We Have a Sitter!

This pic isn't great but I wanted to capture it and I only had my phone! I will tell you that for the last week, Avery has been successfully sitting most of the time (of course, she doesn't sit for long since she is always on the go!).

Me and Momma

Upper motor neuron lesion (hemiplegia)

Things to watch for with Avery:

• Problems with gait. Overactive use of hip to compensate for stiff knees.
• Difficulties with complex hand use from buttons to tying shoes to holding a pencil.
• Challenges with turns and pivots.
• Might have an issue with activities that require her arms to be over her head (such as catching a ball or putting a shirt on).
• Will likely be unstable when it comes to toilet training. Expect that she will be in diapers for some time.

Milestone today: Sat up in the tub for most of her bath. She was interested in sucking on a wash cloth or holding on to Nemo (her fish) so she seemed focused on her play rather than her balance. She surprised me when I caught her that way since I had been harping on Charlotte to get dressed so we could pick up T! (Forever naked...that's C!)

Something for further research: Constraint Induced Therapy

Cute Story...

Avery went into the classroom as Charlotte did on Friday (which she tends to do every chance she gets!). While I talk to Ms. Garneau, she throws herself to the floor and crawls over to the mat where the rest of the four year olds assemble as they wait for class to start. There are books all over the mat for the kids to read so Avery takes one, and then lays on her back to read it (which is how she lives around here most of the time...there are always books all over the floor!). Anyway, she had her hair up in a couple of ponytails right off the top of her head (think Pebbles from the Flintstones). Since it was "Crazy Hair Day" at C's preschool, all the girls thought that Ave was playing along. I had to tell them that sadly, given that her hair grows in every direction, every day is "Crazy Hair Day" for Avery.

Ray of Sunshine!

Just hanging...

Mommy has to keep me entertained anyway she can...here I play with a bucket filled with items from the plastic drawer (and C took these pics!)...

Proof that Avery Sat on Her Own!

Candice caught this pic on her phone...I have still not seen Avery sit on her own like this!

Getting Bigger All the Time!

Here is our big girl in her seat. She chatters a mile a minute in the car now since she can see so much more of her world. In some cases, she will scream to be heard over her brother and sister! Ha!

In this, her fourteenth month, she delights in playing piano, blocks and SmackTalk. She is eating well, sleeps through (most times) save the midnight milk and is cruising at a clip whenever she sees something she wants. We have physio next Thursday (to work on sitting, standing and eventually walking). Candice (the nanny) snapped a picture of her sitting on her own (watching show) so she did do it once! Now we just have to have Charlotte Diamond on continuous loop for her to do it again...hee hee! Her things to annoy Mommy include (which makes her giggle): smacking Mommy, sucking on the strings of her Mommy's shirts, pulling the plug out of the tub, purposely throwing her meal on the floor (while she looks at you as if she's testing your reaction) or dumping out the cat's food on the floor (but at least she has stopped eating it!).