Brace Yourself

My little man is growing up so fast. I really can't believe it. In march of 2009 Luke got his very first pair of braces, his DAFOS. He has loved them ever since he got them. This is a picture of him the first day he got them. He loves to wear them, and would bring them to us if we did not put them on right away. I remember thinking how huge they made his feet look. And I remember buying shoes for them the very first time. We had to buy a size 5 to fit over the braces. (He was only in a size 3 shoe at the time) I remember how it looked like he had little clown feet. Ahhh memories, but over time he grew into the brace, and we even had the toe extended twice.
But alas, these wonderful little orthotics have become to small. And about a month ago we simply had to put in an order to get a new pair. I have to admit I was a little sad to see the old ones go. Because they were really made for a baby, they where light and thin. And Luke had worn them to a point that they really where almost molded to his leg. But they where two short, too shallow and not what he needed to progress. So we welcomed DAFO #2 to our home. These dafos are much heavier, thicker and have hinges. (This allows for much more movement and stability). But I must admit, I miss my little baby braces. When i went to the store to buy shoes to go over them I was shocked. I had to buy a size nine. A NINE. Oh goodness, I just had to laugh. Luke has always had super long feet but I never thought my two year old would be wearing a size nine shoe. When we get a shoe to go over the braces they have to be wide, and we take out the tongue and the insole. And of course this time, Luke would not allow us to leave the store with anything less than light-up Buzz Lightyear shoes. I don't love the cartoons and the light but hey, they make him happy.
There are custom shoes you can buy that are created to go over braces, but they are pricey and with the way Luke goes through shoes we haven't ever bothered purchasing any. But with his new assistance, Lukey will soon be the owner of these awesome Hatchbacks. Hatchbacks are amazing. They come without padding inside so you can get a smaller size and they also bend in half right in the center so you can slip them easilily over the brace. I am so excited. I am sure he will still wear his buzz lightyears but it is nice to have something a little nicer and easier to wear as well.