Taylor's first days of school

Well, since my last post I was reminded that it's much easier to be a Tigger when you're well-rested. Sunday night, Jacob woke up at midnight screaming with a raging ear infection and screamed/cried for the next three hours. Taylor woke up and was wide-eyed for two of the three hours (Jacob has some major lungs - miraculously, Lauren slept through it all). In any case, I had about three hours of sleep all night and was decidedly un-Tiggerlike on Monday. Unfortunately, that was Taylor's first day at her new school at UW. She was tired and selfishly, new situations are always hard for me as it's a big reminder of the crazy situation we're in.

We arrived at her school at 9am and the structure wasn't perfect for Taylor. She typically has a morning nap then and we were all running on fumes from the night before. At her school, the schedule is 30 minutes outside play on Monday (varied with 30 minutes gym play on Wednesday), followed by a snack, indoor play time and circle time. It's a little Gymboree-esque, which is appropriate for the 12-18 month old crowd. Taylor was the littlest (by age and stature) in the program and most of the kids had been attending the school through the summer. Unfortunately, she also had the least physical skills (everyone else can sit unassisted), which makes some of the activities less thrilling for her. Outside time was hard because the only thing she could really do was swing, which she enjoyed. She was very wide-eyed and was taking in the new scene. She also was the only kid that couldn't participate in snack time, because she is the only one not taking solids. She sat with the kids and enjoys watching them, but the whole experience was hard for me because I so badly want her to have fun like the other kids. Keep in mind, there are kids with Down's Syndrome, autism and other challenges in her class and it was eye-opening to me that poor Taylor is the least developed. Of course, all of the kids have several months on her and our hope is that she catches up. But it was hard. And, the lack of sleep had me fighting back tears practically the whole class. I never lost it, but it was a big effort on my part.

Today was much better. The gym time was much more conducive to playing with her and helping her practice tummy time, etc. I also spoke with more of the parents, who are all very nice, and supportive. She ate a Rice Krispy and a sliver of peach at snack time, and while she didn't really swallow them, at least she didn't gag. And, she really enjoyed the indoor play time - they had her favorite chair with a tray so she could sit by herself and several toys that she enjoyed. She also likes watching the other kids and was much happier today (I'm sure the extra sleep helped her too). It was a much more positive experience and now that we're off and running, I think we'll all love it. The on-site physical therapist was there today and she was very nice. We were again encouraged that she thought we were on the right track and was impressed with our aggressive therapy plan.

So far, here's what I've learned:

• You will never see a more heroic group than special needs' kids. They have worked incredibly hard for minor skills that most of us take for granted and never had to "learn". They are precious, sweet, personable, and a whole lot of fun.
• You also have to admire the strength and determination of their parents. Some of them have sat through open-heart surgeries, heart-breaking meetings, and hours and hours of therapy. While every story is different, the commonality is that they love their kids - no matter what.
• Taylor is a lucky gal, and we're a lucky family, to be invited into this community. We have a lot to learn and hopefully, someday, will have a lot to give back.

Taylor has had amazing days of therapy the past two days. It has been such a treat to watch. We're still starting off with stretching and loosening her muscles, followed by tummy time and working with her on bearing weight on her hands. This is the hardest part because she really doesn't like it. Susan says it isn't painful for her, but it's like when your hands fell asleep and they're tingly when you try to use them - her hands were clinched for so long, the sensation of using them is unfamiliar. But, we're seeing progress and she's tolerating tummy time better. The most exciting part is she is getting much better at using her hands to catch herself while sitting. She's always supported during this exercise, but she's definitely getting the idea. And, today we practiced standing from a sitting position, which Taylor can do on her own. Her hands are the problem again - she can't get her hands out to balance herself, but once those hands work she'll be able to do all sorts of things. We're feeling really encouraged and that we're on the right track.

So, busy days, but we're beginning to get into a routine, which is wonderful. I got a little behind in picture posting so added a few extras for you to enjoy today. This is Taylor and her new friend, Owen, swinging and Taylor and I during circle time. There will be happier pics to post later, I'm certain.