We survived :)

And not only that, 4 of the kids were great while we were there! Isn't it amazing how sometimes people say "you shouldn't adopt children with special needs, it will take so much away from your typical son" and yet all 4 of the children with Ds that are in my home right now required less attention and intervention than the one 5 yr old boy that has no chromosomal issues? Hmm... interesting, isn't it?

Of course transitioning is hard, and that likely comes in to play at some level, but the fact that we were in an environment where he thought he'd get away with it is the real reason for his disobedience. He's a smart kid. He was pulling a trick and got called on it!

So, the meeting itself... We decided to go ahead and replace Emma's wheelchair with a much less-structured chair that supports her current needs without the 'extras' that she needed 6 months ago which are in her current chair. We are SO GRATEFUL that we were given the one we have now because it has been wonderful for her while she learned the new skills she now shows! And I'm so glad that we weren't trying to purchase a chair for her 6 months ago because with it only being replaced every 3-5 years... we would have been "stuck" with a larger bulkier chair (which we originally needed but don't now). For instance, she now sits well and can hold her head up for long periods of time, so good head support isn't as necessary.

We've decided on a Quickie Mighty Lite. Some of the features:

Chest 'vest' or harness (because she likes to "lay" on her own lap instead of sitting up and can easily get out of an H harness to do so)
Tray for therapy
10" wheels that are easy to maneuver but not easy to REACH
Transport ready (meaning if in the future she takes a bus to school she can ride in her wheelchair)
Compact folding (almost like an umbrella stroller, but the 10" wheels and the footplates will still be somewhat wide-- no pieces to take off though)

The surprising part... insurance should approve it in a month or so and we should get it within a month after that! So... by the end of June we may have the chair in our hands... what wonderful timing that will be since the current chair is quite a "heft" to get into our van and as my pregnancy progresses... well... a lighter chair will be a blessing I'm sure :)