Physical Therapy

Shortly after we brought Caden home from the hospital in Stanford, he started getting PT at Bright Start Therapies. I think he was only 4 months old! His therapist was Julia and she is amazing! She is an incredible person and a wonderful therapist. Caden is so incredibly lucky to have had her up until this last week. Due to a series of events, she is changing jobs and going in a slightly different direction. We are really excited for her and happy for her new opportunity. However, we are quite devastated for our loss! We will never be able to replace Julia!

Caden works on many things in PT to improve his gross motor skills. He started out at once/week and then went to twice/week for quite some time. Now that he is walking, they will likely drop him back down to once/week. It is amazing to look at how far he has come since he started. When he first started with PT he couldn't even roll over. He was just a lump on the floor. But with Julia's help, he began making progress from rolling over, to sitting up, to kneeling, to standing, and eventually to walking. These are things that happen so “easily” with a typically-developing baby/toddler. But for Caden things weren't nearly so easy. He had to work really hard to reach every milestone and Julia was the one making that happen.

It was amazing to watch how fast Caden responded to Julia's cues. She would work with him on something one day and before our next session, he had been practicing it all on his own. He continually amazed her with how fast he learned and picked things up. But as you all know, we think Caden is pretty incredible!

We aren't entirely sure where Caden will be receiving PT at this point. Bright Start hasn't hired a new therapist yet so we will likely have to switch to another clinic. But I've been putting it off. Probably because I was in denial that Julia was actually leaving! But now I am faced with that reality and need to get Caden switched over so we don't lose too much time. In the meantime, I appreciate your prayers that we get a therapist who works well with Caden and is able to progress him along quickly. (Don't miss the video at the bottom of the post to see what Caden worked on in therapy.)

Caden with Julia, PT extraordinaire :)

Taking a ride on the bolster swing, which Caden loves!

Playing happily in the ball pit which used to send him into panic mode

Picking up the ball to throw it into the basketball hoop

Working on rolling

Doing "push-ups" on the ball

Core strengthening using "Wheels on the Bus"

Ready, set, jump!

Kicking the ball

Our last day with our amazing therapist, Julia :( We miss you already!