Going Through Changes
Well it’s Fall, the leaves are starting to turn and the weather is getting colder. I figured this was the perfect opportunity to update everyone on how Maddie’s doing. Also read through until the end to learn about some changes coming to the blog as well.
The one thing that affects our day to day is Maddie’s sleep. She saw a sleep doctor a few months ago and we changed her sleep routine. Maddie gets a half a milligram of melatonin a night, an hour before bedtime. Seemingly this had been working like a charm until last week. Maddie started waking up at 3 am and would stay up for two hours. The last week has been rough on Nicole and I. Hopefully this is just a blip on the radar.
Maddie has been getting physically stronger. She is constantly getting up onto her knees to either sit up or crawl across the room. It seems like she started to put things together overnight. We knew she had the strength to do these things, but would refuse for whatever reason. One theory that we have, is that watching other kids at daycare has encouraged Maddie to take more risks.
Not only is Maddie sitting up and crawling, she’s able to stand on her own. She won’t get into standing by herself, but when we put her into a standing position she can hold her weight and balance on her two feet. This is an exciting development on our journey to getting her to walk by her 3rd birthday.
Maddie does have an upcoming 24-hour EEG. This is a cautionary measure by her neurologist. Though we haven’t seen consistent seizure like activity, sometimes it’s hard to tell. Hopefully Maddie will pass the EEG with flying colors. If not, at least we know what’s going on with her brain and can adjust her medication accordingly.
Then the holy grail is coming up in the beginning of November. Maddie will finally see an Angelman Specific Clinic in Denver. We’re so excited for this opportunity. Maddie will see six different specialists all in one day. These specialists will be able to form a game plan for Maddie and communicate with her specialists here in West Michigan. This will be a huge milestone and a game changer in her development.
We’re so proud of all the progress Maddie is making. She is such a strong willed child. I mean that in a good way, although it does have it’s downsides. I cannot wait to see how she progresses over the coming year.
I did mention some changes coming to the blog. This will actually be the last Sunday blog. Next week we’re moving to our new day, Monday. Along with this, I’ve been recording a podcast. Episodes of the podcast will be released every Friday, starting October 21st. I hope you all enjoy the new addition.
