the best parts

this last month has been filled with sick days.  whether it was maya, myself or her dad,  it seems like we have been having to deal with colds, rashes and fevers this last month.  i'm hoping that things have calm down so we can enjoy the rest of summer.

even though maya hasn't been feeling 100% herself, i can still see that she is making progress in many areas.  here are a few things that she is doing that have really got me excited.

walking!  she is beginning to do more and more walking.  lately she is taking many more steps at once.  i don't count them like i used to which seems like an accomplishment for me.  she is still a bit unsteady but she is really starting to use walking to get around.   in her gym class she doesn't just crawl, she walk places.  a few weeks ago she even walked all the way across the gym to give one of the coaches a hug.  it was just lovely to see.

focus:  maya's concentration has really improved. i really don't know why this is but it seems like she is able to focus more on intricate skills.  during the time we were home sick she would often go to her play area and pull out her shape sorter and peg board.  i was really surprised but she has started to enjoy stacking her pegs and sorting shapes into the bucket.  sometimes she even indulges me and does a little bit of puzzle work.

sign language:  as always maya continues to use asl to communicate. everyday i try to learn new words to teach her and use in our daily life.  when we read and hear new new songs, i use sign.  it seems to engage her more than without asl.  these are some of her new words: smart, different, world, dinosaur, magic, catch, fast, summer, spring, the days of the week.  i see that her hand movements are getting more precise, for instance when she signs her abc's and numbers 1-10.

one of the cutest things about maya is when she can sits in front of a reflection and sign/sing to herself.  she can do this for almost an hour it seems.  when i watch her i try and decipher what she is saying but she signs so quickly that i lose track. i do catch that she sings head, shoulder knees and toes and row row row your boat.

and the best part of all is:  when i come home from running errands or just being away, maya is so happy to see me.  she smiles, gives a little giggle and immediately walks to me. she gives me tight hugs and wraps her little legs around my body.  she didn't used to do any of these things, but now it is like she knows i am her mama.  she is happy to see me and wants to be close to me.  i wish i could wrap that love up and give it to everyone because it is the most amazing thing to ever feel.