Today

We met with Lara's new OT this aftertoon. Lara did really well and we'll hear the OT's final thoughts in a couple weeks. The OT did tell me she doesn't feel Lara needs much OT, but exactly how much, we don't know yet. Honestly, I am sad to say that I don't feel as comfortable with this OT as Lara's last one. When we got there, she strapped Lara into a chair and put a table around her (similiar to her booster seat). She had Lara string beads, build block towers, draw, etc., pretty easy stuff for her. In fact, in some areas, Lara was showing to be quite advanced for her age. But therein lies the problem. We aren't concerned with Lara's performance of tasks. We are concerned with her motor patterns, which you don't really see when you strap her to a chair and tell her to stack some blocks. You see it when she's trying to grab a toy out of a bag and can only use one arm (using both arms and abdominal muscles means losing balance). You see it when she's working so hard with one arm, that she tightens the other hand into a fist. You see it when she may have a hard time pushing up from the floor using just her left arm. When you see the way she stacks 7 or so blocks, or so perfectly puts a puzzle together while seemingly not paying any attention to what she's doing, you automatically think there's nothing going on there. I think OT tends to focus on the performance of tasks, while what Lara really needs is just some physical therapy done to her upper body (which her PT does a little). But I know it will all get worked out just fine. Well, on a more positive note, Lara was a complete delight the entire time. She cooperated very well and had a lot of fun. Apparently, Lara's PT had already spoken with the OT about Lara, expressing her amazement in Lara's cognitive abilities. Yay! Something to lift the clouds a bit.

Afterwards, Lara and I hit the mall. We shared our traditional pretzel and cheese. It's been a long time since we have done that, back when Lara had to sit in her stroller and I would dip her pretzel for her. Now, she sat at the table and I just put the cheese cup in between us, and I didn't help her at all. My little girl is growing up. I took along Lara's push toy, which I pretty much take everywhere we go now. Lara loved walking around the mall by herself. I made sure to keep her in sight, but it was such a relief to let her walk around and keep herself entertained while I shopped (I kept her from touching the clothes by telling her no touching, these are MAMA's clothes, not Lara's). At one point, I actually SAT down on a bench and just WATCHED her while she roamed. Until she fell while playing at the gumball machines and promptly attempted to get herself in the Guiness Book of World Records for Loudest Crying Scream Ever Ever Ever. I never get to sit like other mommies. Lara isn't stable enough and falls too easily. But besides the gumball machines that apparently reach out and actually push children down to the floor, this was a risk-free environment, and I could relax...with some new clothes in my bag next to me. My favorite part, really though, was when Lara approached a group of young girls, looked way up high at them, and with baby cheeks squishing, I am sure she began to talk to them about the big black bag one of the girls was trying on. She's becoming a little social butterfly lately. Who knows where she gets it-just a toddler thing, I suppose.

Sidewalk Paint= Fun