Abby's prayerthread

[moonglow]

Thanks. It is called an old fashioned Shaker-style cradle. I love these dresses because they are called princess dresses. Abby's is called the Cinderella gown. That is why it comes all the way to the floor like a ballroom gown.



Her speech therapist tells me that she can tell Abby understands what you are telling her because she follows directions and will do what you tell her to do. The
Speech Therapist said that as long as she does that, it means that she will talk.



Abby tells us she wants something by either taking us by the hand and taking us to what she is wanting or if she is hungry, sometimes she will say "bite" if she wants to eat or "ba-ba" if she wants milk (that is what she used to call her bottle and she associates that word with milk). What we do when she wants something is to try to get her to say it first without giving it to her. Yesterday, I was drinking a bottled water and she walked over to me and wanted some. She was reaching for it. I said to her "Do you want the WATER? Say WATER. Abby wants WATER. " I repeatedly said the word WATER to her over and over for about five minutes. She never did say the word. But, I made her wait 5 minutes (while I was saying this to her) before she could drink it. I am hoping that she will get tired of waiting and start saying things because I do that with all of her food. I am reading to her all day. And I am constantly telling her what we are doing. Like, if we are playing with blocks together, I will say something like "Mommy and Abby are playing with blocks. Do you like to play with the blocks Abby?" I have heard that talking about what you are doing helps. I do that all day. I am just praying that it works soon. As of now, Abby can say - Mom-Mom, Dad-Dad, Hi, Yay (and clap her hands), Bite, and then she babbles all day in some weird baby language She is always making sounds like B-B-B or M-M-M. The speech therapist said that is a good sign when she is babbling like that. She said it means that Abby does want to talk.

Sounds like you are doing everything you possibly can...and I am sure she will start talking when she is ready. I think every child develops at their own rate. Some are talkers..want desperately to talk and be understood...while for others they are content as they are. Eventually though she will want to communicate much more to you and I am sure she will. Continuing to pray for her!

PS. I hope you keep those lovely dresses they worn in the pictures forever as keepsakes.

God bless

[mom_of_four]

PS. I hope you keep those lovely dresses they worn in the pictures forever as keepsakes.

I will!!

I forgot to mention that the other day when we took Abby to the allergy specialist, he found a LOT of fluid in her ears and he told me then that he thinks that may be why she isn't talking??? He put her on a liquid medicine she takes by mouth to try to dry up the fluid. She goes back to him in June. If he doesn't see any improvement in the fluid, she may have to have tubes put in her ears. Do you think this may really be why she isn't talking??? We tried to have her hearing tested once before. But, she was so scared of the ear doctor, that she wouldn't let him near her to check her. She seems to hear us OK. And she responds to her name. ???? I am not sure.

[moonglow]

I will!!

I forgot to mention that the other day when we took Abby to the allergy specialist, he found a LOT of fluid in her ears and he told me then that he thinks that may be why she isn't talking??? He put her on a liquid medicine she takes by mouth to try to dry up the fluid. She goes back to him in June. If he doesn't see any improvement in the fluid, she may have to have tubes put in her ears. Do you think this may really be why she isn't talking??? We tried to have her hearing tested once before. But, she was so scared of the ear doctor, that she wouldn't let him near her to check her. She seems to hear us OK. And she responds to her name. ???? I am not sure.

Oh yea..I remember now our discussion about that..I asked if she had, had alot of ear infection (she had one at the time) and you said no that was the first one...then posted about how they couldn't do the hearing test. I think the dr said they would have to put her under for it and you didn't want her too cause they put her under for cast changes. Do I have that information right? If not let me know.

And yes fluid in the ears can keep a child from hearing correctly. Doesn't mean she can hear..its from muffled and distorted. Her brain might not be getting enough information to try to repeat these words herself.

When I worked in the preschool I was a speech aide btw. Later I worked with severely handicapped adults as a speech aide. Just letting you know why I know this stuff. Plus having family members with major hearing problems.

Anyway I found this that might be helpful:

How ear infections and middle ear fluid might affect your child’s language development
What you can do to help

How can Otitis Media affect hearing?

When a child has fluid in the middle ear, the fluid reduces sound
traveling through the middle ear. Sound may be muffled or not heard.
Children with middle ear fluid will generally have a mild or moderate
temporary hearing loss. (It’s as if you plugged your ears with your
fingers.) However, some children have no change in their hearing.
Mild Hearing Loss—A child may not hear or may hear very
faintly the soft sounds at the beginnings and ends of words,
such as the “s” in “sun” and the “t” in “cat,” and words spoken
quickly such as “and.”


Moderate Hearing Loss—A child may have trouble hearing
most speech sounds, and may have trouble with short, softly
spoken words and word endings. It’s important to know that
some children with otitis media have no loss of hearing. A
hearing loss due to middle ear fluid should go away once the fluid is gone

Hearing and understanding for a one to two year old:

Points to pictures in a book when named.

Points to a few body parts when asked.

Follows simple commands and understands simple questions (“Roll the ball,”
“Kiss the baby,” “Where’s your shoe?”).

Listens to simple stories, songs, and rhymes.

Says more words every month.

Uses some 1–2-word questions (“Where kitty?” “Go bye-bye?” “What’s that?”).

Puts 2 words together

(“more cookie,” “no juice,”“mommy book”).

Uses many different consonant sounds at the beginning of words.

Now you said you show her things and name them for her all the time which is great but to see if she really is hearing AND understanding you, try having her name things..like ask her to show you where her tummy is. Most toddlers love this game and think its funny. Don't point to your stomach first though because she might be picking up clues like that which makes you think she is hearing ok. She might just mimic what you are doing. (only do this if think she does know body parts of course).

Does she turn when their is a loud bang to see what is going on? Those with moderate hearing loss usually will hear loud noises...but they might not hear something quieter like a ringing phone...you calling for her from the other side of the house. Does she turn and look that way or come to you when you call her from several rooms away? (I realize she is just starting to walk well so not sure if she could just walk that far to you or not).

Get a book that she knows well...you said you read to her alot...and ask her to point to certain things in it without you first pointing to it. Just to see if she really is hearing you and understanding. There are other suggestions on that link if she seems to not be hearing well due to fluid in her ears. Like it says, not all children are affected by fluid in their ears, but some are.

My mom started losing her hearing when she was just in her 30's. She has a rare condition called nerve deafness. Her ears are fine..its the nerves are affected and it can't be fixed. Anyway without her realizing it she started reading lips. But if we weren't directly looking at her she either didn't hear us at all or misunderstood us. We didn't realize what was happening either. (my sisters and I were all still living at home at this time as we were younger then..I can't remember if I was still in high school or not though..but it was around that time)

Anyway eventually as her hearing got worse we started noticing something was wrong. I remember one time she was in the kitchen cleaning up and I told her I was going to a friends and would be back at six. I thought she heard me so I left. Well apparently she didn't and when I came home she was very angry and upset that I had left without telling her where I was going. I was confused..told her I had told her. Same thing started happening with my other sisters. Eventually we realized she had something wrong with her hearing.

At that time (this was oh maybe 30 years ago) they were having alot of ads on TV for miracle ear and you could call for a representative to come to your home and have a free hearing test so us girls called them. Of course mom didn't believe she had any hearing problems...after all she was young. Well he did a trick...had her turn around in a chair where she couldn't see us and he gave us girls cards with words to say to her and she had to repeat those words. She got every single one wrong...

I think we were all completely stunned at how bad her hearing was. She had been compensating by lip reading without realizing it! And doing other things to figure out what people were saying. Well she needed hearing aides badly. It was quite a shock and very devastating to her. Her job depending on her hearing well as she has to take calls all the time plus other things.

My point is...everyone, even toddlers can learn very quickly to compensate when things aren't working property with their bodies. A deaf person can fool people all the time by lip reading. Even a blind person can learn to compensate to the point people don't know they are blind. That is why I suggested some of the things I did so you don't accidentally give your daughter clues to what you are saying to see if she is understanding you. She could be hearing...but not well enough due to the fluid to understand you. Hearing and understanding what is said are two different things.

Anyway..sorry this is so long but I hope it helps. I just have a feeling you have one very smart little girl on your hands...that is a good thing though.

God bless

[mom_of_four]

moonglow,
What confuses me about Abby is that she does respond to her name. And she will turn her head when there is a noise. There are times when she can hear the slightest little noise from another room. For example, our refrigerator makes a noise when it is making new ice. And my kitchen is 2 rooms away from the living room. Abby can hear that noise 2 rooms away and will turn her head every time new ice drops into the icebox. But then there are other times when there is a noise and she won't respond. So, I am wondering does her hearing "come and go" or is she just ignoring some noises and acknowledging others? Not sure. I may end up having to put her to sleep to have her hearing checked. Please keep us in your prayers today. We are taking our girls to their new pediatrician. Please pray that we have chosen the right one for them and that the visit will be a good one. Their appt. time is 2:00 EST. Wish us luck.

[moonglow]

moonglow,
What confuses me about Abby is that she does respond to her name. And she will turn her head when there is a noise. There are times when she can hear the slightest little noise from another room. For example, our refrigerator makes a noise when it is making new ice. And my kitchen is 2 rooms away from the living room. Abby can hear that noise 2 rooms away and will turn her head every time new ice drops into the icebox. But then there are other times when there is a noise and she won't respond. So, I am wondering does her hearing "come and go" or is she just ignoring some noises and acknowledging others? Not sure. I may end up having to put her to sleep to have her hearing checked. Please keep us in your prayers today. We are taking our girls to their new pediatrician. Please pray that we have chosen the right one for them and that the visit will be a good one. Their appt. time is 2:00 EST. Wish us luck.

Please talk to this new ped about her hearing and tell her or him what you just told me. With my mom's nerve deafness she cannot hear high pitch sounds. But can other sounds... Of course this is probably a horrible comparison as your daughter just has fluid on her ears. I suppose the pressure of the fluid could lessen at times (if its even affecting her hearing) and be worse at other times clogging up her ears more.

The thing about her responding to her name...like I said hearing and understanding are two different things. She might be hearing part of her name...or just be turning her head to you because you made a noise. Or she could be hearing perfectly fine but I think its really important you find out because that first few years of life is critical to them being able to hear correctly so they can learn to talk and if she isn't, its going to affect her speech. Of course if she is having problems hearing and that is taken care of...she can catch up very quickly. Little children are very fast as catching up on things like this.

BTW my son had ear tubes put in just after he turned one because he was having ear infections all the time..it really helped in draining that fluid off of his ears and reduced the ear infections by alot. The only thing we have to deal with is he had to wear ear plug when bathing or swimming because water can't get in his ears. That was kind of difficult keeping ear plugs in a one year old... But it was worth it.

I will be praying for you today with this new ped! I think getting one with experience is an excellent idea.

God bless

[mom_of_four]

We took the girls to the new pediatrician yesterday. She seems OK. She is very nice. We let her know about everything Abby has went through and told her about things that the other pediatrician had been concerned about (her head size and her not talking). The new ped. said that Abby's head is a little large but that she is not worried about it at all because she can tell by looking at me and my husband (he went with me) that it is a hereditary thing She also measured Autumn's head and said that hers is a little larger than average also. After she measured Autumn, she smiled and said "little sis has the big head too" and then she chuckled. We told her about our concern about Abby not talking. She said that at her age she should be saying about 6 words clearly (not 25!). Right now, Abby is saying Mom-Mom, Dad-Dad, Yay!, and Hi (she started saying hi a few days ago.) So, she is almost there. But, she does want us to continue with speech therapy and thinks it will help her. Both girls had good vitals and checked out good. The new ped. gave Autumn 3 shots yesterday and said that she was supposed to have had these shots when she turned 2 months old (The other ped. had not given them to her and told me that they weren't due until she was 4 months old!) They also did a hearing test on Autumn because she didn't get one when she was born. All babies are tested at birth but Autumn wasn't because the only doctor that does the hearing tests on newborns at at the hospital where she was born was on Christmas vacation when Autumn was born. Autumn's hearing test was good and it showed that she hears really well. Then, we talked about Abby's fluid in her ears. The ped. was actually able to see the fluid in Abby's ears (I thought ped.'s weren't trained to do that??). Anyway, she said that the fluid is there but that it doesn't look like there is a whole lot of it. So, maybe this medication is working?? I hope so. We talked about the scoliosis. She said that she didn't have any other kids in her practice as young as Abby with Scoliosis. But, that doesn't concern me much because Shriners is taking care of that part of Abby's health. But, she did say that she had been taught that once a kid gets to 20 degrees and under that they won't need surgery done for the Scoliosis. Abby is already down to 20 degrees. So, that is a good thing. Overall, I like this doctor. Time will tell. It is hard to make a good judgment with just one visit. But, she is better than the old ped.. That's the main thing. Her office is kid friendly and her staff is nice and Abby seemed to be more at ease there than she was at the old ped.'s office. That's what matters to me. We talked about a hearing screen for Abby. The new ped. said that she wants to wait until more of this fluid is gone because the fluid buildup in her ears would cause an inaccurate hearing test result. Please continue for Abby to talk better. I know she will. It just takes time, working with her, and lots of prayer. Thanks for everyone's prayers for my baby girl!

[moonglow]

Hey that sounds great...sounds like she knows what she is doing for sure! This other dr though sounds even more like she doesn't know what she is doing and that is not good for the children still seeing her. We had a new ped too when Nate was born and she was awful. Long story short I ended up switching Nate to a regular MD and transferred myself to him too as so many times when Nate caught some illness I got it from him. That way we could both see the dr at one appointment...made things much simpler that way.

I didn't know this other ped was concerned about her head size. I know they watch head sizes in new borns because of concerns of water on the brain ..the fluid build up causes the skull to keep increasing in size, but Abby obviously doesn't have that...they would have figured that out when she was still a new born. Some children have larger heads and grown into them. All you have to do is look at a bunch of kids to see that is normal. Some have tiny little heads and some larger...its just how God made us...all different..

The ped. was actually able to see the fluid in Abby's ears (I thought ped.'s weren't trained to do that??).

Its their ear scope that enables them to see the deeply in the ear and see the fluid and I image peds are trained to do that since its so common for little ones to have fluid on the ears and ear infections. Very, very common in babies and toddles.

Anyway, she said that the fluid is there but that it doesn't look like there is a whole lot of it. So, maybe this medication is working?? I hope so.

Great! Does sound like the medication is work. And I am glad she cleared things up on how many words Abby should be saying. I am sure Abby will be just fine.

BTW I sure don't recall them doing hearing tests on my son when he was a baby... I wonder if that is a new thing they are doing now? That is good though because I did end up taking him in a couple of times to have his hearing checked because he seemed to not respond to me at times. Turned out he had 'mom deafness'... Meaning he would tune me out when watching cartoons or busy playing... All children get mom or dad deafness I found out... sigh...

I will continue praying for her. Sounds like you are on the right track.

God bless

[mom_of_four]

I didn't know this other ped was concerned about her head size.

Yeah, the other ped. was freaking out over her head. We had tried to tell her that large heads run in our family. (my husband can't even wear a regular sized baseball cap. He has to buy custom hats when he gets one) But, she was having test after test ran on Abby. She made us take her for a CT of the head in December. And she had scheduled Abby for an MRI of the head next month! And every time we would take Abby in for a doctor visit there, she would measure her head to make sure it wasn't getting bigger! It made me feel like my child was a circus side-show freak and I was getting sick of it. The CT scan in December turned out fine. So, why not just stop at that??

BTW I sure don't recall them doing hearing tests on my son when he was a baby

Yeah, I have 2 older children who are 17 and 13 and I don't think they did the test back then when they were born either. It must be new. But, it is a very good idea!

All children get mom or dad deafness I found out... sigh...

yeah! This is especially true once they are teenagers!! LOL

[mom_of_four]

Please pray for me. Today has been a rough day for me emotionally. I have so much going on right now. Abby's health (her Scoliosis, her speech delay, the fluid in her ears), my poor relationship with my sons, my uncle is dying, and I am emotionally drained. Most of the time, I am able to handle a lot of stress. But there are days like today, when I just break down and cry and need to relieve some tension. I have had a rough day. Please pray for me.

[IMINXTC]

Holding you up in watchful prayer this morning and today. Asking the Lord to lift your spirits and give you refreshing new insights and possibilities in your walk with Him, as He faithfully keeps His hand upon your children,

[moonglow]

I am praying for you too! Sometimes life is stressful for sure. Hang in there.

God bless

[mom_of_four]

Thanks for your prayers. I am feelng better. Most of the time, I am able to deal with stress pretty well. But, there are times when I just need to vent and cry and let things out. I feel better today. I had to call and get a new speech therapist for Abby. Her old one has not shown up for her last 3 appointments. She has flimsy excuses that don't even sound legitimate. So, I called the speech therapy place and they are setting Abby up with another SP. I have to put my daughter first. I made sure to tell them that I wasn't trying to cause problems for them or for the SP. But, I have to have someone who is dependable. My daughter has to have a good, reliable SP coming to our house. Her needs come first. Please pray that the new SP will be a good one and will be able to make a "break-through" with Abby's vocabulary. I pray for my baby girl to talk. I want to hear her little voice. I pray to God every day for her to begin talking. I know that God has big plans for Abby and I know that someday, she will be singing praises to Him and thanking Him for healing her of all of her physical problems.

[moonglow]

Thanks for your prayers. I am feelng better. Most of the time, I am able to deal with stress pretty well. But, there are times when I just need to vent and cry and let things out. I feel better today. I had to call and get a new speech therapist for Abby. Her old one has not shown up for her last 3 appointments. She has flimsy excuses that don't even sound legitimate. So, I called the speech therapy place and they are setting Abby up with another SP. I have to put my daughter first. I made sure to tell them that I wasn't trying to cause problems for them or for the SP. But, I have to have someone who is dependable. My daughter has to have a good, reliable SP coming to our house. Her needs come first. Please pray that the new SP will be a good one and will be able to make a "break-through" with Abby's vocabulary. I pray for my baby girl to talk. I want to hear her little voice. I pray to God every day for her to begin talking. I know that God has big plans for Abby and I know that someday, she will be singing praises to Him and thanking Him for healing her of all of her physical problems.

Oh we understand...you have alot to deal with. Hang in there..praying for you. I am glad you are being such a good advocate for your daughter...yes she needs a SP there on a regular basis for sure...you are right, she has to come first. I wonder if they were even aware this other speech therapist wasn't showing up for these appointments? Anyway I hope you get a better one.

God bless

[TRL1957]

Praying the Lord will wrap His arms of mercy around you. That you will feel His peace and comfort in a big way. Praying faithfully for a break through regarding Abby's speech. And also praying about abby's scoliosis Lord bless

[mom_of_four]

We will be meeting Abby's new speech therapist this Tuesday (April 18th). Hoping that things go well. Also, Abby is getting her cast off on May 11th. She will keep it off until about the end of September. I can't wait to see her back and see how much it has improved! I haven't seen her back since November 9th 2010! We just keep listening to the doctor telling us how much better she is getting each time he changes her cast. (her curve started out at 48 degrees and is now down to 20 degrees) But, we don't get to see it when he changes her cast since it is done in the OR under anesthesia. I have missed those soft little belly hugs!! She will still have to wear a brace the entire time her cast is off. BUT, she will get a 2-hour break each day from the brace. So, she will get to go swimming and take baths in the tub. I can't wait to see her in a little bathing suit again! Please continue for Abby's back to heal. Her doctor is hoping that her curve will be improved a little more (2-3 degrees) when they take the cast off on May 11th. I am hoping for more than that! I am hoping for and praying for at least a 5 degree improvement! Please pray that her back will continue to straighten. Thank for all of your prayers. I will keep you all updated on her.