Video --finally!

Wow! I have finally found a program that allows me to upload video to the blog -- woohoo! Here is a video my sister took -- I am experimenting, hoping to add video to future posts...

A Fabulous Long Weekend - Friday

Friday was the start of a much-anticipated, much-needed long weekend. The warm weather and the company of good friends made for the perfect start to the weekend.

A few years ago my friend Ashleigh and I got in contact after not having seen each other since high school. We have run into each other a few times while shopping, but we really wanted to get our families together. Ashleigh's husband, Chris, also went to high school with us -- and they have been together ever since! I was excited about being able to meet their little girl, Addyson.

Right from the start, Maelyn loved following Addyson around and copied everything she did. The girls are one year apart, but they got along so well!

Playing in the backyard before dinner...

It was wonderful to catch up with Ashleigh and Chris -- I feel like I have reconnected with a dear friend. I love, love, love that we live in the same neighbourhood -- I see playdates and park visits in our future! :)

After dinner, Maelyn decided to give me a massage (picked up from a visit with Brya, I believe) and Addy had to get in on the action!

After dinner the girls got a second burst of energy and were chasing each other all over the house. It was wonderful listening to their giggles and the fun they were having. 

The girls decided to make us another 'dinner' and set the table for their feast...

A hug for a new friend at the end of a wonderful visit...

I am looking forward to spending more time together -- friends are such a blessing.

Godsister Sleepover

Last month we were fortunate enough to be able to spend a weekend with some of our favourite girls -- Brya and Cassidy! Maelyn was sooooooooooo excited!

Maelyn being cared for by Brya -- it was like having another mother in the house! :)

After dinner, we all headed outside for a game of catch football -- what a blast!

The girls all then decided that we should head to the park...

The game of catch football continued all the way to the park -- I don't know who was having more fun....Paul or the girls!!

Maelyn and Cassidy, resting along the way...

Cassidy hopped in for a ride...

Paul and Brya feeding the ducks...

Finally made it to the park -- then rolled down the hills...

Hangin' with Daddy...

 Settling in before bed...

Hanging out the next morning...

Heading to Chuck E Cheese's to celebrate Brya and Cassidy's birthdays...

The girls made Easter/Birthday cupcakes...

Love, love, love getting to spend time with my girls -- I miss them terribly when I don't see them! Yes, even if I did get my first dose of dealing with a teenager -- I love them to bits!!

First Day of Daycare

About two months ago Paul and I talked about starting Maelyn in daycare. Although Paul is still home with her, she started showing signs of needing to be with peers more often. We decided to send Maelyn to daycare every Tuesday and Thursday.

We love the daycare we chose for her -- and it is a very convenient five minute walk from our house! The YMCA program she is in starts for children two and a half and older -- perfect for our little miss!

Over the past month we have been talking about daycare with Maelyn and we have visited the daycare often. A few times a week, one of us would take her there to play and spend time with her teacher and the other children. Today was the first day that we left her there -- and she handled it like a trooper!

It drove me a little crazy that I wasn't the one to see her off on her first day, but I knew that she was in good hands. Paul took her there this morning and she didn't even blink when he left. I called Paul during recess to see how the drop-off had gone and he reported that he was the one who had a hard time with it -- although he won't admit to shedding a tear, I know that he found it hard to leave her there.

Paul returned a few hours later to pick her up and she had had a blast! The class went for a walk and saw ducks in the pond, they read stories and they played together.

This Thursday, Maelyn will stay at daycare until after lunch. Next week, she will stay until after nap time.

Another step in the journey. I know it is often said, but they really do grow up too quickly!!!

A big leap forward...

Maelyn had her cleft palate repaired last November and since then, has been making huge strides with both her speech and her eating/swallowing issues.

Maelyn attends speech therapy on a bi-weekly basis and it has helped tremendously. We are given a series of exercises to work on and the difference in her speech every time she goes to speech therapy is quite noticeable. Right now, since Paul is on leave, he takes her to all of her appointments and follows up with most of her speech exercises.

Coincidentally, the woman who works with Maelyn during her speech therapy sessions also specializes in eating and swallowing issues. She has been able to work with Maelyn on some of the issues that haven't improved since her surgery. Maelyn compensated so well for her open palate that she has some 'bad habits' to break, now that her palate is repaired. These habits, however, are the compensating skills that helped our little girl to eat and survive when she was little.

We had a HUGE breakthrough about two weeks ago. Paul and I had been working on helping Maelyn blow bubbles using a straw -- she became quite the expert, blowing bubbles in her cup, too! The one thing we just hadn't been able to help her overcome was her inability to suck -- which makes using a straw impossible.

Paul helped Maelyn practise this skill by holding a spoon filled with things such as milk or yogourt up to her lips and modelled how to suck it off the spoon. All of sudden, she started doing it!! Paul immediately grabbed a thick straw and put it into her cereal bowl -- and she figured it out!

Maelyn can use a straw!! Woohoo!! No more sippy cups without valves (and all the spills that accompany such a cup). No more frustration on her part when she sees other kids drinking out of juice boxes and she just couldn't do it.

Way to go, Maelyn!! We are so proud of you!

Okay -- way to go, Daddy, too! I am proud of you!



Easter at Home

We had our Easter hunt at home on Sunday afternoon. We decided to hold off until the afternoon because we had a late night on Saturday and we figured that this would be the only year we could get away with manipulating what time the Bunny visited our home.

I made the mistake of telling Maelyn, just before nap time, that we were going to have another egg hunt. By this point, Maelyn was obsessed with the entire Easter experience and just kept saying 'Eggs, Mommy, eggs! Yay!'

About twenty minutes into her nap, she started screaming my name -- this had never happened before, so I rushed up to her room to see what had happened. As soon as I walked into her room, she started jumping up and down and yelling 'Yay, Mama!! Eggs! Eggs!' You can imagine her disappointed when I told her that she had to continue with her nap -- the poor Easter Bunny hadn't had time to hide eggs yet!

Finally, the eggs were hidden, the nap was over, we went for a nice walk and then the fun began!

Maelyn was running for the eggs and was finding them in places we were positive we would have to lead her to...

We didn't let her in on the secret that she could eat the eggs until the hunt was nearly over -- but that didn't stop her from digging right in!

She kept saying, 'Thank you, Mommy! Yummy!'

Opening her Easter gifts

At dinner, we exchanged Easter cards and chocolates. Maelyn kept handing everyone the cards and saying 'Happy Easter!' over and over again. In fact, she continues to say this every time she is happy and she gives someone something -- there is no such thing as Happy anything else in this household -- it is Happy Easter all year round!

Maelyn was now fully convinced that we would have an egg hunt every day -- can you blame her? The first thing she asked for the next morning was eggs. Luckily enough, she tired out before we were able to hunt for eggs that were hidden in the kitchen, so she had some left to find. :)

As soon as she was done, she wanted to sample her treasure. She was not a happy little miss when I told her that she would have to eat her breakfast before she had an egg.

The following pictures distinctly remind me of the first time Maelyn opened her advent calendar...

My little chocolate addict...

Poor little miss...hehe!

Easter at Grandma & Grandpa Green's

Our eggcellent adventures continued Friday morning with a visit at Paul's family home.

We all enjoyed a yummy brunch together...

Grandpa taking Maelyn to get started on her second egg hunt...

Maelyn knew exactly what to do and dove in with excitement...

Maelyn kept bringing each egg over to show Grandpa -- she wouldn't let anyone else help her...

These two are quite inseparable...

Uncle David helping Maelyn look for an egg...

Once the egg hunt was over, Maelyn played the organ and the piano with Grandma...

It was a wonderful morning -- especially wonderful to watch Paul's parents enjoy spending time with their Grand-daughter. Maelyn is surrounding by family that loves her so very much.