Miss Mia

Sorry- slow to add videos because we are working on the video for the home program. I added one more today... the main thing we are working on now is moving the support away. Instead of doing the 180 which is holding her by trunk and knee, now it is shoulder and ankle. Ramon is working with me a lot to correct my positions- it is so crucial becuase if your hand placement is not right so mess up the whole exercise and do not provoke the response you are trying to get. That is why Ramon cannot teach on videos or in books because there are so many things you can't see just by watching the video. His instruction is essential. I feel priveleged to be learning from the best. 3 more days left - it's never long enough but I can't wait to come home! We miss Daddy and Daisy Mae!!:)

I just added a video I labeled "cute" on youtube cause it was just too cute for everyone not to see it. I will leave it up for 2 days and then remove it cause Ramon would kill me if I left it up :) She just loves him! More amazing stuff - Mia stood in Ramons hands in the air for 15 seconds! Did not get it on tape because this was a huge challenge we weren't sure is she would do and did not want to jinx ourselves. She did it 3 times. So the reason why she does so well in the air or on something unstable is the whole human reaction that if you are on the edge of a cliff, your bodys natural reaction is to save yourself. For example, the first time she stood with hands on thighs only- we did it while she was standing on a circular pipe that was unstable- not a flat surface- you would think she would topple right over but no -she did perfectly. Then we move to a flat surface and she did great. If we had started on the flat surface, she probably would not have done so well. It completely proves that theory. So it is all about Repetition- creating that reaction so many times that it becomes normal. The concept makes so much sense and works so well for these kids - so glad someone figured it out!
We really need to spread the word about CME. There is a family from CA here and she really wants to spread the word on the west coast so we can get some CME trained therapists over there. Ramon will come to train therapists wherever there is a need and there is interest. So thats the next mission :)

Ok, I posted more videos on youtube- should all be under the keywords "CME Mia o9" Another beautiful day in Santiago, Chile. Erica (my roomie) and I were talking about how when you are 2 hrs into your 10 hr flight here, trying to get your child to sleep, back is killing you, want to jump out of the plane, you say to yourself "I'm never doing this again." Then a couple days into therapy, we are planning next years trip. SOOOOOOO worth it! :) On another note, just wanted to mention that Jeffs grandpa Jerry passed away this past Sunday and will be greatly missed and we are all thinking of his family -we know he is watching over us in Chile!

Ok- this afternoons session is exactly the reason we traveled for 2 days, spent all this money, lived in another country for 3 weeks, etc. Mia stood up with only support at the thighs for 11 seconds. It might not sound like a big accomplishment to most people, but for me, its like a miracle. This is the bonus of being a parent of a special needs child- every accomplishment, however small, is the biggest celebration. The longer you have to wait for it, the sweeter it is. I almost cried. Ramon was soooo happy and proud of her. He said - this is the beginning- first its hands on thighs, then knees then ankles, then independence. I am going to hve a pisco sour to celebrate!

Sorry- the video thing took me forever to figure out. Yesterday Mia did an exercise that was just amazing for her! She has only been able to do this with support at the knees- even last week when Jeff was here Ramon tried to move his hands to her ankles and she collapsed on the count of 5 or less. Yesterday she did 2 counts of 100 by the ankles with me touching her shoulders. Normally she would crumble at the waist or the knees. I couldnt video the first 2 because I was helping, but Claudia taped for us so everyone could see. This was a huge accomplishment for her because it is the next step and shows she is making progress. Go on youtube and typr keyword "CME Mia 09" Enjoy!

It has been a beautiful past couple of days in Santiago - 70's or so. Every therapy session has been great. She is so much more eager and ready to do each exercise. She actually laughs and gets excited to start! What a difference a year makes. I knew she would do better cuase she is a lot less sensitive overall. We are doing many Level III exercises and starting to try to move to support at the ankles instead of the knees all the time. She does good at some, and collapses instantly with others. You can tell that sense of less support is scary for her. And just like we already know, she is so reliant on anything that is touching her. If a hand is there , she leans on it. So we are slowly taking that support away. Will be posting videos this week. Our friends from Phoenix will be here tomorrow and our friens from Toronto Oula is her as well as another new friend from LA. Great to have all of this support from women in the same situation!

We are here- finally! Our flight was delayed and had to spend the night in Dallas- so 2 days of travel to get here. We are in an apartment right next to Ramons office so it is much easier. Mias therapy so far have been great! 2 out of the 3 sessions so far she has been laughing and so excited about it. One session (right after a nap) was full of crying. Mia is a slow waker upper (just like her dad). We are so excited for the next 3 weeks. Little trouble with the internet connection but once that is fixed I will post more...

My crazy haired baby standing :)

I know, I know - it's been a long time since I posted. So obviously we got back to Phoenix and started back to normal life. I have learned that CME therapy is much harder to do yourself. Ramon makes it look so effortless :) We have been practicing a lot. It is harder than you think to get 2 -20 minutes sessions a day in. Seems like a piece of cake but when you are working around Mia's schedule and everyone else's... She is doing great with it though. Definitely gets annoyed with me, especially when I am practicing something new. I have learned that CME is the only thing that works for her though. When I work with her, she holds herself different immediately. I have never seen her respond to anything really in physical therapy. With CME she responds to EVERYTHING. She is so much stronger with her standing and taking steps. The key is really consistency and repetition. I really wish Ramon was in the same state- even the same country becauseI think she would make amazing progress seeing him weekly but she has to make do with me for now. We can't wait to see him again though!