Friday, Dec. 23 - 3 PM

Kayla telling secrets with Aunt Diane
Kayla, her sister, Madison, and her cousins decorating my tree
Kayla getting an ornament to hang on the tree
Ryan, Katelyn, Madison, Kayla, Emily, and Jamie in the back

Apologies for not posting sooner. Kayla is doing well in school. I visited yesterday and she was teaching me the alphabet. She knows all her letters, a word to go with each, and the sound each letter usually makes. She is beginning to sound out words.

They are working on her speaking in more complete sentences among other things.

Today we took Kayla to see a pediatric neurologist in Towanda(1 1/2 away). Both Peter and I like the doctor. He wants an EEG(to check her brain waves) and then probably take her off one of her medications. Through this doctor, we will also be setting up appointments with a pediatric neurosurgeon, to check her shunt and bone flap, and a pediatric orthopedic doctor, to see what they can do about her right leg and right arm. The EEG is on Tuesday in Danville, the other appoinments will also be in Danville, which is about an hour and a half away. Her original neurosurgeon is in Syracuse and PA medical assistance does not like us to go out of state, so it is time for a new doctor who can follow her more closely.

This is from Kayla's facebook page: Heated Myself Up A Slice Of Pizza And Left It In The Microwave Way Too Long Today All By Myself But I Still Ate It .. Daddy Was Shocked To See That I Did It All By Myself.

also from Kayla's facebook page: Going Shopping This Weekend For A Few Things On Sunday ... School Starts On Tuesday And I Can't Wait To See All My Old Classmates ... Maddy Will Also Be Starting Pre-K And She Is Also Excited ..

Kayla will be back in our local school district this year. We are hoping that being with her peers some of the time will help with her brain development.

Friday, July 22 - 8 PM

Kayla is going to school and therapy four days a week for the summer. I think she has another two weeks left. In September Kayla will be going the our local school, Mt. View. She will be in a life skills class but have some things with the 6th grade. She will get most of her therapy at school with one hour at St. Joe's each week.
Right now I am babysitting for Kayla and Madison. Kayla is doing very well. Peter said one morning this week he put her bra and shirt on and came to the kitchen to make her lunch. When he went back in her room she had finished dressing herself including her braces for her legs.
She just got up off the couch and went to the bathroom by herself.
Hope to see many of our friends at the Harford fair in a few weeks.
Just had to add a note. Kayla and Madison are sitting on the couch together. Kayla had an itch on her left arm(her good arm) so Madison reached over and scratched it for her.

Sunday - May 22 - 3 PM

I am sorry that I have not posted in two months. It has been a busy time. My husband, Frank, had open heart surgery on May 2 to replace the aortic valve and they also did a single coronary bypass. He was in the hospital for 14 days. One week into his recovery they discovered that he had a bleeding ulcer.
Now on to Kayla. On April 19th she walked 200 ft. with her cane all by herself.
On April 20th She got new glasses.
On April 27th she went to the circus with her class from school.
On May 18th she went to a baseball game in Scranton and the next day they had a talent show at school.
I talked with her teacher last week and Kayla does not use her wheelchair at school at all. She walks with her cane.
She is also recognizing and writing small words like "cat" and doing simple addition and subtraction.
We are working with the school district to possibly bring her back to our local school in September. I am not sure if everything can be worked out but time will tell. I believe it will be beneficial for her to be back with children her own age at least some of the time. She would be in a special life skills class but she would have music, library, computer(maybe) and lunch with the children her own age.

Kayla walking up to get her trophy at her cheerleading banquet
Kayla getting her trophy
Kayla and her trophy
Kayla's trophy, program and flowers
Kayla in her classroom in her stander working on her computer

Today I attended Kayla's cheerleading banquet. All the cheerleaders and basketball players received trophies. Then we had brunch and cake. I enjoyed meeting lots of the teachers and therapists who work with Kayla each day. She walked up to get her trophy just holding the hands of her aide. I was amazed at how well she is doing.
When I left she was in her stander, to strengthen her legs, doing her math on her computer.
She has also reached another milestone. She is no longer wearing diapers during the day. Three cheers for Kayla.

Tuesday - Feb. 22, 2011

These are pictures from Kayla's first basketball game at her school, the Jefferson center from a few weeks ago.

Today I went to Kayla's therapy at St. Joseph's center. She was in the pool. Kayla walked the length of the pool and back all by herself with no one holding on to her.

Kayla is walking alot with her quad cane in therapy and around the house at home. She does well as long as she has her braces and shoes on. She still needs some help balancing while walking but she is making steady progress.

Tuesday - Jan. 11, 2011

This is a post from Kayla's facebook page from her physical therapist at St. Joe's: "I walked 200 ft. twice today using a quad cane with very little help." Hoorah for Kayla.

On Monday we met at Kayla's school to discuss her progress. Her teachers and therapists are very pleased with her progress and by next year she will move from the multi-handicapped class to a life skills class. Kayla may start part time in the life skills starting in the third marking period this year.