Visiting the 2 new babies in our family,
and she got to hold them both at the same time!
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Coloring Easter eggs
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She wanted to wear a headband.
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Hide-and-go-seek
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Lemons!
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Sunday, May 10, 2015
Saturday, May 9, 2015
Back in the Game
The walking game, that is. She's back! And thank goodness because the lack of the walking has been really tough on her. We put her on the DL about a month ago after she had the issue with her foot. It was rough, mostly at school. We had been taking the braces to school everyday, and her teachers commented that she was sad and a little withdrawn for those first couple days that she couldn't walk. To have that mobility, and then have it taken away was hard. She got used to being upright and feeling much more normal and like all the other kids.
We were finally able to get the current set of braces fixed and we're now back in action. I had taken her to the cranial-sacral therapist 2 weeks ago and asked her what she thought of Leah's feet. Her response was that her feet have very high arches and the braces offered no arch support, so her feet were pronating outward, causing the 5th metatarsal to splay out. They were also starting to club a little bit, which means that they were losing a little bit of their flexibility. She did a lot of stretching and working Leah's feet and ankles, and recommended we find an insert or orthotic that will offer more arch support. On Friday we had an appointment with an orthotics company, who put some side cushions and ankle straps to offer her feet more support. Now she's able to be back in the braces, and she's a ton happier!
I have to admit, that we cheated a little bit and let her do a little bit of walking for 30 minutes on occasion. As with all of the things we do, it's about balance and we felt that it was just as important to her mental health to give her the independence as it was to her physical health to take care of her feet. We'll ease back into the walking, which is partly why we got to this point. Before February, the most she ever spent in a standing position was maybe an hour a day, at best. To go from that to 4 hours almost overnight put a lot of pressure on her feet. That and the fact that she's jumping and bouncing on her feet put extra stress on her body. It will be nice for her to go up to 2 hours next week at school and then hopefully over the next couple weeks we can have her in it unlimited. It makes her so much happier when she can walk, and it makes us happy to see her so happy!
We were finally able to get the current set of braces fixed and we're now back in action. I had taken her to the cranial-sacral therapist 2 weeks ago and asked her what she thought of Leah's feet. Her response was that her feet have very high arches and the braces offered no arch support, so her feet were pronating outward, causing the 5th metatarsal to splay out. They were also starting to club a little bit, which means that they were losing a little bit of their flexibility. She did a lot of stretching and working Leah's feet and ankles, and recommended we find an insert or orthotic that will offer more arch support. On Friday we had an appointment with an orthotics company, who put some side cushions and ankle straps to offer her feet more support. Now she's able to be back in the braces, and she's a ton happier!
I have to admit, that we cheated a little bit and let her do a little bit of walking for 30 minutes on occasion. As with all of the things we do, it's about balance and we felt that it was just as important to her mental health to give her the independence as it was to her physical health to take care of her feet. We'll ease back into the walking, which is partly why we got to this point. Before February, the most she ever spent in a standing position was maybe an hour a day, at best. To go from that to 4 hours almost overnight put a lot of pressure on her feet. That and the fact that she's jumping and bouncing on her feet put extra stress on her body. It will be nice for her to go up to 2 hours next week at school and then hopefully over the next couple weeks we can have her in it unlimited. It makes her so much happier when she can walk, and it makes us happy to see her so happy!
Friday, May 8, 2015
Little Celebrity
We have had a brush with fame recently! Last weekend Leah was the feature video at a gala for PACER, the organization that did her tractor. It was a great event! They had a huge silent auction at the Minneapolis Convention Center, and then a performance by Crosby, Stills, Nash. All of our parents were there, and we both had a large group of friends and co-workers to celebrate with us. It was a great evening.
Here is a link to the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dgPoa2OccsE
Then earlier this week our neighbor brought over a copy of the local weekly newspaper, and Leah was on the front page! She was on the cover with Minnesota Governor, Mark Dayton, who was at her daycare to celebrate the groundbreaking on a big expansion. Our little superstar! Apparently she asked to have her photo taken with him, and then proceeded to tell him all about how Grandma and Grandpa would be picking her up from school that afternoon. Very important things to a 3-year old.
Here is a link to the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dgPoa2OccsE
Then earlier this week our neighbor brought over a copy of the local weekly newspaper, and Leah was on the front page! She was on the cover with Minnesota Governor, Mark Dayton, who was at her daycare to celebrate the groundbreaking on a big expansion. Our little superstar! Apparently she asked to have her photo taken with him, and then proceeded to tell him all about how Grandma and Grandpa would be picking her up from school that afternoon. Very important things to a 3-year old.
Wednesday, May 6, 2015
Saying Good Bye
I am so sad to share that we lost our beloved friend, Jack, recently. Jack had been with us for almost 13 years. We got him not long after I moved to Minneapolis, just a couple months before we got married. He wasn't a typical cat, preferring to hang around people and running towards a ringing doorbell. No one was a stranger to Jack, he loved everyone. Even repairmen who came to the house commented on what a friendly cat, almost annoyingly friendly when he wanted to be petted. I dared anyone who said they didn't like cats to spend 5 minutes with this guy!
About 2 years ago, Jack became diabetic. We kept him comfortable for a long time and he was his typical self. In the last couple weeks, though, he'd been drinking a lot more water and seemed to get skinnier. Finally one weekend he really went down hill, stumbling a little when he jumped off the couch. Ty went home at lunch on a Wednesday to find him laying on the floor next to his water dish. That's when we knew it was time. I came home early and we drove him to the vet. I knew he was ready to go when he laid on my lap in the car, barely moving. At one point, he looked up at me and then over to Ty, as if to say his final good-bye. Just 15 minutes later, we were bringing him home and burying him in the backyard. It was a beautiful afternoon to sit and remember the cat that was friends with everyone.
How do you tell a 3-year old about death? We told Leah that Jack's body didn't work, he was old and very sick and couldn't get better, and that he wouldn't come back anymore. That was the hardest part, trying to explain that he's not coming back. She still asks about him, but she knows that he's now in Heaven and we keep him in our hearts and in our memories. There's nothing sweeter than hearing her pray for Jack at dinner, and saying that he was a good friend. She's right, he was a good friend.
About 2 years ago, Jack became diabetic. We kept him comfortable for a long time and he was his typical self. In the last couple weeks, though, he'd been drinking a lot more water and seemed to get skinnier. Finally one weekend he really went down hill, stumbling a little when he jumped off the couch. Ty went home at lunch on a Wednesday to find him laying on the floor next to his water dish. That's when we knew it was time. I came home early and we drove him to the vet. I knew he was ready to go when he laid on my lap in the car, barely moving. At one point, he looked up at me and then over to Ty, as if to say his final good-bye. Just 15 minutes later, we were bringing him home and burying him in the backyard. It was a beautiful afternoon to sit and remember the cat that was friends with everyone.
How do you tell a 3-year old about death? We told Leah that Jack's body didn't work, he was old and very sick and couldn't get better, and that he wouldn't come back anymore. That was the hardest part, trying to explain that he's not coming back. She still asks about him, but she knows that he's now in Heaven and we keep him in our hearts and in our memories. There's nothing sweeter than hearing her pray for Jack at dinner, and saying that he was a good friend. She's right, he was a good friend.
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