UPDATE on today :)

SO.....we're back. :) The doctor watched Ella run up and down the hall, saw her strange gait, looked at her uneven (but cute) bum . . . he even felt the clicking in her hips. So he ordered an x-ray which took about 30 seconds and in less than five minutes, we saw her cute little bones! (It's a digital x-ray - how COOL is that??) He said that she looks GREAT.

Her hips are right where they're supposed to be, her growth plates look great - nothing is wrong. YAY! However, he made sure we knew that it was good to make SURE, because the problems she has (tripping and the gait) could sometimes mean something worse. Her problem is, and I'm being as technical as the doctor was . . .

. . . she runs like a girl. :) HA!! Seriously though - apparently the phrase, "you run like a girl" directly relates to a sort of 'paddle-run' that is very common in girls. Hence the somewhat derrogatory terminology. :) BUT, Ella truthfully runs like a girl. Which is good - because she will inform you at LEAST 10 times a day that she is a GIRL. 10 years ago the doctor would have put her in a special shoe or leg brace, but they've since realized that the shoes and braces weren't actually curing the kids - time was. :) They either grow out of it or can be trained to run differently later on.

SO - to those of you who knew the appointment was coming and prayed - THANKS! To those who aren't even reading this until now - Thank God with us that it's something that she will most likely outgrow, and if she doesn't, simple training and practice can help her with the gait!