2014 - What will this year bring?

Things have been pretty quiet around here - Winter set it, we made it thru the holidays and Mallie is growing and changing constantly. She is coming right along with her PT, OT and Speech. Still going twice a week to PT and Speech, OT once a week. One of my things for this year is to try and write a little something Once a week. Someday I would like to get this blog printed for her and I have missed many a great milestones and things. Its so hard to try and write about it later... so I am going to start with today :) We are working on potty training and it has been slow going - I think we had a slight break thru this weekend and I am excited about it. She told me Once she had to go potty and we went in there and well low and behold she peed in the potty. Now peeing in the potty is not new she has done it randomly as I have time to make her go sit. Usually first thing in the morning is a success. We have tried stickers, prizes, M&M's, bribes, pull ups, underwear, etc... I have tried not to push her either because a few times she says "Potty is yucky and it will hurt me". When I ask her why she just says "because" so I don't think she really thinks it, I think its a response she likes to give when she does not want something. I usually get that when I ask her to try new foods. So anyways sometimes she will say my belly hurts or my butt hurts. I never know if she really is hurting or what because -she clearly is not in pain. This weekend tho she said my belly hurts and said I need to go potty and that is when she peed! YAY - it was great and she was so excited. I made a huge deal and jumped up and down and gave her an m&m. She did it twice over the weekend in between the normal - "Mallie did you poop?" with the response of "NO" and I know better. So it was an improvement for sure and I hope we can continue with success - because this Momma and Daddy are ready to be diaper free!!! Plus We want her to start school in the fall ready to go! Today started the first of many new year appts and checkups, follow ups - whatever you want to call them. We saw Endocrine and the Opthamologist. First up Eye doc and it appears Little Bean has an astigamitism in both eyes. I will be doing more research on this (HELLO GOOGLE?) From what I gather today as kids grow this can occur and sometimes resolve on its own. In Mallie's case she is Left eye dominant with her left eye being the stronger of the two. She has it in both eyes but the Right is alot worse. Because there is so much difference between the two she will be getting some pretty pink glasses in a few weeks. The doc said she sometimes would not give glasses to kids with this but due to her varying in both eyes they want the right eye to catch up. She tried them on like a champ and seems excited about them. A friend at Daycare just got them and her cousin Shelby also has them! She looked super cute trying them on so I don't think it will be an issue for her to wear them. Hopefully its just for awhile - but they did say sometimes the script can change so often in growing kids so we have to back much more frequently and she could get new prescriptions every 6 months. Holy Moly! Will keep you posted and post a pic as soon as we get them ;) Endocrine - she GREW an inch and gained almost 2 pounds in the last 6 months - very happy about that and will continue with Growth Hormones for now. Still not on chart for her age but her Height to weight ratio is awesome at the 35th percentile!!! Follow up in another 6 months. As for the rest of things - the assymetry has started to show up in Mallie - which is just part of her syndrome. Thought we may miss that part of it but her Left Leg is for sure longer than her right. She is left dominant on everything always has been. She is left handed when it comes to eating and writing. She will use her right hand sometimes too but Left wins majority. With her walking all over I am just worried about her leg difference and hoping we are doing everything we need to for now. She still wears her SMO's(braces) with her shoes. Lots of ankle pronation still happening without them on. She can walk with or without them but needs them also for sure. Well that is a lot for today! Talk soon, Steph