Max Update

My Max, who at 12 months old could not get himself to a sitting position, would not roll to get anywhere, could not crawl, stand or walk, is making some big time progress.

After a few weeks of therapy in May, we worked our way to a very laborious crawl which, since then has become quite speedy. I was so excited about this major step forward that I was totally caught off guard when his therapist recommended he see a pediatric neurologist. She didn't think anything was necessarily wrong, she just said she's never seen a baby, "with such pronounced weaknesses when there wasn't something wrong."

Now don't get me wrong, if there is something wrong with Max, I'd rather know than not know. However pediatric neurologist conjured up images of baby CAT scans and such that did not sit well with me. Hearing the therapist say, "It doesn't necessarily look like Cerebral Palsy," didn't help either.

After a referral from Max's pediatrician we made an appointment and the soonest they could see him was August 25. His therapist and I agreed that it might not be so bad to wait three months. Perhaps, just perhaps, he'll make enough progress that we can cancel it.

I'm happy to report that last week, he moved from crawling to climbing...ALL of our stairs! This week he began to stand up without pulling up or holding onto anything. I can't wait to show his therapist tomorrow.

This whole process has made me realize, once again, how much I take for granted. What comes easy to most children, has required therapy and a lot of hard work from little Max. After his hour long therapy sessions, the poor little guy is sweaty and exhausted. And during the week, he has to endure countless exercises that I put him through. He has earned every single step of progress he's made.

Because of all of this effort, we appreciate every single move he makes. Even the three big kids get totally excited when he accomplishes something new. Every little bit of progress is a miracle to me. Every new action garners a major celebration around here.

I'm not really sure why God has us in this situation. I do know that we are all very grateful that He's carrying us through it.