progress...

This week has been so many things, but the best part has been Isaac. I don't normally say that because as you know, he's a very challenging child, but something about this week has made him extraordinarily entertaining, funny, and just fun to be around. He's been making me laugh more than ever and I've been trying to soak up every moment. On Thursday night he rolled over for the first time and this week he also lowered himself to sitting all on his own! So what if it took sixteen months! Our physical therapy goals: rolling, pulling to stand, sit from stand, rocking on hands and knees, standing for more than three minutes. He's very close to pulling up and has done lots of rocking on his hands and knees. His ability to scoot though, man, it's pretty amazing how fast he can get around. He's even started dragging his music table and the bouncy seat around the room...it's pretty funny. His latest game is what I call, scooter hockey. As I was folding laundry I looked down to see why he was laughing so hard and saw that he was using a marker (with the cap on) and hitting a container of mints across the floor and then scooting really fast to go get it and hit it again. This week he signed, all done and please. He seems to have developed quite the sense of humor this past week--Walter said he walked into the living room yesterday and Isaac was wearing my glasses.

As I've been enjoying the progress that Isaac has made this week, I've also been processing all of this new information from genetics. Monday was hard because it was first day that I had a lot of down time and that also meant a lot of time to think. Which meant a lot of crying and a day of being very grumpy.

We do feel like Isaac will defy the odds and obviously, this week of happiness has been very encouraging. I felt much more hopeful after a friend stopped over and explained the world of special needs and early intervention and IEPs. You've probably heard of Help Me Grow, it's an early intervention service for developmental delays that our tax dollars pay for. We've been in the process of getting early intervention services on board for Isaac for several months and finally it looks like things are picking up. This will be in addition to his regular OT, PT and SLT.

It turns out a Geneticist who has spent time researching and doing clinical studies on 9p deletion, works in Cleveland. I was able to get in touch with her and we are planning to meet with after Isaac's full evaluation with the Geneticist at the Clinic. It is a blessing to have so many wonderful resources so close.

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Did I tell you, we moved?

And then got lost in our new house so we decided to move back to our other house. Turns out three bedrooms suits us much better than, I don't know, one hundred.

A couple weeks ago we went to the zoo...first time for Isaac! He loved it. Isabella liked it too but her trips to the zoo are kind of like my shopping trips...buzz through, see what you want to see and move on...



I couldn't resist the carousel--it was so much fun! I figured for Isaac it could go one of two ways: freaking out and screaming or actually enjoying it.

Babe, please try to focus on my face next time! Thanks!

he enjoyed it...

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Look out, Stella! You're about to get measured!

I did a double-take when I saw the next picture. Isabella looks so much like me...it's weird. Isabella and Maya are probably talking smack about who's best at ballet...

We've only made it to story-time a handful of times since Isaac was born. Hopefully this year we'll start going on a regular basis again because Isaac really enjoyed it.

Michael had his "Man Night" and Walter was at church, so Sarah and I took the girls out for ice-cream and trip to the park.

"Isabella, have you ever had strawberry ice-cream?"

"No"

"I'm really proud of you for trying to a new flavor of ice-cream!"

Last week I was practicing with a borrowed, 105mm lens, unfortunately, Isaac loves me so much that I can't move too far away from him, so these are really close, close-ups...

Yes, he really is this pale...

Only cool people have hair like this...

Stella really wanted me to take her picture, so she smiled...

One Thousand Gifts

60. Isaac's silly laugh
61. Isabella's face after applying her own lip gloss
62. Dancing with Isabella
63. Isaac's face while I'm dancing with Isabella
64. Mary Jo and Abby at the Feeding Clinic
65. Maureen the Genetic Counselor who was sensitive to our needs and emotions and who worked late into the night before our first meeting
66. Friends who listen to me cry and tell me that everything will be okay
67. Watching the trees in our woods sway back and forth
68. My mom, for taking Isaac so that I could focus on Sarah and the birth of her amazing, beautiful, baby boy...more to come on that later!