Hi Everyone,
It’s been a busy weekend! Caitlin is taking a quarter off and has officially moved home. The last four days have been filled with cleaning, purging, pitching, packing and moving not only her things but her roommates as well. If you need to pack 10lbs of “stuff” in a 5lb bag, I’m your girl! I’m also skilled in maneuvering a 16’ truck through the streets of south and north Philly. Our forefathers did not design those streets for moving vans! The surprise came today when we both hit a wall of physical exhaustion. I must admit I actually took a nap this afternoon (I refuse to say that I’m getting too old for this anymore). Corey is thrilled to have Caitlin home. Every time she hears the littlest noise she points, bright eyed and smiles as she states, “I hear Caitlin”.
Corey has been speaking more everyday. It still surprises me to hear her voice as well as her thoughts. Last night we were watching Toy Story 2. There is a scene about one of the characters, Jesse, growing up with her human but as the little girl became a woman she outgrew her doll and she was left behind to be sold at a yard sale. Corey looked at me and spoke a long sentence I could not decode. I asked her to speak slowly saying one word at a time. That helps but there are still words she can not enunciate so we move to the whiteboard. She writes her sentence and then I can understand.
I was shocked to read her reaction to this scene, “I want them to comfort her and hold her hand”. This small sentence is actually very complex. Watching the movie, processing the scene, showing the emotions of empathy and compassion as well as communicate her thought intellectually with the spoken and written word draws from multiple areas of the brain; primarily the Frontal and Temporal Lobes crossing both sides of the brain! This is an amazing development.
We are looking forward to seeing Alice, OT, tomorrow. Corey is ready to show off another first discovered yesterday. She is moving and lifting her left arm across her body, trying to pull it up to lift as well as push out to straighten the arm. It’s interesting to watch her right arm as it flinches to assist the left but she stops herself from “cheating” so the left can move independently. She uses her right fingers to assist her left thumb to release its tucked position in her clenched hand; once released her left fingers can spring open. My favorite part of this movement is not her hand opening but the way her smile beams across her face and her eyes light up. Her joy and pride is contagious!
Corey I love to watch you enjoy the moment. You work so hard; yet, most times, you are happy as you are working through the challenges. You seem to enjoy the process and you get better, stronger and more productive every day. Your eyes tell the story. They dance, laugh and smile with each achievement. You continually remind me to stay in the moment and truly enjoy it as its happening. Thank you for centering me so I don’t miss the little things and appreciate the big things! I’m so proud of you, xoxo