Tag- Justins It.

Hannah had her very first day of physical therapy yesterday and it was exhausting and traumatizing for us both. Her therapist and early childhood teacher are fabulous, kind and patient- but Hannah wants nothing to do with them. She cried every time they reached for her. She wailed every time they gently tried to put her body into new positions and stretches. She gave them her all-to-famous-evil-eye when they tried to get her to interact and play with them. They wanted her to do simple things- things I know that she can do....but she wouldn't. It was excruciating watching my little bug try her hardest to get away from the people that are trying to help her - as she wiggles her non-crawling-body back to her mama. She would just reach for me, and I felt like I couldn't come to her rescue because I have been working on NOT saving her. I've been working on, letting her struggle and work things out on her own. When she cries, Justin puts me into a full-body wrestling hold so that I do not instantly run to her.....and I swear, this whole new approach is going to send me straight into therapy.

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You know the best part?....When Hannah does eventually wiggle her way into my lap and I scoop her up to give her some lovin- she instantly looks back at her teachers- flashes a smile and the tears are completely gone. She knows what she is doing. She knows that she has me around her finger. But I don't' care.

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I know that I need to be better at letting her struggle, self-soothe and yadda-yadda- but I just keep thinking that she is my baby! But as her teacher and therapist kindly remind me- she's my baby who will be turning 1 in three months and she needs to be able to become a little more independent at some point.

(Why? She is living with me for the rest of her life.)

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I personally think it would be better if I wasn't in the room.....or house for that matter....maybe even the same city. But they want a parent present. So that we can observe what they are doing with her and repeat it daily when they are not here.

As hard as it is- therapy is a good thing. Justin and I are learning tons of new ideas on how to help Hannah roll, crawl, get in and out of the sitting position, and eventually walk. So I am hoping and praying that by 10 months she's cruising around this house and Riley is running for his life.

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But the next session- Justin's IT.

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On with some photos from our break:

Our favorite new game: Empty absolutely anything and make a mess!

Always time for Cheerio breaks!

My favorite photo:

So thirsty from cheerios- we need water!!

This is how I drink like a lady...