PT Grad

Matt went to physical therapy today for the first time in three weeks. (He skipped a few, thanks to health insurance issues that needed sorting out...)

He walked in—no walker, no cane, no crutches—and his physical therapist was amazed. She said his progress this past month has been miraculous (I agree), and there's not much more she can do for him.

Yay for physical therapy graduation! (...and one less insurance issue to hassle with!)

And here's proof of all that walking:

I can feed myself, thank you!

If Riley could talk (besides "daddy" and "uh oh") that sentence above would be her current catch phrase.

Feeding herself an apple isn't so bad... But chocolate pudding, our dessert on Sunday? Well, let's just say we were too busy scouring the child and the apartment to capture the results.

14 months must be the age of new-found independence!?

World's Fastest Baby

Maybe I'm exaggerating a little.

Except when it come to escaping after bathtime.


(And let's hope 14 years down the road she doesn't begrudge me for posting these pics...)

Who needs a La-Z-Boy?

Please note the well-swept hardwood floors, particularly around Riley's high chair. That's a significant achievement around here. (A Grandma must've been around.)

Kindness x 2

Incident #1. My new running/biking buddy Laura found (and got!) me a bike trailer on Craigslist so Riley can join in our biking fun. I was (and still am) floored by her thoughfulness. And Riley and I were giddy with excitement!


Incident #2. On Friday, I took Riley for a ride. (Without Laura, unfortunately, since she had to work.) Six miles from home, Riley had enough. So we stopped, took a break, and started to turn around...when a wheel fell off the trailer. And the bolt to secure it to the trailer was gone. GONE. Uh...

I pulled to the side of the bike trail, scratched my helmet, and thought through my (very limited) options.

That's when we met Beth, a very kind woman/guardian angel, who saved the day.

She:

• pushed my bike & trailer to her condo 1/4 mile away while I carried Riley


• had Riley & me hang out in her condo while she ran to the hardware store to get a new bolt


• found all the tools I needed to fix the trailer


• let me use her phone to let Matt know we were still alive


• sent us safely on our way—with a bag of crackers that kept Riley happy the whole ride home
  

WOW. How do you say thanks for acts of kindness like that?

It's been a month

...since I posted the meaty update on Matt. Here's his progress on those things we hoped he'd be able to do soon:

Walk longer distances with his forearm crutches: Matt is gaining a lot of endurance. This week we've walked to a few different destinations in our neighborhood, like the park, the barbershop (finally!), a pizza place, and the hardware store (all five or six blocks away). Major milestone. Now Matt won't feel so cooped up.

Walk (very) short distances unassisted: Matt's been getting around the apartment without his crutches. At first he was wobbly, but he's gotten much steadier. Of course, it helps that he's usually within reach of a counter, table, or bedpost, in case he loses his balance.

Type: Still hunting and pecking, but getting faster.

Open a sealed jar: I still do the major jar opening. Ironic, since I've always been the weakling.

Carry things while walking: He can carry stuff around the apartment, now that he gets around without his crutches.

Make his small mobiles: He's made 11 already! (Just a fraction of his back-logged orders.) The first few were difficult and frustrating, but it's getting better. Just a matter of regaining hand strength. And a few calluses...

Do the dishes (oh wait, that's what *I* hope for...): He did them tonight. Yay! I'm a happy wife!

Perfect Picnic

Ours included:

Celery (and dip)

Trader Joe's sun-dried tomato chicken sausages
Good stinky cheese

A refreshing beverage Strawberries for dessert

...and a sculpture to admire.

Runner Up

Remember our Richards Family Walking Contest?

Riley finally decided to make a showing last night, when she toddled five legitimate, unassisted steps. Congrats to our little runner up—who I fear will be running before long!

The aftermath: one hysterically happy little girl