Annabel at speech therapy...

Annabel loves her Ms. Carol, her speech therapist. She works very hard and she stays very focused(unless the camera is around, as you can tell)! Most of these games involve music. Annabel loves music and she loves to clap! One of the games involve a monkeys face and Annabel places cookies, french fries, pizza, apples etc. into the monkeys mouth. Another game involves bubbles, up in the air, on her nose, on her toes, etc. One involves the puppy, he can roll, he can run, he can jump..., the other is saying HI to many objects called HI TO YOU! She loves to play with her puzzle. She has to remove the piece Ms. Carol tells her, such as duck (trying to repeat the word), apple, puppy, boat, etc. After picking each object and handing it to Ms. Carol, then she must pull this scarf through the whole to reinforce the object. When she began this game with the puzzle, besides not knowing the objects, she couldn't pull the scarf through the hole. (She has a weak upper body) She can now pull it through each time with her right and left hand.
We really don't know if Annabel will ever be able to communicate through speech, but one thing we do know is she tries very hard at learning. She stays focused and works so hard when she is feeling well. We are certainly grateful for Ms. Carol and all the love and support she gives to Annabel and our family.

National Nurses Week...

My favorite school nurse!

Annabel's school is celebrating nurses day tomorrow. Her nurse faithfully goes into her classroom and caths Annabel. As you can tell Annabel like her school nurse. I am so blessed with a great school and a wonderful staff that watches out for Annabel. I do believe the highlight of Annabels week is going to school. She enjoys all the stimulation and activity that surrounds her. I am already beginning to worry about summer and how I will keep up. The first picture is of her school nurse.
The following pictures are just of her week. She has some good days where she is very energetic and some days where she seems exhausted. But hey, don't we all. I will be making a post soon about her upcoming surgery. Unfortunatly, the bowel resection cannot be avoided.

Waiting to go to school.

Ms. Shan playing with me.

Annabel visiting with Dr. T; her neonatal doctor.

Audrey giving Annabel good morning hugs.

Cupcakes anyone?

Hmm...
Want to play pat-a-cake...

My big sissy Carly.

My big sissy Colette... doesn't she look like Carly :)

Happy Birthmother's Day...May 9th

It is sad to say that this is my business and so much of my life, that I am ashamed to say that I was not aware of this special day coming up. I thought I would make a post and maybe others who are not aware of the special meaning to this Saturday, the day before Mother's Day. Tonight as I was reading our local newspaper there was an article about Birthmother's. Even though some may have children now, they really never felt very good about being honored on this day. So a group of birthmother's joined together and decided that the Saturday prior to our so called Mother's Day would be Birthmother's Day! God bless these group of women who felt empowered to speak out and do something to honor themselves and so many others. The article says that the group of birthmothers come together and light candles and read stories and poems. Things have changed so much over the years.
I know you have heard me mention Tammy, Denise, Karen, Melissa and Amanda in prior post. Probably, I do not give them enough credit. My dream one day is to sit side by side with them in church on Mother's Day with my children and let them know personally how special they have blessed my life. Yes, they do know because we have met or talk on the phone before. Sometimes I want to publicly acknowledge them because in our society they can but not always be looked at in a negative way.
Please if you know of anyone who has made the sacrifice to give their heart and their child to someone else, please let them know how special they are this Saturday. They may not even know this is THEIR day, it is fairly new. If you don't know anyone personally, then maybe just offer up a prayer on their behalf that what ever they are feeling will be positive and let them be overwhelmed with the feeling of what they did has blessed others.
Again, if anyone is reading this blog and knows of anyone that is a birthmother you could leave a comment blessing that person (you don't have to mention names, you can just mention initials.) It could just be a special blessing sent their way.
If you are a birthmother reading this, know that whom ever you have blessed loves you for the gift you have given. I can only hope that you as a birthmother feel a healing and wholeness in your heart for the life you chose to share.
SO TO ALL BIRTHMOTHERS THIS SATURDAY: HAPPY BIRTHMOTHER'S DAY!!!!!!!!!!!!