Three weeks since surgery

Joy had her checkup with the palate surgeon this week.  Dr. Ray said her palate has healed good and he says that this surgery was definately a "win".  After the surgery we noticed open crevices in Joy's palate along the tooth line.  When she ate solid food, parts of the food would get pushed up into those crevices and get stuck.  But now those crevices have filled in; the tissue grew together in just three weeks.  Dr. Ray said now we will wait for her to start talking.  When she starts talking, we may find that some adjustments need to be made in the palate if her speech is abnormal in any way.  We also saw an audiologist and did another hearing test.  Her hearing is within normal range! :)  This is a huge praise!!  We were prepared for the possibility of her having some hearing loss since she has had fluid on her ears most of her two years.  The audi. said she is not sure the tubes are doing their job though.  There is still fluid on her ears.  We are giving another round of eardrops and will check up with the ENT in two months.



Daddy and Joy swingin' to pass the time waiting on doc.





Feeding baby bird.



 Joy LOVES puffs!  We hide them, but she found them!  This month, Joy has learned the sign for "more" and yesterday she started attempting the sign for "please".  We have taught her both signs using her love for food!  We have been working on both signs for a month.  We have also been working on the word "up" for a month and she hasn't said "up" yet, but I think she is trying.  When she wants me to pick her up, I usually ask her several times to say "up" and she usually just moans with her mouth closed.  I probably say "up" a hundred times a day.  Yesterday when Joy wanted me to pick her up, she opened her mouth and uttered a very frustrated, "uuuuhhhhhh!!!!"  I was so excited to hear that and see her mouth opened in the correct way.  


Joy is captivated by the cover of Dr. Suess' book, There's A Wocket in my Pocket!  I can't figure out what it is, but she just stares at it!  Interesting!

I hope it will be one of her favorites.  It is one of my favorite children's books.

Also, in the last couple of weeks, we took Joy for her first haircut!  Well, it wasn't much of a cut, more of a trim.  Myra trimmed the few long strands that were in Joy's eyes, over her ears and in the back. 

Plan A: Joy sit on a booster seat for the trim.

What a big girl!

Just as Myra got the scissors in place for the first cut, Joy threw her head back in complaint.  Thankfully, no one was harmed!

Plan B: Joy sit on Mama's lap for the trim.

Still unhappy, but manageable!

Yeah!!!  All done!

And Joy's hair looks great!

Wow!  It takes a lot of practice to be able to work with a moving target, and do this good of a job, AND not hurt the sqirming child with the scissors in the process!