Happy Birthday!!!

HAPPY FIRST BIRTHDAY, LEAH!!!!!

What Lies Ahead!

I have to say, I'm actually feeling ok about next week's casting for Leah. At times I still get overwhelmed by the thought of it all, but that comes rarely now. The biggest emotion I have is sadness. I find myself feeling so sad that Leah has to go through this. I see other kids and feel a twinge of jealousy for my baby. Jealousy really is a terrible thing. I haven't felt jealous or the "why me, why Leah" feelings in awhile. I thought I had moved past that, but constraint is pulling those emotions out again. These feelings pass very quickly, when I stop and remember that Leah is fine, heck she's more then fine--she's amazing!

Anyway, I know I didn't just sound like I'm ok, but really I am. I'm ok, because I know my girl and I know she's going to be ok too! So, one week from Leah's first birthday she will get her first, and I'm sure not her last, cast. This first cast will be on for a very short period of time, it goes on Thursday and comes off on Monday. The therapist and casting specialist will then check to make sure the positioning of the cast, how it was placed on and just it's overall safety. Depending on our thoughts, we will decided then to either cast fully (which I'm definitely leaning towards) or to bi-valve and make it removable. Either way, we will only do it one week at a time, then after a week the cast will be removed. At first, I was leary of the schedule, but I'm thinking this will probably work better for Leah. Her PT has never worked with anyone casted this young and not walking--she is very concerned about Leah losing what she has. So, doing this slow of a pace we can see how she is going to react. I'm assuming once she is walking we will do an even more intense casting. That's our story! Another step on this journey!

Happy Birthday...

TO ME!





(I'm on the left)




I bet you all were thinking I was going to say to Leah, nope--her birthday is Thursday!

Today, I am 23! Yeah, I know--I'm so young! No matter where I go, or who I am friends with I am always the youngest. I keep telling myself that one day I'm going to really enjoy that. :)
Have a great day everyone!!

Casting Nerves

I've been thinking about Leah's Constraint Induced Movement Therapy and while I'm very excited to be doing it, I'm feeling even more apprehensive about it.

The casting date our OT has set, is right around the time of all the Jewish holidays. We take these holidays very seriously. I'm nervous about doing the casting and having the holidays at the same time. Leah's OT, said she would rather not see us put off casting by three weeks. I tend to agree with her, I think Leah is more then ready to be casted now. But at the same time, will three weeks really make that much difference? I need to know that I am going to be able to give Leah 100% of my time. We are not uping her therapies at all, so the CIMT is going to be done the majority at home. That means that I need to be focused on Leah all the time. I'm nervous that I'm not going to be able to handle the stress of preparing for the holidays and taking care of Leah. Our OT is out of town, otherwise I would be discussing with her and I will when she gets back on Thursday. I'm just feeling a bit overwhelmed by it all.

Get used to these posts for the next couple of weeks, until that cast is on--I'm going to continue to feel nervous. :)

Cruisin'...Really!?!

Just a quick post, because I'm so excited!!!

This past week Avi kept telling me that Leah was "walking" along the couch, I pretty much responded with something along the lines of "you're crazy". Just last week in PT, Nadine (PT), said to start working with her on cruising, but that it could take awhile. Well, in true Leah fashion, she was totally doing it!! I was playing with her this morning and all of the sudden I look over and she is cruising from one end of the couch to another!! WOO HOO!!!

A few minutes after that she found her balance and stood by herself for a good minute! She has been doing this all day!!

After her cruising episode, Leah had PT. I told Nadine about it and she tried to get Leah to do it again. Leah happily did! Nadine did notice she still is majorly locking her leg and for now is on her toes. She said not to get concerned about any of it yet, because she is still learning her way. Next week, we will try some knesio tape on the back of her knee to see if that helps the locking.

Just had to share--I really wasn't expecting her to start cruising yet...but hey, anything is possible!!!

This weekend is Leah's first birthday party, it's supposed to be outside. Of course, we are getting slammed with rain! I hope it goes well! How can it not? We will be celebrating 1 year of our sweet little girl! The best year of our lives!

(Side note, Leah's real bday is not until the 25th)

Water Therapy...fun?

Today was Leah's first day of water PT. I really had high hopes that she was going to love it...yeah, not so much. In fact she screamed about 98% of the time. We arrived at the pool--Leah in her bikini--and Lisa the therapist took Leah into the water. Literally the second she hit the water the tears came pouring out! Lisa asked me to sit at the edge of the pool, so I did. Leah still screamed! Lisa asked me to step out, to see if then she would calm down. So, I did and she continued to scream. I spent the rest of the 45 minute session standing outside watching my baby cry in the pool. She did calm down every once in awhile, but it always ended with tears. It was not enjoyable for me to watch her be so upset, but I want this therapy to work. I know that in time she will really love water therapy. She loves the water, I just think it was the new environment and new people. Next week, I will get in the water with her, we will see how it goes!


P.S. Does anyone come around here anymore?? Let me know your visiting! I'd love to hear from you! :)

We Have A Date!!!

We are officially doing Constraint Induced Movement Therapy on...October 2!! I'm really looking forward to it, but I am SO nervous! We are going to cast her fully for 1 week, then we will most likely bi-valve it and make it removable. It will be kind of fun to have her casted for the American Heart Association Walk! (Sarah and Erin--you'll get to see it first hand!)

I can't believe we actually have a date! It's exciting!! I hope Leah responds well too it! If anyone has any advice, we welcome it!!

Lots and Lots of Giggles!!!

Ups and Downs

I knew this would happen. The past few weeks Leah has been a rockstar, she has done so many amazing things. I'm one proud Mama! BUT, whenever she has a few REALLY good weeks and I'm feeling so UP about her progress comes the DOWN part. That's now. I hate the down part, the part where I get sad, the why my baby part.

This is my down right now, Leah is pulling up on everything! I walk into her room after every nap and in the mornings when she wakes up and there she is standing. It's great to see her there, but then I've been really watching her and she is entirely using her right side. Lefty is nowhere to be seen when pulling up. I know that she doesn't have the strengh in that arm, but I would like to see her using it a little bit more.
Then yesterday we went to a picnic with all of our friends who have children 2 and under. I was watching one of the little girls and she was eating corn on the cob, one hand on each side perfectly supanted. Yes, this made me sad. Leah has a hard time with supanation and at that moment I just couldn't imagine her eating the corn the way that little girl was. I know Leah will find a way to eat the corn, but it was just that moment that my heart hurt a little. After the corn incident, my friend (who knows about Leah's hemi) was holding her and was asking for high fives, Leah happily obliged with righty, my friend said "can you do it with your left" in which Leah did nothing. I feel like the complete non-use of lefty is becoming more apparent. I know she can use lefty--she just chooses not too, it's just too much work right now.

I love the ups but hate knowing there is going to be down soon after.