The end of May.

The end of May already... it's hard to believe.

This month has brought forth a lot of improvement with Flara.  All at once... just as the 'brain doc' had said, Flara would begin to flourish.

We have still been meeting with Tennessee Early Intervention, a program for at-risk infants and children.  They are great.  I have a case worker who comes to our home, and she sends other folks to our home to help work with Flara and teach me more of what I can do to help her develop.  Part of their program is assessing Flara's progress.  Upon completion of her initial tests, she has a 25% delay in gross motor skills and a 25% delay in verbal communication skills.  Based on these two delays, she would qualify to attend the Trula Lawson school at the age of 3 (if we so desired).  The Trula Lawson school is here in town, and is a school geared towards little kiddos with delays.  Although I ultimately plan on homeschooling my girls, it is nice to know that these programs are available to help little Flara.

Part of homework with Flara has been attempting to teach her to roll over.  She finally mastered rolling from her tummy to her back, but just could not get the final 'oomph' to roll over from her back to her tummy.  Finally, in the past week, she has made it over!  Only a few times, but she has done it!  Of course, she can only roll in one direction... towards her dominant right side.  I think it's that darn brain bleed slowing her left side down again.  Boo.  But, we keep working on it.  Eventually, I think she'll get there.  =)

She also figured out how to hold a toy and pass it from hand-to-hand!  I know it doesn't seem like much, but that one little task has been the big one that everyone has noted as indicating her miscommunication in her brain.  Also, as she has become more body-aware, she still had not been fully realizing that she has little tootsies.  This week, she found them!  I have been more apt to let her sit in a diaper and leave her feet bare so she can find them and pull on them.  She seems to be very pleased with their discovery.  I'm tickled because that little foot grab tells me that she now knows that she owns feet.  Amazing!

She had an unplanned visit to the ped's office this past week.  She had water blister looking bumps pop up on her booty.  I feared staph, so I called the office.  We went in, and they confirmed that she did have a staph infection.  We've been treating her with topical antibiotics, and after a week, her bottom looks much better.  Poor little girl.  In visiting with her doctor, we did get to put big girl on the scales.  She is now 13 pounds 3 ounces!  So, she is up 2 pounds from her last doc visit over 2 months ago.

She is really becoming interactive, and her love for Miss Noël is really blossoming.  Well, between both of them, actually.  Noël is really appreciating that her little Sis will laugh at her, so Noël does her best to ham it up for little Sissy.  I am really enjoying watching the two of them interact, whether it's Noël sharing a book with her or bringing her toys or feeding her or kissing her... she's an excellent Big Sis.  Noël holds Flara's hands, too, and makes her 'dance' and really enjoys having splash parties in the bath together.  They both really light up over that.

As Noël's love for Flara grows, so does her gentleness in caring for Flara and her two baby dolls.  Yep, Noël has three babies.  =)  As she scurries around changing diapers on all of them (although she gagged hard on real Sissy's 'shooooo.... poo poo' today) and arranging them in swings and bouncers, I can't help but think that she is really turning out to be a little Momma Hen... like her own mommy was as a little girl.  It really tickles me because I sit and think that she is really stepping into the role that God designed her to be.  Her love is selfless, really.  She will even leave her supper because one of the babies needs something.... And, trust me... the girl loves her food!

I am really thankful for my little family.  Mike, me, the girls, and ole stinky Dogg.  Life can and has been really, really tough, but I look at our family and am filled with pure love and appreciation.