Getting Back to Our Normal...

It's been almost a week since Harlow got her cast off.  Things have been going really well.  She still isn't walking, but every day her legs get a little stronger.  She can actually crawl almost normal now, in the cast she sort of did a frog hop crawl, but now she has more leg movement and can really go...fast!  She is also climbing.  She can climb on her bed and on chairs.  She can stand holding onto something.  She can walk it you hold on to her, so it's only a matter of time until she really gets going on her own. 

I'm so glad to be done with the spica cast change.  I really, really, REALLY hope we never have to go through that again.  Even though it wasn't that tragic, it's not something I would wish on anyone.  Harlow has still been sleeping in her bean bag, well up until today that is.  I took it from her and put it away.  She can lay down flat in her brace and she can roll over just fine, so there is really no reason for her not to sleep in her bed.  I gave her a few days after the cast came off to adjust and get used to the brace, but now it's time for the bean bag to go.  She was so exhausted today I put her in her bed, she mentioned the bean bag and I told her that it was time for it to go bye-bye & that it was just here visiting with her while her cast was on.  She didn't mention it after that and quickly fell asleep.  So fingers crossed she sleeps all night without the "bean bag of beans" (as she refers to it). 

Today I also finally switched out the Hippo car seat and put back in her car seat.  For the first few days she kept her legs the way they were in the cast, but now she can close them more so it was time to get back in her own car seat.  I'm going to give it a few days and make sure it's comfortable for her and if so we are going to return the Hippo seat to the hospital.  I hate using it because it's a $450 car seat and if it gets ruined we have to pay for it.  It's not an attractive car seat at all.  It's huge, bulky, blue, & ugly so I do not want to pay for it because it's not something I would voluntarily put in our car lol. 

Now that it's been a week, it's time for us to get back to our normal....however normal that is I really don't know lol.  It's time to change my blog title back from the spica cast.  I will always continue to update our journey and if anyone ever wants to read our story all they need to do is browse the blog history starting in April. 

I got an embroidery sewing machine this week & it is AWESOME!  It's the greatest sewing machine I have ever owned.  It sews so nice, it's actually smaller than my regular sewing machine and it is just GREAT!  It has an automatic needle threader and sews pedal free - that's like heaven for a sewer.  I made a skirt on it last night which turned out really cute.  My next project is to practice embroidery on a few of Harlow's onesies.  Once I get the hang of it I'll be adding lots of fun embroidery items on my Etsy store.

Cast Off Day

This morning when we woke up, we asked Harlow if she was ready to get her cast off today.  She looked at us, crawled into her bedroom, shut the door, & yelled out "It's mine!" Deep down I know she really wanted it off...lol

We arrived on time to our 11:40am appointment only to be told the doctor was running 30 minutes behind schedule.  This is shocking news.  Everytime we get to there, we are told the doctor is behind.  Thankfully, I came prepared.  We had lunch right before we got there and I made sure everyone had charged iPads.  Harlow played games on her iPad while Derek & I played Battleship on our iPads (he beat me 2 times in a row - darn!).  So while we were playing about 30 minutes passed and the front office receptionist yells out to the waiting area that the doctor is now running 1 hour and 20 minutes behind schedule. Talk about annoying!  I understand this is the best hospital in the area, but really get the timing a little better.  We kept waiting because there was no way I was leaving that office with a kid in a cast!  Finally, at almost 1pm we got called back!!!! YAY!!!

We get back to the room and right away the nurse started to cut Harlow's cast off.  They just have a little hand saw.  Nothing to big and scary but it is a little loud.  Harlow took it very well.  She did fuss a little but no screaming or thrashing around.  She was very tired as 1pm is normally her naptime.  He got the cast cut off without any problems.  He cut up the sides of each leg and then up her hips, so it could just pull right off in two pieces.  Shockingly, she wasn't hardly dirty at all (not too stinky either).  She didn't realize it was really off right away.  I got out the soapy wash cloth I brought along and wiped her down.  Putting a normal size 4 diaper on her skinny little butt was so weird!  Putting her pants on was a little hard because she wasn't ready to move her legs from the position they were in for twelve weeks.  We got them on though - pants for the first time in 3 months!!

The nurse came back in and took us to weigh & get her height.  She weighs 20lbs and is 34 inches tall.  She lost over 5lbs while in her cast.  Before her surgery she weighed 26lbs. With the last cast being tighter around her belly she wasn't eating as much, so I know she'll gain it back quick now that she is free.

Next, a man from Orthotics came in with her new brace.  There really isn't much to it.  It has a plastic mold around the back of her hips and her back.  The rest is just some foam as padding and some velcro straps.  It keeps her legs in a similiar position as the cast did, to give them more healing time but also time for her to adjust to the cast being gone.  She has to wear the brace for basically 24/7 (except bath time) for 3 months.  Than she will go back and as long as everything looks good she will only have to wear it to bed for a year.  When we were leaving she said "Where's cast?" We replied, "Your cast is gone."  She says, "Cast all done!"

Once we got home she was pretty eager to start playing with her new found freedom.  She can walk with her hands and feet on the floor (like a bear), but not just on her feet.  Once she starts building the strength up she'll be able to walk on her own again. She got in the bath tub for the first time since getting the cast on.  She was so excited!  She played for a good 45 minutes before she was so pruned she looked like a raisin.  Once I got her out and dried off she was asking to get into her bean bag.  She was sound asleep by 6:30pm! 

To finish off this great day, Derek brought me home a $5 Phillies lottery ticket tonight and I won $100!  The craziest part is today is the 18th and almost all the winning #'s on the ticket were 18's!  My psychic did say 8 is my number for the year :-)

Getting her cast cut off. You can see how little the saw  is.

CAST FREE!

Just got her new brace put on.

Front view of the brace.

Back of cast.

Trying to stand up!

Spica Cast Tips

It's been awhile since I've given some tips to living with a Spica Cast.  Since we are finishing up that stage I thought I would go over a few things and add some pictures since it's been awhile. 

I've found that umbrella strollers work nice for the cast.  Also the Baby Jogger City Mini stroller also works nicely.  You need a stroller that the sides don't stick out further than the seat.  I must say in general I really, really love the City Mini stroller. You can get lots of cool add-on's for it (like a little cooler just perfect for sippy cups or bottles).

Standard Costco Umbrella Stroller

Harlow in the Baby Jogger City Mini Stroller while we were at the beach.

We've discovered that sponge bathing next to the kitchen sink is much easier & more fun than a boring old sponge bath on a towel on the floor.  Harlow loves to lay next to the sink and splash around in the water.  She thinks it's the next best thing to a real bath.  She always asks for "tubby on sink".  Being able to rinse her hair with the sprayer on the sink is also much easier and cups full of water.  

Spica Cast Version of "Tubby Time"

 I'm so happy I found this booster seat at Target.  I was picking up some Organic fruit packs in the baby department when I stumbled upon the My Booster by Soft Gear.  It works perfect for the cast.  She can use it on the floor, on the stools at our table, on a chair/booth at a restaurant, anywhere really!  It is really awesome. It's a Spica Cast must!

Ready for Dinner! Sitting in her My Booster by Soft Gear.

My most important tip!  Just because your child is in a Spica Cast doesn't mean the entire 12 weeks (or however long) has to be miserable.  We've had good days & bad days, but the good days really outweigh the bad days. I feel like everything I've read on the Internet whether it's been blogs or information sites always make it seem like this is going to be such a hard time and your child isn't going to be comfortable or happy.  It's really not like that though.  Don't get me wrong we've had sleepless nights, screaming fits, painful knees, & some other problems, but we've had many more good moments.  She is happy 98% of the time.  The cast is part of her life.  She acts like it's always been there and she doesn't let it stop her from doing what she wants to do.  She learned to crawl in the first week. She learned to sit up it. She learned to pull herself into her bed.  She's been trying to stand on it (although she's not allowed and we don't let her).  If you're reading this because your child needs a Spica Cast do not go into it thinking it's going to be the worst time of your life and your child's - It's NOT going to be.  You will have a lot more work and it will be harder, but it's not going to be sad & miserable, unless YOU make it that way.  I mean do these pictures look like a miserable 2 year old a Spica Cast or a 2 year old who is happy & silly?

Who says a Spica Cast has to be miserable?

"My Spica Cast hasn't stopped me from being silly!"