Tuesdays with Ms. Anita

Many of you have asked what Luke does at Occupational Therapy since he is only 3 months old. Well, today you get to see a few of the things we do. It was a little difficult to participate and take pictures, so I'll try take a few each week. Oh, and Ms. Anita really does exist, but she was a little camera shy today. In a few weeks we'll coax her into the pictures.

 First, Luke and Ms. Anita spend a little time talking since they only get to see each other once a week. He had a busy week practicing holding up his neck and playing with toys, so there was a lot to tell. Ms. Anita LOVES to hear all about it. She pays special attention to how he responds to her voice and follows movements. You can tell by the look on his face that he loves to talk about his day!

Ms. Anita only visits for a few minutes though because then it is time to get to work. Luke lays on his little pillow which helps support his back while he spends some time watching his toys. This particular one plays cute (annoying) little songs which keeps his attention for a few minutes. The goal is to strengthen the muscles right on the back of his neck so sitting up doesn't take quite as much effort.

 Next, Luke decided it was time to ditch the pillow and fly solo because pillows are for sissies. You can see Ms. Anita holding down his bottom. Since he has lower tone overall, it's a bit more difficult for him to keep his giant cranium balanced.  The added pressure on his bottom keeps his back from straining as much. Ms. Anita couldn't believe how much better he was at this! Last week he just wanted to lay his head down and rest, but there was no more messing around today.

 Well, Luke finally had enough tummy time, and after a few minutes of tears, we got our smiling baby back. You can see that he's balanced on Ms. Anita's legs which are propped up at a 45 degree angle.  Just think - it is much easier to sit up from a reclining position than it is from being flat on the floor.  By placing just a little support with her hands behind his shoulder blades, Luke could fight gravity, flex his baby abs, and lift up his head. After two reps of baby sit ups, Luke decided he didn't care about building his six pack abs.

Did I mention that therapy makes the Little Dude sleepy? This may seem like just a picture of sleeping baby, but Ms. Anita thinks it is great that he's sucking on his hands and grabbing his shirt. He is developing awareness of what all his hands can do. It's pretty funny to watch while he learns to hold toys because he constantly bonks himself in the face.

Luke isn't the only one who is doing a stellar job. Today, Patrick found out that he was named 2OG Instructor Electronic Warfare Officer of the Quarter.  Basically, this means that he is a superstar! He's been working crazy late hours for Weapons School, so this was a nice affirmation that all the hard work is paying off. Sophie realized that Patrick and Luke were both worn out from working so hard, so she generously volunteered to help them catch up on their sleep.

And then there is the red-headed step-child.  Ralphie may not have made any stellar contributions to the family today, but he has kept down the cushions on the couch very well.  He's not hiding his head in shame.....he simply can't find his way out.