Sweet Analise Rose's Journey with Arthrogryposis, Amyoplasia type: A new baby brother...

Good Morning!!

Message from Erik and Dawn:

Hope everyone has been having a great holiday season. We have been a little bit busy...

Analise is still doing great (other than being sick for the past couple of weeks with a cold and ear infections). She is talking a little bit more and realizing she can move to different places by scooting around. Her movement in her arms is still minimal, however, she is able to control her arms much better, and even grab things with her hands even though she can't move them.

We are still waiting for the gait trainer walker, it is being held up by insurance red tape right now!!

Analise is in love with Apple products and books. She can even change pictures on a learning game by pressing her hand on the screen of an iPad or iPhone.

Analise is also a big sister now!!

Blake Edward Persek was born on Friday, November 30, 2012 at 9:01 a.m.

He was 7 pounds 14 ounces and was a little over 20 inches long.

On my way to taking the kids to school on Friday morning, I got a call from Dawn saying, "get back home NOW, the contractions are getting STRONG!" I turned around, packed up the crew (Kaley, Kyle, Kassandra, and Analise), and headed to the hospital.

We arrived around 7:45 a.m. and headed to labor and delivery. The doctors said she was at 6 cm and 100% effaced. Then the contractions became stronger and when they checked her again, she was fully dilated and unable to get an epidural. Obviously, Dawn was not happy. But with just a few pushes, Blake entered the world at 9:01 a.m. A little more traffic and I would have had to deliver the baby in the car, yikes!

Blake is a healthy baby boy and although Analise was excited to meet him, she was sick so she has actually had to stay away from him. But she still says "hi!" every time she sees him and recognizes him by his name. Since Analise has been sick, I have been taking care of her while Dawn takes care of Blake. Despite all our precautions, now Blake also caught whatever has been going around anyway, so we are keeping a close eye on him.

This has been a bit of a transition, as you can imagine, for all of us, but hopefully these 'bugs" will leave us alone for a little bit and we can get back to normal life (well as normal as can be with 2 babies under 16 months and older kids in sports and high school, etc, etc, etc).

Alright maybe that won't happen, but we can dream... but you need sleep to dream... so we can hope.

Here are some videos and pictures.

Trick or Treating at Auntie Monika's house

My Second Halloween...I love chocolate!!

Me and some of my cousins...Ok, everybody look at the camera...or not!!

Have a Merry Christmas and a Safe New Year!!
Enjoy these short videos!!

Turning the pages of a book with her feet

Playing her new game putting the ball into a cup. She is learning how to compensate for not being able to move her arms/hands. You'll see how incredibly resourceful she is already becoming.