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Halley's Progress (Online Diary)
Weekly Log Page for October 18-October 24

Here I'll create a new page like this one for each week. I'll make sure to change the title and update the "most recent posting" link on the home page each time.

This weekly log page includes entries in chronological order. I will write new entries on this page as the week goes on and then add a new page for each new week (remembering to update my "most recent posting" link on the home page whenever I do, of course).

I might not include an entry for every day - it depends on what occurs to Halley!

Wednesday, October 17, 2001

Today is the beginning, a new beginning for us. Halley's speech progress has been slow, and I have decided to try the Pro-Efa capsules, and see how Halley's speech, behavior and focus may change as a result of this. (To learn more about Pro-Efa capsules, see the link below to The CHERAB Foundation.)
As of today, her vocabulary is at about 77 words. Alot of the words are scrambled, and the pronunciation is poor. She tries very hard, and though she "talks" all the time, we are still striving to increase her speech skills.

Thursday, October 18, 2001

Today started out pretty well. When I got her out of bed this morning, I bumped her with my elbow. I told her I was sorry, I did not mean to bump her with my elbow. She looked at me and smiled, and then said,"my elbow", it sounded like "my ellow", though it was a set of new words. I thought to myself, "Hmmm, is this a coincidence?", and continued about our morning. Before I took her to school, she added some more words to her vocabulary, here they are:
Daffy (Dappy) / Eddie / Polly (pobby) / baby milk (soft a in baby and combined the two words together perfectly) / downstairs (dow-der) / and the words OH NO!, came out as good as if I said them myself.
I am so excited to see what she will say when I picked her up this afternoon!
Afternoon: Wow! I picked her up and she just started talking, using 3 & 4 words & syllables, something she has never done before. I thought to myself...is this real, could it be working so fast? Not sure, I am not going to question it either. She said these words/phrases which were all new to her vocabulary:
scissors (idors) / glue (boo) / bandaid / cup / bills / stragiht (sate) / Abby / Fruit Loops (foo oos) / Flower (owbee) / hi puppy / me two bandaid / mommy two bandaid / help me mama / wanna see / I eat no /
She also came home and wanted to show me the new signs she learned at school, now this was odd, because she never wants to do her signs, nor does she just up and show me. She said all four of these with the sign and the speech. (The letter of the week is P) pocket / popcorn / peach / paper.
When I picked her up from school her teacher brought her to the car, and told me I was never going to believe this, but Halley stood up in front of the whole class and taught them her signs, she did the signs and spoke at the same time!!
I wondered, but this is only the beginning, and with Halley, I know she does have good days and bad days. On days where she is sick or tired, she hardly attempts to talk.
**Now note this....At 6:30 pm last night I gave her cold medicine that would help her sleep, I do not know if this would effect her supplements or not, but I am doing this study on my own, and recording all details. Please check with your pediatrician before starting any supplements.

Friday, October 19, 2001

Halley woke up this morning, and everything seems to be as normal as our life has been for the past few years. I did not notice anything different, nor any changes.
When I picked her up from school, she was quite like "normal", and did not answer my questions about how school was. (Which is usually how things go) When we got home she started grunting and pointing, almost to a state of regression. She has in the past few months really been making an attempt, and had not been grunting with uh-uh, she still pointed though. I decided to not give her the cold medicine today, as her cold actually seemed better anyway. Her nose was not running at all when I picked her up. I tried to get her to show me the 4 signs she did yesterday, and she refused. So yesterday was a really good day, it gives me hope, and I will continue with my study.

Saturday/Sunday, October 20-21, 2001

Saturday my husband gave Halley some cold medicine, which I was trying not to do since it makes her groggy, and her cold is much better. I did not tell him not to,so needless to say, Saturday she was pretty grumpy. I did not notice any real change.
Sunday, seemed to be a little better. Her behavior has improved I must say. Before she would just flat out not do anything I said, from the most simple of tasks, and her behavior all week has been better, she is willing to do things, and does not whine as much. In the mornings this week, she has been in a really good mood, and even lets me brush her hair, which before she would usually cry.

Monday, October 22, 2001

After doing some more reading this weekend, I decided to increase her from 1 pill a day, to 1 pill twice a day. I have noticed that she is using words she has never before, and making 2-3 words sentences that seem to be more clear. I am not sure if this is from the Pro-Efa, or just progress. Today, I picked her up from pre-k, and saw her speech therapist, (the one she has had since she was 2), and she asked me,"What have you done with Halley?" You see for the past two years everytime she would come for speech, Halley would give her attitude, and refuse to cooperate. Since last week, she goes with her, and does everything she is asked of in therapy. This is no doubt a change. I have not informed her of the Pro-Efa, I wanted to see if she noticed a change without me telling her. It just makes me so happy.

Tuesday, October 23, 2001

Things seem to be progressing just a little faster, her words are becoming more clear, and most everything she says come in a sentence of 2-3 words.
Yesterday I forgot to mention this, this is the first time in her life she has ever done this. She is very active, and can go until wee hours of the night/morning, with no nap. Yesterday, she crawled up on the couch and just fell asleep. I was in the room with her at the time. The tv was on, she just passed out. Now at one point she rolled off the couch, got back up, and fell right back asleep. This is no doubt new bahavior for her.

Wednesday, October 24, 2001

It is so hard to say, I want to be realistic, yet I want this to happen for her. I am trying to be objective as possible. Today she had speech therapy again, and things went great.
I was on the phone, and Halley sat down on the couch beside me, and I looked over at her and she was asleep. No doubt in my mind, it has to be the Pro-Efa, calming her down a bit. She has never just fell asleep, let alone when I was 6 inches away from her on the phone. My mom heard her talk and says that her voice sounds clearer.