WEEK 47 - April 14 - 20, 2011 - 46 weeks old

It's been a busy, busy week and I have become an even busier girl!  I am ALL over the house these days.  I've mastered the "crab crawl" and "bear crawl".  I'm still not thrilled about crawling on all fours, but I'm here to tell you, I can get around FAST with the way I crawl.  I taught the dogs a lesson this week...I can chase them around the island in the kitchen!  It's REALLY fun.  (Side note...the dogs don't seem to think this is as much fun as I do...what's up with that?!)

I learned to help Mommy cook this week.  She gave up on me being "retained" in the family room or in my playpen, so now, with my new "round the house" skills, she has decided it's time for me to learn to "cook".  This also helps keep me from playing in her cabinets (which have yet to be baby-proofed! :)).  I am a BIG fan of the bowl and spoon action.  The bowl can even act as a hat at times.  It's truly fascinating.

This past weekend, I also got to spend time outside doing yard work with my Mommy and Daddy.  Daddy helped me "get around" and Mommy weeded to her heart's content (much to the chagrin of her back and knees!)  I, however, LOVED it.  I loved being outside and getting to watch all the activity!

I'm starting to do lots of new things.  Most notably, I am learning to wave "hi" when people wave at me...I get VERY excited about it...

Also, I'm standing up on EVERYTHING I can get to.  Mommy and Daddy have had to "fall proof" the coffee table in the family room and take all the fun stuff off the middle of it.  Now, I just get to bang on it, but the really neat glass bowl and porcelain coasters have been removed...that's no fun!

This past week I also had a really nice visit from Ms. Colleen & Ms. Donna.  We decided, after the two weeks of intensive therapy and all the changes they've helped me to make, that my therapy will go up from every-other week to every week.  I'll get to go to the CTC for therapy once a month and will get to spend one session a month with Ms. GayLloyd, who is the speech therapist who gave me all the tongue exercises two weeks ago.  I have to admit, it's going to be a lot harder, but Mommy wants to make sure I'm challenged.  I'm starting to really need lots to do...as I said, I'm a BUSY, BUSY girl.  See how nicely I decorated our living room the other day?  What can I say...I am into EVERYTHING!!!

Hurricane Kaety sweeps through the house...

WEEK 46 - April 7 - April 13, 2011 - 45 weeks old

Well, as you can see, despite the fact that I got sick (*again*) with croup, I have been a Happy Baby this last week.  Mommy and I are sorry it took us so long to get this post up, but with my sickness and Mommy's general feeling of constant exhaustion due to my impending Sissy, it's been a trying week.  Daddy has been a trooper and took a few pictures to document the week...


I just LOVE taking baths...because of my "urping", I get to have them every day...plus they help to get rid of crazy hair...

Kaety pre-bath

Look at my fancy hair...Daddy always likes to give me fancy bath hair!

Don't you LOVE the tub?!

Other than playing in the tub, coughing up a storm, and spending time with Mommy and Daddy, after last week's intensive therapy, we really kept pretty quiet this week.  Mommy and Daddy did get me a baby doll so I could practice how to deal with siblings...  Do you think I've got it down?!

We'll write way more next week...have a GREAT week! :)

WEEK 45 - March 31 - April 6, 2011 - 44 weeks old

What a week!  I had Neuro-Developmental Therapy every day and learned SO MUCH.  It really knocked me out each day because I worked so hard, but at the end, Ms. Bren and Ms. Karen were both really proud of all the work I did and the strides I made.  And through it all...I was a happy, happy little girl! 

This week in NDT therapy, Ms. Bren and Ms. Karen really helped me focus on strengthening my core, standing with a secure base, cruise furniture, and work on my tongue thrusting.  I'm here to tell you, this was HARD work, people. 

Working on building those belly muscles!

I spent a lot of time learning to "turn my stomach on" which, apparently means baby situps.  What it does is help me learn to be more secure in my standing and help me in pulling myself up. 

Ms. Karen (left) and Ms. Bren (right) help me with standing solidly

Working on walking to the big red roll...

Helping me with balance on the big red roll...

Taking a BIG step!

Look at me balance!

This is SO MUCH FUN (but hard, I mean REALLY hard, can't you tell?!) :)

On the positive side, after all this therapy, I've now proven that I can pull myself up on many things at home.  On the negative side, Mommy and Daddy are in trouble!

Climbing to improve strength

Single-leg balancing with Ms. Karen and Ms. Bren...I'm ROCKING this!

Ms. Bren working on leg and belly strength with me...

One of the speech therapists who set up the whole NDT training at the Center, Ms. Gayloid, spent some extra-special time with me evaluating my tongue. 

Coolest chew toy ever!

The good news is that my tongue is not hypotonic or "lazy"; on fact, it is actually quite strong.  The bad news is that I'm using it as a compensatory mechanism and balance mechanism.  I just need to learn to keep it in my mouth.  Ms. Gayloid gave Mommy lots of things to try at home and Mommy was really excited because, for the first time EVER, she felt like there were things we could focus on to work on my very active tongue! 

Learning to keep my tongue in my mouth...

These ladies are FUNNY!

Mommy's going to keep working me and work with Ms. Colleen to keep up the hard work.  She's asked Ms. Donna at SKIP if it would be possible for me to get therapy every week, rather than every other week, and for me to split my time between an OT and a PT.  

Practicing sitting and standing with a funny noisemaker for your bottom...
I told you Ms. Bren was funny, right?

I really learned a LOT this past week and Mommy doesn't want to slow it down.  In the end, Ms. Bren and Ms. Karen told Mommy that I learn quickly and should be challenged as much as possible (I could've told them that, as could Ms. Audrey!), so Mommy's going to see what we can do.  For me...I guess that means more tiring sessions...WHEW!  But I'm excited by what I can learn!

Practicing keeping my tongue in with my newest toy at home...my baby doll!

WEEK 44 - March 24 - March 30, 2011 - 43 Weeks Old



Uncle Randy got a great pic of my smile!

 Despite the fact that the week started with me having the stomach flu again, it has been a really busy week...AND...I am 10 months old!! 

Unfortunately, I was really sick this past week and had to make a trip to see Dr. P, where she said I was severely dehydrated and she had to give me some medicine to get me to stop getting sick.  Then I got to drink pedialyte for 24 hours and have only bland foods for a couple of days while my belly got back on track.  I'm happy to report that by the weekend, I was starting to perk up and by Monday, I had made a full recovery and have been one happy little girl the rest of the time.

The weekend was FULL this week!  My cousin Paul got married this weekend, so we had lots of family in town and I got to meet my Uncle Randy and Aunt Ellen for the very first time!  We hit it off immediately, and I charmed them with my smile (but maybe not so much with my puking...sorry Uncle Randy & Aunt Ellen!). 

Uncle Randy, Aunt Ellen, Sissy and me...

Unfortunately, I didn't get to go to Paul & Heather's wedding because Mommy and Daddy decided I might be a little distracting.  Fortunately for me, I got to go play at Uncle Ben and Aunt Jen's house for the evening and, boy, did I have fun!  From the minute Mommy dropped me off, I was not interested in her at all, all I wanted to do was charm Uncle Ben and be in Aunt Jen's arms!  Uncle Ben showed me his climbing gear and talked to me about all the fun things that can be done with it.  As you can see by the picture below, I showed him some new tricks with it as well...

I also provided them with lots of laughter when I flashed my signature "look" at them...

When Mommy and Daddy came to pick me up, I was sleeping happily and really didn't want to leave.  I had such a great time with them!

We had more guests at the beginning of the week, when Aunt Eileen came to visit.  She makes me laugh SOOO much and I showed off my eating skills for her...even how much I like spinach!

I got a visit from Ms. Colleen this week and she spent some time with me trying to help me learn to "couch surf".  I'm still not really certain I like the knee bending she wants me to do, thus my "crab-like" crawl.  BUT...we were invited to attend intensive therapy for the next two weeks - it's every single day at the Children's Therapy Center in Kent and it helps train therapists as well as teach me to build muscles in ways I haven't done yet.  My therapists for the next two weeks there are Ms. Brenda (PT) and Ms. Karen (OT).  They're very nice, but they work me HARD.  We spent a lot of time the first day just focusing on my core strength.  Ms. Brenda said I don't use my stomach muscles at all, which is I why I have compensatory movements like my "tin man" legs and my head/tongue thrusting.  They're going to work with me on this over the next couple of weeks.  I can tell you I was TIRED after our first session...even more so than after my work with Ms. Colleen.  SO, we will see what the next two weeks bring...Mommy's hoping I'll make some significant progress on my knee-bending and will start engaging my "core" a little more.  Honestly?  I'm just hoping I can get out of it without being too sore!  We'll let you know how it goes. 

Until next time...ta ta for now!  Have a great week :)