Ring Around the Rosie

These pictures were taken March 9th, 2012.  The girls were playing a simple game of Ring Around the Rosie.  When they got to "We all fall down," the other three kids fell down, but Natalie came running over to me crying, "I can't do it.  Its too hard."  She was diagnosed with JRA just under a month later.  This event has cemented in my mind.  Our Friday morning play dates really helped me see how Natalie was not moving like other children her age, but this day in particular showed me that Natalie knew it, too.  Even though she was coping with her pain better than at the onset late the previous fall, Natalie knew her friends could do things she could not and that she could not join them upset her.  

We aren't sure if Natalie remembers that play date in March clearly, but I did talk to her about it a couple weeks ago.  Sometimes, we ask her if she remembers when she was hurt and had trouble moving, and she says yes.  We ask her if she is happy now that she can run and play again, and she says yes.

Today we went to see Natalie's rheumatologist.  It was her second follow up appointment, and everything continues to progress well.  Unlike her first visit, when she stayed in Mike's lap crying the whole exam, she climbing up on to the exam table herself and giggled off and on while eating Chez-its as her doctor checked her joints.  Since our last visit, Natalie has ended her PT, learned to balance on one foot, jump vertically, climb in and out of the car, pump on a swing, climb a ladder, completely dress and undress herself, and use the potty.  Huge improvements from four months ago when she couldn't "fall down"  because her knees were too stiff and swollen.

During bath tonight, Mike said to Natalie something like "Isn't it great that Dr Fels said you're so health and doing so well, and don't you like showing him how well you're doing?"

Natalie replied, "Yes, now I can play Ring Around the Rosie."

What really blew Mike and I away was that she was almost crying while she it.  Now, it might have been residual emotion from being told not to tip William over in the bath a few minutes before, but we were still pretty amazed.