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Today I am thankful for starting Annie's therapy and it going so well. She charmed the pants off of the OT. We sat in this little play room where Annie got to play with all kinds of fun toys and let the OT get a sense of how she responds/handles herself in different situations. Today was an evaluation day. She let the therapist hold her and feel her muscles and move her around in different positions. Justin and I both laughed that it was a good thing that Lucy didn't need this kind of therapy because I just can't even imagine how she would have reacted to a strange lady touching her/interacting with her. Anyway, the OT was very pleased with what Annie is able to do and she reassured me that her attachment is progressing nicely. When Annie got frustrated or upset she immediately looked to me for comfort and she settled quickly after just a few moments of momma time. We talked at length about the progress she has made, concerns that we have, and where we would like to see her improve with the therapy. After watching Annie for quite a while, the OT observed that she is, in fact, quite stiff and that certain muscle groups (her extension muscles) are extremely strong while others are lacking in strength. In particular, we are going to have to work on her stomach muscles. I would have guessed that her abs were extra strong given her normal postures, but she said that it is really her back that is doing most of the work and we really need to get her lower abdomen working. Annie is unable to pull her legs underneath her when she is on her tummy, she cannot go from sitting to laying or vice versa, she can't pull herself up to a standing position, etc. These are all things we will work on. The OT was impressed with how curious she was and her willingness to explore new things. I was really proud of Annie. She did great and I know it was a weird situation for her. By the end she was exhausted and ready to be done but she was still be a little pumpkin. We are going to start going every week. The picture above is one of the things we are supposed to start working with her on at home. She is so used to keeping her legs stiff and right next to one another, so we are going to start by pulling one leg up and letting one stay straight. It will allow her to get a sense of separation of her legs. You would be amazed at how hard it is to separate her legs. It takes some work. And then to keep them like this is really a task. But as you can see, she is a great sport about it. We will start working on the eating stuff in a little while. The OT said that eating/oral stuff is really personal and she would rather establish a relationship with Annie and then address those issues in a few weeks.

Lucy was my little helper for dinner tonight. We had one of the yummiest things I have ever made for dinner tonight - parmesan crusted chicken breasts from The Pioneer Woman. Make these. They are awesome and so easy. Lucy was in charge of all mixing and she did quite an awesome job. She loves to help in the kitchen. Don't worry, nothing was on while she was standing next to the stove/oven. I realize it looks a little dangerous in the pics.

I went to see He's Just Not that Into You tonight with some friends. It was cute and the popcorn and peanut m&m's were delicious. I got to sleep all night last night because Justin took Annie duty. It was really nice but I have just had a hard time getting caught up on sleep. Some day I will not feel like a walking zombie again, right?







Even Lucy ate the chicken.