Here is Alexa holding my favorite model for baby hats. 
October was a beautiful month here weather-wise. The leaves were gorgeous, the weather was warmish but not hot. The sun started dropping down in the sky and giving us this incredible afternoon light. Alexa is a tricycling maniac now. She can go at least a mile, so we took a family walk.
This tree was just showing off.
Alexa is still infatuated with monkeys, so she is Curious George for Halloween.
Her teachers sent home some wonderful pictures of Alexa, and a book about five little pumpkins with a picture of Alexa on the front holding five little pumpkins. They are so clever! She went to the pumpkin patch with her kindergarten class in the rain and came back with muddy shoes and a muddy pumpkin. Then yesterday she brought home another pumpkin already carved into a jack-o-lantern, and I know she didn't do that! Pumpkin carving is difficult and I have no idea who went to all that work. There are about 4-5 aides in her class, so maybe one of them? Yesterday we got to go back to school to her kindergarten class Halloween Party. It was so fun. One of her classmates, Liam, is in a wheelchair, and his family made him an awesome Wall-E costume. The eyes had lights in them hooked up to the wheelchair battery somehow.
They went outside to play and burn off some energy, and Alexa surprised me by climbing this thing all by herself. Made me a bit nervous, but I didn't have to help her.
She pretty much adores the playground, and I agree, it is awesome!
And here is Lianna, who sits next to Alexa and informed me that "Alexa is a great help to me, she gave me a pencil once, and once she picked up some things for me."
Alexa is officially in the Life Skills Classroom, but she is also in this kindergarten class sometimes, for music and art and field trips. She has a desk and cubbies here with her name on them, and the teacher (Mr. K, who is pretty incredible himself) and the aides all told me how much they enjoy Alexa. I really like this arrangement, which allows here lots of interaction with her age group, but a lot of extra help too. We are going to get a communication book too, which will allow her too communicate by pointing to pictures.
It is pretty apparent to everyone, David and I, her teachers, and her speech therapists, that she has a lot to say, she just can't verbalize it, so we are trying to give her another way to do it. Her sign language is limited by her finger dexterity at this point, but we are still doing that too. We still hope she will talk at some point, but we can't put off language development until then. She is learning her letters and the sounds they make. I honestly think she will learn to read before she learns to talk.
They went outside to play and burn off some energy, and Alexa surprised me by climbing this thing all by herself. Made me a bit nervous, but I didn't have to help her.
She pretty much adores the playground, and I agree, it is awesome!
And here is Lianna, who sits next to Alexa and informed me that "Alexa is a great help to me, she gave me a pencil once, and once she picked up some things for me."
Alexa is officially in the Life Skills Classroom, but she is also in this kindergarten class sometimes, for music and art and field trips. She has a desk and cubbies here with her name on them, and the teacher (Mr. K, who is pretty incredible himself) and the aides all told me how much they enjoy Alexa. I really like this arrangement, which allows here lots of interaction with her age group, but a lot of extra help too. We are going to get a communication book too, which will allow her too communicate by pointing to pictures. 
It is pretty apparent to everyone, David and I, her teachers, and her speech therapists, that she has a lot to say, she just can't verbalize it, so we are trying to give her another way to do it. Her sign language is limited by her finger dexterity at this point, but we are still doing that too. We still hope she will talk at some point, but we can't put off language development until then. She is learning her letters and the sounds they make. I honestly think she will learn to read before she learns to talk.Also this month:
Alexa got sick and missed three days of school
She broke her glasses twice.
We got family photos taken.
We painted a bunch of walls and some trim in the house, we are trying to get it ready to sell, in preparation for moving when David gets a job. Meanwhile he is applying for post-docs and working with an OSU professor to get further experience.
I gave blood for the first time ever and didn't pass out, though I did feel very tired the rest of the day.
I have been making pumpkin pies and pear custard bars right and left. I love them both, and this is the season for it!
I took Alexa to OHSU to the GI clinic to make sure she was processing her food correctly. They took blood to test for celiac, and a stool sample to test for fat processing and pancreatic enzymes, and though I haven't heard yet about celiac, the other two were fine. I am trying to help her gain weight, but she is very picky right now. I am very frustrated by this a lot of the time, but I can't force her to try new things.
