Noah's New Tricks

Noah has learned a few things recently and I thought I would share.  For one, he has now begun squatting down, without using any assistance or holding onto anything, and standing back up!  This is a huge feat and requires lots of balance, as well as strength.  We've been working on it for awhile and he finally got it the other day.  He was playing in the bathroom while I was getting ready and he dropped my makeup brush bag... he squatted down, picked it up and stood back up to hand it to me.  I was so happy that he has gotten strong enough to master this task. 

Also, Noah has learned how to clap!  When kids have gross motor weaknesses (gross motor involves the major muscles: back, shoulders, arms, legs, neck/head, etc), it also affects your fine motor skills (fine motor involves all the small muscles like using your hands and fingers).  It also requires a good deal of coordination.  So he hasn't ever been able to clap, point, etc.  He's been working on clapping for awhile and today, while watching cartoons, he began clapping to the music.  These skills are so easy and not a big deal for majority of kids to master but it was so huge watching him clap his hands together after we have worked on this for so long.  I can't even begin to describe the pride and pure happiness I feel for him when he accomplishes something new!  Of course, I caught it on video and sent it to Jamie and called my mom with the good news!

And lastly, Noah has always been kind of scared of cartoons.  I'm not sure what it is but something about fake animals talking, upsets him.... especially Mickey!  He's okay with people dressed up, like Imagination Movers, etc but he's not a fan of cartoons.  However, this morning, he watched Mickey, along with several other cartoons and LOVED it.  He was glued to the tv and clapping right along to the music. 

I'm so proud of him and all that he has learned and accomplished.  It may be more challenging for him to do "normal" things but that just means that we will celebrate those achievements even greater!  I mean, how many people have cried tears of joy over their child clapping?!  ME! :) It's been strange for me having two kids, one with delays and one without them.  Having Collier, I've been able to see just how easy and naturally the different skills progress in children.  You literally, don't have to do much at all for them to begin rolling over, sitting up, crawling, pulling up, and then walking... it all just happens so naturally.  With Noah, we've been working and practicing on these things, literally for years.  We go to therapy 4 days a week.  We do everything we can to try and get him to learn and be able to do these things, all the while Collier, at 8 months old, has almost caught up to his brother on his own.  It's obviously so much easier raising a child without delays, than it is raising one that does have delays, however, I wouldn't trade anything in the world for the things I've learned from my precious Noah!  My two boys complete my world and I couldn't be happier.