It's the small stuff

We are learning to appreciate the small things around here!  This past week with our therapists has been an eye opener for me.  I was in my own little bubble of frustration over Madi and her progress.  It seems abysmally slow to me.  However, both therapists remarked on how well she is doing and how far she has come.  This made me think back to when we started therapy and how little she could do to entertain herself or move around. 

When we started therapy, her hands were often fisted and she only played with and grabbed a toy after it was put in her hands.  She now reaches for things that catch her interest.  She will grasp them and put them in her mouth.  The biggest change I have noticed is that I rarely see her hands fisted! 

At six months she was just starting to roll, but often couldn’t get back onto her back because she had trouble positioning her hands to help her.  Now she is all over the floor.  She can even play with toys while on her belly.  It’s amazing to see how well she can move her arms now.  She doesn’t purposefully roll to get something she wants, but it is only a matter of time before she puts 2 and 2 together.

The other big thing I have noticed is that with the ability and desire to reach and grasp, she can now entertain herself for short periods!  How amazing it is to have five minutes to run and switch the laundry or put it away without listening to her scream at the top of her lungs.

Just this week she finally was able to get her feet to her mouth.  It was an exciting moment to see her do this.  This is such a big thing for her because it involves so much.  She has to be completely relaxed in her back, have strength in her abdomen to pull her legs up, and be relaxed in her legs so that she can bend her knees grab her foot with her hands and put her toes in her mouth.  It’s not an easy task, but she is getting the idea.

There are so many other little things that she is able to do, I could probably write a small book.  I just need to focus on what she can do and quit focusing on what she can’t.  The little things lead to the big things!