Full Steam Ahead

Abby has been home from the hospital for 6 weeks now and is plugging right along. She rolls all over the living room floor, and is trying to crawl. She knows she can do more than just lay on the ground! Her fine motor skills have really started to blossom. She can turn pages in books, use a spoon (with a little guidance), and grab small things with her pincher fingers. It is so fun to see her playing with her toys. She can pull the lever on her Old McDonald See 'N Say toy all by herself. That just blows me away. She holds it with her left hand and pulls the lever with her right hand. Amazing! Although, her favorite activity is trying to catch her brother as he crawls by. He hasn't quite caught on to that game though. He doesn't hold still for a minute! But he has proven to be GREAT motivation for Abby. She loves him so much and just wants to be close to him and touch him. I love it! A few days ago we were blowing bubbles in the living room. I had Abby in my lap and she tried to stand, so I helped her up. She then took several steps to try and get to Daddy, who had the bubbles. Her steps were very efficient and she did all the work. I just held around her rib cage for support. It looks like Abby and her brother will be learning to walk at the same time! My main goal for her right now is to get her sitting unsupported.

We just switched to some new therapists and I really like them. They are a lot more positive and encouraging. Abby is really showing signs of improvement and definitely has the drive to figure things out. We are still working on communication though. Her speech isn't coming back very fast. This week I made her some "Yes"/"No" cards so that she can answer questions by picking the word she wants. She is good at making choices between two objects, and so far she has done well with the "Yes"/"No" cards. Hopefully that will ease some of her frustration.