Yesterday we said goodbye to Brooke, Emma's speech therapist. She is moving to Las Vegas. Although Emma's therapies will be ending when she turns 3, that's still a few months away!
Brooke has been coming to see Emma since she was just a few months old, back when she didn't make a sound unless it was crying. First every two weeks, and every week for over a year.
We made a gift for Brooke to say thank you and remember Emma, her admitted "favorite."
It wasn't until yesterday when I really started to consider just how important Brooke has been to Emma and our family. Less than a year ago Emma was still using "eh" as her primary form of verbal communication. Brooke gave us encouragement, direction and when needed, a push, to teach Emma to talk.
And then there's the feeding! When I was scared to try something new Brooke would push me. If I didn't believe Emma would be able to handle it, Brooke did it anyway! In fact we would not have discovered Emma could drink if Brooke hadn't been so proactive.
Although Brooke says I was one of her more cooperative moms there were plenty of times I did not think we were making progress and questioned her expectations. There was no way I could fit in three feeds every day!! It seems so silly now, but I know it was difficult at the time.
Brooke never gave up on me though, or losing patience with me! That means a lot. And it paid off. I feel ready to take control of Emma's feeding schedule, at just the right time.
I won't be doing it all alone, yet. Melissa is still coming for occupational therapy and will be coming for 2 hours instead of one to also work on Emma's oral motor skills - especially drinking and feeding herself.
We've also decided that when the nursing approval expires in September that we will let it go (rather than appeal and fight to keep it). It feels like we are coming to a natural turning point and it's time that we reclaim our schedule!
For 3 years my daily life has been planned around doctors appointments, therapy sessions and of course, the daily nursing visit! As strange as it seems the less of these we have, there is a greater sense of freedom and possibility.
Brooke has been coming to see Emma since she was just a few months old, back when she didn't make a sound unless it was crying. First every two weeks, and every week for over a year.
We made a gift for Brooke to say thank you and remember Emma, her admitted "favorite."
It wasn't until yesterday when I really started to consider just how important Brooke has been to Emma and our family. Less than a year ago Emma was still using "eh" as her primary form of verbal communication. Brooke gave us encouragement, direction and when needed, a push, to teach Emma to talk.
And then there's the feeding! When I was scared to try something new Brooke would push me. If I didn't believe Emma would be able to handle it, Brooke did it anyway! In fact we would not have discovered Emma could drink if Brooke hadn't been so proactive.
Although Brooke says I was one of her more cooperative moms there were plenty of times I did not think we were making progress and questioned her expectations. There was no way I could fit in three feeds every day!! It seems so silly now, but I know it was difficult at the time.
Brooke never gave up on me though, or losing patience with me! That means a lot. And it paid off. I feel ready to take control of Emma's feeding schedule, at just the right time.
I won't be doing it all alone, yet. Melissa is still coming for occupational therapy and will be coming for 2 hours instead of one to also work on Emma's oral motor skills - especially drinking and feeding herself.
We've also decided that when the nursing approval expires in September that we will let it go (rather than appeal and fight to keep it). It feels like we are coming to a natural turning point and it's time that we reclaim our schedule!
For 3 years my daily life has been planned around doctors appointments, therapy sessions and of course, the daily nursing visit! As strange as it seems the less of these we have, there is a greater sense of freedom and possibility.
No comments:
Post a Comment