On Again Off Again

Averi has recently started an "on again, off again" relationship and I don't know if I approve.  I'm sorry Averi, but the oxygen has got to go.

Ever since her bout with what the doctors are calling bronchiolitis, she has been needing oxygen while she's asleep.  She's totally fine during the day, and as of today doesn't even have to wear the pulse-ox when she's awake.  As soon as she falls asleep, the story changes, even during her naps.  Her oxygen levels just sit right around 88 until the nurse finally puts her on a teeny, tiny amount of oxygen.

Occasionally she doesn't need it, but just when my hope get up that she's fine, the oxygen goes back on.  Her poor little face is so torn up and scabbed from taking the oxygen stickers off and then having to put new ones on.  Like I said, this relationship is no good at all.

On a super exciting note, Averi did something new today during Speech Therapy...she tried to say a word.  The ST was playing with a ball and saying and signing it and out of the blue Averi made a "buh" sound.  She even repeated it at the end of the session when the ST said bye.  The rest of the time she just moved her mouth and whispered inaudible sounds.

She has never tried to say consonant sounds before so this is a really big step for her.  Lately she has become a lot more vocal and has started making several new sounds, not that they are letter sounds but she is definitely exploring her abilities.

It's funny because I had just finished asking the ST if there was anything different I needed to do to help Averi start saying words instead of signing them.  I have tried to get her to say mama, naturally, and all she does is sign it with no effort to vocalize.  The ST said that I didn't need to do anything different and that Averi would figure it out on her own.  Apparently she was right. :)