Random April Pics

 

Tactile Play

 

Mason Bees

 Our “Mason Bee” journey has been so great for our family. We found our first little baby bee in our yard working hard today:)

Logan's Art

 Anderson’s buddy, Logan is here for the night and he drew a picture of Anderson. I asked him if he could draw our whole family and he was so excited to oblige. He worked diligently for over an hour to create this masterpiece and I absolutely love how it turned out. He is 10 years old! So much talent! I asked him if we were getting eyeballs and he said “nah, that’s my style. It’s art and that’s the way I like it.” Incredible!

See You Later Carrigan Fam

These two boys have been best friends for 10 years! In a few short weeks, they will say “see you later” as Nick and his family move to Texas. Thank goodness for FaceTime, Marco Polo and messenger kids. Just imagining being apart was distressing for both of them at times over the last 24 hours. One last sleepover was just what they needed and hopefully the memories made will last a lifetime. We love you Carrigan Family and wish you all the best on your new adventure!

See You Later Weeks Fam

It’s not “goodbye”...it’s “see you later” and it’s sooooo hard! Patrick, Alicia, Mark and I have been inseparable since high school, living within minutes of each other. Alicia and Mark have been a second mom and dad to our children and we just adore their kids so much! We all have an incredible bond. Today, they begin a new adventure in Oklahoma and we are going to miss them so much it hurts. We are happy for them and wish them all the happiness we can muster up. With wet eyes and a lump in our throat, we will cheer them on and put a smile on our face. We love you Weeks family! With all our hearts!

Grady and Caralynn

Grady and Caralynn have been inseparable since birth. They are each others best friend. Cousin Grady is moving to Oklahoma. Saying goodbye tomorrow is something we are not looking forward to.

Physical Therapy

 Emmalee had her first session with her Physical Therapist at Stargait Portland Physical Therapy. Emmalee and Krystyna were instant best friends. I am so grateful for amazing therapists, therapies and facilities to support and help us navigate through this chapter in Emmalee’s development. She had such a great time today!

Feeding Therapy

Emmalee had her “speech feeding” evaluation today. Emmalee has orosensory and oropharyngeal dysfunction. In other words, she has an aversion to food and eating is not only mentally hard but physically challenging as well. She is a sensory avoider and properly nourishing her is difficult. She also aspirates when she drinks clear liquid making hydration a challenge. We are going to be working on all of these things with our therapist every week. Emmalee will also require a “nectar” type consistency in order for her to learn how to swallow properly and overcome any fear she may have surrounding eating and drinking. The expression ”stop playing with your food” and the stigma surrounding it will be put on hold for a while:)

Emmalee's SMO's

Emmalee got fitted for orthotics today. Her Supramalleolar orthotics will help guide her feet into proper alignment while also helping her feel more confident and stable. Because she is hypotonic and has low muscle tone, she is flat footed. The orthotics will force her arch to stay up. They will also help her heel to be in proper alignment. Her arch will be lifted and supported, and the toes will be in line with the rest of her foot. Her “magic shoes” are being made and she will receive them in 2 weeks:)

EEG

Emmalee had her EEG today. She tolerated the entire test like a champ. She became restless a few times and I quickly distracted her with snacks and YouTube kids. Lol. She was not a fan of the electrode removal process and we came home for a nice warm bath to help dissolve the glue followed by a nap. She had a horribly restless and upsetting night last night and I did everything I could to calm her. (I just assumed she was just out of sorts from the night and off her schedule and over tired.) She woke up from her nap this afternoon with a bloody ear and mess in her bed. We put in a call to her ENT for drops. I felt so horrible that she had been struggling with an ear infection. No fever, no other symptoms. It’s so hard not knowing what is going on with Emmalee. Is she unsettled due to Teething? Ear infection? Iron deficiency? Sensory overload? Little to no appetite? Neurological disorder? It’s all so overwhelming and confusing. Every day is a new adventure with this little bug. Just when I think we are getting a hold of things, another twist and turn sets us off course. We are just learning to dance in the rain. We should get the results of her EEG within 5 days.

Hagg Lake

 Andy wanted to go out to Hagg lake and surf for his birthday and the weather cooperated!!!

Happy Birthday Andy

We had such a great night celebrating my Brother’s Birthday. Baha Fresh for dinner, crumbl cookies for dessert followed by 2 and a half hours of fun at K1Speed gocarts! What an unforgettable night.