Christmas at Disneyland!

We finally got to see the wonder of Christmas at Disney! It was so amazing! They really go all out with their decorations. It was also the dirt time we went with Addie walking. She had a really great time! Her fave rides were the little mermaid, monsters inch, a utopia and pirates. She got to meet tinker bell (she is obsessed with her right now) and Lightning McQueen and really liked both of them. She didn't want to have anything to do with the other characters including Santa and Minnie......

   

Getting her "high fives"

Addie is going around getting her high fives after walking today. She also learned how to say "high five" and I think it is so damn cute!!!

Addie is walking!!!!

Today Addie really started walking! She took about 10-20 steps at a time back and forth about 30 times. She was so excited and would wait for her "yays" after each time and then go around and get high fives from everyone. She even tried it on her very own a few times without any coaxing from mom. By the end of the night she was exhausted and her poor little legs were like jelly.

Addie was diagnosed with bilateral CDH at birth and wore the Pavlik Harness from 5 days to 3 weeks. This corrected her left hip. After that she wore a hip abduction orthosis until 5 months when she had a closed reduction followed by 12 weeks in a Spica cast. At 15 months she had a Salter Osteotomy on her right hip and was in another Spica cast for 5 weeks. The pins were removed 2 weeks post surgery. She is now 21 months old, her hips look great and she is WALKING!!!! Yay!!!! Praise God!!!

Today is the day I have been looking forward to for so long! I am so proud of her and can say emphatically that it was worth it!!!!!

Thanks everyone for all your support and advice!! For those of you that are just starting your journey, it does get better! One day you will look back and realize that everything your LO went through was what brought you to this day and you will be so happy! Keep your chins up and your eyes to God! He WILL get you through!!!

COOKIES!!!!

Today Addie and I made chocolate chip cookies together for the first time. We had a great and messy time! She loved it and was such a great little helper. I think I might have a tiny chef (or tiny foody.) I know I shouldn't let her eat the dough but how can you make cookies and not have a little taste? 1 lick never hurt anyone, right?

**FREE** Ivy Rose Spica Chair!

Now that Addie has had a few "good news" check-ups it is time to give away her Spica Chair! She absolutely loved this chair while she was in her casts and it was a lifesaver! It's not really something that can be shipped but if you live in Nevada, let me know.....we can probably meet somewhere to deliver it or you can pick it up! It's really cute. Light pink and red with the ABC's done in strawberry's on the top and the saying "Life is Delicious." It was going to be a Strawberry Shortcake theme but I never finished it. It's super easy to paint if you wanted to re-paint it. Email me, hippyaddie@yahoo.com if you're interested.

MORE GREAT NEWS!!

Addie had her 6 month post-surgery follow up today and she is doing great! Her hips look exactly as they should and she is on the right track! It is so exciting!! We have another check up in 3 months and then we start 6 month check-ups! She is cruising everywhere, stands all by herself and took 2 independent steps!

Family Vacation in CANCUN!!!

We had a BLAST in Cancun! We swam everyday, saw dolphins and baby turtles and ate alot of yummy food! We also got to be a part of our great friends wedding -Congrats Derek and Val! 

ICE CREAM!

GG made homemade ice cream with berries today and Addie loved it!! She was making such a mess but was enjoying it so much I decided to just take her shirt off rather than take it away.
-Kristy

Addie and her Aunt Shauna

-Kristy

Addie's first boat trip and tube ride!

We went boating with Grandpa, Uncle Todd, Aunt Marci and Ireland. Addie had so much fun and was dancing around smiling the whole time. Grandpa talked me into letting her go on a tube ride (a slow one of course.) She loved it!! She was pretty laid back about it until she went over a wave and then just giggled hysterically! I guess Daddy might get a boat after all.
-Kristy

Last night in a brace, EVER!!!

So last night Addie wore her brace for the last time. It isn't a great pic but I wanted to remember the day and how happy I am to be closing this chapter in our lives. This journey has been so hard and although we haven't seen the last of the ortho I am so happy we have seen the last of the brace!

-Kristy

Pavlik Harnesses and Hip Abduction Braces NEEDED!!!

So I recently had the amazing opportunity to speak with a woman named Betty Lenoir who works with an organization called SHOWHOPE.ORG about a need for gently used or new Pavlik Harnesses and Hip abduction braces for an orphanage in Louyang, China called Maria's Big House of Hope. This is a very poor section of China, with over 700 orphans, mostly deserted due to the population control mandates.  Children 0-5 years old are brought from the orphanages to MBHOH for corrective surgeries. After surgery, they stay until adoption or placement in foster homes, or until they turn 7, when they must return to the orphanage.    MBHOH has been open for 2 years.


 
Show Hope approached the company she works for (STAR Physical Therapy) to assist them with  physical therapy for the children.   They are sending 2 PTs to China to assess the needs and come up with a plan. DDH is a common diagnosis for these children and they need all sizes of harnesses and braces on hand.

I am going to donate my used braces and also call my Ortho's office to see about them donating some new ones. I have also contacted Rhino Pediatrics (maker of the Rhino Cruiser and Rhino Pavlik) to see if they would be able to donate anything.


If any of you are interested in helping out, please let me know. I am so excited to have the opportunity! My email is hippyadie@yahoo.com or vacationsrock@msn.com

You can also send any used Pavlik's or braces directly to Betty

Betty Lenoir
Star Physical Therapy
789 Tennessess St
Bolivar TN, 38008

Thanks!!

Recent Brace pics

Here are some pics of Addie in her Hip abduction brace and Rhino cruiser. The only real difference we can see between the 2 is that the rhino cruiser does not have the "nut" on the bottom that makes it adjustable. This is actually really nice for Addie because when she sits she doesn't have that hard plastic on her bottom. She is now only wearing a brace at night but WOW, she is so good at getting around in that thing! She is AMAZING!!!

Addie's check-up

We went for Addie's check up today and we go the most amazing news! Her hip is doing great and she will now only have to wear her brace at night for 6 more weeks and then she is DONE!!!! We are feeling so amazingly grateful and blessed! God has answered our prayers!! Thank you everyone for all your wonderful support and prayers!

Gma and Aunt Brooke come to visit!

Addie had an amazing time playing with her Gma and aunt Brooke for a week! She misses them already!

Doing some computer work

She's getting pretty good at crawling in her brace!!

lunch with a Princess!

CAST OFF!!!!

Today we went to the Dr. to get Addie's hip checked and the CAST IS OFF!!!!! WHOO HOO!!!! We are so excited. She was fairly traumatized by the cast saw but is happy to have her legs back. At dinner tonight she kept pointing to them pinching them and laughing! She was looking at me like, "is this real, mom?" It was a great moment and I am happy to have her legs back too!

Her hip looks great! The Dr. said it couldn't be a more perfect result. She does have to wear the brace full time for about 6 weeks. I won't say she is back to normal, she is very sore and seems to be in pain alot of the time. She doesn't want to move her leg and does not like to be touched anywhere near her hip. She still has the pins in ( they will be removed on 5/10) which is probably contributing to her discomfort. We are only on day 2 and she is starting to move a little. She rolled over and sat up on her own yesterday-so proud of her!!

Just like everything else we have been through, I am sure this will take some getting used to. It's a good thing I have such a tough little girl!

Happy Easter!!

We had a wonderful Easter with friends at our house. Our dinner was yummy and we all contributed a little something to the feast. Addie does not normally eat eggs but she was LOVING her deviled egg, as you can see by her messy face. I was disappointed that she wasn't able to do an easter egg hunt and found myself cursing the cast once again but there is always next year, right??