A Season of Goodbye

                                Mrs. Doreen- Speech                                    Mrs. Meada- Physical

For such a short amount of time for Eliza to experience, despite it feeling like yesterday and still knowing a whole five years have passed...she hasn't had to really say goodbye to much of anyone.

Until this season of life.

For the last 3 years, we've had a few special individuals come twice a week to do physical and speech therapy in our home. Now we are at the point where the fall will bring her therapy time while in school. The end of this school year means the end of our home visits.

....and it makes me a bit sad to not have these kind women to make small talk and briefly share the coming and goings of our families. We've had them from 1 to 2+ years. These women have gone above and beyond their duties while also accepting younger siblings and childcare kids present during therapies. Not to mention giving me a few moments to go to the bathroom alone for a moment while all are entertained!

Then to top it off, our year of Pre-K is over.

Miss Martin

This little school with its safe hallways lined with little shared lockers for 4 year olds and how every grade is the same level will no longer greet Eliza during the week. I struggle to recount her first day sitting at one of the large main tables as Miss Martin greeted them and went over important information. Eliza has struggled with the concept of when she'll go back to school again as a kindergartener, but not have her same teacher. Everything has the same concept of being "last year".

Yes yes.....I know I will have two more kids walk that main hallway...but the world is going to get a bit bigger for my first born come September. New office staff, bus drivers, cafeteria workers and new people like librarians and music teachers will be part of the new normal.

The silver lining though....

We hope to have our wishes granted to have Nolan get the same speech therapist in mid July as there is a severe delay in his articulation. And after further testing, it has shown him to have some hearing loss. In the same month, Nolan will undergo anesthesia in order to have a specific hearing test to rule out any structural defects. While they have him out, they will also check to see if there is continued fluid behind the eardrums. If so, they will put in tubes.

I think I am the most concerned about having to maintain the specific restrictions and precautions which follow having tubes. Nolan is clueless to what awaits him this summer. Will it be another fight or will he calmly surprise us and easily accept this new change?

Time will tell...but I'm not holding my breath!

One Year Down

Starting birth weight: 8 lbs. 13 oz                                                        One year weight: 22 lbs. 15 oz

With the third child, there are some shreds of truth about how much less attention they get compared to earlier siblings. We went very simple this year and decided to to a smash cake, outside the local custard ice cream stand and let Alden have at it. No real special theme or elaborate Pintrest worthy conjurments...only the classic cake and a birthday shirt his big brother wore over 2 years ago.