Mommy got played

So, I don't know if God is trying to make me out to be a liar, but I always said that I would be tougher on girls than Brian. So far that has turned out to be true...until this week when I realized that my 15mo. old daughter was playing me.

I'm always preaching to other people (especially grandparents) "just because she has special needs doesn't mean she can't manipulate you. you have to discipline her just like other kids and tell her 'no'." I think I'll be the pot--or the kettle...

Lately more and more of Olivia's personality and cognitive ability has been coming through...and let me just tell you--there is not a ton wrong with her brain if much at all in that category. If she doesn't want to sit in her chair she does this whining/sighing thing (not crying) until I pick her up. She could have been on the floor or in her chair to take a nap (when she is obviously whipped) for up to an hour. When I pick her up to snuggle on the couch suddenly she is asleep in honestly less than two min. Then I wait for about thirty minutes to lay her back down because in a dead sleep this girl is not awakened by a train running through our living room. When I thought I could wait her out I realized my patience for that is very thin. The more tired she gets without sleeping the more seizures she has (does this sound like legitimizing to you?) Perhaps Olivia's brain does not properly tell her body how to coordinate movements, but she can understand pretty well what is going on around her and she will let you know how she feels about the situation. We are so, so, so grateful for this slow development. We could not be more pleased, even if it does mean getting played once in a while.

Aside of playing a lot with a smiling (yes, now for mommy too) energetic little girl, I managed to clean the entire house this week, which to me means that several trash bags of things must be thrown away and another several must be given to charity. If you have seen my husbands wardrobe you would understand...

Here are a few pictures. Brian and I always want pictures of her doing things (which is difficult to do because she stares down the camera like she doesn't trust it when we get it out) but we realized that others of you (nana) just want to see what she looks like now. So, here are a few of those, the last one also starring the present that I bought for her yesterday. As a side note I just want to say I have no idea when the last time I bought her a present was that didn't come from a therapy website. It is fun to spoil. My excuse for this one is that it will hang on the crib in the hospital next week after the surgery and she can hold its arms and legs...sounds legitimate. Right?