Good-Byes Stink!

We are loosing our Wonderful Valerie! She is moving to Chicago. I can't think of what has rocked my boat more than this in a long time. I am tear triggered whenever I think of her leaving! She has been such a wonderful friend and major part of our life! Sydney started with Valerie when she was about 3-4 months old. I didn't realize you could have speech therapy at that age. We have seen Valerie for some periods up to 3 times a week working on Sydney's feeding & speech. It has been great experiencing some highest of highs, & lowest of lows with Valerie who was always there to celebrate with us or comfort & encourage when needed. I have appreciated learning the skills that Sydney uses to communicate, it has been a gift that I didn't realise I didn't have until I was taught how much she was 'talking' to us. Sydney loves Valerie and has been truly blessed having her in her life! I feel she is one of a handful I owe my sanity to over these last 3 years! Thank you sooooo much for all your love & support to our family!

This is about how old Sydney was when we started with Valerie. Sydney was on an NG tube & getting maybe 10 cc of formula by mouth with a small syringe. 2006

We worked her to a pudding thick formula that she drank with a bottle & were able to get rid of the NG tub & she ate, it was great!!!!!! 2007Out of the blue she stopped eating and we had to return to the NG tube, that was rough. She did work her way back up to eating solid food again, but not quite enough to loose the NG. Later this year she ended up getting a G-tube (button) placed due to her great skill of pulling the NG out daily. We have loved the button!More ups & downs, Valerie was so sweet and came to work with Sydney while we were in the hospital for a while, I think this was one of the only times Sydney slept during this particular stay, so double thanks! We started joining forces with Andrea, our OT and we did feeding & OT together, we worked long and hard to get her to drink! 2008Valerie was great at helping us with sign. One of our sessions she sat and helped me figure out Christmas Carols in sign so I could teach them to Sydney, that was so fun! Sydney loves the swing! Something so small as drinking from a cup & eating with a spoon can make me cry that was so exciting!! It was such a treat that day when she started doing this! These are precious pictures to a mom who sees a little one that tries as hard as she can & succeeds! This is one of those highest of highs!!! We have been so blessed to have such great therapists!!!