Update on Beth
We know that many of you are used to getting updates from Barbara on Beth, on Ruby and on the new baby that will be here with us in just under six weeks. And we know a lot of you are thinking about Beth: wondering how she's doing with this enormous transition.
It seems she is doing remarkably well. As I type, she's at our community pond with her art bag; drawing and coloring. Ruby and I took Beth on a tour of the neighborhood the day she arrived and showed her the pool and pond. I figured it would take a few trips until she was comfortable with possibly going on her own. I was shocked the next day when she came downstairs with her bag and hat, while Ruby was napping, and announced she was going to the pond! She's been there every day since and says she enjoys the time to herself. 😊
Right after Barbara's funeral, Beth went home with Billie and spent time with her and with Noni for several days while we got her room ready and moved her in. One of my best friends helped me start the process of unpacking while Judy Bice and Cheryl Holland helped us finish the next day. It's been a week now since we've all been together and Beth seems to enjoy her new (but much smaller) space. I know Ruby is thrilled to have her here and exclaims, "Hi Beth!" multiple times every morning.
Beth has decided she wants a Braves themed room and we're getting some fabrics and pillows together to make it look, "Braves" and cute. We'll post pics of Beth in her room when it's finished.
On the business side of things, we've found a special needs attorney who is helping us set up a Special Needs Trust for Beth. This will allow us to move assets into that account (under Beth's name) while still keeping her eligibility with Social Security, Medicare and various services we hope to soon take advantage of. Our attorney, who has a special needs child, suggested the first step was to get Beth an appointment at the Georgia Disability Medical Home. They were booked until February but we got a cancellation appointment in October. This is basically a doctors office and the appointment will provide us with an extensive medical and psychological evaluation, with an up-to-date diagnosis, to help open the door to getting Beth qualified for resources. Our goal is get her involved in activities that will help her meet friends, go on outings, possible job training/job? and probably other things we've never thought of. Speech therapy and occupational therapy are possible options too.
As for baby Reynolds- we have 5 1/2 weeks to go until the October 5 scheduled delivery. We're trying to focus on picking a name but there's still so much going on --and nothing is clicking for us. We'll keep you updated for sure.
In the meantime, we're spending Tuesday nights/Wednesdays in Oxford to take care of things at the house. With everything so busy, we're not sure we've really started to grieve yet. We feel more numb than anything and miss Barbara and Doug so much. We'd love to see you when we're in town so feel free to drop by.
Thank you for loving us.
Julia (on behalf of Matthew, Ruby Jane and Beth)
 |
| Beth's peaceful spot |
 |
| The pond where Beth likes to sit |
Right after Barbara's funeral, Beth went home with Billie and spent time with her and with Noni for several days while we got her room ready and moved her in. One of my best friends helped me start the process of unpacking while Judy Bice and Cheryl Holland helped us finish the next day. It's been a week now since we've all been together and Beth seems to enjoy her new (but much smaller) space. I know Ruby is thrilled to have her here and exclaims, "Hi Beth!" multiple times every morning.
Beth has decided she wants a Braves themed room and we're getting some fabrics and pillows together to make it look, "Braves" and cute. We'll post pics of Beth in her room when it's finished.
On the business side of things, we've found a special needs attorney who is helping us set up a Special Needs Trust for Beth. This will allow us to move assets into that account (under Beth's name) while still keeping her eligibility with Social Security, Medicare and various services we hope to soon take advantage of. Our attorney, who has a special needs child, suggested the first step was to get Beth an appointment at the Georgia Disability Medical Home. They were booked until February but we got a cancellation appointment in October. This is basically a doctors office and the appointment will provide us with an extensive medical and psychological evaluation, with an up-to-date diagnosis, to help open the door to getting Beth qualified for resources. Our goal is get her involved in activities that will help her meet friends, go on outings, possible job training/job? and probably other things we've never thought of. Speech therapy and occupational therapy are possible options too.
As for baby Reynolds- we have 5 1/2 weeks to go until the October 5 scheduled delivery. We're trying to focus on picking a name but there's still so much going on --and nothing is clicking for us. We'll keep you updated for sure.
In the meantime, we're spending Tuesday nights/Wednesdays in Oxford to take care of things at the house. With everything so busy, we're not sure we've really started to grieve yet. We feel more numb than anything and miss Barbara and Doug so much. We'd love to see you when we're in town so feel free to drop by.
Thank you for loving us.
Julia (on behalf of Matthew, Ruby Jane and Beth)
Comments
Post a Comment