BALL, BALL, BALL, MAMAMAMA, P-P-P-PLEASE.......That's my language these days.....along with sticking my tongue out at Mayla (no judging, it's encouraged by the therapist), making fish faces, and kissing her hundreds and hundreds of times with puckered lips...trying to teach her that's MUCH better than the open mouth kisses she insists on giving everyone:) And of course to start working on those lip muscles.
Mayla is amazing, and I fall more in love with her each day...even if she RUNS from me when i'm trying to sit down and go over word books with her, or if she pouts when I make her TRY to say something other than 'eeeeeese'...her word for EVERYTHING! It's cute, and of course EVERY parent would be grateful if the ONLY word exited from their child's mouth is 'Please'...but it has become her 'clutch' go to word and working to reverse that is hard!
A speech therapist from Early On came last week Thursday and Mayla took to Lindsey RIGHT away...it was most likely because she brought some cool toys with her that intrigued Mayla, and don't forget the bubbles she had, anyone that shows up with bubbles will become Mayla's BFF instantly! What was the MOST exciting thing that came out of that session for me....seeing that someone else, a certified therapist, has a hard time working with my daughter as I do. What was relieving, how she would just laugh it off, and allow Mayla to continue on. Lindsey worked with Mayla on different mouth movements; Mayla was NOT a fan and struggled to look at Lindsey as she was only focused on the object Lindsey had...Mayla persistently tried her 'eeeese' word to get what she wanted and when that didn't happen, she would run along! We were laughing...especially upon Mayla's return saying 'EEESE' with a bit more gusto in her voice thinking that would do the trick!
It was fun having Lindsey here, at our home, she coaches me as I interact with Mayla, she gives me activities and assignments to work on with Mayla and she encourages; something one needs if they are in a position of feeling inadequate at times. This is a growing process, and one i'm glad our family is in, but it does not come without challenges. The first and biggest challenge I encounter is Satan trying to beat me up and rob me of my joy. Little thoughts get planted in my head throughout the days that tell me I have failed, and I have let Mayla down. Satan tries to use the world to 'show' me that i'm not a good mother....of course, I KNOW these are all lies, but they come knocking at times....my choice is to NOT open the door to them, but to fight them. The world tries to get me to compare, and what I have just learned from Pastor Jeff Manion is that comparison means focusing on what we lack, or in this case, comparing others to Mayla and what she lacks. The only thing that comes out of it, a joy stealer. Instead of comparing, I try and am determined to focus on what God has given us, and that he knows everything, that means he knows even more than me and he can see things I can't.
Lindsey will be coming once a month for now, they start slow and want to see for now how Mayla progresses with another assessment in June. Once a week we go to a speech play group too, it's more like a free Gymboree session, with playing, singing, dancing and even includes a play parachute. Mayla is being referred next month for a swallow eval at the Children's hospital, we are wondering if all the tubes down her throat early on could have caused some damage, so we are starting there as Lindsey also showed her concern for Mayla's choking/gagging while drinking/eating. She tried to do a hearing test on Mayla, but surprisingly (ha note sarcasm) Mayla didn't cooperate:) She will try once more before sending us to a center for that. It's a lot, and it's challenging and fun at the same time. It's rewarding too....every new sound that comes from Mayla has me JUMPING up and down, my heart racing, my lips smiling and me celebrating what I feel is a milestone and thanking God.
I wish I could record the look on Mayla's face when I utter over and over, mamamamama, dadadadada, she looks at me, grins sheepishly and says with her eyes, 'mom, you sound so funny'! God is paving a way for Mayla and knitting a future for her I can't even begin to imagine.
Gotta love having Cousins that encourage Mayla's sounds along side us.
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| Play group with Cousin Kiley, an indoor swing:) |
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| And Mayla's favorite, the ball pit! Thinking about building one in the house:) |
