Walking

So, the therapist was supposed to stop coming. She is still coming. Caden's not doing very good walking. It's been over two months since he took his first steps alone, and it seems that he is getting even more scared to do it without help. If you try to stand him up, he just curls his legs up, and will not stand up. She told us to take him outside and let him play in the dirt and grass. We do, and he likes it, except when he stands up, and he can feel the prickles in the grass. (He actually says "Ow") She told us to do it barefoot to help his muscles in his ankles, with the ground being uneven. (We have a somewhat hilly, sloped yard.) Well, we are supposed to walk him around the house once or twice a day. If you have ever been to our house, you know that that is a long way, especially for Caden. He has fun with it if he sees a bunny, or something. We have been doing it with his shoes on, and that seems to help. Our grass is a whole other story, so I can kind of see why he wouldn't want to do it barefoot. I just feel like he was doing so great for the past year, learning to do so many things, and now he's just at a stand still. He's not talking a whole lot, it's like he forgets how to say things. Maybe he thinks that he doesn't have to say anything, because he knows that if he points to it, we'll get it. We are really bad about that. He's getting really good at throwing temper tantrums. But the funny (not so funny, really) thing is, that if we are out in public, he's great. If we are shopping at walmart or the grocery store, he's so quiet and well behaved. I would rather him be behaved out in public, don't get me wrong, but why does he change so rapidly when we get home? Because he can, and he knows it. He's always been really good at the store. I think he likes the commotion. I feel like he learns more from daycare than he does from us. Which, he is around older kids all day long, and Carol is really good about singing songs and playing with them. He knows where his head and his eyes are. He knows that if you blow on something, that it's hot... and he'll say it. He knows what a doggy is, and a kitty. He loves Carol's kitties. We were watching Paul's parent's dogs while they were out of town last week, and if they got to rough-housing, Caden would point at them, and get a mean face and say "Dat" or something like that. I think he was telling them to go outside, cause we did that if they were playing to hard around Caden. It's pretty cute. Paul and I were joking (kind of) that the kids will learn to walk together. That this baby will be holding Caden's hand instead of the other way around. I'm just not very optimistic, I guess. I just wish he'd do it already. He's been making such great leaps and bounds since this time last year. He's just stuck. Like he plateaued or something. I am grateful for how great he is doing, I guess I just got used to him doing soooo great. He's just taking his sweet time. I'll get over it.

Have a great day!!!