We've been back just about a week, and a lot of folks have asked "so....?" The "has anything happened?" being mostly implied. It's really hard to not look for every little moment to have some greater meaning, especially when you're wanting it so badly to be true. But life is full of such dilemmas.

Noa is back to her routine - included her physical therapy at Rusk Institute (pictured). Therapy ON a swing! What more could a girl ask for??

The main thing we've noticed since coming home is how talkative Noa has been. She is prattling up a storm at home, at school, in therapy - she has a lot to say! We're hearing some new sounds, and some sounds that have been mysteriously absent for a long time. She has been saying "b-b-b" every time she is about to drink from her bottle, and seems to be sort of singing a long to music sometimes. She seems to call me mama sometimes, but she also just says it randomly quite a lot so it's hard to know.

She definitely seems to be turning toward me more when she "talks" to me - which is nice.
She has had some senstivity in her feet - which is interesting. She has been a bit obsessed with her shoes since the IV so we don't know if that's still in her mind. And to be perfectly honest, she's had a few meltdowns over the past few days that seem to have to do with not getting what she wants right away - or not being able to communicate what she wants.

It's hard to anticipate what signs to teach her next - and to figure out how to adjust signs so that they aren't too much like other signs. We think she is ready for more - but we've been a bit stuck trying to figure out what she wants to be able to say. We've been trying to get a speech person who is fluent in sign (our lovely speech therapist who is fluent is home with her baby now - we miss her!) - but it's been difficult.

Believe it or not, one of the problems is that Noa isn't deaf and the organizations that provide this kind of thing do it for deaf-blind kids, but not blind kids. I've actually tried to convince people that she has a hearing processing disorder! (which she may) But then someone talks to Noa and she responds appropriately... and oh well. So it's been a real challenge and we're still working on it.

Anyway, slightly off track, but that is the week one report. I'm still battling to post video, which is a bummer. I need a 13 year old to come over and show me how to make this work!