She's Walking

Finally mommy can take a breath. McKenna is walking. Over a month ago McKenna had taken steps for our PT, Tara, and was walking room to room without holding on to anything. I was the proudest mommy ever but within an hour of the therapist leaving McKenna stopped walking and since then has required the walker to move around or insists on crawling. It has been so discouraging and nerve racking watching and hoping that she will walk.

Then last week I decided I needed to really start investing more time in getting her to walk. We were going to be seeing the PT at Myer Center, Gene, in two days and McKenna had not made progress since her last visit several weeks prior. I held McKenna by the thighs with her throwing her body, screaming and reaching out to grab onto anythign she could touch but within five or ten minutes she did it...she took a step without holding on to anything, and then another, and then another...and today, almost a week later McKenna is walking. Yes she still likes her walker and holding to the table, but you give a loud cheer and she lets go and claps for herself and walks. I am so grateful for this huge milestone. She is 21 months old and finally walking without holding on to anything. Thank you God.

McKenna is also starting to attempt talking more. She now says Up, Help, and bubble. She is attempting to mimick words you say and if you refuse to answer or acknowledge her request until she says a word she will at least try to say it. This week she has started saying Uh Oh when she drops something, and she says apple and we are working on getting her to say this or that when she is pointing rather than the grunting and loud screaming she does.

McKenna completely stopped taking bites and drinks for multiple days. She would fuss and scream if you even attempted to feed her. This was due to the new direction and changes made by the Chicago team. So we have gone back a few steps and are now feeding her how we were originally because the new way obviously wasn't working.

We go to Chicago in a few weeks and I am just hoping and praying that God will give McKenna relief from the retching and that will allow her to eat/drink orally. Please God, please, please, please.