Exponential

That is honestly the only word I can use to describe Ruby's progress in many many areas over the last week.

When I guide Ruby into a sitting position, no longer do I need to hold her trunk to make sure she doesn't fall. No longer do I need to put something behind her so she doesn't topple backwards. No longer do I even need to place a few fingers on her hips/thighs to make sure she stays 'anchored' down. Nope. My girl is sitting for over a minute without toppling. Much longer than that at times, in fact. AND (and this is a big "AND") she is playing in that position. She's so balanced that she can lift her arms up from her knees or legs and use them. (That's big time.)

When I guide Ruby into an all-fours position, she will weight bear on her hands/arms for many many seconds, but not quite a minute yet. She will tolerate staying on her knees for a loooong time, but I do need to give her arms a break now and then. She will play in this position, which means she has to balance on one of the arms so she can use the other. And her newest trick is using her core to pull her knees in when I prompt her at the hips, which means she is doing most of the work getting into the position. She also pushes up into 'up dog' and holds it there for a looong time.

Ruby likes to say 'mmmm', but she is also giving some 'gggg' (usually when she's eating a toy), blowing lots of raspberries, and occasionally throwing a 'lllla' in there. Also, she gives a cute little cough/laugh very intentionally to Lehr or I and waits for a response from us. Total communication.

This girl can put her hands up like the ceiling can't hold her.... She is reaching for things over her head when standing (in the exersaucer) or sitting, or when I'm holding her in a standing position. And she's discovered her hands so she studies them so so intently. All of the time. And she eats her toes and that's just cute.

It's been a crazy busy week or so for Ruby; she's impressed the therapist thoroughly two weeks in a row and even her friends at group therapy have noticed her big changes. This girl is on a roll!