Videos

This video is of Leah from PT on Friday...


Here is the video of her "crying", she was done with therapy!


Here she is this morning, standing back up! If you listen closely, you can here her say "ah, ah, ah, ah-boo", she is pretending to sneeze! :)


Another one from today...I think the pj's make it hard for her, she keeps slipping in them!!



I know these aren't the best videos and they don't show the distance she can go, but I'll keep trying to get better ones!

In other news, Leah had her second speech evaluation and the ST said she is right on track! Yay!!!!

Tears of Joy!

I've cried many tears this past year, many many tears! Sad tears, tears of fear, happy tears, tears of relief, you name it, I've felt it and probably cried about it.

Tonight, I can't stop crying the absolute best tears I've ever felt. This morning I watched my sweet Leah stand up her in ball pit--holding nothing, then I watched her do it in the middle of the floor, and then again in the ball pit. Then this evening I watched her stand up in the middle of the floor and walk across the room, she fell, put her hands down and got herself right back up!! My heart is filled with pride and sheer joy!!!!

I think she's there! On Friday, our PT said she thinks in a month she'll be fully walking--while I can't believe I'm admitting this...I think it will be MUCH, MUCH sooner!!!!

Update...

Ok, here is the last and final update on the brace situation. I appreciate all of your feedback--It's been really helpful!

After a ton of stress and a few tears we have decided not to buy the brace ourselves. We will in fact be going through the state.

We have discussed this thoroughly with Leah's PT and OT and we all have decided that it will not make much of a difference right now. Leah is not walking yet, so that would mean that she would only be in the brace for an hour a day. The brace will only really "work" when Leah is more upright anyway. We are pretty convinced that Leah will be fully walking in the next month or so (she took 10 independent steps today!!!!), and we will get the brace from the state within 2 months. Our PT has pushed for us to get it within 2 months, rather then 4! We feel confident that our choice is the right one for us and for Leah. This was one of the hardest decisions we've had to make! It was a lot of money--but we would have found a way to make it work. We have decided that if in a month she is fully walking, then we can revisit buying the brace if we have not received it yet.

Leah's a superstar and is rocking out this taking steps thing! It's such a pleasure to see her take steps across the room! I took a video at PT today, but I waited until the end and she was not happy! She was crying while walking towards me! I'll try to get it up later!

Brace Yourselves...It's another post about "The Brace".

If I didn't like the idea of the brace months ago, you better believe that after dealing with this for so long and continuing to deal with it--I still don't like the idea of it!

This brace will be the end of me...

I know, I know--once we have it,everything will be good! It's the getting it part that is driving me batty!

You see, my state apparently is dysfunctional (Blago anyone?!). Our PT was telling me that the Illinois State programs are notoriously S-L-O-W when it comes to certain things. Lucky (note the sarcasm) for us, one of those things is braces and orthodics. So, like I mentioned in my previous post we will be waiting for 3-4 months from NOW, if we go through the state. Well, we can't do that. We can not sit and wait for something, knowing that time will pass and we will have done nothing to correct the issues Leah is having. Since our insurance won't cover any of it--we've decided to foot the bill. Oh yeah, remember how I said it was going to be around $350--yeah, double that--that's what we will be paying. Happy freaking New Year!

Turns out that when the PT who does the casting gave me the price, she failed to discuss with me what Leah would need on her right foot. So, on top of a rather large brace on her left (effected) leg, she needs a smaller yet, still up to the ankle, brace on her right leg. :( I prepared for months for the left brace, I was finally ready--let's do it--and now I have to think about another brace. I thought we would just be able to get away with an insert--but nope, she is overcompensating too much and turning in her right foot. That's our story. I've made our PT promise me that the next brace Leah needs that we will start the state process well in advance.

Ugh. The Brace.

The Last Post of 2008...

Things I've Learned Over The Past Year...

1) That life throws you curves, just when you aren't expecting it. These curves are not always bad...but sometimes throw you off for a bit!

2) That kids can have strokes.

3) That there is this whole other world of parents of children who have had strokes.

4) That Leah is an amazing, persistent, feisty little girl.

5) I learned what Occupational Therapy was!

6) I've learned about the brain, like I've never thought I would. I learned about Neurologists, Hematologists, and Physiatrists.

7) I've learned about splints, braces, casting, and botox.

8) I've learned that Leah is going to be ok. In the beginning 'Hemiparesis' was such a scary thing. I would lay awake crying at night about her future. Well, I still have my sad and scared moments, I really can see how amazing Leah is going to do in her life.

9) I've learned that friends don't have to be physically near, or that you don't even have to have met them in real life. My Internet friends have been one of the most amazing sources of stability in my life through-out this past year. I would not have been half as calm as I am without you all.

10) I've learned that sometimes my heart hurts for Leah, but more times my heart beams with happiness and pride for her.

11)I've learned that I'm a lot stronger then I thought.

12)I've learned that I have the most amazing husband and family, who have cried with me and laughed with me more this year then any year before.

13) I've learned that I'm the luckiest girl in the world.

I'm sure there is more that I've learned that I'm forgetting, but I just wanted to thank everyone for a WONDERFUL year!

I hope everyone has a HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Here's to an amazing 2009!

I Knew You Could!

Last Friday, I needed to return something to Borders and while I was there I noticed a large section with children's books. I went over just to see what they had and the books were greatly discounted! I bought Leah about 5 books for $5 each, this was off of the list price as high as $18. I thought it was a good deal and you can't have too many books!

When I was searching through the books I landed on one called "I Knew You Could" By Craig Dorfman (http://www.amazon.com/Knew-You-Could-Craig-Dorfman/dp/0448431483). I didn't read it until I got home, but something about the title drew me in. On the front of the book is a train, I later learned that this book is part of "The Little Engine That Could" series. Anyway, I found myself reading the book to Leah that night with tears in my eyes. I imagined us 5 years from now reading that book and it having so much more meaning. It's a book to 'celebrate all the stops' in your life. Here are a few excerpts from the book. It's about a train who needs to choose his track in life and on that track he sees different things.
I highly recommend it!




"I knew you could! And you knew it, too--
That you'd come out on top after all you've been through.
And from here you'll go farther and see brand-new sights.
You'll face brand-new hills that rise to new heights...

...Sometimes you'll look up and see planes in the sky.
And you'll think to yourself, "I wish I could fly."
The cars on the road will seem quick and free--
You'll feel stuck on your track and think, "I wish that were me."...

...But the plane might wish he could get out of the air.
Saying, "I wish I could travel like that train down there."...

...Don't worry about not being a car or a plane,
Just enjoy the trip you'll take as a train...

...On the days that you're sad and feel you can't go,
Speak up and ask a friend for a tow...

...Try to remember the world is so wide,
Full of all kinds of people with their own trains to ride.
Just stay true to yourself as you travel your track,
With no second-guessing and no looking back...

...When belief in yourself doesn't feel quite so pure,
And your "I think I can" doesn't quite sound so sure,...

...That's when to push and to strive and to strain,
To show the world you're not a giving-up train.
And you're wise if you know that doing your best
Means that sometimes you should slow down and rest...

...There's more to life that you'll learn as you go,
Because figuring things out on your own helps you grow.
Just trust in yourself, and you'll climb every hill.
Say, "I think I can" and you know what?

You will!"

One Foot in Front of the Other....

While she still needs a bit more time to get her balance, here are some little baby steps!!! She's almost impossible to video tape, because she always wants to grab the camera!!!




Thank You everyone who gave me some insight on my last post. I do think we are going to purchase this brace and have the state purchase the next one.