Visit with Santa...

Ok..Ok...So not the best picture with Santa...Maddie's eyes were bad this day and Paige insisted she HAD to wear Maddie's sunglasses. But you know what??? Santa held Maddie for 15 whole seconds without Maddie throwing a fit! Just long enough to get a picture :) So it may not be the perfect picture, but it certainly shows a picture of our reality :)

Maddie continues to do well developmentally. She is still having "bad days"...but they don't seem to last into "bad weeks" like they used to.

I am going to start taking Maddie to a play group on Tuesday's. They have some tumble equipment and mats to work on strengthening her arms. One of her therapists had mentioned that she brought Maddie into another room at daycare to do some work on the tumble climbing equipment. She said that Maddie really liked this and so they are going to try this with her. We have these same climbing mat equipment at a playgroup that a coworker runs for work. She brings her 2 year old son and 1 year old niece. I think it would really help Maddie.

So I have officially been given the "talk" by daycare...you know, the "your child is hitting other kids" talk...Really??? My sweat little do nothing wrong ever Maddie??? I have to say
I wasn't surprised. Although, Maddie is actually our first experience with this (hitting) as Paige never had this behavior...

Initially I was thinking this was great! This is an age appropriate behavior for the average 1 year old...so she is really catching up! But I guess another parent who saw her hit their baby thought it was not so great. She really isn't hitting to be mean, she looks around and laughs and is actually really "petting" the other babies....OK maybe not really petting but she really isn't violent. We are constantly repeating, "gentle Maddie" and "no thank-you"...It is really hard to come up with a consistent consequence for a toddler who is too immature to understand that consequences are not funny... At school they try "time outs"...and she thinks this is fun... in fact when her friends get time outs, she walks over to them with her blankie and sits down next to them.

Time out seems to work for all the other 15 month olds...but not Maddie...who would have guessed right!?

Maddie has had a few episodes but still not nearly as many as she used to when she was crawling...A week or so ago, we were in a store and Maddie was literally flopping around on the floor. I was at a kids store and she was on carpet so I let her do it w/out picking her up. She wasn't crying this time so I just let her go. Other people were commenting how funny she was flip flopping with her eyes closed and thought she was just really tired...Yesterday at daycare she managed to have one and remain standing (although drunken baby like) and was walking into walls with her eyes closed. I swear, if we hadn't gone through all the testing we have gone through in the last months this stuff would make me a basket case of nerves. But we all know, despite her weird problems, she is still progressing developmentally and that is really the main focus besides her physical health. We go back to Boston Children's in just a few more weeks and look forward to hearing what their thoughts are now that she is walking. I have gone for my blood testing but the results won't be in for 5-6 weeks. Rob will go January 1st when he will officially be under my insurance...which is much better than his.

Life at our house has settled since the craziness we have had in the last month. We are excited for Christmas because Paige really seems to understand that Santa brings presents. I have realized in my Christmas shopping this year, that I have become "that Mom" I swore I would never become...The "character" Mom.

I swore no child of mine would ever wear that stupid Disney shirt, the flashing Dora shoes, or have that tacky princess backpack...However I apparently have found my weakness... A 3 year old's, "But Mommy I want one," seems to have convinced me to be that tacky Mom after all...well at least at home in private :) So needless to say, Paige will have her Dora PJ's, blankets and coloring books for Christmas and we will all be happy :)

Next week will be crazy...I work for 3 days and then I am off for about 1 1/2 weeks with both the girls:) I hope to do 1 more update before Christmas. Hope you are all done with your shopping! Christmas is next week already!!!

Here is a little something Maddie would like to show...