Amanda is doing well developmentally. She has learned cause and effect now and can beat on a drum to create music, spin a ball to make it recite ABCs, bite and hear a yelp from an adult :-) etc. If she drops a toy, she knows exactly where it is and gets it back herself.

Her sitting is improving and she is able to handle quite a bit of wobble and recover from it without losing her balance (most of the time). She gives kisses all day long, works actively to get your attention, and is making progress in speech, physical, occupational & community development therapies (we will be starting vision therapy soon and probably swimming and horseback therapies when she is 2).

Our OT has asked us to buy more sophisticated toys (eg putting specific shapes in holes) because she feels she is ready for that. We have a gait trainer and depending on her mood for the day, she can take steps and make it move (this is still pretty inconsistent ranging from traversing the whole length of the room to standing there chewing on the strap). She loves to laugh and kick.

She pats you on the back when you pat her on the back and is really interactive most of the time. She also likes to pull hair, grab noses, ears etc so she is quite aware of her surroundings. She is also starting to respond to commands like give me a kiss or stick out your tongue.

We are still fighting the c-difficile infection that she picked up at UCLA, but are optimistic that her new antiobiotic, vancomyacin, will help put that chapter behind us. Despite the infection, she continues to do very well and we feel quite blessed.

Amanda and Katie continue to be the sources of great joy in our lives. Katie loves her little sister and loves to feed her bottles and read to her. Amanda thinks Katie is hilarious and laughs and laughs when she is around. Katie is a very compassionate 6 year old who thinks school is the best experience ever. She loves to read and is now reading at the middle of second grade level. She also enjoys playing with her neighborhood friends (there are twin 6 year old girls in our cul-de-sac), art, model horses, ice skating and just having fun.

We hope you are all doing well. Thanks for the continued support and prayers. God Bless!
Susan