December 8, 2007 - Christmas Time is Here Again

Okay, just wanted to jot out a quick little note about Brianna and how well she is doing, and post our Christmas pics.

Brianna is doing very well. Last Thursday, we got her new AFOs readusted. Adam typically makes the AFOs with two pieces, a hard inner shell that wraps around the front of the foot, then the outer shell that wraps around the back. But Brianna's heels weren't sitting back in the outer shell the way they should have. So we had Adam cut the inner shell to where all that is left of it is a piece shaped kinda like a Pringle's potato chip. Well, a little bit more to it than that. It's hard to explain. Anyway, we had him reshape it, and reconfigure the velcro straps so that they buckle differently, and now the AFOs work wonderfully.

We also got a TLSO soft vest made for Brianna. It's not to correct scoliosis, as they normally are. This one is strictly for use in positioning her in her stander, her wheelchair, her walkabout, or other positioning equipment. We tried it on Friday in her wheelchair for the first time, and it's amazing the difference having that vest makes in her ability to control her movements! Granted, she didn't tolerate her therapy as long, but that could've been just as much due to exhaustion as anything. She's been rather fussy the past few days, so I think she might be teething again.

Anyway, other than that, not a whole lot is going on. My sister, Sarah, moved back up here to stay with us. I don't know if I posted in earlier blogs about her staying here with us watching Brianna, or not, but she had been here, but went back to California, so that she could get a job and a place of her own. Well, winter weather set in before she was able to put her plans into action, and there is no way anyone would've been comfortable with her driving that 50 mile stretch of river highway in the winter months. Plus my brothers were starting to get on her nerves. So she asked if she could come back up here, and I told her yes. Now she is going to work at Sunnyside, where I was working, hopefully, and we'll get a three bedroom house or apartment, as soon as we can save enough money for it. I'm anxious. I want that bigger place. Anyway, that's all for now. Here are our Christmas Pics.