>>> [log in to unmask] 03/07/02 07:00AM 
Yvonne, this is a wonderful attitude and plan!  I hope Anthony grows up to be
a mayor of some town, or a governor! It sounds like you guys are doing so
much so right on!  I'd give you a parent of the year award!  mag<<<
Thanks so much, Mag! I'll just be happy if he is when he grows up. And if he moves out on his own one day! LOL

>>>Yvonne, what's a pony walker?<<<

Jenn already answered about the Pony walker. The little girl at the bottom of the first page on the Pony website is in the exact model Ant uses. He has been using one since he was about 18 months old. At the time it was the only gait trainer that came small enough for the very little ones. We have taken the handle bars off the front so he can get closer to tables, etc. We also changed the wheels - ours are larger and made of rubber (vs. teflon) so he can go outside. The new ones don't have brakes (which never stopped Ant anyway, lol) so he maneuvers a bit better.We also use it like a standing frame at home sometimes. Ant's hip joints are in almost perfect alignment and his bone density is excellent. I think the weight-bearing, "walking" and "standing" from an early age have certainly played a part in that. There are other walkers I would have liked to try (we are on our second Pony) but the government will only fund certain models. At $2000 CDN (about $1200 US), we took the one we WOULDN'T have to pay for! :-)

Glad you're back!

Yvonne