Happy Halloween

Halloween 2009

A Blessing in Disguise

We survived the weekend in the spica cast. I wouldn't say we adjusted well to it by any means. Grace cried because she couldn't sit up by herself. Mommy cried because nothing worked. Mommy cried some more just because.

And then...

Monday morning, the doctor called me at work to inform me that after their review of Grace's case that she should be in the Rhino Brace. Check it out.

My happy girl is back. This piece of plastic, foam, and three velcro strips is a blessing. My baby girl can sit up again. She can bathe in her yellow rubber ducky. She can have a normal diaper change.

And did I say she was happier?
Mommy is too.

We Survived Day One

Laughing while watching an episode of Sesame Street

Since we were still working on the diaper situation, we changed Grace every 3 hours last night. She never woke up once. She woke up at 5:50 a.m. - her normal time. After a bottle, she watched an episode of Sesame Street while sitting in her brand new bean bag. She loved Tully and Abby and laughed the entire time. Her happiness didn't last long though.

For the most part of the day, she was miserable. She didn't want to nap. And it is much harder to rock her and cuddle with her like I used to because her legs stick straight out. I think she was still trying to make up for her lack of food yesterday because it seemed like she was always hungry today too.

We went for a walk (in which I carried her) because she no longer fits in her stroller, played on her floor mat, and I had her play with her toys while sitting on my leg. She desperately wants to sit up and play with her toys by herself, but she can't. She isn't a fan of my holdinger her to do this either. I just haven't found a way for her to do this. I found directions on how to make a chair, but it is too wide for her little body.

I think we have figured out the diapering. No leaks today. And I've put moleskin around one ankle because her little foot was rubbing against the cast.

After dinner, she was a happy girl. She played on the floor propped up on the Bobby pillow. Then she chilled out in her crib and watched her mobile, had a sponge bath, bottle, and back to bed.

Surgery

Grace has had hip dysplasia since birth. Many doctor visits and ultrasounds later we were told that it still wasn't progressing. Yesterday, she had an arthrogram and was put in a spica cast. It has been a pretty emotional week. Just thinking about my little girl in a cast made me cry. Would we be able to do it? How were we going to do it? I'd done my research on the internet. Thank goodness for the internet, because without it we would be lost (more later).

Her surgery was one of the first, since she had to stop all fluids by 12:00 a.m. Surprisingly, she wasn't a fussy butt without food. We met with all the doctors before her surgery. They explained everything, answered our questions, and it was here that I requested her purple cast. The worst feeling in the world is watching your baby being taken through the doors to surgery by a nurse. It was probably best, I wasn't allowed to be in there. We were told she did a great job and handled it wonderfully.

As soon as she was in recovery, we were able to be by her side. I fed her Pedialyte and thanks to the wonderful doctors and nurses who couldn't and didn't put on her diaper properly, she proceeded to pee all over me. It looked like I peed my pants. Never thought I'd have to bring a change of clothes for me. Her singing glowworm kept her company during her CT scan, and I finally was able to get her down for a nap.

The longest part of the day was getting her fitted for her new carseat. We were supposed to get a loaner Britax Hippo, but Grace's legs were too long and her legs weren't up high enough in the cast. We tried many different positions, none of which Grace liked. OT finally had to go back and get a different carseat - one they rarely use anymore. She fit in that one.

Then we were allowed to go home.

Home. Home without the greatest instructions (practically none) on how to care for an infant in a spica cast. Changing her on her tummy, getting a bean bag, and diapering tricks were all found on the internet.

Greatest Peace

The greatest sense of peace will come from living our faith well. When the Prince of Peace rules in our hearts, he reigns in our homes.

from Graced and Gifted

Rubber Ducky You're So Fun, You Make Bath Time Oh So Fun

I knew Grace had outgrown the baby bath tub the day I put her in it, turned to grab the washcloth and she had rolled right out of it. Now she bathes in her own giant rubber duck. The first three times we put her in this thing she screamed and cried giant alligator tears. Now, we have a system. First, dangle her toes in. Then sit her on the side of the duck and let her put her feet and legs in. Finally, just slide the rest of her in. She sure does love it now. She relaxes back and kicks and kicks.

Sock Monster

Grace is a sock monster. The Cookie Monster has his cookies, and Grace has her socks. On a typical morning, Grace will get up at 5 a.m., but I'll give her a pacifier and she'll go back to sleep for another 1/2 hour to an 1hour. Well, one morning, I heard her about 10 minutes later, so I went back to give her the pacifier again. I couldn't get the paci in her mouth. Want to know why? Cause she had it stuffed with her sock. The only thing I could see were the little white ruffles. It was at that moment, that I stopped putting her to bed with pajamas without feet. We are a strictly footy pjs now. She just doesn't eat socks at night. If she's on the floor playing, I can guarantee within five minutes a sock is off and in her mouth. The other day she was playing in her crib before bath time watching her mobile.

This is what I found in the crib.

After I put the sock back on, I turned around to put some clothes away. Came back to the crib and found this.

A Fever Scare

Grace had her first fever last night. She got her flu shot and two vaccinations on Friday, but by Saturday evening, the flu shot mark was the only one that was still bothering her. By the time she went to bed last night her fever was 102.6. I never knew how scary fevers were. Your little baby is just burning up and all you are supposed to do is make sure she is getting Tylenol every four hours. We went to bed just fine, moaned alittle, and continued to wake up every four hours for more Tylenol. At least when she got up for good at 6:00 a.m. she was fever free.