Not enough thanks in the world!

Therapy and Therapists.......those are two things we will forever be thankful for. Maelee has been very lucky to be able to participate in many different therapies since she was 6 months old. We have had our good and bad therapists but I truly believe the group we have now are the best for her and will push her to achieve great success!!!!

Maelee participates in PT, OT, CBRS, ST, and Hippotherapy. We couldn't be happier with her success in all the different types of therapies, the wonderful gifts we have been given through therapy, and overall watching her grow and develop has been amazing!

Our weeks may seem over scheduled, crammed to the brim with appointments, but we know that without these appointments Maelee would not be doing so wonderful. To watch how much she has changed from the beginning and really over the past few months has been amazing. Her therapists and doctors are all in awe of what she has achieved! And without the amazing assistance of her therapists we know this wouldn't be possible.

As parents we try and help our children but when it comes to a child with special needs we have no clue where to begin. The assistance and lessons we as parents have learned from the therapists along with the suggestions for our home (ex. stair rails for Maelee) we have been able to help our precious miracle along this path. If I could say thank you a million times to each therapist it wouldn't be enough......there will never be enough thanks in the world for all they have done and helped with.

So when people look at our schedule like its crazy, or think we are pushing Maelee too much I just remember to be thankful for the opportunity to have all these therapies/therapists in her life and that is all that matters. Looking forward to all that she will achieve in life and celebrating each and every small milestone!!!

Big Sister!!

Today I am thankful for the ability to be a Mommy! Not only do I have the most wonderful daughter in the world we have been blessed to be expecting number 2!!!

Being pregnant after having Maelee 7 weeks early and all the other complications that occurred makes things a bit scary and filled with worry. I am trying to take it one day at a time, focus on how wonderful it is to be pregnant again, and just know that God has plans and we will just wait to see what happens.

I am considered high risk for many reasons. With that comes extra doctor appointments, a shot in my thigh once a week for most of my pregnancy, and close monitoring to keep this baby inside until a scheduled c-section at the end of May 2014.

I want to keep this child in and feel what it is like to bring a baby home from the hospital when I am discharged, I want to know what it feels like to hold my child before days pass, I want to know what it is like to kiss my baby without wires and alarms going off....I want to know how it feels to feel like a Mommy the moment this baby is born.....  But with all those wants that I have no control over the number one thing I want is this baby. So that may come with some hard times or it could go smooth the whole way....we will stand by and watch this child's story begin and see what God has instore for him/her.

 I am thankful for the ability to carry a child when the odds were against me not just once but twice, I am thankful that Maelee will be given a lifelong friend and sibling at the same time, and I am thankful that Lee and I will get to experience all the wonderful baby things again.

Maelee will be the most amazing big sister ever and being able to watch that connection is something I am beyond thankful for! Our sweet peanut will have tons to teach this little one!!!!

Being Thankful

During the month of November everyone on facebook writes their "thankful posts" each day. I have participated in this the past few years but this year I have decided to blog what we are thankful for. I know I am a few days behind in starting but that is what happens with a toddler running around. :)

Over the past 2 years we have been shown what really matters in life, what we are really thankful for, and how blessed we are. The number one thing I am thankful for is God. His healing power and ability to take away all the darkness during those first 39 days of Maelee's life in the NICU is something we are truly blessed to have experienced. He can perform miracles and Maelee is our miracle.

I am thankful for our friends and true family, not just the people who are blood related (because we all know blood doesn't mean everything) but the people who truly love and stand by us throughout everything. We have been shown over the past year how selfish and hateful people can be but in the midst of all the heartache God has shown us what real love and compassion is about. We have been shown our true family and for that we are so blessed. I am thankful Maelee has one aunt she is able to see often  and who truly loves everything about her, her Aunt Megan was not sent to us by blood but by love. She is a wonderful person and has so much love to give. We are thankful for her and blessed to have her in our lives as well as Maelee's! :) This friendship happened by accident but I am grateful because not only did I gain a sister by it, I also was blessed with the most handsome nephew!

I am thankful for my husband, Lee. He has stood beside me and is my best friend. I can't imagine anyone else to enjoy life with or to experience the heartache with. Life has so many ups and downs and I am glad we get to ride this roller-coaster together. I am blessed to have him in my life!

Well that was a quick catch up....Now to try and stay on top of my thankful blogs this month. I can't promise a post everyday but I will give at least one thankful item for each day in November......I may have to list more since we have truly been blessed! We have a living breathing miracle in our home and that comes with tons of thankfulness!!!

Quick update and cute photos!!

Finding time to blog with a 2 year old is sometimes challenging. I realized I hadn't written an update in a little while so it was time.

Maelee is doing amazing! She is talking, and by talking I mean actual words we can understand at least 50% of the time!! This is a huge achievement. We went through many months of frustration and confusion over her needs and what she was trying to say.

Maelee had been fitted for a Spio Compression shirt earlier this month and it has been a wonderful purchase! Her attention is that of a 2 year old plus sensory procession difficulty...which means sometimes she is everywhere. It has helped with her movements and spatial awareness. The shirt is hot pink and black and has velcro for compression needs. She wears it to therapy, school, and at home during times we are doing things that require concentration or working towards therapy goals.  She loves deep pressure so this is the perfect tool for her.

Maelee received her new pairs of glasses and has been keeping them on for a couple of weeks now! Her plastic frames are cute but she would get annoyed when they slid at all so we decided to go with pink metal frames with wire to wrap around ears for comfort. She looks too cute and we can tell a huge difference in her sight and squinting. We have a follow up in a few weeks with the eye doctor and am so happy we will be able to say she is wearing them.....for a while there we were worried she would need other interventions but hopefully these glasses are doing the trick.

We have decided to hold off on the developmental/behavioral pediatrician at this time. We want to let her keep working on her current goals and while she is doing so good we don't want to introduce anyone else in her life. She will be following up with her sleep specialist in the coming months and hopefully we won't need another sleep study....but I don't know how promising that will be.


Maelee has made some amazing strides over the past few months and I cannot wait to see what happens in the coming months and years. God entrusted us with this miracle, this precious child. And we will live each day to help her grow, learn, and become an amazing person!!! :) Things in our life our changing but we just know Maelee will continue to show us love and how much heart she has in all she does!!! :)

Thank you for helping us along this journey!

When I began this blog it was a way to write everything down so one day Maelee would know her whole story. But it seems that over the past two years this blog has helped us find answers, meet many amazing people, help others, and really celebrate our daughter's life!

So many things change in life, whether it's a quick change or one that takes a while. Maelee has changed so much over the past two years. She is growing into her own person with a wonderful personality and a heart that is filled with love. She has physically met goals, exceeded expectations, and really thrived in all her therapies.

The support that has been given to us by not only friends and close family but also strangers is amazing! Maelee will grow into nothing but greatness and we love everyone for following along this journey called life! :)