"I DID IT!"

It's been over a year since my last post.  It's been that long, mainly just because we've been busy and I just haven't gotten to it.  I wrote one in March of 2017 signifying Anthony's 1 year of being seizure free (yes, we are approaching two years of seizure freedom, at the end of this month!) But the post  got deleted and I honestly just didn't have the patience to rewrite it.  It was good too!

Things are about to get even crazier here in the next couple months so I figured it was time to update you on our family, and the soon to be middle child...Anthony!

A lot has changed in the 15 months since our last post.  Yes, our family is growing!  We are expecting a baby girl at the end of March and we ALL are very excited!  Nicholas enjoys UPK, making new friends and learning!  He shares his love for Thomas the Train with his brother and it was so fun to take the family to the Strong Museum of Play and watch BOTH boys get excited over Thomas and his Friends.

With all the changes, the MOST rewarding and thrilling has been with Anthony.  15 months ago Anthony was just about 15 months old.  He just learned to sit and was army crawling.  I wrote the last post on our trip to Florida to visit the family and Disney World in November 2016.  It was a great time, but I remember feeling frustrated because I couldn't get Anthony to sit in the park stroller or get a picture of the two boys because Anthony wasn't strong enough and willing enough to sit next to his brother.  My patience was tested.  Even though I had frustrating moments I was able to let it roll off my back and we had some incredible times and great memories!

When Anthony first started army crawling at 15 months old I remmember thinking, great next week he will be crawling on all fours! Ha! I quickly learned to slow down the clock tremendously.  I learned that the motor delays Anthony was displaying were a result of the Meningitis that had attacked his brain and particularly the "motor strip." on the left side of his brain. No wonder his advances were taking so long.  Our PT explained it takes a lot of time to regain mobility when the neurons are affected.  So if he needed time, we gave it to him.  Basically, it took about 6 months before he moved on to the next skill.  He army crawled for six months, crawled on all fours for six months and then, finally at 27 months old he took his first independent steps.  It was an incredible moment!  Once he started, he didn't want to stop.  Now three months later he likes to tell me "I go FAST Mommy!" as he runs through our house!  Nicholas loves it too, they line up for races, Nick refuses to let him win, and Anthony doesn't seem to care!  

Again, it has made me look at perspective.  In the past so easily I could be annoyed with my moving and grooving child.  You'd hear statements like "Ugh, why is he getting into the cabinets?" "Don't put that in your mouth!" "He's getting away from me and into everything!" coming from me.  I know those things get frustrating, but now I could never take for granted having a child that develops at a typical pace.

Starting to stand 10/2016 (15 months old)

Sitting and trunk support with vest (15 months)

Army crawling 10/2016 (15 months old)

Crawling on all fours 4/2017 (20 months old)

Using his walker

November 2017 walking to Nicholas (27 months)

A big part of his initial diagnosis is the gray area on what he will accomplish with his receptive and expressive language.  He had a slow start, but Anthony is talking and understanding so much now.  He is only a few months behind cognitively!  He loves to name all the colors and some letters and numbers too.  He is starting to count into the teens and he loves Elmo, playing with buses and trains and sword fighting ;) He talks A LOT more and is able to say some phrases.  The Happiness House and all of the early intervention services have been a remarkable place for him to meet friends and learn and grow.

Of all the things Anthony is saying, my very favorite phrase he says is....

"I did it!"