Whoa, another post? So soon? Are things calming down at the Baldwin Abode?

No. Hahahaha very much no.

But Parker’s napping and I have a spare minute where I’m actually at the computer AND Parker had physical therapy today, so the perfect storm has occurred. YOU’RE WELCOME.

In the few days since the last post, Parker has taken her gait trainer out for several spins, and insists on walking until her legs begin to collapse. The entirety of the walk is filled with screeches of joy and giggles and occasionally this baby thinks she’s a track star and tries to run. It’s full on ridiculousness, and it is giving us all life.

So we walk. In a figure 8 around the house we’re currently staying at, or if the weather is good, down the 1/2 mile driveway. She gets about 15 minutes in before we’re doing most of the work, but she’s still moving those legs. At the church, she’ll wander around the parish hall, or up and down the hallway of the lower level, pausing to look at things, laughing excitedly, or asking for help when she gets caught on a doorway or chair or other such obstacle. Walking forward is a thing she can do. Turning? Not so much. Trunk movement and muscle tone aren’t her strong suits, and while her soul is willing, her body is weak. Our focus now (other than letting that baby have her freedom!) is to help her get comfortable cruising along the sofa or other areas of opportunity, and working across the midline on both sides of her body to help build up that movement. The other goal is to get her from sitting to standing, which will also help her build up some of those trunk muscles.

Upgrading her orthotics is something else we can do. When Parker first got them, it was to assist with her foot pronation in a way that didn’t, or wouldn’t, hinder her ability to crawl. At the time, she hadn’t begun doing that yet, so she needed to have full range of motion in her knees. Now that she crawls like the baby boss she is, it’s time to move on to the next type of orthotic: the MAFO.

MAFO stands for molded ankle-foot orthosis, and can look like the picture above (this one came from the Googles). This will continue to assist with her foot pronation, and will additionally help her shift her weight a little more forward. These will also help Parker to compensate for her muscle weakness so she can feel a little more stable and confident in her movement. Our next move is to get the prescription written, then head over to the place referred by the physical therapist for fittings. Last time this was a several week process, so I don’t anticipate Parker being in them until after the new year, but we’ll update as we know more.

Probably. Definitely eventually. That’s the best I can promise. It’s not like we’re in the middle of a move or anything.

Dang, you guys. I was about to post the link to blog post we made about Parker’s current orthotics in the paragraph about her next pair of orthotics, EXCEPT WE NEVER MADE ONE. Ugh. Sorry about that. *makes note to self to actually do that blog post. *recognizes who I am as a person likely means that it won’t ever be written. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯