Rx: one scoop of ice cream

That was the prescription Allie was given by her eye doctor today.

She did amazing during the exam. She was cooperative when the nurse dilated her pupils which I thought was a formula for one of Allie's infamous meltdowns.

When the doctor did his thing, Allie sat on my lap quietly curious about what he was doing.

Last year I blogged about her appointment with this doctor. He declared her legally blind. Her optic nerves were irreversibly damaged. That in addition to cortical visual impairment (CVI) presents significant challenges.

Here's what happened today. The doctor was using his little gadgets and said in a very off-handed way, "Her optic nerves are pink and healthy."

I said, "What?"

"Yeah, they look good."

"You know, you said her nerves were pale and atrophied last year," I reminded him. "You sent us a copy of the letter you sent to child services."

He checked his records and said, "Well, I retract that diagnosis."

And that was it.

But we believe in prayer and miracles. Too many of you have been touched by Allie's story and have been motivated to pray for her. And the Lord has heard you. Thanks for being a part of our day of good news.

Slide swingshow

I mean swing slideshow :)

Allie on the Swing

Allie's New Chair

Allie juts got this new chair in this week.

It's an activity chair from Leckey. It's taking a little bit of getting used to for all of us.

It's very low so we have to sit on the floor to feed her. But that's nothing new.

The chair comes with a huge table top tray. She can play with toys while her back and arms are supported. This is perfect for developing motor skills.

But she fights us a little when we put her in the chair. She tries to crawl out as we're strapping her in. But once she's in, she play for a good time.

Talking Back

The charming and beautiful Susan shrieks; Allie answers. That's what's going on in this video.

I'll warn you that it's a little shaky and it might make you queasy. I was bouncing Allie on a fitness orb (that jump starts her shrieking) while shooting video with one hand. Allie's extreme cuteness more than makes up for the poor video production.

Nothing but fun and games at our house.

Allie eating

We've been having issues trying to get Allie to eat the past few days. We've run to the store to mix up her food options. We've fed her only the stuff we know she likes. But nothing has worked.

Today we gave her a spoon to play with. We give her a spoonful. And she chases it with her own spoon. The result: this mess and a full belly.

On the Swing

It's been a little while since Allie has been up to the park. She's bigger and fits in the swing differently now. She's also more limber than she used to be.

Look at how she hangs on to the bars. I have to fit her hands to the metal, but once she has a grip, she hangs on tightly.

Here, Allie is starting to lean back. She loves to throw her head back as she swings and go for that upside-down feeling. What a character. She lacks control of her body, but she loves to push it to the edges of exhilaration. She's a true thrill seeker.

This is what she's going for. As she swings all the way forward, it must feel like she's getting ready to flip over backwards. But as soon as it feels like she might, she swings back down the other way.

You know the feeling.

Do you ever miss it?

Here's some video: