Therapies

I ran into my friend Andrea at Liz's wedding last weekend and she asked all about Asher's therapies -- which made me realize that I have never posted on what his therapies are like! Asher has feeding, occupational, and physical therapy all once a week for an hour. It is wonderful because the therapists come into our home. This prevents me from being late, which would likely happen if I was responsible for getting us to the appointment. We love each therapist and think they are all a really good fit for Asher.

Feeding therapy takes place every Monday morning. Asher gets to eat all sorts of yummy things and play with one of his favorite toys, the vibrating star. He has started eating baby multigrain cereal mixed with a little milk and seems to really enjoy this. Because the cereal is thicker than milk and doesn't require much work (spoon in mouth, swallow!), he does a great job of eating it. Today he even got a taste of peaches, which he seemed to enjoy. He has started to pick up on sign language, especially the sign for "more", when he gets to play with his star toy. It is so sweet to see his little hands come together in hopes of getting more star toy!

Physical therapy is Tuesday mornings at 7:15 am... yes, you read that right. This is always a tough one because P.T. is by far the hardest of the therapies. Asher's therapist (or personal trainer, as I call her), does a great job of pushing him and making him stronger. In 2 words, P.T. consists of TUMMY TIME, which you all know, Asher despises. We do tummy time on the boppy, big rubber ball, the floor, a rolled up receiving blanket -- anything to try to make it easier. The goal of tummy time is to get Asher to strengthen his arms (pushing off the floor) and neck. As with all the therapies, we incorporate toys to try and make it more fun. Asher's favorite toys in P.T. are his drum, and the meowing kitty.

Occupational therapy is Wednesday afternoons. This consists of a lot of rolling over, reaching for toys, and tummy time. Just like in P.T., Asher lays on a blanket on the floor while the therapist and I play with him (and Pearl attempts to lick everyone involved).

So while my strengths are in family, couple, and individual therapy, I am learning a lot about other kinds of therapies. And while therapy is often hard for the little guy, I am certainly thankful for all of the great therapists Asher has and the progress he is making.