Keeping busy...

Mabel's walking is amazing - so amazing that she doesn't want to sit still! She's off around the house and sometimes she doesn't want my mother to follow her during the day! She often claims her baby doll has a dirty diaper so she can go into the other room for a baby wipe all by herself. She also has been really working on her vocabulary! My little walker is also a little talker. No one would really know it by just spending a minute with her - she needs to warm up to people, but around the house, wow! She's saying things like, "Mommy Mabel up stairs." "Baby Doll diaper dirty. Baby wipe!" "New ball down stairs." "Mommy zucchini bread, encore!" "Yummy Yummy Mabel's Tummy!" She's just putting words right together!

Yesterday Mabel and I had lots of errands to run. We had to stop at four stores all together and she did great. I remember when she was newborn through oh...eight months the thought of bringing her to the store was terrifying. I was never one of the those mothers that just brought my baby right out after birth - in my defence it was winter and she was a premie! And then once I started feeling confident that she wouldn't freak out in the store then she had to be in the spica cast and couldn't fit into the shopping cart or her stroller! Now, it is a breeze. She loves riding in the cart and pointing out the other babies. Our last stop was Target and we went down the baby doll isle (I'm a kid at heart too) plus I was scoping out clearance deals for Christmas. We walked by all those awful "baby alive" dolls that activate and start talking, crawling and playing peekaboo when we were leaving the isle and after that until we got home she kept saying "Baby Robot!" "Baby Robot Crawls!" Yes, my 20 month old has "robot" in her vocabulary thanks to Zack calling her pooh bear that sings "Robot Pooh". Now I was beyond impressed that she got the meaning for "robot" as something that is animated and then combined it with baby. Oh yeah, she talked about those robot babies all day!

Sunday we went to the Zoo in the morning. Zack and I talked about the beach, it is the end of the season but honestly neither of us felt like it. We talked about the zoo before and thought Mabel wold like it and she LOVED it! She loves to people watch so the other people there were just as interesting to her as the animals. They had a butterfly exhibit and she loved seeing the flowers and butterflies fluttering around. Then the next love the lama - she loved the lama. The lama really put on a show for her too laying down and rolling in the dirt. After that it was all "Lama encore!" She saw lots of other animals and loved them all. After that we got ice cream (hey, its the weekend!) and headed home for a terrible nap. Poor Mabel couldn't sleep after all that excitement. If you asked her about he Zoo and what she saw she'd tell you "Lama lay down." She also would tell you "Big mineau!" the big cats and "Big Bear!" She is too cute!

Saturday was fun too! We went to Mabel's first real friend birthday party. Mabel's little playmate turned one on Saturday. It was a beautiful day and they had a nice party out in their back yard. Mabel ate yummy food, played with the balloons, counted the balloons, talked about the balloons and played on the swing set and in the grass. The birthday boy needed his nap around one and Mabel was done then too! I have to say that having a summer birthday is so much more fun than a winter birthday. My birthday is in the winter and my brother's in the summer. I remember hating that growing up! He had all these great birthdays at our camp where we could swim and mine? It would snow and I couldn't have friends over or I had to go to school. I'm afraid that Mabel too will have to endure that, I just hope our next child has a winter birthday too, that way neither can feel slighted. We have decided for Mabel's sake to have her "half birthday" celebration in June so she can at least have the summer birhday experience a little bit! Man I would have loved that!

It has been a crazy week, but aren't they all? Mabel also has taken to saying her full name! First middle and last. I know I go on, but she's a genius!

Shoes, Shoes, Shoes...

My little walker needed new shoes this week. Mabel's walking has only gotten better as well as her determination to walk every where and check out EVERYTHING. Not only is she a great walker, but she also seems to have gotten taller - or at the every least she's reaching more for stuff! She's now grabbing things on tables, counters and even unrolling the toilet paper. You name it she's checking it out. I think that her new found mobility and confidence that she can do it so well has lead her to be more interested in the stuff she now sees from her walking perspective. She's an amazing little thing. Lucky for us she does listen and follow direction really well. Needless-to-say, my mother is sleeping better after chasing her all day Tuesday through Friday, but ironically Mabel isn't going to bed any earlier, in fact she seems to want to push sleep off more!

So this past weekend we decided Mabel needs new shoes. Her size fours were getting small. It makes me laugh to think in April she was only a size two. Certainly walking does encourage the feet to grow! My little mobile Mabel now measures a size 5.5! I couldn't believe it. So we got some cute little sandals and sneakers. It makes me happy seeing those feet grow, but as a Mummy I do get teary thinking of her growing so fast. She's a true toddler - but always my baby!

We had a great week and weekend. Nothing too exciting, just fun. We took a Saturday ice cream trip - who doesn't love that? We also chose some perennial flowers for Mabel's Garden in the back yard. Mabel loved walking around the nursery pointing at things and smelling flowers. Zack likes to pick a flower for Mabel when he comes home so we got some daisies and black-eyed Susans for the back walk way as well as a hydrangea. We aren't gardeners but it looks nice. Next spring Mabel will love picking the flowers! Sunday as we left a store Mabel got a scare when I fell in the parking lot caring her! I tripped over a break in the hard-top and went right down, I did all I could to protect Mabel and she didn't even touch the ground. My knees on the other hand didn't fair so well and now Mabel is quick to talk about my "boo-boo knee." Poor little thing - poor me. I'm still shaken up thinking how she could have gotten hurt! She was fine until people ran over to us, then she cried, but she seemed fine shortly after. Me? Ouch I'm sore, it hasn't been a great weekend for me since on that same foot I stubbed my toe really bad Saturday night. I'm a mess...Better me than Mabel!

Yesterday Mabel and I went again to the indoor play center. She loves it there and I'm so proud of her. Her interaction is really good, she shares and she listens. She asks "please" when she wants something and watching her explore is so much fun for me. I think the play center is a great addition to our Monday routine on rainy days. We were hoping for the park, but this was better to be honest with you. Also, the talking is still going great. "Pineapple" and "Zucchini Bread" were added this weekend not only to her vocabulary but her diet! She is just too great! Every day is an adventure!

It is offical...

It finally happened...Mabel got the big OK that her walking is now normal! That's right NORMAL. Yesterday we had our weekly physical therapy session. Once I got Mabel's shoes off and put her on the mat and she started walking the doctor said, "Yes! She did it!!!" I couldn't be more proud. It was a session of mixed emotion as I realized that this has become quite a part of our routine, I mean Mabel loved going and really loved her doctor. Of course at the same time I couldn't be happier to have my Mabel walking like a normal toddler. Mabel showed off all her tricks, played, the doctor had her do some things to check her hips and flexibility and then she told us we were discharged...and cried. You know we've met a lot of people during this process of treatment and healing for Mabel's hip, some were wonderful, some were not so great, but by far her physical therapist I knew really did care about Mabel and wanted to make sure she would be OK. I'll be honest, I cried myself in the car on the drive home, poor Mabel probably had no clue what was going on, but she seemed fine with everything. She certainly knew that we were so proud of her progress and how far she has come. I think back to the first physical therapy session almost six months ago and I remember how Mabel could barely move her left leg, never mind hardly sit and now she's full blown walking normal with full movement of her hips, knees and feet. The doctor said the biggest worry she had for Mabel was knowing that as Mabel walks that is what will deepen her hip sockets as she grows, so she really wanted to make sure that everything was lined up and moving the way it should before she discharged her - and now everything is great! She said Mabel looks like a baby that has been walking for over three months! Lets just say that she certainly has been practicing!

So yes, Yeah Mabel!

I didn't know what to say to the doctor except thank you. I think I'll write her a letter really telling her how much we appreciate what she did for Mabel and make sure she knows how thankful we are that we had someone who really cared about Mabel's progress and Mabel in general.

Well...I've had people ask me when I was going to stop updating about Mabel's hip, when I was going to finally figure our hip journey is over. I don't know for sure. I started this particular blog as a combination of therapy for me and help for others and a journal that I could print for Mabel so in the future she can see what this time of her life was really like. You never know maybe she could have a baby with hip dysplasia and this could help her relate - or at the very least it would help her understand how strong she (and we) really are. Everyone has a story and I wanted to give Mabel a hard copy of a big part of hers. She won't remember this time so I needed to tell it to her. I tried my best to really document the hip news in our lives. I'll keep it current as changes or appointments come, but perhaps this may be the start of something new!

Our Thursday routine...

So we had our typically Thursday morning again, complete with the rushing around so we could leave the house by 7:50 to get to physical therapy. I was actually very excited to show the doctor how good Mabel has been walking. I also was very nervous that she may pick up on something wrong with it too.

Mabel instantly started off by pointing out the new ball that was in the ball area. She also has taken to using "s" after words both for plural and possessives. I don't know why she focused on that detail but I think it is so cute. The other morning she pointed at my fork at breakfast and said "Mama's" and then hers "Mabel's" and of course "Papa's". She also will say cookies, babies for her two dolls and a books, stuff like that. I was impressed, but the doctor - she was blown away. She was also very happy with Mabel's walking, although (as I feared) she noticed that Mabel is pointing her left foot out as she steps. She also commented that Mabel may be flat footed? But then said it may just look that way because of her knee alignment so she can't tell for sure. So Mabel walked around holding two baby dolls, saying "Dolls", "Two Babies" and stuff like that and the doctor couldn't get over it. She keeps saying how smart Mabel is for her age and of course I think she's a genius, I mean what mother doesn't think that about her child, but the doctor said, "No, she is way ahead!". She said to me that with what she does she has to keep track of developmental skills as well as physical because with the kids she sees she needs to sometimes figure out if their physical problems are part of developmental set backs. She pulled out some books and looked through based on what Mabel was doing. She said that seeing Mabel identify red, green, yellow, purple and blue - by showing her the colored peg and saying the word was a 36 month skill. She then said using the possessive term and plural term is typically a 42-47 month skill. I thought she was going to die when I told her how Mabel makes her dolls say "Hi Mabel" in a high pitched voice...she was like "Pretend Play!" That's off the charts!

So yes, Mabel is gifted - but I knew that! I love hearing it. Seriously, Mabel is really smart and she always has had a focused personality even as a very young baby. I worry sometimes, I mean when she was younger she was never one of those babies that just sat there all goofy, drooling and laughing at their hands. She was always so serious and aware. She knows how to have fun, but I don't want her to over think things...like me!

Anyway, we had a great physical therapy session and go back next week. The doctor said it is just some tweaking of her walking. She put some kinesio tape on Mabel's leg to help encourage the foot to stay forward. It does seem to help. Mabel loves her tape, she gets it from time to time. The doctor puts band aids on it to hold it down and Mabel loves to point them out - this time it was "Finding Nemo" themed. So this week we just keep walking and the doctor will see how she looks next week. I guess the muscle group in the back of her left leg is still undeveloped and that is what is causing her to lock her knee and turn her foot out...that stupid spica cast. It has been six months and we are still working out the kinks! So we will keep going to our physical therapy sessions until everything looks good, I was a little disappointed we haven't graduated yet to "normal", but what is "normal anyway right? Honestly I'm fine with going back to our weekly visit, Mabel even likes going. I'm just so thankful we are in physical therapy, I would recommend it to anyone who's baby was in a spica cast - I guess the secret is to find a really good pediatric therapist too!

We hate going to the doctors...

As always it has been a exciting few days. Mabel broke out with a rash the last week in the creases of her elbows and knees. It looked like a little heat rash but when she started scratching it on Tuesday I called the doctor and brought her in on Wednesday. Mabel hates going to the doctors, especially her primary doctor since she remembers everything, especially shots. The nurse that escorted us to the room was the nurse that typically has the unfortunate task of giving Mabel her shots at her well baby check-ups and Mabel recognized her right away. She had the most serious look on her face as the nurse weighed her and tried to talk to her. When the nurse left the room Mabel turned and looked at me and actually said, "Oh no Mama!"

Well, after one look the doctor said eczema. Really? Is that possible, she was in a spica cast for 12 weeks and not even a slight rash! But it is and we got some medicated cream for it and she's much better. Man, I'm glad she never got a break out in that cast, that would have been awful! I guess it just has been so hot lately and with the humidity that is what did it. I count my blessings that Mabel's casting was from October through January and not in the heat of the summer! I feel for anyone who's baby is casted during the hot months, that adds a whole new element to the experience.

Mabel's free spirit has taken her to liking to "drive". This obsession started when we went to the beach a few weeks ago and I was changing Mabel in the car. I had to change her in the front seat and after she had her diaper on I handed her to Zack in the drivers seat so I could get her clothes together...so began the love to pretend to drive the car complete with the "vroom-vroom" sounds. I don't want to encourage this too much seeing as she gets older it may be dangerous her to think it is acceptable to climb into the drivers seat of the car and play with stuff. I vividly remember doing this as a kid and putting the car into neutral by accident. She knows that she needs to sit on Papa's lap so that is good. Now when ever I bring her somewhere and try to strap her in the car seat she just points at the steering wheel and says, "Papa Mabel. vroom-vroom. pleeezzzz?"

Those little legs...

Well, another week and we are still having a blast with the walking. I have to say, no complaints about having a toddling toddler. Everyone told me, "Wait till she walks - you'll wonder why you wanted it so bad!" but you know what, I love it! I love seeing her walk around and stand up by herself and walk with her dolls - everything. I guess if you don't have the prospective I do then having a mobile baby is another story, but this has been a long time coming and so welcomed of a transition.

We've had a great week all together. Everyday Mabel's walking skills get better and better and and she even started to dance yesterday! We had a picnic dinner on the back deck with the radio playing and Mabel just stood up and her little feet started moving and she was dancing and laughing so loud! She's just too funny. We took a couple really nice walks out around town in different stores, I love when Mabel proclaims "Own!" when she wants to walk, but it is a different shopping experience all together when she's lose. We are lucky that when out in public she really prefers to hold our hand so that makes life a lot easier. I can't wait for our Thursday physical therapy - the doctor will be so impressed! I have to say I'll be happy to have the physical therapy behind us even though I know Mabel does like it since to her it is just play time and I do like the doctor and all. Right now it almost feels like everything is normal, our lives don't revolve around Mabel's hips. We don't have another orthopedic appointment until December! Oh, the thought of no doctors...what a wonderful feeling!



So, one thing I learned about Mabel pretty early on is she doesn't perform for people or the camera. If she does something good luck trying to get her to do it for an audience or the camera - she just won't, but as soon as the camera is off or she's alone with us then she's back to talking or walking. Finally I've captured the illusive Mabel on camera actually walking. She won't do much performance as you can see, but still look at that walking! Also, just for the heck of it, the second video is of Mabel playing her harmonica and penny whistle and pretending to burp. She's a one man band!