So I guess it is time for an update...I have thought about it for weeks, but honestly, by the time I get the kiddos in bed, I have been ready to shut down myself lately!
If you missed the announcement, we are expecting another baby in January. I am sure we will make it to January this time. How am I so sure you ask? Well, we have spent a fortune on medical expenses this year, so we are hitting our out of pocket maximums quickly. Of course it all starts over in January, and it is just the way these things work. If I had the baby this year, it wouldn't cost us much, but in January it will...see, I just know this, but I won't complain :) A January baby would be great! So far, things have been going fine. I have been sick at night, but most days it is starting to ease up. Honestly, we have been so busy, I haven't had time to think too much, which is actually good! We will find out in 2 weeks if it is a boy or girl...I always get so antsy when it gets close!
We always wanted 3 kids, but we never imagined that we would have another by birth. It was the best surprised we could have ever dreamed of. At 14.5 weeks, I think it is just now starting to sink in that we have another on the way. God has truly given us some amazing gifts, and we cannot wait to see how our family continues to change.
We have been finding a rhythm with Kaycie, and she is doing wonderfully! She will be 11 months next week...time is flying by! She is about 20 pounds. She has continued speech and physical therapy, and we are seeing results. She is now sitting well, and she has just started to get herself into a sitting position from laying, and we are excited. She has been working so hard on it. She has also just started to crawl on her hands and knees...she doesn't do it 100% of the time, but more and more every day. Today for the first time she was determined to get LJ's cup off the train table, and she even got herself pulled up to her knees before crashing to the floor. She is definitely getting stronger.
She had an MRI back in June, and we learned that her vestibules are damaged. It happened during development, and it may or may not be genetic. This is what has caused her hearing loss. The bigger question it answers though is the gross motor skill issue. The central vestibules connect the ear and balance center of the brain. Since hers are damaged, it not only causes hearing loss but also balance/equilibrium problems. Her ENT is confident that with the continuation of therapy, she will gain the skills she needs. Once she has them, she won't lose them, but she has to learn to compensate. It is like learning to sit/walk etc. With vertigo. It is common for children with this damage to not walk until 2.5 years or later. However, in speaking with her physical therapist, she doesn't think it will be quite that long. Kaycie has her stubbornness and determination going for her. She doesn't quit. It has actually been pretty amazing to watch the small steps she has taken. We are so proud of her, and we celebrate a lot around here!!
As for her hearing and speech...she is making stides there as well. Another good piece of news we gained from the MRI is that with the type of damage she has, it is not expected that we will see a rapid decline in her hearing. This was one of my biggest concerns. Of course, over time it may lessen some but "typically" it is a fairly stable loss. We continue to work with her on speech and some signing. We also work a lot on listening. It has been one of the most valuable things I have learned. Hearing kids listen naturally, she doesn't. It is a process of "learning to listen." We do a lot of cueing to get her to acknowledge a sound so that she can then process it. Sometimes when it gets too loud, you can see her sort off shut down. She no longer freaks out, but she just stops listening and withdraws. It is her normal way to cope. She has been doing better with her hearing aids. She usually only tries to yank them out when she starts getting tired. I had been giving her a "hearing break" at night before bed where I would let her leave them out and play quietly. As the days go by though, I have found that she doesn't need this everyday anymore. If she doesn't pull them out, I leave them until bedtime.
Kaycie now babbles like any other baby, and she even has her first few words. She knows mama and dada (I am happy to report that mama came first). She also says "hi". When we first get her in the mornings, we are greeted with a smiling hi...she know she has it. Her next word, I fully give credit to LJ..."mine". LJ is still learning to share. He often takes whatever toy she has and says, "It's mine." Kaycie is no pushover, and she has recently started grabbing back while saying, "Mine!" She really is funny. Her physical therapist told me yesterday that she was crawling around and picking up the toys and saying, "mine" for each one.
I am going to make a seperate post on LJ since I seem to ramble...he has also been busy learning and growing and having some fun!
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