Brighter

Obsidian was "graduated" to physical therapy (PT) once a month at his last session instead of once a week.  He has made great gains over the past 2 months he has been in PT again.  The first time he was in PT, he made gains, but not nearly as rapidly as this time.  The first time (almost exactly a year before), he was less than cooperative.  He would scream and refuse to work, and never worked when I was in the room or knew I was looking.  This time was an entirely different experience.  At times he has to be coaxed to do things, but for the most part he is cooperative.  He enjoys PT for the most part.  In some ways, I think he was just ready to make significant gains, in other ways I think he was just more with the program.  The only thing he really refused to do was to ride the smallest tricycle, the one that he rides there he has to sit on the crossbar or his feet can't reach the pedal.  Obsidian has my gift of stubbornness, I just hope he learns to control it, not let it control him.  It took me a long time to learn that, and I still have to work on it.  The first time he stopped going to PT because our insurance would not cover it any more.  I was not happy or comfortable with it being stopped.  This time, I am comfortable and ready to have him cut back.  I would even be a lot more okay with it being stopped if needed.  He has reached most of the goals that were set, and is well on his way to reaching the others.  Now, he is no longer deep in the "moderately" delayed gross motor, to more of "mild" gross motor delay. 

As I was driving home from PT, the colors on all of the trees seemed brighter.  I seemed lighter.  I still have hope that Obsidian's gross motor delays and possibly even his growth will be come interesting chapters in his past, but something in his past that he has "outgrown".  I am becoming even more hopeful that even if they are ongoing issues for his entire life, he will find a way to integrate them into his life so they do not have a significant negative impact.  Small steps.  For now, I'll take my more brightly colored trees.