First Things First

Well I have been a very neglectful blogger in recent weeks...I could come up with million and one reason's why, but there is really no good excuse. I have certainly thought about writing. I have wanted to write. I have even had time to write, but for some reason I found a way not to. I am not sure what I am avoiding. Ella is doing really, really well. In fact, life is really good! Perhaps it's my subconscious mind really just wanting to keep the good chi that has been surrounding us recently.

Ella on the plane with Jason!

There is so much to share and a lot to smile about. We are about six weeks away from going from a family of three to a family of four. While that is exciting in itself, it's really just the icing on the cake. We have had the chance to enjoy so many "firsts" as a family recently....like Ella's first plane ride. It's a big moment for any kid, and Ella will always be able to share a special story when it comes to her first flight. We went to Tampa at the beginning of April for the Frozen Four. Union's awesome season concluded with a trip to the National tournament. This was such a huge moment for Jason's career and one that Ella and I did not want to miss. This was his first trip to the tournament and it happened in his first season as a full time assistant with Union! (I told you we had a lot of "firsts"!)

 Ella was such a great traveler. She wasn't phased at all by the plane and behaved so well throughout the entire trip. I was able to get time away from work....by agreeing to work while I was there. I sent back stories every day and even did live shots the day of the game.

Game day live shot!

It was so much fun to be able to cover such a great moment. We also even had some time to spend with our dear friends, The Taylor's who just happened to be in Tampa on spring break the same week. We snuck in some beach time and a few dinners. It was the perfect treat!

Ella and Samantha at the beach :-)

We've even had a moderate break from doctors and therapies and everything else. It has been a welcome break...and one that seems to have refreshed all of us. Between traveling, holidays, and school vacations, we have been off more than on with appointments, but it hasn't set us back which is a huge bonus for Ella. It's a great indication of how strong she is getting and how much she is catching up. Ella only has a few months left before she transitions into the preschool program. We are back on schedule now and ready to get the most out of her final summer in the EI program. Her paperwork and preliminary transition plan are set. Preschool here we come in September!

The recent weeks following the end of the hockey season have provided some wonderful family time. It is great to have Jason home more to soak up every minute we have before life becomes (blissfully) hectic with a new baby. Ella continues to surprise us every day with a new word or a new dance move. She is such a happy girl. I can't wait to see how she adjusts to being a big sister!

Miss Independent!

Ella is Miss Independent these days. She wants to do everything on her own...and we are loving it! This burst of self sufficiency couldn't come at a better time with her sister's arrival quickly approaching.

Her latest adventure is the stairs. My dad was visiting this weekend and was nice enough to install a hand rail that is the perfect height for Ella. Her school has little hand rails everywhere and I noticed picking her up every afternoon how happy she is to be able to walk down the stairs on her own. After talking with her PT's Jen and Linda (at great length), we decided to go for it and put up our own railing. It has been a great success! She goes up and down the stairs with a lot more confidence now. She still needs a little support by holding our hand, but it's certainly more of a security blanket at this point. In just the week that it has been up, she is noticeably stronger too. All that work on the stairs is making her skinny little legs a little more powerful!

Next up for the little girl who wants to do it all: POTTY TRAINING! We have "introduced" the potty a little here and and there (just not consistently) and she LOVES to flush the toilet (we call her the phantom flusher), I just have to get serious now about getting rid of the diapers!

Daddy Days

The shirt says it all...and the feeling
is mutual!

 Ella is OBSESSED with her dad. She is clung to him like glue when he is home and calling and looking for him when he is away. Every time the phone rings she yells "dadda, dadda". This is really no surprise and nothing new. Ella and Jason have had a very close bond since day 1. He was with her around the clock in the NICU and was a very hands-on father right from the start. It seems that affection is even greater...especially lately. She runs into our room at 5am and begs for him to let her snuggle in (which he of course obliges, every time). She can't get enough of her dadda!

This is a wonderful problem to have, however the temper tantrums that happen when Jason is not available for her every need have grown into outrageous meltdowns. There is full out crying, tears, foot stomping, snorting, and at times a fall to the ground where the fist pounding continues. So far these meltdowns have only happened at home. I can only imagine how the first public outcry will go. I understand temper tantrums come with being a toddler...a right of passage of sorts. My problem is how to curb the tantrums, especially since this is probably the busiest time in the season for Jason. He will no doubt have many late nights this week as the team prepares for the first round of playoffs. Then the intensity of practice and planning only escalates the better the team does (of course we hope they WIN WIN WIN). How am I going to get through the next few weeks of tantrums...cardboard cutouts, recorded messages from Jason, etc??

Jason goes out of his way and above and beyond to spend every minute he can with Ella. He is also still the one getting her dressed, fed and out the door in the morning. He is also home for bedtime most nights and gets to tuck her in.  So they are certainly spending time together every day. The ironic part of this most recent cling-on behavior comes at a time when Jason has been traveling a bit less. He has made plenty of day trips, but that is no different than a regular work day. He hasn't had any long stretches away since January.

What is very clear though is I do not completely cut it in Ella's world these days. I am good for the basics, but I am clearly not her father, so no matter how fun I can make her day...at the end she still needs her #1. Hopefully her love will remain strong, but her obsession will taper off (quickly). Hockey season has the potential to last until April 7th!!!

Happy March!

Happy March!

Wow! March is already here...this year is flying by. Only a few more months until our family gets a little bigger. We have been as busy as ever with the end of hockey season, a move into a bigger town house, and getting ready for baby, on top of all of our regular activities.

March for Babies 2012 Kick-Off breakfast.

This morning I had the privilege of being the MC at the annual March for Babies kick-off breakfast. This is the second year I have been invited to the breakfast. This year's walk is in April and the goal is to raise $515,000 regionally. Jason and I haven't walked yet, but hope to be out there this year! Project: Cameron's story has put together a team of walkers and since we have become involved with the annual book drive...it just seems appropriate to walk with their team!

Oh and speaking of the book drive....the totals are in and we surpassed the goal of 2400 books. This year Project: Cameron's story will donate 2,456 books to local NICU's. Yay!

Covered in stickers...and loving it!

Finally, I am so happy to report that Ella is doing great. She has just grown leaps and bounds since she is feeling better. She is definitely growing out of all her clothes and shoes. Her vocabulary...and personality is growing too. She is a pretty funny little girl. I love hearing her talk and TELL me what she wants now. The challenge is just working on having a little patience (for both of us!).

As I continue to be amazed every day by the accomplishments Ella has made, I have also found myself thinking just as much about what her sister will be like....who she will look like, what her personality will be, how will Ella react?? Will I celebrate the new babies every moment as much as I have all of Ella's "firsts"? Just three months left until the big day! We can't wait....now if we could just agree on a name ;-)

Books For Babies

For the second year in a row, Jason and I have helped a local organization collect books for babies. We learned about Project: Cameron's Story two years ago after a news story I had done. A local mom started the foundation in memory of her son who was born very premature. Cameron spent more than 200 days in the NICU and at times his parents couldn't hold him. They turned to reading as a way to bond. After Cameron passed away, the family wanted a way to help other families in similar situations. Now they collect more than 2400 books every year to donate to our local hospitals. The goal is to make sure that EVERY baby admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) has a brand new book.


Here's a shot of some of the books
we collected at the game.


I felt a bond with this mom as soon as I heard her story and knew instantly that Project: Cameron's Story was something I had to get involved with. Cameron and Ella were in the NICU at the same time. Although we never met during that time, there is connection that every parent that goes through this experience can relate too. It is a scary time and a situation no one ever expects or wants to be in. I know how important reading was for us while Ella was in the NICU. Jason would sit for hours next to Ella's isolate, reading her stories. They still share this special connection!


Jason reading to Ella in the Nicu...June 2009

 Every February, Cameron's story holds a book drive for one week...collecting new children's books at businesses and offices around the area. This year, Union's hockey team was kind enough to help us promote a big book drive at a game. We ran promos on News 10, the team emailed season ticket holders, blasted the event on the radio and hopefully really helped bring a lot of attention to the cause.

Sara Quartiers, the founder of PCS being
interviewed by News 10.

We collected lots of books (more than 2 big boxes). The Quartiers family (founders of Project: Cameron's Story) came out to the game to watch Union beat Princeton. It was a great night. Jason and I are so happy to be able to take part in this year after year and I look forward to a time when Ella is old enough to understand and be more involved herself.

I'll have an update soon on the total numbers for this year's bookraiser!

Time Flies

It is so hard to believe that Ella is almost finished with her early intervention services. She has been receiving services since she was just three months old. This week, we had what is likely the final team meeting. She transitions to the preschool program August 31st...and really that process has already begun.

Our meeting was really good. I would say probably one of the best we've had in terms of progress for Ella. She made huge gains in her motor skills. At our last meeting in August, Ella had literally just started walking. Today she is walking, jumping, and climbing. Jen and Linda have worked so hard, pushing Ella to reach her potential (even under great protest at times!) She reached all of the goals we set for her six months ago. This is the first time in nearly three years that she was able to check everything off the list as accomplishments. Her speech is coming along as well. This is where we are still seeing the greatest delay, but she is slowly making gains and we are confident she'll continue to improve. Michelle is constantly looking for new ways to help Ella communicate and her hard work is paying off. We have been using sign language for quite some time and now we are adding a picture system to our day as well to help Ella pick up more speech. She is a very visual learner and although we have just implemented the pictures, she is already showing us how much it will help her. Ella is also doing great in Toddler group and loving the routine that school gives her. She is a star student!

Getting ready for the pool!

Next up is the move to preschool where she will likely continue to have services. The biggest difference is that her physical therapy, special education and speech services will happen at school rather than in our home. We have a meeting soon with the school district to discuss how often she will have each service and how it all works out. The goal is to have Ella in a position physically, socially and academically to start Kindergarten in a few years at the same level as her peers.

This is a bittersweet time for us. We have some of the best therapists who have devoted so much time to Ella's development and success. They have calmed Jason and me down in times of insecurity and taught us to be better parents and really better people. It will be sad to not see them every week and be able to share every new accomplishment Ella makes. I can honestly say that our precocious two and a half year old would NOT be where she is today without the support of Jen, Linda, Michelle, Jess and Jamie.

I remember that first phone call in August of 2009 from Jamie, our service coordinator, telling us that Ella qualified for an EI evaluation. It was hard to hear, but thankfully I was aware of how beneficial this could be(thanks to Kristin who does this for a living!) and was able to keep an open mind and follow through with service. It is so easy as a parent to be in denial....to think your child doesn't need these services. At times it has been a tough pill to swallow, but the positive aspects of EI are amazing. We started off slowly...with just one visit a week. Now we have a packed schedule that at times seems crazy and exhausting, but I would never trade it. The benefits far out weigh any day that I am tired or frustrated with the lack of extra hours in the day. I will continue to advocate for these services for all babies who qualify. It's a true testament to how a little extra can go a long way!

Sesame Street Fun

All eyes on the show...Sesame Street Live 2012

Ella is feeling much better and it was time to have some fun this past weekend. Erin and Lucy came for a visit and we went to see Sesame Street Live. They got all dressed up in their pretty dresses and hit the theater like the two sassy girls they are!

This was the second time we have taken Ella to a live show. She enjoyed it last year...but LOVED it this year. I don't think she blinked the entire time. She was totally engrossed in the singing and dancing and of course all of her favorite characters. Lucy was pretty happy too, but sitting still is not that fun for Lucy. She would have much rather been up on the stage dancing along side Elmo :-)




Getting ready to dig into her ice cream sundae.

  After the show, we treated the girls to dinner at Friendly's. Not the fanciest of places, but perfect for our two little monkeys. They chowed down on chicken fingers and finished off a really fun day with some ice cream sundaes. We need to fatten Ella up. She lost about four pounds (four more than she could afford to lose) while she was in the hospital. She is literally a rack of bones now, so it was great to see her dig into her sundae and finish every last bite!


 I think Ella smiled almost all day long. She was so happy to be out and about doing something fun, spending time with family, and of course enjoying a sweet treat. It put a smile on my face too and warmed my heart. I have spent so much time worrying about her and keeping such a close eye on her that you forget to enjoy the little moments. Time goes by so quickly. I need to remind myself of that constantly and take that extra moment to enjoy her precious laugh and beaming smile.

mmmm...the cone is the best part!