What now?

As you read the entry today, enjoy the pics Gracie took. Wow!

Many of you have asked what it means for Gracie to be able to walk. Let me try to explain. Gracie has been able to take steps independently during therapy for a few months. It's just now that she wants to practice outside of therapy. Because of her recent interest and drive, we set up the celebration at Pet Smart last Sunday. She did such a great job! Gracie now must practice and get stronger. She's not ready to walk on her own all of the time. Her strength will allow her to walk about 50 - 70 steps before she tires out.

So our plan is to have her continue to use her crutches (pink, of course) and braces on her feet to provide support. Ideally, Gracie will not use the walker when she returns to school except for long distances and probably the playground. We would love to pass on the walker to a child who really needs it. We're encouraging Gracie to walk from point to point in a room to prepare her for this in her classroom. However, she will probably be a little resistant to this at first. Walking without obstacles is certainly different from walking in a classroom full of active children.

At therapy, Gracie is doing all of her work without the crutches. We alternate between low and high braces. The higher braces give her more support and feedback. The lower braces make her work harder and therefore build her strength. Her walking is slow but beautiful! I can remember seeing another patient walking at therapy last year and wondering if Gracie would ever be able to do that. She is actually taking steps on her own! The other day I made her say aloud, "I can walk." We both smiled with pride.

We will return to St. Louis to see Dr. Park, the neurosurgeon, one more time. Our appointment is scheduled for September 28th. He told me last year that he believed Gracie would walk into his office for her next visit. He was so right!

Gracie Walks in Pet Smart!!

Look at Gracie walking in these photos! She is walking on her own in Pet Smart. We are only walking behind her in case she falls. She is doing it by herself! She was so proud. She had people cheering for her and crying at the same time. The staff in Pet Smart loved the show! She has worked very hard for this special day. Many people were there to watch, but we were mostly pleased that her therapist was there. Laura has worked almost as hard as Gracie! We look forward to the things Laura can help her do in the future. I hope to post some video of this special day soon.

In the last photo you'll see Gracie standing in front of her goals poster. She was able to place the last sticker, ON TOP! Miss Laura is going to help us think of some steps on her next poster.

Getting Ready for Pet Smart

Gracie made up her mind to complete the goal on the top of a goals chart she made last summer. The goals were steps Gracie should make to get her closer to walking. The ultimate goal (she chose) was to walk unassisted in Pet Smart. She decided she needed makeup for her big day. It was hard to watch, but I wanted the day to be hers, so enjoy the bright lipstick! She's so funny.

New Braces = New Gracie

The therapist ordered new, higher braces for Gracie hoping they would improve her walk. The piece in the back of the brace keeps her foot positioned so that she cannot drag her toes when she steps. The braces have truly made a difference. They are not comfortable on her, so I know it will be a fight once the newness wears off. But for now, Gracie now wants to walk on her own. This is new for her. Watch the video below to see Gracie walking, all by herself, in her new braces.

Guess Who Learned to Read?!

Last weekend Gracie learned to read! She asked us why we spelled words somtimes in our conversations. We explained to her that there were times when we didn't want her to know what we were saying. She viewed that as a challenge and asked me to try it at that time. I tried several sentences aloud spelling one word of the sentence. She was able to figure out all of the ones I tried: red, grass, green and rug. Doug and I laughed and said we were going to have to start talking in pig latin. So, the next morning I got out a Bob book (Great for beginning readers!) and asked her to try to read the 6 pages. She did it! Honestly, it wasn't even hard for her. The only 2 words she needed help with were "the" and "on". We are so proud of her! We called her teachers to tell them the good news! Check out the 2 videos!