Walking!!!

I have been thinking about Nate a lot... how amazingly well he has overcome almost every trial that he has fought this year. This child seems determined to conquer the world every single day. We put tile down in the living room and kitchen before we ever even knew Nathaniel would be in our lives. And then with the feeding tube for many months, it wasn't like he was put on the ground to roll around or learn to crawl. And let's not forget that he is the center of the universe for at least 16 people at any given time! So he hasn't had a lot of time to be mobile. He did roll over when he was 3 1/2 weeks in the hospital which completely blew the nurse on call away. But we had him pretty immobile in order to keep the tube in place since having it REplaced was a royal pain! Even with the feeding tube, they told us he would be very slow to catch up as far as eating baby food. So imagine our thrill when he showed every sign of wanting food just days after he stopped eating through the tube. Though he still deals with dysphagia and can't swallow anything thicker than baby food texture which makes things interesting, but he wanted food and loves his biter cookies and baby food. The speech therapist couldn't believe that he was eating so quickly! I finally told the kids we needed to let him start doing his thing, getting down on the floor... we bought an area rug and he has been making up for lost time ever since!!! I figured walking would be a long time coming but this little man is determined to keep up with his brothers and sisters and nothing is going to slow him down. He loves for them to put him down and hold his hands while he 'runs' not walks through the house. And now is taking steps on his own and thinking that he is doing some really great things! It's very exciting (though bittersweet to mom) that he is growing and determined to go get 'em in life! Everyday I thank my Heavenly Father for the amazing miracles that we have seen through our little man.... and now he is off and running and ready to take on even more of the world than he already has!!!

If at first you don't succeed....

Try, try again!

And just because he is so incredibly sweet! He loves to 'nap' in his high chair during the days and always kicks his foot up!