I NEVER thought I would see this day...

Well, OK I lie. I did think that I would see this day but it has been MANY years since I believed it would REALLY happen!

Today, Faith stood up on her own for the first time with ABSOLUTELY NO assistance! It really is a miracle after all these years it's so hard to hope for things that seem so unattainable! Since her first "getting to stand" with just a tiny bit of assistance she has had spurts of attempts again and again but them slacking off and not trying for days ( I think from fear after a few falls). After that day I felt sure it really WAS going to happen. This week she has been trying everyday after finally figuring out that she could hold on to the couch. She can consistently get her right leg into kneel now with very little effort.

Today, she was working for almost an hour, trying so hard over and over again. I was providing a little support on her left (weaker) side when she got up to keep her from losing her balance. I reached out and took my hands away just for a second to grab the camera and before I knew it....

She was UP! She wobbled and pitched and then leaned forward over the edge of the couch to catch her balance and stayed up! I couldn't believe it!
She only did it once but she kept trying....she just kept losing her balance and falling backwards. Once she fell backwards and missed the coffee table by about an inch and after a few tears she was right back up trying again. As of about 2pm today she can now get to kneel about 50% of the time without holding on!
My GIRL, I am so proud of you. Words are not enough to explain how much joy and surprise you bring to my heart! I love you the way you are but I love you more for your determination and persistence!

Some unbelievable news and 200....

OK my lovely friends out there in bloggie land! I am pretty sure I have some lurkers out there and after this post I sure hope that you will take some time to leave me a comment! First off, today is my two hundredth post, and I am exactly one month away from an anniversary of my blog. I know, I know, sooooo exciting!
Here is the big news! Drum rolls, please...

dum, dum, dum, dum, dum...

TODAY, FAITH STOOD UP!
YES, FOLKS, SHE STOOD UP!

She has been able to stand if someone put her into stand in her walker or held her up but she has never been able dissociate her legs, lift a leg into kneel and then stand up!
TODAY SHE DID...
with a little assistance in the form of a chair and a therapist to help her keep her balance. BUT, she did all the work! After six and a half years, I had almost resigned that she would never gain that skill, that we would always have to put her in those positions.
But once again, she proved me wrong!

It all started with her OT, trying to introduce some simple yoga moves and for some weird reason she seemed to pick right up on them, attempting about six moves! So she went with it and pulled out her yoga book. Her OT was performing the moves then saying "Faith do it" and she would try. So eventually, it came to a chair and a kneeling position. So D. did it and when it came to Faith's turn she sat on the chair to keep it upright and low and behold...
SHE DID IT, but she kept going into a stand!
(These pics are the actual first time standing for Faith, some aren't so good but I had to show you all anyway!)

Needless to say, we danced, we screamed, we cried, we acted like a bunch of fools as we celebrated a HUGE milestone that was a LONG time coming!

So, then she decided to get smart with us and attempt it using the tripod leg!
Little Miss Smarty Pants did it, with D. supporting her!

I felt like the Heavens were opening up and a chorus of angels were descending on our little therapy room! She did it, folks!


Today was a wonderful day for many reasons besides this amazing new skill but it would take me all night to write about it! Another post, another day.


Upon arrival at home, after a long day out, she went scooting over to her little wagon walker and I saw her trying to lift her leg up to a kneel position. She got to it a few times but both times she lost her balance and fell over but she wasn't about to stop! So she came walking on her knees over to me and lifted her leg, I slowly put out one finger to offer her some support and she reached out...
took my finger and STOOD UP!
I almost fainted right on the spot! She did it three more times before she got too tired and started whining like she was in some pain. So we stopped. I tell you, friends, there was no momma more happy or proud or amazed or joyous than me, today! Six years, people, we waited for this! SIX YEARS! Oh and one more small miracle, she crawled reciprocally today in therapy too, for the first time! She always has bunny hopped, but today, she was rockin' it and decided to start moving her legs and hands in the proper fashion! She was so proud of herself, re doing it over and over again to practice! Just when I try to accept how things are for her, she always knocks my socks off! What a day for a two hundred post! I will be posting a few more awesome things that happened today, in the next few days. Lots of good stuff!
Off to dance myself to bed and dream sweet dreams of my girl, running through a field of wildflowers!