Yes, Miss Suri has been quite a handful this past month and each day has been somewhat of a new adventure with challenging decisions lurking around each corner. She is definitely growing in leaps and bounds and what she struggles to accomplish one day, she then masters the next! Suri is always looking for new and exciting things to do which keeps me on my feet and challenges my creative side. She is talking more and more and is now putting 3 plus words together to form a "mini" sentence. I feel like on some days I am playing Wheel a Fortune in trying to guess what phrase is behind her gibberish. Most of the time her words are very clear but during the times I strain to decipher what it is that she is trying to say, she reveals her utmost frustration with me. I have even had to go as far as turning off the radio and airconditioning in the car to allow for complete silence to hear what it is she is trying to tell me... 98% of the time I am successful, but that other 2 %.... lookout! (insert meltdown by Suri Rose!).
Suri is still doing physical therapy with Jacki and occupational therapy with Amy. I am definitely becoming more aware of what behavior is Suri's personality and what behavior is sensory seeking. I have yet to "master" this ability and am not certain that I ever will however I am relieved that in beginning OT, I am becoming more aware of behavior modification techniques to help Suri try to find a balance in her ability to self regulate. Within the next month or so, we are going to begin to work on the techniques of therapeutic listening here at home and Suri's OT is confident that I will see a positive improvement in Suri's ability to self regulate. We recently visited the Orthotist to re evaluate her SMO orthotics and he feels as though her heel has stabalized and it is now her innerfoot that is turning in. Suri will not have to wear the SMO's any longer and she was fitted for a pair of PollyBob shoe inserts. These will have a high arch support which will hopefully help to hold her foot in alignment and avoid pronating . We should have these new orthotics in a couple of weeks.
This past month has been a roller coaster with Suri and daycare, literally a roller coaster. The first part of the year, I was dealing with the constant phone calls of her teachers informing me that Suri had been bitten by one of her classmates and now this past month the tables have turned. It is practically daily that I receive a phone call from her teachers informing me that Suri is now to blame for biting one of her classmates... it has been a year long cycle that I has lead me to finally make the decision to unenroll her... I had planned to switch Suri to another local daycare beginning on Monday however after spending time in the new classroom, I decided I would be basically making a lateral (and downward) move (which defeats the purpose of changing daycares in the first place). I truly thought I had come to a dead end when it came to finding a place that Suri would thrive in that did not have a waiting list and was in a price range I could afford when I remembered Mary Beth! Mary Beth is a lady who provides child care out of her home (to Scottsdale Healthcare employees) and was going to watch Suri when she was an infant (before a spot opened at her current daycare). I placed a call to Mary Beth and explained to her the situation I was in with Suri and her current daycare when she spoke the words that were music to my ears " I have an opening and would be happy to care for Suri"... Mary Beth lives about 5 miles from our home and is currently caring for two 8 month old babies on rotating weeks and will now be caring for Suri while I am at work. I truly feel this is the "break" Suri and I are needing and I am so happy to know that Suri will be given 1:1 attention by one consistent caregiver in a calm, clean, home environment. I am praying that this is the right move for us and that Suri will have a good time while I am at work and that I can now go to work, knowing that Suri is in good hands. In a perfect world, I would be able to stay at home everyday and pick money off my trees, but until the world reaches this "perfection" off to work I go hopefully now with the peace of mind knowing Suri is in a place where she can continue to learn, play and be loved like every child deserves. The peace I have found with this decision is profound. I am looking forward to Monday the 18th when Suri will begin her first day with Mary Beth in her home.
Suri is getting taller and taller. She still weighs 33lbs (the same as she has for the past couple of months) however her dresses are getting shorter and shorter revealing how tall she is growing! Suri's hair is finally long enough to pull back into a pony tail (for the longest time the back of her hair was just too short!) and she loves to watch me do her hair. She always wants a bow as the final touch ( I hope she stays a girlie girl and continues to want to wear dresses and bows).
Suri loves to paint, do puzzles and play outside. She is always up for a stroll around the neighborhood as she sits on her bike while I push her : ) She likes to have books read to her and her favorite books are still the ones with lift the flaps or seek and find pictures. She loves to take a tubby (aka: bath) as well as play in anything with water. She is impressive when she swims and can now jump in and swim back around to the wall unassisted (the first 3 or 4 times before she gets tired). Suri is still fascinated with flags and with the moon. Her excitement when she sees a flag or finds the moon always brings a smile to my face.
Suri is still going bed around 7-7:30 at night. Despite my desperate attempts to try to move her bedtime later, she still unwinds around 7pm on most nights. . . our bedtime routine consists of me rocking her in the rocking chair and singing Old Mc Donald on repeat until she is sound asleep. If for some reason, I feel she is asleep before she actually is and I stop singing, her eyes pop open like a jack in the box and she immediately says "E-I-O" ... in other words... keep singing lady!! And I begin to sing the song again... and again... and again... (I keep reminding myself that she's only little once, so I must enjoy moments like these...).
Favorite foods: Applesauce (still number one favorite), Macaroni and cheese, fish sticks, corn, chicken nuggets, french fries, bananas, fruit snacks, edemame and smoothies (I always sneak spinach and avocado into the smoothies so she is welcome to drink as much as she wants). Cupcakes are another favorite even though all she really does with them is lick the frosting off : )
Her Lovey is still a prized possession as well as her Elmo. Elmo is beginning to look quite "worn" these days, reflective of Suri's unconditional love. She is so cute carrying him around and very prompt to remind me that he is missing if I try to leave without him.
Favorite places to go: The park, the pool, Grandpa's house, to see Jacki and to church.
Favorite people: Suri has been obsessed this month with her Uncle Don. (or Uncle Donald as Suri refers to him). She is constantly asking for her Uncle Donald and beams with excitement when she sees him. It is so cute to see her look forward to seeing him and to see how happy she is when he plays with her. Suri also adores her cousin Jack and her Grandpa and is always looking forward to seeing them.
Suri loves to try to dress and undress herself. Her determination is definitely in full force when she is trying to put her shoes on. She is so funny as she holds her foot in her hand and tries to guide it into the shoe instead of trying to guide her shoe onto her foot :) I hope she channels this determination in the right direction when she is older because if she does, she is destined to do wonderful things...
Although this month has had it's challenges, I wouldn't trade a minute of my journey with Suri. She has taught me so much about myself through her experiences and I am grateful for each and every opportunity we have. Suri is such a special little girl who has a contagious love for life. She brings smiles to the faces of strangers and continues to fill my heart with joy.
Happy 22 months Suri Rose. Mommy loves you very much!
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