Quality time

Just a little update on what the Farrish Fam has been up to!

BUSY BUSY BUSY as usual!

We just got back from La Jolla, California.  La Jolla is an amazing little place in San Diego.  AH-MA-ZING!  We love it there.  We did a quick trip, but made the most of every single minute in the beautiful weather.

We arrived at our hotel, and as we pull in, guess what is next door?!  An ORTHO surgeon's office. 

Really??

Can't I escape DDH for a few days?

Anyways... We drop off our bags, and hit the beach!  My little Goose was so happy... She kept saying, 'OH WOW MOMMY!  Ocean!'  It was so sweet.  Our hearts melted once again when we saw her running on the beach, the water getting her toes, and the look of pure joy on her face.  Priceless.  Some parents may take that for granted.  Not us!  It was awesome.

The 2nd day there we hit Sea World!  We got there right as they opened, and we felt like we had the place to ourselves.  Shamu, Dolphins, you name it.  We saw it! 

We were so tired after that.  Lucy walked more at Sea World than she has in the last few weeks combined.  She walked up all the stairs to get to the dolphin show... the fatigue kicked in.  She was done.  Instead of hitting the beach again, we went back to our room, ordered room service, watched TV and went to bed.  

We had a quick trip, but it was great.  Totally worth the 5 1/2 hr drive to see the babe at the beach. :)

We had PT again today.  Miss Hilary really worked Lucy out today.  She had her do some exercise ball activities.  Twisting and reaching while laying on the ball on her tummy.  Lucy's trunk, core and glutes are still very weak and tight.  We are hoping to stretch them out and help her gain strength.  Hilary showed us some things to do while on the ball.  

We also did some single leg step ups, and man... broke my heart.  Lucy's left leg is still so weak.  She can't step up with her left leg without holding on to something.  After all the PT we have done, it's STILL that weak!  I can't imagine if we didn't do therapy how weak and tight her hip would be. 

Well, kind of a boring post today- but I wanted to get these pics up! (The 2 reason I write this blog is for Lucy, and also to help other parents)  

I hope Lucy can read this one day and see what she has been through as a child.

(If you are reading this I LOVE YOU LUCY!!!!!!!!!)

OH- before I sign off.  Lucy is potty trained.  It's been only 6 days and she's got it.  

Yes. 

She's a star!

                                                    Feeding the sea lions at Sea World

'MORE WISHIES!'  $25 in fish later..... (Yes, we are suckers!  Anything for this girl...)

Does this look like $100 of food?  The hotel sure thinks so....

It was a half hour before we got her out of this boat....

The star of the show!  SHAMU!

Lucy said 'CAST'  I said, 'do you need a cast??' She answered, 'YES'
So- I wrapped her legs up in blankets.  She then took it off and said, 'Dr. Segal- hip all better!'  Crazy how this is her 'normal'

At Coyote Cafe in Old town San Diego.
They serenaded Lucy!  She loved it... 'MORE SING!'

At San Diego Harbor seeing the pirate ships

JOY

Yes.  We needed a 5 foot pink dolphin to lug around all day at Sea World....

Feeding the sea lions...

Nothing better

She loved being in the hotel!!!

'Hewwwwwohhhhh?  Gwamma???  Bye.'

Summer time

Summa-summa-summa time!
Well, I am really not THAT excited that it's the middle of summer.  In Arizona, we have had temperatures that will fry your skin off!  118 degrees a few weeks ago... yuck!  We try to get all of our stuff done in the morning, then stay inside after noon... Gotta love Phoenix...
Anywho...
Today was a great day.  Lily had her 6 month precautionary x-ray with Dr. Segal.  She already had her 6 week ultrasound, and all was okay, but an x-ray will only show bone once the baby is 6 months.  All was great!  Her angles were 25 and 26, and her hips are in the socket and looking perfect.  Thank goodness.  She hasn't had any of the signs thus far, but it's been in the back of my mind for awhile... I couldn't sleep at all last night.  I kept thinking, 'oh my gosh, what if she has to have a surgery.'  I was scared.  We can put that to rest now.  Dr. Segal said for peace of mind, he wants to do a 1 year x-ray to give an all clear.  That will be right around the same time as Lucy's follow up, so I am hoping for a Christmas gift of TWO all clears!

We have been staying so busy getting ready for our San Diego trip!  We are taking Lucy to the beach to celebrate her recovery.  (Seems to be a tradition) We are going to La Jolla again.  Lucy LOVES the ocean.  She loves sand buckets.  Dolphins.  You name it.  Anything ocean- totally her thing.  I think that she must think the Bubble Guppies live there.  Hope she isn't disappointed... :-)  Maybe seeing Shamu will keep her mind off the guppies.

Today the wheelchair place came and picked up the wheelchair.  So glad to see that thing go.  Strangely enough, Lucy LOVED that thing.  I mean, LOVED it.  In the hospital, we decorated it with Bubble Guppies stickers, and we told her it was a Guppie stroller, and that the guppies sent it for her.  From that moment on, it was called a guppie stroller.  Every morning when she wanted to get out of her bed, she would say, Guppie stroller, mama.  Even the other day, as we were walking hand in hand to her Gymboree class, we walked past a handicapped parking sign.  She said, 'what's that?' and I said, 'a man in a wheelchair.'  She said, 'No, guppie stroller!'  Every time she sees anyone in a wheelchair, she gets excited and yells, GUPPIE STROLLER!  People are probably like, 'what is up with this?!'
So funny how kids are so awesome... She's at the perfect age to 'fudge' a little and tell her things to get her through.  If she would be a little older, she may not buy what we tell her. :)  Hey--- gotta do what you gotta do to get through the day.

Lucy's walk is improving, but still far from 'right.'  She flails her arms a lot for balance and is very weak on the operated side.  I always remind her when going up stairs or a curb, to 'start with your other foot.' When going down, I tell her to start with her right foot. (weight shifting over the left leg)... so that's a constant in our lives, has been for over a year actually.  May be forever... who knows.

Yesterday was 'one of those days.'  Just a lot on my mind and had a panic attack over Lucy's future.  I think with Lily's appointment, things just built up and I lost it a little... Hearing and seeing stories of what hip dysplasia has done to some people scares the be-Jesus out of me... I know I can't control it, I know I can't change it, I know a tree could fall on me tomorrow... Some things are just out of our control.  Days like yesterday is when I just say to Lucy, 'Mommy will ALWAYS fight for you and do everything she can to make your life the best EVER!'  Then she looks at me in between her Ipad games and says, 'yah okay... ice cream cone?!?'  Really deep, huh?!

Her scar is healing well, I am using the Mederma for kids cream every day and massaging it in.  Hopefully that will help it.  Dang- it's a big scar.  She was standing up in the tub last night and it took my breath away a little... it's long.  Her body is so little that it's just heartbreaking to see this huge scar on her.

Lucy is officially enrolled in a pre-school program!  It's only 2 days a week for 2 hours a day.  Just enough time for me and Lily to go grab a coffee and do some shopping. :)  Her BFF, Hannah is also going to pre-school at the same place.  Gonna be awesome!  The kicker is this... She has to be potty trained.  UMMMM... yah.  We started that months ago.  Then had to stop due to surgery.  So we are going to be in 'potty training boot camp' when we get back from our trip.  We are also moving her in to a big girl bed, and Lily into a crib and out of the bassinet.  Good times ahead.  Ha!  Wish me luck...

I have asked a few people from our hip group to do a guest post for me... I am so excited to get it and post it for everyone... One lady is from California, and the other is from England.  Both have been through this for too long.  They are going to have an interesting post...

That's all for now- but be prepared to be on 'photo overload' once we get back from vacation. :)  Last year she couldn't walk on the beach, so this year---watch out.  The babe in the pink tutu bathing suit will be taking over San Diego. (Let's just hope this same babe SLEEPS at night since we are all in one room... )



Here are some pics and video.  ENJOY!

Lily happy after a good hip report!

She is getting so big!  And yes, her braids melt my heart!

Two loves of my life!

Working those hips in the pool at Grandma's house

3 Farrish girls (excuse the no make-up, I have no time for it anymore)

Lily loving kisses form us!

Lucy rockin' her HOPE THE HIP HIPPO SHIRT while 'petting' her sister

Cousins <3

Dancing with her BFF, Hannah

Drumroll please....

And...

THE WINNERS ARE:

A HUGE congratulations!

They are the winners of the TWO Hope The Hip Hippo Shirts!

Minus the pillow + PT

Well, here we are.

6 weeks post surgery!  It feels like forever ago.  

Since Wednesday, aka pillow off day, we have been so busy!  As I posted a few days ago, Lucy walked out of her x-ray!  She walked when we got home... 

She woke up Thursday morning and didn't want to walk at all.  She must have done too much.  Same with Friday and Saturday... She wanted to be carried and sit on the couch.  

Then Sunday came... and she said, 'mommy- I WALK!'  She got up and walked and walked and walked!  I have just been letting her go at her own pace... If she wants to walk, great.  If she doesn't, no big deal.  I figure her body knows what to do...

Today was our first day back at physical therapy.  It was so nice to see Miss Hillary again!  Lucy was so happy to get back in the routine.  Warming up, kicking, air mattress, stairs, etc... Good stuff.

Miss Hillary was impressed at Lucy's new found confidence!  Even though she is very hobbly and stiff still, Lucy was playing and climbing all over the room!  

We first went into a smaller room with a slide for Hillary's eval.  She had Lucy climb up the stairs and go down a slide.  She had her crawl through a tunnel, stand up on her tip toes, and jump on a trampoline.  Hillary was impressed with how Lucy's shoe inserts are working, and said we don't need them any longer!  (Her ankles were pronating, aka rolling inward when she walked.)  They are actually rolling a little bit too far the opposite way now, so we are going to take the inserts out and see if they can stay good.

We went into the 'barn' to finish PT.  The barn is just that- a big barn!  There are goats outside, and inside... there are stairs, swings, and all kinds of fun stuff.  Lucy immediately wanted to go inside the ball pit.  It's full of balls that are hip height, so for Lucy to walk through the ball pit is really good for her strength.  

Miss Hillary blew up the air mattress, and had Lucy roll and walk on it.  Lucy still needs strength in her glutes (same as the last year) so bending down and picking up toys while on an air mattress is good for that.

We also stacked some blocks on a stool and had her kick them down.  (She LOVED that!)  She had her kick them with her RIGHT foot aka the GOOD leg.  Why?  Because that forces her to shift her weight over her left hip.  She has to balance and stand on her left leg.  That was hard for her to do, but hey... she's only been walking again for less than a week.

So- we are back on the PT road... which is good.  I love our PT, Lucy loves her too- and it's so interesting to learn different things to help Lucy get stronger.  

In fact, I have learned SO much, and am SO interested in therapy, that I am considering going to school for it!  Yep- a long road ahead, but we will see.  If it's in the cards, it's in the cards...

We also have been swimming a lot.  With 120 degree weather, we don't stay in the pool long since it's like bath water.  YUCK.  I hate Arizona this time of year. 

I took video yesterday of Lucy walking... Besides being weak, her hitch in her walk isn't there anymore!  So glad for that.  We are back to the waiting game of getting her stronger... (story of our life for the last few years!)

Here are a few pics and video of our last week!  ENJOY! 

Peace out from SUNNY, HOT, MISERABLE Arizona!

(OH, and if your child has had hip surgery, GET PHYSICAL THERAPY!  It's the best thing we could have ever done for Lucy!)  Hopefully you will be lucky enough to have a pediatric therapist as awesome as Miss Hillary! :)

Lucy and her cousin Tyler at his birthday party yesterday.  Lucy serenaded him!

Yay the ball pit!

Air mattress basketball

KICK!!!!!!!!!!

Grandpa and Lucy swimming!  WORK THOSE HIPS!

Awww, my other 2 favorite people... Don't mind Aaron's black eye on his right eye.  He was getting out a baby seat for Lily from storage and the metal part to it hit his eye!  Isn't Lily a total babe?!