Summer is over! That is big news here in Minnesota. Leah is doing great! That is even better news. And that is pretty much the extent to what's new around here. Seriously, we have been really busy doing nothing, and our huge, unbelievable news is absolutely nothing. June was kind of a disaster with Leah's neck issues, which continued well into July. In mid-July she had another appointment with her cranial-sacral therapist, who worked on her for 35 minutes (normal appointment is 20). It turns out that Leah had started to get torticollis, which is a condition that happens when the neck is out of alignment. It's really common in babies but Leah had favored one side over the other for so long that her entire neck and spine got out of alignment. Angel to the rescue! After a long appointment and another follow-up 2 weeks later, and Leah is back to normal.
Then all of the sudden it was August. We walked down to the lake a lot, had a lot of ice cream and icy-pops, and played in the water table. My brother and sister-in-law came to visit with their 2 boys, who Leah loves! We went on a trolley ride, to the zoo, and shot off fireworks in our backyard. The other weekend was the Spina Bifida Walk-Run-Roll. This year we opted not to walk/run and instead just played on the playground. It felt a lot less rushed and we were able to spend more time visiting with other families, which is my favorite part of the event. The other great thing is comparing equipment. Leah tried out a bigger wheelchair, which was much better than what we currently has. Hers is smaller and very heavy, and this one is much lighter, so much so that she was able to roll up a slight incline... something she can barely do with her chair. This one also sits her up higher and the seat is tipped back slightly so she wouldn't need a chest strap. Yes, her current chair is fine, but we want her to be in something amazing. We'll be trying to get her into something new in the next couple months.
In other mobility news, we are also in the process of working on getting her a Go-Baby-Go car. Go-Baby-Go is an organization at the University of Delaware. The program is based on the need for kids to be mobile, and helps adapt devices to help children who have mobility challenges.
http://www.udel.edu/gobabygo/
There is a lot of research showing the link between mobility and brain development. Kids who aren't mobile aren't able to explore and socialize the way normal kids can. That's why mobility is so, so important, and why we push and push for Leah to have mobility. A few months ago we posted on the GBG page asking if anyone in Minnesota would be willing to make a car for Leah, and surprise! we got someone willing to help. Just this morning we saw the car, which is a John Deere tractor (a pint-size version of what Daddy has), and it needs to be modified for her. She needs a seat belt and the pedal will be moved up to the steering wheel. Hopefully we'll have it soon, before the snow falls, which could be any day now.
While we have been having a great summer, there was sad news for friends of ours. They lost their little boy a couple weeks ago. Lincoln passed away from complications of his epilepsy and cerebral palsy. We actually ran into them a few months ago at the bike expo and what a sweetheart he was. Big smile, bigger heart. Please say extra prayers for them, and hugs your kids extra tight. Life is precious.
Yes, yes, I know I've been a little negligent with the blog lately. I have been reminded by more than a few people. I can't promise anything but I will try to post more updates. I have a number of pictures from our summer adventures that I want to add.
