Ella is doing a little better every day. There is still much to worry about (for example, Ella’s facial deformity) but she is so much more interactive and just happy! which is always nice to see. We started aqua therapy last Tuesday which was alot of fun — more so for me than Ella, but it’s hard to tell. We went to a therapeutic pool in Waltham. The “therapeutic” piece is the water temperature: 92 degrees. The physical therapist, Donalee, seems very experienced. She showed me some exercises to do with Ella that encourage her to bear weight on her lower body and improve head and neck control.
Ella has a buddy in the session — another girl who is 2 years old. It was interesting to see the interaction of the two. It was minimal, but Ella immediately went pawing after Jamie’s arm when they did the “magic carpet” exercise which is a thin foam mat that Donalee floats on the water and then has them sit on as she pulls it around. The nice thing about the water, is that it gives extra support. Actually, Ella is becoming quite a water baby. We’ve been in our little wading pool every day over the past week and she loves it. She kicks like a maniac and splashes with her right arm. Today I took Ella to Crystal Lake. She enjoyed the sand and water but I think she was a bit in shock with so many new things around. Her movements were a bit subdued. We hope to see Ella rolling soon. She is close to it, but then again, one never knows…