We will be at our very first appointment at Shriner's Hospital in Chicago. I am a nervous wreck. I am excited and scared all at the same time. I am confident all will go well but apprehensive about what the numbers will tell us, what the doctor will say.
That said I have a network of people who want live from Chicago updates. These women though I have never met them are beyond amazing. I talked with one of them twice last week on the phone and it was so nice to talk to someone who has been there done that and is so down to earth. I messaged the others on Facebook and they all came back with reassuring words and virtual hugs. It is because of these women that I have faith in the process.
We are jumping into the world of unknowns and that is a little scary. I am not one for unknowns but such is the reality in this case. I am crossing my fingers and saying lots of prayers that maybe just maybe we can get Kiya in her first cast before the end of September. I don't even know if that will be possible but the sooner the better.
While this process will be trying at first and adjustments will need to be made. I know we can get through it and hopefully some day (sooner rather than later) look back and remember the strength we had and the special week out of cast play times, etc.
It starts with our visit tomorrow. I am planning on being totally overwhelmed so I am grateful that my husband is along for the ride. He is not the worrying type. I am. So having a second set of eyes and ears will be helpful for sure.
And rest assured my Chicago Sisters, cell phone will be charged and text messages will be sent. You are truly amazing women and moms and I am so grateful that our lives have crossed paths.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Friday, August 27, 2010
Feeling hopeful
I know that I have been a terrible blogger lately. Honestly, I haven't been in the best of moods. Life has been taking its toll on me physically and emotionally. I have been in a bad mood. Life stinks sometimes. It plain isn't fair. But I saw a light yesterday afternoon, a much needed one that helped me shift my perspective a little.
Kiya had her first appointment with her Birth to 3 therapist yesterday afternoon. I was really not looking forward to it. Kiya had been off and on whiny all day and really we have been there done that before with not much success. Boy was I wrong.
I LOVE our therapist. She let Kiya come to her and took it slow. She wasn't over bearing and while the hour we were together consisted of zero physical therapy activities it was the best hour. She played cars with Kiya and they laughed together. We all sang Ring Around the Rosie and If your Happy and you know it. It was amazing.
So why so great if we did zero therapy??? Well, because I am actually feeling hopeful. This hasn't happened in awhile. Our therapist was encouraged by all the things Kiya was doing. She felt Kiya was doing all the things that she should be physically and that her biggest problem was her ankles. She rolls in on her ankles while standing up. More so on the right than the left but it is obvious. This has been on the radar before but we had no clear solutions. That changed yesterday.
She emailed me last night the name of the braces she recommends, the name of the company here in town that makes them and a form for our doctor to sign so we can get these custom made braces. I dropped the form off at Kiya's pediatrician's office for her signature and then called the company that makes the braces to see what we needed to send them to get an appointment. The woman asked for all of our info, said bring the signed form in and then promptly scheduled us for an appointment for next week. I was floored. I am so excited to get these braces and see the progress.
Our therapist also suggested getting Kiya an easel or whiteboard that would force her to stand up more vertically with her hands up versus standing at a table with hand down. She also thought it would be a good idea for Kiya to have a big wheel type tricycle, something with pedals. This will help her get used to alternating the use of each leg. She currently if we don't force her will climb up the stairs pushing up only on her right leg. She can push up just fine with her left leg she just doesn't.
I feel like for the first time in a long time we have a plan. A real legitimate plan to help Kiya catch up and eventually soar. We have this amazing therapist. We have Shriner's hospital and we have some new friends that have helped make this journey a little more tolerable.
I am ready to jump in and get started. I hate that all of this is happening but it is. Kiya is going to have a lot of changing thrown at her in the next few weeks and she is going to need me to be strong for her as she adjusts. I worry she will be mad at first. I take that back. I know she is going to be mad for awhile. I am not worried about the ankle braces as much as they are flexible and have velcro and she loves having her shoes and socks on. It is the cast that worries me. I know she will bounce back but she is going to be mad. She will have to learn to do some things differently but I know she will do it. The first cast will be the hardest on all of us but together we will get through it.
I think I may be ready to make lemonade with all the lemons life has thrown our way lately. I know this is going to be a bumpy ride for all of us and there will be good days and bad but I am hopeful. We finally have a path to follow that will hopefully lead to nothing but great things for Kiya. I dream about seeing her run around outside. I look forward to the appointment that tells us this is her last cast and she will be fitted for a brace. I look forward to Kiya truly achieving her potential and being a kid in all ways. She is such an amazing little girl and I hate that a curvy spine and some funky ankles are holding her back. I am grateful for Kiya's energy, intellect, sweetness, creativity and that sweet little voice of hers.
Watch out world Kiya's is coming better than ever and she is a force to be reckoned with :)
Kiya had her first appointment with her Birth to 3 therapist yesterday afternoon. I was really not looking forward to it. Kiya had been off and on whiny all day and really we have been there done that before with not much success. Boy was I wrong.
I LOVE our therapist. She let Kiya come to her and took it slow. She wasn't over bearing and while the hour we were together consisted of zero physical therapy activities it was the best hour. She played cars with Kiya and they laughed together. We all sang Ring Around the Rosie and If your Happy and you know it. It was amazing.
So why so great if we did zero therapy??? Well, because I am actually feeling hopeful. This hasn't happened in awhile. Our therapist was encouraged by all the things Kiya was doing. She felt Kiya was doing all the things that she should be physically and that her biggest problem was her ankles. She rolls in on her ankles while standing up. More so on the right than the left but it is obvious. This has been on the radar before but we had no clear solutions. That changed yesterday.
She emailed me last night the name of the braces she recommends, the name of the company here in town that makes them and a form for our doctor to sign so we can get these custom made braces. I dropped the form off at Kiya's pediatrician's office for her signature and then called the company that makes the braces to see what we needed to send them to get an appointment. The woman asked for all of our info, said bring the signed form in and then promptly scheduled us for an appointment for next week. I was floored. I am so excited to get these braces and see the progress.
Our therapist also suggested getting Kiya an easel or whiteboard that would force her to stand up more vertically with her hands up versus standing at a table with hand down. She also thought it would be a good idea for Kiya to have a big wheel type tricycle, something with pedals. This will help her get used to alternating the use of each leg. She currently if we don't force her will climb up the stairs pushing up only on her right leg. She can push up just fine with her left leg she just doesn't.
I feel like for the first time in a long time we have a plan. A real legitimate plan to help Kiya catch up and eventually soar. We have this amazing therapist. We have Shriner's hospital and we have some new friends that have helped make this journey a little more tolerable.
I am ready to jump in and get started. I hate that all of this is happening but it is. Kiya is going to have a lot of changing thrown at her in the next few weeks and she is going to need me to be strong for her as she adjusts. I worry she will be mad at first. I take that back. I know she is going to be mad for awhile. I am not worried about the ankle braces as much as they are flexible and have velcro and she loves having her shoes and socks on. It is the cast that worries me. I know she will bounce back but she is going to be mad. She will have to learn to do some things differently but I know she will do it. The first cast will be the hardest on all of us but together we will get through it.
I think I may be ready to make lemonade with all the lemons life has thrown our way lately. I know this is going to be a bumpy ride for all of us and there will be good days and bad but I am hopeful. We finally have a path to follow that will hopefully lead to nothing but great things for Kiya. I dream about seeing her run around outside. I look forward to the appointment that tells us this is her last cast and she will be fitted for a brace. I look forward to Kiya truly achieving her potential and being a kid in all ways. She is such an amazing little girl and I hate that a curvy spine and some funky ankles are holding her back. I am grateful for Kiya's energy, intellect, sweetness, creativity and that sweet little voice of hers.
Watch out world Kiya's is coming better than ever and she is a force to be reckoned with :)
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Meant to be?
There has been a discussion well lots of them really that are pretty heavy and sometimes hard to read and sometimes even really judgemental. What about, well adoption of course and more specifically, adopting from Ethiopia.
So, was I meant to be Kiya's mother? I think that is a tough question but I strongly feel that yes I was meant to be Kiya's mother if her Ethiopian mother couldn't take care of her. A child is naturally meant to be with their biological parents however the world isn't always wrapped up in a nice little box. Sometimes, reality steps in and gets in the way as is the case with our adoption of Kiya. For circumstances beyond poverty, Kiya's Mama Zinash chose to place her for adoption. As such we were matched with her. So yes we were meant to be Kiya's and she was meant to be ours.
Digging a little further, someone asked me if we had known about Kiya's scoliosis at the time of referral would we still have adopted her? I can't even think about that. Because the reality is we didn't know about it and because we didn't know about it she was matched with us. If it was known, Kiya would not be a member of this family. She would be someone elses and that is just something I frankly cannot stomach.
Kiya fits here curvy back and all. I do think there was a greater force that connected us together. Sadly, yes Kiya had to leave a mother, a country, a home, a culture behind and that is something we will never forget. That said, adoption turned our world upside down in the most beautiful way and I am grateful for that.
Sure there have been some unexpected things thrown our way but Kiya is Kiya. She is sweet and sassy, loud and funny, opinionated and stubborn and yes she has a curve in her spine. It is who she is. That said we are not heros, or saviors or rescuers. We are merely a couple that wanted to have a family. So we sought out adoption. We are not bad people for doing so. Our adoption was the right thing for our family. It would make more sense if I just spilled Kiya's story but I can't and I won't. Just trust me. Adoption was the right thing for her and even more so now.
Her scoliosis may have gone forever undiagnosed and even if it was diagnosed it for sure wouldn't have been treated. Not treating progressive infantile scoliosis can be fatal. Her rib cage is shifting and thus in time could put pressure on her internal organs protected by that rib cage. That is a scary thought.
I have always thought positively about my adoption and now with a medical condition I am grateful that she is here with us and we are seeking the best treatment for her. That said, I don't deny there are issues in Ethiopia. There are some BIG issues in adoption in Ethiopia. These scare me. I worry we will not be adding a son to our family from Ethiopia because of all of these BIG issues and BAD agencies doing truly unethical things. I can't ignore the issues, but I can't ignore the place I fell in love with . The place where my daughter was born. I dream of my children sharing a cultural connection, is that wrong? To some yes, yes it is. But for my family it isn't wrong.
So, was I meant to be Kiya's mother? I think that is a tough question but I strongly feel that yes I was meant to be Kiya's mother if her Ethiopian mother couldn't take care of her. A child is naturally meant to be with their biological parents however the world isn't always wrapped up in a nice little box. Sometimes, reality steps in and gets in the way as is the case with our adoption of Kiya. For circumstances beyond poverty, Kiya's Mama Zinash chose to place her for adoption. As such we were matched with her. So yes we were meant to be Kiya's and she was meant to be ours.
Digging a little further, someone asked me if we had known about Kiya's scoliosis at the time of referral would we still have adopted her? I can't even think about that. Because the reality is we didn't know about it and because we didn't know about it she was matched with us. If it was known, Kiya would not be a member of this family. She would be someone elses and that is just something I frankly cannot stomach.
Kiya fits here curvy back and all. I do think there was a greater force that connected us together. Sadly, yes Kiya had to leave a mother, a country, a home, a culture behind and that is something we will never forget. That said, adoption turned our world upside down in the most beautiful way and I am grateful for that.
Sure there have been some unexpected things thrown our way but Kiya is Kiya. She is sweet and sassy, loud and funny, opinionated and stubborn and yes she has a curve in her spine. It is who she is. That said we are not heros, or saviors or rescuers. We are merely a couple that wanted to have a family. So we sought out adoption. We are not bad people for doing so. Our adoption was the right thing for our family. It would make more sense if I just spilled Kiya's story but I can't and I won't. Just trust me. Adoption was the right thing for her and even more so now.
Her scoliosis may have gone forever undiagnosed and even if it was diagnosed it for sure wouldn't have been treated. Not treating progressive infantile scoliosis can be fatal. Her rib cage is shifting and thus in time could put pressure on her internal organs protected by that rib cage. That is a scary thought.
I have always thought positively about my adoption and now with a medical condition I am grateful that she is here with us and we are seeking the best treatment for her. That said, I don't deny there are issues in Ethiopia. There are some BIG issues in adoption in Ethiopia. These scare me. I worry we will not be adding a son to our family from Ethiopia because of all of these BIG issues and BAD agencies doing truly unethical things. I can't ignore the issues, but I can't ignore the place I fell in love with . The place where my daughter was born. I dream of my children sharing a cultural connection, is that wrong? To some yes, yes it is. But for my family it isn't wrong.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
What's new with Kiya?
I know it has been awhile again so here are some highlights as to what is new with Kiya.
1) Dora or should I say "Gora" is a HUGE hit around here. I thought she would get over it but no. This kid is seriously in love with Dora. She can spot her on balloons, at Target and can turn the TV on and ask for it. So 2nd birthday theme is likely you guessed it Dora.
2) Baby dolls. She is so fascinated with all things baby. She yells baby every time we see a baby and she has started putting her doll in her high chair and trying to feed it. So cute. Let's hope this love for babies sticks around for awhile as in a year or two so she will be instantly in awe and love of her brother.
3) Talking. Yup she is still talking or singing pretty much every waking moment unless she has food in her mouth and even then that isn't a guarantee. She is trying to repeat and say everything so we are very careful to spell certain words, not say things we don't want her to know and watching what music is on in the car. I have completely lost track of how many words she actually knows as everyday it changes. She is getting closer and closer to being able to say the dogs names. She almost has Badger down and well I don't blame her for not being able to say Sebastian but the other day it sounded like she said "bastian" which is pretty darn close. As for singing, she is really quite good. She is the singer in her daycare class as she is the only one that will sing along and sometimes rather loudly to the music. Her teacher is convinced she will be a rock star :)
4) Walking: I don't even want to talk or think about it anymore. We have hit a MAJOR road block. She totally can walk we have seen her. I have watched her in the living room and if she sees me she stops. We make her walk everywhere and are using the tips given by her therapist like not holding her hand above her head, etc. She is just a very stubborn and crooked kid. Scoliosis is definitely part of the issue but she is also just hard headed. I am anxiously awaiting our Birth to 3 therapy session...oh wait guess they have to call and schedule that first....sigh....we need help big time. She is very content getting the attention from others at home and daycare by not walking. People have to come to her and she loves that. She loves the attention. So while she insists on feeding herself or brushing her own teeth (don't worry I still do it too) she won't give it up and just walk. sigh....
5) Puzzles. Kiya LOVES puzzles and is really very good at them. Her favorite is her Animal Sounds puzzle. It makes the animal sounds when you put the pieces in. Kind of annoying but she likes it. She knows where all of the pieces go and can put at least half of them in correctly without any help. She also loves her shape sorting toy. She can do all of the shapes by herself and usually on the first try. She turns the cookie jar around to find the right shape and then puts it in. She used to get frustrated with the heart shape as it is harder to do but not anymore. She then claps for herself and says yay when she has all 5 shapes in. She also has a buckle bunny that has 5 different types of buckles on it. She can't open them yet and isn't supposed to be able to but she can now match the right sides together and even buckle 2 or 3 of them all by herself. She used to get frustrated with this toy so it would go in timeout sometimes but now that she is figuring it out it isn't as bad.
6) Napping. Yeah, she has been on this kick of nap fail for awhile. She didn't nap 3 out of 4 days last week. If it is one day here or there she is usually okay but 2 days in a row was tough. She was crabby. I have a bad feeling that she may give up napping well before this Mama is ready for her to.
7) Daycare. We got word that Kiya will be transitioning to this make shift 2 year old room at the end of September. There are a lot of kids turning 1 prior to Oct. so they need the room in the 1 year old rooms but there are a lot of kids who don't turn 2 until the end of the year like Kiya so they are making an 18 month old + room. I think Kiya is ready. She is one of the oldest kids in her class and she is hands down the most talkative. She sees and calls some of the other kids babies even though they walk and she doesn't. It also means new teachers which frankly I am kind of excited about. She needs a change and maybe the new teachers can challenge her in a way her current ones aren't. My one fear is that there is going to be a lot of change in a short period of time. New classroom, new teachers, new kids and let's throw in the high possibility of her being in a body cast. It may get a little interesting this fall....
So I think I have rambled enough :)
1) Dora or should I say "Gora" is a HUGE hit around here. I thought she would get over it but no. This kid is seriously in love with Dora. She can spot her on balloons, at Target and can turn the TV on and ask for it. So 2nd birthday theme is likely you guessed it Dora.
2) Baby dolls. She is so fascinated with all things baby. She yells baby every time we see a baby and she has started putting her doll in her high chair and trying to feed it. So cute. Let's hope this love for babies sticks around for awhile as in a year or two so she will be instantly in awe and love of her brother.
3) Talking. Yup she is still talking or singing pretty much every waking moment unless she has food in her mouth and even then that isn't a guarantee. She is trying to repeat and say everything so we are very careful to spell certain words, not say things we don't want her to know and watching what music is on in the car. I have completely lost track of how many words she actually knows as everyday it changes. She is getting closer and closer to being able to say the dogs names. She almost has Badger down and well I don't blame her for not being able to say Sebastian but the other day it sounded like she said "bastian" which is pretty darn close. As for singing, she is really quite good. She is the singer in her daycare class as she is the only one that will sing along and sometimes rather loudly to the music. Her teacher is convinced she will be a rock star :)
4) Walking: I don't even want to talk or think about it anymore. We have hit a MAJOR road block. She totally can walk we have seen her. I have watched her in the living room and if she sees me she stops. We make her walk everywhere and are using the tips given by her therapist like not holding her hand above her head, etc. She is just a very stubborn and crooked kid. Scoliosis is definitely part of the issue but she is also just hard headed. I am anxiously awaiting our Birth to 3 therapy session...oh wait guess they have to call and schedule that first....sigh....we need help big time. She is very content getting the attention from others at home and daycare by not walking. People have to come to her and she loves that. She loves the attention. So while she insists on feeding herself or brushing her own teeth (don't worry I still do it too) she won't give it up and just walk. sigh....
5) Puzzles. Kiya LOVES puzzles and is really very good at them. Her favorite is her Animal Sounds puzzle. It makes the animal sounds when you put the pieces in. Kind of annoying but she likes it. She knows where all of the pieces go and can put at least half of them in correctly without any help. She also loves her shape sorting toy. She can do all of the shapes by herself and usually on the first try. She turns the cookie jar around to find the right shape and then puts it in. She used to get frustrated with the heart shape as it is harder to do but not anymore. She then claps for herself and says yay when she has all 5 shapes in. She also has a buckle bunny that has 5 different types of buckles on it. She can't open them yet and isn't supposed to be able to but she can now match the right sides together and even buckle 2 or 3 of them all by herself. She used to get frustrated with this toy so it would go in timeout sometimes but now that she is figuring it out it isn't as bad.
6) Napping. Yeah, she has been on this kick of nap fail for awhile. She didn't nap 3 out of 4 days last week. If it is one day here or there she is usually okay but 2 days in a row was tough. She was crabby. I have a bad feeling that she may give up napping well before this Mama is ready for her to.
7) Daycare. We got word that Kiya will be transitioning to this make shift 2 year old room at the end of September. There are a lot of kids turning 1 prior to Oct. so they need the room in the 1 year old rooms but there are a lot of kids who don't turn 2 until the end of the year like Kiya so they are making an 18 month old + room. I think Kiya is ready. She is one of the oldest kids in her class and she is hands down the most talkative. She sees and calls some of the other kids babies even though they walk and she doesn't. It also means new teachers which frankly I am kind of excited about. She needs a change and maybe the new teachers can challenge her in a way her current ones aren't. My one fear is that there is going to be a lot of change in a short period of time. New classroom, new teachers, new kids and let's throw in the high possibility of her being in a body cast. It may get a little interesting this fall....
So I think I have rambled enough :)
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Monday, August 9, 2010
Brief update
Kiya got accepted into Shriner's Hospital today! Our first appointment is September 1st. We are relieved and scared and nervous and excited to start this process.
We are entering a world of unknowns but we are strong and we can do it. Kiya is a trooper and a fighter and I know she will do great.
Ok--so more updates to come once we get started and I will post those in Kiya's Kare Korner with a brief note in a regular post letting you all know there is an update.
We are entering a world of unknowns but we are strong and we can do it. Kiya is a trooper and a fighter and I know she will do great.
Ok--so more updates to come once we get started and I will post those in Kiya's Kare Korner with a brief note in a regular post letting you all know there is an update.
Growing up
This weekend it hit me. My baby girl is growing up. She doesn't look like a baby anymore. She doesn't act like a baby anymore and she sure doesn't have the attitude of a baby anymore. How did this happen so fast....in less than 4 months she is going to be 2.
That said we overhauled the play area this weekend. We cleaned out all of the baby toys and put them in the basement. We, okay well Dave, put together her new table and attempted to put the chairs together. We wound up having to return the chairs so for now those are still in the box.
We purchased our first baby doll stroller. Kiya is very much in love with her baby, her doll and a toy at daycare. Yes she distinguishes between her baby (which is a little stuffed baby that came in a Peanut shell) and her doll which is a black cloth doll. Sometimes she asks for doll and sometimes baby. There is also a baby doll at daycare that she LOVES and holds onto most of the day. She has progressed from the stuffed lizard to the baby doll....can we say girly girl :)
Anyway in talking with her therapists and teachers, one of her teachers suggested getting a baby doll stroller for Kiya to push around the house. We did. She loves her babies and she loves her stroller and has showed A LOT of interest in pushing her own stroller around. Maybe this will help but either way she needed some big girl toys.
I also got her a pink fabric bin on wheels for her stuffed animals. She hates it. She cried when it was empty. She cried when it was full. She has a completely irrational hatred of this fabric bin. I have no idea why. Maybe she doesn't like the new organization of the play area....not sure.
And today I started researching potty seats. Wow, there are a lot of them on the market. I just can't decide. I got a lot of great feedback from other parents. My main concern is with the casting in the future if it will be too hard for her to sit on a stand alone potty seat....maybe we would be better off with a seat the fits right on the big people toilet. I have no idea and I have a feeling we will purchase both and she which she likes best.
Next up a garbage truck and a kitchen play set. She is fascinated with both of these things :)
That said we overhauled the play area this weekend. We cleaned out all of the baby toys and put them in the basement. We, okay well Dave, put together her new table and attempted to put the chairs together. We wound up having to return the chairs so for now those are still in the box.
We purchased our first baby doll stroller. Kiya is very much in love with her baby, her doll and a toy at daycare. Yes she distinguishes between her baby (which is a little stuffed baby that came in a Peanut shell) and her doll which is a black cloth doll. Sometimes she asks for doll and sometimes baby. There is also a baby doll at daycare that she LOVES and holds onto most of the day. She has progressed from the stuffed lizard to the baby doll....can we say girly girl :)
Anyway in talking with her therapists and teachers, one of her teachers suggested getting a baby doll stroller for Kiya to push around the house. We did. She loves her babies and she loves her stroller and has showed A LOT of interest in pushing her own stroller around. Maybe this will help but either way she needed some big girl toys.
I also got her a pink fabric bin on wheels for her stuffed animals. She hates it. She cried when it was empty. She cried when it was full. She has a completely irrational hatred of this fabric bin. I have no idea why. Maybe she doesn't like the new organization of the play area....not sure.
And today I started researching potty seats. Wow, there are a lot of them on the market. I just can't decide. I got a lot of great feedback from other parents. My main concern is with the casting in the future if it will be too hard for her to sit on a stand alone potty seat....maybe we would be better off with a seat the fits right on the big people toilet. I have no idea and I have a feeling we will purchase both and she which she likes best.
Next up a garbage truck and a kitchen play set. She is fascinated with both of these things :)
Saturday, August 7, 2010
11 years ago
11 years ago, I married my best friend. I am a very lucky girl that is for sure.
I met my husband over 14 years ago and I just knew. I just knew this was the man I was supposed to spend the rest of my life. I am looking forward to the years ahead and the many more happy memories.
These last 11 years have been quite a ride. We have had good times and crazy times and luckily have only had one really terrible year. Through it all we stood by each other, supported each other and loved each other. It hasn't always been easy but it has definitely been worth it.
I love this journey we have been on. To see our relationship grow and change and to finally reach our dreams of parenthood.
My husband is my rock. He picks me up when I am down and he can always make me laugh and the best part of it all is he is the most amazing father. I love this. I kind of knew he would be but seriously he is a pretty great dad. He gets up with Kiya, he changes poopy diapers, he reads her stories, plays with her and you can see just how happy having a daughter makes him. This makes me love him even more.
I am so blessed to have this amazing family and I look forward to many more happy years of marriage. I know we may have some rough years ahead but I know we are strong enough to get through them together. I know I don't walk alone in this world and that makes a difference.
I met my husband over 14 years ago and I just knew. I just knew this was the man I was supposed to spend the rest of my life. I am looking forward to the years ahead and the many more happy memories.
These last 11 years have been quite a ride. We have had good times and crazy times and luckily have only had one really terrible year. Through it all we stood by each other, supported each other and loved each other. It hasn't always been easy but it has definitely been worth it.
I love this journey we have been on. To see our relationship grow and change and to finally reach our dreams of parenthood.
My husband is my rock. He picks me up when I am down and he can always make me laugh and the best part of it all is he is the most amazing father. I love this. I kind of knew he would be but seriously he is a pretty great dad. He gets up with Kiya, he changes poopy diapers, he reads her stories, plays with her and you can see just how happy having a daughter makes him. This makes me love him even more.
I am so blessed to have this amazing family and I look forward to many more happy years of marriage. I know we may have some rough years ahead but I know we are strong enough to get through them together. I know I don't walk alone in this world and that makes a difference.
Friday, August 6, 2010
Chatty Kiya....
Oh my is this girl a talker. We always knew she was a talker but wow oh wow. Lately, it has been non stop for hours. She will either be talking or singing. It is adorable but it would be nice if she would stop for air every once in awhile.
I can't imagine what life is going to be like when she is 5....I think ear plugs or the quiet game may be in our future.
A good example of her talking came on Wednesday afternoon. We had our Birth to 3 follow up meeting and she talked or sang for the entire hour. The teachers thought it was great and I did too but a little distracting.
The worst part is that she has learned to ask "why" and she will say "mommy" about 10 times each time with me asking her what she needs and finally she just says "hi". It was really adorable the first time she did this and after about the third time I was going bonkers. Though I must admit it is nice that she says mommy again and not bobby or boppy or moppy.
All complaining aside, Kiya is such a joy and I love it when she learns a new word. Just yesterday she said peach, cheese, roll and probably others but I can't remember. Everyday she is learning and saying multiple new words. She LOVED to say peach and said it through out the whole grocery store yesterday. It was pretty cute and others thought so too. She is also saying "bad" and trying to say "Badger". She even tried to tell Badger twice yesterday that he was bad. Which to her credit he was being naughty.
Kiya started to get mad and was saying bad and pointing and I found Badger eating a dryer sheet in some laundry. Then later Kiya started again to get mad and point and said what sounded like "bad Badger" and Badger was eating a baby wipe. She doesn't like it when the dogs are naughty. We say, Kiya are the boys being naughty? And Kiya responds "naughty". Too cute. But she does get upset so we have to show her that while the dogs did something bad it is still okay to be nice to them and not be afraid of them. So after she told on Badger we had them kiss and make up. It was adorable.
On the shadow front, she is no longer afraid of her shadow. She says hi and bye to it. Fist bumps it and even looks for it on the wall or in the bathtub. Whew...that was easy.
I can't imagine what life is going to be like when she is 5....I think ear plugs or the quiet game may be in our future.
A good example of her talking came on Wednesday afternoon. We had our Birth to 3 follow up meeting and she talked or sang for the entire hour. The teachers thought it was great and I did too but a little distracting.
The worst part is that she has learned to ask "why" and she will say "mommy" about 10 times each time with me asking her what she needs and finally she just says "hi". It was really adorable the first time she did this and after about the third time I was going bonkers. Though I must admit it is nice that she says mommy again and not bobby or boppy or moppy.
All complaining aside, Kiya is such a joy and I love it when she learns a new word. Just yesterday she said peach, cheese, roll and probably others but I can't remember. Everyday she is learning and saying multiple new words. She LOVED to say peach and said it through out the whole grocery store yesterday. It was pretty cute and others thought so too. She is also saying "bad" and trying to say "Badger". She even tried to tell Badger twice yesterday that he was bad. Which to her credit he was being naughty.
Kiya started to get mad and was saying bad and pointing and I found Badger eating a dryer sheet in some laundry. Then later Kiya started again to get mad and point and said what sounded like "bad Badger" and Badger was eating a baby wipe. She doesn't like it when the dogs are naughty. We say, Kiya are the boys being naughty? And Kiya responds "naughty". Too cute. But she does get upset so we have to show her that while the dogs did something bad it is still okay to be nice to them and not be afraid of them. So after she told on Badger we had them kiss and make up. It was adorable.
On the shadow front, she is no longer afraid of her shadow. She says hi and bye to it. Fist bumps it and even looks for it on the wall or in the bathtub. Whew...that was easy.
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
I'm Back....
I know it has been almost a week but things got a little hectic. Starting with me getting pretty sick. Sicker than I have been in quite sometime. I am feeling better now and am anxiously awaiting the antibiotics to really kick in and get rid of this nastiness that has all but consumed me in the last week.
So here is what has been going on:
+ Kiya is officially 20 months old :) She is just a dream really. So sweet and eager to learn. She can count to ten and sing the ABC song with you. Sure she doesn't get all the correct words or letters but she is so excited to do it with you. She can accurately complete her animal sounds puzzle and she LOVES to stack all 10 of her stacking cups and then of course knock them down. She is quite fascinated lately with baby dolls. She will hug them and rock them and kiss them. So sweet. She also likes to play pretend. I watched yesterday as she "poured" herself a cup of tea and then "drank" it. She has also become quite fascinated with Dora the Explorer. We only let her watch it occasionally but her potty book is Dora and she asks for that a lot. She is also really into Yo Gabba Gabba, a show I swore I would never let her watch as I find it annoying. She loves it. She dances and trys to imitate motions, etc. We also think that Kiya might be getting the concept that she has a messy diaper. Sure we ask her if she has a poop and she says yeah and sometimes she is right and sometimes not. But she has started to grab at her diaper when it is really wet or messy. This is a good sign. She has noticed her shadow and is not a fan. She first noticed it in the bath tub and totally freaked out. She frantically did the sign for all done and wanted out of that tub. She has since noticed it on the wall by her changing table and on the wall of the stairs. She is getting less afraid as we are telling her it is friendly and she can fist bump it. She says hi to it and bye to it. It is pretty cute really.
+ Check Kiya's Kare Korner for an update on our Shriner's process
+ Birth to 3 is coming for a follow up meeting tomorrow. Based on the evaluation they sent me, it looks like Kiya will qualify for physical therapy. We are anxious to get started with this and help her move forward. They estimated her locomotion skills at about a 14 month age level which given her muscle tone issues she is really right on track but hasn't caught up yet. In all other areas like speech, problem solving, fine motor, etc Kiya was at age level or higher. We are so proud of her.
+ Saturday is a big day. 11 years ago Saturday, Dave and I got married at Mission Santa Clara surrounded by all our friends and family. I cannot believe it has been that long. To celebrate we are going to the Brewers game :)
So I guess that is about it for now.
So here is what has been going on:
+ Kiya is officially 20 months old :) She is just a dream really. So sweet and eager to learn. She can count to ten and sing the ABC song with you. Sure she doesn't get all the correct words or letters but she is so excited to do it with you. She can accurately complete her animal sounds puzzle and she LOVES to stack all 10 of her stacking cups and then of course knock them down. She is quite fascinated lately with baby dolls. She will hug them and rock them and kiss them. So sweet. She also likes to play pretend. I watched yesterday as she "poured" herself a cup of tea and then "drank" it. She has also become quite fascinated with Dora the Explorer. We only let her watch it occasionally but her potty book is Dora and she asks for that a lot. She is also really into Yo Gabba Gabba, a show I swore I would never let her watch as I find it annoying. She loves it. She dances and trys to imitate motions, etc. We also think that Kiya might be getting the concept that she has a messy diaper. Sure we ask her if she has a poop and she says yeah and sometimes she is right and sometimes not. But she has started to grab at her diaper when it is really wet or messy. This is a good sign. She has noticed her shadow and is not a fan. She first noticed it in the bath tub and totally freaked out. She frantically did the sign for all done and wanted out of that tub. She has since noticed it on the wall by her changing table and on the wall of the stairs. She is getting less afraid as we are telling her it is friendly and she can fist bump it. She says hi to it and bye to it. It is pretty cute really.
+ Check Kiya's Kare Korner for an update on our Shriner's process
+ Birth to 3 is coming for a follow up meeting tomorrow. Based on the evaluation they sent me, it looks like Kiya will qualify for physical therapy. We are anxious to get started with this and help her move forward. They estimated her locomotion skills at about a 14 month age level which given her muscle tone issues she is really right on track but hasn't caught up yet. In all other areas like speech, problem solving, fine motor, etc Kiya was at age level or higher. We are so proud of her.
+ Saturday is a big day. 11 years ago Saturday, Dave and I got married at Mission Santa Clara surrounded by all our friends and family. I cannot believe it has been that long. To celebrate we are going to the Brewers game :)
So I guess that is about it for now.
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