Physical Therapy Part II

Since Jeremy was gone last week, I didn't have the brain power to post. I don't know how you single mom's do it! 5 days and I was at my wits end.

Anyway, today we had our third session. It went SO much better than last week. This is pretty much what last week was like:



She caught on to the give-me-my-favorite-toy-and-then-take-it-away game and did NOT want to play. She was happy the instant she had her toys, but threw a fit the moment it was out of her reach.

And all we wanted her to do was this:

Doesn't look like much- but getting her to put one hand on the ground to support herself was the goal.

We didn't get much done because of the tantrums so we got a lot of homework. We had to find toys that she had to pull apart to build her stomach muscles. The therapist had these toys, but had no idea what they were called. There wasn't a label on them (what toy company doesn't put a name on their toy?) Does anyone recognize them? Know what they are called?


My mom has these Melissa and Doug foods with velcro that have been perfect! It took her a day or so to get the idea, but now Sam is a pull-apart machine. She tries to pull everything apart. Which means her markers are no longer in her toy pile.

We've also been working on reaching for toys while sitting, trying hard to get her to put weight on one hand while reaching with the other. I've really had to be creative here, as Sam is not stupid. Here's what I've come up with:

1) Getting a food she REALLY likes (like banana bread) and having her tip to the side to get a bite from my fingers.

2) Any toys she has to reach into (which has become a favorite game of hers now) like a bucket, her diaper bag or a toy with a door.

3) Sitting in the bathtub (which she did for the first time yesterday!!!) and having the water running. She immediately put one hand down to steady herself to play with the water using the other hand- it took everything in me not to squeal with joy and scare her!

4) Rolling a ball back and forth with Lucy. Or any activity with Lucy, really, as Sam is always reaching for her.

Hm...this is getting kind of long and I still have so much to say, so I think I leave this post as a cliff hanger.


TO BE CONTINUED!!!...