Samantha's Doing Great

Wow.  This trip to Utah for therapy has been so much more than that!

1. Drive from California to Salt Lake City and stay with my friend for a week.  She has her baby a bit sooner than planned.
2. Come down to Provo.
3. Marcus flies into town for the weekend because Samantha is invited to be the BYU Football Team's Thursday's Hero!  Awesome
4. Since we're here, we travel a bit to try some alternative therapy for Samantha and my mom.
5. The Daily Universe (BYU's newspaper) comes to Now I Can to interview Tracey (founder) and interviews me about Samantha.
6. Buy some doTerra oils and sign up to be a consultant and seller.  If I sell some, great, but I signed up for the discount really.  We'll see how they work for Samantha.
7.  Oh yeah, and we're here for therapy.  Sheesh.  We've been so busy.

I can't believe we're already approaching the end of week 2.  I'm so glad we're here for 4 weeks.  Here are some changes in Samantha that I've noticed since being in Utah.

*  Samantha sleeps with her arms straight.  She has never done that before, but many mornings, when I pull her in bed with me, she lays flat.  Incredible actually since she is always so tight and curled up.
*  Though she is always pretty verbal (aka: loud), this wasn't a huge thing to me at first, but Sergio has said that she is more verbal with him during therapy than she's been in the past.  They "talk" back and forth more.  He said it seems more conversational.
*  The other night, she was crying.  I went in to see what was wrong.  She was saying "mommy."  I've never heard her say Mommy.  Mama, yes.  Mommy, this is a first.
* Overall, she is much calmer.  It surprises my mom and stuns Sergio!
*  She can hold a static position longer.  Before, she was unable to truly sit still in good form for more than 20 seconds.  Now, she is holding some positions for over 30.
* She is standing taller and straighter.
*  She is flat foot more often.
*  Her natural position is to have knees bent, tummy tight and tucked, slightly bent at hips, shoulders hunched, and arms bent.  Anywhere she can fold in, she will.  Those "bends" aren't as severe.
* Her hands seem noticably more open and relaxed.
*  I sat in the back of the car with her the other day.  She held my hand.  Not, Sammy-I'm-going-to-hold-your-hand-and-you'll-like-it, but she sincerely held my hand when I reached over for her.  She's never quite done it like this. 
*  Today, during her snack, at least 90% of the time, she picked up the food she wanted and got it in her mouth!  That is HUGE!  Yesterday, I was watching her struggle and I sad and frustrated for her.  Today, she was a new kid.  Here's hoping that sticks!  Nearly everything she went for, she picked up on the first try and got it in her mouth.  That's either huge progress, or starvation is a bigger motivator!