HUH? Randomness

I was looking at the stats for this blog today.   It tells you how many people view your blog every day, what words lead people to the blog, etc.  Basically not many people read my blog, and the general majority of those that do got to it by doing a search for Fifth's Disease.  Remember when Emma had that horrible rash?  While looking at the stats today, someone found my blog by searching "playing with handcuffs"........HUH?  How on earth did that search lead them to my blog?  I have never once mentioned handcuffs in my blog.  Someone also found the blog by searching one of Phil's Aunt's name.  So weird, so random!

Macie update:  She is still doing awesome in school, and she's still loving it!  She's making some great progress with her PECS.  She is now looking at the pictures, and choosing what she wants instead of just grabbing one and handing it over.  We now travel with the book.  We should have been doing that all along, and I don't have any valid excuses as to why we didn't!!!

My weight loss journey is going pretty well.  I have lost 12lbs., and 11 1/2 inches total.  8 more lbs. to go to my goal.

**I figured out why Phil's Aunt's name appeared in the search.  I posted Grandma Rose's Obituary and her name is mentioned in there.

Emma

Some of the things Emma does are so random, but insanely adorable.  I got two videos of her today, and they are so cute.  One is her trying to sing Twinkle Twinkle little star, and the other is her counting to ten.  She used to leave out 7 and 8, but now she just leaves out 7.   I'm not sure I have the energy to try and upload them to this blog, and I can't stand the sound of my own voice.  Emma apparently doesn't like it either!    Every time I try and upload a video on here, it freezes up and drives me nutty.  I will try.
I took her outside for a walk around the block today.  We both needed the fresh air and exercise.  While we are walking outside I sneezed and she turned to me and said "bless you".  When she coughs she covers her mouth with her hand.  As I sit here typing, she climbed up on to the chair with me and was saying "pretty" while brushing my hair.  She kept standing after me repeatedly telling her to sit on her butt so I put her down on the floor and she FAAAAREAKED out.  I said to her "you need to stop crying, I told you I would put you down if you did not sit on your butt."  Emma's response "I mad".  She now knows the power of the word "please".  "In, in, in (to get in the kitchen), PEEEEESE".  "Cookie, PEEEEESE".  If I ask her if she is pooping, she says "No, I toot.".
She just cracks me up all day!!!

Emma- Eye Dr. Check-up

It's been a while since we have been back to the eye Dr. to have Emma's Dermoid checked out.  It's been a little over a year since she was first checked, and had the MRI.  It looks like it has gotten bigger to me, but that could just be the fact that it is growing with her.  She seems to be bothered by it once in a while, and will rub her eye but don't think she quite gets why it feels strange.  I would imagine it has to feel like there is constantly something in the corner of her eye.  Annoying!  The eye Dr. checked her out thoroughly and found that there is no reason to do another MRI at this point.  From the tests she did, she could tell that there was no stress, or pressure building up in that eye.  She wants to see her back in six months for another follow up.  At that time we will discuss the possibility of another MRI, and the possibility/options to do surgery.  The Dr. did mention that she does not like doing that particular surgery because there are a lot of risks involved.  She wasn't trying to scare me, she was just trying to give me all the facts and possibilities.  She wants to explore every option before resorting to surgery.
Check out this link if you are interested on information about this lovely little "mass" that is occupying space in Emma's beautiful, big, brown eyes!!!!

I just had to add a super cute picture of her!!!

Random post/blurbs

This might be the longest I have gone without doing a post!  It's been awful busy around the Scimeca household.  I believe the last post I did was our trips to the pumpkin farms, and apple picking.  I am just going to try and be brief on what we have been up to.

I'll go back to Halloween.  We had a really good time over in my parents "hood".  We met there, got the girls ready, and headed out to do some trick or treating.  Macie was a cute little pirate girl, and Emma got the short end of the costume stick and went as Foofa (it was Macie's costume from last year).  We have decided that we are not going to spend a ton of money on costumes when neither one of them really "get" the whole Halloween thing, and they don't ask to be something specific.  Macie really did a great job with trick or treating.  Phil took her to all the houses, she would very politely take a piece of candy, and put it in her basket.  She really seemed to get in to it after the first few houses.  She doesn't even eat candy so it was a definite bonus for Mommy and Daddy.  Emma did so good too.  She would say "tiiiiii teeeeee" at some of the houses, and she would also say "tank too" when they gave her candy.  After trick or treating for a while we went back to my parents house and had some pizza.

She wouldn't wear the skull bandanna that came with the costume, but she was still adorable.

She surprisingly kept the hat part to her costume on the entire time.

Macie has been doing really great at school, and she loves going to school.  I was waiting for a major meltdown in the mornings because she didn't want to get on the bus, but it hasn't happened yet.  Phil and I went to our first parent teacher conference a few weeks ago.  It was nice sit down with her teacher, the therapists, and aides to talk about how she is doing.  Macie is really doing well with the daily routine, and she is using her picture schedule like a champ.  She goes over to the schedule, picks the next activity and then heads over to the station.  She's also the little class helper when it comes to snack time, or lunch.  She goes over to the "snack box", gets her mat first (each child has a different colored mat with their name on it), and puts it at her spot.  Then she goes back and gets all the other mats and puts them on the table for them.  She is excelling in the areas of play, and social interaction.  She loves playing with toys, puzzles, and drawing.  She sits very nicely for circle time and participates in the books, or songs they are doing.  She's very good at matching games.  Her teacher said when she is out on the playground she loves playing chase, and she is doing a really great job interacting with kids from other classrooms, as well as the kids in her classroom.  She's still not talking so any of the areas that have to do with language are difficult for her to advance in, but she is definitely trying to say more.  We have heard "all done", "dada", "graham cracker", and "hungry" since she started school.  She is getting much better at using the PECS, and we are working on getting better at using it at home too.  She loves anything to do with drawing, and art.  She's starting to draw things and we can tell what they are.  She is mainly drawing faces, but she draws eyes, ears, and hair with little to no assistance.  We are very pleased with how she is doing in school!!!  All of the teachers' hard work with her is reflecting at home too.  Macie actually initiates play with Emma now, and she enjoys it.  Emma is still a little "gun shy", but she's warming up to Macie again.  Emma tried so hard for so long to play with Macie, and Macie wouldn't have anything to do with her.  Macie would shove her, hit her, walk away from her, etc.  All that still happens, but it's not at often.

Here are some of Macie's recent art projects.  She's learning to use scissors too, and she cut out the apple tree with assistance from her OT.

She's learning to use glue.

She's trying to be  helpful around the house.

She's annoyed when I take too many pictures.

She's teaching her sister how to climb, and it's making us crazy!

They play together at dinner.

They watch cartoons together.

Emma hesitantly trying to play with Macie.

Emma is two going on TWELVE!  She questions everything I do with "why"- I thought that wasn't supposed to happen until three.  After explaining "why" a hundred times I give her the standard "because I said so".

I can't even keep track of everything she is saying now.  She repeats everything we say and do.  The other day she wanted to go to bed so she went over to the stairs and said "nigh nigh.  Mommy, let's go!"  She's still working on the alphabet, and she's getting to K almost without any errors.  She can count to ten.  She knows all her body parts.  Every day she amazes me with something else.  It really puts things in to perspective with Macie, and it stings sometimes.  Once in a while I am beating myself up for not noticing issues with Macie sooner, but we are basically going through all this for the first time with Emma.  It's always strange to report every single little thing that Emma does to anyone who will listen because we should have gone through all this with Macie.  We were "robbed" of a lot of "firsts" with Macie. Things like doing her ABC's, and counting, or stringing two and three words together. Even asking for items that she wants is so shocking to us.  Emma is right where she should be, but we act like she's the first kid to count to ten by 20 months old.  Does that make any sense?  They are both amazing, and both doing really well.  I just need to remind myself that these differences are going to exist their entire lives.  

Phil started a new job around mid September.  This company had been stalking calling him for quite a while.  Phil turned down their first offer since he was comfortable where he was, and liked what he was doing.  A few months passed, and the new place called him again.  Phil told them his "demands", they made a compromise and he was hired.  He has been having to travel for training and that's kinda sucked, but he's done with that now.....thank god!  

I am still keeping my eyes open for jobs, still considering going back to school, and still wondering how I would do either with this stinkin' economy.  It's hard to find a job let alone a decent paying one.  We would have to put both girls in daycare (Macie would go after school until we pick her up) and that is not cheap.  So....blah, blah, blah with me.....boring.  

I did make a decision to start working on my weight again.  I was doing a great job of maintaining my weight, but am not at my goal.  I am hoping to get the last stubborn 20lbs off that I have been wanting to get off for way too long.  I weigh a little less than I did on our wedding day so that's a plus.  Since I started this new weight loss journey, I have lost just under 8lbs, and about 7 1/2 inches.  Wish me luck on the last 12lbs.  Doesn't sound too hard, but it is.  I took some "before" pictures so hopefully there will be a noticeable difference if, and when the rest comes off.  

Think that is all I have for now.  

Happy Thanksgiving!!!