Man-colds & Bayley Scales

Today started out like any other, with the exception that my husband has a cold. It's what we like to call a "man-cold". Not all men suffer from man-colds. To help diagnose, here are a few symptoms:

•over exaggerated coughing, sneezing & blowing of the nose.

•whining "uhhh *cough* I can reach the remote"

•complaints "I'm hot & sweaty, feel my head".

•regression of the man’s actual age.  

After today, I have learned that I am most certainly done having children. For the past few days while Ben has been home from work, I have felt as if I have three children. Hannah is more manic when her daddy is around and with him feeling under the weather, he does not have the energy necessary to keep up with her. Nor does he have the energy for his typical household duties. Therefore I get to handle a toddler that is acting as if she drank the entire pot of regular coffee, an infant whom I am trying desperately to keep shielded from every cough and sneeze within an 8ft radius, double the housework and making sure my newly adopted 33 year old has taken his meds. :)

 As if that isn't enough for one day, God thought it would be hilarious if he tossed in some added stress. As I was juggling a hungry baby, a manic toddler and a bleary-eyed, fresh-from-his-11hours-of-sleep-husband, I realized that Natalie was scheduled to have the Bayley Scales of Infant Development  test. I scheduled this appointment just before leaving for NC and forgot to program it into my phone...and considering my brain is mush these days, my phone keeps me posted on when and where I need to be!  Seriously, I rely TOO MUCH on my phone reminders!!  

  The nurse scored Natalie's test and gave us the results before she left. Are you ready for the results???  This might shock you...Natalie is delayed. Am I surprised? No. Does it sting to hear your daughter is developmentally delayed? Abso-freaking-lutely!  It felt as if someone punched me in the gut.  The nurse was saying that Natalie should continue with physical and speech therapies and that she would like to get ECE (early childhood education) on board as well. ECE is provided by a teacher that comes into our home and works on socialization (reading) and fine motor skills. They will leave work for us to do in between sessions. I wanted to cry. It made me feel as if I am not providing my daughter with everything she needs to develop and succeed. I read to Natalie, we do our own mini OT and PT and speech sessions every single day. I challenge Natalie on a daily basis.  It is my personal goal to have Natalie do everything Hannah can do.  Granted, Natalie will require more time to reach milestones and I am perfectly content with that.  Because when Natalie learns something new, I will be right by her side and I will see to it that she does it the correct way the first time around!  

  Our evening ended with smiles all around. Family fun on the living room floor, followed by Natalie & Hannah having a splash-fest in the tub. Natalie idols Hannah and has such a large part of her heart reserved for her older sister. I pray that Hannah understands Natalie's unconditional love and that she sets a good example for her younger sister.  My girls make my heart melt and my life complete.  Be well.