Physical Therapy

Hailey had her first PT appointment on Monday. Things went really well. The therapist, Karen, was very impressed with the amount of movement she does have. Karen doesn't feel that Hailey's gross motor is that far off from where she should be. Karen did mention that she seems to not think about how to get her body to move in certain ways because she is so focused on getting what she wants. For instance if Hailey is reaching for a toy and gets on her hands and knees, she can't figure out how to get both legs behind her. Rather than focusing on her leg she is focused on the toy. Karen also saw her stubborn side and recognized that Hailey is only going to do things when and if she wants to. Oh joy for us!

Camping

We spent last weekend camping in our new 5th wheel! Grandma and Papa Smidt came along for the ride to show us how everything worked. Hailey did great even though the beach was cold. We took Hailey for a wild and bumpy ride down the beach trail in her stroller where she bounced around and tipped in all directions. She did great and I can't wait for more camping this summer.

Hearing test

At Hailey's 9-month check-up our pediatrician was concerned with how quiet she is. He was surprised that she could play alone for about a 1/2 an hour without making a peep. He recommended we have her evaluated for a speech delay. About 2 weeks ago a woman from the ESD came and evaluated her and thought maybe it could be a hearing issue. Today was the big hearing test day. We sat in a room with 3 ladies who played with her, tested her problem solving skills, watched her play with me, made her dance and even tried to get her on her belly (she refused by going into downward dog pose).
She passed with flying colors. The ladies so thoughtfully told me that she is just choosing to ignore us! Why am I not surprised. They did however decide that she only has her linear movements and completely avoids all cross-body activities. This is what is causing the speech delay. They will now come to our house 2 times a month to do different movement activities with Hailey and teach Ryan and I what to do when they are not there. I'm excited to get started and see what happens. Baby Brain Gym here we come!

New Moves

Hailey has a new pose! I believe this is called the downward dog in yoga. We have been trying to get her on her hands and knees to encourage crawling. The other day instead of giving in she locked her knees so she ended up like this. I was impressed with how long her skinny little arms could support her. She thought it was just great that she could see us from between her legs.