Kids On The Move

Our sweet Caleb is starting physical therapy next week for his gross motor development. Although he sits up great and even rotates 360' on his bum, he hasn't got the hang of crawling or cruising yet. Our pediatrician mentioned KOTM, an early intervention program that works with the Alpine school district, at Caleb's 12 month check up. I gave them a call, they came out to assess Caleb, and due to his low percentages in the gross motor assessment he is eligible for their services. So basically a physical therapist is going to come to our home twice a month to work with Caleb and the goals we set for him. Over the next six months we set goals for Caleb to be able to transition into/out of siting position, into/out of standing position, crawl (in some form or another), and begin to walk with assistance. I am really excited to get Caleb started with this program and have high hopes for his development. His diagnosis at this point is slightly low muscle tone through his arms and back. Which could just be attributed to the fact that I wasn't diligent with Caleb's tummy time in his early months or it may be linked to another issue that will manifest itself further down the road. Time will tell!

But Caleb is still growing and developing... here are some of his latest feats:
...We have been walking with Caleb much more now, letting him hold onto both of our hands. At first he didn't understand how to move his feet but now he walks great. He loves when we go walking with him! Along with walking, he loves standing at furniture and playing with a toy. He does it mostly at our death-trap of a coffee table, so I have to stay very close to him especially since his balance isn't all the way on par just yet.
...When we were in North Carolina Caleb was forced to overcome his attachment-prone behavior he had developed. Since I couldn't hold him much, it was my mom, sister or a relative holding him. At first Caleb was shy but by the middle of our trip he was loving it and putting his arms out to anyone! On our flight back to SLC he actually reached over and started hugging a stranger sitting next to me. Silly boy!
...Caleb also got his first top front tooth in NC. It's slowly making its way down and I can see his other top front tooth is not far behind.
...Caleb is a great eater all of a sudden! He eats everything and in large quantities. I didn't realize just how much he could eat until we had lots of food to choose from in NC. Apparently my 1/2 PB&Js weren't quite enough for him, unbeknownst to me!
...Caleb is blabbering a lot these days. This week he's really honed in on "mamama". Especially when he's upset and wanting me, which makes me think he's starting to make a connection with the word and me, hooray!
...He is such a smiley  and happy boy. All I have to do is look at him and he gives me the cutest, toothy smile. We love him so much!