update

I have been quite a slacker on updating the blog lately. Thought I better find sometime and get it updated.

Ella has shown some great signs of meeting her milestones. Tuesday the 16th of October we had taken our dog Oliver in to be seen at the Vet Emergency, he had a really hard day vomiting. As we were waiting to hear on his blood results. Matt came from in the waiting room into me waiting with Oliver and said Ella has started laughing. He said "watch" as Matt tickled her around her neck and chest she started giggling. It was so cute. It wasn't just once it was a lot of times.

Yesterday I tested her to see how alert she is, I walked from one end of the room to the next. Ella would follow me with her eyes and move her head as I walked around. She kept her eyes on me the whole time. Well not the whole time, while Brayden was trying to be involved she would also watch him.

Her hand motion has become great also. When she wants a binkie or bottle, instead of crying first she will put her fingers and fist in her mouth.

I have started to put her in her crib for about15 minutes while I try to get ready in the mornings. She loves her musical toys that go around in a circle above her head. She smiles so big at them and puts her hands up for them. She also holds things now, toy keys, rattles, her binkie. She takes them to her face, sometimes even accidentally smacks herself with them. OUCH!

Ella has been having a hard time keeping her head up, which does have me a little concerned. But I will talk to the Physical Therapist about that this week. She also has a wellness visit this Wed. So we will see how big shes getting.

As far as the neurosurgeon we dont need to see him for 6 months unless Ella shows signs of pressure in her brain. We also saw the orthopedic surgeon a few weeks ago and she said that Ella's hip is 100% developed now. We will see the ortho in 3 months to follow up with an xray to make sure that things are still progressing.

While Ella has shown a lot of improvement we still have a full year ahead of us. I have learned that I can not compare Ella and her meeting her milestones with normal 4 month olds. Children learn on there own terms and what one may be doing the other may not. Its been hard for me to realize that learning things is not going to happen overnight, its a process and sometimes it can be a very long process.
At 4 months I started feeding Brayden solids. But it was because he was sitting up on his own. Ella is doing none of this and I most likely wont start her till 6 months.

Please keep Ella in your prayers, we need prayers at all times. I really believe that all the prayers we receive for Ella is helping her succeed in things that I didnt know if she would or not.
Thank you for all your support and love. Its been quite a journey for all of us the last 4 months, but the journey makes us stronger. The strength in us will continue to grow as we go.