Straws & Briefs...

You might be asking yourself how those two items are related or could even be said in the same breath. Well, they are related. They are the two latest milestones for Anna.

If you have a cleft child, then you will share in our delight of Anna being able to use a straw!!! Quite an accomplishment for her. She started having some lip seal while we were playing with straws, suckers, and teaching her how to lick her fingers. That is something that she never did...so when she would get food on her fingers, I actually encouraged her to lick it off vs. using a napkin. It helped with her sensory issues of the mouth as well as forming a seal with her lips. Of course, after mastering this, we began trying to teach her to form some suction...and encouraging the use of a napkin ;-). Rodney takes full credit, and rightfully so, for the straw thing. He worked with her one day and she was "interested" that morning. Finally she was able to get the juice up the straw. I think it frightened her at first, but then she knew she was doing something "new" and she was hooked. It has been very nice to not have to carry a sippy cup that she could use everywhere we went. It may just be a straw to some, but for us HUGE milestone.

Now, I know that she is 3, but we were going no where fast on the whole potty training issue. (One day she will likely hate me for these types of posts) She wasn't interested at all. Even though she loved her Dora and Cinderella undies, she didn't mind one bit just wearing a diaper or pull up and packing her underwear around. But, thank goodness, finally we had a break through and we are all but naps and nighttime potty trained!!!

Carter and Jacob were in diapers together for a little while. Purchasing diapers lasted about 4 1/2 years the first time. When we brought Anna home, Parker was still in diapers/pull-ups for a few months and with Anna in diapers, we have been buying diapers this go round for about 4 1/2 years...that's 9 years of diapers!!! Why didn't we buy stock in those things????

Glad to be finished with diapers..at least we think so ;-)
Rodney, Marcy, Carter, Jacob, Parker & Anna Mei