Carpeted Stair Are for Babies!!!

Oh my goodness, I am finally attempting to sit and bloggity blog about our dear Y and her major feats since our move! Yes, carpeted stairs no more, she has moved onto bigger (3 story bigger) and much more challenging quests!!! Our new home, Alhamdullilah, has 3 stories all of which have marble stairs that keep me on my toes all day long trying to catch Miss Y, as she gleefully crawls as fast as she can towards everytime the door is opened. She can go up and down with ease, but the mother-mode in me has to fight just to see her descend a step or two. I do allow her, with me on her heels to go up and down, so she feels some confidence in doing so. I think this is better for her than for her to not be confident in the depth and perception of the steps and what she needs to do to get from up to down or vice versa. Carpet be gone!!! She is on the move!!!

The words are coming now, expressions at a rate that I can't even keep up with, Alhamdullilah. She will say even small sentences after hearing them even one time, if it suits her needs or gets her point across. She has a lot of points to point out and cross by the way. She now speaks in English and Arabic, going back and forth rather easily. She has finally met her older cousin who has DS as well, and the two clicked immediately, Y holding her arms out as soon as she saw her. It really brought joy to my heart and tears to my eyes. Her cousin holding her, singing to her, telling her she loves her and telling her to never go away!

Y has also decided it is time to stand unassisted, albeit for a very short period of time, she can now push up from the floor to standing, saying look Yasmin, look Yasmin! So excited and proud, especially when her teta (grandmother on father's side) is looking, she will say 'teta teta, Yasmin!' and hold on to something and shake a leg out to the side giggling at herself.

As most of you know, my mother, Allah Yarhamma, past away a few months ago. Looking back, I am very happy that I was able to learn from her and relay on the post her experience right before she died. I think it helped her to let go and she was able in the last few months of her life to come to terms with so many unresolved issues in her life that it was a bittersweet closure for her. I hope her experiences brought her some peace. I am also very thankful, my mother has gone now, but my children have had the joy and pleasure of meeting my dh's mother and she loves and showers them with affection everyday. So, while one grandmother is no longer here, they still have another grandmother to share with. These memories are invaluable later in life and I hope they will cherish them always...

Conquering Stairs Today, Mountains Tomorrow

Here she is folks, basking in the glory and glee of finally figuring out how to get all the way up the stairs! Pure joy here, pure satisfaction, in one day figuring out how to get from the very bottom to the very top ALL BY HERSELF!!! The very next day going down, down, down ALL BY HERSELF!!! While her 4 year old sister stands nearby crying in fear for her sister that she may fall (now thats sisterly love for you!) And let me tell you about it, no, let HER tell you about it. You may not understand much of the discussion, but maybe a few words, pizza, teta (Arabic for grandmother), Alhamdullilah (All Praise is due to God), but none the less, she is going to go on and on about how excited she is to be conquering the stairs. She will even come get you and lead you to show you her latest feat, as she did today when her occupational therapist came for her weekly appointment. ZIP!!! As soon as Alyse walks in the door Y, is crawling frantically to the stairs to show her latest and greatest trick.

This is big, bigger than the drawer thing, which to us, was big. In just one week, after figuring out those blasted stairs we have seen a domino affect in her speach, behavior, and motor skills. It was like, click=click, and she was off and running!

I think the best part about it is, she understands that it is big. She understands the 'click' and is so enthuised and confident with it and doesn't second guess it (like we would, or do.) She just goes with the natural flow of developing and enjoying it when it comes. She is so proud of what she is doing now. We are so proud of her, with caution of course, but still proud. I can't express to anyone in words, when a parent has a special needs child and that child begins to blossom and mature and change and you watch them grow and be 'ok', ok with themselves and with the way they were meant to be. It is an experience that literally feels like someone is squeezing your heart. Squeezing it with love and joy and awe, looking at this wonderful little person in front of you who maybe 20 years ago would have been put in an orphanage (not by me!) or some kind of home and told to the parents that they will never be anything. BOLDERDASH!!! I tell you! They can do ANYTHING they want with hardwork, dedication and lots and lots of love. Oh today it just may be a staircase, but tomorrow, tomorrow she just may conquer climbing a mountain...