Cora and the Chiropractor

New things for Cora and she just keeps taking it in stride.  It was suggested that Cora visit with a chiropractor because her rib cage and spinal column seemed to be locked tight. 

Away we went to Cheboygan to see Dr. Burt and he has already worked wonders for Cora.  Her mobility has increased and her balance is even better and stronger than what it has been.  After her first visit she was coughing a little and when I asked the Doc about it he just smiled and said "wonderful".  Wonderful? 

He went on to explain that muscles and scar tissue were most likely constricting some of the blood flow and oxygen to the rib and lung area and since that was loosened and relaxed from the chiropractic adjustment the coughing indicated an increase in functioning and it should disappear.  Well, he was right, after that first evening her coughing was gone.....and new energy had been found.  She does need some motrin after the visits, but I have seen an increase in her bending and flexibility when she reaches for her toys.  Yahoo!

Overall, Cora is making huge moves both cognitively and physically.  I know I have said this before, and be patient with me as I say it again, it is such a blessing to see these changes in her.  I don't take any of it for granted and continue to thank Creator for leading Cora and I where he needs us to go for her continued growth and travel on this journey.

The latest path led us to a chiropractor in Cheboygan....I wonder where we go to next?  I am hoping its Hawaii!!

  17lbs 14 ounces and 16 months old....yeehaw!!

Cora just keeps

Getting bigger and bigger.  She now weighs a whopping 17 pounds and 12 ounces and has grown another 1/2inch in length.  Cora gives a great example of what "thriving" is and what "surviving" used to be like.  She continues to thrive in this new found love of life and gains greater strength everyday.  It so refreshing for me, as her mama, to see these continuing changes in her.

I took her to visit with a girlfriend last night, and we sat around the campfire.  I love the fact that Cora now notices everything in her surroundings and doesn't hesitate to smile when she notices something new.  She was enthralled with the campfire and bug zapper and fell in love with the attention her Auntie Lee and Auntie Donna were lavishing on her. 

To see the love that surrounds my daughter and  the total acceptance of who she is, not what she was born with, is an absolute blessing.  I know without hesitation that ALL of Cora's "Heart Aunties" will be forever in her corner, cheering her on, celebrating her victories and being there holding our hands when there are more struggles. 

The realization that Cora is now aware of these wonderful women and recognizes them and signs "auntie" when she sees them is a huge reward for those that continue on this journey with us.  Despite the fact the we all have to take turns holding her because she is now heavy enough to make arms tired, those arms continue to hold her in prayer and love.  Cora now returns those hugs with some of her own.  That in itself is a huge change in Cora.....and a much welcomed one from those that surround her.

Cora loves her tunnel

For Cora's therapy, Early on brought a tunnel.  They wanted Cora to learn how to crawl with her legs more underneath herself and to sit up with her legs in front of her.  Right now Cora sits up by swinging her legs out to the sides and then sitting up.  Kind of like a helicopter maneuver.

Funny, I was so excited to see her sitting and crawling that I never even thought about the fact that there is a certain way to do these things.  With Cora having the hypertrophy in her joints and muscles, allowing her to continue in this manner encourages her hips and knees to develop in the wrong way.

Cora loves the new tunnel.  For her it is a game and not a teaching tool.  I love this process because Cora doesn't realize it is a correction for something she is doing in a way that is harmful for her.  Cora just wants to play inside the tunnel.  Especially if her brother Phoenix is at the other end laughing at her silliness.  Cora can army crawl pretty fast to the other end and once she gets there she makes a growl sound and grabs his ears.  When he laughs, Cora bounces her legs and laughs with him.

Life should be this gentle.  We all need those subtle gifts that can change the behavior that is damaging to us, but at the same time, allows us to grow in a healthy way.  We just need to approach those changes like Cora, with an army crawl and laughter in our hearts.  For me, this would make life changes much more manageable and I would even be willing to play the game of changing the unhealthy behavior, and laughing with happiness at the end result.  How about you?

Milestone Mountains

Cora just keeps getting better and better as the days fly by.  I thought I had posted on Thursday of last week to find that I have been lapse and haven't posted since last Tuesday.  Please accept my apologies, and please understand that I have had my hands full with this new found baby girl that has always been lurking inside Cora Jean.

Cora, since the last post, has learned how to sit up from a lying position.  It was all quite by accident and took her big sister by surprise.  Kelsey walked into the living room and asked who sat up Cora?  We all looked at each other with that "huh?" look on our faces.  No one had sat Cora up.  Cora was laid back down, and we all hid around the corner of the wall.  Waiting and waiting...and then...sure enough, that little beauty swung her legs around and pushed with her hands until she was sitting up.  We all jumped out from behind the walls and did little jiggly dances and kept signing "good job" to her. Cora just smiled and waved and shook her head "yes.

The awareness that had come to my daughter in this past 6 weeks is absolutely astounding.  she has taken goals that were set for her for a six month period and met those and we are left looking for more to challenge her with.  Since last weeks weight check she has gained another 5 ounces and just continues to flourish.

This past week has found Cora sitting on her own, and enjoying the new Jenny Jump Up that Dr. Statler wanted me to buy her because the regular standing seat was letting her lock her knees backwards.  Not a good thing I found out.  Many milestones have been met and leaped past this week.  Its been so busy and wonderful in this house.

 Instead of silence that is filled with sadness and survival Cora was given many blessings this past week.  So, with a bounce and wave Cora says "Hi" softly and in her sweet new voice that is full of life and hope.

Cora's rosy cheeks

Cora is changing as the days goes by.  Her new found energy and enthusiasm for life totally astounds me.  many things that Cora never had the coordination for are now just another thing she does in a days time.

Take lunch with GG today.  Walk into the restaurant and the waitress asks me "do you need a high chair?"  Usually the answer is "No thank you." because Cora doesn't have the balance or ability to sit in one of the wooden high chairs that restaurants provide.  This time I said, "Yes, lets try it today."  Well, put Cora into the high chair and she sat in it, with a ramrod straight little back, like she has been sitting in this kind of high chair for months now.  Amazing!

Today when her brother Phoenix was getting a massage to ease the hurting neck from basketball practice, she was army crawling on Auntie Diane's office floor.  Diane then got a yoga mat out that had images people doing yoga poses on it and put it on the floor for Cora.  Cora started wrestling....yes, wrestling..., with this yoga mat and finally got it over her head.  She spun around under it and looked out at us with a huge smile and lots of baby babble.  She looked like she was a Yogi in a tent and teaching us a lesson about life.

I watch my baby girl changing and getting bigger and stronger everyday and while I again pay homage to the Reliv products that are enabling her body to heal itself, I also say a quick prayer of gratitude to my Creator.  I look at her with the rosey cheeks from her effort of playing and I think of the flower she is blossoming into.  She used to be this tightly shut flower bud, that was week on its stem and looked as those the slightest wind would  knock her down.  Now , this little bud is blooming into a beautiful and strong rosy cheeked child. 

Reminds me of a blog a few blogs ago when I asked you if you were holding on to something that might be dropping you?  It caught me today, that I need to not hold onto the "Cora doesn't have the strength for that" protection and drop that habit before it drops Cora into a flower that doesn't bloom quite as bright as it is meant too.  I have to continue to trust in this part of her healing process.  After all, I don't know what Cora's purpose is in this life.  That's a secret that she and creator are still keeping to themselves.

Movin on up...

Its official.  After the doctor visit today Cora is no longer seen as "failing to thrive", in fact she is doing the exact opposite.  She is thriving and gaining weight like a chipmunk getting ready for winter.  Keep it going, I say, cute little chipmunk cheeks and all.

It seemed so strange to talk about making sure Cora doesn't gain to much weight too fast.  Her little body needs time to adjust to the changes and we don't want her shooting past the length percentile with her weight. For Cora's overall health, its best to keep the weight and height percentiles as close to each other as possible.   Dr. Statler and I both found it comical that a month ago we were overwhelmed with worry and the stress of getting Cora to gain weight.  Now, we are talking about how to watch her closely and not let her gain to much to fast.  Life sure does take some crazy turns!

 The other great news?  Cora has gone from being in the 10th percentile on the growth chart to above the 25th percentile on both her charts.  This is in a month's time!!

I know, "How much did she gain in the past month?" , you ask me....I will tell you.
Since starting the Reliv products she has gained a total of 1 pound and 12 ounces.  This is huge for a baby girl that used to struggle just to gain an ounce a week.

The scale keeps moving up and I again shout with enthusiasm and gratitude for this blessing in Cora's life.  Maybe now she can really start moving along on this journey and explore more of what life has to offer , because our rest stops are getting fewer and farther in between as her energy increases.

 The child that used to be so still and easy to take pictures of is now gone....but you don't hear me complaining at all! haha

Finally, a kind of still picture for ya'll.

Its Cora time....

I was singing the title of this post to that old song "Hammer time" and doing the hammer dance that the singer did on the video.  I know, silly but true. And yes, if you know what song I am talking about you are probably also a fan of many other 80's songs.  But I digress yet again. heehee.

  The past few weeks I have noticed that with Cora's increased interaction, muscle strength, stamina (no more taking a break and panting to catch her breath while playing) the whole household has become livelier.  Everyone around her comments endlessly on the difference in Cora's look, skin color, health, interaction and signing.  Cora is loving this new enthusiastic praise and claps her hands and smiles and points and babbles to the onlooker.  Instead of being greeted with empty smiles that scream sympathy at Cora's struggle, she is now being greeted with heartfelt laughter and smiles of gratefulness.

I guess when you are in the middle of a stressful situation, one that seems hopeless and when you are just managing from day to day, you don't realize how the laughter is the first thing to start to disappear.  Many of Cora's supporters and extended family were even approaching with a smile on their face and the saddness to their energy.  There wasn't much laughter from any of us up until a month ago.  I understood this and I still understand it.  I just didn't realize how much were weren't laughing.

I am happy to report that the laughter in this house is increasing, the interaction from Cora is growing in  leaps and bounds and we are finding that Cora is a real giggle bunny once you get her going.  Sing and dance along with me if you will,  "Its Cora time!"  and while you sing that imagine a little 15 month old girly giggling laughter being added to your silliness, because that's how Cora sings along.  She sits on her booty, does the "hammer time" jiggle and claps her hands for more.

That my friends, is life at its finest.