Oops - a busy toddler kept me away!

So we've been walking for almost 2 months now, which means I rarely get to sit, much less write a blog LOL!  E's walking is going great, and in the last few weeks he's finally figured out how to stand up without using his hands.  Today I noticed he walked straight from the driveway onto the pinestraw in the front yard - a feat that previously would require holding mommy or daddy's finger for stability.  He is actually falling more frequently these days because he's less cautious.  He picks up the pace at the drop of the hat, and he's not always very good about toe clearance on the affected/AFO side which results in tripping.  We're getting ready to ship his AFO back to Cascade tomorrow morning for the addition of a "Houdini" strap.  As any healthy almost-18-month-old would, E has figured out how to unstrap his brace.  He hasn't transitioned to removing it completely, but I figure that's not far behind.  Hopefully the brace will only be gone until Friday, and since we're within the first 90 days, Cascade is both paying for shipping and covering the repair/upgrade.  The only other issues we're having with the brace is where it contacts his skin it is causing some increase in his excema and there's a little bit of wear on the padding where the brace hits his calf.  The one issue is going to be a concern as the weather gets warmer, so we may have to invest in special socks to protect his skin and minimize heat.  The other issue I'm hoping Cascade will fix while they have the brace.  If not, no worries - it's not structural.  I'll be calling Dr. H tomorrow morning at hubby's request to find out what his opinion is on E's footwear while the brace is gone.  I'm banking on it only being gone 5 days, and I'll extend how long E wears the DB bar/shoes both after waking up in the morning and after nap and make sure he wears shoes with good, supportive arches at all times in between.  DH wants confirmation from the doc that this is ok.  I think Dr. H doesn't have to live all day with a toddler who will NOT like being in the DB bar back to the 16 hours per day we were in prior to the AFO.  Right now, E doesn't mind the bar/shoes.  If it becomes an issue and we have to fight him to wear it, it may decrease the length of time we use it overall.  At our last appointment, Dr. H said we basically needed to keep him in it until at least 2, but the longer the better.  If the next 6 months is a battle, we'll likely stop then.  If it continues to not be a battle, we can probably keep with it until we hit potty training at night and naps, which from what I've been told is likely quite a while since E is all boy.  So, I have my opinion (shocking, I know!), but I'll give Dr. H an opportunity to weigh in.  We'll see.