3 1/2 Years Old!

Hello! Today I am 3 and a half! I have had a great fall and winter. With lots of time spent with family and friends.

Favorite Food: Yup, you guessed it ... Banana! And 'pink gum'. Mom always keeps pink gum and orange gum in her purse. She's cool that way. It helps pass the time in the car to and from daycare and different places.
Favorite Drink: Orange Juice! But I'm not to have any after dinnertime any more. And that really blows. Something about too much sugar before bed, I don't know.
Favorite Movie: How to Train Your Dragon. It's so good! There's this big dragon and it crashes to the ground and there is fire. Awesome.
Favorite Toys: Puzzles! I can totally put together my three-year-old and four-year-old puzzles all by myself. I have a couple of 5-year-old puzzles that are 100 pieces. Those are fun! But I sort of need my mom or dad's help to get me started. But then I can do it!
I also like cars that go and make noise!
Things I like: Snacks, reading, and jumping. I can jump over Griz! But my mom says not to. Griz said it was okay by him. Hmmm. Who do I listen to?
I like baking and cooking too. I like to help mix things and dump measuring cups. I have made pancakes, brownies, mac & cheese, apple crisp, and cupcakes!
School! I like school a lot. But I don't talk to my teachers much. I'm not sure why. My mom and dad say I should. And then they ask me if I am going to talk to them today and I just tell them, no.
Beth! She is my speech therapist. She is great! I talk to her a lot!!!
Achievements: I am talking much more now. Still have a hard time getting my words out so my people understand me. But I have made much progress in these last six months.
Need to work on: Potty Training. Yeah, I know. I'm not potty trained yet. Sometimes I go on the potty. But usually if mom asks me or suggests it I pitch a fit and she leaves me alone. But I have a feeling, that in the next couple of months (after this next surgery) She is going to say, enough already. So please, send diapers. Size 4. Maybe if we have a bunch in the house that we have to use up, I can put this business off for a while longer. Size 4. Please.

VPI evaluation

Today we had an appointment at Gillette Children's Hospital. Eli talked for the doctors...a little bit. And they looked at his palate some. We were expecting them to do a nasalscopy (spell?). But they didn't. I wasn't expecting Eli to do so willingly if they had wanted to do it. But Dr. Wood was certain of what is needed without having to do one. So.... Sometime within the next week they are going to call us to set up the day and time for his p-flap (pharyngeal flap) surgery. Which we are thinking will be for in the next couple of months.
Dr. Wood said this surgery will be like his palate surgery as far as the amount of time it will take, the intensity ... But recovery time will be a bit harder and longer. (Sigh) To create the p-flap he will take tissue from the back of his throat. So he is going to have one heck of a sore throat!
Dr. Wood says he does this procedure about once a week with an 80% success rate that there will be no side effects. (such as sleep apnea). And maybe three of those a year will need further adjusting/correcting.
I'll post more info as I research the procedure.
I am anxious and worried. But how incredible it will be for him to make some strong consonant sounds!

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Tonight at dinner... A smiley two-year-old girl was sitting in the booth next to us. Eli was antsy in the booth and was being'naughty' with his hands on the table and his feet balancing on the back of the booth. She hollered at him, "get down! Get down!" Then she hears Eli playing with a flash card app on my phone and she cried out, "my turn!" And kept telling her grandparents that she wanted down! She was so blasted cute!

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Surgery is scheduled for March 7. In two Weeks! Yikes!