OMG, Ali can walk!!!!!!  That says it all right there, my baby’s walking!

This update is not about Ali.

We lost our sheltie, Colton today to cancer. He’d been sick for a while but never in a million years did we expect that we would have to do what we did today. We found out yesterday that Colton had an aggressive form of lymphoma with a very poor prognosis.  We could see that he was going downhill and so we made the choice not to let him suffer and now he’s gone and it hurts. He was Jason’s work buddy and my agility partner and he was truly an amazing dog. We were lucky to have him even if it was just for 8 years and I know that in time, the pain will lessen but I also know that we will never find what we had in Colton again. Some things are once in a life time and Colton was one of a kind. Fly free my beautiful boy, do all the tunnels at the rainbow bridge and rest in peace knowing how much we loved you.

 Ali has started a program at the special need preschool here in our small town.   She is attending 4 days a week for an hour and a half and the program lasts for 6 weeks. What an incredible opportunity! Ali is nearing the end of her second week and she is loving it! She is amazing. Each day when we go in to the school to drop her off, we hang her jacket up in her locker, put on her indoor shoes and AFOs and put her in her little walker. She usually gives me a big smile and off she goes to have fun! She is so social and so happy and she loves a challenge! Today when we picked her up, we were presented with a list of words that Ali had been saying in her own Ali way! She said “mi” (milk),” kuchi” (kitchen), up, “ba” (bye),”booka” (book), “ puh” (princess) and a few others. That is amazing progress for Ali! She is so desperate to communicate!  I can’t imagine having so much to say and having the people around me not understand.  It must feel very isolating.  She does sign but it’s hard for people that don’t know her well to understand her signs because she adapts them to suit her fine motor skills. I can carry on a really good conversation with her, I feel like I totally understand her signs and her babble but I’m sure she would like other people to understand her as well. We were also told today that her walking is coming along fabulously.  Her OT hasn’t worked with her in a while and she was very encouraged by Ali’s progress since she last saw her. I’m excited to see what the next 4 weeks hold for Ali!

Once again Ali proved exactly what she’s made of! Today, she took a few very tentative steps on her own.  I’m hopeful that she’ll be able to walk soon!  I’m so proud of her!