Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Hailey's Hankies and other handmade things.

I love crafty people. People who can create. I have always wanted to be crafty, I have always tried. I have made a quilt for Hailey before and really liked how it turned out, but didn't like how long it to to make it. I used to stamp and make cards and I really liked that, but I didn't like the clean up and putting everything you need back in it's place. I love doing our necklaces and with it having a semi-permenant messy area in my house is helpful. When people are able to create things I find it amazing and I really envy them!

One of the most useful and very creative gifts Hailey has been given has been these:

Hailey's Hankies

Hailey has a lot of special people in her life. One of those people is her 1 on 1 aid at School, Ms. Sallie.  Hailey sees Ms. Sallie when Hailey goes to school and Ms. Sallie helps Hailey in every way. She pushes Hailey's wheelchair, she plays with Hailey and she makes sure Hailey is safe and happy. Since Hailey was put on muscle relaxers for her spasms she has been drooling a lot. She can not wipe it away herself so we are constantly doing it for her. Ms. Sallie helps Hailey do this while Hailey is as school. I had always just had Hailey take a kitchen towel to school with her. When Hailey got these for Christmas I said how useful & creative I thought they were to everyone I talked to that day. Now I have these all over my house!


Hailey also received some boot covers from Ms. Sallie and have come in handy with the temperatures dropping so low here.


Another gift Hailey received for Christmas is a knitted hat with a big pink flower on it and some AFO long boot covers.

 I love how people have shared their talents with Hailey. We really appreciate it so much! Thank you!!

Wednesday, January 9, 2013

Hailey's Pups

After Josh and I got married and moved into a house the first thing on the list for me was to get a dog. Josh, not so much...or at all. Growing up I always had a dog around me. I always had big dogs though and I wanted MY dog to be a little dog. I had heard of puggles and knew I was going to get one of those! After getting our house I looked high and low for a puggle. I finally found one and also knew right away I was going to name her Daisy. 

Meet our puggle Daisy:
Don't let this picture deceive you. Daisy is HYPER! She did calm down a bit when I became pregnant with Hailey. She always sat by me and my belly. She needed 100% attention and at times still seeks that today. She will sit and stare at you as if to say, "you will love me, you won't be able to help it."

2 years later (Hailey wasn't born yet) I wanted to get another dog. Long story short. I found our next dog online and saved her...I mean adopted her. 
Meet our second pup...Chloe

Chloe is a loner in the most part, but if she is looking for Daisy and can't find her she goes insane. She's a guys dog. She loves Josh, my dad and Josh's dad. She wasn't too sure about Hailey once Hailey was born: 


Chloe: What's this thing?


Hailey can do anything she wants to Daisy. Daisy allows it. As long as you are touching Daisy you could be holding her tail, teething on her ears, or drooling on her head. She will love every minute of it.

 Like I said, Daisy is SO close to Hailey. Almost every picture I took of Hailey when she was a baby has Daisy in it.
If I leave our bedroom door open you will find Chloe to has snuck up on our bed and will be snoozing. Like I said, she's a loner most of the time, until Josh comes home or my dad comes over.
 I don't know who missed who more any of the times Hailey was in the hospital after she started getting "sick." I missed the dogs, Hailey missed the dogs and the dogs missed Hailey. I think that's why Hailey always loved visits in the hospital from the therapy dogs and I never passed up a chance to snuggle a pup when they walked by.

 Bringing Hailey home from the hospital Daisy right away went to Hailey's aid. Daisy sensed there was something wrong with Hailey's legs and feet and went to licking them better right away. She would forever lick Hailey if we let her.



Now since I am super paranoid to leave Hailey unattended even to go to the bathroom I had to enlist the help of my number one pup. I can have Hailey on the couch and ask Daisy to sit by her so Hailey doesn't attempt to roll off of the couch. Daisy will stay there until she is asked to move. Talk about HELPFUL!

 It's not only JUST Daisy though. Hailey and Chloe have a special relationship. It's a scratch my back I'll scratch yours kind of thing. Hailey wants to play with Chloe and Chloe allows Hailey to hold her rawhide. They both enjoy this.


Then when Hailey is at school Daisy keeps the bean bag warm until Hailey gets back, and Chloe can be found up in my bed. 
Yes dogs are expensive and they can drive you insane, but they also can keep you sane. Sometimes when Hailey is at school and it's just me and it's so quiet in the house I reach for a pup and hug it for a while. Sometime I feel like I don't give them enough attention because I'm so focused on Hailey. I know I can't buy forgiveness but I try to get those special yummy bacon treats for them or get those extra big rawhide bones they love. The thing I try to do most is sneak them onto my bed with me in the morning before Hailey wakes up and just snuggle. Don't tell Josh though!!

Tuesday, January 8, 2013

Hailey's Make a Wish

I got a phone call on Saturday from the Make a Wish Foundation. They wanted to come over, meet Hailey and find out what her wish would be. Hailey can't walk or talk but she can still understand most things. I told her that we had new friends that wanted to come over and meet her. I had been thinking what I would think she would want to do for her wish. I know I can ask her yes or no questions and she would understand most of it. 
I had thought that since we haven't left our home unless it was to spend time in a hospital that we all needed a family vacation. Hailey loves all things Disney. Disney Jr. plays on loop at our house. When the wish makers came over they were so excited to meet Hailey and Hailey gave them some really big smiles. During her interview they asked her what her favorite colors where. They asked if it was purple and she slightly shook her head no. When they asked if it was pink Hailey smiled really big. They found out that Hailey likes bows in her hair, glitter on her shirts, and knee high crazy socks under her AFO's.

So we had a decision to make. Here are our choices: 

1) A Disney Cruise - Everything is in one place. If Hailey needs to rest or needs to feed you could simply go back to your room and do so. There is a pool to swim in. They launch from California so it wouldn't be across the country. They only stayed on the water and you wouldn't depart. It'd be 3 days 4 nights. Characters are on the ship and they have movies and musicals to see. 

2) A DisneyWorld Vacation - 2 days at DisneyWorld, 1 day at Sea World, 1 day at Universal Studios and 1 day at a Safari Park. You stay at Give Kid the World cottages. There is a LOT more to see and do. Hailey LOVES animals so seeing dolphins and whales at Sea World and Giraffes and Lions at the Safari Park would be a lot of fun for her. They have Make a Wish Lounges so we wouldn't have to go back to the cottage to feed her. Universal has Curious George and Seuss Landing. She LOVES George and Dr. Seuss both! It's across the country and a long flight away. I don't know how to travel with her and everything she needs on a plane. How does she sit in the seat? Does she use her car seat? 

It's a tough choice! I posted this on facebook and got some great responses!! One idea that I really loved was to make a board of both places for Hailey with pictures. I thought that was a great comment that was left on Facebook. So that's what I did. While Hailey was feeding I made 2 picture boards and told her about each picture. One was Mickey House and one was Mickey Boat. 

Previously someone had told me about www.givekidstheworld.org when I looked it up and read all about it, it made me teary eyed. I watched the video and saw all the kids in wheelchairs who looked similar to Hailey and they were laughing and happy! They were included in everything done. They were able to be put in water wheel chairs and either go in the pool or get pushed through the splash pad. I honestly think Hailey would enjoy seeing other children similar to her that are in wheelchairs also. She has never interacted with another child in a wheelchair. She will get to see that she's not the only one. I won't feel like I am the only person with a special needs child in a wheelchair. Hailey did a great job talking with her wish makers, watching videos of both places, and using her visual boards to make her decision. 
So I will call her wish makers and let them know that Hailey would LOVE to go to 


MICKEY'S HOUSE!!!