She Will Amaze You

Ellie's physiotherapist is leaving our early intervention practice. I have mixed emotions about this. For the past several months he's done nothing to push Ellie to do anything. No new exercises, no suggestions other than letting her figure out walking on her own. She still won't stand on her own. She can, but she flat out refuses. She will happily cruise all around, practically run with her walker, and can walk holding on to one hand. The millisecond you let go of her tiny hand, she sits down. She doesn't plop down, her descent is very controlled. But, argh! I know she can do this, and I'm desperate to see her achieve this humungous milestone. Everyone said that she would be "for sure" walking by March. Well, Hello there, it's March 15th, and we are no where close.

So, perhaps we'll get a new therapist, with a new outlook, who will get Ellie to push the boundaries of what she's comfortable with. I can only hope! The practice hasn't hired a new PT yet, so I think there is a bit of waiting still left...

Ellie turns two next month. Two. I can't believe that this time last year two years ago, I was well into the throes of bedrest, praying daily to make it a few more days, a few more days.

We are coasting now with her PWS. Every day I have a reminder that it's there, with her daily growth hormone injections. Jakob is a great little helper, fetching the supplies I need, while I work with Ellie on pulling the cap off her injection pen. One day, some day, she'll be able to do the injection process all herself. That boggles my mind. We sing, we clap, we distract, and then it's over for the day, back into the fridge for tomorrow.

We all had the flu. It was rough, and Ellie lost a considerable amount of weight. I'm trying, TRYING to get her to gain it back, because I don't want a lecture at our next endocrine appointment that I'm not feeding her enough. I'm not sure, but it seems that she's becoming more and more picky about the things she wants to eat. She's almost, hmmm... selectively hungry? It's frustrating being in the stage where she can communicate some, but not enough to get her message across. We have family rules around food, specifically with regards to what is offered. If it's on the table you can have it, if it isn't, don't even ask. I don't believe in fostering pickiness around food. All Ellie seems to want are bananas, which she would gladly eat by the bunch, if allowed, and cookies. Cookie? No. Cookie? No. Cookie? No. Cookie? No. Cookie? No! Cookie? Nooo! Coooooookiiiiiiieeeeeeee?!?! No! Banana? Sigh. No, you cannot have another banana. Here, have some chicken. *Spits it out*. Have some veggies *throws them on the floor*. Rice? Pasta? Cheese? *throws plate over the edge of her highchair, which I catch before it hits the floor.
Frustrated, because the rest of us have finished eating, I clear the table. I start cleaning up, and Ellie starts again. Banana? No. Cookie? No. Banana? No. *Points at her bowl on the table*. I put it back in front of her. She eats it all up. It is so hard at times not to give in, but I will not give in. I have to stay strong!