Wednesday

I feel like saying out loud how wonderful all of our friends and family are. I am not sure that I'll ever be able to express how much better this last day and a half (is that all it's been?) has been because of the phone calls and emails we've received. Hope y'all will continue to be patient with us, and there for us, as we maneuver our way through this new part of our life.
Also, I should say out loud that I feel blessed by the luck we've had with the 'team' already working for sweet Imogene Blanche. We both feel very comfortable with Dr. McClintock and PT Susan, and our pediatrician, Dr. Baldrate- what an angel. She called us today, and traded calls with me until she got a hold of me to see how yesterday went. Dr. Baldrate has two boys, each a little older than our girls. Her second is a challenging sleeper, like our baby girl! We've bonded with her in a way, and I was comforted very much by talking to her tonight. She said many things that reaffirmed the optimistic attitude we're taking, and reminded me how happy I am she's on our 'team.'
Speaking of sleeping, when we asked Dr. McClintock if the CP could be causing the 'sleep issues' Imogene has, he promptly said no, and suggested "Solve Your Child's Sleep Problems" by Dr. Richard Ferber - which is basically the theory that children need to learn to sleep on their own without any 'aid.' Lily is a great sleeper (knock on wood) and learned to put herself to sleep pretty easily as a baby. Boy did we not have a clue how good we had it then! Imogene wakes at night, at all hours and intervals of the night, and is hysterical. Nursing is usually the only way she'll go back to sleep. We know that this isn't the best thing for her, but good grief we're tired and it's easier on our heads and our hearts than hearing her cry. But we're going to give some of the suggestions from the book a try tonight.
In a way working on her sleep might be cathartic for both of us. I think we're feeling a little helpless that there isn't much we can do for Imogene right now in terms of the CP.
Except, yippee, physical therapy! We go tomorrow, and I'm really excited about it. It's an 'action item' I like to think, a way to fight that CP and help our baby girl.

And then there's poor Lily, who cried and cried and cried hysterically tonight at bathtime/bedtime. We think we figured out the reason had to do with wanting the toys from the movie "Cars." She 'needs Ligtming Mahqueen and his truck" What she needs to go back to school and get some more mental stimulation!! Also wondering if she senses the stress in both of us because she has been a looney-toon lately!