No Posts? Here's why!

I have been desperately trying to write a blog because so much has happened in the last couple of weeks, but the reason I haven't written is because there has been SO MUCH going on. Our weekly schedule has been a marathon race. We have an average of 2 scheduled appointments or "something" for at least 1 kid every day. Yes, it is mostly for Eden but juggling for all of the kids has been my specialty.

Mondays, we have Tanya's summer reading program (It's the quiet day)
Tuesdays, Tanya's reading Speech at the house for Eden, and go to the farm to pick up veggies
Wednesdays, Tanya's reading and Occupational Therapy at home
Thursdays, Eden has school until 12
Fridays, Eden has school again and one of these days she usually gets another session of speech at school and at home.

Now we will be getting a home health aide, coming to the house for a set number of hours per week (probably like 4-6), but that will be happening in a week or two.

And we have to find time to go swimming and have a summer. It has been to say the least busy.

It has been so wonderful, I know the therapies sound like a lot, but Eden has so much fun, playing with all of the therapists and teachers. Actually, we have found the more the better. She loves structure, our schedule is never really routine. With these appointments I've found she has better days, and she recently has had some wonderful breakthroughs.

We are working with requests and communication. We want her to start asking for things with more than pointing and saying the name of object (and sometimes being prompted with the word because she can't get it out). Yesterday, I'm not even sure what she had but she came up to me with a cup or something and clearly said, " I want more please." She half bounced through every word, and it did sound completely like she had rehearsed it a million times, but she said it, and I didn't give her the words. It was beautiful. I know, some people won't understand and may say well she is high functioning, but when you have to guess why she is trying to get your attention and wondering actually what she wants when she tells you it takes the guess work out of it, it is such a relief. This may be a short lived victory because sometimes with these things they back peddle some and then go forward, but I really think that with lots of praise and us being aware that we need to make sure she asks with her words she'll be doing it all the time.

She also has been working on her diet. That has been something that worries me. She doesn't try new things and has a very limited diet. The home therapists have been working every appointment to try to see if she is just picky or has texture sensitivities in her mouth. That is still to be determined but what her speech therapist is trying to get her to do is eat pretzels. In the past 2 weeks she has eaten 2 of them, for a child who would even touch them that's huge. We are going to work on eventually getting her to eat proteins like peanut butter, bologna, or even hot dogs. I'll take anything at this point.

The point is, is that she is having measurable improvements, and so soon, it's a great sign. We didn't know what we were getting ourselves into when we started. Now our eyes are opening, and we are seeing what the possibilities are. Like a day when Eden, I only notice once in a while that she has any issues, socially or verbally. It's coming, I don't know when, but I know it will and I can't wait!