The past two weeks have been HUGE for Ty! After months, and months, and months (6 to be exact), of army crawling, he finally decided to crawl on his hands and knees. He didn't even go through an awkward, mechanical crawling phase either, like many new crawlers do; Ty just popped up and went. From a physical therapy standpoint, it's a major turning point in his development. Not crawling in the traditional sense led to weak abdominals, weak quadriceps and hamstrings, and weak hip flexors. It was obvious in his timid, wobbly steps he was taking. We spent months doing exercies that he hated to build up all of those weak areas, and had accepted the fact that he just was not going to 4-point crawl. In just a week of crawling, I see a tremendous difference in his strength and stability. From a parent standpoint, it's an incredible feeling watching your child achieve something that you know was hard, and see the smile on his face knowing that he did something amazing. So without any further build-up, here's a little video of our crawler, on the first day he "took off"...
And so, along with the crawling, Ty's climbing and mobility have increased dramatically. He could always pull up to stand well, but now he pulls up anywhere, in the blink of an eye! I have caught him many times pulling up and then letting go, as if he is getting ready to just start walking. And he has figured out how to lauch himself into the bathtub, which adds just a little bit of stress to my days! It's a good thing he's still the size of an older infant, so I don't need to worry about him exiting his crib in the middle of the night yet. I don't think so anyway...
As if the crawling and climbing weren't enough, Ty has become a master at walking with his push-cart. Though he has been able to walk with a push toy for several months, he was not very interested in doing so at all. Many times he would get scared and sit, instead of trying to move forward, and would refuse to push it if I was not close by. So with his new-found crawling skills, Ty decided to try out the cart while pushing it on his knees (another fabulous exercise!). In a couple of days, he realized it was not a scary toy, and he could actually travel around the house using it! I could see his wheels turning!
So yesterday, as we were playing, Ty popped up from his kneel-walking position, and just took off! Not only was he able to walk around the entire house pushing the cart, but he could turn corners, navigate around furniture, and even cross the wood threshold between the wood floor and carpeting. At one point, I watched him walk down the hallway, make a 180 degree turn, and walk back to the living room. Ty has discovered the joy of being on two feet, and I'm pretty sure he's not turning back! This morning, he spent a good 20 minutes walking around the house, investigating different rooms. I watched as he went into the guest bedroom and parked his cart next to the couch, so he could play with a baby monitor. When he was finished, he grabbed the cart, and took off to his bedroom to find his books. He knows exactly where he's going, and what he's looking for! It still baffles me how quickly he can go from not even being close to doing a skill, to mastering it the very next day. I'm always kind of wondering what he'll do next!
So here's my little walking-wonder on his push cart (please excuse the pink handle and wheels...it's a loan from his PT!). This was the first day he decided to walk with it...you can only imagine what he has figured out to do since then!
So as you can see, walking is just around the corner. He is still taking up to 5 independent steps at a time (I actually watched him pivot and take a few turning steps yesterday), which are balanced and controlled...he can take a few steps and still remain standing when he's done! This week he will be getting new braces for his feet (he has had them since July, but has outgrown his first pair), which I think will be the turning point. With his left ankle turning inwards slightly, it throws him off balance a bit. Having extra support on his ankles will most definitely give him the confidence and stability that he needs. But as with everything else, it will be in Ty's own time! It certainly is a fun waiting game though, and honestly, I'm just enjoying watching all of these new skills and his independence develop right now. After a loonnngggg gross motor plateau, he is due for these great improvements! Stay tuned! :)
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