Ruby Hope McKee Starling

I just wanted to give everyone a quick update about our visit to the Crano-facial Surgeon yesterday.  Actually we have never met the Surgeon.  We just see the Nurse Practitioner at the Plagiocephaly Clinic.  I'm fine with that.  It's kinda nice to not need the most expert opinion in town for something. 

Ruby has made great progress as far as the flat spot on her head.  It's starting to round out.  So, we are going to continue with PT for another month and see how much more improvement happens.  If in four weeks she is still showing improvement we just might avoid a helmet.  Not to toot our own horn, but I'm happy that all of the hard work Chris and I have been doing with Ruby might pay off.  We have worked very hard with her on her exercises and stretches to keep her out of a helmet.  It's so nice to be able to help her avoid something.  So much of this we've just had to sit and her hold her hand.

Ruby finally got to swing at the park yesterday!  A new family moved in down the street with a little girl who is 4 months older than Ruby.  Her mom invited Ruby and I for a walk to the park.  Ruby loves to see other babies, and it's nice to be able to let her socialize with out the risk of getting sick.  I forgot the camera so I had use my phone for the picture.

Ruby watched Maddie intently the whole time!  It was so cute.  Ruby  handled the swing for 5 minutes and then decided she was tired of it.  She did like touching the rocks with her feet.  We've been working on tactile stimulation of her feet.  She hates having her feet touched and putting pressure on them.  She LOVED the feel of the rocks on her feet.  It was kinda weird actually.  She even cried when I picked her up to put her back into the stroller.  She didn't want to stop playing with the rocks. 

She also cried when we went inside after our walk.  She was really fussy until I took her back outside.  I ended up letting her play on a blanket in the yard while I hung up the Halloween decorations.  She is really starting to try to communicate what she wants.  I'll take crying any day over dropping oxygen saturation and a high heart rate as a form of communication.

On the the topic of communication. We've been working on sign language with Ruby.  Just a few signs milk, more, all done, hungry, eat, and play.  Most of the signs have to do with meal time.  We're hoping that giving her the tools to communicate earlier as far as feeding goes will help her feel more in control.  Just recently she's started mimicking me when I sign and ask her if she wants some milk.    She is at the age that she could start signing.  

Tha's it for the mid-week Ruby news.