A Day in the Life of Micaela, a Special-Needs 3 Year-old

So much has changed since last year and our post A Day in the Life of Micaela, A Special-Needs Toddler. It is definitely time for an update.

For those of you who haven't heard Micaela's story, let me catch you up to speed. Micaela was born premature at 27 weeks weighing 2lbs. She suffered a brain hemorrhage and also never fully developed her cerebellum. The end result was that she has less than 50% of normal brain mass. She has vision impairments, ataxic cerebral palsy, and a long journey ahead of her.

But, God...

I like to tell people that my family and I have front-row seats to God's awesome power everyday of our lives as we watch this little girl overcome. She is amazing. 

So, this is a typical day for our little family when we are at home and nothing unexpected occurs.

It’s 7:00am. Micaela is awake, stretching all her sleepies out. I give her a quick change and pull off her AFO’s (Ankle Foot Orthotics, ie braces), put on her glasses, and set her down. She grabs her seahorse to cuddle while I get her breakfast ready.

Breakfast is pediasure, water, and medications via G-tube while she nibbles on a doughnut. She is never too excited about eating that early in the day but her appetite perks up later.
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While I tidy the house and wash dishes, Adela and Micaela are hard at play. While they love to play with other children and adults, they are pretty good at keeping themselves amused when left to their own means. Micaela is super busy crawling, climbing, clapping, dancing, and experimenting with some baby talk.

8:00 am--Shaylee, our respite care provider is here to help out with the day. Micaela is already getting hungry. As we read books, play with legos, and play with animals, Micaela munches away. Her favorite snacks right now include crackers, apple slices, and shredded cheese. She is still trying to figure out how to chew and swallow her food efficiently so it takes her hours instead of minutes to get the calories her body needs. That is why we have a G-tube and supplement her intake with Pediasure and water. ​

Smiles for the camera!

Doughnuts! (Treats from their abuelos)

Giving her kitties some love.

Shaylee is here!

Yummy goldfish!

Building with duplos.

Reading with Mama and Adela

10:30 am—Adela and Micaela enjoy a painting craft together. These are the moments I am so thankful that Micaela has an older sibling showing her how to do things and modeling behavior. Adela has a very positive impact on her sister’s development.
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Amazed by all that green stuck to her hand.

Shaylee helping Adela make a big sparkly caterpillar.

11:30am—The braces go back on and Micaela and I practice walking around the house. She is very proud of herself. Right now our goal is to be able to walk into the school independently this fall for preschool.
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She is super proud of her walking skills and we don't blame her.

Outfit change and braces on.

12:00pm—Lunch. We hook Micaela up to her G-tube machine while she enjoys a meal of yogurt. The G-tube machine pushes pediasure and water directly into her stomach.

After lunch is naptime. I put her in her sleepsack (we still can’t trust her with a blanket in her crib). We keep a baby video monitor in her bedroom to monitor her for seizures.

3:00pm—Micaela is up and ready to go. Just like the morning, Micaela loves to eat while she plays. We also spend a lot of time talking together. Right now Micaela has a 5-word vocabulary: dog, kitty, Papá, cheese, and hi. She also enjoys making animal sounds.

Yogurt!

Micaela saying, "Uh, oh!"

Micaela saying, "Papa"

Papa is home!

Lucky girl!

6:00pm—Papa comes home in time for cuddles and kisses. Afterwards it is dinner. Tonight she enjoys a quesadilla with carrots and extra cheese on the side. 

After dinner the girls help me with chores. Maggie, the dog, is quick to get in some doggie kisses with her girls. Micaela loves every second. 

Dinner entertainment brought to us by milk mustaches. :)

She is eating so much these days!

We definitely love our dog, Maggie.

7:00pm—It is time for bed! Micaela opens wide for teeth brushing. Upstairs we pray and sing some bedtime songs. With some kisses we say goodnight.
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That was one busy day, Micaela! ​​​

Goodness! She is tired! Good night, world.