4 Year Check Up

Yesterday Elizabeth had her 4 year check up at the peds office. Her ped thought Elizabeth was doing well. SHe was a little concerned with some fine motor skills such as doing buttons. But I talked to Elizabeth's teacher today and she says that Elizabeth can do buttons, at least big ones at school. Of course her eating skills are still a serious concern, but her ped knows that we are waiting on some tests as well as the ok from her pulm before we can go any further there.

Elizabeth had to have 3 shots yesterday and completely freaked out the minute LeAnne (the m.a.) came in the room with them. It took her dad and I both to hold her down for the shots to be given. Poor LeAnn hates to give them to her, as she has been doing it since Elizabeth has been like 7 months old and Elizabeth just completely freaks out. She knows what they are and lately it seems like everytime we take her in she is getting another shot. In fact she has to go back next week for her synagis shot as well. Which she doesn't realize she has to get every month until April.

Her dad sais she was such a big girl at the doctors that he wanted to take her to the store to buy a toy. Well with Elizabeth this can be a real trip. She doesn't even look at the toys and instead just says she wants this or that. We ended up getting her a playdough set. Her ped said playdough would be great for strengthen her hands.

This toy shopping brings me to a whole nother subject with her. It is so hard to but for her, because she really doesn't care for toys much. In fact she is so infatuaited with all the doctor's appointments and what not that she relates everything to that. Whenever she plays with her babies, they are crying because they went to the doctor and got "poked". I know it's her way of dealing with what has happened to her, her whole life, but I hate to watch it. Her dad and I have talked and so has her teacher and I to come up with different things to have E play with. Her teacher said that E likes to play with fake make-up. Joe and I were completely against this stuff when it came to Quincie, but after much talk we have decided that we will let E play with this type of stuff to see if we can get her mind in another direction. Plus I have bought her a sit and spin for Christmas and one game. I am going to look for other games to play as well. And her dad has bought her the Computer Cool School for Christmas as well. She loves trying to play with my computer so I am hoping that this will be something to keep her interest and still learn from.

If anyone else has some other suggestions, I am totally opened to them. I just want her to play like "normal" children do and not concentrate so much on medical things. I know it seems so wierd to have to try to make your child play or think of things for them to play with.