31 for 21, Day 14: 2 years and 7 months

Yesterday was Maya's 2 year and 7 month birthday. I used to count every month when Maya was an infant and write a little newsletter to all our family and friends.  The fact that Maya was a bit of a surprise for us, brought everyone together.  Everyone wanted to know how she was doing.  Over time life and it's busyness have taken hold of our lives.  So you can imagine that newsletters and so on have taken a back seat.

Yesterday during our occupational and physical therapy I realized that Maya is really making big strides in her work.  It's been been a while since I've noted these accomplishments.  After her biggest milestone, walking, our work continues to progress at a slow but steady pace. I don't want to over look these accomplishments because they are just as important as walking and talking.

In OT she has been more and more focused.  The introduction of a visual planner has really helped Maya stay on task.  I'm sure there is a technical term for it but basically it a board that tells Maya what she is going to do.  She sees the photo of the item we are working with and when she is done with the task she removes it and places it in a pocket behind the board.  I really think it allows her to feel like she has a some control without having to act up.

This week Maya did great working with her beading.  I'm so glad that I recently bought the string and beads made by ALEX.  The little extra dowel rod in the beginning of the string helps her grasp the concept better.  She is able to put her fingers around the rod and push it through the large bead.  She completed two beads this week which was a first.  

Another first for Maya was working with AquaDoodle.  A friend of mine told me about this and I just happened to run across it at the store.  What a great idea, a mat that lets you draw with water.  No mess, no worry about spills.  Maya really loved the hand stamp and she was actually interested in holding the pen and drawing with it.  The fact that she sat in her little chair at her table and began drawing was such a big deal.  Of course it only lasted a few minutes but it was a great effort on her part.

After weeks and weeks of working on her step technique,  Maya surprised the heck out of me when I caught her actually stepping up a short step (with a little help from the wall).  She did this once at a friends house and once in our garage.   I was so excited to see this because seriously when all you do during PT is step up and down on  a platform and over a beam, well, things can get a little boring. 

All that hard work is paying off, and Maya is gaining the confidence she needs to try and do things on her own.  I'm trying to step back and let her try...let her do it on her own.  It is a hard balance, being encouraging, lending a hand so she doesn't get too frustrated and finally letting go.  It seems that most of the time she has to work so much harder to get it, but I have to remind myself that she does get it eventually.