Big Bang Theory

Allie got her first little haircut today.


Allie has a serious affection for the lady that cut her hair today, as you can see. A true bond.


We said good-bye to her bangs. They were in her eyes. She was cute before, but this is over the top.


Allie can't wait to grow her hair back so this beautiful lady can come visit again and cut her hair.


Big bangs are out. Cute is in.

Allie's favorite commercials

Allie spends time every morning catching up on the latest goings on with the Clinton campaign and other world news with Fox and Friends every morning. Her favorite commercials are those silly Credit Report.Com commercials. She stops what she's doing and listens and laughs.

up, up and away

Oh, if only I could fly. Admit it: you know you wish you could fly. Here we are simulating that flying sensation for Allie and blow drying her hair at the same time. Sometimes, this makes her puke. But even so, she has a smile and a giggle that begs for more. Besides, there's nothing as cute as baby puke.

Play is Work

Allie is not a big fan of the paparazzi - but she does love the grandpaparazzi.


I brought a camera to her occupational/physical therapy appointment today. I wanted you to see the work Rena is doing with her. Rena sits with Allie to help her learn to use her hands.


One of Allie's biggest challenges is that her muscles are so tight that it hurts to stretch her hands out which, in turn, limits how much she'll learn to use them. Rena has helped Allie regain an huge portion of her motor skills and Rena is teaching us what to do with Allie at home to keep her limber and exploring the world around her through touch.


Pictured here on this swingie thingie is Melissa the therapist transplant from California. She's tough and will not let Allie turn in to a good-for-nothin' slacker I'm here to tell ya. She works and challenges Allie and Allie, even though she registers complaints, loves Melessa. They've built an instant rapport with one another. As you can see, Melissa trust Allie enough to let her drive that thing hanging from the ceiling.


Here Allie is catching some serious air. No doubt Allie will be a stunt car driver or sky diver or rodeo star.

Check back later...

Check back later for pictures of Alley in her new physical therapy routine(?). listen

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Two Words

"Cookie"

"ba-ba"

This said in a conversation with Allie by Allie this morning.

 

Technorati tags: allie's story, first words

Jump-a-roo

We bought Allie this jump-a-roo. Sometimes she like it and sometimes she's not to into it. She' not quite ready to bounce, but she will hang out in it for a little while.

Being up in a vertical position is an entirely new thing for Allie if she's not being held by one of us. She like the perspective. We also do exercises with her where she lays on her belly on her elbows. While she's up on her elbows, she's gained enough head control that she can look around which she loves to do; looking from right to left kicking her feet laughing and smiling and slobbering. I can't help but to drop everything and smother her whole face with kisses. Sometimes I get a mouthful of Allie drool but oh well.

Today we met Michelle Allie's physical therapist along with Melissa, the new girl, Melissa, a transplant from SoCal. Melissa is taking over as Allie's main therapist and she's awesome. Allie really loves Melissa and Melissa has done a great job of establishing instant rapport with Allie.

Melissa had Allie stand in a shoe box full of bean the other day. Allie thought it was so great. Melissa's tough, but thorough. We're expecting big things with Melissa on the case.

So, as I was saying, we met Michelle and Melissa today down at Hangar Prosthetics. They fit Allie for leg braces today. We were not looking forward to this because Allie is not usually very cooperative when a bunch of people are huddled over her while she lays on a table. But, this morning, Allie was a team player. It was unprecedented behavior for her. She played with toys with Melissa while Michelle and a technician put casts on both legs to make a mold for Allie's braces.

Later in the day, Charity and Allie and I took a ride up to Arcata and hung out on the plaza. Allie did great in both the car and walking around Arcata while we took turns holding her.

Today was a good day.

techni colored coat

Have you ever seen such a beautiful baby? This little number Allie is sporting is made from 100% Ecuadorean wool. So much color never looked so good until worn by this little lady.

Char the amazing ballerina nurse was over today checking in on Allie. Allie has put on thirteen ounces since two weeks ago. That's like an ounce a day. And she's grown half an inch in the past five weeks. That's like a tenth of an inch a week. It wasn't that long ago that we were pleading with you for your prayers because Allie wasn't putting on any weight.

Well, thanks for praying. And don't quit. We've gotten too accustom to God answering your prayers for us.

Allie's Physical Therapy Update

Allie had a recent evaluation that I thought I'd share with those of you who are interested. I know that many of you are praying for us. I need you to keep it up. We attribute the success Allie has experienced to your fervent prayers. By the way, Michelle and Rena, Allie's therapists, are awesome. Their love for their work and this little girl are incredibly evident.

Dates of Evaluation: December 17 & 24, 2007

Diagnosis: Status post nonaccidental head injury, cortical visual impairment, optic atrophy.
Treating Diagnosis: Quadriplegia

Parent Concerns: Allie's grandfather is pleased with her progress. He would like to see her use her hands more effectively and be able to roll.

Functional Skills:
Mobility: Allie is dependent in mobility. She is able to roll occasionally from prone to supine but does not yet roll consecutively for mobility. She is usually carried by her grandparents. For distances, Ali uses a jogging stroller.

Transfers: Allie is dependent in all transfers as she is unable to push up into sitting or pull to stand.

Muscle Tone: Allie has markedly increased tone especially around her hips, hamstrings, and shoulders.

Balance/Gross Motor Skills: Allie is able to roll prone to supine with moderate (sometimes minimal) assistance. She is not able to push up into quadruped or prop on her elbows in prone but is able to maintain quadruped with assistance when placed. She is not able to pull into knee stand or standing. She is able to stand with support but not balance in standing, and when held in standing, feet are plantar flexed to about 60 degrees bilaterally and her hips are flexed 30 degrees.

Allie can step reflexively when held in standing, with excess ankle plantar flexion, hip adduction.

Allie has fair head control and can usually hold her head up in supported sitting. She has inconsistent head righting which is better on the left compared to the right. Allie is not able to sit by herself but is able to sit with moderate support. She is able to balance momentarily when placed in sitting but lacks equilibrium and protective responses to sit without falling.

Progress: Allie met her goals of being able to tolerate side-lying in preparation for rolling, the ability to flex her neck forward and laterally against gravity when held with support as well as rolling from side-lying to supine from prone. New goals were set in September 2007 for mobility - scooting and rolling two feet towards toys with assistance - she has not met this goal.

She met her goal of sitting with moderate assistance, but not transferring in and out of sitting with moderate assistance. She is making progress towards these goals but has not yet attained them.

Summary: Allie is an 18 month-old girl with a diagnosis of spastic quadriplegia secondary to nonaccidental head injury. She also has significant visual impairment. She has made progress in Physical Therapy in the past six months as she is now much more tolerant of being handled/moved, and has demonstrated better head control, is able to be positioned in sitting with support, and is able to roll prone to supine inconsistently. She continues to have significantly increased tone, particularly in her hips and shoulders. She has significant contractures of her hip adductors and flexors, and slight hamstring tightness bilaterally. Her grandparents are excellent at following through with suggestions for activities and exercises given by this therapist and are consistent in attending Allie's therapy appointments.

Goals:

Improve transfers - Allie will be able to

1. sit independently when propped for one minute when placed
2. push up from side-lying to sitting with moderate assistance
3. support self in quadrupled for thirty seconds when placed in preparation for creeping and moving in/out of sitting

Improve mobility - Allie will be able to

1. scoot or roll two feet to obtain a toy

Recommendations:

1. Continue Physical Therapy twice weekly
2. Obtain AFOs (ankle-foot orthosis) for lower extremity positioning in sitting and standing

Orange Crush

This mash of orange mess is carrots and sweet potatoes. Allie waits until her mouth is good and full of goo, and then she jams a few fingers into the mess so she can massage her gums.

That's her left hand, by the way. Allie's gaining more control over her left hand. What's significant here is that Allie is learning to self-soothe. Before, if she itched or something hurt, she couldn't do anything about it. Can you imagine? We've all had an itch we can't reach, but not every itch. Now she finds a way to make herself comfortable.

What's become sort of funny is that Allie has learned how to inflict some pain on us. Watch out! She bites. It's turned into a bit of a game. We never let Charity and Aaron bite, but then it's taken all these years to figure out that we taste good. Allie can bite all she wants just as long as she doesn't draw blood.

You've been warned.