Progress, and worries

New Blog post!

I know nobody is reading these now, but maybe some day. Either way, its good for me to keep writing, even just for myself.

Little munchkin enjoying the snow a couple weeks ago

Avi is napping right now. Her MRI came back normal, so good news there. She goes to see the neurologist on December 21, so maybe we'll get some answers there too. She is still progressing in her gross motor skills, although maybe not as quickly as she should be. She is starting to "cruise" along the furniture, moving herself from one end of the couch to the other, although it is still pretty slow and careful. Nothing new on the speech front. Our physiotherapist referred us to theEarly Intervention Program, so we're on track with getting her any help she might need. I should hear from them on Wednesday, and our "coach" is scheduled to come to the house on the 11th, but we've all had the flu or something like it; baby and I got flu shots, so it could be something else. Because we've been sick we may need to reschedule the EIP coach, to make sure our house is sickness free. On top of whatever was making us throw up, baby has an ear infection! At least she likes the taste of her medicine; she gets mad that she only gets a little bit at a time.

She is an incredibly easy baby to get along with; she rarely cries, goes to bed easy, eats well, and is very self entertaining. I've worried all along that it meant there was something different about her, and it seems now that that may be the case. Its scary, not knowing when, or even if, she'll learn some of those things that we so often take for granted, like walking and talking. On a whim, I decided to do the Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers, (revised), or M-CHAT-R, and she scored high risk. You can find it here if you're interested, or have concerns about your own child.

The M-CHAT-R isn't a definitive diagnosis though, and many children who score high on it do not end up being diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder. It is worth getting them checked out if they do score high though, as it could mean they have any of a number of developmental disorders (or nothing at all).  And there is a lot of signs that she doesn't have; she smiles, makes eye contact, responds to her name... A lot of things could just be how she's been raised too. I think we've got her on the right track, even if she does have something more serious than a gross motor delay. And if she does fall on the autism spectrum... well, there are way worse things that could happen. Many people with ASD lead very successful and fulfilling lives. So it really isn't the end of the world.

I will continue to worry, at least until we get some more definitive answers, but probably after that as well. I'm told that you never stop worrying about your children, and I can totally see that as being true.

Well, I'm off to Instagram, since apparently I do that now. Find me there.

Later Days!