David went to Chicago for his company's top trip, my brother moved closer and the kids got to hang with their cousins, David's brother came to town and got Caitie a bigger than life bear, that she loves. We got a new kitchen set, where Caitie spends hours every day. We've spent lots of time at the pool, we've gone bowling and to the mall and all over town. We have just had a lot of fun hanging out. I'm enjoying dressing a little girl and all the hair bows that go with each outfit. If she spills, oh well, it's time for a new outfit..... which also means more laundry, but oh well. I'll miss laundry when they all go off to college, right? Because we have gotten so many lovely gifts and hand me downs, as well as my own shopping, I have had to put myself on a shopping freeze for a while. :) We aren't going to have enough money for her palate surgery if I keep going. (just kidding)
We have been to several doctor's appointments and have made some plans. As most of you know, Caitie's special need was a cleft lip and palate. Her lip was fixed in China. We have seen our craniofacial team at Children's Health Care in Atlanta and Caitie will be having her palate fixed in a few weeks. We also saw an ENT due to Caitie's repeated ear infections and she has a lot of fluid behind her eardrums. Basically your palate acts as a stopper when you swallow and stops the fluid from getting in to the eustachian tubes. No palate, no stopper. So this is a pretty normal side effect for kids without a palate. Her hearing test was a little alarming as she is currently showing a 40% hearing loss. That was surprising, but she heard all voice prompts and no white noise, so the ENT and audiologist really feel it is a temporary loss, based on the fluid and not a permanent one. She will have tubes put in when she has the palate surgery. Our expectation is to be in the hospital for a few days and then recover at home. I am not looking forward to it.
In the mean time, she is starting vaccinations and starting to work on speech. We are teaching her to hold her nose to make the B or D sounds. She hasn't quite mastered holding her own nose yet, but it is fun to watch her try to hold her nose and say daddy, which she usually pinches her own lip and calls him nanny or something close. I'm glad mamma is easier!! :)
We have been to several doctor's appointments and have made some plans. As most of you know, Caitie's special need was a cleft lip and palate. Her lip was fixed in China. We have seen our craniofacial team at Children's Health Care in Atlanta and Caitie will be having her palate fixed in a few weeks. We also saw an ENT due to Caitie's repeated ear infections and she has a lot of fluid behind her eardrums. Basically your palate acts as a stopper when you swallow and stops the fluid from getting in to the eustachian tubes. No palate, no stopper. So this is a pretty normal side effect for kids without a palate. Her hearing test was a little alarming as she is currently showing a 40% hearing loss. That was surprising, but she heard all voice prompts and no white noise, so the ENT and audiologist really feel it is a temporary loss, based on the fluid and not a permanent one. She will have tubes put in when she has the palate surgery. Our expectation is to be in the hospital for a few days and then recover at home. I am not looking forward to it.
In the mean time, she is starting vaccinations and starting to work on speech. We are teaching her to hold her nose to make the B or D sounds. She hasn't quite mastered holding her own nose yet, but it is fun to watch her try to hold her nose and say daddy, which she usually pinches her own lip and calls him nanny or something close. I'm glad mamma is easier!! :)
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