Magical Monday: A Day in the Life

Step 1:

Wake up, put on a super cute outfit. Flash a winning smile to the camera. check.



Step 2:

Off to PT. Practice some standing, maybe a little walking. The usual. Hard work.



Step 3:

Now on to OT. Practice lots of stuff there too. More hard work.



Step 4:

Catch a quick nap in the car on the way home from OT; eat a quick dinner, then ST!!! This one doesn't feel like "work" though . . . its just fun!



This little girl works harder than any two-year-old ever should . . . and makes us oh so proud. All the time.

Sam and I are off to StL this weekend to see my mom AND for Sam's big StL debut - she hasn't met any of my high school, college, or other hometown friends, and I can't wait to share her with them. We leave Friday, so I had to move some of her therapies around this week . . . resulting in the kind of day she had today - PT, OT, and ST! Kind of intense for a two-year old, right?! Yet she did fabulously all day :o)

Her schedule is a bit insane! We've got more updates coming, but those must wait for a night I don't have work awaiting me. But, the great news . . . the RC approved Sam for a center-based therapeutic pre-school program (an EI program for those that know the lingo!). They have a super-low ratio of children to adults (2:1) and PTs and OTs on staff and teachers with masters degrees in child development. We are SUPER excited. We (me + B + our nanny) toured three different places, and agonized (okay nanny + I agonized, B was less tortured by the desicion, b/c that's just who we are). We really feel like this is just going to be a GREAT fit for our girl. The most important thing for us was finding a place where we felt like they would work on her weak areas (like her motor skills) but also address the development of her stronger areas (cognition, social, etc.). I feel like we spend so much time in therapy, working on the areas where she's struggling, that sometimes, she doesn't get to JUST be a kiddo. We also worry that because of her speech/motor delays, she's underestimated in other areas . . . or that she's treated like she's younger than she is, which stinks. So, we wanted a program that would truly truly address her as a "whole" child, not just one with delays. We think we found JUST that program, and we are super excited. So, here's to hoping that it is indeed a perfect fit!

She will be going three mornings a week, and whoever takes her (depending on the day, it will be either me, B or our nanny) sticks around for circle time - the first 45 minutes of the day. . . then leaves for two and a half hours before coming back to have lunch with her there. So exciting! I fought (um, advocated) HARD to get her in this program because we KNOW she will benefit from it. This will help her be better prepared for the inevitable transition to school-system based services next year, and we HOPE she's just going to flourish in this environment. It is, of course, going to add to her already insane schedule, but we'll make it work. Somehow, someway, we'll still manage to fit in her other SEVEN appointments each week (2 ST, 2OT, 2 PT, and alternating weeks swimming/hippo (horses) therapy). . . . Seriously, we may need some magic to make this schedule work!