We cannot get enough of the gait trainer!

Here he is showing off for us:

And then leaving us in the dust (he’s headed for the playground, I think):

After months of waiting for insurance to come around, Joe now has his very own gait trainer.

It’s similar to the ones he’s used at school and in physical therapy — now he can practice his moves at home (and maybe chase the dog)!

We took it out for a spin before dinner. Look at him go!

A few weeks ago, on a trip to North Carolina, Joe discovered my dad’s new iPad. As you can see here, he was particularly taken with the camera. This is almost the exact moment when he learned his new favorite trick:

I had been reading a lot about what a breakthrough iPads have been for special-needs kids. You can load them up with apps that help a kid communicate and brush up on skills in vision, fine motor and cognition. Plus, they’re lightweight, portable and all kinds of fun. (Makes you wonder why insurance companies will shell out $7,000 for a communication device, when an iPad will do that and about a bazillion other things at a 90% discount.)

All of the rave reviews led me to apply for a program sponsored by Marissa’s Bunny, a blog maintained by the father of a girl affected by infantile spasms. With some generous financial backing, he was giving away dozens of iPads to kids who could use them. They were inundated with applications, and it turns out we weren’t among the lucky winners.

But … they’re going to do another giveaway soon. First comes some fundraising, in the form of an iPad raffle! For $2 a ticket, you get a chance to win an iPad for yourself. And the money will go not only to fund a second round of iPad giveaways, but also to help fund treatments for Marissa and her friend Joseph.

So go get some $2 tickets and cross your fingers! Even if you don’t win, you’ll have put Joe and other kids like him $2 closer to some iPad laughter and learning!

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Joe’s new favorite trick is to raise his arms over his head when we say “So big!” He does it so quickly that it’s hard to photograph, but here’s my best effort:

We had a nice Easter at my parents’ house in North Carolina, where Joe got lots of play time with his cousins and an Easter basket full of fun.

He is still a cruising champion, and loves to walk holding our hands. He will even shake off one hand and just walk with the other sometimes. Showoff!