POOL!

   
  I am floored. We had our first session of pool therapy--"aquatic" technically, I think--and it was amazing! 

    Let's just say I was stressed before getting there. I completely forgot about the concept of swim diapers until that morning. I never once thought about a towel. I was packing our car so that we could be out for the evening. I was also a bit stressed about the pool therapy as is. I do not go into the pool so he's working with someone else completely. I anticipated some push back from Leo, some not-very-happy Leo.  Watching your kid be distressed, knowing how you could help him calm down, and staying quiet to let him learn to work with people other than mom...difficult. 

    Anyways, all of that to say that I was stressed leading up to this session. However, 5 minutes into it I sat back delighted as could be, sipping my coffee and just watching. It's freeing to not be the one doing therapy with Leo. It's a sweet reminder that we need help and we have help. 

    She basically just walked around the pool with him the whole time. This being the first time it was a "get to know Leo" time. She held him, felt his movements, talked to him. The pool is very useful for relaxation. Hopefully, through pool therapy, Leo can learn a little more what it feels like when his body relaxes and, ideally, how to duplicate that feeling outside of the water. They splashed, made ripples, bounced, pushed against the wall, "floated" on pool noodles. The most amazing part was when she put him forward onto a thick pool noodle (pictured). He held his head up. And it wasn't that he was trying to arch out of the position so his head was up. No, he was relaxed and holding his head up. I was floored. The therapist said, "That's the magic of the pool!" I'm a believer.

    By the end of the session, he was definitely tired and done. But he worked really well with someone new. I'm excited for this and I want to spend every day in a pool now. We will be doing this therapy once a week for a 12 week session and then we'll reevaluate after that. 

    This is kind of part of a transition for us. Right now, most of Leo's therapies come to our house. When he turns 3 (WHAT?!) he will no longer receive services at home. This means I will need to take him to all of his therapies, obviously. So this is my step into therapy outside of the home. 

    While it was kind of overshadowed by pool therapy, he also had a great day in vision therapy yesterday. We played with water beads! He was delighted by them. It's so fun to see him reach for them, moving fingers, hand, and arm. He clearly enjoyed himself and also did some wonderful looking at a balloon. Like looking at it directly. 

    I am reminded in writing this update of how grateful I am for the resources around us, the coverage for them, the therapists, and our sweet boy. I'm glad that I get to play with him and he's my "job". It ain't half bad ;)

a formerly-real-stressed-currently-delighted mama