People often say that Spring and Fall skip by too quickly. They say it feels like those two seasons are getting shorter.
Maybe it is about actually taking time to notice the subtle changes that occur during these two seasons. One seems to produce life while another slips away with it. Spring offers sights and smells that wake the dulled winter senses and Fall creeps away beautifully with the greens of summer.
On our wedding day Lindsay and I made it a point to actually take in the moments, recognize them, and place them in a special place that day. It was told to us that the day "will whiz by" and "it will all seem so surreal". We took that information and made every attempt to make the day last. In doing so we still have incredible memories...it doesn't feel as though it whizzed by because there are so many moments we carved into our hearts that day.
As Ella grows it once again seems as though things are moving so fast. She is surprising us in so many ways and on so many levels. Her strength, despite having a progressive, degenerative neuromuscular disease, has actually improved. She raises her arms higher than before and for longer periods of time. She stands on her own two feet for a few seconds. She takes steps with little assistance from us. She lifts her hips off the ground and repeats the actions several times. She flicks switches, holds plates and cups, puts lids on toy boxes, and fights with us in the name of fun as we dress her !
"When did all this happen?" I ask myself.
Lindsay and I are both fairly logical people (although our emotions sometimes take over!) and when looking at changes in Ella's life we can certainly point to one change...liquid Albuterol. We have been giving her liquid Albuterol three times a day for the past two months. Lo and behold, changes really started happening...positive changes. It's amazing to watch.
It's amazing to watch. Like the seasons changing, like the wedding day flying by, we must take the time to watch as she grows; watch as she changes; watch as she fights this awful disease.
My eyes gaze forward to when the medical community will announce that they do indeed have a viable treatment and/or cure for SMA. If my hearts skips a beat over what we've seen over the past months I can only imagine what an incredible feeling will fill my soul when Ella breaks away from SMA.
