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Last family day we had some big accomplishments - STANDING!

I will always, always have a special place in my heart for this holiday!

This family day we are a little lower-keyed. Just so much has happened in the past year! We were just beginning to stand then, now we are walking with the walker (or holding hands), wheeling with a chair (calmly), climbing up stairs..

... and our newest accomplishment (and something I had as a goal for physio) climbing down stairs!

I'm not too sure if this is a good thing or not.

Yes it is. I know it is.
Nick can climb up those stairs like it's nothing. I turn around and he's upstairs getting into trouble with his sister. Then she comes downstairs for something, and there he is at the top of the stairs crying for help.
So we've worked on giving him the knowledge and ability to get down the stairs himself.
The slow way.

He's already learned the fast way - and got a black eye and some scared parents in the process.
He'll still start to go down head first, and then we have to remind him to turn around and go down bum first. I imagine it is difficult for him. He can't see, can't feel when his foot is on the step and yet he still does it.

His language is also our greatest challenge.
Sometimes I think Nick is joking and other times I wonder.
Does he know his colours? Is he screwing with me?
He still calls everything blue. Does he thinking everything is the colour blue?
No means yes. What about counting?
We've been working on counting 1-10, sometimes I think he gets it. Other times I'm not sure. Again, he gets stuck on some numbers. Calls everything four, six. And smiles that little smile of his!

But like looking back at last family day. And look at us now, I need to look back at 6 months ago, even 3 months ago! Nick wasn't saying anything last summer. He was making the motions with the supportive walker. Not even close to taking independent steps!
And no words. No mommy, (Or ma, as he's saying now).

So this family day I want to sit back and watch my family be together. And be amazed at just where we are now.
Tomorrow I can worry about something else!

Catch Up and Can't Catch Me

So much to catch up on.
So much I’ve missed blogging about. I’m catching up now (I've spent 2 days catch up with all my posts).

Because I hate having things out of order, I’m going to write a couple of different separate posts –

backdated of course.

- We worked on walking in the walker
- We had an EEG
- I talked to a couple of classes
- We had Nick's walker tuned up
- Nick got his new AFOs
- We had a Christmas party at March of Dimes (CE)
- Had a Santa visit and other holiday parties

We’ve had a really busy couple of months, and every time I think it’s going to get better, I just seem to add more things to my calendar. But I’m hoping for a bit of breathing room. The last 3 weeks of December I’m leaving appointment-free. It’s like a vacation!

Of course while I'm trying to catch up on all of the exciting stuff in the Ridding household - Nick continues to show off!
Literally, while I'm on the computer he decided that it is time to conquer those stairs!

I guess I can check that off our - to-do in physio list!
Nick has LOVED exploring the stairs.
Every time I turn my back - there he is. And he laughs! Because he knows I don`t want him on the stairs when I`m not there. He hasn`t fallen, but I don`t want him to.

I tried putting a gate up (I know - mommy trying to quash Nick`s newfound independence). But that doesn`t work with a 3 year old in the house.

While we are talking about catching, Katheryn has some catching of her own.
We had a little bit of snow - and Katheryn had so much fun running around catching snowflakes on her tongue!

Stairs... Shmairs!

We just needed a little determination

And a helping hand

And we get success!!

 I am going to put a side note - he did not climb the stairs on the day I took the pictures. He waited a couple days later and climbed up all the stairs all by himself! Just in time to wake me up for my night shift!!! Of course no pictures that time.