We have a crawler...

Aves is on the move! There is no stopping her now. She can crawl and climb and get into EVERYTHING. It is so much fun to see her actually crawling all around. This is a true first for us. We never experienced much crawling with Ella. She was a "butt scooter" for a while (much to the dismay of her PT's). She got to where she had to go, but for the most part I didn't have to worry about her getting into too much trouble. Things are different now. It only takes Avery a matter of seconds to get a hold of something new. We have named her "Tornado Tapp".

It only takes a matter of seconds
to level a book shelf :-)

She especially loves to be right with her sister and playing with all the same toys. She has emptied toy chests and leveled book shelves in a matter of seconds! I am not sure Ella knows what to think of her sisters new found mobility. Sometimes she just says no, no, no and moves her toys away, other times she obliges and lets her play. It is very cute to watch.

Seeing Avery crawl makes me realize a couple of things. It makes me excited. I couldn't wait for this day and when we finally saw her figure out how to move herself forward, it was just as sweet as I had imagined. It also made me realize how far Ella has come too. She has had to build up strength and work so hard just to do things that come so much easier with typical development. There were days (dark ones) when I would wonder if she would ever be able to walk or crawl or talk. Today she is doing all of that and more. As I watch Avery reach each new milestone with such ease, I remember not to take these moments or anything for granted.

Ella and Avery are strong in their own ways. Ella is strong willed. Avery is physically strong. Both of my children have made me a stronger person. I am so proud of them, fiercely protective and a tireless advocate. I have a different perspective on so many things today. I look at my life today and wouldn't want to be anything than what it is. It is perfect....despite every hurdle, doctors visit, triumph and set back.

Small and Mighty



We are coming up on the two year mark of Ella taking growth hormone. I can't believe the difference this has made in her life. She is doing so well now and growing at a good rate, I almost forget what we were dealing with and how small she really was. Looking back, it was a very scary time for us as new parents. 



Getting ready for her shot.
This was taken in the first weeks of our growth hormone journey.
Look at how little she was!

When Ella started getting the shots, she was almost two years old and just a little bigger than Avery is NOW (at 9 months!) Looking back at the stats...Ella had her first shot on April 1, 2011. She weighed in at 17 lbs and was just 26.6 inches tall. For some perspective, Aves just had her 9 month check up where she weighed 16 lbs and is 27 inches tall.

Avery at 9 months old

I have said it time and time again, Ella has grown at rapid speed. Today we are starting to move into size 4T clothes and she is over the 30 lb mark. Both girls fall in the 10-15% range on the growth charts. Neither one of the Tapp girls are going to be giants. They are small, but they are mighty and both will no doubt do big things :-)

Thinking about where we were and how far we have come is emotional for me. Jason and I were thrown into a world of needles and mixing medications, measuring doses and making sure the shot sites were clean and sterile. It was an overwhelming undertaking for us. Neither of us have a medical background...yet, we were giving our little girl a shot every night. Fast forward two years and we are so much more comfortable with the process. Our lives got a little easier too with the switch to a new way to give the shot.

This is the new Nutropin pen

This month we switched to the Nutropin Pen. It looks like an epi-pen and contains all her doses in one vial. We attach a small needle every night. We no longer have to deal with needles and mixing! The feel of the pen is different. It will also be a little harder for Ella to give herself the shot, but I am sure she will get it eventually. I am very pleased with the switch. I am also still optimistic that one day Ella will not have to have a shot. I look forward to the day that doctors and researchers find a way to deliver growth hormone through another method. For now, we will continue with our routine and continue to watch Ella grow up...literally!