|
Coleen, I ws thinking about your post yesterday but didn't get a chance to answer because everybody at my house has a stomach bug--not a pretty thing. When you saw Anna two weeks ago she was cruising around holding onto chairs which she has been doing for months. She took her first independent step (notice I didn't say steps) in August, and then didn't even attempt to walk until late November. I sooo wanted her to be walking by her birthday (dec. 12th). From late November until when I saw you in Pa. she would walk maybe a total of 5 steps at a time, and cruise the furniture all the rest of the time. If where she wanted to go was more than 5 steps away she would drop to a crawl and then get there. It was so frustrating!!!!
So the day after I saw you in Pennsylania I had to take my older daughter to a track practice that was in a college fitness center. They had a big open lobby with nice smooth tile floors and there was nothing in it to grab onto. For the first time, on her own, Anna took off walking. And I don't mean a couple of steps, I mean that she walked 30 or 40 steps at a time, occasionally putting her hands down to rest--and she did this for an hour and a half. (My OT today told me that often kids are encouraged to walk in an open space because they can't rely on the crutch of cruising the furniture that way). I saw some friends there and they said, Oh she is really walking well these days--I was practically foaming at the mouth I was so excited and tried to make them understand that this was a HUGE thing for us!
So what I'm saying is that just when you are ready to tear your hair out that it will never happen--it will.
The only suggestions that I have is to provide some kind of play equipment that Nolan would have to stand at--Anna likes the toy kitchen and the easel that they have at her school so we got her a kitchen for Christmas. She has to stand at it and stretch up to put things in the microwave. If you don't want a girly kitchen, I know they make little tool benches.
Our PT also greatly encouraged the use of scooter type bikes--radio flyer makes a nice wooden one that is pretty stable. apparently you use the same two foot action with a bike that you do with walking. I'm sure you already know about using a walker toy, although I didn't find that particularly helpful.
Keep the faith--that little cutie will walk before you know it.
__________________
Mary
Mom to Libby 6/92, Alex 9/93, Anna (DS)12/12/03
|
Email This Page to a Friend!
Show a Printable Version
02-28-2006 05:08 AM
~~~God grant me the Serenity~~~
