Landon and his crazy family

Hi everyone!!

I finally got to put the video up of Landon pointing!! YEA!! He's been getting better at pointing (reaching) and has started to do a few signs! He's been doing "please", "help", "all done" and we're working on "more". He's having a hard time with more cause he has to have both hands, and that right one isn't really doing what he wants it to. His nurse, Theresa, and I were speculating the other day about his right hand and we came to the conclusion that we aren't sure if he even realizes that he has a right hand or arm until we make him use it. When we make him use it, he looks at it like it's someone elses hand...it's weird. Penny and Chelli tell us that the more we have him work with it, the better he will get with it.

He's been giving kisses and hugs again...well his form of hugs (which is just laying his head in your lap for a few seconds). He blows kisses to people when they leave now, which he wasn't doing a week ago. He's progressed so much and we're so thankful to see all the things he can do everyday.

Now that we were given the ok to do pureed food with Landon he has really enjoyed tasting stuff again. He's getting better with swallowing all the food in his mouth since we have taught him how to smack his lips...I know...but it's the only way we can get him to get all of it in his mouth. One day we'll worry about manners...right now we don't really care. :) He's been drinking juice with a straw, but he gets tired of eating really quickly. I think his endurance will get longer the more we offer him food.

Penny has been really happy with the progress he's making with PT. She has been having him walk in the "Kid Walk" (which is the wheelchair contraption in the blog where we visit Penny below) and he is starting to propel it himself. She says he just needs to develop more strength in his hamstrings and walking is the only way to really do that. So, with a heavy sigh, we have still been killing our backs with helping him walk. :) He's not scissoring his legs like he was (which is something we were worried about) and he's doing a nice heel-to-toe action when he's walking. He's even walking with us just holding his hands!! He's still wobbly, but he's making progress!! We are just working on him catching himself while sitting so that we will be able to leave him without worrying that he'll hurt himself.

That's all we've got for right now. Chelli, the occupational therapist, has been out of town for the week so we haven't seen her since the swallow study. I think she'll be pretty happy with Landon's progress though. :) We see her on Friday after we visit with Penny again tomorrow. We'll keep you updated. :)

Love you all!!! XOXO