Day Fifteen: Back in the potty

Here's my Laila back in her bedroom at RMH ;)

She had lost the cough for the weekend but it came back last night just in time for her to vomit in the car on the way back to GR.  Woohoo!  So back to some extra breathing treatments for her.  I do have to say though that last week when she got the cough and started to get sick it was the first time ever since she's lived with us that she got better on her own!  I credit that as one more thing that conductive education does for you.  Her body is so much stronger already and one of the reason that she was always sick was because she didn't have the strength to cough good enough to clear out her lungs.  Now that she's learning the proper way to sit and stand and has more time of the day where she isn't a lump in an enabling wheelchair, she's able to get better coughs.  That in itself would be a reason to be here. 

As I stated in the last entry, being home over the weekend was definitely different.  At first I focused on the fact that she isn't sitting up but then as time went on, and especially when we were at church on Sunday morning, people kept commenting on how different Laila looked.  She sits straighter in her wheelchair, she loved showing off how much better she is getting at stepping.  Yes, there are still those times when she's sitting on your lap and she's so hard to hold because her trunk support is still poor but I'm learning way to position her better so she has to do some work.  It's amazing the things that have gradually changed that people noticed while we were home that I didn't see as much.  I think it is also harder for me because I see all that she can do in the classroom and how great that is and then the day to day stuff at home doesn't seem as significant to me.  I'm thankful for all the encouragement, it helps me gain perspective.  Even our pharmacist was asking me about things before we left town last night and I love the reaction that people give when I say how she is potty training and working on walking and every time I have to describe it again it makes me have a better focus and realize just how far she has come.  I have to really focus on each day individually and make it the most it can be and then start again the next day without the memory of yesterday or the expectations of tomorrow; just today.  (thanks Melissa!)

Since they let us fit in this extra week we were able to meet some new parents because today started a new session.  There are quite a few parents from out of town this time and one grandmother and grandson are even staying here at RMH too.  It is so funny how differently you look at things when they are not so intimidatingly new.  The parent meeting this morning was so much more enjoyable now that I know a little bit about what they are doing.  I think I'm feeling the CE addiction these days.  I'm seeing all these kids that are doing so much and I want that for Laila too.  I want to give her the opportunity to change the world and I believe her story can.  I always have to remember where she started and the fact that she may be behind even some other kids her age, but she pretty much lost those first 20 months of her life until she got to Heidi and even then spent most of that time trying to regain strength to live.  If there are any new readers that don't know her story check it out here.

I'll leave you with an exciting and slightly gross ending....... Laila had a little poop on the potty yesterday!  The most exciting thing is that it was at home.  She did pretty well at home which was a big milestone after being gone for so long.  So glad you want to know ALL our business ;)