Sunday, January 17, 2010

Look how far we have come

In November 2007 we spent a week in a small holiday village called Hermanus. This weekend we were invited there again by two good friends. It was a wonderfully relaxed time filled with beach, sand, sun, good conversations, great food, ice creams, games, play and sleep. You can see from the photos below Matt enjoying the beach (which if you follow this blog know has been a long journey of Matt coming to terms with the sensory experience - texture of sand and the loudness of waves).

One of the highlights of this summer has been Matt's growing enjoyment of swimming in pools. From being so fearful of the water a few weeks ago, he is now at a stage where he can't get enough. I managed to capture some of Matt's delight on video. (Also check out his signing -at one point refers to the "swing" behind him, but then he asks for "jumps", and he also signs "good")

On Saturday afternoon Lloyd and I took Matt for a stroll along the beach front and walked back to the accomodation we staying in 2 and a bit years ago. Memories came flooding back from that visit - Matt wasn't crawling yet, he was waking so many times during the night that we had forgotten what a good night sleep was, he was vomiting frequently during the day, he was on many different medications, and Matt was about to have a big operation on his thumbs. Life has changed SO much since then. We have overcome many challenges. Matt has conquored more than I could have imagined. As we were walking along in the cool afternoon breeze, the sun starting to set, and the sea all around us - I was filled with so much joy and gratitude as I realised how far we have come. I feel like that season is now past, and a new one is about to begin.

8 comments:

Brandi said...

It truly is amazing how far Matt has come, even since I started following your blog not quite a year ago. He is doing amazing things and I am so happy this is a new season in life for your entire family. I can't wait for our summer to get here...it's cold!

Cindy said...

What a blessing to have such a wonderful vacation away...and to realize how far your family has come since the last time you were there. It is something I wish I could just bottle and give to moms who are in the first year of RTS...to give them hope that there is a brighter tomorrow, but there is a lot of struggle first!

Anxious AF said...

So good to see him in action!

Sysser said...

Absolutely wonderful to see Matt jumping into a pool like a real little pro!! It filled my heart with joy and brought happy tears to my eyes!! Well done J & L.

Kelly said...

Welcome to a new season! It looks great! Matt is doing wonderful. He is really vocalizing! I hope Max starts enjoying the water. Kelly F

The Peacock Family said...

Watching that video made me smile and wish that it was Summertime! Matt looks great!

Christine said...

Matt certainly has come a long way! Wow! I completely understand the sensory issues around water and sand, Nathan is not there yet but seeing Matt swimming around like a fish has given me new hope.
Certainly seemed to be a fun family getaway. Thanks for sharing it with us. i too wish it was summer.

bridge said...

Matt's signing in the video is TOO CUTE!
I'm also so excited about your BIG NEWS!