Andrew was in a great mood and was very cooperative. This is key to getting a good evaluation since you really want to see what they can do. He tracked beautifully, cooed and laughed, had good tone, started showing an interest in reaching for objects, and lifted his hips off the mat. Tummy time and head control are a little behind, which we knew, but he is starting to weight-bear on his arms to push up and lift his chest. Considering his growth restriction and lengthy hospital stay with readmission, they were very pleased with how he looked overall. But he has specific exercises to work on his strength and head control. His biggest issue is that his head is SO big and hard to move. This will improve as he grows and with lots of work at home!
Paige was not as cooperative but did participate some. We knew her head control was lacking more than his and that definitely showed. She will not push up with her arms at all on her tummy and only has strength enough to lift her chin for a few seconds. They thought this was about at a one month level. She did track and hold attention better though, and brought her hands to midline and grasped objects for longer. Her biggest issue is that she is slightly hypotonic (a little floppy) and just doesn't have the overall strength yet to support herself. We have different exercises to work on with her and despite her hatred of tummy time, we will continue to push it all the time!
None of these findings were surprising. We have been told since the beginning that development would be our obstacle. And I was aware of most things she pointed out just by playing with them each day. We talked about getting services (physical therapy and occupational therapy) but she thinks that exercises at home at this point will work. The problems they are having are common preemie issues that usually resolve over several months. She reminded us that they are just two months old adjusted (which is hard to remember since it seems like they've been around forever!) and that they really are doing amazingly well. She explained to us that babies born at their gestational age often develop cognitive skills closer to their chronologic age and are more behind in motor skills. This is definitely true for them.
We have LOTS of homework to do (much of which we were already doing) and I am just so grateful that they will be at home with personal attention for the rest of the year. Jack will be home starting in three weeks (when I go back to work) for a month and then my mom will be with them for the remainder of the year. We couldn't be luckier to have this gift and the developmentalist was thrilled that this was our plan. I know that the three of us will be diligent in working with them and ensuring that we get on the right developmental track quickly.
So the next step - We will have an earlier follow-up appointment with the developmentalist to ensure we are making progress in two months. We are also seeing the Georgetown clinic in a little over two weeks, so we will see what their opinion is. If we aren't taking steps in the right direction, we will ask for an evaluation from Fairfax County for Early Intervention....or we'll look at private services.
Some pics for the week (those on facebook have already seen two of them):
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| Andrew working on reaching on the jungle mat! |
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| Trying to find ways for Paige to happily lay on her belly! |
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| Relaxing with a little Sesame Street:) |
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| Enjoying playtime and all smiles! |
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