I am thankful to Joy’s birthparents. Besides blessing us with this wonderful child, I am grateful for their genes! (I know, I’m crazy!) But she is so beautiful. No biological child of mine could ever have hair like this or a complexion like this or eyes like these, or such beautiful teeth! My bio kids are beautiful and wonderful and talented – but there is something about Joy - :) I just had to share!
Can we say obsessed? In therapy we have been teaching Joy to jump. And while she doesn’t quite have it down yet, she would like to “jump” 24 hours of every day! She has the cutest sign for jump. And if we don’t respond right away, she signs please and looks so cute!
And then more fun pics of our girl. Swinging and her Thanksgiving feast. At this point I just take her shirt off. Bibs don’t work!
Joy is curious about this new tree – not to worry, all the breakable ornaments are high up on the tree. Checking out the merry go round.
With Bella as a sister, Joy is exposed to many things. She likes to play with the nurses’ stethoscope. She also knows when Bella’s vent is alarming that you just reach up and push a button and the noise stops.
Silly girl!
Becca found this quote,
“Every child is gifted. They just unwrap their packages at different times.”
- Unknown
It’s interesting to see the effects Joy and Bella have on the other four girls. Becca has to do a report on the Holocaust. She chose to focus on Down syndrome and the t-4 program. It’s very sad the things she is discovering. I notice she holds her sister more and tighter lately.
Joy has so much fun every day!
Joy’s signing vocabulary is exploding! It is so cute to watch! She has about four verbal words, but over 35 signs. Yay for communication! In therapy we continue to work on sensory. What fun she had with shaving cream!
In an effort to improve Joy’s vocabulary as well as cognitive function, we have made some flashcards. They are so fun – they are all of her, her environment, and those around her. She loves them!
Joy was a clown for Halloween this year! She had no interest in wearing her hat!
We went to the Hecker’s Annual Halloween Party. The Heckers are so sweet to our Joy. We played games and then went trick or treating.
At first Joy was so confused. She thought we were going visiting. She wanted to go inside all of the houses. About half way through she realized that they were giving her candy. By the time we were done, she had figured out the get candy, put it in the bag idea. :)
No one will fess up to teaching Joy this. Who knows maybe she learned it on her own, but when she did it for the first time at the dinner table, we all busted up laughing! :)
Watching Signing Time with Jessi. Joy is getting quite the impressive signing vocabulary!
We are working, working, working on all kinds of sensory input! And something is working because she is becoming more and more vocal! Yea Joy!
Joy loves her sister Bella!
Joy is just too cute! And a leftie!
She loved the swing – it works her vestibular something. I don’t remember. The movement in her inner ear is what we were after. Believe it or not, it helps with speech.
The drink thief - Joy loves drinks! Watch the transformation in Joy in the next 3 pictures. :)
Happy Joy…
See the pout?
And then Becca has given up and Joy is happy again.
Reading with Sammi
Tom, one of our night nurses, has fallen in love with Joy. In turn, she loves his french fries. It was a match made in heaven! :)
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