Speech Therapy at Mary's House

Audrey had her first speech therapy session at Mary's yesterday and it went very well! Audrey consistently put all of the whistles and horns to her mouth and worked very hard on some lip closure. The theme for the session was body parts. We used a book and Mr. Potato Head to identify eyes, nose, ears, and mouth. Our goal is for Audrey to be able to "point to your/the ____" on herself, dolls, other people and books. Audrey also did a great job of signing yesterday. She signed "more" 6 times all by herself to get more bubbles, music, and toys. She also signed "all done" and "my turn" with a little help. She did a great job of turn taking by rolling a car back and forth with me. For her talking Audrey imitated ba-ba and ma. Audrey made great eye contact and played for the entire hour! Way to go Audrey!

Liz- Speech Therapist

Daddy's First Blog

First off, thanks out there to everyone who has viewed/commented on Audrey's blog, especially her therapists! What kind of rockstar would she be without all of her adoring fans? Speaking of fans, I of course think that I am her biggest fan--especially now that she gives kisses! I have waited along time for my own babygirl kisses, and I am so glad they are finally here, definitely worth the wait, though!

Like all rockstars, Audrey had to learn how to deal with the paparazzi, which is how she got to be so good at playing peek-a-boo. In fact... "She's the peekaboo masta, she drinks milk not Shasta, and Audrey looks sharp 'cause she hasta!" ...Sorry, I just wanted to give Audrey's closest fans a little lyric sneak preview from one of her current works in progess. As a rockstar, she is continuously in "creative mode." Look for more of that one when her next hit album appears on shelves this summer!

Meet Audrey's PT, Chris!

From the comment section....

Just wanted to say hello from Audrey's PT. I must say I love the little kitchen we have been working with. Audrey loves to stand up and cook. Do we see an up and coming chef in the future?Chris

Taking a Stand Against Dirty Dishes

Unable to operate the dishwasher, Audrey has decided to clean her own dishes in her own sink. In fact, all toys are eligible for cleaning. She sits on the floor in front of her little kitchen set, tosses them in, and is able to pull herself to a stand when sitting on my leg. She looks adorable standing there "cleaning" the dishes, and lacking ample drying space, she tosses them back onto the floor. She is standing for longer periods and will now prop herself against the kitchen with only her belly so she has her hands free. What a cutie!

Also new is her effort to say the word "kiss" and give me a sloppy baby smooch so I know she means business. We go back and forth, and she either tries to say the word or signs "more." More kisses? Sure. More chocolate pudding? Not quite. She is also trying to say the word Adam. Not surprising, since she has probably heard me say that more than any other word. When I'm giving her a bottle at bedtime, I often wonder what Adam is doing (getting into without permission), and I will call out for him, "Adam? Adam?" I now have a little echo, "Adda! Adda!" It's far too adorable. She's far too adorable.

Introducing Liz, Audrey's Speech Therapist

I didn't want this to get buried in the comments...meet Liz!

Hello to Audrey's family and friends! My name is Liz and I am Audrey's speech therapist. I will be seeing Miss Audrey every Wednesday morning and will be posting all of her great progress through this blog. Audrey works so hard to talk, identify pictures and objects, follow directions and express her likes and dislikes. Just wanted to take a minute to introduce myself to you all. I feel so lucky to be working with Audrey!

Week of 2/04/08

Like most little sisters, Audrey is a tough girl. She is insisting on playing rougher than I would expect and loves nothing more than to be tossed around the bed like a pillow. She laughs so hard I wonder if she will just throw up. Today, for the first time, she managed to remove her own soiled diaper. She seemed quite proud to have found another spot for the spoils, even if that spot was her crib. She is much more consistent about responding to questions with her own version of "yes," which sounds like a soft staccato "jess." She continues to find ways to get around that don't involve traditional crawling, so at least she is as inventive as she is stubborn.