If for nothing else

"If for nothing else than to be a symbol of hope that she will someday even stand." That's what Jeff said before he gave me the go ahead to buy a ridiculously priced pair of authentic ballet shoes for my birthday girl. I love him. And I love these shoes. Aren't they cute? They are the real deal...the leather and the bow and the pleats underneath. Since Bloch is the only dance shoe company that makes "pre-walker" dance shoes, I suppose they can charge three times the price of an adult pair if they want.

K is doing really well. She's getting stronger faster. She's holding up her head a lot more. The highlight of my week this week (besides the shoes), was spending a morning alone with her at home. She cooed and laughed for no reason at all. We went for a bike ride. She was in my carrier, tied to my chest, and she kept pushing back so that her head was hanging out. Her hair blowing, eyes closed, and a huge smile, she was really enjoying herself. She was like Meg Ryan in City of Angels, when she's blissfully riding her bike no-handed at the end of the movie (Except for the getting hit by a truck part).

I've been adding whipping cream to Keira's milk, so hopefully she will have gained a little weight by the next time we go to the doctor.

Keira can hear! She had her tubes replaced a few weeks back and the auditory tests done last week were very very good! We've learned that she is still a high risk for hearing loss, but the fact that she hasn't lost any so far is a really hopeful thing.

Keira has an ophthalmology appointment on Wednesday. Hopefully he can tell us a thing or two about her vision, but I'm not banking on it. It's pretty clear to us that Keira sees best in her right and lower fields of vision and that she is able to team her eyes best when she is very comfortable and content.

She has just been so so happy this week. She seems to enjoy her therapy appointments, her Beach Boys therapy music, and laughing at her brothers and neighbors. Steph and K had a "jam" that I've been singing to her in Steph's place. I swear she recognizes the song cause she smiles every time..."You've gotta keep your head up. Woah. And you can let your hair down. Yea. I know it's hard..."

We took K to our company BBQ last night and, aside from not eating or napping during the 5 hours we were there, she did awesome. One of my favorite parts was seeing how Penny, our friends' 3 year old who has Downs Syndrome, interacts with Keira. She is so sweet and gentle and loves looking after her. A new colleague said to me that she wasn't sure who Keira's parents were because she kept seeing the baby being held so lovingly by so many different people. That comment melted my heart. That's exactly what I want for Keira: lots of people to know her and love her. It's kind of funny when I think about it. With any other kid, I'd think it was superficial and tacky, to say the least, to want their kid to win a popularity contest. But that's exactly what I want for Keira. I think for people to love her will ensure that she is always taken care of. And beyond that, I know that people can learn a lot about the truest things in life by having the opportunity to know someone like her.