My apologies that it’s been a while since I’ve posted an update, especially a milestones update, and I have had many inquiries on Ari’s progress during this time (as well as my other children of course). This August 15, marked the six month anniversary post-Stem Cell Therapy. And as I’ve said before, this time pretty much delineates the last of the progress that we can reasonably attribute to her therapy. In other words, whatever gains she experienced from the stem cells will be evident by this point. And while I’ve been updating on her progress pretty consistently, there are still a few developments that she’s realized in the past two months that I have yet to mention, but that we are very excited about.
Ari has gotten stronger. I might not have noticed it myself, because I am around her all the time, if it weren’t for the fact that so many others have repeatedly brought it to my attention. The others of whom I speak include her therapists, her teachers, friends at church, and people who only see her intermittently. While she does have “off days” and “off moments” when she sort of falls into a dreamy daze and lets her whole body relax and hang loose, she has been holding herself in a sitting position much straighter, catching her balance more, initiating pulling to a kneel, commando crawling farther distances and quicker, and tiring less overall. We are so proud of this little lady.
{with Aunt Marci}
Another major development for Ari that I’ve only briefly mentioned is her exceptional ability to hold her breath under water, consistently and for unusually long periods of time – we’re talking like 30 seconds at a time here people. While my other two tots have perfect control over their bodies, they are still apprehensive at best (Gabe), downright panicky and worst (Bella) about immersing their heads and faces fully under the water. I think their reactions are still pretty much the norm for their age. It’s Ari’s reaction that I just can’t get over! I swear, the girl is a mermaid. Between dunking her face (she initiates each time she goes under) and laughing hysterically, she’ll only come up for one quick two second gasp of air before going back under. She amazes me every day.
So, we have been working on getting Ari to learn how to go from prone (tummy) to sitting for oh so very long, and she hasn’t been able to get her body to cooperate with her at all. Years we tried and made few if any slight improvements. I had all but stopped thinking about it except when I was working with her during the day. Then one day last week, I went upstairs to get her up from her nap, and there she was, sitting up rail straight, cross legged on her bed, with a huge grin spanning her face. I had to check myself as I questioned if someone could have snuck in and propped her up! But no, it was her. It was my little girl all on her own. And I wasn’t the only one in the room beaming with pride; Ari was clapping for herself, which she does when she knows it’s really a big deal. Two days later, she did it again. Just an everyday miracle.
My boy, Gabe, also has grown up quite a bit this summer. Not only is he now taking himself potty entirely on his own, which is a leap of independence that I can surely appreciate (he was potty trained before but needed assistance with undressing/dressing, aiming, and hand washing… no longer the case!), but he has also gained independence in the swimming pool as well. This child was never crazy about the water like his twin. He clung to us fiercely in the pool and wasn’t interested in taking any risks, which was both a reassurance and a frustration for us. Floaties were out of the question, because he would just cry and throw his feet up and his head back, freaking out and losing control at the same time. This month, after having put him through swimming lessons, we tried the floaties again, and low and behold… he swims! Mind you, not without the assistance of his puffy little vest, but he swims doggy paddle laps back and forth across the length of the pool, with a self-satisfied smirk on his face, and he never wants to get out. Except, that is, when he feels like jumping in all by himself!
Little Bells is not quite the water baby at this juncture in her life. While she demands to wear her “swimming jacket” and to go to “swimming lessons”, she still wants to cling tightly to Mommy and Daddy and remain in an upright, nose-breathing-air position while in the water. That’s okay. Isabella is so full of wonder and surprise and pure amusement. I being around her. She is a ray of sunshine, always ready with a joke or a giggle or a game. And even when she’s ornery, it tickles me through and through.
{just us}
