Elena got her first cane! It's a free 25 inch cane from the National Federation of the Blind. It's so cute.
First she would only hold it if my hand covered her hand but now I have gotten her to hold the cane in her right hand while I hold her left hand so she can walk. She still can't walk by herself but Damon (husband) did get her to walk a few steps on her own. It happened once and only once. He did it by holding her around her waist while she walked. Then he let go and she kept going, until she realized what he had done. Now she leans back on your hands like she's saying "I don't think so! You're not letting go again!"Elena is an avid reader. YAY! She loves reading. As soon as I ask her if she wants to read, she immediately turns around on my lap like she's ready to go. She rubs her hands on the pages, turns the pages and even "reads" the book to me. Her babbling sounds like words. I can even pick out a phrase or two sometimes! She now knows the word "again" and uses it ALL the time! She'll read the same book a thousand times.
Now for the bad news. Elena has been having ear infections at least once a month since around November. They get really bad and last time she had a 103 fever. We finally got her in to a Ear, Nose and Throat specialist, today. He said her ears are full of fluid and so swollen that nothing can get through, not even the Wally's Ear Oil that I bought at an herbal store. People tell me this stuff is a miracle worker. Anyway, because of all her issues she will be getting tubes put in her ears next Friday. They will have to put her to sleep to do it. Usually they don't suggest putting tubes in ears of kids so young but Elena has them so frequently and so bad that she has to have them. One of my brothers had a lot of ear infections when he was little so my parents put tubes in his ears. I think he was around 2. They said he never had an infection again. Please pray for Elena to have the same results!
