In These Arms

This past week has been quite a thrill for Bub the hub and I, as lil'bub has made great strides toward taking steps, both in and out of her walker!! And we are all very glad that Avery is back in school for the summer, getting even more intense therapy than before. That's because a little over a week ago she finally got the Botox injections that we had been working to get since January. Although it's most well-known for cosmetic reasons, Botox is also frequently used to relax muscle tension in children with conditions like Avery. She needs it in her right side because it's weaker and has a lot more tension (from less use) than her left side. Her right leg is actually a bit shorter than her left leg because the tension is such that she doesn't want to put it flat on the ground, and constantly lifts it up, causing her tendons to shorten. Our hope is that with the help of the Botox, we can stretch and encourage the use of her right hand and right leg more in order to correct these tendencies, which allows her to learn to walk!! It's a process, that's for sure.

I will take more photos of her in the walker soon, because I know (and have heard :) that it gives you all a thrill too! Meanwhile, today after our weekly trip to the pool, we gave lil'bub a much-needed bath (I should have taken a photo of the rats' nest that was her hair)...and I could not resist a shot of her in the hoodie towel.

I gotta say that post-bath is one of my very favorite times with lil'bub. I like to wrap her up really cozy and then we rock and snuggle together before she goes to bed. She usually looks up at me with her big blue eyes while we cuddle, and I always think: this is what I was meant to do. I sing to her, "Cause maybe I was born to hold you in these arms," because I absolutely love that chorus from In These Arms, one of my favorite songs. If you have never heard of The Swell Season, they are an amazing band. Here is the song I am talking about, from their album Strict Joy. Bub the hub took me to see them live last year for our wedding anniversary and it was the most incredible experience. Anyway, it's a sweet verse that reminds me what's important.