Spring has sprung!

Beautiful weather here in Minnesota!  Finally!  Hopefully it will stay this way for a few days.
Roa has been enjoying his time outdoors as always.  While doing some work in the front yard, Roa did a wonderful job of taking out all the dead plants that I put in the wheelbarrow.  Working on skills is the way I looked at it!  My little helper.

We are back to cruising the neighborhood in the gait trainer.  Up and down we go, greeting neighbors as we pass.  I am quite a sight with Gunnar strapped in the carrier to me and Roa giggling from the gait trainer.  That's how we roll 'round here!  I have had a few people out for a stroll ask if I need any help.  Is that what it looks like. people? :)

Roa had a great session of PT with Andrea at Courage this week.  He was running around the center in his gait trainer!  Andrea has never had the pleasure of seeing him  on the go, so it was a nice way to end our 8 week session before taking a little break from one on one therapy there.  Andrea gave us a reverse walker to try over the next month or two.  She also loaded us with ideas for pool time therapy as the summer months of aquatic therapy time are upon us. 

After Roa turns 3 in June, we will be beginning hippotherapy with Courage Riders.  We are very excited to give this form of therapy a try.  I have heard wonderful things about the benefits of horseback riding for kiddos with cp.  Improvements in trunk control and balance as well as decreased tone.   We are really lucky that we got into the program as there is a waiting list.  God truly had a plan when one of the therapists for the Riders ran into Roa and my sister, Vickie, at Functional Kids during a speech session.  She thought Roa would be perfect for the program, so yippee ki yay, off we go!

Roa had a great session of PT with Mary and Craniosacral time with Kim.  Something seems to be clicking in that brain of his and he is allowing more weight bearing in his arms in 4 point stance.   God willing, Roa will learn to keep up the strengthening of his arms to actually move himself across the floor someday.

Next week Monday, we are off to tour the Early Childhood Program at Normandy Park and meet some of the therapists and teachers there.  Friday is Roa's official IEP meeting to enter the school system.  Big and scary day for us!  We are still sorting out the details of Roa's school for the fall and might do a combination of St. Jude's preschool with ECSE program in an every other day set up.  Many decisions to make on Friday.

Well, happy Mother's Day to all you moms out there who devote your lives to your children.  May you find time to celebrate the graces you have been blessed with!