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10/2/08
Fall Update
So obviously we are a busy family these days and it is very difficult for me to find time to sit and update our blog, but I am going to give it a try...Maya is at school and both the little girls (for this moment) are asleep. Summer was a crazy season with all three girls home all day with me, and after a lot of help from friends and family I had a few weeks to experience life as a mom to three kids by myself for a few weeks. Let's just say it is a bit of a juggling act between nursing a baby and rocking the baby to sleep at times, and feeding Maya every 2 hours by g-tube and syringe, trying to get Maya on the potty every few hours, and then attending to the "not neglected at all, but feeling very neglected" 2 year old...so obviously there were some tantrums, some jealousy of big and little sister, and then just the regular stuff...snacks, meals, playtime, and naps. WHEW...I am tired just thinking about it all.
Now Miss Maya is off to school every day. The bus picks her up at our house at 8:15 and drops her at home again at 4:20PM. She is very tired at the end of the day, but we are excited for all the opportunities she gets to experience at school. She is in a Deaf and Hard of Hearing total Communication classroom, where ASL is the primary language for the majority of the children. Maya has the most "special needs" of all the children and has a one on one para educator that helps her get around and signs a lot to her. Most of the kids are typical 3 and 4 year olds who happen to have hearing loss, so it is a busy environment. The kids love her and take good care of her. Her daily report has been mentioning the sweet boy in her class who likes to take her by the hand in the "recess area" and lead her everywhere...even up and down the slide. He also stood up for her when another child pulled her hair...he signed "no! Stop!" and then proceeded to pat her hair down and smooth it out...how cute is that!
Maya just had a sleep study this week, and we should hear about how well she sleeps without her trach in the next weeks. We are hoping to schedule a procedure to stitch the hole left by her trach tube closed very soon. I think we are waiting on the sleep study results before they procede with closing the hole.
Maya is sure amazing us with new skills. Though communication is slow we are seeing very positive signs of improvement...she does a VERY obvious more when we stop reading her bed time stories or stop on walks with her around the block. She still loves tasting food at the dinner table although she is not cleared to really eat yet. She is climbing up onto furniture and is trying the dare devil tricks of her 2 year old sister...somersaults, running down the hall, playing chase, climbing on our dog, and trying to climb in my lap whenever another sibling is already there. We are all so proud of Maya!
Addy continues to be a typical 2 year old...full of opinions, tantrums at times (especially if she is not feeling great), but also is so full of life she leaves Dean and I and her relatives smiling and laughing a ton. She loves to move, dance, run, jump, somersault, swing...she loves her baby doll, her train and car table, Sesame Street and Signing Time, and ADORES her two sisters and at times is very certain of what THEY want..."Maya wants her shoes on...Don't tickle Addy...Tickle Maya" "Teya's all done eating. Teya wants to go Night,night. Back in the bed, Baby Teya." And she has demands for her parents too.. "Daddy hide. Daddy cuddle on the couch. Mommy hug me!" Oh we love our Addy!
Teya is still a WONDERFUL baby! She cries very little and is happy to just watch her sisters and smile when smiled at. She is cooing and holding her head up well, and it won't be long before she can roll over. She scootches out of her bouncy seat or car seat if she is not strapped in. She continues to have beautiful blue eyes, unlike her older sister. We could not have asked for a sweeter baby!
Dean and I are doing well, and believe the transition to 3 girls could have been MUCH HARDER! We sleep fairly well at night, interupted only by night feedings of Teya and occasional Alarms on Maya's Oximeter (but nothing ever scary). We have found ways to have a date or two (with baby Teya)...we even took her to a movie a month ago. Dean is busy at work, and recently joined the board of Hand and Voices an organization that supports families with hard of hearing and deaf children (no matter what communication method they choose to use in their family). I have continued to be involved in the leadership of Mothers of Preschoolers group at church and have been busy just being Mommy to my girls.
I still smile whenever there is a peaceful moment at our house...all three girls are either asleep or occasionally they are all awake, happy, and self-entertained. This is a very wonderful season of life despite the amount of energy it takes, and I am trying to soak in these moments before these sweet girls grow up too fast!
Teya is NOW crying of hunger...better run!
Now Miss Maya is off to school every day. The bus picks her up at our house at 8:15 and drops her at home again at 4:20PM. She is very tired at the end of the day, but we are excited for all the opportunities she gets to experience at school. She is in a Deaf and Hard of Hearing total Communication classroom, where ASL is the primary language for the majority of the children. Maya has the most "special needs" of all the children and has a one on one para educator that helps her get around and signs a lot to her. Most of the kids are typical 3 and 4 year olds who happen to have hearing loss, so it is a busy environment. The kids love her and take good care of her. Her daily report has been mentioning the sweet boy in her class who likes to take her by the hand in the "recess area" and lead her everywhere...even up and down the slide. He also stood up for her when another child pulled her hair...he signed "no! Stop!" and then proceeded to pat her hair down and smooth it out...how cute is that!
Maya just had a sleep study this week, and we should hear about how well she sleeps without her trach in the next weeks. We are hoping to schedule a procedure to stitch the hole left by her trach tube closed very soon. I think we are waiting on the sleep study results before they procede with closing the hole.
Maya is sure amazing us with new skills. Though communication is slow we are seeing very positive signs of improvement...she does a VERY obvious more when we stop reading her bed time stories or stop on walks with her around the block. She still loves tasting food at the dinner table although she is not cleared to really eat yet. She is climbing up onto furniture and is trying the dare devil tricks of her 2 year old sister...somersaults, running down the hall, playing chase, climbing on our dog, and trying to climb in my lap whenever another sibling is already there. We are all so proud of Maya!
Addy continues to be a typical 2 year old...full of opinions, tantrums at times (especially if she is not feeling great), but also is so full of life she leaves Dean and I and her relatives smiling and laughing a ton. She loves to move, dance, run, jump, somersault, swing...she loves her baby doll, her train and car table, Sesame Street and Signing Time, and ADORES her two sisters and at times is very certain of what THEY want..."Maya wants her shoes on...Don't tickle Addy...Tickle Maya" "Teya's all done eating. Teya wants to go Night,night. Back in the bed, Baby Teya." And she has demands for her parents too.. "Daddy hide. Daddy cuddle on the couch. Mommy hug me!" Oh we love our Addy!
Teya is still a WONDERFUL baby! She cries very little and is happy to just watch her sisters and smile when smiled at. She is cooing and holding her head up well, and it won't be long before she can roll over. She scootches out of her bouncy seat or car seat if she is not strapped in. She continues to have beautiful blue eyes, unlike her older sister. We could not have asked for a sweeter baby!
Dean and I are doing well, and believe the transition to 3 girls could have been MUCH HARDER! We sleep fairly well at night, interupted only by night feedings of Teya and occasional Alarms on Maya's Oximeter (but nothing ever scary). We have found ways to have a date or two (with baby Teya)...we even took her to a movie a month ago. Dean is busy at work, and recently joined the board of Hand and Voices an organization that supports families with hard of hearing and deaf children (no matter what communication method they choose to use in their family). I have continued to be involved in the leadership of Mothers of Preschoolers group at church and have been busy just being Mommy to my girls.
I still smile whenever there is a peaceful moment at our house...all three girls are either asleep or occasionally they are all awake, happy, and self-entertained. This is a very wonderful season of life despite the amount of energy it takes, and I am trying to soak in these moments before these sweet girls grow up too fast!
Teya is NOW crying of hunger...better run!
7/18/08
The Kelly girls
Well. it has officially been 6 weeks since Baby Teya's birth and we are adjusting to the world of three girls ages 4 and under and all in diapers. Here are updates on our sweet little girls: (Click on the names below the thumbnail pictures to view recent pictures of the girls)
Maya: This is Maya's last week of night nursing! AHHHHH! I am enjoying the freedom that has come with not having day nurses, however, I REALLY loved having someone care for her from 11PM until 7AM. On the bright side we will get to go to bed earlier and not have to stay up for the nurses to get here. Unfortunately, when Maya is sick she will need some care during the night to keep her oxygen on her, and her feedings going. Also, she has been doing some night waking where she wakes up as early as 1AM and stays awake the rest of the night. I am hoping that the absence of the nurse will bore her and she will go back to sleep on those nights...I guess we just have to wait and see. Maya also has a wonderful teacher that has been coming to the house and signing with her 3 mornings a week Mon, Wed, and Friday. She and Maya have a terrific bond and Maya is making some good communication progress with her. Maya also is going to speech once a week for the summer and we are hoping speech and her teacher will keep her progressing until school starts again in the fall. Maya has now had two challenging colds since her trach was removed and she did really well. The nasal canula kept falling off because of all her secretions, so we had to use "blow-by" oxygen. She was really cute, because she would fall asleep and just grab the blow by oxygen and hold it to her face...so cute! Her stoma is still open, and the doctors will look into closing it (if it does not close on its own) by November. In the meantime, Maya wears some pretty cute handkercheifs around her neck so that she does not irritate her stoma by poking it...which she likes to do. Maya LOVES the summer time and being around her sisters more. She has signed "baby" a few times for Baby Teya, and has been trying to copy Addy's attempts at somersaults...Let's just say Maya has mastered the Downward Dog yoga position (head on the ground and bottom in the air)! All in all we are pleased with Maya this summer and enjoy having more time with her during the day, however I am trying to not freak out too much about our upcoming nights with no nursing and a newborn!
Maya 7/18/08
Addy: Addy continues to amaze us with her physical and verbal abilities. She is not two yet, but has decided that there is nothing better on Earth than dancing and gymnastics. As she watched the Olympic Trials for gymnastics with me she shouted "sommiesault" over and over until a commercial and then she asked for "more sommiesault". She also watched some of So You Think You Can Dance the other day when I was watching a recording of the previous night's show. She started spinning and would not stop until the dance finished and then she quickly said "more." Tonight as I tried to keep her occupied while I nursed Teya, I turned on a children's music CD and she just danced around the living room the entire feeding, which I think lasted at least a half an hour. She is also starting to use more sentence like speaking, and asking tons of questions ussually beginning with the word "where"..."where did (fill in the blank) go? (Daddy,Shasta,Maya,Teya, Mommy) She is a ton of fun and a fireball of energy!
Addy 7/18/08
Teya: Teya hit 6 weeks old on Thursday and continues to be a terrific baby. She does cry a little more, especially in the evenings, but she definitely is a pretty easy going baby. Teya ussually will sleep a chunk at night from 10 or 11-4 , then feed and go back to sleep until 6:30 or so. We are managing to find some sleep so that really is what gets us through our busy days. Our sweet baby loves to go for rides in the baby carrier, the car, and loves to cuddle. Maya loves to play with her feet and Addy really just wants to attack her with hugs and kisses. She is growing every day and filling out the clothes that once were very baggy on her. Her hair (eventhough it seems to be falling out some) is light brown and her eyes are still blue...they could still change. We are anxiously waiting for our first smiles...they should be just around the corner!
Baby Teya
Mom and Dad:
Are tired and wish we could actually find some time to talk just the two of us...but that should come in time. For now we are grateful for every uninterupted hour of sleep and breaks to go work out or visit a friend. Mom is pretty much all recovered from her C-section and back to normal activities. In a few weeks Dad is flying to Wyoming with Addy to visit his mom and dad, and Mom, Maya, and Teya are going to Portland to spend time with her folks. Overall, the transition could not have gone smoother and we continue to be showered with meals and visitors and Marty is beginning to wonder what meals will look like when she has to find time to make them.
Maya: This is Maya's last week of night nursing! AHHHHH! I am enjoying the freedom that has come with not having day nurses, however, I REALLY loved having someone care for her from 11PM until 7AM. On the bright side we will get to go to bed earlier and not have to stay up for the nurses to get here. Unfortunately, when Maya is sick she will need some care during the night to keep her oxygen on her, and her feedings going. Also, she has been doing some night waking where she wakes up as early as 1AM and stays awake the rest of the night. I am hoping that the absence of the nurse will bore her and she will go back to sleep on those nights...I guess we just have to wait and see. Maya also has a wonderful teacher that has been coming to the house and signing with her 3 mornings a week Mon, Wed, and Friday. She and Maya have a terrific bond and Maya is making some good communication progress with her. Maya also is going to speech once a week for the summer and we are hoping speech and her teacher will keep her progressing until school starts again in the fall. Maya has now had two challenging colds since her trach was removed and she did really well. The nasal canula kept falling off because of all her secretions, so we had to use "blow-by" oxygen. She was really cute, because she would fall asleep and just grab the blow by oxygen and hold it to her face...so cute! Her stoma is still open, and the doctors will look into closing it (if it does not close on its own) by November. In the meantime, Maya wears some pretty cute handkercheifs around her neck so that she does not irritate her stoma by poking it...which she likes to do. Maya LOVES the summer time and being around her sisters more. She has signed "baby" a few times for Baby Teya, and has been trying to copy Addy's attempts at somersaults...Let's just say Maya has mastered the Downward Dog yoga position (head on the ground and bottom in the air)! All in all we are pleased with Maya this summer and enjoy having more time with her during the day, however I am trying to not freak out too much about our upcoming nights with no nursing and a newborn!
Maya 7/18/08
Addy: Addy continues to amaze us with her physical and verbal abilities. She is not two yet, but has decided that there is nothing better on Earth than dancing and gymnastics. As she watched the Olympic Trials for gymnastics with me she shouted "sommiesault" over and over until a commercial and then she asked for "more sommiesault". She also watched some of So You Think You Can Dance the other day when I was watching a recording of the previous night's show. She started spinning and would not stop until the dance finished and then she quickly said "more." Tonight as I tried to keep her occupied while I nursed Teya, I turned on a children's music CD and she just danced around the living room the entire feeding, which I think lasted at least a half an hour. She is also starting to use more sentence like speaking, and asking tons of questions ussually beginning with the word "where"..."where did (fill in the blank) go? (Daddy,Shasta,Maya,Teya, Mommy) She is a ton of fun and a fireball of energy!
Addy 7/18/08
Teya: Teya hit 6 weeks old on Thursday and continues to be a terrific baby. She does cry a little more, especially in the evenings, but she definitely is a pretty easy going baby. Teya ussually will sleep a chunk at night from 10 or 11-4 , then feed and go back to sleep until 6:30 or so. We are managing to find some sleep so that really is what gets us through our busy days. Our sweet baby loves to go for rides in the baby carrier, the car, and loves to cuddle. Maya loves to play with her feet and Addy really just wants to attack her with hugs and kisses. She is growing every day and filling out the clothes that once were very baggy on her. Her hair (eventhough it seems to be falling out some) is light brown and her eyes are still blue...they could still change. We are anxiously waiting for our first smiles...they should be just around the corner!
Baby Teya
Mom and Dad:
Are tired and wish we could actually find some time to talk just the two of us...but that should come in time. For now we are grateful for every uninterupted hour of sleep and breaks to go work out or visit a friend. Mom is pretty much all recovered from her C-section and back to normal activities. In a few weeks Dad is flying to Wyoming with Addy to visit his mom and dad, and Mom, Maya, and Teya are going to Portland to spend time with her folks. Overall, the transition could not have gone smoother and we continue to be showered with meals and visitors and Marty is beginning to wonder what meals will look like when she has to find time to make them.
6/11/08
Baby Teya
Baby Teya 06/05
Baby Teya arrived safe and healthy after a C-section on June 5th, 3 weeks early...just like her 2 Big sisters:-) She weighed in at 5lbs and 11 ounces and 18.25 inches in length...she is barely on the charts...just like her two big sisters. While her coloring is more like Maya's, with her hat on and her eyes open her face is very similar to newborn pictures of Addy.
Addy is entranced with "Baby Teya", and while Maya has not really paid much attention to her yet, she will give Teya smiles. Now, if only Mom would recover and start playing with the girls, life would be much happier. Both Maya and Addy are yearning for Mommy cuddles and play time. Mommy, however is still sore and healing...but looks forward to playing with the two big girls again soon! Daddy on the other hand is making up for it by playing hard when he gets home from 1/2 days at work...he will take full time off when his mom arrives in another week. My Mom is here taking care of the Big Girls and helping out a ton around the house...my Dad will be up some next week to help out too...it is so great to have so much help!
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