It is very difficult to assess Ella’s development. We are worried about her missing so many ‘normal’ milestones. Her motor skills are lagging far behind; she cannot roll herself over, does not grab objects and is only now starting to hold her head up. Crawling or raising herself up are nowhere in sight. On the other hand, Ella is very smiley and reactive to interaction. She will be all alert and amused when there is any form of social activity around her. Music or singing gets her very excited. She laughs a lot.
We almost expect her to say her first word any minute, she often makes noises that sound like words in the making. This makes us very susceptible to extreme points of view, either hopeless, helpless about her situation or enthusiastic about how well she is doing. A very mercurial state of being.