Thursday, January 19, 2012

Taking Independent Steps

The past three weeks have been huge in Grayson's gross motor development! On New Year's Eve, Grayson stood on his own for the first time!! And he stood for about 5 minutes!!

Look at my Big Boy!!


Then the following week Grayson started Intensive Physical Therapy. He goes for 2 hours a day, every day (M-F) for 3 weeks. They are working on strengthening his core muscles (Lower Abs), hamstrings, glutes, and hip extensors. They are teaching him how to stand with his pelvis in proper alignment and to use his pelvis to shift his weight rather than his trunk when he's walking. He is also walking on the treadmill unweighted for 10 minutes a day to help teach him and his brain the correct heel to toe walking pattern. This is some of the research the Christopher Reeve Foundation was doing before he died and they were having great success with the Unweighted Gait Training. So after 2 weeks in Intensive PT Grayson has started taking some independent steps. The most he's taken at once has been 17 =). Today, I took a couple videos of him because he was doing so well. Of course by the time it occurred to me to take out the camera he was getting tired, but I still got a pretty good video. =) Did I mention this is at the end of a 2 hour PT session?! My little man loves PT!

Taking some independent steps:

Last weekend, Grayson also squatted down, picked up a toy and returned to standing without any support! Usually he holds onto a table or something when he squats to pick up a toy, but after all the squats he's been doing in PT, he's willing to try on his own. Another huge accomplishment happened on Tuesday when Grayson let go of Daddy's hand and started walking towards a chair on his own without any coaxing! He is gaining confidence to try to walk independently. =) GO GRAYSON!!!! We are so proud of you Grayson!!