Saturday, August 14th, 2010

I have been anxiously awaiting this day - Traiton's Yo Gabba Gabba birthday party. In fact, I woke up signing "party" I was so excited! Traiton's Mommy is pretty handy and she created life-size Yo Gabba Gabba characters and I was in awe - I kept going to visit them throughout the party.

Next to Traiton's party was a Samoan family reunion. When I went to play on the swingset a crowd of the kids crowded around me and asked Mommy all types of questions about me. What is that on her neck? Can she talk? Does she play? I was a little shy and didn't have much to say but I didn't mind being the center of attention!

Peyton Nicole Smith

Friday, August 13th, 2010

A note from Mommy:

This picture is a metaphor to me. In a few short weeks, Peyton will be starting preschool. Ever since her birth she has been on the path to independence. First it was scooting, then it was standing, then walking and then running. All of these milestones (sometimes inchstones in the special needs community) lead her farther away from me. I am conflicted about that. Although I celebrate the progress she has made despite the challenges in her life, I am mourning the loss of the baby she used to be. In many ways, Travis and I didn't get to have the typical baby experience. Sometimes that was wonderful - how many new parents would love night nurses so you don't have to get up for 3 am feedings? Sometimes it was just sad - we gave the hospital most of her cute baby clothes because they didn't play well with a trach and a g tube.

Because we don't know enough about the genetic component of Nager, the reality is that we don't know the likelihood of passing it on to another child and for that reason we won't have another baby. And that is why I keep crying when I think about her going to preschool - I am mourning the loss of her babyhood but in some ways I am really mourning the baby experience that should have been and will never be for us.

Mommy

Thursday, August 12th, 2010

You may be wondering why I am riding a tricycle in a dress - well that is because Jackson and I got some pictures taken today. I haven't had any formal ones taken since the fall of 2008. With Kiddie Kandids closing down in Utah, Jackson hasn't had any formal pictures for a while too. Being that we were in a casual setting (Jackson's house) the photographer got pretty informal pictures. I posed a little - sitting on a bench and standing next to a tree - but Jackson wasn't in the mood to be photographed so there weren't many smiles and he spent time shoveling up dog poop and playing in mud. Mommy and Aunt Kristin tried hard to get us in some photos together and finally I agreed to be pulled in the wagon while Jackson pulled it. At the end of the session, Jackson and I gave each other a hug but the photographer had some technical difficulties and missed it - bummer!

Peyton Nicole Smith

Wednesday, August 11th, 2010

Despite hitting, kicking and generally terrorizing the dogs at every turn I really do love my furry brothers and (surprisingly) they still love me (okay not all the time but most of the time).

Daddy took the day off to take me to my retesting appointment for the school district. Without a nap, a cap or a speaking valve it was worst case scenario which is what they needed to see. I was a perfect angel and behaved well doing exactly what they wanted me to. The folks in the room could clearly see that I was smart as a whip but without great expressive language skills. The first test I was in the 16th percentile and today I was in the 2nd. Now most parents would probably be bummed that I had scored so poorly but this is exactly what my parents had hoped for - results that were based strictly on my oral language ability. At this point there is no question that I will qualify for the services that I need and my parents breathed a big sigh of relief.

Peyton Nicole Smith

Tuesday, August 10th, 2010

Today was my occupational therapy evaluation with Wendy. Since I had just been to the office last week for my speech/feeding evaluation I was content to play in the waiting room until I was called back. Once in the room, I was interested to see a maze of mats for playing on. There were mat stairs leading up to a mat slide and it only took a few minutes before I warmed up and started exploring while Mommy answered some questions for Wendy.

Before long it was time to get down to business and Wendy put me in a little chair with a table so I could "play". I worked on stringing beads, taking lids off of a container, etc. My favorite part, though, was when she pulled out some tiny Peyton sized scissors and I got to cut paper. Mommy was just a wee bit horrified at the thought of me cutting but I did very well and when I was done my fingers were intact! I was so good Wendy even gave Mommy the scissors for me to take home!

Two hours after we started the fun and games came to a screeching halt when I peed through my diaper (those things can only hold so much apparently) and after a quick diaper change and a fresh pair of pants it was time to leave. Since I am getting my hand surgery next week, Wendy is going to focus on my left hand after the cast comes off so we probably won't be doing much therapy until then.

Peyton Nicole Smith

Monday, August 9th, 2010

I got a fun surprise today when Uncle Jeff came by with his son Blain for a quick meal and a visit. Blain was visiting over the weekend but had to go back to California because school is starting soon.

Peyton Nicole Smith

Sunday, August 8th, 2010

With all the wind over the last few days, Daddy promised to take my kite flying today. It was a little too much wind and it was hard to keep the kite in the air but I still got to fly it for a few minutes on my own.

Peyton Nicole Smith