Nate and I have been working out hard lately. Last week the PT said she thought what was holding him back from standing independently (which of course has to happen before walking) is his trunk/core strength. So she gave us some hard core excercises:
1. Row row row your boat sit-ups. I sing while I help him use his tummy to help him sit up and lay back. Fortunately, as with most things, if I make it a game, he loves it and even ASKS to play this game.
2. Back excercises. I stand him up facing away from me, hold my arm over his knees to lock them, make him bend over at the waist to pick up a toy on the ground, then he has to pull himself back up to standing. This is HARD for him! But he's already so much better at it.
3. Lots of practicing standing. He stands while I position him well and offer minimal support. And occasionally I let go ... and he falls over. :) But there have been a few times when I'm only supporting him with a finger, or even just holding his ankles, which does nothing more than make him believe I'm holding him up.
4. Wheel Barrow walking! Just like wheel barrow racing, where he's walking on his hands, but I hold him straight out (instead of slanted up) by his thighs (instead of his ankles). Oh my gosh, this is hard for ME to help him! It's gotta be tough for him, but he thinks it's fun. This supposedly is a great exercise for back, shoulders, trunk, arms, hands ... good all around.
We had PT this morning, and I told Dee that my goal was for him to be standing independently by Christmas. She said that wasn't impossible, but I could tell she thought that was a very lofty goal. But she doesn't know Nate like we do! We work and work and work on something, and one day he just does it.
Tonight we were playing/working out, and I decided to make him try walking holding onto one hand. I try this every couple days, and he always fusses and says he needs help. Even this weekend, my mom said she tried it with him and decided he didn't have enough balance/strength for it. So tonight after he initially refused to walk holding on to only one hand, I held both of his hands, then mid-walking I put both of his hands in one of my hands, then while he had momentum, I let go of one of his hands.
He did it!!!!! He walked and walked, with me beside him holding one hand! I praised him like crazy, and he kept going. I had him walking all over the house and even took him outside to convince him to walk some more. I can't wait to show Blake tomorrow, and hopefully I'll get some pictures and video.
No comments:
Post a Comment