1st Speech Therapy Appointment and stuff

Well today was Norah's first speech therapy appointment. The therapist, Erika, tested Norah on what she knows sign wise and did some exercizes with her on learning to listen. We left with LOTS of homework for both Glen and I and Norah. Erika stressed the importance of using the signing actual english method of sign language as the best way for Norah to learn language and eventually to read and write in English. We will have weekily speech therapy with Erika and hopefully be able to get additional speech therapy for Norah through a local program that will go to her daycare.

Norah is having a new ear mold made for her left ear because the one we currently have does not hold on to the tube that connects to the actual hearing aid.

Tomorrow is the day the air conditioner gets put in. We thankfully had a portable window unit that we use for doing projects in the garage when it is so hot in the summer. Glen moved that one into the living room (it looks GREAT from the front of the house, sorry neighbors) and it has been doing quite well at keeping the house cool and not so humid for the past week. Glen got the concrete pad ready for the new air conditioner.

We will get to see Annie this weekend when we go up to Conway for Toad Suck days (it's a type of festival) and then we also have Norah's 4th birthday party this weekend. It's going to be busy around here.

FIRST DAY ALONE.

Yesterday was Norahs first day at daycare by herself. Well first two and a half hours anyway. We went to get her after two hours in case she was having a bad time. When we walked in she was happily doing a puzzle on the floor with the teacher and the other kids. They told us she did great, didn't cry and played with the other kids like she had done on the days when we took her for a couple hours and stayed with her.

Brandon went to the same daycae when he was little so he wanted to come with us to see his old hangout and see his sister off on her first day at daycare alone.

After we picked Norah up from daycare we had to get the slab ready for the new air conditioner. Can I just say ouch! I didn't realize air conditioners where SO expensive (having never bought one before). Norah was very excited about the cementand grabbed her own pink shovel to lend a hand in the mixing.

She loves to help but doesn't like her hands to be dirty. So we end up wiping off her hands about every two minutes. Lori is trying to teach her just to brush them off on her clothes and keep going but she dosen't quite have it yet. Seriously Norah, It's ok to be dirty when your working in the yard.

Isn't she so sweet when she sleeps? Although I'm pretty sure you can still see some attitude oozing out.

Gardening and copycat day.

Norah running around the backyard. I'll explain the headband later.






She is a big helper when it comes to working inside or out. She carries plants, digs in the dirt, loves to water, and pulls weeds without being asked.






Checking out the worm in Mom's hand.

Discussing how she feels about the worm and about how she is NOT putting it in her hand or touching it.

The pigtails make this gardening ensemble complete.

In the summer when we garden and work outside alot Lori will cut the sleeves off of old tshirts and use them to hold back her hair. Norah saw her do this and had to have one of her own.

Playing in the office chair.

Norah instructing Brandon on how to properly apply lip balm. She made him put on 2 different kinds.

Norah found one of the arm bands that you can put your Ipod in. After watching Glen put on his back belt, that he wears more often than not, she deceided that the arm band was actually HER backbelt and strapped this thing on. She wore it all day and then had to put it on over her pj's and sleep in it.

Yes, she is sticking out her tongue.

On a fun note our air conditioner caught on fire Sunday. So we are having to have a new one installed. Summers/humidity here in Arkansas require an air conditioner, people actually die here from the heat. It's not like in California where we could go without one. In the air conditioners defense it was over 35 years old. Thats like 315 in air conditioner years.

Saturday

Norah getting ready to leave for a day of fun. She has her lip balm and hair clips, so she is all set.

Norah and Dad checking out the fish at the fountain in the River Market.

She LOVES giraffes.

...and elephants.

They were cleaning some of the cages at the monkey house and this is what they had posted on the glass. It would have been even better if instead of cleaning they had been lounging all over the place, scratching themselves and eating animal crackers BUT I understand they have jobs to do.

Better not show Brandon this picture. He will be wanting to do his hair like this bird.

The wild caged Norah on display.

We are pretty sure that everyone at the zoo knows her name now. We said it alot. We are trying to get her to recognize that when we say Norah, we mean her.

Saturday (continued)

Norah matching her hand print against the lions paw prints.

Pointing out the big "cat".

She was facinated by the bears.

We got to looking at this picture and started laughing. The little girl beside Norah is more interested in her than in the huge grizzly bear that is walking close to the glass.

Norah ran this fish food dispenser through the ringer. She went through close to $3.00 in quarters before we could lure her away with lemonaide.

Can't you just hear the Mission Impossible theme music playing. This orangutan worked his way around the whole wall of the enclosure pressed up against the wall.

The big man himself. Norah was really interested in him and waved almost the whole time we looked at him. He of course was completely unimpressed by everything.

Beautiful Lorikeet eating an orange.

After the zoo it was off to the park for lunch.

....and some MORE running.

Picnic at Daycare (Friday)

Gardening, and a big day for Norah and her family.

Thursday was a big day for Norah (and us). Norah had her hearing aids fitted by Dr. Christensen. She did very well with us being shown how to put the hearing aids in and then practicing to make sure that we could replicate the fit at home. We were provided with a kit to clean, check and store the hearing aids and instruction on how to change batteries, clean, ect. Then it was off to have a hearing screening to see where the hearing aids brought her hearing up to. Before, without hearing aids Norah could only hear things like a chainsaw starting close by. Now she can hear regular conversation, she should be right in the area on the charts that will allow her to learn speech. If she responds well to speech therapy we may not have to have a cochlear implant. If yesterday is any indication Norah wants to talk REALLY badly. We both had headaches by the end of the day from her being so vocal. After we got home from the Dr. at around 3:00 Norah had had enough. We took her hearing aids out and got her to go to sleep for about an hour.

She would only stay asleep as long as Lori was laying beside her, as soon as Lori got up to use the bathroom she woke up and kept going till she finally passed out at around 1 A.M. (yes, your read that right). Hopefully today will be a better day as far as attitude (she started out cranky yesterday, before we even got the hearing aids).

Norah does not have speech yet. Having only had hearing aids for approx. 6 months before we adopted her she has the speech of about a 10 month old. Lots of babbling and one syllable words (ma, ba, ect). We all have a lot of work ahead of us. It's a good thing we have a lifetime together to get through as much as we can. Norah getting her hearing checked after getting her hearing aids.

This was the attitude for the day. Just look at that face.

Norah working in the garden.

Love without boundaries EBay auction.

You can be the proud owner of this Going home Barbie if you are the lucky bidder on EBay.

April 23-28, 2009 Love Without Boundaries is having there "Born in my Heart" Ebay Auction. to help fund Heart surgeries for the kids in china. Norah had her heart repaired by Without Boundaries in 2007 and Lori and I can't thank the people at LWB from the people that travel to do the operations, the people that volunteer to help set up the auctions, to the people who buy at the auctions, you all had a hand at healing my daughters heart. To that we saved the Going home Barbie in it's box just so we could give it to LWB for this Auction to help someones eases child with a life saving surgeries.

Glen

From LWB.....

http://stores.ebay.com/Love-Without-Boundaries-Store

Our 6th Annual Love Without Boundaries "Born in my Heart" Art Auction is soon to go live. This year’s auction is set for April 23-28, 2009 with April 1st as the deadline for donations. For those who may not be familiar with this event, the “Born in my Heart” art auction is our tribute to the miracle of adoption, and a benefit for orphans in China who might never know that miracle without our help. Last year’s auction was a great success, raising over $35,000 and making it possible to help heal the hearts of many beautiful children! The Love Without Boundaries Foundation is an all-volunteer organization that has helped over 400 orphans receive life-changing surgery in the last year. Heart surgeries are always the most expensive, costing up to $5000 per child. They are also the most essential by far, as they truly give the gift of life. We would like to invite you to visit our website to read more about our art auction:
http://www.lovewithoutboundaries.com/borninmyheart2009.cfm You are welcome to email us at auction@lwbmail.com with questions about how to help. Be sure to check our site again (LWB eBay Store) for our 6th spectacular Born in my Heart Art Auction 4/23 - 4/28/09 and help raise funds for the heart surgeries of orphans in China. Love Without Boundaries, auction@lwbmail.com , http://www.lovewithoutboundaries.com/

Three/four year olds are busy people.

Norah never stops moving that girl can play all day. She is making progress with her sign language and attaching to me. One thing that I have noticed is that she is getting less clingy to Lori but that is only because Lori and I work on it everyday. If we didn't insist that Norah go places with just me or let me get her food, bathe her, and do her hair at the times when she only wants Lori, she would be attached to Lori's hip 24/7. Right now it's only 19/7. I have a feeling that if we let her just have Lori do it every time two things would happen. One Norah would not be making the progress that she has made with me and would just attach to Lori only and two Lori would run away from home.

Norah was born deaf, cute as a button, has a smile that can light up a room, and she is a happy child for most of the day but...she can also throw a world class fit like nobody's business if she either dosen't get her way or dosen't want to do something. I say however that who ever has not thrown a fit in their lives can cast the first stone. She is three almost four years old and fits are a big part of that age to start with. Lori says it's like living with a needy heart surgeon all the time.

If you find yourself in the position of your child attaching to only one person, remember it's a work of love. You can't let your feelings get hurt and give up. It does start to pay off with time.

Norah now does the sign for bath, potty, eat, drink, ect to me when she needs something almost as much as she does to Lori. Most of the day Lori and I are on a somewhat even playing field when it comes to her wanting help from both of us, or playtime inside or out, but every once in a while "Mommy only girl" appears. Most of the time it is when she starts to get tired at night. When the sun goes down she will not climb into my lap like she will during the day. It's cling to Lori time and that's understandable, in time this too will get better.

Lori and I came home to the same family members, home, cars, ect. Everything in our lives that we found comfort in before we left for China was here waiting for us when we got back. Everything in my dear daughters life is new.

After having different types of living situations and multiple "families" how long would it take you to get used to having to trust an all new family, home, life, and to start using sign language when you have really never had a language before in your life. Whe you saw it getting dark outside would you fear that you would fall asleep and everything that you have come to know and love was going to be different again?

Glen