Physio

Once again we set off sans buggy! Starting to get used to walking properly now, it's great to be able to move your arms after 4 years (first 6 months in Baby Bjorn - I did love that). And to put your hands in your pockets on a day like today. It snowed as we set off, not settling but lovely drifty flakes, not enough to be uncomfortable, just pretty and 'like stars coming down from the sky' apparently.

Caught the train OK, had some nice Train Ed conversations about the view, speed, how nice it is to look out at you go along, etc. At some point the train sat by a field it liked for about 5 minutes to make us late, but we weren't daunted. At the other end, we walked up the very steep hill, and I pointed out to F, in passing, the flat we lived in before she was even a twinkle. She was quite interested - she has recently been asking about the houses and places we have lived in, before and since her arrival - I have pointed out this flat to her, and a few others we sometimes pass, quite a few times in the past, but this is the first time she seemed 'bovvered'.

At the Physio dept of the Children's Hospital, we met Faith, our physio since F was 3 weeks old, and she took us over to a separate room to do 'big toy' stuff. Out came the trampette (adult size), a big balancing bench, big foam wedges to clamber over/turn round at top of, a large wobble board, beanbags to throw with each hand, etc. Much fun was had over the next 45 mins, and the outcome was that F is doing great with balance and range of movement, lands well from jumps. Her hemiplegia is officially subtle/mild, but nevertheless it is there and she will never have natural symmetry in posture or movement. The only thing that Faith would like us to focus on is getting her to reach over to right side of body, with either hand, as that makes her put weight on that side. Also to try and get her to put foot down instead of going on tiptoes too much - she goes through phases of that, but is not bad at the moment - again it seems to go with growth spurts/needing new shoes. Her new boots, being knee boots with a slight heel, make it harder to hold right ankle in tiptoe position, if you know what I mean. Faith also suggested children's yoga, which I've been thinking of too, so going to chase that up soon. I checked with Faith that more walking/less buggy would be OK, and she said to play it by ear - if F has recurring aches and pains, it will mean it's too much. Otherwise it will be fine for her to walk more.

So F generally had a great time doing all these jumps, throws, balances, clambers and such and then we went and decided to catch a bus (since no buggy to have to haul on) home. F loves sitting on top of double-decker buses, but as we came up to the stop we just missed a bus, and it was a single-decker, so I warned her that ours would probably be a single-decker too. We waited quite a while and then ours turned up and she was thrilled that it was a double-decker. So then we had a lovely journey home, enjoying the views of city, then country, and F was singing most of the way, improvising a song about whatever we saw. Very happy child!

Now we are home and she is playing Shrek 2 on X-Box for a bit. I have to do some work, can't believe it's gone 3 already.