Almost a crawler

Today was a turning point for us at physical therapy since we are sooooo close to be crawler. All of the things we have been working on are starting to come together. All the hands and knees work, sit to stand, weight bearing, rotation movements and arm shifting is all coming together after weeks and weeks of work. I am so excited and proud of Lucas for working so hard. I am sure there will come a time when I am tired of chasing after him but for now I will take my chances.

Working out at physical therapy

Yesterday Lucas didn't know what was in store for him as we got back to work with his physical therapist.  With Lucas being stronger and more mobile and motivated to extend his movements we capitalized on this with work on a baby treadmill and some exercises in his spio vest and hip helpers.  After all this working out I had one tired and sleepy baby by the time I got home.  I think Lucas is ready for more of this next week! Way to go!

At this point we are aiming for Lucas to be on the treadmill for 6-8 minutes.  While he at times has been skeptical about movement of the treadmill with a little help in moving his legs and feet he eases into it and by the end of the session is more comfortable with helping move his own legs and feet. (Let's not mention mom is in front of Lucas doing a lot of silly faces and singing of songs!) 

The use of treadmills in children born with Down syndrome has been receiving a lot more attention and research which indicates positive strides in growth and development.  It not only may help some children begin to walk sooner but also helps with mobility that helps children explore their environment.  As a parent with a special needs child I will always look for advancements that may help Lucas and others.  This is surely an exciting time for us as we watch Lucas keep moving forward in his development.

"Uh, what is this mom?"

"Ok, now I get it!"

One leg at a time!

"I am ready for my tryout with the Chicago Bulls"

Arms getting stronger - easy does it!

Pushing up!

Colorful beads, a wonderful motivator for Lucas!

The return of the black leotard

Well not really, it's more like return of the Spio vest, for an awesome physical therapy with our favorite PT Sammy.  I secretly think that Lucas is slowly becoming a fan of this black piece of spandex because he tolerates it so well and has even done some pretty smooth movements in it.  I have learned that after about 3-4 hours in the compression garment we do need to get Lucas out of it because he gets too sweaty in it.  If nothing more I am glad to know that we have this additional tool to be able to help Lucas increase his trunk strength and fine tune his gross motor skills.

Sit to Stand positioning

 

Lucas being motivated by looking at himself in the mirror

Assisted sitting on the bench! Glad we have some of these at home too.  (Thanks grandpa!)

"Geesh....I am so tired!"

"Ok, so they want me to bend down and get those?"

"No problem, I got this!"

 

Lucas' Super Hero Outfit AKA Spio Suit

Today during PT we actually got to use our Spio Suit which is a compression garment that assists with sensory processing as well as overall movement control.  It is also used to assist with whole body sensory awareness and respiratory functioning in children.  So you can understand why this would be something worthwhile and beneficial for our little Lucas.  I wondered how he might tolerate the suit since it is made of Lycra and has a pretty snug fit to it but not to where it stops him from moving freely or sitting up.  We are going to begin with wearing the suit for about 30 minutes each day this weekend and then increase our time with it which could include keeping it on Lucas for most of the time he is awake.  Wish us luck.

Sitting up in the Spio

"Mom, I don't think this look is quite for me"

In action!

You want me to do what?

"Oh no!" Mom please don't make me." was all I thought I heard Lucas say at today's PT session even though he isn't even talking yet. Every time he sees Sammy (his PT) walk in the infant room he instantly knows that some hard work is coming his way and today was no different. Since our goal right now is to continue strengthening Lucas' ability to hold weight on his arms as well as knees, increase transitioning that allows wider range of motion while sitting and also strengthen his core I even knew we were only minutes away from the lower lip sticking out while Lucas did his ever so famous pouty-face!  Although Lucas did some tough work today I was so happy to see some visible progress that had me smiling because I could tell that Lucas is getting stronger and maybe not too far off from crawling or wanting to try standing while in a sitting position with adequate support.  Mama was so very proud of the little man for how hard he worked today, even if we took mini-breaks when Lucas turned on the waterworks, when doing exercises he didn't like.

So in an effort to combat this we decided to switch things up a little to keep Lucas interested and motivated; and also assist with the tears he was releasing in today's session.  So instead of the usual treadmill training we went to "The Cage" which consists of a harness, a bunch of bungee cords and attaching all that to a metal cage exterior while Lucas is seated in the center. It was pretty cool and he loved it.  This is yet another tool to help with our strengthening exercises and offers great resistance while keeping Lucas nice and secure. He was so intrigued with the bungees that I am certain he had no clue how hard he worked for half of the session! This is a winner!
  

Mom trying to take a photo of "The Cage" as best as she could in the mirror.

"Hmm, not bad this thing is kind of cool! I think I am ready for mountain climbing."

"Oh, yeah I got this!"

Lucas staring at the little girl in the next cage over! She was bowling and he was intrigued.

"Now you want me to do what Sammy?"

"Woo Hoo...PT is over. Party Time!"