Avery update

How is Avery doing?? That is the question I have been hearing from everyone lately..and I just realized that it has been a long time since I have updated you all on her..and I'm sorry for that..She is trying to adjust..she is watching some tv..and playing with her Ipad..but a girl can only handle so much of that. She gets frustrated that she cant run off with the other kids and play with them. The last time we all got together she kept saying out..out..out mom..so that was hard..
Her teacher came by yesterday to paint with her and she really enjoyed that. She will be getting 5 hours a week of in home from the school. So between her teacher, speech therapist and her resource teacher they will split that.
She is off of her pain medicine so that is really good…especially since it made her a little loopy..I was worried that she might get addicted to them or something for being on them for so long but nope..She is still getting the colax and the miralax daily. We really don’t want to let her get plugged up bc that would be a bad thing. So we try to keep her pretty regular every day.
She isn't a fan of the wheelchair..she would way rather sit on the couch…I'm not either..the thing is a pain to lift up into the back of the car…when we HAVE to leave…She doesn’t leave the house too much with just me anyways..so I don’t have to lift the chair..We moved her into her own room again for awhile since she doesn’t have to get up for school when the other girls get up…she is sleeping in a little bit longer that way.. but she still seems very tired..She must still  be recovering from the surgery..apparently it really wiped her out. She likes to take a nap during the day..Likes to..yes..I ask her everyday if she is ready to take a nap..and she says “yes”…and so then I get her all comfy on the couch..and she falls asleep right away..For the time I try to leave her down stairs for the most part and let Jared do the major carrying her up the stairs..really wish we didn’t live in a two story right now but we are making it work. But while she is sleeping the twins usually nap at the same time then so that leaves me running around like a mad woman and cram as much stuff as I possibly can in the little about of time that I have..its not long enough..trust me! I have piles of piles of clothes that need to be folded..Im lucky just to get them washed though..so we are doing good..it’s a switch and dump thing we have going on..Where is my mom who loves to do laundry when I need her:-) Destiny needed some money yesterday…so what did she do to earn some money…well fold lots and lots and lots of clothes..without ONE complaint!!! Yes..score! Win win situation!!
Our first outing as a family was to Good Friday church service..which didn’t end up very good..Avery didn’t last through the whole church service..Jared ended up taking her out in the middle bc she was crying..not sure why…But Easter Sunday did go better..but just challenging..especially the bathroom..The whole bathroom situation is just tricky all around any where we are at..whether it be home or out in public..and I still cant get her to use that funnel I bought along time ago..little stinker..She can sit on the toilet but u have to have some place to lay her down so you can take of the GIANT diaper then sit her on the toilet just right..and we have to shield her with a flushable wipe so it don’t spray out..and that way it goes down in the toilet.  We have lined the back of her cast with bright pink duck tape to help protect it from getting any pee  it..that way  it just wipes right off and it wont sink into the cast.  Then lay her back down to put the diaper back on her..why the diaper you ask??? Well she has to have something to protect her down there and cover her up..bc underwear don’t fit on her..and she just cant go naked down there..the girl don’t know how to leave her free leg down..she's not very lady like yet!!!
This month is also just happens to be Avery’s check up month which means we have at least three appointments a week for the next three weeks..every six months its like this…so I will up date as we go to them…This week..we have sleep dr. and hearing. But it might be a good thing bc that way  I can get out of the house for a little bit..otherwise it is IMPOSSIBLE for me to leave..with a wheelchair and two little two year olds..but then that is a lot of lifting that stinkin chair by myself..which I hate to do..the back of my car needs a ramp…haha! I  cant reschedule the appointments either bc we wait months for these appointments and if I rescheduled them then I would probably be waiting six more months for anther appointment.
Every little thing seems like a BIG chore to do..a sponge bath..that pretty much takes two hours….she doesn’t like the top cast part off while she is getting a sponge bath so she cry's pretty much the whole time…and then we have to change her dressing which she really don’t like..just to comb her hair…at least an hour…she sees me coming towards her with the brush and her head takes cover..she is no longer visible..she gets a big ole rats nest in the back of her hair EVERYDAY….and I have no idea how to make it go away..no matter what I do it still happens. Unless I want to cut her hair really really short and I'm not ready to do that!!! and I know it really hurts to comb through it..it hurts me just combing it..
Her therapists have mentioned that she seems to have went back some..a lot weaker..Yesterday they came and she didn’t want to do anything..so I went in there to try to get her to do some of the stuff that she was suppose to be doing and she just started crying..not screaming…heartbreaking cry..like something was the matter..I think she is just so confused and not sure of what is what anymore..Its hard! Way harder then what I thought…Last week was actually really nice with my older kids home from Spring break but they had to go back to school this week..and that’s when things changed..that’s when things got crazy..really crazy. For Spring Break we didn’t do anything..we had a picnic the one day..and the girls helped out and went swimming in cold water..the water in the pool still isn't warm..we had a very lazy week at home..and that was ok with all of us…we all needed it..
Since she is not going to school while she is in the cast I  have started to work with her a couple hours a day…bc that is a long time to miss school..so we have school every morning.. {its not EASY at all with two little stinkers!!!!}  This is what we do with her letters..I found this big board at Walmart..its actually an oil drip pan..and then I went to the dollar store and found all the flash cards and made them magnetic..and then she has the magnetic letters..and we go  through all the letters..and what sounds they make..she knows almost all of the letters not the sounds..I was shocked..but proud!!! Maybe she will be ready for kindergarten next year..

Same thing with numbers..she knew most of them too

and shapes..I name a shape and then she gets it and matches it up to the picture…she knew them all except one..

For the colors they are all laid out and I tell her a color and she picks it out and sticks it on the board..she still messes up orange and purple..but knows all the other ones and signs for the colors.

The dollar store also had some great window clingy things…so I got some animal ones..and also some color ones.. {check out the picture..exactly what I am talking about..her not being very lady like}

I also got weather ones..we are just starting to work on them..bc in school they always seem like they have a weather picture for there calendar..

We also are working on one letter a day..and so we started at letter A then the next day will be b and so on..and one number a day too..that way the letter and the numbers get enforced a little more too.I found a couple of great websites to print off worksheets off to help..I'm sure there are other great ideas out there too..but as we get used to this..we will do more.and maybe more crafts or making things too..but i need to learn how to balance it all out..ill learn I'm sure..
I miss not being able to run to the store if I need something..I have to do all my running at night when Jared gets home so he can stay with the the kids and Avery..I hate doing all my shopping at night too bc it makes for a long day!