first steps

Defying the odds, Zoe is taking her first steps. For those who either don't know or need an update, Zoe developed a hemangioma on the bottom of her foot starting at about 2 weeks old. It was barely noticeable then and has since ballooned into a large mass right on the bottom of her arch. AFter numerous visits to specialists and ultrasounds, it was determined that not much could be done until she was a year. A little medical background on her condition: hemangiomas are basically a cluster of blood vessels (similar to a birthmark) but grow outward and form a mass of fatty tissue. They typically follow a fast growth curve peaking at about 12-15 months and then usually slowly start to degrade over months and even years. Obviously with Zoe's lump being in a very troublesome spot, we don't have the luxury of being able to wait for nature to take it's course. Thus, she was started on oral steroids starting yesterday which she'll take for two weeks. The steroids will hopefully be able to reverse the inflammation and help the tissues/blood vessels to dilate and start to degrade. This is the least invasive. If that doesn't work, we have to do plastic surgery.
That being said, Zoe has never let it bother her. As you can see from the pix it's rather awkward in placement and definitely affects the way she carries her weight and stands. She's been standing solo for long periods of time for over a month now but was only doing the two-quick steps-and-lunge-for-the-nearest-object routine. However, yesterday while standing, she actually took three very pronounced steps--slowly and keeping her balance. Today she has repeated her feat and newfound trick several times. I'm ecstatic that she hasn't let her little 'defect' slow her down in many regards. Yes, she has to walk on the side of her foot and hold it sideways for balance, but she's as happy as can be--now we're just praying that the steroids will be effective and she'll be able to experience walking to it's fullest.
Thanks for being an inspiration, Zobots!