Mercy in Disguise

Friday, September 7, 2012

Treadmill Therapy - REQUEST!!

Retta is officially 11 months!

We took our commemorative picture in the white rocking chair (one day late) and took off to physical therapy this morning!

Retta has been surprising us everyday over the past week with her new abilities. She is growing stronger and stronger before our eyes! Rolling under furniture and playing with toys while propped all the way up on her hands and tummy. She has also started to pivot from side to side while in this position.

She officially waived "good-bye" on cue to her Down Syndrome Association friends at Kindermusic on Wednesday! We started singing the "good-bye" song and Retta lifted her right arm and waved back while sitting across the room from me! Everyone was SO PROUD!!!

(The best pic I could get of Retta at Kindermusic)

About two weeks ago Retta also started babbling "dada, Da Da, Da Di, Da, Di, dada."
The sweetest sound!

We are doing all that we can to facilitate her crawling & I'm sure she will be up on all fours before we know it!

We have been taking Retta to out patient physical therapy 1x a week while receiving weekly home visits of OT & Speech from ECI. Starting next week we will be increasing PT to 2x a week! Our physical therapist, Holly at THERAPY LINKS is REALLY MOTIVATED to get Retta walking and actually completed her PhD thesis specifically on Treadmill Therapy for children with Down Syndrome. Retta is Holly's first patient with Down Syndrome that she has started working with who is in the perfect developmental stage for starting Treadmill therapy as she is sitting up independently!

I didn't think we would actually use the treadmill so soon but Retta took her first (assisted) steps today after a gruelling 50 minute workout! I was SO EXCITED for her!! "Grueling" for all three of us I should say, as we are all exhausted after an hour of trying to keep Retta in a good mood while she exercises. *There is a fine line between laughing and crying!*

SOOOOoooooo, now we need a treadmill! As the protocol will be for Retta to practice on the treadmill for 7 minutes a day!

SOOOOOooooo, We were wondering...does anyone out there happen to have an old, dusty treadmill laying around? If so, WE'D REALLY LOVE TO BORROW IT!!

Sunday, September 2, 2012

Retta says..."RAISE THE ROOF!"

We're getting really excited around here!!! There is lots of RAINBOW SPIRIT in the air as we prepare for RETTA'S FIRST BUDDY WALK and SUPER FABULOUS, FIESTA, RAINBOW BIRTHDAY PARTY!

(In true San Antonio style!)

We have the team's rainbow bandannas and our walk banner and party decorations are in the works.

...But there is one little change...

We exceeded our initial goal of raising $1,000 for the Down Syndrome Association last Friday & we still have a few more weeks to go! So, we decided to "Raise the Roof!" (upon Retta's request) and increased our team goal to $2,000!

Whooo Hoooo!!

This means we're catching up with the front runners! And might possibly have a chance at some really cool prizes and our very own TENT at the walk!

How COOL would that be!

Even Buzi is getting into the fun!

SO....

COME PLAY WITH US!!!

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

RETTA's RAINBOW!!!

Join our team, "RETTA's RAINBOW" and the Down Syndrome Association of South Texas at the Buddy Walk as we celebrate the many abilities and accomplishments of people with Down syndrome! The Buddy Walk was established in 1995 by the National Down Syndrome Society to celebrate Down Syndrome Awareness Month and to promote acceptance and inclusion of people with Down syndrome.

COME JOIN OUR TEAM!!!

In celebration of Retta's First Birthday - we are hoping to raise $1000 (OR MORE!) for the DSASTX! We plan to have Retta's 1st birthday celebration at our house (exactly one week early) following the walk
(invitation soon to come)!!!

Donations or not - We'd love for all to join in the fun and walk with "Retta's Rainbow" as we celebrate our precious, little Retta!
So mark your calendars for September 29th & get ready to sport your most colorful clothes!

Can't wait to see you there!
Ashley & Szymon

COME JOIN OUR TEAM!!!

Friday, August 17, 2012

Lately...

Again, more excuses for the lack of blogging...we packed up & sold our old home, we were technically without a home living out of boxes for 5 weeks, we moved into our new home, I started a new part-time job and Retta continued to keep the calendar full with ongoing medical appointments (endocrinology, another upper GI, more GI drama, cardiology, ENT, switched ECI providers and now driving to out-patient OT, PT & speech weekly, and back to Austin to graduate from the Doc Band...)

What else; I'm sure I'm leaving out a ton!

So here is a little recap of what I could glean from my phone...Oh, yea - we also lost the cord that connects the camera to the computer somewhere in the move...and as soon as we purchased a replacement - we found the original one! This blog at times has started to feel like a chore...which was not my intention. Hopefully that I'm all hooked up again I can catch back up!

During the month of July we spent lots of time with family (since we lived with Bapcia & Jaja!)

4th of July at Canyon Lake

Reading the Sunday paper!

Sitting up in booster seat while out to eat!

(Met up for lunch with Dad at The Corner Street Bakery)

Which meant we were ready to start cruising "the HEB" as well!

And Lowe's...and every other store in town that supplies shopping carts!

Mastered the Art of rolling over while living with grandparents!

(Action shot!)

Helping line kitchen cabinets....fun, fun!

(I think I averaged two cabinets a day)

** No more helmet and a beautifully shaped head! **

Checking out the furniture at our new extra large and always crowded HEB!

Goofing around with Dad in the Baby section of the new HEB!

Trying on our "hip helpers" therapy pants (not for public wear!)

I think she is a bit embarrassed by them!

.....

Saturday, July 28, 2012

Moving Day #1

We had to have a little photo shoot to capture Retta's Nursery the last day we packed up our old house. It was never the nursery I truly envisioned due to Retta arriving 5 weeks early and the aftermath that soon followed...

...But still, we grew attached. We spent many days looking out that front window while rocking in the chair!

And for that reason (and that reason only) were sad to leave.

Szymon couldn't stand to leave Retta's decal on the wall for the new home owners and actually made a special trip over to the house before the closing to peel it off the wall.

Retta and Buzi (and I) had no problem stopping for a little photo shoot...Dad on the other hand was not thrilled to see us goofing off while he kept up the manual labor! But once I showed him the pictures I captured...he was happy that I had the idea!

Buzi is soft...and usually stinky!

Retta and Buzi have become the Best of Friends!

We've put Buzi to work as our own personal "therapy dog!" It never gets old - Retta's face always lights up when Buzi walks into the room. She throws herself over her exersaucer, reaches, tugs her ears, pulls her hair and even spits up on Buzi....and Buzi doesn't mind (she'll take attention in any form she can find it!)