7 months/San Antonio

Collin is already past 7 months old and changing so much. He is able to roll over from tummy to back in one direction and from back to tummy in one direction. He can bear weight on both of his legs as we hold him. He likes to push off when he is laying on us now. We are continuing to work with him sitting on his own. He is getting better, but still needs support. These are tremendous milestones for us, and we are so thankful that he has been able to meet them.

We have also officially successfully transitioned all naps to Collin's crib over the past month. Harder on mommy than on my sweet boy, but it needed to be done. He is able to talk himself to sleep with his paci for his naps and usually sleeps for an hour or two, although one morning he slept for 4 hours! Night sleeps are continuing to be great. He will usually sleep from 9:30-7:30, waking up once a night usually to find his paci.

Collin's favorite toys are our cell phones, iPad, and remote control. More realistically, he likes his exersaucer and activity gym. He is also content rolling around on a big blanket with some toys. He is still in 3-6 month clothes, but 6-9 are finally starting to fit better. We are finishing our last box of size 2 diapers and moving up to size 3. Next week brings a pediatrician trip to get 6 month shots (which will get Collin all caught up!) and a weight check. No teeth yet, but I fully expect one to cut through any day. He has been slightly congested the past few days and constantly is rubbing his gums. Solid wise we have had rice cereal, oatmeal, peas, green beans, carrots, squash, and sweet potatoes. So far there hasn't been anything he hasn't liked. It's sweet because he always makes an unsure face when he gets the first bite of something new, but then he breaks out into a huge smile.

As for the rest of us...

We took a FABULOUS family vacation to San Antonio a couple of weeks ago. It was the first time for Collin to be in the car for longer than 20 minutes. He did well considering! He definitely wanted out of his carseat after an hour, but we stopped a lot and made it after 9 hours.

We had all of our stops planned out, but our stop in Sweetwater was disappointing! It was the first Jack-in-the-Box we encountered, but it was closed because it had been robbed. Ridiculous! We ended up at McDonald's next door. Continuing the trip, it was absolutely a beautiful drive down I-10 into town. We stopped, of course, at our favorite place Genghis Grill. It was delicious, as always. They would make a killing here the way people flock to new restaurants in this town. We rested at the hotel that night to regain energy. The next day, we got up and walked to the Alamo. Les had never been before. It was hot! We then walked to the Hard Rock Cafe for lunch and to cool off. It felt great cooling off, so we headed over to get our riverboat tour tickets before heading back to rest at the hotel. The riverboat tour was miserably hot. It was in the direct sun and just so hot. We went straight back to the hotel after that to cool off again before venturing to dinner. Since we had a river walk hotel, everything was in walking distance, which was great. We headed over to a Mexican food place for dinner, back to the hotel, then to Ben and Jerry's, then back to the hotel. It was the perfect place to stay and we got lots of breaks from the heat.

In our original itinerary we had plans to go to Sea World, but we nixed that due to the heat. It was over 100 when we went, and we've never been so we didn't know how accommodations would be for Collin. So we headed up to DFW area to see Les' sister and her fiancé, his mom and brother, and his dad. We had a good time there and even enjoyed some delicious Pappasitos (and we finalkly had our Jack-in-the-Box) throughout our trip up the state.

It was a great week, but it was also Les' only week off. I wish he had more time off this summer! I've been reading lots of books and working on stuff for the new school year. We go back in less than a month, how crazy!

Squishy!!!!

So June 1st was the big cast off day.

We woke up to a happy sweet Collin who had no idea what the day had in store. We got to the orthopedic and they took us pretty quick. They warned us it was loud and while it wouldn't physically hurt him to take his cast off, the saw would crerate strong vibrations in his bones that he wouldn't like. They gave him a big pair of headphones and he did good the first few minutes. Then it was about 15 minutes of torture. First, they cut up the legs and front. Then they flipped him on his tummy to cut the back. Collin's skin looked grea considering it was in that cast for 3 months. It was just red and flaky, but there were no sores or welts... Thank goodness!!

After the cast came off, they took him to X-Ray where everything looked good. We are not completely out of the woods yet, but both hips are in place at this stage. We need the bones to calcify and set in the socket at a certain angle. We will know how the bones are progressing at the next X-Ray at the beginning of September. I keep hearing people tell me that is too far away, but it's really not if you think about it. I mean we are waiting on the bones to grow and calcify and set up, that's not something that can be done right away.

After we left the orthopedic, Collin was not digging having his legs touched at all. We went to the artificial limb and brace company so he could get fitted for his Rhino Abduction brace. On the way there, he found his toes in his carseat. He hasn't let go since ;)

He wears his Rhino at night for about 10-12 hours. He doesn't mind it at all, but sure doeseny when it comes off every morning. He kicks and stretches and just loves being free.

It's been great to have him free during the day. Collin is just so squishy and active. It's great to see him kick his legs, touch his toes, and roll around.

We had his 6 month check up today. Collin weighs 15 lbs, 4 oz. That puts him in the 11th percentile. He is 27 inches long... That's the first length we've been able to get since the day he was born. He is in the 70th percentile for length. We have been cleared to start solids, not just rice cereal in his bottle. I'm excited to see his different facial expressions as he tries new foods.

Milestone wise...

He can support himself on his tummy, and lift his chest up.
He can sit in between us on the couch, as long as he is leaning on us
He can grab things he wants like his paci or a certain toy and can lean over to grab them. He can also take his paci from us and put it in his mouth independently.
He feeds himself his bottles, as long as he is sitting supported on our laps. He takes it out when he needs a break and puts it back in by himself
They want him to roll over by the time he is 7 months, or we might need to do some physical therapy

Collin loves to sit at the table with us. Hopefully he will sable to sit soon and enjoy his highchair. For now it looks like we will enjoy our solids in our bumbo.

Les and I are doing great. He is officially in his last year of pharmacy school and I am excited to be a 3rd grade teacher this upcoming year after teaching 4th for the past 3 years and take on the challenge of being a model technology teacher. I love my iPad and am looking forward to all the other technology to really have an engaging year.

Blog has been down

For some reason I haven't been able to log on here for a few weeks, but it finally let me log on today.

We have actually had a normal couple of weeks for once. Collin has been healthy and happy, as have both Les and I. The last day of school was Friday, and I got my whole classroom moved and set up to teach 3rd grade next year. I am excited for a change of pace!

The time has finally come for Collin to get his cast off. Wednesday is the big day and Les got permission to miss rotation that day to be there for the big event.

In other household news, last weekend we traded in Les' crappy car that was on its last leg and bought a new 2011 Toyota Highlander for me. Les is driving my old highlander. Yes, I am spoiled rotten ;) it's great to have two reliable cars.

Been a while

Things have been so hectic lately that I haven't had a moment to update. At school, we have had TAKS come and go for another year as we anxiously await results (still 2 weeks away). I applied for a model classroom, where I would get a ton of technology to use under stipulations where I get observed and have independent book studies and such. Well, I was one of 4 teachers at my school to get it! I am excited about the new opportunity and other opportunities that hopefully will play out as well.

Collin went through his second closed reduction surgery with flying colors. His hips were exactly how they needed to look and he had no adverse reactions with the anesthesia or medications this time. He was his happy self a few hours after waking up. This time, Dr. Sims made sure to give Collin a lot of extra room in his cast, especially around his tummy and diaper area. We were pleased to see that he had a ton of room!!

Collin has started Zantac and rice cereal in his bottle to help aid with spitting up. We have seen dramatic improvement, but still have some days that are worse than others. He gets out of his cast in 3 and a half weeks (June 1st) and we will try to start actual "solids" a few days later, after he adjusts to being able to move again. His cast off procedure is in office, no anesthesia or anything required. After they take it off, he is going to get an x-ray to see how his hips are set up and how the bones are calcifying. Depending on how they look and how the calcification is will tell us if he needs to wear a brace and how long per day he would be braced. It won't be the pavlik again, but should be the rhino cruiser. Dr. Sims guessed that if he needs it, it would be at night only. Les and I are itching to get to hold our sweet boy with no harnesses, casts, or braces since he has been in something since he was born.

Jason called me on Friday wanting to come to town this weekend to surprise Mom for Mother's Day. That was fun :) We spent yesterday evening at their house sitting around chatting and are going back today for a Mother's Day dinner.

Anyway, I guess that's all that has been happening lately. Life is wonderful and we are loving every second :)


I had a nasty stomach bug that lasted four days recently, so Collin missed his buddy Libby's first birthday party. But we were able to make it to Hayden's last weekend as well as the March of Dimes walk. It was fun to be able to spend the day outside in the fresh air with minimal wind for a change.

GERD

Where to start?

Monday morning at 4am, Collin woke up choking on his own spit-up. We attributed that to his cast being too tight, so we made a plan to go to Dr. Sims to get his tummy cut out again. At 6 I gave him his normal bottle and he proceeded to projectile vomit all over his room and me. They aren't kidding when they say projectile. I got everything cleaned and then worried that maybe he had caught the stomach virus that was going around Mimi's last week. Les met us at Dr. Sims' office and they cut the cast up his tumble and flared it out. They also assured us that on Friday he will mold the cast to give room for his tummy to expand and grow. Les got the rest of the day off and Collin kept down pedialyte and then formula starting in the afternoon.

He slept 10-6 this morning and I had to wake him up at 6 so he could eat and I could make sure he kept it down. He did great and barely spit up at all. Mimi texted me during the day saying he was choking on his spit up and still spitting up a lot. I called the pediatrician to see what I needed to do and they wanted to see Collin.

A few hours later, we took him for his appointment and he was diagnosed with infant GURD (Gastroesophageal reflux disease). The plan is to change formulas to Enfamil AR and take Zantac. If the formula doesn't help, then we can try going back to Similac Sensitive with rice cereal to thicken it up. We also need to elevate his head when he is asleep. We are also supposed to elevate his feet (from the blue swelling issue) obviously we can't do both, so we have to try to prop him slightly turned to the side to sleep. If that doesn't work, then Dr. Young and Dr. Sims will have to work on a solution. If that doesn't work, we would go see a pediatric gastroentarologist in Lubbock. I'm sure I spelled that wrong.

So we should see improvement in the next 2 days, but then of course his next closed reduction surgery is Friday.

The waiting game

With 5 weeks down and 6 days to go until the cast change, having enough patience to make it is tough work!!

Collin's "re-circumcision" is healing, but we are definitely going to have to be mindful of that because we have heard stories of that happening multiple times to a child.

Within a week of Collin's first cast getting put on, I took him to get a slit cut above his diaper line because he was spitting up a lot and having bowel problems and we just felt that it was too tight. Well, with a week to go it's the same scenario. I am sure this time it has something to do with 5 weeks of growth and getting the cast reinforced last week. But we've been having an off and on constipation issue for the past week and the spit-up has increased dramatically over the past few days. It is irritating that people think it's because of a sensitivity to formula, when if you reach into the cast you can clearly feel his tummy has absolutely zero room to expand. We did switch to a sensitive formula, but that is to try to decrease spit up since there is so much pressure on his tummy. That worked until he grew so much to increase pressure!


Feeding wise, he is still eating 4 oz every 3 hours. Usually around this age, they eat around 6 oz, but less frequently than 3 hours. We tried giving him a 6 oz bottle last week and he spit up the last 2 ounces, so we are sticking to this schedule until he is cast free and then will gradually adjust his schedule.

We've been sleeping on a slightly different schedule for the past week which has been a hard adjustment. Collin went a week straight where he slept through the entire night. Before that week, he was getting up one time to eat at around 2 am. That was a good time for him to get up because it gave me sleep from 10-2 and then from 2-5. So his feeding was kind of in the middle. This week, it was going to sleep by 10 and waking up at 11:45 and being up until 1 and getting up at 4. Still doable, but a bit harder to adjust to. Les has also had a busy week, so all in all the Covington family did not have a restful week.

With all of the budget cuts, we got notice of what the new insurance is going to look like come July. It sucks big time. I have heard many complaints about IMS from people that don't have IMS, but also from a few people within the district. Throughout all of the health problems that Collin and I have both had over the past 4 months, IMS coverage has been great. But if this would have all happened after the policy change, then I definitely would have been one complaining. I think our prescription insurance is what really sucks, but thankfully we haven't needed much of that in the past 2 months. Hopefully, we will be in the all clear by July with surgeries being completed and just seeing the pediatrician and orthopedic on occasion for check-ups.

We had our first successful family restaurant adventure last night. We went to Red Robin and made it through with no fussing :) Collin was so cute, he kept putting his arms on the table and crossing them like a big boy sitting so distinguished.

Praying for a normal week, with Collin's tummy settling down and less spit-up for the next several days. We have had weight gaining issues, so we need to make sure what he eats stays in his tummy. Prayers on Friday for progress made when they do the arthrogram and CT scan, for no reactions to the anesthesia this time, and for our sweet boy to have no pain or hard adjustment period with his new (bigger!) cast.

4 month well baby

Collin got his cast cracked finally fixed on Wednesday. They reinforced the plaster with 2 layers of fiberglass. It was so rough, we covered it in teal duct tape. Now he has "pants" ;). WE are glad it is fixed. His feet are okay too, just keeping an eye on them.

Today has been unexpectedly rough.

We went in for Collin's 4 month well baby visit. We had been doing some research on immunizations in a spica cast and pretty much learned they would need to be delayed. There just is no injection site suitable. We were able to get the rotovirus since it was an oral vaccine. Dr. Young was talking about gettig Collin's cast off on the 22nd and then taking him back to the hospital to get recasted. I don't think that will work out, but we are wondering if the hospital could just give him the shots while he's in between casts. We also have the worry of knowing he is already going to have the dye injection, saline, anesthesia, and to have immunizations on top of all that at one time?? Lots to think about and research, but some of it we might not have a choice with due to some pertussis in the area.

Anyways, no one told us that when you have a boy circumcised that you are supposed to continue to pull the skin back. We didn't do that because we didn't know and win Dr. Young checked him, the skin was starting to grow back over, so he had to pull it apart to break that skin growth. Well, it hurt Collin so bad... We've never heard him scream like that. He also bled too from where the skin was pulled apart. So, at every diaper change now we have to make sure to pull the skin back and Vaseline it. Needless to say I have been bummed that he was put through unnecessary pain just because of something we didn't know to do. I haven't let him out of my arms since. We gave him Tylenol and he has been asleep most of the afternoon. Poor kid.

Yesterday I went to a friend's baby shower and she got the cutest outfit for her little boy. It was a superman onesie with a matching superhero rag/animal thing. It was so cute. Collin needs one because he's my strong fighter!!

LISTEN!!!!

I would consider myself to be an outrageously patient person. I say outrageously because I don't always consider it to be a good characteristic. However, one thing that absolutely makes me lose my patience more than anything in the world is when people do not listen. That would include changing the subject abruptly and asking questions but then interrupting when you are getting an answer.

In my career teaching 4th graders (especially since I have 20 this year), I feel like I always say, "Guys... listen!!!" or "What did I ask you to do?" and so and and so forth. What is really sad is when you want to say the same thing to an adult!

It has been a very trying few days.

Since Collin has gotten casted, we have always been constantly looking out for swelling, blisters, his skin condition, and general wear and tear on the cast. After a few days of being casted, we noticed his diaper area was already experiencing plaster breakdown from the baby wipes. We covered the diaper area with waterproof medical tape to help prevent more wear since that is so close to the hip area, and we reinforced that tape with duct tape. Well, this weekend we noticed a crack had developed on one of his knees and goes around about 6 inches. It can open about 5-7 mm in width and he can also move his leg about that much. You might think it's not a lot, but to be able to move his leg period worries me because if he's in a cast he shouldn't be able to move at all!!! We know this because when you hold him you can feel his leg moving. His feet swelling has been a constant concern of ours as well since being casted, but we have always been told the same thing - switch his positions and keep his feet elevated.

Monday morning, I take Collin to Mimi's house and she comments that his feet seem purplish. She hadn't seen him in a week since Les was just on Spring Break. I slightly freaked out because we knew they had been slightly discolored, but we also see him everyday and are already paranoid about every little change. So, I call the orthopedic at 8:30 and tell them that he has a crack, can move his leg, and his feet are purplish. They took my message and said that my doctor's assistant (Ken) would call me back. I still hadn't heard anything by 10, so I called again and talked to the nurse and she said that she gave him my message but that he was busy and would call back soon. At 3, I still hadn't heard anything, so I called again and got the same reply. Finally around 6:30, Ken called back and said that his feet should be nothing to worry about and that we just need to keep them elevated and change positions. He said they are blanching slowly, but not to a point where it is worrisome. It was also mentioned that the crack wasn't a big concern since it wasn't at the hip, but it definitely would need to be reinforced. Ken said that they would be in surgery all day Tuesday (I knew this, which is why I called so many times Monday), but that Chuck would call me on Tuesday morning so I could come in and get it reinforced.

So today, Tuesday, I tell Mimi that I will be back to take him to the doctor in a little bit. Before I knew it, the school day was over. I called at 3 and this is when I get frustrated. I called scheduling and told them the situation and that I hadn't heard from Chuck and I wanted to know what the deal was. They transferred me to the nurse. I reminded the nurse of the situation from yesterday and told her what Ken had said when I talked to him last night. She transferred me to the Prompt Clinic, where Chuck had been all day. I talked to Shelley, who I repeated the whole situation to and she talked to Chuck, who had never gotten Ken's message about reinforcing the cast.

Shelley said it was worrisome his feet were purplish, so she transferred me back to scheduling and told me to tell them the situation so I could schedule an appointment first thing Wednesday with our orthopedic, Sims. So I start to tell scheduling my situation and they interrupt and say, "let me transfer you to the nurse." and before I can even say, "I already talked to her!!!" they clicked over. Of course, then the nurse didn't answer the phone! Then I had to call back and start all over with scheduling. Of course, it took me 20 minutes to get someone to answer the phone!! Finally, I was able to explain the situation to them and I demanded an appointment first thing. So the lady puts me on hold to look at the schedule and comes back and says, "Well, I guess um we can put you as a walk in at 8:15, or 8:20 whatever". EXCUSE ME!! WHATEVER is not good enough at this point!! So I told her I needed to know exactly what time to be there. So she then told me 8:20. 10 minutes later, Brittney called (I think from scheduling?) and said, "I know you have spent 2 days talking to a million different people here and no one seems to know what to do and everyone is saying different things." Finally some help!! Anyway, she talked to Ken and he told her what he told me on the phone Monday, but that we would need to come in tomorrow to get it all checked out. So she let me pick a time in the afternoon, which was great.

I go to leave school to pick up Collin and not 10 minutes later, they call again (this time Shelley from the Prompt Clinic) and say that if his feet are purplish then he needs to be seen immediately!!! So then I freak out because I've been on the phone with them for 2 days and it's just now decided to be an emergency??? I wasn't too worried about his feet since he was blanching fine, but I took him in and they were waiting for us at the door because they had already closed a few minutes prior. Well, of course his feet were perfectly pink in color and just swollen... not purple. Of course right?? So, I got home and took a picture of his hand by his foot (as good as I could seeing as though he can't bend to get them very close to each other) so that when I go tomorrow they don't call me crazy!!! In all seriousness... should it have really been this difficult to get my not even 4 month old son checked out???


3 and a half weeks down in this cast. 2 and a half more until the next cast change.

2 Weeks 1 day Down...

Sheesh it feels like I was just saying we were only 1 week in the cast and now it's 2. This week flew by, but it still feels like he's been in his cast for a lot longer!! Everything is second nature now. I just hate that I don't have my squishy little baby boy to squeeze and bathe. We have been having fun dressing him in summer hats and sunglasses. He got a cute new "fishing" hat and he had a baseball cap, but it's already too small. There was a cute one at target today but it was too big. I guess he is in between hat sizes. We looked at baby pools for this summer. I can't wait to play with him in the backyard on warm summer nights. It is so windy here, he sniffs and snorts at the air. It's cute :)

I can't believe Collin will be four months old so soon. We were just in awe this week over how much control he has gained in his neck and holding up his head since he's been in the cast. If he wasn't casted, he would be able to sit in his bumbo. We also tried his exersaucer today, but once again his legs are spread just a hair too far to fit.

Lately, Collin has been drooling a lot lately and putting everything he can in his mouth. He likes to chew on his bib, our fingers, his fist, blankets, and his toys. He still tries to feed himself, and was actually able to hold his bottle upright and feed independently for 3-4 seconds this morning.

I fell asleep in the middle of blogging last night. I guess I was sleepy?!

Collin did awesome Sunday night. He slept through the night!! He must have known his mommy and daddy needed a good nights sleep before going back to work Monday. We had another good night last night. He woke up once to eat and once because Sammy was being obnoxious. Luckily, just giving him his paci put him back to sleep for a few more hours. Collin has been doing great at Mimi's house during the day. He is able to fit in her swing (barely!) and bouncer. My mom found out that the bouncer we put at their house fits him too because it doesn't slope too much and it has no sides. We took it home so he has another option for chilling besides his bean bag and activity mat.

My principal at school, Melody, knows a family who has a child that just got out of a spica cast for hip dysplasia. She left a message about advice for car seats, so maybe all hope isn't lost yet.

Time goes by faster when I'm at work. It's a catch 22... Can't wait for the cast to come off, but my baby boy is growing up so fast before my eyes. He tries so hard to hold his bottle on his own. He also seems like he is running in place when he sits on our legs. He flails his arms and bounces his whole body and just laughs and laughs. I love his laugh!!

The car seat search has come 360 and we are officially back to square one.

Hippo - Collin sits in it the same as his convertible
Vest - Not deemed safe for his age
Car bed - his legs are set too wide

Julie told us we are doing the best thing right now that we can do, as much as that stinks. She said it's still better than 50% of How parents buckle their children. I have a friend from elementary school who has offered to help see if there are any more options by contacting the Cleveland Clinic and University Hospitals, but I'm afraid that all options have been exhausted. Les is working on seeing if there is a better way to rig the convertible, but so far no such luck.

Collin's sleep problems appear to be over, and since the pavlik harness has been off we have noticed 100% improvement in his neck function. We switched back to our old formula today because the spitting up wasn't any better with the sensitive milk based. I am positive it's a cast related issue.

Spring Break is over and feeling down. When you have gone through as much as we have in the past almost 4 months, nothing is better than sitting home as a family while we are all happy and well.

1 Week Down

1 week down of the first Spica...

Les and I were talking today about how we couldn't believe it has been only a week!! We have come so far and learned so much. Diaper changes used to scare us and we would dread doing them. They used to be a two person job and take 20 minutes! Now we have them down to under 5 minutes and could do it as a one person job with our eyes closed. Just holding and carrying Collin was terrifying the first day, but we got over that quick. Now it's like he's been like this all along. It's such a blessing that we have all adjusted.

The thing we hear most frequently is, "Well, he's so little at least he won't remember." or "At least it's fixable"
Yes... these things are both true and we are so grateful for both facts, don't get me wrong. :) However, it can be difficult for those unfamiliar with hip dysplasia to understand how different it can be. Everything is different: diaper changes, clothes, activities, and so on. Collin can't wear just any outfit, or have a simple diaper change. We went through 6 weeks where we couldn't even change his clothes or give him a bath except for once a week at the orthopedic!! We have had one day where Collin was brace, harness, or cast free and that was the day he was born. We don't get to have a squishy little baby. Being casted, he doesn't get to enjoy his swing or his bouncer. This was all completely unexpected, but we love every second with our baby boy and find each second a blessing. And yes... we will get his hips fixed! :) Collin will have his cast change, a second arthrogram and CT scan on April 22 to see how we are progressing.

We had an awesome night last night. Collin is working so hard on getting back to his normal schedule. He woke up at 3 and 6. Pre-cast, he was waking up at 2 and 6... so he's getting there! 

I won Bulls tickets today. It was kind of funny. One of the local news stations posted a trivia question with specific directions as to where to post the answer. The first person to do it would win the tickets. Well, like 5 people posted the right answer in the wrong place, which gave me the right answer. Since I can follow directions, I posted it in the right place and won. Ha! Too bad I don't have any interest in hockey!

We've been laughing up a storm tonight. Collin likes to dance :)

Back to square one

Well, I haven't seen in my research a spica cast baby who won't fit in the Hippo car seat, but I also haven't seen any babies quite as young as Collin either. My lovely contact at Northwest, Julie, set up a try-out at Britkare to make sure he wouldn't fit in the Hippo, although she was pretty sure he wouldn't. Julie was right, he didn't fit. She found out today that the manufacturer won't approve the use of the vest for Collin since he is so young, it just wouldn't be safe. We are down to one last resort. She has called someone at Riley Children's Hospital in Indianapolis who is a go-to person when all else fails regarding issues such as these. She got this person's contact information from someone she had contacted in San Antonio, so all of this took a good chunk of today. Maybe tomorrow there might be another option. If not, she said we will have to stick with what we are doing with the convertible car seat, unfortunately.

Sleeping wise, we tried wrapping Collin's arms like he was used to being swaddled prior to the cast. He fought it a lot because he likes to play with his paci and his face, but he did end up sleeping on his back for a good chunk of the night. He has also been spitting up less and having more regular and normal bowels.

Can't believe spring break is about over... it's days like these I wish I could stay home and play with my son all day long.

Pins and Needles

Okay so two steps forward, one step back. Last night was brutal!!! We tried six or seven times to get him to sleep on his back, but every single time he would startle awake whenever his arms went limp. Les and I are guessing it is because he is so used to being swaddled and all of a sudden after getting the cast on, he wasn't getting swaddled anymore. We have a trick up our sleeves to try tonight, let's pray that it works!! We've got to get this kid on a routine by the end of the week since that would be the end of my Spring Break.

Overall, Collin was the happiest today that he has been since cast day. He was smiling and laughing a lot and able to entertain himself every now and then. Things are continuing to look up. Aunt Aubrey sent Collin a bunch of clothes that will fit over his cast today, and we are so appreciative! 

The car seat situation has been a rollercoaster of ups and downs today. At the beginning of the week, we contacted a lady at Northwest who is a nurse and trauma specialist I believe, but also is a car seat technician. She is on the local board for SafeKids. Safe Kids Worldwide was founded in 1987 as the National SAFE KIDS Campaign by Children’s National  Medical Center with support from Johnson & Johnson. Safe Kids Worldwide is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization located in Washington, D.C. (copied from the SafeKids website) 

Julie has been absolutely amazing trying to help us out!!! She was on the phone all day with children hospitals all over Texas trying to find something that will work for Collin. At first, she found the Dreamride Car Bed by Cosco. This looked promising, but Collin's measurements from knee to knee in the spica were too wide.So that is out of the question now.

She doesn't think the Britax Hippo will work from the way I described how he is positioned, but I sent her a picture because I don't think I was very clear and I asked her if we could go ahead and try one anyways. It is the only current car seat designed for children in a spica cast. This is my favorite option because it looks the most comfortable for Collin and seems to me to be the safest. However, I am no car seat expert.

The third option we are looking into is a car seat vest. From my understanding, the vest straps the child down into the regular seat of a car. The problem with this is that it is not designed for children under age 2, so the manufacturer would need to make some modifications for us in order for it to be safe (it's been done before). They were closed by the time we reached this option, so Julie said she would call first thing in the morning. I am still holding out that I was describing Collin's position wrong and the Hippo will work out.

Speaking of the Hippo, I told Britkare to go ahead and order one today. I hate using 2 different people right now, but the safety of my son comes first and I don't want to ignore help from one place in case the other backs down. Anyway, they finally faxed the prescription over to Dr. Sims and called the insurance. They said the insurance usually doesn't cover things like that, but she said there could be a way. I told her that we don't even care, we will just pay out of pocket and if the insurance decides to accept it then they can reimburse it. I just want my son to be safe in the car!!!! They won't have the Hippo in until sometime next week, but if I can't get anything from Northwest before then, that might have to work. Hopefully tomorrow we will make some more progress and hopefully Northwest has a Hippo in stock that will work for Collin.

 Funny story as a closing note...

Les and I were hanging out with Collin watching T.V. and Sammy started acting like a guard dog because he obviously spotted something. We told him to "go get it" and he went over to the kitchen table and doubled back several times, growling and barking. It was totally out of the ordinary Sammy behavior and we were freaked out that we didn't know what it was, but it sure was hilarious!! As it turns out, he was scared of the sewing kit I had left on the kitchen table. I guess it looked menacing!!! I put it on the ground and he attacked it. Stupid dog ;)

"I don't know where you would get one either..."

Day 4 and I am losing patience.

We had a carseat lead yesterday. Britkare told me they had hippo carseats and I needed a prescription and once my insurance approved it, I could get the carseat. Well, I call them today to make sure they faxed the prescription to Dr Sims and of course they got too busy yesterday. I pointed out that was an inconvienance because they aren't in the office today because it's a surgery day so that's 2 wasted days. Of course, they said they would work on it immediately. Immediately does not put a carseat in my hands now, so not good enough. Especially if that was it. The carseats they have are already rented out. One person I guess reserved it a while back but never picked it up. They called her to tell her someone else needed it so she needed to go get it if she still wanted it. Of course, she went to get it. Te second one is with someone they can't get a hold of and who has had it for a long time and they are supposed to be short term. Supposedly they are going to send someone to try to get it back, but I'll see it when I believe it. So now we are back to square one where they can order one. Wonder how long it will take to get that?

Les' dad thought he had a lead on a pediatric home health place that is located in Dallas, but happens to have an office in town. They offer DME equipment to a 270 mile radius around Dallas and Randall County. Random!!! I thought this was it finally, but of course when I called they do not offer car seats for children in spica casts. They even punched me in the gut further and said, "I don't even know where you could get one either!" shockingly, one of Les' teachers at school has a 2 year old who severly broke her leg over the weekend and was put in a spica cast. Maybe we can help each other out!! Les was going to email her (she's in OKC with her family).

Next frustration: parking lots. I will be the first to admit I get ticked off when people don't park well and have often intentionally parked very close to people in a lot to show my irritation. I will never do that again now that I have Collin. It is absolutely the hardest thing when you are by yourself putting a baby in a car seat with someone parked so close you can't even open your car door all the way. This has happened on several occasions and each time I just feel so flustered. It's hard enough putting a baby in a carseat, let alone a baby in a body cast!!! So my plea to you is please think of others and the fact they might have a baby and it is hard to deal with carseats, so don't park super close to someone!! I know I won't anymore.

Collin slept better last night. I think he did 4 hours on his back in his bed and woke up just once for a feeding and a diaper change. He has been very fussy all week so far and I've been attributing that to his cast. I still think that's the case, but he has been running a low fever (between 99 and 100.2) and sleeping a lot today. We are keeping a close eye and we have plenty of Tylenol if it gets worse. It could be his cast is just making his body warm too. So many changes.

Nana came by and spent the day with us and brought Collin some more clothes. She took us to Baker Bros for lunch and I again realized how wonderful the Baby Bjorn is with the cast.

So now that we are a half a week into this 12 week process, this is my list of necessities in case someone is starting this process new. Trust me, it is something you learn to figure out quick!!

Spica Cast Must-Haves for a 3 month old:
Hair dryer (cool setting only) for drying out the cast when it gets wet (notice I said when, not if)
Lots of wipes
Newborn and size 1 diapers to stuff inside the cast
Size 2 diapers for the outside of the cast (to hold the inside ones in and help contain leaks)
Bean bag since the cast sits so no bouncer or swing accessibility
Lots of blankets used for upper back and head support, prop up toys on bean bag, warmth on cold days
A spica cast car seat (Britax Hippo)
Scissors to cut diapers that go inside so they can be stuffed easier
baby Bjorn because thy can't fit in travel system carrier or sit up unassisted
9-12 month onesies to go over cast
Bibs to control spit ups and protect cast (once the plaster gets wet it breaks down fast, even if it just got damp)
Patience!!!!

Super Mom!

Today I played the role of Super Mom!

After a horrendous night, where Les and I both only got a good 2 hours of sleep (if that)...

I woke up bright and early (and throwing up my breakfast, go figure!) to take Collin to see Dr. Sims to get his arm checked out. Remember, the iv leaked the medicine into his tissue and it caused swelling. It was a fairly daunting task because Les had to go to his rotation, so I was on my own. It's tough without the car seat carrier and we hadn't figured out the Baby Bjorn yet. Anyway, his arm looked good and there was no dead skin cells, just bruising, which of course is what we wanted. I mentioned that I thought a part of his diaper area seemed too tight and he took a look and agreed, thankfully. It has seemed to us that it might have been causing his tummy to hurt and maybe messing with his bowels. Ken, his assistant, came in with a bunch of metal pliers, scissors, and some other tools. He twisted and bent and cut the plaster until Dr. Sims was satisfied that it was giving him enough room now. I was so thankful they agreed it was too tight, it seemed like Collin got happier right away. He surely didn't like the cutting process, but afterward he stopped crying instantly.

While I was waiting for Dr. Sims, I had an email from my mom saying that she had called one of her friends at Britkare and they had spica cast carseats available at their new rehab equipment center off the E-Way. This was great news!! I stopped by on the way home and gave them our insurance information and told them to file it with Dr. Sims, who I then called to tell them to watch out for a prescription fax for a car seat. I had mentioned car seat safety to Ken, and he recommended just putting towels in a convertible seat to prop him up... but that's what we have as our temporary fix and it just doesn't seem safe enough to me. It might be a couple of days, but it looks like a definite car seat!! Even if the insurance doesn't want to cover it, the price to rent is not bad at all. Great news indeed.

Les came home for lunch and we ran to Taco Villa because we didn't make it to the store yesterday. He then worked on figuring out the Baby Bjorn and as it turns out, Collin just barely fits with the cast. We also cannot put him in the recommended way, so it's kind of a 2 person job... but it sure is a lot easier than carrying him when we go out and once he is strapped in, it's safe for him.

After Les went back to class, Collin and I took a nice long nap on the couch. It was good to see him getting back into his daytime routine. I noticed that he was still spitting up a lot when he was eating, and I still was bothered by it because it definitely was a new thing since having the cast on. I noticed  Anyway, I called the pediatrician again and again explained that he had a spica cast (a what?) a spica cast put on Friday and ever since then has been having a a pattern when I feed him  that he will drink one oz and burp fine, then drink another oz and spit up almost all of what he already ate. Then he would drink a third oz, and play with the last oz continuing to spit up for quite a while. (I stopped breastfeeding about a week ago. Can you imagine trying to do it with that cast?) They wanted to try a new sensitive milk-based formula, so they held a bunch of samples for us to go pick up this afternoon. Collin and I passed time by playing in his activity gym. I learned that he likes to lay back more if he is propped up on his Boppy.

When Les got home again, we went to the pediatrician and picked up the formula samples and then headed to do our grocery shopping. I wore Collin in the Baby Bjorn as we shopped and people were not shy about comment about how cute he was!! I still can't get over the stares from people who don't say nice things though. That will take some adjusting.

All in all a good day and hoping that tonight's sleep schedule works out a little better than last night. He seems to be startling less during the day, so hopefully he is feeling more comfortable and getting used to his new way of life for the next 12 weeks.

Day 3

I'm sure my posts have been full of grammatical errors. Sitting at the computer hasn't been feasible yet, so I'm blogging from my phone.

Today has seemed better. Diaper changes are almost easy, if you could even say easy is possible. :) We had lots of chances at poopy diapers today. Poor Collin was constipated and the poor kid was turning red he was straining so hard. He passed a formed stool that was rock hard (sorry) and definitely not normal. He did that again an hour later and we called the pediatrician. It has also been worrisome the amount he's been spitting up (about half of his meals). When the nurse called me back I told her that Collin was placed in a spica cast on Friday and since then this is what's been going on. She said, "a what?" That was great. She just said what to do to work on the constipation and spitting up. Frustrating. We are worried that there is a part of the cast too tight and it's hurting his tummy. We go to see Dr Sims in the morning and have a long list of things to get figured out.

Anyway, he pooped 4 times today and it's seeming to get better. Collin stayed on his beam bag for a longer time today and played with his toys. We also have started using bibs due to the spitting up, so he enjoys playing with that too. He just never has really spiff up when he eats, so we've never needed the bibs before. He is still sleeping more than normal during the day and gets fussy more, but he seems happier today than he has been. Les and I just lounged around the house today working on adjusting. Tonight's goal is to get him to sleep longer on his back and working on getting back to schedule. I'm sure it won't be a quick fix, but maybe by the end of the week we will have re-established a sense of normalcy.

May the Spica Cast adventures begin!!

Day 1 3/11/11

Collin couldn't eat anything past midnight Thursday night. We had braced ourselves for the worst and tried to keep him on his normal schedule Thursday- bath, food, bed starting at about 8:00. He enjoyed his bath, but it was hard on us knowing it was his last bath for 3 months. He ate great and went to sleep fast. We had an alarm set for 11:30 so we could feed him before midnight. That was a but of a challenge because both me and Collin did not want to wake up. Les managed to get him to eat some and he went back to sleep. I was fully expecting he would wake up at his normal 2:20 am, but he actually went to 4:30. I rocked him back to sleep pretty quickly and he stayed asleep until time to drink my coffee. Collin screamed for a good 15 minutes and then decided to be happy. We were thankful because when be wants to eat, he wants to eat so we figured once he cried for food there would be no stopping.

We got to the hospital at 7 am and checked in. They took us right away in day surgery to the prep area. The nurses checked Collin's weight at 11.5 oz and all his vitals. They were all in love with him and couldn't believe how happy he was going so long without eating. Collin cooed and laughed and had run laying on the bed. He had his pavlik harness off, and I cold have sworn he was acting like he was going to roll over. I said wouldn't it be something if he rolled over then went straight into his cast?

Ken came by to check on us and reviewed the procedure. We talked to the anesthesiologist and Dr Sims as well. This would be a closed reduction. They would put him under general anesthesia, start an iv, and do an arthrogram. The arthrogram would help them see the severity of the dislocation and help them manipulate the hips into the proper placement so they could cast. After he would be casted, they would take him to the CT scan to see how they looked and to make sure the hips were in place and there was nothing blocking the joint from setting in the socket. We would be able to see him after the CT scan.

The nurses let us give him hugs and kisses and then they took him back an we went to the surgery waiting area that was the hardest part so far. It was hRd sitting in the waiting room thinking about it all, but it went by quick enough. The lights flickered and all the DVD went off which didn't help. Dr Sims came by while I was in the bathroom at about 9:30 (of course), but luckily he was still talking to Les when I got back and he gave me the run down. Collin was doing great and the cast was on. He showed us the arthrogram and we could see how much more severe the right hip was than the left. He said that Collin was in the CT scan and thT it would be another hour before we could see him. we were glad to hear everything had gone well so far.

I think around 10:15 they let us go see him. We could hear him crying before we saw him. I was surprised at the lightness of the cast, the worst thing is the bulk. We figured out I is a little less than 5 lbs of added weight. We were able to give him a bottle and he seemed pretty out of it still. I noticed right away that his arm and hand were dry swollen, so I pointed it to Les who agreed. We were just about to ask the nurse when Dr Sims came by and told us Collin's iv medicine had leaked out of his veins and into the tissue which caused the swelling. He wanted to keep an eye on it because of the severity of the swelling and how tight it was. He also had a dark blue spot on the back of his wrist that needed monitored. They brought a heat pack to keep on his arm and we were taken to a private room.

In the room we just held him and kept heat on his arm. Dr Sims came by around noon to release us, but he wanted to see Collin first thing Monday morning. We got home after dealing with some car seat trouble and spent the day learning how to hold him, sit him, and diaper him. I ha a rough day because I don't have the brute strength Les does, so it was all very challenging at first. Collin didn't want to be on his back all day, which proved to be challenging. Everyone we tried, he startled and cried... But not just once, it was constant. We took shifts Friday night letting him sleep on our chests.

Day 2

Collin tolerated being on his back more. He layed back in his bean bag and in his activity mat. We have to have lots of blankets handy to keep behind his back and head so he is level with the part of his body that is casted. Nana brought by some 9-12 month onesies that fit over his cast. We appreciated those a lot because we had very few of that size and he started spitting up about half of his meals. His feet were also swelling, so we called Dr Sims. They told us it sounded okay and what we needed to watch out for. We ventured out to Babies R Us for a Baby Bjorn since he can't fit in his carrier anymore. This is made so how his legs are positioned he will fit comfortably. I couldn't get over the stares people gave us it was like they thought we did something to Hirt him. It felt awful and awkward. My poor baby was not Hirt, he was just born with hip dysphasia and we are doing everything we can to help him get all better and be comfortable. I've been around people who stare at others before and it always made me mad,but it is a whole new feeling when people are staring at your own son.

Collin had a much better night. I got him to sleep about 2 and a half hours in his bed. He startled a lot, but I just put my hand on his chest and rubbed it everytime and he eventually was able to sleep.

Day 3...
...has already started with new adventures. More later.