Catch up!!!!!!!!

Look at me!! I can weight bear, it feels SO good to be upright!

so happy to see Grampy for the family Christmas Eve celebration at our house!!

The girls all together with our girls!!
stepmom, sister Carla with her daughter, me with Victoria and Gerri, mom, Sister Denise with her daughter Katie!

The kids had so much fun playing! we are SO happy to be back with family!

then it was time to open gifts!!

 We had SO much fun with everyone. then it was Christmas night and the kids went to bed!!

the tree was ready - yes I color code the gifts :)

Santa is on a diet, so he only nibbled the cookies

they got up at 7:30! what the he**
They love their presents and new clothes!!

new clothes and new hearttoheart girls :)

 then it was so amazing!! it started to flurry outside!! on our first Christmas back in MA!!

trying to catch the flurries on their tongues

 After a leisurely day at lunch time we turn from Christmas to Gerri's special day - her 8th birthday!!

OMG!! a Barbie Camper!!!!!!!!!!

Very happy 8 yr old!

wow!! more presents!!

 On the day after Christmas we had a little family pizza lunch for Gerri's birthday!
It was her first time having her whole family around for her birthday :)

she helped put the candles on the cup cakes, thank you auntie Carla!

needed lots of tries to blow them all out!

looking over all her presents!!

Victoria had to help, it was killing her!
Here Gerri is opening up her dress up trunk! Thank you Auntie Denise!

All dressed up in her new ballerina leotard!

Chillin out after all the holidays!!

still chillin!!

We have had a long week, it is always hard when we are out of routine and schedule. But luckily school starts again on Tuesday! Gerri has been having her in home tutor 3-4 hours per week. She and Danny have been doing their on line school work every day.
The weather has been unusually warm and then bam! cold!
I got my Christmas present yesterday - remote start for my car!! woo hoo!!
Next weekend Geri and I head back to Philly for her next visit.
The Dr was very happy with her last time. She does not like the new 1/4 turn we do to straighten her lower leg, she says it hurts :( but we have the ice pack ready for her.
She is starting to try to balance on her feet again. When we see the Dr on 1/9 he will measure her legs and we hope that we are done turning the screw! (which means her legs are even lengths) Then we just have to wait till her bone fills in  (consolidates), which could be a couple of months. After she gets measured we get to bring her shoe with the lift to O&P to have the lift shaved off!!! I can't wait to see her face as she SEES the difference. She can't wear her sneakers now because the lift throws her completely off balance.
Hope everyone has a safe, happy, healthy New Year!!!

Merry Christmas from our house to yours!!

On the road, dr is very happy!! We will be back 1/9/12!

Back in Philly!

Early morning, girl time

two peas in a pod, they so love each other!

Danny gives hugs early in the am

We have been doing stretches to get ready for Dr vB

mommy is a tough pt!

she was clicking her heels

The others got into it to help Gerri

mom, they aren't listening to me!

Danny and Victoria helping Gerri stretch

We decided Danny would go on this quick Philly trip, he was VERY excited. Victoria was VERY sad. But while we hung at rmh, they went out to dinner with Uncle Adam and cousin Cole. :)

Happy to be out of the car (after 6 hrs) and playing!

 After an awesome dinner we hung around because a therapy dog was coming!!

Stella (Mrs CLaus) opening up her present!

finding cheerios that were hidden (yes she changes clothes)

They put a cheerio under Gerri's leg and as Stella dug it out she would tickly Gerri :)

Getting a kiss goodnight!!!

Tomorrow am we will be up early and head over to Shriners.
Gerri will have xrays first, her hip and her leg. We are SO hoping dr vB will say her hip is heeled enough for her to start weight bearing, she wants to be upright and walking again.
We are also hoping he will measure and give us an idea of how long we will have to be turning the screw on her fixator.
So prayers for lots of healing!!!!!!!!!

Just reached Philly!!

Early Holidays with family :)

Dan, his son DJ, our granddaughter Casey and grandson Adam :)

OMG! we have presents!!!

Let me at it!!!!!!

Wow! Toy Story Operation Game!

Adam opening up his birthday and christmas cards :)

Casey opening her christmas card, the kids made all the cards

hugging from Nancy :)

We had so much fun getting together today! watched some Bruins, ate some pizza topped it all off with some pnut butter blossom cookies!! the kids LOVED getting some presents early :)

getting a routine :)

we have moved from wheelchair to couch to floor

It is very tiring keeping Gerri busy!

Doing her Xtramath and I-Ready reading and math every day

we finally got tummy time! she was happy to be off her behind!

this am, tummy time and school work! and the ice pack from her sore leg

Every day we have a routine going. Gerri is able to do most of her transferring herself. We have even got her up on her right leg to keep weight on in. She is so used to turning her right foot out to compensate for her shorter left leg that it is hard for her not to. I know how hard it is since I had the same problem with my new hip. It is hard to retrain yourself. We are also starting to work on using her leg muscles and not her stomach muscles to move her legs. Dr vB wants her to start stretching the muscles on the outside of her left leg to keep the muscle from getting too tight.
We started doing the 1/4 turns 2 x's per day on her fixator on Sunday and she was saying how cool it is, now we are stretching her bone, muscles and skin and it is a bit painful. We have to do pin care 2 x's a day as well and I am getting used to it. Now that she can take a bath she gets lots off herself. It is SO hard to see those big metal pins going into her leg :(
Her in home tutor starts tomorrow am and she is so excited!!

settling in

my christmas present has arrived!! my Canvas on Demand is on my wall!!
I got it on Groupon and LOVE it! This picture was one I took when I was doing xmas photos

tonight relaxing on the floor (her behind was getting sore sitting all the time)
Danny was so happy to sit with her

Ms V is obsessed with Spy Mouse :)

We are settling in to our new normal. Gerri has gotten stronger and felt better every day. Her appetite is starting to come back. She has done lots of coloring, watching tv, playing her ipod, doing her math and reading on the computer, writing and relaxing. I have to ask her if she has to go potty, or is cold, or is hungry. Even after all this time she still has a hard time asking for help in any way. I have to keep a very keen eye on her for meds or ice pack. She had her first "shower" in the tub with the hand held shower and she was in heaven!! We had start pin maintenance, which means cleaning all 4 pins 2 times per day, keeping them clean and the skin from going up the pin. It is pretty yucky and it hurts a bit, but I make sure she has had pain med before hand and a treat after. Her fixator is finally stopping weeping so she is more comfortable and not making a mess everywhere she sits. She has taken this all with an amazing grace, she is SO strong. She is afraid for anyone to touch her but me. But she let Daddy help her get into her wheelchair today, but only because I was nearby. I have done potty duty, but Daddy will have to learn soon :)
I have had several ask about me and I am totally wiped! a week in Philly with very little sleep, driving home and then jumping into everything at home has been hard. My back and hip are sore. I forgot to take any pain meds last night and woke up last night hurting and not able to go back to sleep.I used my cane a lot in Philly knowing how tired I was, but since home have not used it. The lift in my left shoe is not quite high enough and I am still getting used my new gait. I have tried to slow down now that we are settling in, trying to remember my pain meds, and take care of myself.
Gerri tells everyone that mommy had one hip done and she had the other!! :)
I have parent teacher meeting tomorrow at school so Dan will be home alone with the kids!! :)
I have to work on getting her home bound services, today the asst principal told me I needed a Dr's note to excuse her from school. I never thought of it and now have to work on it. I wanted to just have him take a look at her, but I guess that doesn't work!