Our Dearest Alex:

You have already amazed us with your resilience and spirit, and now with your willingness to heal and accept each challenge head on. Here is a record of your progress so far:

Week One - ending August 8, 2010
This week you came home from the hospital, unable to adjust yourself on the couch. Lifting your head was a chore. You slept much of each day and concentrated on eating and healing. We were so happy that you were home, able to sleep in your own bed and be surrounded by your own things.

Week Two - ending August 15, 2010
You have been able to lift your head more and more each day and are also sitting up for prolonged periods, although you cannot sit unassisted. We are having to lay you down often as your bum gets sore after even 5 minutes sitting up. Travelling anywhere in the van must be done in short stints and we have a folded up blanket on your car seat to help you last a little longer. This week you started therapy at the Glenrose but your sessions were short lived because you developed kidney stones and had to be readmitted to the hospital. Thankfully you recovered quickly and were back at home by the end of the week. You also began to move your arm and leg in tiny, flickers of movement which gave us hope that you would begin using them again someday.

Week Three - ending August 22, 2010
This week you began to really pay attention to your limbs. Up until now it has been as if they were removed, you would only let them hang or wave around. Your teachers are forcing you to lift your left hand with your right hand in an effort to raise your awareness of that left hand and it's working! Your arm is not so limp and is starting to hold itself steady, although we suspect that you may have more movement once the pic line comes out.

You have also begun to help us put on your pants by straightening your left leg when asked, we are starting to see that you just may be walking someday after all!

Alex can play if he sits in his Elmo chair which is cushy for his bum. You can see the pic line on his left arm, the line itself is small but the tubing is long and needs to be tied up to keep it out of the way

Week Four - ending August 29, 2010
This week you walked for the first time! You aren't steady enough to hold yourself upright when standing but you are able to force that left leg of yours to take steps forward and we are all so excited! Your arm also moves just a bit when you want it to (mostly shoulder movement, your elbow stays bent and your hand does little or nothing). On Saturday the 28th your IV meds finished and we are looking forward to having that pic line removed so that we can see you start working your left arm, and go swimming!

They make him play on his knees to strengthen them

Week Five - ending September 5, 2010
On Tuesday morning you got your pic line removed without any issues and we were told that you could go swimming starting on Saturday, so we continued with the 'dry' school for the week. You have started to crawl on your knees but this doesn't last long since your knees have lost their previous callouses. But mommy has been crawling around with you and things are getting better. You also got out of bed for the first time this week all by yourself! Mommy was too lazy to come get you out of bed so she told you to get out all by yourself and you did! You even came all the way down the hall to mommy's room and found her!

You have been so antsy this week, it's good to see that you are tired of sitting still. We've had your teachers show you how to get off the couch all by yourself although you can't get back up yet. You're also all over the floor, playing and scootching wherever you want to be. On Saturday you got to have your first bath and loved it, requesting another one about 20 minutes after the first one ended.

Week Six - Ending September 12
Wet Wet Wet! There is a pool at the Glenrose and you went swimming almost every day for school, reaquainting yourself with the water. After so many weeks not moving and then a bunch more with only one side of your body working you have had many difficulties with balance but in the water it almost seems that all things are nearly equal and you are back to your old 'swim like a fish' self. Oops...I mean, 'swim like a dolphin/seal/sea lion'.

He is holding the pail with his left hand and filling it with toys using his right hand.

Your walking is improving more and more, you even do this little hop/skip thing when you're excited. You still need to hold onto us to walk but your legs are getting stronger and stronger everyday, and you are more willing to crawl on your knees too. On Thursday Daddy takes you to the orthopedist who makes a cast of your leg and lets you pick out a zoo animal pattern for your new leg brace. This will help you walk further and longer since your ankle will get tired of walking long before your knee and hip are finished.

On Wednesday we went swimming for Mommy's birthday and you astonished us by going down a waterslide by yourself (Mommy caught you at the bottom before you drowned) and walking up the stairs by alternating your feet!!!

Week Seven (has it been 7 weeks already?) - ending September 19
This week has already seen so much progress and it's not even finished:

• You have stood without holding onto something for a millisecond and you keep doing it
• You have gone down the stairs by yourself, scootching your bum along
• You are much more willing to travel from the front door to the living room by yourself, crawling or scootching
• You can get back up onto the couch now
• You are furniture walking
• Your left arm can be raised up into the air and you can even aim your hand for a high five with somewhat decent accuracy!

We are so proud of you and we see that you are loving life and playing, getting the most out of what you can do. You are also not satisfied with sitting still and are so proud of your accomplishments, as you should be!