I love Lucy: We're back!

We are back! Hello everyone!
Haven't posted in awhile- been just a tad bit busy with a toddler and a newborn... :)
There are so many things to update, I don't know where to start...
Life with 2 babies has been amazing... Wild, but amazing. Lily seems to have just fit in perfectly with our family. She sleeps through the night now, loves her sissy, and officially holds the other 1/3 of my heart. :) Lily had her 6 week ultrasound to check her hips. It was so stressful! I love how they had the radiologist in there during the US to tell us the results right then... He was so nice, and told us that Lily's hips are within normal range. WHEW! We also took her to have a physical exam with Dr. Segal, because nothing is going to be accepted by me unless I hear it from him. (We trust him with our life!) So it's confirmed. Baby Lily is awesome. We will take her for an x-ray at 6 months to be sure, but so far, so good. Thank you God.
Lucy is... how many words can I use to describe her... amazing, awesome, perfect in every way... To me she is! If you met her, you would agree...
So...
We are back in physical therapy... why? Well, Lucy had a break for about a month, then went for a follow up PT appointment... The therapist wasn't happy with Lucy's gait. Mainly her 'weight shift' over her left hip. (The bad hip.) This weight shift thing is really a huge deal. We have been working on this for so long, but there is still so much weakness in the hip area, that Lucy is compensating by keeping her left knee bent while standing, always starting with the right leg when walking--- never using the left the way she should... She is avoiding weight. SO... back in physical therapy. I am ok with it since we love Miss Hilary, we love the progress she's made, and I love learning how to work with Lucy at home. We will stay in therapy as long as necessary.
Today was an interesting therapy session, as I am learning once again that our hip journey hasn't stopped with the removal of the cast. We are being referred to an occupational therapist for an eval. Lucy's physical sensory issues due to the trauma of surgery and a cast for 16 weeks- have been thrown off. Physical therapy has done wonders for her. She is the kid she is today thanks to the work of Miss Hilary. There are just a few things that are still 'off.' Miss Hilary explained that when one sensory system is off, the others will over compensate as well. So, we are going to meet with an OT to see if we even need more therapy, or have her give us some things to do at home.
Stupid DDH and that stupid cast have been affecting our lives for the last year. We have our 1 year x-ray with Dr. Segal (Lucy's surgeon) on April 24th. To say that I am nervous is an understatement. We have been working our tails off in therapy, done all of the work we are supposed to do at home. I just hope somehow, some way- it will show improvement on the x-ray. Again, for those who don't know, we are waiting on the angles of her socket to lower... If they don't- surgery and cast again. It's something that haunts me every minute of the day. So, I am praying and hoping that we get a good x-ray. There are so many things that can go wrong. The hip socket could stop growing. The femur could begin to move and want to slip out again... The blood supply to the femur could be compromised... You get my point. This x-ray is HUGE.
Lucy is now wearing orthotics in her shoes. She wears them in her tennis shoes. Funny thing- on Easter I wanted to get some good pictures. I bought her some strappy white sandals- just for her photo with the bunny. She flipped out. She wants the shoes with support! She said, 'NO NO NO!' and got her other shoes. Ms. Hilary said she needs to feel her feet! She needs that input that the tennis shoes and inserts give her.
Be ready for a picture overload below, but I am playing catch up!
I also just received a signed copy of THE PARENTS GUIDE TO HIP DYSPLASIA by the wonderful Betsy Miller. I am so thankful to have been asked to read this book and write a review on my blog. This book is the new and updated version. I am going to get on it right now!
OH, and before I sign off for the night--- A 'hip' mom from our group came to Phoenix to meet us! Our friend Ashley, along with her beautiful family and hip baby, Morgan- drove from Las Vegas to Phoenix. Why?! To attend the YO GABBA GABBA concert with us! Yes, on about 3 hours of sleep a night, we took Lucy to see Yo Gabba Gabba. It was awesome! To meet Ashley and her family was just awesome!
Will post once our AWESOME x-ray report is in..... :-) (positive thinking going on here!)