The story behind the walker

Okay, so as many of you know I have been asking PT for a walker for several weeks. She did not feel he needed it yet, as he has recently just began to crawl correctly and felt he needed more floor time and crawling time as part of typical development...get good at crawling and cruising...then walk.

Well Edwin has been doing great with crawling and within the past two months he has finally developed arches in his palms!!! For anyone with a delayed crawler, who preferred only to crawl using his forearms, you would know the arches in the palms do not develop. He had extremely flat hands. Not being used to having hands flat to the ground in crawling could have also caused his sensitivity to grass, dirt, and leaves on the ground. To our extreme delight, Edwin has outgrown his fear of the ground, and now crawls around EVERYWHERE outside, even in the dirt. We don't have much grass in our backyard (we have outdoor carpeting for themn to play on), but I have a good feeling he'll be ok with the grass because he now will crawl on the leaves and helicopters on the ground, whereas before he refused and would get up on his knees with hands in the air whining! MAJOR progress for our guy.

So anyway, you'll remember that last time we met with PT she said she would bring the walker at anytime, but that it would be for me not for Edwin. I finally said "oh well" and called and left a voicemail saying "even if this walker is for me, I'd like to at least try. Will you please bring it to ease my mind." And to my shock, yesterday after not seeing her for 3 weeks because she was on vacation, she brought it! I wasn't even sure she got my voicemail!!!

So it wasn't like Edwin got in the walker and began walking all over the house. He is a cautious boy, and first got to know the walker by inspecting it, trying to touch and move the wheels, and finally pulling up on it. We put him in properly and he put his hands on the handles and stood. Sometimes he drops to his knees because he feels unsteady, but he was able to stand and take steps!!! This was so huge because it takes a lot of strength for him to even stand upright in the walker because of his low tone. His feet are turning out A LOT, and I am so happy I made an appointment with a second orthopedist for a second opinion weeks ago (the appointment is in 2 weeks from now). Now we can bring the walker and show him how his feet and ankles look. Seeing Edwin try and take steps, it is painfully obvious that this will be a process for him. He has a long way to go until independent walking, but this is a tremendous start for him, and I am extremely excited about the walker, and his ability to stand and take steps in it. I know he will only improve with time, and am so thankful he is beginning to experience what it feels like to be up off the floor and some form of independence.

Of course I'll keep you all updated, and will surely get a video of him in it this weekend. He is truly an amazing boy, and I my heart is full of pride!