On all fours

Lilah works VERY hard at Physical Therapy.

Something that would take a "normal" sighted child mere days or weeks to do, takes Lilah much, much, MUCH longer. We worked for weeks on end to get Lilah to sit up alone. We have worked hard at getting Lilah comfortable weight bearing in her feet and hands.

Because of Lilah's visual impairment, she doesn't have the type of motivation to move that other babies do. She doesn't see the toy to go get it. She doesn't want a toy because she really doesn't know, without work, that it is even there. Everything takes more time. More energy. More determination. More strength. More bravery. More will. More Patience.

I feel very connected to Lilah. Yes, she is my child, but she and I share a bond that I could not ever express in words, on paper, blog, type, write, etc. I can tell when Lilah has had too much, been pushed too hard, she's over stimulated, its too loud, too cold, too wet, too hot, or she's just plain finished. I can also tell when Lilah really gets it. I mean I can see and feel it when she knows, she just knows she has mastered a new skill and she is just so proud of herself.

The other day, in the hour she felt well enough to play, Lilah began to do something...on her own...that She have worked so, very hard at. She was playing and I was, as always, trying to motivate and help her. I decided to let her think I wasn't there anymore. I still had my camera on and ready...and I got it....AND....She did it all by herself.

She pushed herself up and moved her foot out of the way and held this position without complaining.

She did it!

She got up on all fours.

I was SO glad I kept the camera in my hand.

GO LILAH GO!

She is SO close to crawling. She moves backwards...but cannot quite figure the front out yet. Today at PT we worked on more moves to try to get her going forward.

There will be some major happy tears when she finally crawls; for we know how hard and how LONG she has worked to make that milestone. But while we wait, we will praise her for what she has already accomplished so far. Man o man...she has come so, very far!