficult task. She loved it, though! YAY! First two activity bags are a hit!

We headed outside when it got a little warmer (and the first of I think 3 wardrobe changes for the day). Georgia loves the tire swing. She's doing her listening therapy...LOVES HER "MOOSIC"!

Climbing up the rock wall with just a little help!
"I DID IT!"
What?! My "moosic is OVER?!
All in all, a GREAT day in our little world today!

January?

It's hard to believe that this BEAUTIFUL weather we are having is in the middle of JANUARY? We're taking advantage of it. Georgia Claire woke up this morning and asked, "Where's Daddy" then said, "I want to go outside!" We've played outside every day this week...LOVE IT! Although, I'm afraid we won't like it very much this summer when my Dad's peach crop doesn't make because there weren't enough chilling hours this winter. Mmmm....how I LOVE a fresh peach!

These pictures were taken on Monday...love these swinging girls (and their sunglasses)!

And I had to post this picture...they were having their own little conversation about the fence!

Ivy Jane's Therapy

Ivy Jane goes to physical therapy twice a week to S-T-R-E-T-C-H and work with Mr. Ron & Ms. Jen. WE LOVE THEM, TOO! It's great because while GC is working with Ms. Cre, Ivy Jane is working with Mr. Ron or Ms. Jen and they get to see each other and sometimes even "play" together! Ivy Jane's torticollis is improving SO much and we could not be happier! The therapy center has been another God-send...making our move last summer that much easier.

I came across this picture and can not believe what Ivy Jane's neck & back looked like last March...

Poor baby! No wonder she would wake up screaming and crying...she was in pain, I'm sure. She is my strong-willed child, but SOOOO funny! Here she is yesterday running from me. I managed to get her pants off and was needing to change her diaper...hence the saggy diaper falling off the poor child! Such a happy baby....
She ate and ate and ate her spaghetti night before last...
I should have gotten this on video. She was bouncing & laughing hysterically on her Rody horse that Santa brought her for Christmas. Georgia has one, too. It's great for Georgia because it helps her strengthen her core. It's great for Ivy Jane because we can manipulate her little body to lean to the side that she needs to and hold her head up. You can tell how straight her little noggin looks now! YAY!

She's improving so much and we are so thankful that Sue, the original ANGEL/PT that worked with Ivy Jane got us on the right track. I emailed her the other day to give her an update and she said, "I miss your strong-willed child but I know she's just testing others instead of me!" She hit the nail on the head! I'm not worried because I believe that her strong-willed nature is what is helping her to work that much harder. So, between Georgia & Ivy Jane's therapy I have my hands full, but I'm so very thankful!

More and more in LOVE

January 6, 2012 marked two years since Georgia Claire's official GOTCHA DAY! I cannot believe this baby girl...

Has become this baby girl...
She's not a baby really, but she'll always be our baby. What a BLAST these last 2 1/2 years have been. She's hilarious. She sings. She slides. She "reads". She sleeps. She plays. She climbs. She swings. She hugs. She kisses. She gives the best HUGS & KISSES! I asked her today while we were swinging, "Georgia, what is your very favorite thing to do?" Without hesitation she replied, "DISHES!" By golly, I'm going to do everything I can to make sure she gets to do the dishes as much as her little heart wants to! :)

Back in November she was diagnosed with sensory processing disorder, as well as hypotonia, or low muscle tone. If you want, you can read about SPD here. Since Georgia was about 6 months old we've always known she was somewhat delayed in her gross motor skills. She never rolled over & was a very late walker, she seems clumsy at times, falling down easily. Come to find out, her low muscle tone has also affected the muscles in her mouth & hands. That's why she had such a difficult time transitioning from a bottle to a sippy cup, and why she doesn't like some foods. It also explains why she has trouble opening things & colors lightly with a crayon. Little things, it seems, but if we don't work on them while she's young, it will affect her handwriting and other simple tasks when she is older. We are once again SO thrilled with the therapist that God has put in our path. Once a week Georgia works with an Occupational Therapist named Ms. Cre (or Cwee, if you ask Georgia)! Ms. Cre loves on Georgia & tells me every time we see her how she would take her home with her in a second. She's doing exercises to strengthen her core, which have already helped her get stronger! We know she is hypersensitive to sound...that's why she gets really quiet when a lot of people are around. Her "sensory diet" at home includes listening therapy, strengthening exercises on a large exercise ball, brushing her skin, and doing joint compressions. I must admit, we don't get it all in every day, but I figure anything is better than nothing!

When she first got her diagnosis, I worried...a lot. I'm a Type A personality and like to be in control of things. Once again I'm faced with something I cannot control. One day back in December I remember dropping the girls off at MDO and breaking down in tears at the steering wheel. My prayer was simple--"Lord, help me help my baby girl. I love her and I know she is perfect in every way. Take this worry far far away from me & help me to not see her weaknesses, but her strengths instead. Thank you for allowing me to be her Momma." I think I drove to Starbucks to get some much-needed caffeine AND calories, and went about my busy day of errands. Throughout the day it was like I literally felt the worry being lifted & I was at peace by the time I saw her sweet little face when I picked her up. Since then, I have met some incredible mommas at therapy and enjoy connecting with them on a weekly basis. It has been so good for me, almost like a support group of sorts!

So, that's what's up with our Georgia Claire. She now slides with a vengeance, can almost climb up our little rock wall on our play set by herself, runs and gets in the swing on her tummy like she's flying, and is not totally shutting down in social situations like she has done in the past. Yes! Go Georgia Go! As for me? I'm more and more in love each and every day.

Happy 2012

Happy New Year! I hope everyone had a safe & memorable holiday. Ours was definitely memorable. I think we were all in bed by 8:00 on New Year's Eve despite the crazy fireworks displays of our neighbors. That afternoon I went to the doctor & found out I had strep throat! Today is the first day that I am feeling back to normal. Thank goodness Shelby was home and was willing and able to take over with the girls while I was at my sickest. I loved listening to them laugh and play while I was in bed. He is such a great daddy...those girls love him like crazy! Georgia Claire came in a few times to check on me and said things like, "You OK, Momma?" and "You get up now?" and "You sleep little bit more and then come play, ok Momma?" I wanted to jump out of bed, grab her up and play until we were both exhausted, but that wasn't going to happen. I tried my best not to get too close to the girls but after Ivy Jane said "hold you" again and again and again, I finally had to pick her up. When I did, she sighed and said, "thank you!" SO PRECIOUS!

Today was an absolutely gorgeous day! It's always so nice to have a sunny day in the 60's the first week of January! The girls and I enjoyed getting out and soaking up the Vitamin D. They LOVE playing outside so we are taking advantage of the beautiful weather while we have it!

Georgia LOVES to swing. Her new favorite is the tire swing. Can you tell?

Ivy Jane is my fearless child. She climbs onto anything & everything. Today before I could get over to her she shot down the slide and was ready to go again...After an hour of continuous climbing, sliding, & swinging, a picnic lunch, blowing bubbles, drawing with sidewalk chalk, and an early bath, no wonder they crashed for 3 hours!

And I had to include this picture because it cracks me up. The one REALLY great thing about Shelby's new position here in Louisiana is that he is home most days around 5:30 and usually doesn't have to do much when he gets home. Tonight he had some emails to return, etc. So, while he did that, Ivy Jane climbed onto the dining table, emptied out all of the play-doh toys & Georgia Claire kept right on doing her listening therapy & playing "tato head"...every last one of them in their own world!
This new year I'm going to continue making the most of every minute I have with my girls while they are little, continue loving my husband, and continue seeking the Will of the Lord in our lives. Happy 2012!