School

School has started for the semester. I have to say I am already so stressed out! I think the longer I do school the more I worry about it.  I have one class on Neurology, mostly dysarthria. (a problem in the muscles used for communication), it usually happens after a stroke or brain injury.   Anyway, that should be an interesting class. The teacher is really fun to listen too and is apart of the clinic setting instead of academia so the things she says are a little easier to follow and she emphasizes the more clinically relevant items.  

 I'm a little more stressed about my clinic assignments.  I will be working with a stroke patient who is aphasic and is basically learning to speak again.  ( if you want to know- Aphasia is different than dysarthria in the sense that aphasia is caused by a lesion in the brain that affects speech).   This client has been coming to the clinic for a while and is doing really well but I still feel like I have no idea what to do.  It's a little scary but I'll just take it one day at a time and I think it will be fun.  I also have an adult language group.  This is a group of seniors that have minor language problems or dementia. I'm kind of excited about that one. My last clinic assignment is with a 14 year old child that has hearing aids who has language goals.  This week I am doing all the assessment to figure out what our goals will be for the semester and then we'll go from there.   My brain is on overload trying to remember all the things I need to do and sort out, hopefully It will be a fun semester.  

Coleman's first word

Coleman said his first word today. He said bye-bye. We have been working on him waving and he has been doing that and then today he said bu-bu. I was so excited. But I contained my excitement and thought that it was just him babbling, so I told myself that if he did it again that we would know that he know what he was saying. And he did! He said it twice today. I am so proud. I thought his first word was mommy because when he is kind of whiny he would say mum-mum-mum, and just repeat it over again, while he was reaching for me. But then he stopped doing it so I don't think that he realized what he was saying it was just babble. (Even though it is cute and I like to think that he knows). Anyway... I didn't realize how complicated it could be to figure out what your baby's first word was going to be. But it has been fun to follow Coleman's development and see the new steps he takes.

Speaking on steps. He is starting to take his first crawling steps. I have been so impressed and sad as well. He has been scooting around like mad on his belly every where he goes for a month now and just recently has started to get on his knees and hands. Well I've never seen him move more than one knee before he reverts back to the belly. But since I've been going back to school I have had Mark and my mom both say they have seen him go about 4 feet before going back to the belly. That is why it made me sad. I don't like not being the first one to see his new growth and development. I guess there is nothing I can do about it.

Wedding

Our little family at the reception.



Here is the happy couple, they are so cute together. I am so excited for Sandy, we went to high school together and to now see her married was so neat. She is the most thoughtful person I know and deserves all the happiness the world has to offer. I know the two of them will be happy. I noticed something at the wedding that is so amazing about Sandy. She is so good at just naturally posing in front of the camera. She has this ability to pose in such a way that she looks great every time. Nobody ever had to tell her what to do because she was so good at doing it naturally. It was astounding.



This is my Uncle, Tim. He was a good person for Mark to hang out with at the reception. Along with my Uncle Troy they all complained about having to go to receptions and stay all night. I'm sure they were all just happy to be there but being men they have to whine about being made to go. So the three of them sat at the edge of the reception and talked and laughed the whole time. I was glad they were there.



This is Coleman and his Grandpa playing in the fountain while we were waiting for the couple to come out of the temple. Coleman wanted to go swimming, just putting his feet in wasn't enough.

Mark's Birthday

We had a lot of fun on Marks Birthday. His parents took us out to eat at Johnny Corino's to eat and then back home for his brother to come over to help us celebrate and open presents. It was fun to see him open his gifts. I had been working on a gift for him a week before the actual day. I was making little covers for his iPod out of socks. I went to Gap and got some cute baby socks and cut the end off and sewed them shut. He thought they were fun and now carries his iPod around in a little red and white striped sock.


For those of you who know what a cricut is I used mine to cut out his happy birthday sign. That was fun.




This is Mark's brother Eric and his little daughter Shea.



Mark's birthday was really fun. I don't know if he was exaggerating or not but he did say it was his funnest birthday ever. I'm sure he said it just to butter me up and it worked, I was officially buttered. It was just a way for me to show Mark how much I love him!

Latest Happenings.

I haven't posted in a while. It is hard to find time. Coleman has been teething so he doesn't want to be sat down or left alone. The poor kid, I'm sure it's painful. August has been a busy month, I guess it always is. Here are a few things we did; we went to a wedding, it was Mark and my Dad's birthday and school started, along with other things that I'm sure I'm forgetting. Here are some pictures.



This is Mark with his remote control airplane. He actually got this for Fathers day but hasn't been able to fly it much. The problem is that we live in Idaho and there is never a calm enough day to go out and fly it. But when he gets to it is really fun and he gets better every time he tries.

Breakfast at Tiffany's

I just finished watching the movie Breakfast at Tiffany's. What an amazing movie. The story of Holly and the inability she has to attach herself to anyone or anything. She calls herself a wild thing that can't be tamed. She even has a cat that she won't give a name because she refuses to 'own' the cat. During a party scene in Holly's apartment you see a bird cage. Inside the cage is a fake bird. I think because of the inability of her to have anything alive locked up. She gets something she calls the mean reds. The feeling of depression which is worse than just being sad , also known as, the blues. The reds are when you feel something bad is going to happen, only you don't know what it is. Her only cure for the mean reds is to visit the jewelry store, Tiffany's. She feels that nothing bad could happen in a place that is so calm and proud looking.

How sad that she isn't able to accept the love of others and come to realize the calm that comes with knowing there is someone else you can rely on that loves you. She is a character that makes you think. It helps me to realize how lucky I am to have Mark and Coleman in my life to love and hold close, along with the gospel that brings a sense of purpose into my life.

We just got back from vacation. It was a long trip. Overall, it was fun but camping and sleeping on foam mats for a week and a half is hard on your back and spirits. We went to two family vacations, one in southern Utah and the next was by Bear Lake. I saw people that I haven't seen in probably 10 years. It is sad to say that although I knew their name and who their parents were that's all I knew. Too bad that family members have to live so far away that it is next to impossible to get to know them. I guess that is what family reunions are for, to get to know one another again. Here are some pictures of our travels.