Excuse #2: Crazy ballet performance weekend. Plus 2 hour meeting at my house and later a birthday party (was that 3 excuses in one?).
Excuse#3: Still waiting for it to come to me....nope, only 2 excuses.
What was all that about? Why I am behind on the promised blog entries...final Physical Therapy installment (The Stander...can I get an ooh and an ahh?), the second half of our trip to DC, and the one I will actually give you tonight...the Socket! I promise to try to post the others...soon. Really. I mean it. I hope.
But, tonight...drumroll please...I will tell you about the Socket.
Dictionary.com defines the noun socket as "a hollow part or piece for receiving and holding some part or thing." In this case, the "part or thing" that the socket is receiving and holding is Lily's leg! And this socket is exactly what we tried on last Friday afternoon.
You may remember that the week before Lily put up quite a fight for her measuring and molding. I was pretty sure that we were going to be in for a repeat performance, but held out hope that she might do better as a result of the nap she took on the drive to the appointment.
No such luck.
Looks promising...right?"
That orange string in front of Lily held 2 balloons that they presented her with upon arrival in the hopes that they would amaze and distract her.
Take a look at her face in the pictures below and you'll see how amazed and distracted she actually was!
Take a look at her face in the pictures below and you'll see how amazed and distracted she actually was!
Anyway, almost immediately after bringing her back to the room, they brought in the tee-niny clear, plastic socket. Wow! Was it ever small! They said it is the smallest they've ever made. Even the 9-month old boy they made one for was bigger than Lily!
Lily takes one look at them coming toward her, sees her pants off and puts 2 and 2 together. Even before they touched her she started wailing. She didn't know exactly what was coming, but knew she didn't like the looks of it. I think we all are just going to have to get used to the crying until she gets a little older and can understand what's going on. Poor girl! If only she knew...but soon she will!
The first thing they did was pull a sock-like material over her little leg and then pull the excess out of the hole in the base of the socket.
Lily takes one look at them coming toward her, sees her pants off and puts 2 and 2 together. Even before they touched her she started wailing. She didn't know exactly what was coming, but knew she didn't like the looks of it. I think we all are just going to have to get used to the crying until she gets a little older and can understand what's going on. Poor girl! If only she knew...but soon she will!
The first thing they did was pull a sock-like material over her little leg and then pull the excess out of the hole in the base of the socket.
The socket goes all the way up to her hip and was actually a little
longer in this area than they liked.
Next, they brought out this rubbery, thick lining material and rolled it onto her leg to see where to cut it to match her leg length. This material will line the socket (if I am understanding correctly!) and also be the place where the velcro will attach to hold the leg on. It sounds like the leg will attach via velcro to something resembling a belt.
Mama trying to hold her hands up so she doesn't hit the nice lady!
Below...a perfect fit!
Once the lining material was cut to size, they tried the socket on again with the lining and assessed the fit. They decided that it was not only a little too long in the hip area, but also too tight on her leg. So they will make the necessary adjustments and we will return this coming Friday to check the fit again. If it fits correctly on Friday, they will build her leg and the next appointment will be the *gasp* leg appointment!!! I can hardly wait!
longer in this area than they liked.
Next, they brought out this rubbery, thick lining material and rolled it onto her leg to see where to cut it to match her leg length. This material will line the socket (if I am understanding correctly!) and also be the place where the velcro will attach to hold the leg on. It sounds like the leg will attach via velcro to something resembling a belt.
Mama trying to hold her hands up so she doesn't hit the nice lady!
Below...a perfect fit!
Once the lining material was cut to size, they tried the socket on again with the lining and assessed the fit. They decided that it was not only a little too long in the hip area, but also too tight on her leg. So they will make the necessary adjustments and we will return this coming Friday to check the fit again. If it fits correctly on Friday, they will build her leg and the next appointment will be the *gasp* leg appointment!!! I can hardly wait!We ended the appointment by measuring her little foot (she's a perfect 10...centimeters that is!) and handing over the shoe. Oh! That was Excuse #3...driving from shoe store to shoe store trying to find a rubber soled shoe with good traction in a baby size 3! Not easy, let me tell you. The gal at Penney's said they don't even stock them that small...the closest she had was a size 5. Eventually, I did find a $50 option and a $25 option (yes, the first one was $50 stinking dollars...I almost never pay that much for my shoes...there was that one pair...umhmmm, I digress). Thankfully, the prosthetists picked the cheaper cuter pair.
Finally, it was time for some mommy-lovin' (check out the tears and snot!) and a happier ride home.
One small step at a time...
In Him,
Finally, it was time for some mommy-lovin' (check out the tears and snot!) and a happier ride home.
One small step at a time...
In Him,
Mandy,
ReplyDeleteI remember when we got on the airplane to fly to China to adopt one of our kids (can't remember which one!) a woman and her daughter sat in the seats in front of us. She sat her daughter down and buckled her seatbelt (she was about 2 or 3 years old), handed her a snack, put her bags in the overhead luggage spot, and took off her daughter's leg and put it up there for safe keeping as well! It was amazing and wonderful! So happy to see the progress Lily is making. :-) Soon she'll be running faster than you can keep up! Good thing she has older siblings to help you out!
Tracy
Couldn't agree more! We are in for some adventures that is for sure! Already have a few, come to think of it!
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