And Then There Are Days Like Today!

Thank God for all the great amazing days where everything clicks and I feel like a rock star and I feel like I am the best mother in the world! Days where I can see without a doubt the progress Zoya has made, days where she does something new and I realize how fast my baby is growing up, days where she is happy all day long and we have dance parties in the kitchen, days where the stars are aligned and everything is just peachy. Motherhood is a rollercoaster and the dips only make the peaks all that more exciting and well earned!

Zoya is doing so much lately...so much talking and walking! Shawn said to me today, "when did all this happen?" and I said, "when did all what happen?" He said, "like her pulling herself up and being tall enough to look out the window?" And it's true. I looked back on some pictures of when we were first home and she is losing her "baby" look :( She has grown so very much in the short time we've been home. She has gained 3-4 pounds and is 4 inches taller!!!

Seriously, where did this baby go?

It's bittersweet to see all the changes!

There are a couple cute videos I wanted to share from this morning.  I bought Zoya a cheap mirror that she can move around from room to room, and get dirty fingerprints and smooches all over it because it's her very own! She just loves watching herself in the mirror. The other day while I was holding Zoya she was looking at a picture of herself which was behind my back. I didn't realize she was looking at the picture and I saw her point to herself and say something that sounded a lot like "Zoya." Then she pointed at the picture and I turned around to see in fact it was her! She has been saying her name a lot and it is just the cutest thing ever! Mostly it comes out as "doya" or "oya" and one time it was "yaya."

 

We've also been working on body parts. Zoya had a really hard time with this for a long time. Lately she has just picked up on it like it was never hard for her. One of the therapists suggested that maybe since she started the therapeutic listening she is beginning to understand where her body is in space (an issue lots of kids with sensory problems struggle with). Before the TL I would say, "where is your nose?" and she would try so hard to find it with her finger but couldn't find it anywhere...but she could always find MY nose. Now it is much easier for her. You can see her trying soooo hard to say her name! Some times it comes out easily and others she has to work to get it out!

 

And this one is me trying to get her to cooperate and point to body parts, but you can see she was distracted. Watch it all the way to the end because she says her name very nicely and clearly the second time at the end!

And here is a cute one of Zoya "getting hurt" and whining/crying, and now all I have to say is, "Kisses, All Better" and she cuts off the whining just like that!