BIAS?! Maybe a tad... but really. This kid is pure perfection.
She listens. I would tell her, 'Luc, don't move, mommy will be right back.' She will put both of her hands on her lap and say, 'right back mama.' I have to just look at her most of the time when she is acting up and she stops... she never EVER wants to make her mommy upset. So many friends of mine do 'time outs' with their 2 year old. Never once have I done that with Lucy. She is very sensitive. Very sweet. A 'pleaser' type personality...
Until the pillow.
Dun dun dun... the big, blue pillow.
Now, as much as I complain about this pillow, it's 5 billion times better than the spica cast. Actually, there is no comparison at all since the spica cast wouldn't allow her to sit up on her own. It would go up to her armpits, making it to where she would have to lay down most of the 6 weeks. The pillow allows for a lot more movement, a lot more core use, and a lot more worry for mama!
After hearing Dr. Segal say 'it could be 4 weeks, but I would feel better if she did the extra week,' in my mind, I know her hip is healed. I think that's why I didn't fall on floor with a heart attack yesterday. What happened you ask?
My sister was over visiting and helping with the girls... Lucy wasn't napping, so I went in her room and gave her some juice and the Ipad to have some quiet time. (She usually plays for a little bit after waking up... she likes to do puzzles and watch Leap Frog) We have the toddler bed barrier thing up after taking off the front side of her crib. We did that because there was no way to lift her in and out of the crib. You have to lift her like a baby, so with her being 32 lbs, it's tough!
Anyways...
The baby monitor is on, and I hear her laughing and playing... Until she says, 'MAMMA! MAMMA!' That's pretty normal for her to yell when she is ready to come out... The sound echoed down the hallway and sounded like she was VERY close. I run and turn the corner, and there she is. The little booger was sitting on her bottom, just her shirt and diaper, scooting on her bum down the hallway.
OH. MY. GOSH.
My sister came running behind me and it was just this moment of silence where we didn't know what to say.
Lucy broke the silence by raising her arms up victoriously saying, 'YESSSSSSSSS!'
I just looked at my sister and said, 'I am at a loss for words for once in my life.'
I picked Lucy up and put her back in her bed. I said, 'show mommy how you got out.' She put her head down because she knew she shouldn't have done that. What does she do? She puts her hands on the side of the crib and pulls to a stand and says, 'TADA!'
I quickly said, 'NO Lucy! You can't stand yet, not til Dr. Segal says you can.' She said, 'OK mama' and then did it again.
(That night when my husband got home, the crib front went back on. My back will just have to deal with leaning over with a 32 lb kid for the next week.)
My once perfect listener is over it. Over the pillow. Over sitting down for the last month. Over restrictions. Over surgeries. Over doctors. Over everything to do with DDH!
I don't blame her because I am over it, too!
Good news is that she was finally able to have a real bath. That was pretty awesome. We have even done 2 baths in one day just to kill some time...
Somehow through this surgery, I have managed to really try to stay positive. Lucy understands things now, so she feeds off me. I try NEVER to blame the pillow for anything. Like, for example. She will say EVERY DAY to me, 'gymnastics?' (breaks my heart) but I say, 'no baby, it's not open today, pretty soon,' instead of saying, 'not til your pillow is off for good,' or 'we can't because of your pillow.'
It's a whole new ball game with a kid that understands...
I also say to her almost daily, 'do you want to go with mommy to the store and show everyone your pillow? It's so awesome!' She will say, 'yah! Lucy's pillow awesome!' and then she pets her pillow. :)
It's really sweet... if she would have been closer to 3, she wouldn't buy what I'm selling... but she's at the perfect age right now...
My husband was saying he thinks she's going to miss her 'Guppie stroller' aka the wheelchair. We see people in the mall in a wheelchair, and I tell her, 'look baby! They have a guppie stroller too!' She gets so excited...
The BEST piece of advice I have heard through this journey is:
'Don't make her hate this as much as you do.'
It's true. It's the advice I will pass on to new parents dealing with DDH. A lady on our group's little girl had surgery last week. Before her surgery I spoke to her mom on the phone... Mom told me how the 4 year old girl is actually excited to get a cool colored cast! My answer was, 'GO WITH IT! Tell her how special she is, and tell her all of the fun things you can do together while she's casted.' As a parent, that's rough since you know it's so much more than this... but a child's mind is so simple and innocent. So that's it: 'don't make her hate this.'
And she hasn't, because I haven't let her. We have pulled together as a family. We have wonderful friends... we haven't let this get the best of us...
Just as things are coming to a close (8 more days!)... I now have a new way to describe Lucy other than perfect, amazing, wonderful, joy, love..... WILD!
I should have known when she was dancing in the hospital on the 2nd night we were there, that I was in for it this time... (thank God for pain meds!)
Or 4 days post surgery when she is rolling all over the place...
Or a few weeks ago as she is doing her 'Jungle Book' dance...
Actually, I am not going to call her wild. I am back to calling her...
Perfect. :-) I wouldn't have this little monkey any other way than what she is. Everything about her, even scooting down the hallway after breaking free, is perfect. <3
 |
| And there she is... scooting away! |
 |
| Making a shirt for sister and her that match |
 |
| Grandpa came over and Lucy was helping feed sister |
 |
| You know it's love when she shares her pirates treasure |
 |
| This toy has been so awesome... its colored pieces of paper that slide in a plastic case with cut outs. You pop the colored buttons to make the picture... pretty cool |
 |
| This was our second movie! The LORAX. It's part of the theater's summer movie program... super fun! |
No comments:
Post a Comment