This week's happenings

We haven't posted lately--we've been busy living life and not had much time or motivation to write about it. There was a lot going on last week. It started with a battle with our insurance company to get Audrey moved into the UCSD system so that she can go to Shiley Eye Center in network. It was a three-day saga that consisted of conversations with many a broken record all of whom kept saying that we had to wait until my open enrollment period to switch. That's in October. We didn't even know about this last October.

Until I became a parent, I never knew what a ferocious bi***I could be when faced with an obstacle to my child's well-being. That being said, I think I handled myself pretty well over the phone, and thanks to my mouthguard, my teeth are still intact. I have always tried to adhere to the expression "iron fist in a velvet glove" in my professional correspondences with others. Let's just say the gloves came off. And guess what? I finally got connected with the button presser and I got Audrey in.

Audrey also had her first home visit with her teacher Judi Norton who is a visual impairment specialist and works with infants and toddlers with special needs. We eagerly awaited her arrival at 7am. I think the eagerness will wear off when I go back to work, but we’re so thankful that she’s an early bird because this way we can both stay and learn as much as we can before we have to go off to work.

Judi came in and got right down on the carpet with Audrey. The stars must have all aligned that day because Audrey was awake, full, AND happy that early in the morning. The two of them played for a while and she observed Audrey, but mostly, she helped us with all of our questions that had built up—are there any other resources we need to be tapping into? What can we do to make tummy time more fun for her? Are there any exercises we can do for her neck? Does she qualify for this or that program? How can we get her to lift up her head? Can you come and talk to the teachers at her daycare about how they can best support her in that setting?

You might be thinking, why are we asking a visual impairment specialist about neck exercises and tummy time? Well, children with visual impairments are often delayed in their gross and fine motor skill development because they have little to no visual stimulation to motivate them to get moving. For instance, Audrey may not see that visually interesting toy, so there is no need to try to lift her head up or roll over in order to get to it.

That being said, we would like for her to lift herself up more than she’s doing, and the remedy for that is lots of tummy time with mommy and daddy on the floor talking, shaking rattles, banging on the floor, etc. She’ll eventually get going, but there are so many things that go along with visual impairments that you wouldn’t think about. For instance, kids often have trouble with different food textures, so eating can be a challenge. Vocabulary development seems pretty straightforward, right? Expose your children often to rich language through literature and everyday conversation…well, think about how much of vocabulary is experienced and learned through sight. We’re going to have to train ourselves to take advantage of every teachable moment, touching things, listening; yesterday we were outside in the windstorm feeling and talking about that.

Anyways, we’re enjoying the educational ride that we’re on with little Miss AP. We’ll be interested to see where and how future visits with her teacher Judi go, but we have been so pleased with everything she’s done. She’s been doing this for so many years and is a true expert. She’s given us so many great resources...books about visual impairment, Braille children’s books, tactile toys, a black and white playmat, and she’s had so many ideas for us. She seems to have such a great job--it makes me think about going back to get a Special Ed credential, but only briefly.

Last weekend, the Girs (as we call her) enjoyed a much needed weekend away from her parents. She spent her time in Redlands being pampered (in every sense of the word) by Grandma Babs and Grandpa Jerry and being doted on and most likely corrupted by uncles Jason and Eric. What happens at Grandma’s stays at Grandma’s, right? Brian, in the meantime, spent the weekend golfing with his friend Chris and conspiring to keep him away from his house where his surprise birthday party was brewing. I went to LA with my lovely friend Megan and we had ourselves a great time downtown. Brian and I called each other several times to gush over how much we missed Audrey. Everyone was revitalized and ready for the next week when we all got back together.