Test results are in

We got the results to Maya's microarray yesterday (a few weeks earlier than planned) and they were totally normal!

The microarray is a genetic test that analyzes the chromosomes to see if any sections are missing (deletions) or repeated (duplications). Microdeletions and duplications can cause many, many different genetic syndromes or disorders, so it's great to hear that everything was normal!

Dave and I were pretty surprised that nothing turned up, since this test casts a wide net looking for issues, and we are happily celebrating the good news.

Please resist the urge to ask "What now?" Within the past yearish, we've gone through so many tests and challenges that it's just nice to dwell in good news, rather than already start looking ahead to which tests could come next.

Now we're just planning to focus on working towards goals (our current goal is pulling up to stand) and pushing her development as best as we can.

I'm sadly looking at my last week working at KIPP (only 3 days left). This week summer school ends, we're looking forward to a vacation in August, and then I'll be working with Maya at home (and working from home as well).

Recent Happenings

Lots of exciting stuff going on with us. Maya outgrew her bathtub:

Guys? Really? This is ridiculous.

I've been gardening. These pics were taken 2ish weeks ago, the plants are way bigger now and yesterday we got our first red tomato!!!

Oodles of basil plants, inside & outside:

Habanero & Jalapeno peppers---they're being attacked by aphids, so I don't know if we'll get any peppers:

Lettuces & Spinach:

Windowsill herb garden:

Tomato plant:

First basil harvest:


Mommy & Maya went to KIPP's 8th grade advancement ceremony:

Maya did a Father's Day craft:

We read books:

And go back to doctor's appointments:

(Maya is having a genetic test called a microarray done. The geneticists still feel like some genetic issue has caused Maya's delays and the test will search for microdeletions or duplications which could have caused a syndrome. Results due in 2ish months.)

We celebrated the 4th of July with a yummy cookout in NJ:

Where Maya enjoyed watermelon and chocolate:

We are getting ready to have a big change in September. For the first time in 8 years, I'm not going to be returning to the classroom. I have super mixed feelings about it, but we've decided that it would be best if I'm home with Maya. It will make it easier to schedule appointments and therapies, and give me more hands-on time to work with her. At the same time, I'm going to miss my KIPP family, and hopefully Maya and I will visit all the time.

I'm not going to take the year off entirely, instead I'm going to be working from home with a grad school that's affiliated with KIPP and TFA, among other schools. I'll be helping to evaluate first year teachers via videos, which is web-based and can be done any time, day or night. So I needed to create a home office, and Dave and I bought a desk at IKEA. Now, I love putting crap together (Really. It's very satisfying to build stuff.) . . . but this was intense! It came in 2 boxes that looked like this:

It had this many parts:

After a few hours of work it looked like this:


Finally, all done:



It's normal to have left over parts, right?




We're rearranging our 3rd bedroom to make it more workable with the new desk, and we're back to work (for summer school, which I'm working at but not teaching) tomorrow!

Maya is 1!

Ok, technically, today Maya is 13 months. But let's pretend it hasn't taken me this long to post a birthday update and she's actually 1. We had a great, and low-key (so low key that the birthday girl took a nap in the middle of her party) birthday party. Both sets of grandparents came, along with Lisa, Jay, Collin & Emerson. Maya took a little 45 minute nap to gear up for the excitement.

Daddy left early in the morning to get balloons filled, while mom got some snacks ready and decorated (with the invitations that came with the party supplies. Since I never sent them out I got crafty with them.). The Shuffs arrived first and we all went out to lunch together. Then we returned home, just in time for Grandma & Grandpa to arrive. Maya napped and Grandma Lainey & Grandpa Joe came with more presents! We played on the floor, opened presents, and ate cake (A doggy cake made by me, and a strawberry shortcake that Dave's parents brought up from the city because it's the best cake ever!). Here are pics:

Arriving, with Aunt Lisa & Emerson:

I'm just learning how to crawl . . .

Weeeeeeeeeeee! It's my birthday!!!!!!!!!!!!


We get to rip paper? I LOVE ripping paper!

Collin helps to open the present, much to Maya's delight . . .

Cake time!!!

Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you . . .

Um, I'm not sure if I want this . . .

I will do a one-finger poke, but that is all

MOM! Cut it out!

Honestly.



Yummy strawberry shortcake

With Grandma Lainey & Grandpa Joe:


With Grandma & Grandpa:

Grandma, Collin, Jason, Lisa, Emerson, Grandpa, Maya, Mom & Dad

So, it turns out that she likes fake dogs, too . . .

Thanks, Cleggs!

Crawling?

I'm not sure if this technically counts as crawling, but it's definitely progress!

She has a tooth!

We've been keeping a watchful eye on her bottom gums, two big bumps that have been threatening to turn into teeth for (literally) months. Today I accidentally noticed that a top tooth has snuck in when we weren't watching!

We think it was in the last 2 or 3 days, as she's been waking up an extra time in the middle of the night, and is a bit crankier than normal . . .

New videos :)

The Sequel: Maya loves dogs. Too much.

Tonight we took Maya to a dog park, where she was hysterical. She laughed and laughed and laughed. I tried to video tape it on Dave's cell phone . . . he said "we should have brought the camera!" Then I said "She's going to get sick!"

And then she did.

She laughed so hard that she puked all over herself (which cracked us up). Then immediately started cracking up again.

And we got it on (really bad, cell phone quality) tape.

The quality is bad, but here's what to watch/listen for:
1. She's cracking up
2. We are surprised & hysterical as she throws up (which you can see, a little)
3. She immediately is laughing again.



:)

Maya loves dogs. A lot.

This is a video of Maya watching a YouTube video on my computer. The video that she was watching was of beagle puppies. For whatever reason, she's going through a phase where even the sight of dogs cracks her up :)

Surgery

It's been 3 days since Maya's adenoid surgery and she is recovering well. She has periods of whiny-ness, sometimes is eating a bit less than usual, is super congested, and is not 100% herself. But she's recovering from surgery and teething (no teeth yet, but the front bottom two are so close!), so we're just waiting and giving the occasional Tylenol.

The doctor said that the adenoids were at least as big as when he last saw them (he thinks that they were slightly bigger) and that the surgery went smoothly. She was VERY tired afterwards and wouldn't eat until after 1pm (surgery was done at about 8:10am) so we had to spend a good part of the day in the hospital. We watched her sleep and tried once an hour or so to wake her up and feed her. We shared the large room with a few other kids who were also coming out of similar surgeries (Maya was the youngest by a few years). Here is a glimpse into what the day looked like:

Our bracelets, and Maya's anklet

Daddy & Maya in the pediatric play/waiting room (notice the pout . . .she was getting hungry and we were trying to distract her)

Pom-poms are a good distraction

I LOVE pom-poms!

Hmm, these pjs may be a bit too big

Dressed up before the surgery

Maya & Mommy (in scrubs) heading down to the operating room

Immediately after surgery

Getting wheeled upstairs to Maya's crib

Resting

Clearly, still drugged up

This is how I feel, Dad

No, no food! I mean it!

Seriously, back off guys. I'm beat.

Starting to play

Hi everybody!

Cutting off the IV board & tape . . . FREEDOM!