It’s been awhile since the last post, mostly because Maddie caught a cold, so things kind of stayed at a plateau for a while. Although she showed symptoms (congestion, runny nose) for only a few days, she was kind of out of it for 2 weeks or so. During that time, we didn’t push too …
Author: Bill Zhang
Maddie Update Dec 9th, 2016
Hi Everyone, Maddie has continued to improve her fine motor skills and overall awareness these past few weeks. Her hands are starting to (although not 100% of the time) play with each other and to occasionally grab toys from one hand to the other! Her overall head control has also been improving and is more …
Maddie Update 9/18 – One month at home
Hi everyone, The past few weeks have gone by fast and we've got a lot to update. The biggest change for Maddie has been with her eating by mouth. Maddie was about to turn one prior to discharge from rehab, so the nutritionist suggested switching from infant formula (Similac) to Pediasure formula to ensure proper nutrition. …
Maddie update 9/1 – Week 2 at home
Hi all, Maddie been home for two weeks now and it's been just as hectic. Here are some of the updates from the past week. Maddie has had feeding therapies twice now at Inova and they are going well. We're working on drinking liquids, but it's hard for her to control the transition from the front …
Maddie’s been home a week!
Hi everyone! Jen and Maddie have been home for a week now and it's been very eventful. We celebrated her 1st birthday on Saturday with family and she's had 5 doctor's appointments already. She's eating 2 ozs of purees three times a day and the therapist allowed us to try formula by mouth, but only …
Maddie’s home again!
Hi friends and family, Maddie was discharged from KKI this morning! All the nurses and therapists came to say good bye and wished us luck. Her arms and legs are much looser and mostly do not require splints anymore. She's also been stridor-free for a while now with only one recurrence last week. The speech …
Abby Turned 4 Years Old!
We can't believe that our little girl is now 4 years old! Her birthday is on July 21st and we had a whole day of celebrations on Saturday the 23rd. We invited her friends from daycare to join us for lunch and playtime at Kid Junction in Chantilly. Then after her nap, we had a …
Maddie Update 8/4
Hi Everyone, The speech and occupational therapists finally felt comfortable letting Maddie try pureed foods this morning. She ate 1 teaspoon (5 ml) of apple puree beautifully! She was tasting with her tongue and smacking her lips- I'm sure it was delicious since she hasn't taken anything by mouth in 3 weeks! They will continue …
Maddie Update 8/1
Dear friends, Maddie has now been at KKI for over 2 weeks now and is progressing. She is gaining more neck and head control and is able to turn her head from side to side (mostly when she's upset). The stiffness in her limbs is loosening up and she's getting more midline (straighter core), although …
Maddie Update Week of July 17th
Dear friends, It's been a week now since we transferred successfully to Kennedy Krieger Institute last week. The first few days were very stressful with Maddie adjusting to the new environment. Even though she can't see, the smells, sounds, and feel of the room and building are all different and it's taken her a bit …
Bill + Jennifer 