Quickie Zippie GS

So here it is..... Molly as been fitted for a manual wheelchair. This is a demo , which she has been practicing in at school with her therapist. We r going to get a purple one with black and her name will be in Pink script. Of course Mommy will try to bling it out a little more. She is the girlie girl in the house,maybe I can find a Dora decal or make a Dora bag to go on back. Her LLBEAN back pack will match too. I am a little sad because she is still not ambulatory but all in due time. All her rocking and rolling in her current stroller is her way of seeking movement. At school she will not really use her wheelchair because the staff walk Molly around. This chair will give her independence at home in the community and where ever we go. No more being stuck in a highchair in the kitchen waiting for Mommy or Daddy to wheel her around. I am so excited. I am nervous about the weight because I have to lift it into the back of the van and God knows I do that numerous times a day, maybe Matty and I can figure out something to make a light short ramp or something. My hopes r to hold out to 5years old or longer before we look into modifying the van for a ramp. However it might be sooner. That would be nice to do now but I hate to do something that might not be needed if she started to walk with a walker and can help us transfer to the carseat.

I tried to get her to choose a color for hr chair but she just pointed and named colors she knew. I like the purple zebra color but she is not the animal girl , Mikaela is. Mikaela is excited that she'll be able to push Molly around a little easier. Her Therapist and I decided purple because a lot of girl get pink. So now the waiting begins. 3-4 Months, about 70 days they said. I hope it goes by fast. It's like getting a new car. The next big thing is the bed. fingers crossed ..... We hope to get the Sleep Safe bed with head and foot articulation . It will be in white. I am hoping it gets approved. I feel a little weird about being excited for special needs equipment but this is our world now. i will never get use to it I will always feel like this is surreal.

So I think I am going to star bloggin again. I haven't been on here since Molly was DX in Dec 2009 when my world seem to end and start a new one. We have meet some amazing kids and parents along the way. My new world is turning out pretty cool. I love the mom's I meet and especially my mom's club friends they r always there ready to stand behind me in some way. I hope to blog once a month so that way I don't get over whelmed with having to blog. i hate typing and sometimes I hate even thinking about it because there is so much I want to share.
NOTE: I might not use capital I all for the sake of fast typing. so please for you anal people out there sorry. LOL

So for my first blogging of he year I am post a pic of us from. i love this crazy picture of our family, I like the self picture taking that we all do for facebook. Matt and I have been trying to take our pic like this for years and those seem to be my favorite images of us.
believe it our not i took this.. LOL ....not bad.

well here it is first blog post in almost 2 years I hopoe you enjoy following again.

Alot to talk about

l where do I begin? It has been awhile since I have had the energy or the time to blog about the girls. I last left you all with Molly's new diagnosis. It has been a long road sine then just getting Molly's therapy schedule and Mikaela's schedule smoothed out along with the numerous Dr's that wanted to follow up with our new found info on Molly's situation.

I am so loss for a spot to start with out leaving you all confused so I will just list the new things that have happened or will be happening in all our lives. I hope you can follow along and please feel free to comment on pics I love seeing the comments.I might jump around because I will be typing as things come to mind.

First as you can see Molly now has glasses and will for the rest of her life. She has an astigmatism in both eyes. The glasses are not for vision but to keep her eyes straight. With out them she has eyes that wander. This is common with C-ACC. Her eyes are being followed closely at New England Eye center @ Floating Hospital for Children. They are watching for what is called septo-optic dysplasia. So far she is great. The Perkins school for the bling is coming out to work with Molly to improve her eye coordination. We hope this prevents any further eye issues with strength.

Second Molly now had AFO's Ankle foot orthotics. The will giver her legs the guides to grow straight and the support to stand. Because she is non mobile these will support her feet because her muscles and ankles are weak and the bones are soft. Follow the other posts for pics.

I will blog some posts and post pics in others.

Lets see what else.

Oh yes since we got Molly diagnosis we also had some genetic testing done and found Molly has a microdeletion on her 3rd chromosome. For all we know right now Matt or I could carry this.
Further testing is going on now looking for more within Molly genetic make up then we'll be tested.

We have a new neurologist that makes me feel better about his approach to following Molly through out her life. Her last neuro said see ya in a year. That did not sit well with me.I was hoping that the neurologist would be more of a guide on my teach of specialist in the years to come.

OT

I came across this bit of info you all might like about C-ACC

The list of signs and symptoms mentioned in various sources for Agenesis of the corpus callosum includes the 14 symptoms listed below:

• Symptoms may appear in infants or children or may be milder in later life.
• Seizures
• Feeding problems
• Developmental delay
• Delayed head control
• Delayed sitting
• Delayed standing
• Delayed walking
• Impaired mental development
• Impaired physical development
• Impaired hand-eye coordination
• Impaired visual memory
• Impaired auditory memory
• Hydrocephaly

some of theses symptoms are few to none in Children with C-ACC. Molly got the lucky card that says guess what you get all except seizures and feeding problems are mild.

Speaking of that We are extremely fortunate that Molly is not a medically disabled child. Meaning she does not need machines to cough breath or eat. I know many children that have so many pieces of equipment that accompany them and their braces or splints. Molly just has braces hand splints and support equipment for her physical health.

Here is more to read

Definition

Agenesis of the corpus callosum (ACC) is an abnormality of brain structure, present at birth, that is characterized by partial or complete absence of the corpus callosum. The corpus callosum is a bundle of nerve fibers that connects the two hemispheres (halves) of the brain and allows information to pass back and forth between both sides.

Description

Agenesis of the corpus callosum is one form of abnormal corpus callosum development. Other corpus callosum disorders include hypoplastic (thin or underdeveloped) corpus callosum and dysgenesis (abnormal formation) of the corpus callosum. In complete ACC, the corpus callosum is entirely missing. In partial ACC, some portion, usually the posterior portion, is absent. Agenesis of the corpus callosum is often found in combination with other brain abnormalities and some degree of mental impairment. Birth defects involving other parts of the body (especially the eyes, face, heart, and skeletal system) may also be present. ACC can occur alone, without other obvious brain abnormalities. In some of these cases, the affected person is healthy and has an IQ (intelligence quotient) in the normal range. Even in these cases however, subtle neuropsychological and cognitive abnormalities may exist.

Demographics

Estimates of the frequency of ACC range between 0.0005% and 0.7% of children. An incidence of 2–3% has been reported in children with developmental disabilities. Between one-half to three-quarters of cases of ACC occur in males. ACC is a feature of Aicardi syndrome, an X-linked (caused by a gene on the X chromosome) condition that occurs almost exclusively in females and is thought to be lethal in males.

Causes and symptoms

The corpus callosum forms during the fifth to sixteenth week of pregnancy. It is thought that ACC occurs when one or more factors interfere with the migration (movement) of cells in the brain that eventually form the corpus callosum. An underlying cause for ACC is found in about one-half of cases. Factors that may affect normal corpus callosum development include:

* prenatal infections, viruses, or toxic exposures such as rubella or fetal alcohol syndrome
* chromosome abnormalities such as trisomy 8, trisomy 13, and trisomy 18
* genetic syndromes such as Aicardi syndrome, acrocallosal syndrome, Andermann syndrome, Shapiro syndrome, and Menkes disease
* blocked growth of the corpus callosum due to cysts or other abnormal structures
* a cerebral dysgenesis syndrome, in which there is abnormal formation of the brain such as Dandy-Walker syndrome, Arnold-Chiari malformation, holoprosencephaly, or hydrocephalus

The symptoms of ACC largely depend on the presence or absence of other medical conditions. The majority of children with ACC with other brain abnormalities usually show signs of a neurological disorder by age two. Symptoms in these children can include:

* seizures
* developmental delay and/or mental retardation
* increased or decreased head size
* hydrocephalus (abnormal accumulation of cerebrospinalfluid in the spaces of the brain)
* cerebral palsy
* hypotonia (decreased muscle tone)
* failure to thrive

In children with ACC who otherwise have limited neurological problems, there are slight differences in cognition (thought processes) and psychosocial functioning compared with children without ACC. Neuropsychological testing has shown that such individuals can have any of the following:

* motor, language, or cognitive delays
* poor motor coordination
* sensitivity to tactile sensations
* high pain tolerance
* cognitive and social challenges

Cognitive and social challenges may become more apparent with age. Examples of these challenges include difficulties using language in social settings and with performing tasks that require complex reasoning, creativity, or problem-solving skills. Patients with ACC may display limited insight into one's own behavior, a lack of awareness of others' feelings, misunderstanding of social cues, limited sophistication of humor, and difficulty imagining consequences of behavior.

Diagnosis

A health professional suspicious of ACC may recommend a neurological evaluation that includes imaging studies. The more subtle cognitive and psychosocial problems found in individuals with isolated ACC are less likely to lead to the diagnosis. In some cases, the diagnosis of ACC is incidental, made in the course of an evaluation for other reasons. There may well be many asymptomatic individuals with partial or complete agenesis who never come to medical attention.

Diagnosis of ACC relies on imaging studies such as ultrasound (prenatal or postnatal), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), or computerized axial tomography (CT or CAT) scan. Diagnostic findings include:

* absence of the corpus callosum
* widely displaced and parallel lateral ventricles
* selective dilatation of the posterior horns
* widely spaced frontal horns
* upward displacement and enlargement of the third ventricle
* displaced orientation of gyral markings

Fetal ultrasound can detect some but not all cases of ACC, beginning at about 20 weeks of pregnancy. The prenatal or postnatal diagnosis of ACC should be followed by studies aimed to determine the cause for the ACC. Such studies may include chromosome analysis, metabolic screening, and genetic and ophthalmologic consultations.

Treatment team

Treatment for patients with ACC is highly individualized because the severity of symptoms varies from patient to patient. Depending upon the symptoms, many medical specialists can assist the patient's primary physician or nurse practitioner, including a neurologist, ophthalmologist, geneticist, neuropsychologist, behavioral psychologist, occupational therapist, physical therapist, speech-language pathologist, and experts in special education and early intervention.

Treatment

There is no cure for ACC. Treatment primarily includes management of associated problems such as seizures, hydrocephalus, and cerebral palsy.

Recovery and rehabilitation

Limited information is available about the optimal remedial strategies for individuals with ACC. Speech therapy, occupational therapy, physical therapy, and early intervention are common services provided to patients with ACC. The goal of these therapies is to maximize the patient's success in school, work, and life in general. Speech therapy can help patients with speech delays, apraxia (the inability to make voluntary movements despite normal muscle function), and difficulties with pragmatics or social language use. Occupational therapy can help patients with sensory integration problems. Physical therapy can help address problems such as impaired coordination, motor delays, and spasticity (abnormally increased muscle stiffness and restricted movement).

Clinical trials

There are currently no clinical trials for patients with agenesis of the corpus callosum. Patients and families may elect to participate in genetic research. Laboratories searching for genes associated with agenesis of the corpus callosum include the laboratory of Elliott H. Sherr M.D., Ph.D, at the University of California, San Francisco, and the Harvard Institutes of Medicine. Both labs accept contact from patients and families.

Prognosis

The prognosis for ACC varies according to the presence and severity of associated problems such as microcephaly (small head), seizures, cerebral palsy, and cerebral dysgenesis. In the case of a fetus diagnosed with isolated ACC, prediction of outcome remains imprecise. Estimates of the chance for a normal developmental outcome for a case detected prenatally range from 35–85%. It has also been stated that a so-called "normal" or "asymptomatic" outcome for ACC does not exist. Subtle or cognitive and psychosocial differences have been found in patients with ACC and a normal IQ.

Special concerns

The special educational needs of children with ACC vary. Children with ACC may be eligible for an individual education plan (IEP). An IEP provides a framework from which administrators, teachers, and parents can meet the educational needs of a child with ACC. Depending upon severity of symptoms and the degree of learning difficulties, some children with ACC may be best served by special education classes or a private educational setting.

As far as Molly goes She is doing WONDERFUL!!!
Daddy is doing well he is so good to all of us.
Mommy has her good days and bad days with this. ( I see the other kids her age doing so much and wonder when will she get to play like that)
Mikaela great starting to wonder more about her sister and why she doesn't walk or has to be carried all the time.

Molly at 15 months started to feed herself cheerios and other small items like paper. LOL
She is sitting better but struggles a bit when she is playing. Doing two things at once is difficult for her but she manages well.
She drinks from a straw too. Bottle are gone!!!!

At 17mos Molly can roll from tummy to back. She rolls back and forth alot now. It's great! I actually have to contain her in the pack n play when I want to shower. She thinks she can just drop to the floor and go. Poor thing gets so mad.
At 18 mos she is starting to articulate sounds better and words. She calls for Dada all the time and knows to stop after I sign and tell her he is at work. Calls for Kaya " Yaaa" is her sound

"Ki ti" for kitty
"cacker" f cracker
Clearly says Einsteins when asked. She loves those little people. Mikaela did too.

Her hands are functioning better too. She is more interested in toys and can point to things she wants and tries to open things.

We have been told her hand is structurally small on the right and her thumbs not only adducted but her right thumbs is shorter. Now we know why she has such a difficult time with her right.We hope between acupuncture, herbs her hands ,will get better.

Oh yeas we started Acupuncture to compliment the Chiropractic adjustments and an herbal supplement.

The chiropractor so a huge difference in her. Then the Acupuncture began to improve her hand and mouth function, but once we added the herbal supplement wow!!!! She turned into a whole new little girl. Her personality her awareness was turned on even more then before.

Some people are afraid of the unknown and the Chiropractor, and acupuncturist are some things people are skeptical about, even herbs. I for one, am not. I have been using herbal supplements wisely since before I had children. Mostly when I was trying to get pregnant and while pregnant. So both girls have been on herbs even before they were born to breath in our world. I am a firm believer in these three practices. I feel that Molly is progression has increased each time I added one of these practices. First the Chiropractor, then accupuncture now an herbal tincture. It's been 3 months now since we added the tincture and the things Molly tries to do is unbelievable.

The babbeling, the spoon feeding, the pointing understanding her left and right move independently. WOW! I still owe a lot of gratitude to OT and PT but with out the other three components I do not believe that Molly would be as far as she is.

To understand Molly's physical issues you would have to sit her next to other 18 month olds to see the difference. However, her gains are huge. Just sitting is hard work for her.

The only way I can explain it is breathing is natural to us. Typing, like I am doing now is second nature. Molly will have to think hard about each movement just to get her hand to the keyboard and point a finger to press a single letter. Even the thought to press a single key is work her her. Think about sitting. We just do it. How did you learn to read? I can't even remember. For her each thing is work and a long processing time in her brain to execute it. For us walking as a baby took days some took months to accomplish; for Molly it could take years. In a 60 day time frame is how we have to look at her goals an they are minute and sometimes do not happen in 60 days.

All in all Molly is GREAT!!! and always Smiling!!! I am sure I am missing something on Molly but it will have to wait until next blogging session. Actually Mikaela is next blog session in between pics





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You TUBE!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KM7TDL7Wb24

here if you wanna see my koo koo monkey nut click on the link above or copy and paste.

be sure to subscribe to my youtube to get more vidoes

Mikaela, Mikaela, Mikaela

What can I say she is a nut. That girl is a different animal everyday and changes animals through out the day too. She keeps me busy and her sister too. Mikaela is doing well in school but hates it, so she says. She actually told me that I hate her and that is why I send her to school. I have a feeling her school career is going to be a long one.

Mikaela is taking Gymnastics on Friday nights and loving it. We just signed her up for ALL Sports. She will get to try a new sport every Sat for 8 weeks, we hope to find Mikaela's forte and choose one for the summer.

Over the past few months we have been working with K about strangers, telling the truth and lies. Well, she gets the don't talk to strangers but apparently Mommy isn't allowed to talk to anyone else either. The telling the truth part well she has confused. Mikaela likes to make up stories on how thing happen and then tells Me to tell the 1st and 2nd truths on how it happened. Example: if she tried to take her sisters cherries and gets caught, she will try to say Molly took her cherries is only taking them then tells me to stop lying and tell the truths the 1st truth and 2nd truths, that Molly took them. Matt and I have the hardest time keeping a straight face even wither her fake crys. Gotta love her!!

Lots of posts

makes sure you check out all the posts I have in Feb. I am posting a lot of Pics so you may want to scroll down a lot

Molly's Equipment

News on Molly

Well we are just about finished with new doctors and appts. Life can return to normal routine again. Molly will be recieving a few pieces of equipment this week to hep with support and training her body. since Molly is 1yr and not craling we need to address her as she ins now and not in the future. This doesn't mean we will have equipment for the rest of our lives.It just means for the time being to help train her body to use her muscles to get into those positions
1. Hand Splints to help her thumbs stay in the open position (Pic to come)

2. An adaptive stroller. This stroller has supports in place to help Molly sit up straight and keep her in better position over all. Huge difference when you see her in it compared to a regular stroller. The biggest thing is it will keep Molly from slumping and leaning to the side to avoid curvature of the spine.

3. Stander : a different view an position so she isn't always lying down or sitting. She gets stiff if she sits to long. below I added a few benifits of a stander
Description

Standing is an integral part of many developmentally disabled children’s rehabilitation. Standing provides an alternative for positioning and pressure relief for those who use wheelchairs.
The Benefits of Standing

• Improved bowel and bladder function.

• Enhanced respiratory function.

• Increased endurance.

• Reduction of pressure ulcers.

• Prevention of lower extremity contractures.

• Lower extremity weight bearing improves and maintains bone density.

• Improvement of circulation.

• Strengthening of cardiovascular system.

• Facilitates development of appropriate alignment of the spine, hips, knees and ankles.

• Improves social interaction and self esteem.


3. AFO ( ankle foot orthotics) They are legs braces that will give Molly more support then a pair of orthotics. her bones are soft and muscle are weak because she doesn't get to use them. This will give her support to stander longer and better. I will post pics once we get them .

eventually Molly will be receiving a gait trainer and a walker but that's a long time down the road.

Molly is doing well. With our help she is able to sit with minimum support and again with support she can be placed on her hands and knees. She will rock and sometimes reach for toys in that position. She has begun to feed her self with a spoon. Big mess but she loves to try. She likes to turn the pages during story time and fusses if the book isn't closer enough to reach. She will bare weight on her legs and even lift her right foot to step if you move her left foot first. we are very excited that she is showing signs to want to move her feet but the PT pulled the reins in. She wants us to refrain from her standing to long and stepping just yet. Molly has to learn everything in order. Molly has to reach all her milestone as they are in the books. Each one is vital for her to learn for brain development and safety reasons. If you think about it , it makes sense, if she learns to walk before she learns to pull herself to sit or crawl, can cause problems. For example if she walks and falls she will not know how to get back up. She is makes great strides it is just slow and that is okay. Some kids can skip crawling but in Molly's case it is vital to her own safety and development.

Molly loves music and will bounce if she hears a song she likes. She also has a new sound with is a hard one."Ga Ga" Everything is "Ga ga" Just put her in front of a mirror and she will chat your ear off.


I posted a few pic of something similar to what Molly has for equipment. They are not exact. When I get all of her equipment and bracing in I will post her in them so you all have a better idea.

I cannot think of anything else for now. I will be just posting past pics of Molly and Mikaela from xmas, birthday and random stuff.

Just posting pics

I am so behind that i am just posting Pics right now.

We have a Diagnosis!!!!!!!

Hold on to your seat...... we have an official diagnosis for Molly's delays

Molly has a complete Ageneis of the Corpus Callosum. c-ACC

In general She is Missing the largest piece that connects her right and left hemispheres.

At 4 weeks gestation the corpus Callosum just never developed but everything else grew just fine around it. Sometimes other issues can follow lesions, cysts other brain abnormalities, Hydrocephaly

( fluid on the brain) . In Molly's case it is showing up as a physical delay and a slight cognitive delay. Other things might soon follow but only time will tell. Absolutely nothing could show up and she could just be a bit clumsy. We hope for the best

At 9 mos old Molly was physically 2 mos and 5 mos cognitively and now at 1 yr she is 4 mos physically and 9 mos cognitively. SO, with that being said Molly is progressing great and that gives us hope that she just might catch up and lead a relatively normal life. Not saying we could also have a few bumps in the road as she grows but she could she could leave those bumps behind her too.

To learn more please google it please us the websites I have listed. It is a 1% chance that this can happen to anyone. For all you know you could be missing your Corpus Callosum.

use

webMD
www.nodcc.org

or my new fav ( read the underlined headings)

http://scenicbeauty.tripod.com/AngelsAroundTheWorld.html

these sites can explain so much more that I have the patience to type out

In short: Keep in mind this can range from mild to moderately severe
physically delayed gross and fine. Social,Emotional and Behavioral and
possible learning delays. Other syndromes can follow but like I said only time will tell.

Molly also has Mircocehpaly which means small head. Her head growth is slowing and they are watching this carefully. Her brain has plenty of room to grow though. Only time will tell us about this too. She will be watch carefully for serious eye problems and hearing difficulty. Right now she just has weak eye muscles ( strabismis) and her hearing is fine.

Because this is a mid-line birth defect Molly has to be watch for other issues with her heart, lungs and other parts of her body that grew from the mid-line. So far nothing has shown and it seems that she is healthy otherwise. She is at a higher risk for seizures but any child is ; she just has a higher chance because of the brain Abnormality.

It's nice to have an explanation but at the same time of hating this it is also comforting that I am a special needs teacher/with experience and knowledge of speech and hearing ,behavioral and social emotional,and that I have worked with children with all these issues before . I don't know everything and I didn't go to school just to have my own child have something of this nature. Still trying to come to grips with this, even though it could mean she could lead a normal life and show no signs of problems from this birth defect.

Please don't be afraid to ask about Molly and Mikaela of course. I will try to blog on the 15^th of every month now about Just Molly but on the first about Mikaela and our family happenings. I won't torture you with two sites about the family. Even though I am still entertaining the idea of giving Molly her own blog with a specific title so other families can find her story and read about our experience with C-ACC. I know I am finding it nice to read and see how others are doing with their child and adults that have lived with this their whole life.

Molly now does:

She waves Hi and Bye

Gives kisses when asked

shakes her head yes and no

uses her eyes to tell me what she wants

reaches for things almost pointing

sits with support but loves to fall over to get to her tummy and tries to lift that butt and bends legs as if to crawl

eats age appropriate foods ,no worries on eating issues beside her high palate

( which is a mid-line thing, she could have a clef palate we don't see but I don't think she does. My pallet is higher then normal too so it might mean nothing

LOVES her books

Language is Molly's strongest asset right now.

Oh yeah she is the Happiest Baby I know!!!!

We have to make her aware of her body so she can learn that when see sees something she wants to do or grab she can learn the physical action with the thought and connect the two.

We have everything in place already to help her succeed and that's all we can do.

We are currently in the process of researching equipment to assist her. She might not need sitting or standing equipment for her entire life because she is showing great motivation to do those things.

So hopefully we can borrow equipment before getting the insurance to pay for it. If we do have to purchase equipment we are entertaining the idea to donate that equipment to the local Early intervention program for others in the area to borrow or create a borrowing program for equipment for special needs. I know I don't want to store the equipment she grow out of so why not pass it on to another child who needs it.

Please don't hesitate to ask email or FB me about Molly and please book mark our blog and follow Molly's successes.

There is so much more I can say but the websites and links on those site I provided have everything I can possible tell you about it.

Matt and I are doing ok. I feel like I have been side swiped but time will get me through will get us through this. We are fortunate enough that I can stay home with the girls. This makes things a bit easier with all the Dr's appt and therapy Molly needs plus time with Mikaela.

Thanks for reading......

Molly is 11 months old!!

Molly is 11 mos old

Molly is doing well. She is beginning to sit with support better and managing to sit with out support for a short period of time. She is very proud of her self. She is feeding her self crackers and just today she is grabbing her special sippy cup and able to hold it up for a short time to feed her self. Molly is no longer on a bottle she is using a transitional sippy cup. It has "D" handles on it for easy grabbing and a longer spout to help transition from a bottle to a regular sippy cup. Molly will still take a bottle but she would have to re-learn how to suck from it again. Molly has a very high pallet and combined with poor oral motor skills makes it difficult to suck. She was a great nurser, but she would nurse for an hour each feeding and finding a bottle for her was a challenge too. Molly was able to learn to take the NUK bottles and now the Born Free transitional Sippy cup. She is getting better at grabbing things with her hands and holding her head up so much better.

Molly is moving her body much more and definitely trying to sit up by doing little crunches; She defiantly wants to do it.

Molly is still extremely happy and tolerant of her therapies. Even cutting teeth and more then one tooth, she is doing well and smiling while do it.

Speaking of teeth: POOR POOR MOLLY! Molly is cutting 5 teeth all at once. Yes people, I said 5. She has done this before but this is a record. Molly has her top 4 front teeth and 3 bottom. She is in the process of getting her first year molars and the 4th bottom lateral front tooth. I believe there might be a 6th tooth in there working its way in too. I can clearly see the outline in the gums of all four molars. The gums are tearing from the centers of the molars. This is causing a lot of pain for Molly in the middle of the night. The maximum dosage of Motrin, piggy backed with tylenol, 3 hours later, isn't cutting the pain. She grinds her teeth and tries to gnaw on the edge of her highchair tray because she cannot get a good grip on teether toys and get them in her mouth to chew on to relieve some of the pain. Those darn hands!!

Today I was able to look in her mouth and see that the bottom molars are tearing through the gums first and the bottom front lateral tooth is too. The top molars are starting to tear through and the eye teeth are showing their outline in the gums as well. She is going to have all her teeth by her birthday at this rate. Because of all these teeth I have given her the Nick name Chick-a-lette. Her teeth are so big compared to her sister's teeth.

Molly gives good kisses, nice and wet when asked and she also most definitely waves Hi. She is at 4-5 month milestones and progressing.

We Saw the neurologists a few weeks ago and She saw nothing alarming with Molly but if something is there, only time will tell because her nervous systems is still maturing. The Neurologist had blood work done to check for Metabolic disorders which she thinks is not the case because Molly is growing to well for that. We have a MRI this week to look at her brain. We also saw the orthopaedic last week and was prescribes hand splints ( I will get into more about this in another post)

We are waiting on our appointment to the Dr. of physiology and rehabilitation and the Developmental pediatrician. I am curious to what they will find if there is something. The one thing we do know about Molly is that is is significantly delayed but progressing and that's all that matters right now.

I do have to say it is very hard to have 1 year old that is not doing what I expect a 1 year old should do. I feel like I have had a newborn for a whole year. Many of my friend's Babies who have been born months after Molly are passing Molly by and it is hard not to feel heart broken. However, I feel that everything happens for a reason. I do not know what that reason is yet but I know I will learn it soon. I tell myself maybe it is Gods ways of saying I am done with having babies by giving me a newborn baby longer then expected, hoping I will not want to do the new born baby thing again. (Not sure about that, yet) I don't know why Matt and I were given this challenge but we accept this challenge and will make the best of it. Who could resist this challenge with that face and those cheeks. She is just so Sweet!!

When I am with Molly it's just Molly; I don't know her any differently, it's with out her I see everything she is not doing. She is going to be one and yet it doesn't feel like it is time for her birthday yet. It will be 1 year since she entered our lives and we cannot imagine it any other way.

The face of Molly looking like she is saying ooo. That is her new and favorite face. She makes this face all the time. It is the cutest thing ever.

Halloween!!

Mikaela had a wonderful time at halloween this year. She actually understood the whole idea of halloween. I was so excited!! My excitment didn't last to long because my own little medium sized girl told me after about 4 houses that she was going to do it by herself. BY HERSELF!!! I was so proud but bittersweet at the same time. She went to the door rang the door bell all on her own and said trick or treat and thank you. Awe!!! We told her about which houses were the ones to go to and after about 3 houses she was telling us which houses to go to. the ones with teh lights on and Halloween decor.

This was Molly's first Halloween. She just hung out in the stroller and loved watching all the the kids and the lights.

Both girls got pretty wet as well as Mommy and Daddy. Thank goodness it was a warm fall rain. The girls had a nice dry stroller with an umbrella, between houses. Mikaela brought home a decent amount of treats. I tried to convince her that if she traded in all her Halloween candy to the Trick or Treat Halloween Fairy she would be given a speical toy. Nahh!! was her answer. I want to keep my treats. Daddy loved her answer. Oh well I tried. Mommy and Daddy have eaten most of the girls candy anyway.

PRESCHOOL!!!

Mikaela started preschool last month. It was a rough start for her. Her first week was fine , she went willingly and never looked back. However, her second week well not so hot. She made it very heartbreaking for Mommy. The teacher in me knew she would be fine and each time I walked out without looking back. She definantly showed the teachers and staff what she is made of especially, her lungs. After about two weeks of crying the whole way to school, she is starting to except school. Slowly she is begining to talk about things she does at school and remembering other kids names. She has her own fan cub. When we arrive, the kids all yell her name and come running. They help her get ready to leave, fold up her blanket and get her bag . The kids are very cute. She leaves earlier then most of the kids do. Last week she would get upset when I got her dressed to leave, but then her attitude change to happy to go but still no smile. She is liking school, so she says, but tells us she has a horrible, terrible, no good bad day. She wants to be home with Mommy. I am hoping this week goes better for her. She wants to like school but wants me to stay to play too. I would love to but on the days MiKay is at school I am off with Molly to her playgroup at the Early Intervention office.

She did not want pictures taken.

10 Mos and more.... October

Omgoodness!! Molly is 10 months old

Lost to tell where to start. Molly has woken up so much it is unreal and so relieving. Molly has now made it to 4-5 month mile stones, a few still to be desired but she is moving her legs and her arms and talking up a storm. So Much that Mikaela tells her to be quiet. We think she said her first word and I am counting it."ba ba" When she was asked twice on two different occasion for a Ba Ba ( bottle) she said " ba ba , ba ba, " and got very excited as if she was shown her bottle. That is a huge step for her.

We have begun Physical Therapy and Mikaela has begun Preschool but that is for another spotlight all on her own.

Molly now grabs toys on her highchair, not well but she is grabbing at toys and bableing the typical words an 8-10mos should ma ma, da da and ba ba. She is eating at age appropriate standards for 10 mos. However we are still feeding them to her. Picking up things is still a challenge for her, even toys are a challenge. Her hands are still tight and fisted on some day but for the most part with massage and EI she is leaving her hands more open. We are exploring the hand issues a little more with the OT ( Occupational Therapy)and the Orthopedic. Molly is interested in the sippy cup but getting it to her mouth and drinking from it is another challenge but she is attempting it which is what we want to see. Toys are finally going to the mouth too. Mikaela yells at Molly " no no no..... not in your mouth Molly" which is so funny to hear from her sister. We tell Mikaela all the time get it out of your mouth and now she is passing that on.

Mikaela takes care of her sister very well. It's great to see this because Molly just adores Mikaela. Evene if Mikaela sucks up all the attention with her koo koo monekyness.


Molly is begining to enjoy bath time a bit more and is splashing a bit. We are explorering bath seats so we can ditch the infant recline bath seat.

Molly is showing typical shyness of new people wither with a big lip and cry or hiding her face in Mommy's chest and then she look sat me to check if it is ok. So cute! Her personality is finally showing through. I almost feel that we hit that big awakening week; 20 weeks, when all babies seem to come in to their own and wake up from the fetus stage. I feel we hit it. It was like Molly was a 2mos old for 9 mos of her life. We feel better about her development progressing but we have a long way to go. She is still 75% delayed but progression is taking place FINALLY!!!!!!

I am still broken hearted by all of this and So is Matt but rightfully so. However She is so happy and so sweet that she will be great someday and all of this just means that Mommy and Daddy will be Molly and Mikaela's biggest supporters in everything they want to do and think before we say no because, life is so precious. We might hold on to the girls a little tighter but who wouldn't.

I feel that this whole situation is making me stronger and better at what I do as a wife, mother and woman. When I return to teaching and the special needs population, I will be more fine tuned than a clock. Everyone thinks the teaching I did was just reading , writing and arithmatic but it was way more; it was... "Super Nanny" bevaiour specialist for those who needed help with their anger and frustration, a subtitute Mom for those who didn't have any kind of parent, a Therpaist to continue on what the therpaist planned for my students and so much more besides teaching.

Molly has gained so much since we started EI ( Early Intervention) I look foward to so much more progress. slow but steady she will get there.

Molly's Progress

Here is a short update on Molly's progress....

Now some of you haven't seen Molly in a bit and don't expect to see the huge difference in her that we do but it is huge. It shows up even more when you put her in a room of babies on track. It didn't hit me until I was at a play date and the baby girl who joined our group was 7 months old. I knew she was behind and something was different from 3 months old but it really was obvious after that.

Now you can all tell me, that all babies develop at their own pace and I understand that. Molly is so different. She is so happy and just so content with who she is that it makes it easier to deal with the delay but it still hurts. It is still weird on how far behind Molly really is.
Early Intervention says she is (30% percent)
Meaning Molly is behind 70% from age appropriate behaviour in babies her age. I cannot check off on the list of milestones for anything for her age. With Mikaela I could always check off one or 2 out of a list of 10 things. Molly is still at 3 mos old.

Enough of her lack there of ,lets celebrate her accomplishments thus far.She us going to EI and Chiropractor. I do have to say that with each visit to Dr. Bear the Chiropractor Molly does something new. After 2 visits to Dr. Bear Molly jumped in the jumperoo. She never ever jumped or even tried to prior to her adjustments. Molly also began to babble ,ma mas, ba ba, and dadas.

With a daily massage Molly now opens her hands so much more then before. Which was barely and when we did pry her hands open she would cry. Molly tolerates Little Gym front rolls so much better , maybe because her hips are lined up correctly now and it doesn't hurt.

Who wants to move when they are so tight it hurts. Just imagine waking up with a stiff neck and having to move it before you stretch. Molly's body is like this all over. Molly also is doing so much better with doing mini push ups and turning her head. Molly was never able to cuddle as an infant. Molly never slept on her tummy on our chest because she couldn't turn her head. Well recently after therapy and Chiropractor started she can. Not alot but she is able to turn her head more and cuddle before bed time with Mommy or Daddy. Tummy time is so much easier now that she can look to the side and not have to worry about being face down in her own drool.

Molly tried to push her rattle on her high chair tray to her other hand and then tries to hook the rattle with her open fingers and shakes and bangs it. She also reaches for toys now on her tummy and food from Mommy's hand. She can recognize her bowl and spoon and tries to grab it, well, fists it's. Her hands are mostly fisted but if they are open it's because she is not tired or had a really good massage the night before.

Just these little things are huge for her but we still have a long way to go.

Mikaela started dance class

Mikaela start dance classes this Sept. I am having her take classes at The Little Gym where she and I use to take Mommy and Me gym classes. I was not ready for all the hulabaloo of costumes and recitals when I am not sure what she likes the best. So I stuck her in a class for little jazzy bugs ages 3-4yrs The girls get to learn a little bit of Ballet tap Music n movement and gymnastic, all with out Mommy. I get to watch through the window . There were no worries with her taking this class all on her own. She jumped right in and she is the most talkative ( just like her mommy ;) however I wasn't the little social butterfly at her age like she is now) She gets on her little spot and she tries her hardest to do her best. With each class she is able to do something new or better then the class before. She loves her ballet shoes and tap shoes and especially her ballet skirt. As the year goes on, I am curious to she what part of class she like the best ballet, gymnastics , or tap.

The only difficult part for Mikaela is when it is Molly's day at the little gym and Mikaela has to sit and watch her sister get to play with the gymnastic stuff, bubbles balls and bells.

No more baby classes for MiKay!

Mikaela's rainy day

The very last photo is my absolute fav. She put the flower in her own hair and we just hung out in the yard on a warm rainy day while Molly napped. Just Mommy and MiKay.

Molly is 9 mos old!!! We call her Toothy!!!!

9 Months

21lbs

30 "

6 teeth since 7 months old

Molly is now 9 mos old and we have a bit to share about her.First I do have to say that this blog might turn into a separate tale about just Molly's journey. I haven't decided what I am going to do yet, I might add a whole new blog from us all together so you all can follow her development and other can look up her blog and see that they are not alone if they are going through the same thing.

Now I don't know if you have noticed that most of the pictures of Molly is of her sitting in her highchair or something. Well the truth is she is not sitting up. Now I know what you are thinking she will get there and YES SHE WILL IF THIS MOMMY HAS ANYTHING TO DO WITH IT!!!.

Molly has been charted at 3-4 mos old physically. A 3 month old brand new baby moves more then Molly does. Don't get me wrong she looks at her hands and responds to you but prior to the last few weeks she is living up to her name Molly Dolly. She just lays there. There are time she may grab something to bang at it but that is all. She squeals alot to get attention but no real "mama or dada or baba"

I know what you are thinking all babies develop at different rates well she is not doing anything new to report up until 3 weeks ago. To really understand Molly's situation you would have to spend some time with her and I don't mean just a day I mean a few days at a time. We can explain it but it's different when you live it everyday.

Right now Molly is just Developmentally Delayed, Why, we don't know but we do have the right specialists in place to give her the start on the right path.Physical Therapy (Large Muscles) Occupational Therapy ( Small Muscle), Speech for language and oral muscles. Speech later on. A Massage every night and of course the Chiropractor to make sure her nervous system is in check. Hopefully after next weekend I can get her blog up and running to keep you all updated of her progress day by day or week by week.

her most recent success is jumping in the bouncer. She use to just stand or hang in it after her 2nd adjustment from the chiropractor she bounces and she sticks her tongue out which she has never done. She also just started to stick toys in her mouth. We are working on grabbing toys and food as well as pushing up on her arms, sitting and rolling. Those are the main thing right now , we are working on alot more than just that.