A New Year and New Resolutions

As we head into 2012 I have made some resolutions for the upcoming year... I do that most years and then quickly forget what they were so my track record for keeping/achieving resolutions made on January 1st isn't the best. I'm not sure what makes that happen when I am actually pretty good at doing what I say I am going to do - maybe it's the fact that we are supposed to make resolutions on the 1st that I balk at and that I actually want to make them when I want to, not when I am told to...ahhh the rebel raises it's ugly head!

Well the big resolution that I have made is to be a stronger advocate for Ally. This year will bring her 2nd birthday and all sorts of new milestones for her and I want to be there to make sure that she is getting the help that she needs to achieve her highest potential. There are times since her birth when I struggle between the balance of being Ally's mom and also being her therapist. I have intentionally not looked at milestone charts or read much about Down Syndrome and development since she was born knowing that I could get really wrapped up in that - but this is the year to start expanding my knowledge and taking action.

My goal for Ally for this upcoming year is to expand her communcation strategies. I have already talked myself out of going back to school to be a Speech Pathologist -don't think that that idea has not crossed my mind lots of times in addtion to becoming a pedatric PT and taking every pediatric PT course available and OT ones that they would let me into, being a pediatric clinical  specialist and the list goes on. Short of taking on a new career, I plan to start exploring options for communication and allowing myself to be detailed and yes a bit anal about her language skills. I have already created my first lists/charts for the new year -one for a feeding journal associated with signs for the foods she eats and tracking her self feeding skills and one for the signs and words that she uses daily. There  is nothing like a nice table/chart to make this Mommy feel that she has a grasp of where her daughter stands right now and to help point us in the direction we need to go.

Another goal is for me to become more technology tolerant and to actually step out and start using some of the amazing tools that are available. 2011 found me opening a Facebook account and  now 2012 brings me starting a blog... we will  see how this goes  as the learning curve is steep but it should be quite a ride!  I don't really have a goal in mind for this blog other than to journal about life with Ally  - we will have to wait and see what develops. Looking forward to a great year.

Cathy