Just a quick note... last night Athena was being a typical two year old, doing things she's knows she shouldnt, she so was put in time out. I go back into her room to get her for dinner and I gasp! Almost having a heart attack. There she is standing up in her crib, managing to grab toys off the shelf next to her bed. For most parents this milestone would be exciting yes, but to a mother who has been waiting for this day for two years and wondering if it would ever happen, it's a pure blessing and shock. I managed to wake up her grandmother, calling at 8:30 just to scream in exciting and have someone else share in my excitement.
We ordered her a stander, oh the dreaded stander which made her and myself cry when she was in it, was delivered this wedsday. She took one look at "pink" what she decided to name it due to its pink padding, and she screamed bloody murder saying "all done, all done!"
I've put her in the stander twice since wendsday which is pretty much a mechanism that straps her in a standing position, unable to move. The first time we ran around the halls of our apartment complex which she found to be quite entertaining. The second time I feed her breakfast in it and that only lasted 5 minutes before the tears started. I question if the stander, providing extra sensory support, has somehow ignited something in her brain, making it more second nature to use her legs more.
Since she was 8 months old we have been doing different exercises to help with her sensory issues, such as brushing and squeezing her legs and feet.
Until next time, we're on our way to woodby island for the day!
Here's a picture of Athena with dora, her sick obsession lol.

It's been almost two years since I've last post on this blog! I wanted to give some updates about Athena so any families out there dealing with the same diagnosis can have some comfort. When I was pregnant and Athena was diagnosed, I remember many different blogs which helped me push thru those weak moments of confusion and fears of the unknown.
Well, Athena is now two years old! She is doing extremely well and continues to prove the doctors wrong.
I'll give a list of her milestones to date, I know that was one of my questions when I was pregnant.
At 6 months, Athena started rolling over and was able to lift her head for short intervals.
At one year she was able to sit unassisted.
From 8 months to 15 months her primary for of travel was rolling across the room, it was pretty funny.
At one year she started bearing weight and standing assisted.
At 15 months she started army crawling.
At two years she started crawling on hands and knees.
At two years she also stated pulling up onto her knees, but not pulling up into standing.
At one year her vocabulary consisted of 20 words and continued to grow dramatically.
At two she is now saying 4-5 word sentences and knows over 1000 words. She's a parrot and pretty much repeats anything you say, which is good and bad!
She has such expression and attitude to match!
She's deffinetly hit her terrible twos, throwing tantrums and testing her boundaries.
for any families out there struggling with a difficult diagnosis, just know there is hope!
I was told my daughter wouldn't be able to breath on her own, she would need a permanent feeding tube, she wouldn't be able to talk, walk, communicate,  she would be a vegetable.
Well let me tell you, she is a typical two year old and continues to prove the doctors wrong. Science isn't a matured art. There is so much that is unknown about human biology and specifically the brain. She has never had seizures nor has she had a shunt replacement yet which is such a blessing. She still receives physical therapy and was just fitted for leg splints. She had corrective eye surgery at 22 months due to nastagmis and both of her eyes  being lazy. Lazy eyes and nistagmis is very common with hydro kids due to the extra pressure in the brain while in utero. She still receives eye therapy and it has help dramatically along with the surgery. I have so much more to say buy I will leave it at that for now and check back in soon. Don't hesitate to ask any questions or send me a private email.