It’s been a couple of weeks of being very busy but I wanted to post an update before the trios turn 3! We had a very fun 4th of July, camping with the Krohn’s at Sand Lake in Holly. We spent a few days there and it was super hot, making it a great time for tons of swimming in the lake! All 3 kids had a ball in the water! One of the best things I did this spring/summer was enroll Mady and Johnathan in swim lessons, they were so comfortable with the water! I think Mady would have swam across the lake if we had let her! Not only were they able to have a lot more fun but it enabled us to relax a bit too and it was very nice not having them hang all over us from fear! There was a nice kids playground at the campground that Mady and Johnathan had a ball on, I was amazed at them climbing up and going down the spiral slide with no hesitation! It was fun seeing them interact with the twins and letting them have some one-on-one time with them for once so they could all get to know each other better.
On the 3rd we went and saw fireworks in Fenton, I know I said Balloonfests were the best I’ve seen, well, Fentons definitely topped Balloonfest! Annabel did so much walking that weekend, especially leading up to the fireworks, she is getting stronger and stronger everyday!
July 6th was officialy Johnathan’s last PT session, he was discharged because he is doing so well!! It has been amazing watching him develop over these past two months! He is a much stronger, sturdier kid who is much more aware of his surroundings and practices his safety precautions much better! The therapist did mention that he may have to come back as he goes thru growth spurts, that some kids have a hard time figuring out their body in regards to space when they grow but only time will tell. Because he’s doing so well he’s also done with taping, at least for now!
July 8th all three kids had awesome therapy sessions!! Mady worked very hard at DMC during OT. The therapist put her in a rope swing and she had to pedal on her hands across the floor to obtain a shape and put it in the appropriate hole of a bucket. She did great but boy was it hard work for her! Looking at her upper body muscles you’d never guess that she is as weak as she is but when you start working on those specific areas it clearly shows that she still needs some assistance. I think that she will respond quickly to her therapy like Johnathan did and will be a much different kid after the summer! She also had swim lessons that afternoon and did a great job. She swam alone with the instructor just fine and even did a few attempts at going under water and getting her to reach up to the sides to hold on on her own. She walked in and out of the pool all on her own as well. She is growing right up!
That same day Annabel had a good OT session at DMC, activating toys numerous times with her left hand while receiving ESTIM. Then at Leaps and Bounds she did awesome in PT – taking 3 steps all on her own!! She can now stand unsupported for upwards of 30 seconds and only needs very minimal assistance to walk. She will sometimes walk only holding your hand with her right, sometimes with just left, sometimes with only providing her a small pressure point on her shoulder and hip, and sometimes with her only holding on to something like a pen with you holding on to the other end! She is certainly capable to walk on her own, she just has to decide she’s comfortable enough to do so! It is so exciting that it’s coming soon!!
Johnathan also had great therapy sessions that day. He did very well in speech – it is so much fun watching his speech develop, it’s pretty much right on track with Mady’s, just a few months behind but it’s neat watching him going thru the same phases she did and so close together! He then had OT at Leaps and Bounds and did an awesome job with his upper body work and with his chewing! It is getting to be less and less often that we have to empty his mouth of any food that he hasn’t chewed up and he’s now willingly moving food from his right to left sides and even chewing on the left! I am so glad I got him in with his therapist there, it has made a world of difference!
The weather was great all week so almost everyday the kids played in their sprinkler, pool, bounce house or with the roller coaster. It’s been so much fun being outside so much!
Saturday morning Mady and Johnathan had their final gymnastics session for this class. They both did great and had a great time! We haven’t decided yet if we’re going to re-enroll them or try something else. I think that Mady could easily progress with it and enjoys it and I do think that all of the gross motor aspect of it has helped Johnathan a lot too but I’d like to give him other opportunities too so we will see.
Saturday afternoon the trio had their 3rd b-day party here in MI. The party was Sesame Street themed and I made cupcakes decorated like the characters. I have to say that I was very happy with how they turned out! Overall the party was a success! B.J.’s parents had sent the kids a bouncy house complete with balls, a b-ball hoop, and a large slide so all of the kids had a ball playing on it! The steps up to the slide are pretty tall and further between but by the end of the night Johnathan had figured out how to climb them on his own and Mady got herself almost all the way up, just needing a slight boost at the end. We also got out their roller coaster they had gotten and they all had a ball on that too! For the 1st time I also did a piñata where the kids pulled the string to make it release. They all had fun with it (Mady and Johanthan even collected some candy) but boy are they expensive, definitely won’t be an annual treat!
Sunday B.J. wanted us to do something as a family that we don’t normally do. So we got everything together and hit the road, about half-way there he told me we were going to Frankenmuth. We had a very nice chicken dinner with the kids all acting well and eating pretty well and then we walked around downtown. The two disappointing parts of the day were that Annabel managed to kick off her shoe with her orthotic soon after lunch so we walked around for ½ an hour retracking our steps and going in to stores to ask if anyone turned it in when finally an older man came up to B.J. and said he thought it belonged to us. Thank goodness we found it as orthotics are SO expensive! So the search took up quite a bit of our time. After that we walked around a bit more to do some shopping and before we knew it it started downpouring! So needless to say our trip was cute short. I think we might go back in the fall, closer to Christmas and stay a night at the water park and go to Bronners – I can only imagine the kids’ faces there!
This week Annabel had PT yesterday and was even stronger than last week, this week doing many 1-2 steps over and over again. She is SO close!! She has been walking around the block with us every night, the most she’s done is 2 times around the circle which is pretty impressive! This evening she had speech therapy, she only has one more week with her current therapist as her husband was transferred out of town and she will be leaving. We will be very sad to see her go but thankfully she did make Annabel a priority for rescheduling and she will be seen at the same time/same place with another therapist who is actually more certified in the assistive devices so that will be good for Annabel. Tomorrow the trio have their final SMILE session with their Early On therapists – another chapter ending in their lives. It is amazing how far these munchkins have come in 3 years and we are so thankful for all the wonderful therapists who have helped them along the way!
This weekend we are headed to NY for B.J.’s cousins wedding. On Friday his parents are throwing a reunion/b-day party for the trio. Yes, they are spoiled this year having 2 parties!! The wedding is Saturday and because none of the kids are invited, B.J. and I are going to get a night out!
Next Monday Annabel will see Behavioral Therapy for the 1st time to work on her self-gagging out of frustration/boredom, mouthing inappropriate things, and the way she responds when she’s mad (i.e. pulling hair/glasses or kicking). She will be seen Monday and then Friday I will take her for testing. We are hoping that we will obtain some clear direction on how to handle these things. She is a smart girl and as she’s getting bigger and stronger it is getting harder to control and it all needs to get under control, especially with school in the near future. Please pray for Annabel and for us regarding this, I’m sure it will be a difficult and frustrating task for all of us!
I officially started a new job at GM on the 1st, although I didn’t report to my new group until the 12th because of shutdown. So far I am very happy with the work I’ll be doing. I was ready for a change, although I did have some great co-workers in my old group that will be missed!
This past week I made some very exciting purchases! 1st, I bought my megabus tickets to go see my cousin in Chicago and her fiancée the 1st weekend in August. I will miss B.J. and the kids but I can honestly say that I am ready for a weekend like this! We’ll be going to a Cubs game, hitting up the local festival, and I’m sure enjoying some yummy food! And of course talking about wedding stuff since my cousin just got engaged on the 4th!! The other purchase we made was to buy tickets for Day Out With Thomas on August 20th. Where we are going also has Bob The Builder that day, who my kids LOVE!! I am very excited for this event for our family!
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