Rockin' the SMOs

We are huge Pete the Cat fans here!  Rocking in our school shoes, rocking in our white shoes, and rocking our groovy buttons, you name it, we are gonna rock it!  Why?  Cause it's ALL GOOD!  

Rachel has been totally rockin' some new braces lately!!!  And I am so excited for her!!!

She has been wearing AFO's since she was about 2 1/2 yrs old.   AFOs are a type of brace that fits over her feet and goes up her leg almost all the way to her knee.  

They are made out of hard plastic and we always have to get her shoes that are 2 sizes too big for her feet so that the brace can fit in the shoe, and tennis shoes are really the only shoes they fit in properly.  They really do help her maintain balance to stand and walk, but they can't be comfortable!  :(  I have never liked the fact that she needed to wear these.  It breaks my heart.  At this point in time, she really doesn't seem to care what kind of shoes she is wearing, but there may come a day when she does.  And up until the SDR surgery, Rachel was looking at a lifetime of wearing AFOs.  

But we are on a totally different path now!  We have taken the first steps to shed these braces!  

INTRODUCING... (drum roll please........)

THE SMO!

Still made of hard plastic, but way smaller and they are the stepping stone to slide-in arch supports.  

I really thought there would be a long adjustment period for these.  They don't give a lot of support and her poor little calf muscles have atrophied as a result of wearing the AFOs for so long.  BUT once again I am stunned at how easy the transition was!!  I envisioned her wobbling and falling over and over.  HA!  WRONG!  She took off almost as if nothing had changed!

"I'm Standin' in My SMOs!"

 

"I'm Walkin' in My SMOs!"

 

"I'm Ziplinin' in my SMOs!"

Rachel's Rockin' in Her SMOs , Rockin' in Her SMOs, Rockin' in Her SMOs!!  Does she worry?  Goodness NO!  Cause its's ALL GOOD!