Pushcart Frenzy

Big big milestone!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Zoé has started to walk with a Fisher Price pushcart, not an adaptable one! She did try a walker for a couple days, but it was too easy for her, she just let herself glide, without using any muscles, with the pushcart, she's working her abs, her biceps, triceps, and good head and torso control.

I am totally ecstatic and very hopeful that she is going to soon take off on her own. She feels so proud when she cruises in the living room, or at the West Oakland Medical Therapy Unit greeted by her cheerleaders: Mom, Dad, Maud, Marybeth, her Physical Therapist who comes for home visits, Trish, her other PT, Kitty her Occupational Therapist, as well as Kirk her CCS Physical Therapist.

Zoé has shown so much determination lately. She is on the go and nothing seems to stop her.

I am now looking forward to our next benchmark: serial casting. Even though it is probably going to be a nightmare at first, if it can stretch Zoé's foot and correct it, then everything will slowly but surely come into place. The serial casting will most probably last 6 weeks, during which she will wear a cast, every week we'll take it off for 20 minutes, then on again for another week, with a new stretch and so on. But I guess I shouldn't anticipate how nightmarish it will be; we'll cross that bridge when we get to it :-)

Tomorrow: cardiologist for annual check up, EKG, Holter monitor (she has to wear it for 24 hours) and other heart monitoring. Being a muscle, we need to keep a close eye on it: making sure that it helps blood flow and spreading the love.

On July 9th, we are both going to the MDA (Muscular Dystrophy) clinic where we see a panel of specialists: pulmonologist, neurologist, cardiologist, physical therapist, speech therapist...to look at all the areas affected by MMD. Clinics usually last 3 to 4 hours, but Maud will be with us, and she can take Zoé for a stroll in SF in between doctors. I already saw a pulmonologist who checked my lung capacity: 93%, I am fine.

On a lighter note, Zoé's Grammy Gigi came from NYC to visit. It was great to have her with us so she could see how Zoé is thriving: music class, PIP (parent Infant program), CCS, etc. It is nice to have family members attend these programs, so they can actually see everything that goes on.
At PIP, Gina (Grammy) went into a room and looked through a two-way mirror (where people can look at you from one side) into Zoé's classroom. I am DYING to go behind the screen and watch Zoé perform.
We had a fun-filled 10-day visit and it culminated in Sonoma for some wine tasting and a Father's Day breakfast "party".

Voila for the latest news from this side of the Blog! We do LOVE Holland, for it has SO MUCH to offer...