Thank God for Muslims!

So it's been a million years since I've updated Zoe's blog. And I'm still getting around to it. But today I wanted to share a story that I thought needed to be told.

Many of you know we would travel twice a year to Philadelphia with Zoe to have a team of neurological experts evaluate, design and help us execute an intensive therapy program to help Zoe's development.

On this particular trip, Jeff had to travel to LA for business and was flying from there directly to meet us in Philly. It was the first time I was flying solo with Zoe. We arranged for a limo service to take Jeff to LA and the same guy would come back, pick up Zoe and me the following morning at 6am to take us to the airport in San Diego for our 8am flight.

I had to stay up the entire night to finish packing, making sure the cat was fed, etc. But I was ready to go at 5:30am and ready to get Zoe out the door. We only lived about 25 min. from the airport and I was so impressed with myself for being prepared, packed, exhausted but stress free because I didn't need to rush.

5:50am - No driver. No big deal, I'm mean so what if he's not early.
6:00am - No driver. Still ok, no reason to panic - left voice mail for driver.
6:10am - Starting to suspect something is wrong - call again, voice mail again.
6:15am - Starting to freak - it dawns on me I will not be able to drive myself, park and get all our bags and Zoe to the gate on time. If I'm not on the road with someone driving me in 15 min, we're not making the flight. And we HAVE to make the flight.
6:16am - Open good 'ol trusty yellow pages - start calling limos in a panic. I reach a dispatcher - explain my emergency. He says he'll call right back. Call orig. limo driver for 10th time - voice mail again. (Scream! Heart pounding out of chest.)
6:18am - Dispatcher calls back, he has a limo dropping off a passenger in my area. He can be at my house in 10 min. Getting very close to too late. I start bringing bags out to curb.
6:27am - New limo driver arrives (can you hear the angels singing?). He asks what time is my flight and when I tell him he says calmly but briskly, "I will handle all the bags. You just take care of the baby. I will take care of the rest."
6:28am - Original driver calls my cell - in a groggy voice, "I'm so sorry, I'm on the way. I can be there in 15 min." I tell him I can't talk now, I found another ride. I will need to call him back.
6:35am - We are on the way but it's now questionable if I will make the flight.

I introduce myself and explain what happened. I also explain how important it is for Zoe and me to make the flight as her therapy program for the next 6 months depends on it. The driver tells me it will be close but he thinks it will be ok. He says, "God has a way of taking care of mothers and babies."

I ask him if he takes credit cards because I didn't have cash since we already paid the other driver in advance. He says of course.

We are 5 minutes from the dropoff - I know it will be a full sprint once I get out of the car. The driver says, "Listen, you can't pay me by credit card. There's no time. You will miss your flight. If you promise to give me the return ride when you come back, you can just pay me then."

Ya - read that again!

My eyes brimmed with tears in gratitude for this perfect stranger/angel. They're brimming again now.

Zoe and I made our flight that day with less than 5 min. to spare. We use this limo driver EVERY time we go to the airport.

They have always arrived at our door a few minutes early. They have always been patient because we always run late. They have always been more than reasonably priced (actually underpriced - cheaper than taxis). They have always driven us safely, had a clean car, taken great care of us.

Understandably, they have our loyalty for life. Our driver's name is Saleem. The name of his company is Peace Transportation. And he is Muslim.

And if you ever need a ride to/from San Diego Airport - use them...and tell them you know our story. Spread the peace! We are remembering 9/11. Love, Erin

Peace Transportation - (858) 336-1317
http://www.1peacetransportation.com/
absaleem@sbcglobal.net

Family Visit to Boston

On the tail end of our latest trip to the east coast, we swung up to Boston to meet Zoe's new cousin Charlie. He's such a cutie and it was a relaxing uneventful time to hang with my brother Tom and my sister-in-law Virginia. Zoe had a fantastic time exploring a new house, complete with stairs! (She loves to climb.) Dexter, the big brown boxer and Zoe really could not resist each other. The cutest thing was when Charlie was napping, Zoe caught a glimpse of him on the baby video monitor and went over to kiss him repeatedly on the head (through the monitor). It was so nice to meet the little man and catch up with my fam.

Reading and Math - OMG!

Well we arrived on Monday morning at the Institutes for Zoe's evaluation and she was an exhausted train wreck from the travel and 4 days of no naps. So I promptly announced, "Whatever you're going to evaluate for her intellectual program do it now because it's all downhill from here."

So our advocate Rosalind went right to work. I had to lug half a suitcase full of Zoe's Intel materials across the country with us so they could use them in her evaluation. They asked me to bring 2 books I'd made for her but she had NOT yet seen (pics above on NYC and Egypt).

Rosalind grabbed the 2 books and said, "I'm going to ask Zoe a crazy question. There's no reason she should know the answer because she hasn't seen these books, but I'm going to ask it anyway." Then she held up the title pages in front of Zoe and (without reading the titles aloud), "Zoe which book is about a city in the United States?" And Zoe looked, thought for a second and pointed to the book on New York.

Rosalind took me outside and said. "That's fantastic! I mean, even if she got the answer wrong, the fact that she's trying to deduce the answer is VERY advanced for her age." So we went through the book on NY and came up with some questions we could ask Zoe to see what she understands when she reads.

And back into the room we went to join Zoe, Jeff and Jeff's Mom. Ros asks Zoe more questions from books she has read. "Which one is a book about a mammal?" (holds up books on a dolphin and on Russia). Yeah - Zoe got that one right too. There were other questions I can't remember but she got them ALL correct.

Rosalind asks me to show Zoe the book on NYC but NOT to read the words aloud. She tells me to flip the pages as fast as I can because Zoe most likely can read faster than I can turn the pages. So I flash the pages and the first question is "How did Mom do with the speed of turning the pages?" And we gave her 3 choices on paper - great, ok and stinks. Answer - Stinks! Stinks! Stinks! Well, I was flustered and the pages were sticking together...

So then we asked Zoe questions related to content in the book and presented her with multiple choices on paper for her to point out her answer. How many boroughs are in New York? If we went on a boat into NY Harbor, what statue would we pass? etc., etc. Every question she answered correctly, EVERY QUESTION!

The reason this is so amazing is because it demonstrates that she can read (large print) independently AND she understands what she reads. She's two! Jeff and I watched the eval like hawks. We made sure the correct answers were randomized (sometimes it was on the left, sometimes on the right, sometimes the first option, sometimes the third or fourth) and that the correct choice was never positioned more favorably (closer or on a side she favors).

I can tell you, as a mom who spends a lot of time with this little girl, I can tell the difference between when she's guessing an answer, when she KNOWS an answer and when she's not in the mood so she points to any answer so you'll stop and go away. During the entire evaluation, she was thoughtfully engaged and she was choosing her answers on purpose. It was incredible, just incredible.

Then it was on to math. Rosalind tore off the answers from all the equations we brought with us then asked Zoe a bunch of math questions that no one else in the room could answer without a pencil and paper....and 2 minutes... and maybe a calculator. The ones that come to my mind - "Zoe, what is 1/7th of 84?" and my personal favorite, "Zoe, if 84 divided by X divided by 7 = 6, does X = 7 or does X = 2?"

Yah... go get your calculators. Whatever the answers were, it took Zoe about 1-2 seconds in her head to decide and point out the answers. Every answer she gave was correct. You just can't do any better than 100% - rock on little Z!


(Not the best hair day for either of us - but we don't care, we're happy!)

Growing Up!

(Diva with matching headband)

So Zoe was measured every which way and I'm happy to report that in the last 6 months, she's grown 2 inches taller - which is 200% of normal growth for a kid her age! She put on 2+ pounds and her chest growth was 167% of normal due to her respiratory program.

She's just over 20 pounds and we're patiently waiting for the 22 pound mark to bust out the big girl Alpha Omega car seat! I'll admit, I've been spiking her turkey dish with extra olive oil, but she keeps burning up the calories....


(Swinging in Central Park)

"Nonfiction is my favorite"

So after Zoe's AMAZING Intellectual Evaluation a few days later we were in another meeting to go over Zoe's new Intel program. We were introduced to Facilitated Communication which is another way for kids with language delays or challenges to communicate with words. It basically involves a technique of providing backwards resistance to the arm of a child who "types" out what they want to say by pointing to letters on a cardboard (see pic).

I'll admit very honestly, Jeff and I were VERY skeptical that Zoe was ready for this. I mean... is a 2 year old really ready to start texting (kindof...and hope not)?

So the woman we were meeting with said to Z, "Zoe, we need to know this for your reading program. Do you prefer fiction, which are stories that are not true but are still fun to read or do you prefer nonfiction, which are stories that are true and full of facts?" And she sat Zoe in her lap and used this technique as I watched over her shoulder.

Now Zoe is a squirmy kid on the best of days so she was none too pleased about being confined. She didn't seem thrilled with the exercise either and issued a few noisy complaints too. And the woman kept letting Zoe's finger come down and press the board and encouraging her to keep going and to finish (as the complaints grew louder and louder).

As I watched over the shoulder I really couldn't make anything out. Then I caught her pointing to a few letters...ISM...and I thought to myself, "See that doesn't spell anything." And then I missed some more but then I saw Zoe hit...RITTT...and I knew this was just gibberish and she just wasn't ready yet.

A few moments later, the woman put Zoe down and said "Thank you Zoe, that answer really helps." Then she told us that not only did Zoe answer her, but she answered in a full sentence her very first (though unenthused and somewhat resistant) try. Then she told us Zoe just spelled out "Nonfiction IS My favoRITTTe".

My face hit the floor. Well blow my socks off, slap my face and call me Nancy! I knew she could read and I even knew nonfiction was her favorite...but I would NEVER have guessed she could spell out "nonfiction is my favorite!"

Holy guacamole! So we'll be doing Facilitated Communication with Zoe at home. We can expect some initial resistance - because she really wants to SAY her words (and typing really is more cumbersome than talking). But this is a bridge for more precise and open communication while her verbal language is catching up.

Walking and Talking

(Dad & Z on left, duck on right)

Two weeks before we returned to the Institutes for Zoe's eval, I completed the usual 70+ page progress report. One of the 'dream goals' for the previous period was for Zoe to take 4-5 steps independently. As I sent the report off, I noticed she came so close - she regularly took 2-3 steps by herself.

Of course as soon as the report was in the mail, she started taking 4-5 steps! I was excited but I didn't have high hopes for Zoe to demonstrate her new skills in Philly as she was sure to be jetlagged, new surroundings, schedule shot, yada-yada-yada. First day she was an exhausted mess but by the end of the week, Zoe was taking 6, 8, 10, 12 steps on her own! Their waiting room floor has special padding and Zoe kept getting more and more confidence. Back at home she now walks 5 feet independently so we'll keep building on that.

Now since Zoe was so focused on walking, talking took a backseat for awhile (which is true for almost every kid). Again, while we were in Philly, I asked Zoe to help me get her seat belt on and when she did, I said thank you and she replied, "thank you!" She also said "hi" to Jeff's Dad and when Jeff's Mom was leaving, Zoe shook her head no and said "Grandma with me!" Before we left Boston, she said "bye-bye". Today we were at the park and we showed her the ducks and she said "duck" when we got home.

Zoe's New Program

(Zoe with her advocate from the Institutes, Rosalind Doman)

As usual, the new program is a doozie! It's a great program for Zoe's development - and we have no idea how we're going to get it all done (sigh). We've been really blessed with all the help we've gotten from our family and friends. We would never have been able to accomplish so much and get so far with Zoe's Intensive Treatment Program without our Assisting Angels. Here are some highlights of what's new in her program:

* Gymnastics Program - yup! Now our living room will be sporting tumbling mats for Zoe to do somersaults, log rolls and quad rolls. ("Where?" you may ask - don't know at all.) These activities will stimulate the vestibular area of her brain (parts in ears) that will help with her balance and coordination. Plus, it's fun!

* Greek and Latin word roots - now that we've taught her to read and begun introducing Spanish, it's time for something new in the mix. By showing her Greek and Latin word roots, she will begin to intuit words in foreign languages she doesn't yet know. Ooh and we get to do synonyms too!

* 6th Grade Math - I have no idea what's in a 6th grade math book, but I have to get one and start teaching Zoe. It might be square roots and geometry. No clue, but we shall go forth!

* CO2O2 Inhalations (mix of Carbon Dioxide and Oxygen) - part of Zoe's new respiratory program is to take brief inhalations from a mask hooked to a tank with CO2. This opens her blood vessels more, causes her to breathe more deeply and delivers more oxygen to her brain. This could make a tremendous impact on every area in her life! From sleeping, chewing, and swallowing to vision, physical endurance and talking. Plus, Jeff and I have tried it out - it gives you a nice little buzz so it could be fun for the whole family...

Plus, many of the old favorites are continuing as well - patterning, masking, walking under the ladder, 1 new homemade book EVERY DAY, 1 new set of Intel cards EVERY DAY, same healthy nutrition program, Spanish words/books, etc.

Thank you so much to everyone who has supported us. We've worked our asses off and it looks like we're not finished with that. So we love you and please forgive us if we've been out of touch, we've got lots to do. Lots love, Z Parents

Curls Gone Wild!

Where on earth did she get such curly hair? We don't know really. I mean my hair is curly and Jeff's hair is curly but not THAT curly! Her curls are simultaneously unruly and irresistible. Most people are compelled to touch or comment. They are a tractor beam of cuteness. See for yourself -

Chit Chat with Zoelia

Zoe's communication progresses more and more every day. In addition to listening carefully to her daily ramblings, we also have Zoe express herself in different ways to help bridge the gap in her verbal expression for now. One way is we encourage her to sign or shake her head yes/no. (She says yeah and no as well). Since we've been teaching Zoe to read we also write choices on a paper and ask her questions and let her point to her answer on a choice board. For example when we show her a new homemade book or a new set of Intel cards, we ask her "What did you think?" and give her a choice board to grade them; great, ok or stinks (Extreme Sports and Rodents recently scored 'great', mathematical symbols got a 'stinks' - go figure!). Normally, when we turn the video camera on she shuts up on us but I caught her a bit this time and thought you'd like to hear what she has to say. (And check out her funny facial aerobics, it's new!) Sorry the clip's a bit long, didn't have time to edit it down - when do I have time for anything?

Happy Kid

I'll be the first to admit (brag?) that I LOVE having an easy-going kid. She's just so fun to be around. There are no tantrums, no fits, no hysterical screaming. She's just tolerant, pleasant, fun and and a complete pleasure to spend time with (which we do - 24 hours a day). That's not to say she's never whined or been crabby but there's no mega-drama with her, and there are many, many laughs. Look at these pics - how can you resist someone this happy and funny?

Zoe's Jungle Boogie Bash

Well, Zoe's party was the weekend after her birthday. It was a wonderful time - the day was sunny, warm and perfect. There were about a dozen kids and about 30 adults. The kids loved the music performance and the parents loved the big open field for their kids to run around (or run away?). Thank you so much to our friends and family who traveled from near and far to be a part of the celebration. As with hosting any party, we didn't have enough time to spend with each of the people who came (amid the toddler chaos!) but we are very grateful for your love and support. AND your photos! Thank you, thank you, thank you!





Hmm - there's lot of toys in there!



Zoe going to town on some birthday Zebra cake - mmmmm!

Attack of the Fish Kiss!

This video is from Zoe's 2nd birthday. Jeff's Mom made funny faces and gave Zoe a 'fish kiss'. Zoe's response is hilarious. I crack up every time I watch!

Zoe's 2nd Birthday

Here are a few pics from Zoe's birthday. We spent a relaxing day at home with Jeff's parents visiting from the east coast. Zoe had a great time and obviously enjoyed the cupcake. Where the heck did 2 years go? I love her more every day!




New toy - magnetic spinning gears, big hit!

Play time at the park

You know we're always busy executing Zoe's therapy. But occasionally, we get out to the park to have some outdoor fun on the swings and playground. Kid LOVES the swings and she's quite the daredevil. She also likes the slide and the other jungle gyms. The little boy in the swing next to her is her cousin Liam (not quite so brave on the swings).

Go Climb a Tree

When the day is winding down, we like to get Zoe outside for some sunshine and fresh air. One of our favorite spots is watching the sunset over the canyon by our place. Jeff likes to put Zoe up in the tree - and she thinks its great, the little monkey!