Ok, back off...

It never fails. When too much time has lapsed between pictures and posts about Allie, I hear about it. There's a group of gals that police this blog like a neighborhood watch committee and let me know when the blog is too Allie light. So the charming and beautiful Susan got out the digital camera today and photographed a typical morning Allie and Pop-Pop interaction.

"Bus driver, bus driver! Open the door!"

"All that for a picture?"

"You can't be serious."

"You're serious."

The safest place in the world.

Going for a Walk

Here's Allie being prepped for a walk down town. Down town is about eight blocks away. Notice how the funky pink camouflage design of the stroller clashes with the plaid print of the hat. The blind never have much to say about the fashions their caretakers and handlers dress them in. Case in point: Stevie Wonder. Can you imagine the phone calls that guy must get from friends and family members after an awards night televised world-wide?

"Stevie. Who ever dressed you the other night for the music awards needs to be unemployed."

"Stevie. Who put those God-awful sunglasses on yo' face?"

"Stevie. Did you feel something hit you in the face? Those were beads braided into yo' hair like you was Bo Derek. You need to fire somebody."

I digress.

Allie and I were off to the used book store and then Starbucks, her favorite place for brownies. Starbucks is 4 tenths of a mile from my house. Add the book store to the loop and we have a little over a mile walk round trip.

She loves her cheapo umbrella stroller. She feels the texture of the sidewalk and the street. The sidewalks here in Eureka are at least 50 years old made of concrete and rock. Downtown in Old Town, the side walks are cobblestone. Allie kicks her feet, tries to look back at me, and we call out to each other yelling "AAAAAH!" back and forth. Moments like these make me so incredibly happy and thankful. Our hard times are minimized down to microscopic proportions. I'm so glad to I've been given a new perspective.

Continued Progress

Allie continues to make progress. For several months, her progress was minuscule, almost unnoticeable. But lately, every time she goes to therapy she dos something new. Monday, she rolled over. Yesterday, she made eight purposeful strikes on a little piano with her right hand from a sitting position. She knew what she wanted to do and she was visibly happy with the pay off.

Rena, Alli's occupational therapist was so pleased. She was very frank. She let me know that when she first met Allie, her expectations for significant progress was not that high. Allie has exceeded expectations by far. Shoulder movement is still limited, but Allie is working against gravity with her movements which will continue to improve. Th muscles around her ribs need to loosen up some more.

The biggest hurdle Allie faces is the brain damage. But it is evident that she comprehends much more than she is able to communicate or make happen with her body. But this is good for now. It seems that the brain activity for necessary movement is present. So continue to pray for Alli as her rehabilitation progresses.

roll over

Yesterday at physical therapy, Allie surprised Rena (the occupational therapist) and I by rolling over. She tucked her little hand under her little chest and did a one armed push-up and - plunk - over she went from her belly onto her back.

Then this morning, while the charming and beautiful Susan and I were having coffee, Allie went from her belly onto her back pushing off with her right hand. So were seeing this more and more. We're pretty stoked.

Bald is Beautiful

At least that's what Allie thinks.

We discovered Allie's quirky affection for a dome that's often scraped smooth by a Bic when lifting her over my head to play.

She puts her hands down and the stubbly texture of my skull makes her giddy.  The charming and beautiful Susan isn't all that crazy about me shaving my head every other day (she would rather me buzz it with clippers every other week, but what's a quarter inch of hair between lovers is what I say), but we love Allie's laughter.