At 9 months old:
Visual Skills: With the cataracts gone (**really trying to believe they are gone for good**), his vision has really improved. He is tracking objects, not just lights, and will look at things he is touching. His eye contact is still hit or miss, but I find being right up in his face, almost touching his nose, helps. I think he has been fighting his microphalmia. In the beginning, I think he was only seeing light perception or something close to that. For me, his gains have been like night and day. Yes he is still blind, but he is blind with sight LOL.
Hearing: Now that the fluid is out of his ears, I think there has been an improvement in his ability to hear. He is starting to turn to some sounds and I'm sure he can hear me when I sing to him. No news yet on the hearing aid situation. I have an audiology appointment in the next couple of weeks and hopefully this will sort things out.
Language: Gideon has not really been babbling a whole lot. He does make vowel sounds and the occasional "b". He has started to do a lip smack which has been fun. There has not been a whole lot of verbal communication but there has been some non verbal. He will move his arms and legs when he is excited. He will smile when I tickle him or play peek-a-boo. He will even giggle a little one in a while.
Gross Motor Skills: Gideon will roll from side to side and occasionally from front to back or back to front. He is starting to tolerate sitting with support for longer periods of time. Having something in his hands seems to help distracts him from realizing how much work he is doing trying to stabilize his core and keep his head up. The mini push-up position can be held with my support and he will even lift and turn his head when motivated by his spinning light globe. I think he will intentionally hit things sometimes too.
Feeding: Gideon has a stronger suck than when he was struggling in those early months. He is eating larger amounts and has started to try solids. Solids have been a struggle. His eyes are still healing from the cataract surgery and this means that nothing can get in them due to infection risks- not even water. Letting him explore his food is not really an option until his eyes heal. This being said, I have managed to get a few bites into him now and then - mostly really thin textures- but hey, it's a start.
Tolerance: Gideon has been adjusting better to the outdoors. The breeze, temperature changes and brightness have become a little more tolerable. Sometimes it is still too much for him. Often you can see him physically and emotionally relax once we find our way back inside or out of a certain element. You can tell that he knows our own house. He is still struggling with being passed around to other people. Although his tolerance has increased, it will only last about 5mins or so before he needs me again.
I hope this gives you insight and encouragement into how well Gideon is doing right now. He is making progress at his own pace and he needs to be acknowledged for everything that he is accomplishing in the face of his limitations.
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