What A Difference A Year Makes!

A year ago we were in Charlottesville and Alex had her hamstring lengthening and tendon release surgery. 

 

I'm so very thankful that our surgeries have been limited - I really don't know how some of my friends who do this multiple times a year get through it, it's so taxing on every single ounce of your being.

 

I said it last year and I'll say it again, it's hard watching your baby go from happy....

 

...to this....

 ....to this....

...and even to this once you are back home.

Alex still requires 100% assistance in everything, including shifting her body weight.  She's still dead weight when you pick her up and last week I was out of commission for a few days with muscle spasms in my back.  I rely a ton on Aaron lifting her from place to place so getting her to help assist with transferring and general maneuvering is huge on our priority list, especially the older she gets.  It's something we have been working on for YEARS and while we still have a long way to go to get her legs straight and to get her to help, the surgery has definitely made a difference and she has come such a long way and I'm so proud of her. 

December and January last year were tough months for all of us.  She was in a ton of pain, it was extremely hard to position her and keep her comfortable and it's not something that I've forgotten over the last year.  But.... this was my girl at therapy this morning !

 

God I love that smile!

She loves this new walker.  It is a BEAR to get her into it - I'll have to take separate pictures of that process, but it is so worth it to see her smile and get so excited.  She makes me laugh because she always swipes her right foot three or four times before actually propelling herself forward - she reminds me of a horse :P    We need an indoor track/therapy room at our house or move to someplace warmer!  There's nowhere for her to walk downstairs without bumping into something each step so now that it's colder outside we're using it less and less - I see lots of mall walking over the winter break in our future!  Who knows - maybe a year from now she'll be walking!