X ray day!

Some of you know, we originally had an x-ray scheduled for October 17th... well, it got moved.  Pushed back more like... to no other day than Halloween!  I was convinced that this is BAD LUCK!  Well, today proved me wrong... (I love being wrong in these situations!)

We show up at Phoenix Children's and we know the wait will be long... So, daddy goes in and gets us all checked in and the girls stay in the car watching none other than YO GABBA GABBA!  35 minutes later dad comes out to get us- we were called back... only to get so lucky and wait some more in the x-ray section... That actually went by pretty quickly- only about 15 more minutes.  They call her name, and Aaron takes her back to the x-ray room since I can't... She was so cute and little walking in there, and then she looks back at me and I say, 'it's ok baby!!!  You can do it!' She starts screaming and pointing and saying MAMA!  Goodness gracious.  I was doing okay until I heard that... 

So while Lucy is in the room crying for me, I am in the waiting room crying for her.  :-)

Finally that is over and we are moved to Dr. Segal's room.  He pops his head in after a few minutes and says 'hi guys!  Can I see Lucy walk please?!'  Ummm, hello- that must mean he saw something bad on the x-ray right?!  I put her down and she walks between Aaron and I, meanwhile I am beginning to panic... He smiles and says, 'she looks great.  I will be right back.'  WAIT!!!!!!!  Where are you going!

I turn to Aaron and say, 'he said the word GREAT so that's good, right!?'  It's funny how you begin to analyze every single word when you are worried... 

So Dr. S comes back in and has us come over to his desk to see x-rays.  He starts from the ones back in March which made my heart sink... He showed us that her AI angles were almost at a 40 back then!  That's NOT good... Then he is scrolling through and shows us in July they were approx 33.  Now today they are between a 29-30.  So I am going with 29!  Basically- we want them to keep going down!  That means the cup is being formed over the femur... 

The sense of happiness that came over me- I can't even explain it!  

He showed us pretty significant growth in her femur as well. Since it was out of the socket for so long, it didn't grow and neither did the 'cup.'  So the simple fact that both have grown in a few months is AWESOME.

Now, he explained to us he doesn't need to see Lucy for another 6 months... We are going to hope and pray for MORE growth and for those AI numbers to go DOWN.  He said if they don't, or if they remain the same for a long period of time, that's when she may need another surgery.  YUCK.  

So, we want SO badly to be a one-surgery success story... 

The femur is in perfect position for growth.  So at this point, I do what I have done my whole life.  FREAK OUT a little- then continue every single night and day to PRAY.  YES, you heard it.  I truly believe that God has a reason for everything, I may not understand or accept what he does some days, but someday I will understand... Lucy's life- and her hip- is all in His hands.  Plain and simple.  God has been SO great to us... Yes, we have had to deal with hip dysplasia, but you know what!?  He has also given us the BEST LITTLE GIRL to ever walk this earth.  I also have a feeling in January that I will have the OTHER best little girl to be born in her sister, Lily. :-)  Hey, what can I say, bias maybe?!

So in the middle of all my happiness today- I continue to thank God for every blessing in my life!

Here are a few photos of our day, and I am going to post links to a few videos from the last month or so of her walk... 

Happy Halloween friends!

Waiting with daddy in Dr. Segal's room

YAYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

X-ray was awesome!

Yesterday at Gymboree class:  (You can guess who the star of this show is, right!??)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v58ZAU7pu6o&feature=g-upl

Walking 3.5 months out of her brace:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0_gNHhhIUw8&feature=g-upl

Walking:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JCpflYHcOi0&feature=g-upl

6 week check up

Holy COW.  I can't even believe I am still awake to write this post!  My nerves and adrenaline (and diet coke) are working overtime!

Today was our 6 week post cast removal check up.  A big, huge day.  

As you know, Lucy has been in the brace full time for the last 6 weeks.  She gets about 15 minutes out of it a day to have a bath... that's it.  She has learned to move around, stand and even do a headstand in it!  Crazy!  

We show up for our 9:15 appointment, thinking 'hey! We are the second appt of the day... we should be right on time.'  Not so.  We wait to get into the x ray room until 10:10!  Are you kidding me?!  Lucy was getting bored, and heck... so was I.  Finally they call us back for x-rays, and Aaron takes her in, since I am preggo and can't... I hear my baby screaming down the hall, and I just lose it.  I cried like a baby too... In the middle of my sobbing, I closed my eyes and said, 'Dear God, please.... please please please have this x-ray be good.'  The same prayer I have prayed every night before bed, every morning when I wake up... 'Please keep your hand on my baby's hip.'  My biggest fear is that the bone has moved again, or that there has been damage to the blood supply of the bone. (AVN they call it.)  I couldn't fall asleep last night, and when I did, it was only for about an hour... I had horrible thoughts/nightmares of Lucy not being able to walk, and her never being able to stand... HORRIBLE. 

I try not to think such awful things, but again, I am not as trusting of things as most people.  With having our setback with the hip re-dislocating in the cast after 2 weeks, my trust is gone.  

Anyway- on to the good news...

So we get into the room, and Dr. Segal is in minutes later. He says hello and looks at me and says, 'how are you doing?'  Like a freaking loon, I lose it.  Crying like he stabbed me.  I said, 'I am so worried and nervous that something is wrong.'  He seriously just stands there staring at me.  My husband looks at him as if to say, 'you should try living with her!'  haha... It was the weirdest awkward silence in the room as he stood there, wide eyed, watching my meltdown.  After the shock wore off, he puts his hand on my shoulder and says, 'her x-ray looks great.'  WHAT!?!?!?!?!?  Is he serious???? 

He puts Lucy on the exam table and puts her knees together and manipulates the hip.  Her left leg (the one that was dislocated) seems a tad longer now and he explained why.  Her muscles are super tight around the hip area, which is to be expected.  Once they 'loosen up' the length discrepancy should even out.  He suggested we begin physical therapy to help with that.  He said it's normal for kids that have been casted.  WHEW again.  

Lucy let Dr. Segal carry her to his computer and he showed her the x-rays.  All the way there he said, 'I will carry you, Lucy, because your mom is... well.... your mom is different, and she is freaking out.'  LMAO!  Haha!  

Her left femur is still smaller than the right (to be expected) and the socket looks better formed (to me). Dr. S says it's too early to tell anything yet, but if the socket doesn't grow, expect a future surgery around 3.  :-(  Let's just keep praying for growth.  

We get back into the room and Dr. S says to me, 'Karen, I need a favor from you.'  I am thinking, 'holy cow, don't ask too much of me right now, I am one step away from a freak out.'  "SURE" I said.  He said he has another patient diagnosed with a dislocated hip, and he wants to know if he can give my information to this family for help/support.  What an honor.  I told him I would be thrilled to help another family out.  I know how horrible this is, and the fear of the unknown... I am so glad he thought of me to help.  

He then told us to continue with the brace, but ONLY for night time sleeping.  WOOHOO!  That is so awesome, since my beautiful girl and our family are headed to LA JOLLA, CALIFORNIA for 2 weeks soon!  My dream is about to come true.  To see my beautiful nugget on the sand playing... no cast, no brace... just pure happiness.  

Let me tell you... If you are reading this and just about to start a journey with hip issues, don't be afraid to be pushy!  Get x-rays when you feel you should.  Ask questions.  E-mail the doctor.  If a pediatrician tells you 'the hips are fine' and you feel otherwise, demand x-rays.  There are WAY too many hip dysplasia cases out there being MISSED by pediatricians.  My next post is going to be about doing a hip check yourself.  May sound crazy, but I have seen it done enough times now, and I do it every day to Lucy!  (CRRRAZY I know...)  Just go with it.. :)

Well, the babe is off to nap, and I am off to watch Teen Mom and eat french fries.  (HA!)  

We go back in 3 months for another check.  Will keep you posted on the PT.

Lucy was so excited from her good news that she threw her lunch all over the floor

This is what her and daddy do (when she was in her brace!)

DYING!!!  I am SO excited to put her in normal clothes and shorts!  We got this at Gymboree the other day.  She's gonna be adorable in this...

Mom is a total sucker at the Disney store

Cast change day

Whew.

That's all I can say!

This day is the day I have been dreading/stressing/losing sleep over for the last 7 weeks.  Today was Lucy's cast change.  I called it 'D-Day' since this is the day that her old, ugly, stinky purple cast was removed, and the surgeon checked her hip for stability.  BIG day.  There was absolutely a chance of the cast coming off, and the hip going WHOOOOP and slipping right back up.  Yep, it was possible.  With hip dislocations, anything is possible, so just because there is a cast on, doesn't mean a thing.  It's not like a broken bone... A dislocation is much more complicated since the head of the femur and the hip socket have to 'meet' for the first time and then 'marry!'  They have to grow together, the tendons, cartilage, everything. It's a process.  So, if all of it isn't coming together, WHOOOOOOP... there goes the hip again.

Thank you LORD that this wasn't the case today.

So, we show up at 8:30 for check in at Phoenix Children's Hospital.  How crazy that check in is 8:30, when our procedure wasn't scheduled until 10:30.  

We get there, and the dang panic sets in.  No xanax on hand (dang it, I forgot it at home!) so I just sat there... quietly, waiting for us to be called to the pre-op area.  (You know I am stressed when I am quiet...haha)

We get to pre-op, and the nurse informs us that Dr. Segal is running behind, since he was teaching this morning.  Great.  Lucy hasn't eaten since 9 last night, or had a single thing to drink.  She was so tired, so hungry... Aaron and I kept her busy by reading books, playing with the iPad, and taking trips to the little play area at the hospital.  

Finally... 11 am rolls around, and there is Dr. Segal in the hall reviewing our chart before coming in.  I joked with Aaron and said he is probably like, 'dang, the Farrish family again.' haha!

He comes in and explains what he is going to do, and then asks if I have questions.  DUH!!! Of course I do! :-)  I whip out my iPhone where I have stored all of my notes/questions.  He just takes a seat.  He said 'how did I know you would have a ton of questions?!?!'  He knows me by now.  As he leaves he said 'so, the last 6 weeks haven't been that bad, right?!'  and I said, 'well, if you are comparing it to getting stabbed repeatedly, no... I guess not that bad...'  Ummm, hello, it's hotter than hell here with a non-toddling toddler. YES, it sucks.  And it's been SEVEN weeks, not 6!

Anyway, he leaves and then the anesthesiologist comes in.  YIKES.  A different guy than the last 2 times.  I asked about his entire job history and he said he has been doing this for 20 years, so I felt better.  

I swear, this DOESN'T get any easier.  Lucy has been under now 3 times since Feb, and each time feels like the first.  The anticipation, and the demons in your head saying 'what if they can't wake her up??!'  It's awful.  So of course, I give my sweet girl the biggest squeeze and about a million kisses on her little soft cheek.  I hand her off to the nurse and it felt like my whole world was being ripped from my arms.  Awful. These strangers have my baby's life in their hands!  Lucy, again, waves bye bye to momma and I hear her crying down the hall.  

Honestly, for those of you with kids... If you haven't ever been through a surgery with your child, THANK GOD every night.  Seriously.  Get on your knees and thank God for that because it's the most horrible thing for any parent to face.  

So, fast forward through the longest hour of our lives, and there comes Dr. Segal.  His first words when he sees my face are 'I am not sure what to do walking up to you, because I don't know if I should smile, dance or give thumbs up.'  haha... I requested all three. :)

All in all, her x-ray was awesome!  Hip is in socket!  He said he manipulated her leg straight, and the hip stayed, which shows great stability.  YAY!  I literally felt like the weight of the world was lifted off my shoulders.  Thank you GOD for answering my bazillions of prayers.

One of my concerns are that since the cast is new, should we do a precautionary x-ray?  Dr. Segal said, 'I already told my staff that I know mom, and she will want an x-ray, so it's already scheduled.'  Good Dr. :) 

Dang right, I want to see this with my own 2 blood shot eyes! 

The cast is way different.  I don't like it at all.  It's PINK thank goodness... (the purple was awful) BUT... it has a bar!  WTF!  When the Dr. told me that I looked at him and said 'are you joking me right now?!'  Reason being is that this cast is fiberglass, the last one was plaster.  SO, fiberglass is lighter and cooler for her, but not as stable and bulky as plaster.  Dang it.  He then tells me 'the bar is blue.'  Ummm, WHAT in the world possessed him to put a blue bar on a pink cast?!  Why not just match em?!  Whatever.  The hip is stable and we will deal, but men just don't think like us ladies do. :)  I think I am going to wrap it in zebra print duct tape.

I told the Dr. 'you have to have seen/dealt with crazier moms than me, right?!'  and he said, 'well... no but I do appreciate that you care.'  HA!  In 25 plus years, I take the cake for the most over protective, crazy mother.  Awesome.  He then told us that 'so many parents LEAVE their children in the hospital and think of it as a little vacation for themselves.'  Are you kidding me?!  They should be SHOT!  What A-holes.

Anyways...We go back to recovery and again my heart stops.  There she is.  Like a sleeping beauty.  My EVERYTHING!  Perfect little angel baby, with a mask on her face breathing in strawberry scented oxygen.  Her mouth was open so I could see all of her new teeth.  Pure perfection in every way.  The bar, the cast, nothing else mattered right then.  She was safe.  :)  The rest of the world could have blown up at that point and I would have still been sitting there by her side, staring at this perfect little girl I created. 

We were able to go home right away after she woke up, so bye bye!  Last time she needed a CT scan, but the Dr. didn't want to this time due to the radiation exposure, so we grabbed the babe and left. 

She was perfect all the way home.  She is fascinated by the bar on her cast, and keeps hitting it like it's some sort of musical instrument...She had some juice and crackers while mommy put the waterproof tape around her diaper area, and is currently in dream land... 

So next Wed we will go in for what I am hoping is one of the final x-rays for awhile, and we will then set up her REMOVAL date! :-)  YAY!  I think just having that day to look forward to will help.  

I am such a happy momma right now.  I feel so proud of my little girl and my whole family.  We have been through SO much in 2012 already, and I am ready to get back to life.

Of course, her recovery is going to be a long one.  The cast will come off, and she will most likely have a foam brace around her thighs for awhile to wean her off the cast.  She won't walk right away.  She won't even be able to sit up or crawl for awhile... BUT... it will come in time.  It all will come in time.

What is upsetting to know is that this is probably not the end of our hip journey.  The Dr. said when children approach 3 years old, they have a growth spurt, so there is another surgery that he will most likely do then... 

I can't focus on that now.  I am only focusing on getting through these next 5 weeks with my sanity still in tact... well, somewhat at least.

One thing I have promised myself is that when Lucy is running around like a wild woman, when she is climbing on things she shouldn't, when she is making a mess all over, I will remember the pain and stress of this cast, and just ENJOY her.  Screw it.  She can run and run and run and make a mess all over.  I will treasure every moment.  The things I hear parents complain about just drives me nuts.  It's like 'get over it princess, you have no idea what it's like to have a child that can't move!'  My tolerance for these nosey, know it all parents is gone.  I can't take em.  They have no experience with anything in their lives and don't appreciate the little things that they should.

The biggest thing I can't wait for is to walk with her holding my hand.  I could cry thinking about it.  I haven't gotten that yet.  Don't EVER take that for granted with your babies!  I would give the world right now to walk with her holding her sticky little hand... :)

Anyway... today is over.  And it went wall.  All I can ask for at this point. 

Thank you to everyone who e-mailed, texted and wished us luck and sent prayers.  We really truly appreciate it!  

Love from sunny Arizona...

Trying to keep her occupied while waiting... and waiting....

I hate this bar already... this was L in recovery after the change

I love kissing her!

There it is.  Beautiful hip!

Haha, the Dr. did that with a happy face and his initials so they remember to cast the LEFT leg and not the right!  How pissed would I be?!?!?!?

On the way home with my princess

Can't wait to start filling this up with 'days til removal!'

Thank you Lord for her iPad!

Still waiting... playing in the children's play area

Pretty much the most beautiful thing I have ever seen!

One third DONE!

Well, this weekend marks the ONE THIRD down mark!  Can you believe it?!  

To me, it feels like the last four weeks have been a lifetime!  I can't believe we still have a long ways to go.  

Today we went for our 4 week x-ray.  No, it's not common to have a 4 week x-ray, but I requested it because of my late night panic attacks that her hip is slipping around!  Dr. Segal was very understanding of my insanity and was happy to get us in... again... 

What I haven't been liking is that the last few x-rays we have had with this cast on, he has had to send the film to radiology to read.  There is so much padding in the cast that it's hard to see the femur clear.  Each time he has said, 'it looks a little high to me, but radiology said it's in socket, so we will go with that.'  

Ummm, that didn't make me feel too great.  So, I requested another.  I am glad I did because this time, for some reason, the angle of the x-ray was spot on and he could see it super clear!  His exact words were, 'it's perfect.'  UMMM HECK YES!  Now that's what I am talking about.  That's what I have been wanting to hear.  All of those nights when I am flipping out thinking that this is all going to be for nothing... all of those moments when Lucy gets frustrated, all of the tears I have cried feeling so sorry for my little armadillo.  Those words made all of the last four weeks worth it.  WHEW.

So, since this cast is obviously working and doing it's job, Dr. Segal wants to keep it on for 8 weeks instead of 6.  Fine by me.  It's still super clean (duh!) and it's not falling apart yet, so 8 weeks it is.  If it's not broke, don't fix it!  So her cast change date has been moved from April 16 to April 30th.  

Her next cast will be the final one!  It will be on for another 4-6 weeks, depending on the stability and healing at the cast change.  

What totally sucks is that it's HOTTER THAN HAITI here in sunny Arizona, and poor Lucy gets so hot!  We don't leave the house from 2-6 in the heat of the day.  We get all of our stuff done in the morning.  

But... what can I do.  We are just going to have to deal with the heat and try to stay cool.  

I just feel SO good that we are on the right track.  Finally.  

I still am aware that a million different things could go wrong at any time.  The femur could slip again.  It could slip out even after the 12 weeks.  Who knows.  I can't control any of this, and it's making me crazy.  I have to just take this day by day.

The other night, (my worst night yet), I was holding the beautiful babester and rocking her a bit before bed.  I just kept thinking of all these things that can go wrong with hip issues, and I was bawling.  I put my head to the side and covered my eyes with my hands so I wouldn't make Lucy upset.  What did she do?!  She pulled my hands away from my eyes and started cracking up, playing peek a boo.  She was besides herself.  The funniest thing ever.  It was another 'moment' that I will always remember.  Lucy has been MY inspiration, and just when I start to think that this is getting to be overwhelming, she smiles.... and that smile lights up my entire world!  (How did I live 31 years without having her in my life?!)

She continues to amaze me every day!  

It's WAY past my bedtime, so goodnight blogging world!  :-)

(Before I go, here are a few pics of my beautiful girl, and some of my favorite quotes.  I save all of these and look at them often.  Makes me feel good.) 

Aint this the truth

My all time favorite.  You can always tell the people who have been through 'life' and the ones who haven't.

Yep, that's my girl

On the carousel with dada!

Scarf time at music class!

At the zoo!

YIKES... the mess this kid makes...

Fussy baby= sit in the car in the driveway with the tv on!

Spic and Spica Span!

This post is being written in hopes that one day... someone, out there somewhere... will benefit from a few of my tips on keeping the spica cast clean!

I was inspired to write this thanks to my sister.  She came over to hang out last night, and she said to me, 'oh my gosh, this is more than a full time job just keeping her clean!'  Yep.  

For those who know me, or sort of know me via the internet groups, you may know that I am a tad bit type A personality.  (Just a little...)  The thought of what bacteria is under that cast gives me nightmares!  BUT... we are 2 weeks into the cast, and so far so good.  (We should be FOUR weeks, but that's a whole other story!)  

Anyways, I live in sunny Arizona where it's HOT.  It's pretty much HOT all the time.  Right now we are in the 80's, but soon will be 90's, and then the famous 100 plus degrees for about 6 months straight.  Hopefully the baby will be out of her cast by the time the hot weather comes.  In Arizona, sweat happens.  All the time.  Morning, noon and night.  It's mid-March and my air conditioner is already on.  I can't stand heat and feeling hot, so I can't imagine how my baby feels in a body cast!

In the hospital, they gave us a few tips and tricks, but you don't really have a clue until you jump in and do it yourself.  Baptism by fire.  

A few things I have learned: Grooming/Cleaning edition!

- Rubber hair bands.  I use them to tie the back of her shirt up tight so food doesn't drop down in her cast.  She refuses to keep bibs on somedays.

- A little desktop fan.  I have heard of people using blowdryers to put in the cast to cool them down, and even the cast cooler, but a small fan has worked wonders for us.  I put it 'right there!' after each bath and let her air out.  The sound of the blow dryer freaks her out, so a fan is a much better option.   The 'Cast Cooler'

can't work through a plaster cast, which most spica casts are... **darn it!** If you are lucky enough to get a 'breathable' cast such as all fiberglass, that would be a great choice.

OK, on to the grooming... this area seems to be at least half our day, so I feel pretty confident about these selections!  I hope this helps someone out there!

I am a hairstylist of almost 12 years... so I refuse to have a baby with ratty hair!  Since the baby is on her back all the time now, she has developed a total rats nest back there after each nap.  I have tried baby detanglers, conditioners, nothing worked except MY favorite hair product for ME!  

'It's a 10' Miracle leave in spray conditioner.  Whenever her hair is a ratted mess in the back, 1 spray of this little gem and easy brushing and PERFECT baby hair again!

I love giving her after bath massages with this stuff. 

Another GEM of a product.  I found this ONE pack at CVS pharmacy.  I need to find more!  It's a baby anti-bacterial wipe!  I wipe all around the cast with it, and go as far down as I can by her tummy and down her back.  I am sure it's sweaty in there, so this kills germs!  It's not as wet as a normal baby wipe either, so it won't soak the cast. 

Duck Tape. (Of course in adorable colors!)  We have used this on the areas that the fiberglass is getting rough.

Another MUST and something I found at CVS pharmacy.  I use a little on her every day.  She doesn't smell at all, but this keeps her baby fresh all day!

3M micro foam tape.  KEEP ON HAND!  It's what they petal the cast with at the hospital. Make sure you get some to take home.  It's thick like foam, easy to wipe clean and very thick.  A MUST for around the diaper area.  Problem is it doesn't stick to the cast very well, so I use duck tape over it on the edges to keep it down.

Dun dun dun DUN!!!!  THE BEST PRODUCT ever made.

I swear by this stuff.  My Lucy has NEVER...yes, I said NEVER had a diaper rash in her 14 months of life thanks to A and D ointment.  I use it on her after every bath/sponge bath before her diaper goes on.  I even go up a tad bit in the cast with it (still by the tape, though) to get all creases.  The best part about this product is this.  It creates a barrier on the skin to wetness, but is a drying agent as well.  So diaper rash doesn't stand a chance.  I have also used this on my bulldog's wrinkles for years!

Pampers Swaddlers.  The only way to go, in my opinion.  It has the built in line in the front that changes color when it's wet.  Since diapering is a pain in the butt (haha) you only have to open the top diaper, peek in, and if it's a blue color, it's wet.  If it's not, you are good to go!

They are worth the extra money.  I rip the tabs off, open the diaper up ALL the way.  All of the elastic on the sides is open and flat... Haven't had a leak yet.

We use size 1 on the inside, and a 6 on the outside.  The hospital suggested Newborn on the inside, but no way.  At night I even use a size 2 on the inside!!!!

I hope some of these grooming tips have helped someone!  

I am sure I will add more at some point, but for now, this is what is working for us. :-)

I start her bath routine at 6:30, and finish around 7:30.  It's insane, I know. It takes awhile, but it's worth it!  She gets her feet massaged, her fan on, and feels nice and cool.  :)

Getting ready. Again.

Well, tomorrow is our last day... again... before the 1st/2nd cast is on.  Confusing, huh?!  

I am preparing now for bringing home my big, huge casted little baby!  It's insane how one tiny little hip bone requires a cast the size of a small country.  Crazy...

Anyways... 

We are trying to enjoy our weekend cast free... I have been trying to let Lucy have some freedom, although I don't want her to get too wild, since the tendons in her left hip area where the surgery was done, are cut!  Honestly, you would never know.  She crawls, stands up and tries to walk.  After 2 weeks of being in a cast, it's like nothing was there at all.  One little patch of dry skin, that's it.  Other than that, business as usual.  CRAZY!

I still am just as upset and nervous as I was the first time around.  This time, it isn't a 'surgery.'  No cutting thank goodness, just a repositioning of the leg since the tendons are already loose, and a new cast.  The surgeon wants to cast her knee a bit higher this time.  It's all about the perfect angle.  And let me tell ya, it better be perfect!  This time around we will go in for a 3-4 day post op check up instead of a 2 week.  He will want to monitor this very closely to ensure this doesn't happen again.  (again, he better make sure it doesn't.)

It's sad... there are so many mixed emotions with this.  Again, yes... it's a cast.  Yes, it sucks.  But goodness gracious, can't it just stay the heck put so she can run and play with the other kids?!  Makes me sad... 

Also, the nervousness... what if this happens again?!  I have this horrible fear of this becoming years and years of this and it's truly scaring the heck out of me.  

All I keep thinking is the George Michael song... 'Ya gotta have FAITH.  Oh you gotta have...faith... yes ya gotta have faith-a-faith-a-faith, ya gotta have faith!'  That's about all I got right now, so this tiny little bone better fit back in the tiny little hip and stick in there this time.

I am on multiple groups of parents going through the same thing.  It helps, but also hurts because you hear the horror stories of bad surgeons.  You also get to hear the success stories and tips, too, which is great to hear, but I have to keep telling myself each child is different.  Each case is different... I am going to try to limit my time on those boards since it can make me crazy some days.

In the meantime, we are getting the house ready... again.  I tried to keep everything normal before.  She slept in her crib (except for the first night home) and kept the same schedule.  

Those who know me know that I am TYPE A to the extreme.  Even being as insane as I am, there are a few things/tips I wanted to share since I know people who are having the same surgery done in a matter of weeks, and I think this will help them!  Some of these same tips really helped me...

Also, I am including a few pics of the sweetest, most amazing baby in the world.  Yep, you heard it folks!  She totally is...  And like my husband told me the other day, 'Lucy is going to get US through this.'  So true.  Anywho... say a million prayers that this one sticks and wish us luck for Monday... :)

A video game bean bag chair.  A must.  This is where I do her sponge baths.

The kitchen counter.  BIBS so the cast doesn't get wet or dirty, binkys galore, and a 'meds' box

Have all of this ready to go since you don't want to be searching for things!

This includes her pain meds from the hospital, infant advil and gas drops.  Since she doesn't move around a lot, gas drops are a must.

Her wagon.  I prop pillows in here and off we go.  She loves it.

For those who think you will get sleep for the time your child is casted, think again.  COFFEE will keep you going!

Umm, hello perfect!  We went swinging at the park today. Cutest baby EVER.  :-)

Ok, this sounds insane. (don't you know me by now?!)  I save all the ads we get in the mail.  She loves to rip paper.  She can sit for hours ripping and making a mess, so we have an 'ad' bag.  Crazy...

Have the bath kit ready to go.  Washcloths, soap, q tips, everything.  The last thing you want is to have a naked (well, kinda) baby mad as heck because you are getting up to get stuff.  Have it all ready to roll.

Pillows.  All shapes, all sizes.  These ones are bean bag ones.  Walgreens has them right now 2 for $10.  

And keep in mind, this is what you look forward to AFTER the cast.  :-)

Love of my life!

Ok, back to the supplies... A 'diaper change' toy kit.  I lay her on the Boppy pillow on the bed to change her.  The diapering takes some time, so have a box of toys to play with (or an iPhone!) to keep her happy while changing.

Yes, I know.  2 strollers, 1 baby.  I hate to even admit I have ANOTHER one which makes THREE!

One inside, one outside (of the little umbrella ones) then the one on the right is our Baby Jogger which is amazing!  She can still fit in it with her cast.  It's the difference of driving a Kia or a Bentley... :)  SOOO smooth!

Ok, yes. I am insane.  She has a new toy ready to go for each week when she gets bored.

Don't judge!  YES I spoil her.  NO I don't care if she's spoiled.  haha... She is perfect so she can have whatever she wants.

Diapers. Have them ready to go!  I use size 1 diapers for the inside the cast part, and size 6 on the outside.  I don't have a tiny kid, so these are better.  The newborn ones were just wayyyy too small.  The hospital recommended those ones, but nope.  Didn't work.

So there you have it.  Welcome to our lives.

A few more things I wanted to add:

1. Binky holder!  She couldn't move that much to get her binky in the night, so I clipped one on her at all times so it's easy to find.  She kept it in for pretty much 2 weeks!  Made her feel safe.
2. LOWER the crib!  We forgot to do that and came home from the hospital with a tired, freaked out baby who was screaming while I realized she was way too heavy and bulky to put all the way down in the crib like normal.  We raised it up to the highest point it could go since she can't stand in it anyways... She has only slept with me 1 night out of the last 14 months.  That was the night she came home from surgery.  I want her to stay in her crib where she is comfortable.
3. Have food ready. The last thing you need is to be worrying about cooking.  We went to Costco and got tons of pre made meals and frozen veggies to have.  Remember, the baby won't fit in a shopping cart with this cast on, so if you are going alone, you only can buy what the stroller allows you to fit.  So... hit the store ahead of time.
4. IVY ROSE SPICA CAST CHAIRS.  This isn't even an option NOT to have.  It's where the baby eats and plays.  It's a must and has been a life saver!

Hope someone, somewhere out there will benefit from this.  I know I asked for lists and tips from the 'pros' and it really helped me. :)  

Take care... over and out from sunny Arizona...