Skateboarding

This is a skateboard, aspecial stand we did for Victoria in AACD, so she can play and move around using her legs while she strengthens arms and spine to crawl.
For us it was a special thrill to see her able to move with this skateboard for children with special needs.

An indescribable sense of joy and freedom

Make no store of wealth for yourselves on earth, where it may be turned to dust by worms and weather, and where thieves may come in by force and take it away. But make a store for yourselves in heaven, where it will not be turned to dust and where thieves do not come in to take it away:
For where your wealth is, there will your heart be.

The light of the body is the eye; if then your eye is true, all your body will be full of light. But if your eye is evil, all your body will be dark. If then the light which is in you is dark, how dark it will be!  But let your first care be for his kingdom and his righteousness; and all these other things will be given to you in addition.

 Jesus, quoted in Mathew 6:19-23; 33

It's been a while since I came here calmly to tell the news. Our beloved Vitoria is going so well! We have a busy routine, we left at least three times a week when she does physical therapy, speech therapy and occupational therapy. At home, we play, we walk, we spend a lot of time together.

Vitoria has an excellent health and is an adorable, sweet and quiet child. Her biggest challenge has been teething. Up to 1 year and 1 month of age she had no teeth, but since then, every month she gets a new tooth. For some children this is a simple process, but for her it has been slow and painful. Now she has six teeth, and her gums are all swollen and red. I believe that there are four molars in the growth process trying to break through the gum and there are days when she gets desperate.

One day, when I tried to give her food, she pushed my hand away, then she put her hand over her face and pressed her cheek very strong, and spoke "aguuuu", as if she was saying, "it hurts, Mommy, I can not eat!"

She also does not like to sit in the car seat. Sometimes she is crying and squirming, but when I caught her in my lap, she sighs with relief, and then she relaxes and sleeps as if nothing had happened.

In contrast to frown and tears, she has also participated more when we play. One activity she loves is rolling. I put her in our bed and I help her to roll, she smiles, and then when I stop, she starts trying to roll alone. Sometimes she cries when she falls back, it seems she is afraid of getting hurt. But soon she tries to untap and continues playing. She loves me to do a double roll, helping her to roll and then roll again.When she can roll all the way alone, we clap, then we took her and give her a big hug and lot of kisses. She makes a beautiful face, of happy-cute-and-loved little girl. (When she can not scroll to the end alone, we help her finish the roll and then we kiss and hug her in the same way ;-)

She's having incredible progress. The simple fact of being alive and healthy is already a surprising victory and a great joy for us. But in addition, each month she features new reactions and progress that fill us with pride and courage. She can already eat food with small pieces. For lunch and dinner, she eats a soup with vegetables, meat and grains, and now I knead the soup with a fork and she mashes the pieces of vegetables before swallowing. In addition, she has expressed much more with her voice, she cries, complains, cries out in different ways and let us know if she's angry, if she's in pain, or if she does not like something.

She is also having many advances in her attempts to crawl, getting stronger and having better movements with arms and legs. Another great thing is that she is being able to stand when she is based on us and she loves it. Of course she still needs more balance and strength in her column, but her legs are very strong and it is a big surprise for us.

So, our little princess has shown more her strong personality, saying clearly what she dislikes, and also learning to express what she wants, what she likes, what makes her happy. Even without saying a word in our Portuguese, she tells us so much, and in a so clear, intense, and beautiful way, that brings me an indescribable sense of joy and freedom (and I wonder why we need so many words).

Joy of seeing that she is discovering herself, that she is communicating with us and helping us to know and understand her. Joy of seeing she is growing and becoming a loving and happy child. Her limitations do not prevent her from communicating with us - just make she communicate with us through a different language (but only those who approach of her with love and respect are able to understand this language, and have the privilege of participating of this different, but so special and beautiful world).

And the sense of freedom is because there are no limitations or challenges that can silence our happiness.

She is so precious and we love her more than ever.

  

Smiling to life

Be glad in the Lord at all times: again I say, Be glad. Let your gentle behaviour be clear to all men. The Lord is near. Have no cares; but in everything with prayer and praise put your requests before God. And the peace of God, which is deeper than all knowledge, will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.


Vitoria smiling with daddy



It is the same to me if I am looked down on or honoured; everywhere and in all things I have the secret of how to be full and how to go without food; how to have wealth and how to be in need. I am able to do all things through him who gives me strength. Philippians 4:4-7; 12-13 

Our beloved Vitoria is pretty good! The only inconvenient is that we are having a very hot summer this year in Brazil, and she is suffering a bit. Usually, she can keep a good temperature by herself, but sometimes, when it is very hot, she has some problems, she gets very hot and extremely angry. So I need to be aware to let her cool, only with diaper and no clothes, or give her a cold bath.

We have also very good news: Marcelo started a new job two weeks ago! We thank our Lord for the way everything happened; it was a very simple and easy process. We thank everybody who prayed for us and we ask please that you keep on praying so that everything works well in this new job.

Our precious daughter is having many progresses: she´s everyday more expressive and perceptive. She is answering much more to our voice, turning her head in our direction when we talk to her, crying much more, even yelling when she needs something. Since she was one month at home, she sleeps alone in her own bedroom. She used to sleep the whole night, but lately she is giving me some work, waking at night crying. She needs to sleep with a special boot for correction of her club-foot, and sometimes she cries until I take the boots off. She also discovered that, if she turns her legs many times, she can take the boots off too - sometimes I only realize she did it in the morning!

She is also smiling when we play and cherish her! It is a discreet smile, but enough to let our hearts overflowing with joy, knowing she is happy and she feels loved. She cries when some strange person takes her, and stop crying when I take her - this is so amazing!



she likes to grab her dress

 She has a strong personality. She knows exactly what she likes or not, she has her favorite foods, her favorite position to sleep, to stay in our arms.. there are moments when she closes her mouth and doesn´t want to eat, and in other moments she eats everything and asks more. When she is angry in our arms, she pushes us with her hands, and even pinches us!

Another good news is that, last week, she got her first tooth! I never imagined a tooth would make me so happy, though she´s been a bit angry and having troubles to fall asleep, and I suspect soon she will get another tooth. She puts her tongue out and doesn´t let anyone see the teeth, so I guess I won´t take pictures of them so early. Everything in her is a surprise, and we are happy she started teething in the right time.

I am very involved looking for a good institution to take her, a place that can offer her all therapies she needs, to help her neurological, sensory and physical development, so that I don´t need to take her everyday in a different place, sometimes to be assisted by doctors that are not well prepared to her condition. I will have an interview in an excellent institution on March, 1st, and we are praying that God open the doors of this institution for us, if it is the best place for Vitoria.

We know God is in control and will guide us to the best place, in the best moment, so that we can offer the best for her. While we wait in Him, we live one day after another, to enjoy at most all happy moments we´re living with our precious baby girl.