Adaptive Designs!!!

Da-da-dah! Introducing Amelia's newest and greatest play space! Thanks to everyone who contributed towards purchasing the chair and table from Adaptive Designs. They created sturdy, easy, functional and beautiful furniture for Amelia that actually looks like a child should be using it (for those who know what adaptive equipment looks like understands what I'm saying here!).

This is an action shot of Amelia's doll, Anna as Amelia sits in the chair -- tolerating my little photo shoot! Notice her feet are on a platform. It is stacked with four levels of foot platforms. They can be removed as she grows. Also, the seat has a removable piece that puts Amelia at a 10% decline when she sits in it. This is to engage her trunk muscles. It's "active" sitting.

Here she is sitting at the table. You can see how nice and supported Amelia looks sitting at her big table! She loves playing with her toys there and has become a champion star stacker!!!! The great thing is that we/her therapists/another friend can pull up a chair to the other side and play with her.
Amelia is so proud of herself! What a big girl!!!!! This has become a really important place for her to play because she is safe and supported which enables her to focus. I can't believe this wonderful furniture is made of multiple layers of cardboard. You can't imagine how strong and incredibly lightweight it is! The link to their site is on the lower side of Amelia's blog -- definitely worth checking out!!! Not only are their products incredible, but they offer classes on how to learn to craft your own projects AND they are some of the nicest people you will ever meet!

With Nestor still away, Amelia and I journeyed to Baltimore last week while her school was on break. We spent a lot of quality time with family and friends there. Jackie, my sister and I were able to steal away for a couple of hours while Bubbie and Zadie babysat. We went to the mall and had a ball at Nordstroms and Forever 21 (I am now laughing at the incident where I asked the salesperson if their "sizes run small?" and she told me "yeah, our clothes are for teens, so you should try another store further down the mall" -- ha, ha, hah, silly girl!)

I reconnected with my 7th grade BFF, Jill. What fun! I met her two spunky angels, Sophie and Oliver. They were adorable and Amelia loved meeting them. She especially loved the pictures they brought for her and the beautiful jewelry box Jill made.

Amelia also loved spending time with her cousins, Maya and Ezra. They were so sweet with her and tried to help out when she played -- doing lots of hand over hand with her. I was so happy that they were spending so much time and paying so much attention to Amelia. Below is an unchoreographed moment I caught of the two girls playing seperately while they leaned against each other. I love it!

Restoring The Power To Walk | Parade.com

This is a really important step for so many people. The article touches on CP and Multiple Sclerosis towards the end. Thanks for saving this for me to see, Mom!

Restoring The Power To Walk | Parade.com

Shoes

Amelia having breakfast

Amelia is growing so quickly -- I can't keep up. For one thing, like most women, she has a very extensive wardrobe. Tons of hand-me-downs, plus Bubbie and Zadie take the kids on a back-to-school shopping spree each year before school starts AND we just got out of a very heavy holiday and birthday season. This means that every nook and cranny of our little apt is crammed (very creatively, I might add) with all her little outfits, shoes and accessories. Recently her feet had a growth spurt and I had to run out yesterday to buy her new shoes. It's not as critical with a non-ambulatory child to get them the most expensive, well made and supportive shoes -- when she walks it's in her braces -- so we just go for cute. Works for us!

NEW SHOES!

This has been a curious week of ups and downs. Amelia, Nestor and I have been fighting colds since last weekend. No fevers for Amelia, just lots of secretions. It's been rough because I've been up with her nights -- and I'm trying to fight off my own thing (no rest for Mommies!) -- but really great because she's getting thru this without antibiotics (very uncommon) just lots of respiratory therapy to clear her out.


Nestor and I had romantic dinner on Tuesday nite (thanks Jozette! -for the giftcard) and on Wednesday I drove him to the airport to go to LA for a month or so. Usually these drop offs are very hard for me, but not this time. We have had such a great couple of weeks together, alone and as a family, it made his leaving easier. Strange -- but I really felt ok when he got out of the car. Usually I drop him off and as I pull away from the curb I start bawling like a baby. This lasts until I get lost on the ramps getting out of the airport and then thru my haze of tears and swollen eyes I have to figure out where the hell I am and how the hell I'm going to back on the highway or parkway -- or whatever the heck they call the damn thing that gets me back to the city. By then I'm just annoyed and forget all about why I had driven all the way out to the airport in the first place!!!

So Amelia and I got thru the week unscathed. Still fighting off our colds. By yesterday I would say we're both over the hump and sleeping thru the night nicely. Ahhh. Yesterday my friend Sarah came into the city to visit us for the day. It was really nice spending quality time with her. She's one of those friends who's been in my life for so long -- thru different apartments, dogs, boyfriends, husbands, etc.... Someone you know will be with you till the end, ya know? Anyway, we journeyed to Chelsea Market and Amelia and I settled in to watch this really amazing String Trio playing live in front of Amy's Bread, while Sarah went to get a coffee. Amelia was really digging it! I wanted to give the band a dollar but only had a $20. I asked a jolly 60-ish man behind me, who was there with his family, if it would be rude to take change out of the musician's tips, at which point, he reached into his wallet and gave me a dollar to give them. I laughed and refused, but he pushed it into my hand and said he and his twenty-something (son? nephew?) had already tipped them. I felt so odd. Like I was standing with "Every Uncle". I really loved this happy man and his sweet family in those moments. When Sarah returned with her coffee she offered this man back his dollar -- to which he laughed a jolly laugh -- and told us to please keep it -- or give it to the band. Yes Virginia, there is a Santa Clause...he hangs out at Chelsea Market in the off season!

Today Amelia and I are doing the Mother/Daughter hang for Superbowl Sunday. Amelia isn't really into either team, so we'll probably just find some chick flick to watch.