Another crawling update

I was trying to make videos for my dear Denise, and I was tired, so I was sitting on the couch, spacing out with the camera pointed at Anne Marie. Then she stuck her butt up. I'm a proud mama!




Now, on to walking.

Anne Marie and Freddy

Please excuse the coats in the background. I guess I don't hang things up. :) Also, don't turn me in to PETA. Freddy actually likes the abuse. Also, don't worry about Anne Marie's head. Freddy didn't actually rake it with his paws like it seems he will in the end.

A big update

First, and probably most important, I found this on Yahoo!.



The caption says: "NASA-released ultraviolet image of the sun. The big news: Earth is doomed to fry and then be gobbled up by the dying Sun." This sounds pretty bad.

Also, I want to show you my new rug.



I went out and bought this rug just so that when the physical therapist came to visit Anne Marie, there would be a good place for her to practice crawling and show what she could do(we have carpet in the basement too, but usually, people mostly visit upstairs).

Sadly, the appointment that I thought was a physical therapist coming to do an evaluation was actually another paperwork appointment, where they asked a bunch of questions concerning Anne Marie's abilities. It was easy when the woman was here, but it was a bit harder when she called back with the results. In most things, Anne Marie is normal, although she is a bit low on communication skills. In physical development, it turns out she is 7 months behind, meaning she is at the equivalent of a six-month old in terms of motor skills. I knew she was a bit behind, but when I heard that yesterday, it just about devastated me.

I know I was being silly - I know my daughter is smart, sweet and funny, and she will eventually catch up, but it's still tough. I think you always worry about your child, no matter how many times people tell you not to.

So I guess there will be a physical therapist calling next week to do another evaluation and set up a plan. Hopefully, she just needs a little boost. She is actually getting a little faster at her version of crawling every day. I'm going to try to figure out how to put up a video.

Crawling update

Before anyone gets too excited, Anne Marie isn't quite up on her hands and knees yet. But she is definitely getting closer! She now can get up on her hands and knees, then she uses her legs to catapult onto her stomach so she can army crawl.

But, if my pediatric physical therapist friend's predictions are correct, she might not worry too much about crawling, and isn't as delayed as she seems. She has good balance, and when she is standing against something, she has no problem pivoting arolund to look at something, which I guess is a good sign.
I was over at my friend's house last night to see her new baby and bring them dinner, and she asked about the infant/toddler referral. She told me sometimes the program takes awhile to kick in, and showed me some exercises to help Anne Marie walk. She said Anne Marie is actually quite close to being able to walk, and was just missing something-centric strength (I can't remember what she called it). She showed me how to move her legs for her, and some exercises that will make Anne Marie bend her legs. Right now, she just stiffens them up whenever she tries to use them.

I think people are more excited about this girl crawling then they are about a kid first walking. At playgroup yesterday, the people who watch the babies while the parents talk told me they had to take off her shoes so she could "crawl all over the place." They are thrilled with her army crawl and her brief moments on hands and knees. It feels really great to see people cheering her on like that.

The real cost of day care

Poor little Anne Marie started throwing up at about 1:30 a.m. again this morning. She's finally asleep, and I'm hoping the storm is over, but it's always a rough ride.

This little girl has not been cold or puke-free for more than two weeks since she was 6 months old. I have her in what is widely-known as the best child care in town, and she isn't there full-time, but she still catches absolutely every bug that comes around the building. Even with only part-time work, I have almost completely depleted my sick leave, and she has missed several days of day care (which of course, you still have to pay for). It makes you wonder if the $172 a month I pay is really worth it. I'm hoping that she'll have a killer immune system when she hits kindergarten.

The upside is, she really doesn't seem to notice when she's sick. This morning, she would throw up, then play, then throw up again. She was desperately thirsty, and when I nursed her, she threw up, then started playing. Later, she was begging me for a sippy cup, so I gave her some pedialyte. She drank an ounce, immediately threw it up, then played again. She stays happy through stuffy noses, fevers, earaches and more. She is one tough kid.

Also in Anne Marie health news, I went to the infant/toddler screening, and they referred me to a formal physical therapy evaluation. They sent me a follow-up letter today that said they will be setting up an appointment soon. I'm really excited to have something I can do to help her get moving. She's actually been moving really well on her stomach the last few days, and this morning (despite the puke-fest), she got up on her hands and knees for a few seconds, and rocked. I yelled at Matt to come see, but she stopped as quickly as she started. I've read that this is pre-crawling behavior, though, so it's definitely progress.

The neat thing about the physical therapy evaluation is that they do it in the home. They said they'd give me exercises, etc. using tools I have at home, so we can practice more. I think this baby is going to be on the move in no time. :)





Doesn't that look a bit demonic? :)