wow. has it really been nine months since i wrote on here?
several people have sent me messages or texts asking how our appointment went yesterday at UVA. i so appreciate your thoughtfulness. i sort of stopped writing here because i figured if people really wanted to know, they'd ask. and with the craziness of therapies, appointments, and other life obligations...it just wasn't a priority. but instead of responding to everyone individually, i thought this would be the easiest!
anywho, when i looked back on the older posts...it breaks my heart really. i am happy to say that things have improved in the last 9 months.
emerson's irritability is still there at times, but we have far less ENTIRE FULL DAYS of nonstop crying and screaming. thank goodness.
sleep is still one of our biggest issues. two hours of total night sleep is a good night for us. i'm completely exhausted each day so i can't imagine how emerson feels.
she's been in Physical Therapy through Early Intervention since the end of July. when she started, the only Gross Motor Milestone she met was sitting up unassisted. In just 7 months, she can now roll over both directions, sit up from a lay down position, crawl. bear weight on legs, cruise, and walk with assistance. WOW. my big girl. i'm so amazed by her progress. and so proud of her.
our visit yesterday was with a new developmental pediatrician. if read past posts, you can find out about our visit with the first.
i've been super anxious for this appointment for many obvious reasons. i think over the last few months emerson has been having super big behavior issues. i struggle with determining what behaviors are of a typical 18 month old and what behaviors might be something more serious. i think with ainsley, when i look back, i realize that we were super lucky. she was a very sweet, sweet toddler. and that's all i really have to compare it to.
leaving the house is a big issue. emerson screams and cries the entire time we're out. she wants me to physically hold her, yet wearing her with a carrier isn't good enough. she's hitting/pinching/kicking when frustrated and when she doesn't get what she wants. it's not your normal toddler issues...it's magnified, more extreme, and a definite issue. i get somewhat anxious to leave the house with her at this point.
anyway, we really liked the new developmental pediatrician. she spent nearly three hours with us.
emerson was diagnosed with Apraxia, which is a motor disorder due to damage to the brain. emerson will start intense speech therapy as soon as possible, in conjunction with her PT and occasional OT.
she also believed that emerson's sleeplessness could very well be a biological issue and we are looking into potential sleep aides to help emerson get the sleep that she desperately needs.
we will be giving emerson a hearing test in the near future and she'll see the eye doctor again closer to her second birthday to further rule out any vision or hearing issues.
she, along with our PCP and the EI team, has encouraged us to go through with Genetic testing.
the DP felt as though emerson's cognitive ability is advanced for her age. so that was very reassuring to hear and probably the highlight of our appointment. it allowed me to breathe a little easier. and i am going to hang onto that on our rough days.
chaos ensues here. it's dinner time. i know you parents understand. time to run.
xoxo.
