Parker's Promise

So many good things are happening and I just want to write them all down!

Okay, so when we first got home from the hospital 6 months ago, I was talking with his new therapist (who is absolutely wonderful) and we talked about goals and she said that any form of mobility encouraged brain development.  We decided to work most on rolling and sitting  and to not worry about crawling right then since his right arm was so weak.  You kind of need 4 limbs to crawl, but not to roll or walk.  Sounds good to me.

This whole time I have been really wanting him to engage that right arm, but have really struggled on good ways to successfully do that at home (besides pinning).  The best way to start is to weight bear on that arm.  We would work on it in therapy, but I just did not have it down at home and there is just SOOOOOO much to work on- really EVERY aspect of his life...

About 2-3 weeks ago, I brought up crawling again with his therapist.  I had been messing around with it at home and discovered that I could get him to weight bear on that right arm if he was on his hands and knees.  She said why not?! She showed me how to place his hands and feet and that the first step to crawling is to rock back and forth, back and forth, then side to side, side to side. So we play "back and forth" a lot.

What is so cool about this is how everything overlaps right now.  The weight shifting side to side is so important both in walking and crawling. His trunk control and strength is sooooooo much better than even a few weeks ago, hence also good timing for hands and knees.

The other part that is cool is his legs.  When we first started trying to teach him to crawl in the hospital and transitioning home, we had to be an octopus.  You had to have enough arms (and legs) to hold both legs in a kneeling position, support his weight, keep his right elbow straight, head up, trunk up, and somehow help him move his limbs--diagonal limbs- at the same time. (left arm/right leg...) Whenever we attempted it, the hardest part was that his legs would shoot backwards and everything would collapse.  Over and over. He is a strong kid.

Well, about 4 weeks ago his therapist introduced me to a new game that Parker and I call "GO!" Parker sits in my lap, then stands up.  It seems simple, right?  The problem is that every time he tried, EVERYTHING would fire at once- meaning his whole body would go straight as a board and he would shoot backwards into my chest. The remedy is to bend his waist and lean his body over his legs so he HAS to use his leg muscles to stand instead of the tone (ie all muscles firing at once). It is pretty difficult, but he somehow really likes to do it. :)  We stand up, then he raises his left hand (speech) and brings it down to sign "GO!" and he gleefully falls back into my lap.  I showed our new game to the therapist.  As much fun as gleefully falling backwards is, she showed us how to have him "fall" correctly- ie bend his knees and actually sit instead of fling himself backwards.  These are important skills.  Trust me.

So after weeks of "playing" GO! multiple times a day, he will now vocalize "uuuuuuuup" as he stands, look back to make sure I am watching, smile, sign "GO!" and then actually bend his knees and sit back down!!!!!! I need to get this on video.  It is an "all hands on deck" kind of game, though.... hmmm. Maybe I will employ a small child to video- like I did this one today.

Parker is walking so well!  (Even if this video does not show it that well.) We had a nice long wait for a doctor today- which I was expecting- so we came prepared and did LOTS of therapy while we waited including walking and walking and walking some more.  It is so nice that he actually enjoys these things.

This week his sitting has really taken a turn for the better.  He has been on the cusp for so long.  He can now sit for over 40 seconds- pretty much as long as he does not fall to the right. Righty just needs more practice catching the fall.  Lots more... Anyway, today he was even playing with his toes and lifting his foot up with his hand- all while maintaining trunk control.  Again- it sounds simple.  It is not.  This is HUGE!!!! I now don't touch him at all when he is sitting, just sit within arm (or leg) reach.  Remember the octopus from before- your whole body becomes really adept at holding, helping and catching.

So back to the crawling.  Remember how his legs would shoot backward? This week when I was helping him crawl, he actually held "hands and knees" for 4 seconds! When I move his right arm forward, his left knee moved forward all on its own!!!!!!!  When I move the left arm, sometimes the right will shoot backwards- which shows me he is trying and the muscles are all firing.  The "sit to stand" GO! game has helped immensely with his leg control.  

It is really just amazing to me to realize how everything fits all together.  He is making so much progress this week and it is all interrelated. I am so proud of how hard he works and for what a sweet kid he is.  We are so lucky to have him around in our lives.

And this is totally the way to make a Mommy's day.  Or week really. :)

And just for laughs...and giggles.