My Two Fish

I posted that Noah started swim lessons last week and he's doing so much better every day. Saturday at the city pool he jumped off the edge into the water, made his way to the wall underwater then pulled himself up back out of the pool - more times than I can count. He's super excited about swimming so we'll see how it goes tomorrow at class again.

My mom wanted to put Jordan is swim class along with Noah but I was concerned with her sensory issues (vestibular problems) and wondered how it would go anyway with her foot and just her being behind in her gross motor skills in general. The teacher offered to see Jordan in the evening when she sees her special needs kids but after talking more she felt Jordan wasn't ready yet. She told me to start putting her in the shower, getting her face/head wet and just getting her more used to the water. She also said that she'd meet with us one time as a freebie to help us with ideas to work with her on our own to prepare for swimming.

I took her tonight and of course she clung to me and screamed when I let her go but it really wasn't that bad. As soon as Ms. Connie took her and was really firm with her she did very well. Ms. Connie actually got her in an inner tube kicking her legs by herself and she really does kick pretty well. She also got her underwater twice before she really freaked out but Connie kept putting her under until she calmed down enough to ask to please be taken to the steps. She also got her on her back floating with only one hand on the back of Jordan's head. When I tried to do those things with her it was really bad. I was so nervous and tense and Jordan wouldn't do it, she kept screaming and I really just wanted to watch Connie work with her as I sat in the chair. Instead, Connie says she wants to work with me at least another time before I do anything with Jordan in the pool by myself. I was totally surprised by my response to her fear and her screaming. Usually I think I do really well when she is scared, screaming, and everything else that we've had to work through with her but she looked so tiny in the pool and was so scared. Connie says that this is the summer we need to work with her on swimming because she's getting older, she's cognitively able to do it and responds like a typical toddler to the water (scared but not dealing with an abnormal reaction like some of her special needs kids with autism etc.) and if we wait she'll just become more afraid.
I'll be meeting with Connie again Thursday at 5:00 to work on this again and then she said I can get in the pool one week from Thursday possibly during Noah's class so she can help me a bit just with verbal direction.
Okay so enough of this long post. I wish I had pictures but I was in the water so I'll try to get some soon.

Yay Noah!!!!!!!!!!

What a huge week it's been at our house and it's only Wednesday!!
Noah had his first swim lesson yesterday and today he rode a bike with no training wheels!
Yay! What a big boy we have!

More pictures from San Diego...see previous post

These posts always come up in the wrong order - I added more pictures from San Diego - scroll down for the post about our trip.

Mission Bay Playground
Shamu!!!!

I love this picture. She is SUCH a happy girl!!

The Fam

Jordan loves talking about bubble gum. Here she just said, "Wanna see me blow a BIIIG bubble?" She does this all the time and it's a crack up.

San Diego

So cute!
This boy loves the water!!!

Petting Zoo at the Fair

Jordan thought all the pigs were named Wilbur.

This was a fun area at the fair where people could hear themselves playing instruments.

Noah loved it!

We're back from our San Diego vacation and wanted to post some fun pictures.

We had credit card points that needed to be used so we booked a last minute trip to La Jolla for the family. Shannon was so sweet and planned the entire trip for us. He even researched local things for us to do while down there.

Shan got to surf, I got to run, we played by the pool (I napped!), went to the San Diego County Fair to see the animals and eat all kinds of weird fried things, we went to Sea World, and then spent a little time playing near Mission Bay. It was the best! We came home refreshed and rested and more than a little thankful for our time away.

Hospital Clothes

This one is blurry but you can see the stitching okay.

Here's the front.

The back with buttons.

I sent an email out to my friends and family who sew asking for them to consider making hospital "dresses" for babies who need to be hospitalized. I was talking to a mom today who often spends weeks at a time in the hospital with her 2 year old (days younger than Jordan). Someone made her a few dresses for her to wear rather than hospital gowns.

It was so touching to her and I can understand why.

When your child is in the hospital hooked up to machines and wires, wearing hospital issue (way to big) gowns it's too easy to forget what they are without all of it. So quickly parents and others forget to think of them in all their personality. It's easy for doctors to see this assembly line of patients when they do their rounds and to think only of the case. My favorite thing has always been putting Jordan's own clothes on her when she's in the hospital but it's often way too challenging with everything she's hooked up to as well as large casts and bandages.

I remember when she was in PICU for five days hooked up to a respirator, a central line, an IV, a pulse oximeter, a cast on every limb except one and bandages on her face. I HAD to at least brush her hair and put a cute bown in it. It didn't matter that she was sleeping through it.

I hung pictures of her up on her bed so the staff would see her the way she is - laughing, being silly, playing, etc. Fun, cute, thoughtful dresses would've made my week.

These dresses would be perfect. They are a similar concept - open in the back with a button or two and a long gown type thing that can give medical staff easy access to the baby/toddler. BUT they are SO cute! There are so many cute, colorful fabrics and styles that can be used with these...ruffles, pleats, embroidery, fun stitching, sports themes for boys, or cars and trains. The possibilities are endless for you creative types.

My sewing skills are limited so I need help. I need someone who is good at this who would be willing to come to my house with her sewing machine (or have me to her house) with a few other women who are interested so we can figure this out (unless you all can figure it out on your own).

We all need to make two - yes just two.

Then we can deliver them with cards to families at CHOC (Children's Hospital Orange County) or my personal favorite UCLA Children's where Jordan has spent many, many days.

I also envision somehow putting a bible verse in them...perhaps low cost tags that can have writing on them (my friend did this for a baby blanket she crocheted for Noah) and of course the cards of encouragement can use scripture.

Seriously friends I'm so excited about this but I can't do it alone.

I need creative seamstresses to add their own flair.

I need spatially gifted seamstresses who can help with the pattern (very simple!).

If you don't sew you can purchase fabric or send money for it.

We can find so many cute patterns in clearance racks for next to nothing or we can buy sheets that are on clearance with cute patterns or get Ikea fabric...the sky's the limit.

Post on here if you're interested - many of you have received an email about it and I'm looking forward to seeing who is interested.