10/24/06

It has been awhile since we updated the website. The last few months have been really busy.

Mia had her cast removed after her Club Foot treatment. We are thrilled to report that her foot was completely corrected Club Foot wise....wonderful! The way the Ponseti method works is that once the cast is off, they wear a special pair of "night shoes" for several years. These soft shoes have a bar between them and hold the feet in the corrected position so they do not relapse. Similar to braces on your teeth.

I read many stories about babies having a rough time the first few nights sleeping with the new shoes. Mia was such a trooper and has not minded them a single minute.

She wore these "night shoes" day and night for 2 weeks while we waited for her day braces to be ready. She received her day braces and I took her directly to the Stride Rite Shoe Store for her first official pair of shoes. This was extremely important to Mia. She is obsessed with shoes and whenever we leave the house, she will crawl to the back door and bring everyone their shoes....always the correct ones for each person. Each shoe that Mia previously wore did not not stay on her foot. She would keep saying "me" for shoes but nothing would work for more than a minute.

On the day she received her walking braces, we found a pair of shoes that would fit her and I paid for them. I put Mia down in the store and told her that these were her shoes. She held my hand and took a step. She was beaming and said "Wow!!!!". She then took 3 more steps saying "Wow" each time with the biggest smile. I had tears in my eyes. Just so happy for her to be on to this next step. Who would have thought I would have gotten choked up at a shoe store?

We have been practicing Mia's walking daily and recently she got her walker. She is now standing by herself for several seconds and a few times has taken 4-6 steps. We are sooooo proud of her. She is a very determined little girl and is progressing so well.

We have wonderful Speech and Physical Therapists who help us out once a week. Sarah and Mia are enjoying their weekly music class and Caroline is loving 2nd grade. Caroline has enjoyed helping Mia and is very sympathetic. She told Mia she is doing well learning to walk but needs to "work on your steering!" since she is all over the place.

Today I took Mia to the Pediatrician for a Upper Respiratory Infection. He said he is amazed with everything she has been through that she is so forgiving. I think that really sums it up.

It is amazing what she has been through in the short 6 months we have had her home. She does not understand why we have put her though all these medical procedures...yet she completely trusts us. We have been working on her speech daily and she now says after me "I....trying to say love....then you!!!! and gives me the biggest hug. Brad said he notices when he carries her that she holds on even tighter to him.

For now we have just regular check-ups with her and she is finally just able to start enjoying life! Such a blessing!

Holly