Squeal of delight

Remember when you were a child and you would swing on the swings and throw your head back and look at the sky and laugh and laugh and laugh? I love that!

Today, Emma laughed like that. Actually, it was more of a squeal of delight. We finished her 32nd HBOT treatment and were taking a food break before the long ride home. Right before heading home I decided to give Emma some standing time to see what she would do. I held her under her arms to help her stand but she was bearing most of her weight herself and holding her head up on her own. Julia was on the other side of the room and so I told Emma to go over and get Julia. And.............she started to move her feet in a stepping pattern! She walked all the way over to Julia with me holding her under her elbows helping her switch her weight from side to side, but it was ALL Emma on moving her feet in the stepping pattern! She has never done this before - never taken more than a step or two at the most. Today she walked across the room -with a bit of help - to go get Julia and she squealed with delight the whole time!

Julia and me were sooooooo excited for Emma! We decided to let her try again from a shorter distance and she did! Then, when Chris came home from work Julia helped me again and Emma showed him some of her stepping/walking motions. We are all very excited about this new development and hope that Emma keeps it up! We've been talking with her PTs about testing different gait trainers and her taking steps will be key to her success in a trainer. I'll try and take a short video of this and post it when it happens again.

For now I'm savoring the complete and utter joy that Emma imparted from her squeals of delight at her walking. And the joy that Julia showed while jumping and and down when Emma reached her. That made my week!