Posts

Faith's Amazing Patience

Image
I was very proud of Faith yesterday. She was so patient as she was fitted for her new SMO's. SMO stands for Supra-Malleolar Orthosis and are actually a type of AFO (Ankle-Foot Orthosis). These types of orthotics are designed to help the child maintain a vertical heel and support the arches of the foot. They are necessary for her foot because with her hypertonia her feet get pulled at a different angle than what is normal for the foot. It's sort of like trying to re-train the muscles to go in the right direction. It took about an hour and a half for her to get fitted. The hardest part was keeping Faith relaxed so that her physical therapist (PT) could get the best fit for her foot. When Faith gets excited, her legs shoot up and out and her tone is so strong that it's hard to keep everything in place. This is exactly what happened every time someone came into the room to say hi to her. Her PT started off by finding a plastic piece as close to the shape of Faith's foot...

Faith's Day in the Country

Image
Faith makes friends with a cute little goat.  Saturday was an absolutely amazing day. Our friend (and respite care provider) Michelle had told us about a miniature horse ranch that was having a fundraiser for the abused and neglected minis they take in. After having a wonderful time at China Star restaurant where we are friends with a lot of the staff, Michelle, Faith and I headed out into the country.  The weather was perfect - around 85 degrees with just enough of a breeze to make being outside a little more tolerable. As we drove down the gravel road into the driveway of the ranch we came upon a covered wagon and a team of horses pulling it along. We had to pull over to make way. There were people in the wagon waving to us passersby. It was quite a sight - not one that you see every day! Faith attempts to rope a pretend steer! As we made our way into where all of the festivities were taking place, I noticed a corral over in the northwest corner offering pony rides. There w...

The Rewards of Respite Care

Image
Faith and Kimberly at Kimberly's college graduation reception Last night when I came home Faith was so excited to show me the Mr. Pumpkin Head she and Michelle had made. There it was on our bookshelf, right next to two Mr. Potato Heads. By the looks of it, Michelle and Faith had a blast. Once again, I found myself being very thankful for such wonderful respite care providers. I think respite care providers are a must for anyone with special needs children. I have to admit, I felt a little guilty handing off my daughter to someone else while I went and did, well, nothing. But that was the point. When we found Michelle, we were at the top of our stress level. We both needed a break. The difference between us and couples with non-special needs kids is they could just hire a babysitter or have friends and family look after their children. We on the other hand, need someone who has had special training to look after our special needs daughter. Rob and I applied to have a certai...

Avoiding Sleep: Faith's Nighttime Antics

Image
You know how kids come up with all sorts of excuses to not go to bed. They need a drink of water, they need to go to the bathroom, they need to make sure there's nothing under their bed or in their closet. My daughter is no different. I share a room with Faith. We are finally getting her to sleep in her own bed at night. It is an ongoing process. I am proud of her that she can fall asleep all on her own. She used to need to be cuddled, rocked and sang to. Now I put her in her bed, and she falls asleep, after about 30 minutes, that is. No matter how tired she seems, it always seems to take a while before she finally drifts off to sleep.  Faith cuddles in bed with her doll, baby Allie.  Last night, it seemed especially hard for her to fall asleep. Here is how are night went: 10:00 p.m. - I put Faith in her bed while she yells, "I want to stay awake. I don't want to go to bed." 10:05 p.m. - "Mommy, could you help me out." "What's the matter?...

Questions from Kindergarteners

Image
When I pick Faith up at kindergarten, she is full of excitement wanting to share all that she did at school. And then when Dad comes home from work, she relates to him everything she shared with me. Both Rob and I love to hear about Faith's time at school, but we noticed something. She talks a lot about the adults - her teacher, her teacher's aide, her therapists, her special ed teacher - not much about her classmates though. Recently at Faith's IEP (Individual Education Plan) meeting at school Rob voiced this concern. We know that Faith is more comfortable with adults. She has seen therapists since she was six months old. It took her a long time to warm up to her preschool classmates. Even after she warmed up to them, their sudden noises and movements would cause her to startle. Adults are more predictable to her than other kids and predictable for her is comfortable. At kindergarten Faith is around 18 other kids which causes her to proceed with caution. Her teacher as...