Phillips Boys Walking!

We are happy to announce that the Phillips boys are now moving around on 4 feet (and 4 wheels)!!!   

The last few weeks have been an awesome culmination of 2 years of learning to walk with his walker!  He is now independent on it!!  We have gradually moved forward in this process that started out on a gait trainer with a seat because he couldn't hold his own weight upright.  Then we got to the walker, but we had to be RIGHT there with him to keep him from falling and we had to hold his left hand on the handle for him. (tough on the ol' back!)  With more work, we were able to trust him to hold himself up but we had to keep his hand on the handle and control his steering and speed.  Gradually we were able to let go a little more and a little more.  He can now hold his hand on the handle if we get his thumb around it for him.  He sometimes looses his grip on the left hand and we have to put it back on.  But other than that, the boy doesn't need us!!  He just takes off, steers, corrects, runs into something and figures out how to get out of it, and goes about his merry way!! We are sooooooooo proud of him.  Obviously, the size of the walker means it can't go everywhere all the time, but we use it when we can.  He even walked in to the book store from the parking lot the other day!   For so long, the walker was therapy,work, and practice,not a means to get from one place to another with purpose. We are hoping to use it more and more and he will learn that it has a purpose for him! This milestone is providing a great amount of freedom for all of us!  I can now get the boys in to church by myself in ONE trip! :)  His posture and alignment has gotten better and better as he walks more and more.  His skinny little legs are getting stronger with each step.  GO KANYON GO!!  

Here is the big boy leaving church.  I will say the walking has added a new dimension:  LOLLY GAGGING.  He takes his sweet precious time taking in all the surroundings.  Some of it is that he's got a whole new perspective of the world when he's upright.  Some of it is just lollygagging....oh dear me.  

Enjoying his shadow....

And here's the boy on 2 feet!! Q has been able to take steps for MONTHS but has had zero interest in really walking.  Crawling was his speedy choice.  Until this weekend.  Starting Friday he was making the choice to walk more and more and here we are today with a full blown walker.  Just in time to keep up with klp on his walker!  17 months is considered a little on the LATE side, but it seems pretty early to us! :)  GO QUINN GO! 

Here are some videos I took last night at church.  Church is the best place for the walker because it has lots of big, long, wide areas!  Here are both boys on both feet!