The Otte's

Here is Quinn at school playing with a switch that triggers the bug to vibrate. I keep hearing storied from school that are so positive and I appreciate it so much! YEAH for Riley Elementary!

2-18-11
Well, over the last week, we have had a few more firsts! I’m starting to feel like I’m missing lots of Quinn’s 1st’s, but with all the love she is getting, I’m glad to share some of her 1st’s with our great group of folks that love on her like I do.

Well, I think I can safely say that not many of you can say that you have gone to a strangers house to have your daughter sit on their potty chair. Well that is what we did. I met Chrissy and Quinn over at Becky and McKenzie’s house to see if their potty chair might work for Quinn. So, thanks to those girls! It was a really good trip on many levels. First, Quinn seemed to like the potty chair, and I did too. It will roll right over the regular toilet and that is a big deal, as I will have less to clean up. Quinn keeps doing great with potty training and is getting faster at sitting and going, instead of sitting and messing around then finally going. I have to admit my parents would get so frustrated with me for hanging out on the potty when I was little, so she comes by it naturally. I was inspired by McKenzie and her mom, she is in high school, and she is dependent on her mom or others to help her with most things, as her mom said, but at the same time, she is crazy smart, and they way she adapts to talk is amazing. I think she is the first to say that she has a super sense of humor, and by the time I left, I was totally in love with that girl. What a great role model for Quinn. It makes me even more excited for the future, well, sometimes I’m excited, sometimes I’m scared, and unsure, and sometimes I don’t want to think about the future at all, but leaving their house last Friday, I was hopeful. So thanks McKenzie, you inspired me! Next, I got a few more ideas for our house, as their house is accessible, with a chair lift to the basement, and the little things that are not so little. We talked about door handles, and light switches, bathroom faucets, and smooth walkways through doorways. So I added even more ideas to my list to give to our architects. Talking about that, we went to the home builders show last weekend, and got a few more ideas, but better yet, we heard that the house is closer to physically taking place, and we should be breaking ground to dig the basement within the month! Yeah! That is exciting and makes me nervous both!

Quinn did great at therapy. They are doing more testing with a computer to help her talk. She did great. I hear they asked her to find the G on the screen for Grandpa, she said “Gu Gu Gu” then looked at Grandpa and then picked out the G on the screen! Yeah for Quinn!

Wednesday we went back to see Dr. Sewell and once again did a bit of maintained on her trach site. When we were there a month ago, the procedure hurt. So when we pulled up this time, and Quinn saw where we were, right away, she got upset. This time we were a bit smarter and had given her Tylenol before we went, but she is a smart cookie, and was upset to be back there. When the doctor came into the room, Quinn would not look at him, in fact she looked as far away from him as possible. He tried so hard to give her some love, but she was not willing to accept any of it. So we got down to business, and again Quinn started screaming and crying, but after it was done, she totally calmed down, I’m guessing it was not as bad as she thought it would be. So we got back to Lincoln, and by then, she was back to doing great! I’m so proud of her.

Well Thursday and Friday, Quinn’s sub nurse was sick, so she once again had a sub nurse, and with Quinn not feeling great due to her procedure on Wednesday, she was not feeling all that great Thursday, and then to have the added issue of not having the usual day. So basically, Chrissy got a call to go pick her up from school. After a bit of love and a good long nap, as well as another dose of Tylenol, and a bit of time,she was doing great.

Past that, the weather has been beautiful, however we have not gotten out all that much, as the path we walk on, has been covered with a mountain of snow, but it has been so nice.

Hmmm, past that, we are looking forward to relaxing, cleaning the house and playing this weekend! Exciting stuff!

Thanks for checking in on us.
Susan