I-800A and Cleft Clinic

Girls clowning at the zoo

Well, after more than 5 months, the homestudy finally hit my hot little hands yesterday evening! By that time the post office had closed for the day, but this morning I managed to mail out the I800A application packet. I know, I know...I'm gushing! But seriously, this is a load off of my mind. Here's to a quick approval!
Yesterday, Maimie attended the cleft clinic at Easter Seals. She absolutely beamed when we arrived and she saw Miss Kristi. Kristi has followed Maimie's speech development since she arrived home in early 2007, and has become a good friend of ours. Later in the day, Maimie was seen by a large group of professionals from several different disciplines. She thrilled to see her beloved "Dr. Handsome". Maimie still reminds me, "He's so nice, he fixed my throat."
After 3 solid hours of Maimie charming the crowds at the clinic, we left with a good report. While there may be a mild decrease in her hearing in one ear during especially low sounds, we'll just keep an eye on that and follow up with our regular ENT doc. Her mouth looks good and we can anticipate palate expansion at around age 6 or so. At one point during the exam, Maimie said to the entire room of doctors and specialists, "Excuse me, but did you notice that I have a tooth missing? It's right here..." And she opened wide to point out her cleft. We all had a good chuckle at her over that one. The docs assured her she'd eventually get a nice tooth for her spot. They thought there may be an extra tooth they can pull over from another spot. If not, she could get a false tooth or a bridge. Apparently she was satisfied with that explanation. She thanked them all and slid down the chair to leave with a smile and a wave.