Drumroll Please!

It's Friday! I am going to try to post each week, but I'm not making any promises. Many of you have asked about the results from Avery's EEG, and, naturally, they are "inconclusive" so we are supposed to go BACK in for a 24 hour study to monitor her for a full day. Imagine any 2 year old, less well one with Autism, hooked up to a machine BY HER HEAD for 24 hours. Needless to say, Bryan and I want to put this off as long as possible! The whole purpose for the EEG in the first place is to rule out a seizure disorder, and to see if/when Avery is having seizures in her sleep. About 1/3 of children with Autism will have a seizure at one time or another, and Bryan has witnessed Avery "trembling" one more than one occasion when he checks on her at night. Anyway... just one more thing to look into.
To focus on the positive for this week... Avery is making some progress in her therapies! I always hesitate to even whisper this, since it seems each celebration for a new skill or breakthrough is followed at some point or another by the loss of the skill during a regressive period. However, I am choosing to look at each day as it's own and today, things are looking a bit brighter. Avery even wandered the house this afternoon during a session saying "ma ma" when I had gone upstairs to put the baby down for a nap. This is about the 4th time we have added ma ma to the short list of words... hopefully this time we won't have to scratch it off again. I know I know... where did the "living for the moment" go! Sorry.
Also good news is that Kaylee continues to be such a happy, easy baby. She only cries to nurse or nap... and today has fallen asleep twice on her own while playing on her playmat. She is now refusing a paci... which is okay I guess, and is starting to roll a bit. Fun stuff. I actually think in many ways I need her... she evens me out a bit, and makes me a better mother, much like her sister does in a totally different way. Sometimes I am a bit sad as I watch Kaylee gaze lovingly in my eyes and coo back and forth... as Avery did all of these same things at one time before we lost much of her to Autism. But I'll take it. I will wrap it up and cherish it... just as I have every moment I get to connect with Avery.
I attached a few new Kaylee pictures so we can watch her grow. They change so much in this first year. I can't believe she just turned 3 months old!