End of Summer

Everyone will be starting school next week and it means the end of our very busy summer. It's been a summer full of learning, watching, crying, laughing, and most of all understanding. Since about March we have been abord this wild ride and sometimes I look back and think that this has been the best summer yet. We have had lots of family adventures and some more to come. We've met a lot of wonderful people, and they have taught us so much about our family (not just Eden). As the end of summer comes, some of those people are no longer going to be working with us.

Eden's OT and speech are going to be transfered to her school for the school year and that means they are no longer going to pay for it through my insurance company. The therapists that we have had this summer have given me so much insight on how Eden works. Don't get me wrong we are still in the process of figuring it out, because as she ages certain expectations and milestones she may not acheive may come, which will give us new challenges. But working with the SLP (Speech Therapist) has given me some wonderful tools to start working with Eden at home on her requests and building on the language that she does have. He has also taught me how to introduce new foods and textures into her diet. He got Eden to eat her first actual meat (bologna) and cheese. And with more time I'm sure he would have her eating sandwiches (mixing textures).

The OT (Occupational Therapist) has worked with me teaching me about Eden's sensory system. What she likes and doesn't like. What makes her hyper and what makes her relax. We have even used those things to take Eden to family gatherings and even more surprising a resturant. Little things like having her wear a bathing suit under her clothes, going for a walk/run with her a few times a week, a small vibrating bug that she uses to relax herself, and just giving her the tools she needs to relax herself when she gets over-stimulated.

Saying good-bye to these people will be a very hard part of the summer for me, and it's also a good thing that Eden doesn't have the social development to remember those kind of relationships. I'm sure I'll hear their names from time to time, but she won't miss them because she just doesn't think like that. I'm not even sure she actually misses me while I'm gone. I think when I'm gone she notices I'm not there, but not actually missing me.

I will always thank them for the things they have done for my family this summer, and I will try to keep them updated from time to time on her progress. Now on to a new adventure for everyone, all of my girls will be in school 5 days a week this year. Holy-cow what am I to do with 3 hours to myself? That will be a question I'm going to need to figure out quick.