Aubrey had physical/occupational therapy today. The therapists still think she's doing well, but they gave us some assignments: we need to help her learn to bear more weight on her hands and her feet. We have to hold her and get her to stand (not by herself, obviously) for longer than a couple of seconds and help her learn to push up onto her hands while on her belly. She's getting her feet under her and scooting when she's on her tummy, but she isn't pushing up on her hands and knees yet. The therapist said that there's no way she expects her to be standing at this age--she just wants her to put weight on her feet when we put them on the ground and not draw them up or bend her knees. She's already doing some weight-bearing on her feet, but they want her to be able to do it for longer periods of time.
We also have to brush her legs and feet with a soft bristled brush several times a day; it's more like massage with a brush and doesn't tickle. The occupational therapist said that this stimulates the proprioceptive system, or the system that provides us with an awareness of body positioning. It will help Aubrey realize that those feet that I'm brushing are attached to her and will help her coordinate their movement. We also have to do joint compressions on her leg joints (hips, knees, ankles). They're moving the appointments to three weeks apart instead of two, so that's good.
She hasn't been eating so great the last few days, and I have to wonder if she might be starting to teethe. She's chewing on her fingers, or my fingers if she can get them and she's drooling more than normal. I'm hoping that accounts for the decrease in appetite. She's still eating, just not as much as normal for her. She's still pretty smiley and happy for the most part.
-Keli
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