Free At Last

Today turned out to be the day. There were two sides of the argument.
Side One: He could really use the next two weeks in the cast to protect the leg and give him time to practice using it while building up the other leg.
Side Two: We have had trouble with diapering for the last two weeks therefore the cast was unlivable. With one hip casted and the other not it was nearly impossible to keep a diaper in the right position to do its job (OK, I have to admit I didn't try taping the diaper directly to him with duct tape).
Recasting at the point was a big production (hospital, anesthesia) for two weeks benefit. Taking the hip/tummy part off was not workable.
So M is free!!! He is hesitant to use the leg, but has already worked from yelling at the thought of having it touched to being picked up without whining. He will work into over the next couple of weeks. But for now it is so nice to see his little leg and foot and belly and his smile at showing off NO CAST to everyone.
Yippppppeeeeee!!!!!
love and hugs, B

Christmas Spirit

OK I am a bit lacking in Christmas spirit.....frankly I am obsessed with M's cast. I think mostly the fact that I have no control of this thing is driving me crazy. Anyway, this weekend we got into the Christmas thing full swing. The boys opened gifts from Nena and Pop on Saturday morning-- first gifts of the season.

Sunday morning, gifts again. Since we are going out of town for Christmas our elf apparently told Santa and he delivered the kids gifts early so they would have time to play before leaving their loot. They must have been good this year. E loved his book, LEGO, and silly putty the best.

G loved his light saber, silly putty, and LEGO. This pic has to be a true example of how the morning was.

M was completely taken with his toy ambulance, his rescue jeep, and his fire truck puzzle-- notice a theme here? His experience with emergency workers may have shaped his future.

Favorite picture of the morning is this one of D and G working so hard to put G's LEGO thing together. I have to say I worked on it with G later and LEGO today is almost not fun with the pressure to follow directions and do it "right". We had a much better time with the giant tub of LEGO in the playroom just creating what we wanted to.

Of course I didn't get a pic of D and E playing Monopoly-- not sure that was fun for either one. D was just intense and E liked it at first, but D is very serious about his Monopoly.

Surprise Christmas from Santa (this is the second year of an early visit) is a wonderful experience. Everyone sleeps well because no one knows which night he will show up. Eventually we will be at home for Christmas and have a 'scheduled' Santa visit which will give the kids the excitement of knowing he is coming and waiting up for him.

Still trying to get into the Christmas spirit.... don't know how to accomplish it. And it's not like everything is out of control. Everything is bought, packed, shipped, done. Oh well. Maybe it will hit later.

love and hugs, B

The Spin

Just had to brighten your day. The only benefit to a body cast is righteous breakdancing skills. Enjoy! B

Thank You Internet!!!

I never would have made it this far in body cast land without you. And now, nearly eight weeks in, you come through for me again with......dryer sheets. Did you know that when a cast starts to smell you can rub it with a dryer sheet and it helps cover the smell? You can ask the internet any question and it will usually come back with an answer. Nice. So much better than a set of paper encyclopedias. So many of the things I haved learned about body casts have come from the internet. I also found the tip (on a professional hockey team site) that you can tape odor eaters insoles to a cast--- we may be taking a trip to Target before we get on the plane next week.
Why they haven't invented a cast rinse system I don't know. I tried Febreezing the cast on Sunday, but it was bordering on wetting/gooping it up too much. I sprayed a bit and it got kind of gummy. I have kept it as clean as possible, but there is a limit. Imagine wearing the same pants for eight weeks.....gross. Poor M. Definite loser at hide and seek right now--- too big to hide and they can track him by his scent. The aroma of Tacoma will travel with us wherever we may go. It is probably not as noticable to others as it is to me; hypersensitive(that would be physical and emotionally right now).
We stopped by M's Moms Morning Out today. It was very sweet because you could tell the teachers have really missed him and he has missed them tremendously. Also an interesting reminder of how much goes on in his world that I am unaware of; he had a bunch of little friends run up to say HI and I knew not a single one of them. He also got to do a craft project while we were there. I love that program!!!
love and hugs and you should thank the internet once in a while, B

The Good Stuff

OK, last post was a downer so let me tell you what has brightened since then:
M can ride in his stroller. Taking the right leg off was enough so he fits. He also can sit in a chair at the kitchen table. He loved eating dinner with us last night. He also fits in the regular car seat, but I am not changing that out yet.

Playing with food is usually outlawed in our house, but I have to say that it made my morning when all three were sitting at the table for breakfast and held raspberries in front of their noses and sang Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer-- the whole thing. I don't know what I was more pleased about-- all three at the table, the funny noses, or the fact that 2 of 3 knew all the words and the third knew at least half the song.

G's Kindergarten class is learning about Christmas around the world so each day they "travel" to a new country. G is actually jet-lagged. Truly, can barely keep his eyes open by dinner and grouchy all the time. Luckily this only a one week unit.

M is experimenting more. This gets thumbs up and thumbs down. Good for him to try to do more. Bad when he is on the couch trying his acrobatics. I left him laying down on one side of the couch last night and when I looked up he was kneeling/standing on the other end.

Our pediatrician's office finally has enough vaccine to do swine flu boosters. And M can get his seasonal flu shot at the same time since he has a thigh out of the cast now. At least there is less chance of getting sick when we travel over Christmas. (Yes, Virginia, there will be Christmas travel. Can't wait to meet baby Charlie and see Baby Bump White and see everybody!)

I think I may have a way to speed up getting the rest of the cast off: each time I go in we are complimented on our cast care (so clean, doesn't smell, wow, etc). Well, perhaps if my cast care wasn't so meticulous, maybe even careless then they would take it off more quickly....... or it would be just my luck that they would leave it on even longer in a dirty, smelly, disgusting condition. OK, maybe its not a plan.

Today our high is going to be 35 degrees. Yes, sadly enough it is a bright spot. Highs the rest of the week have been 33, 28, and 30. By the weekend it should be 40!!!

love and hugs, B

Don't Count Your Chickens.....

I guess I was heard counting all my little chickens before they hatched on the cast thing.... only one third came off. The right leg is off to the waist. The stomach/hip piece and the full left leg are still there and shall be until after the holidays. I have no idea what this means yet since I came home, figured out how to arrange the diaper, parked him in front of a show, and then called a sister to cry for a while. And what is really sad is that M is so excited. All the way home he was moving his little leg side to side and saying "Look mommy my leg can wiggle!!!!!!" and I was just trying to hide my disappointment from him. I should count the blessing that he has part of his body back. Right now that is hard and I am being selfish and I want my life (and M's life) back the way they were 7 weeks ago and I want to yell lots of bad words that would have me grounded in my room for a week. But M just woke up from a short nap so I will go back to work and start figuring out how the next four weeks of our lives will work. We'll see what he can do. B

A Use for Those Nubs

Not a post every person will find useful, but a fun project for me and a good gift idea for little kids. I am talkin' crayon nubs. If you have kids of elementary age you know you have a bag or box of these hiding somewhere. The kids bring them home at the end of the school year. Or they get a new pack which cannot be mixed with older crayons. So the nubs are left there missing only a half inch from coloring and you hate to throw them away (OK I do). The kids helped peel the crayons this year and then I did the melting. Dutch oven filled with water and then put the crayons (sorted by color families) into cans(only fill can halfway). I poured them into candy molds, but when I ran out and still had crayons left to use I improvised with cupcake holders. Next year E could probably help with the melting and pouring part.

When they pop out they are so cute. And the kids do love to play with them. They are still talking about the first time I did this and made 'summer shapes' with a candy mold. This time I think they will go wild for the mixed up, crazy crayon cupcakes. Reuse those nubs!!!

Hoping for good things at the dr. tomorrow. Even half the cast off will be such an improvement. The things we have taken for granted before that now we will truly appreciate: M walking--anywhere, M riding in a shopping cart, using a regular car seat that stays in the car (since we use his car seat to sit him up to eat it has to move in and out of the car when he does-- huge time consumer), bath tub baths, M riding in a stroller, sitting at the table as a family for dinner, getting in and out of bed by himself, brushing his teeth at the sink, getting his own drink from the fridge, attempting potty training, the list could really go on and on forever. A few pics of M taking his "bath" this morning.

love and hugs, B

Get Well Nena!!!

The Joy of a New Friend

These are pictures taken by my new friend.... OK it's not really a friend, it's a camera; but I know we will spend many happy hours together.

Christmas tree, two full moon pictures, and ???? Can you guess? It is growing season here in Washington.... for fungus. That is the coolest thing I have ever seen above the water. Snorkeling this summer we saw some pretty amazing things growing, but this is in one of my flower beds.

Next M got a new friend in the mail. Here are some pics from their first meeting.

A big hug.

Chatting.

More hugs.

Showing off Fluffy bear.

Thanks Aunt T.

love and hugs, B

Thanksgiving Weekend

We had a lovely quiet Thanksgiving with just the five of us. Nice and the best way to handle it. It is still hard to situate M at a table, but we did sit in the dining room. We need to do that more often to try to help the children eat more like humans and less like ravenous beasts.

We decorated for Christmas and the boys surprised me with an early Christmas gift. NEW CAMERA!!! So if the pics look better that's why. Thanks guys! I love my new toy! Here are some pics from the weekend.

First decorating outside. I like the burgundy I used this year. Not into bows so the flowers add color. M sat in his wagon and watched us decorate and played.

Inside was our last decorating task. It seemed to go together quickly this year. Maybe that is because I kept taking picture breaks.

Almost forgot to mention the new inflatable. We thought Chilly Willy (penguin) might be dead after last year's ice and snow, but he did survive and has now been joined by Rudolph. I like the inflatables. Cute for the kids and drive the neighbors who don't like them crazy. Passive aggressive evil--- that's me.

Hope everyone had a terrific turkey day and is preparing for a Happy Holiday season!

love and hugs, B

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!! B

Light at the End of the Tunnel

OK, so maybe this is why M's orthopedic dr. has been so hesitant to give an end date.... December 8 is now marked on my calendar in red with happy faces around it. Today's proclamation is the bone is growing well and it looks like in 2 weeks at least the top and right(uninjured leg) portions will come off leaving(maybe) only the injured leg casted. And even that may be off for our Christmas trip east. Although nurse Katie was very funny in saying we should leave the whole thing on to get great service at the airport and in flight. Traveling with boy in body cast just does not seem like a fun way to get better service. I don't see the Red Flyer Wagon as a gate check item and as checked baggage it definitely would qualify as oversize. Everybody keep up the prayers, good thoughts, and happy vibes our way to keep up the great progress.
M is trying to pull up on things to try walking. Everything he does that is a step forward just gives me flashbacks of babyhood. When he began rolling over I worried he would roll off something. When he began crawling I worried he would get stuck somewhere or pull something over on himself or crawl down the steps. Now he tried to pull up and I worry he will fall against something....actually I worry more that he will succeed and then he will try to walk in that Frankenstein thing he is wearing.
G is G. Enjoying school and going with the flow. He is good with M and E most of the time. He is looking forward to stuffing on Thanksgiving.
E is currently a very positive little guy. Doing well in school and trying hard to do his best at home and school.... waiting for the other shoe to drop on that behavior. Just kidding... I hope.
We are all looking forward to Thanksgiving and for Christmas preparations.
love and hugs and mark Dec. 8 on your calendar in red with little smiley faces all around it,B

Useless Gardening Tool

A rain gauge in the Pacific NW is useless. When it rains sideways 75% of the time a rain gauge doesn't catch anything. Winter and summer it is mostly empty, though October through May we receive 42 inches of rain..... sideways. B

Apple Truck!

No, that doesn't mean I fell off the apple truck. It means today was the first time I stopped at the Wenatchee apple truck that parks at the community center near us. 23 pounds of apples for $11.95..... the best of Washington. Today I asked advice and got a terrfic reccomendation. I need apples to eat that also bake well. I had Golden Delicious last time so we were a bit tired of those. Apple man suggested jonathans and gave me one to try. This must be the kind that grew near our house when I lived in VA in middle school, because the taste immediately took me to that orchard. Wonderful! All that and they will look beautiful on the counter until they are all eaten.

love and hugs, B

Crawling!!

Yippeeee! M is crawling! OH NO! M is crawling! It is with mixed feelings I watched M crawl around the playroom Sunday afternoon. This is so good that he can move on his own and feel a bit more independent. He is so proud of himself and excited. This opens up so many new hazards to him: the stairs, pulling furniture over on himself, just to name 2 off the top of my head. Video at the bottom shows M crawling. It may look morbid or painful to an outsider, but when you see it and know how active he was 3 weeks ago and how still he has had to be-- it is really great to see him move. Also he finally wore the sweat pants I altered for him and think he finally liked them because he looks nearly normal in them.

Saturday I also got my hair cut. This is the before picture. Funny how I always get the before picture but never the after. I got the whole thing bobbed just below my ear. Even the bangs. Can't believe it is this long and I am not insane. Can't believe that after the last 3 weeks I still have any hair at all. OK. Putting on the video now of M crawling.

love and hugs, B

3 Weeks In

We are 3 weeks into our broken leg saga. I would say halfway done, but after our doc appt this week I wasn't quite so upbeat. I am a planned, organized, give me an exact date kind of girl and our doc is a we'll see when it is fully healed kind of guy. I understand that the body doesn't heal on an exact timetable, but that would be nice. So we have at least 3 weeks more of body cast before we will even begin talking about taking anything off. M is still dealing with it quite well. G is very nice about playing with M and finding things he can do. E is coming around every day to all the little ways this effects everyone. When I asked him to go down and get a sippy for M he grumbled and I reminded him that 3 weeks ago M could walk himself to the fridge and also reminded him who does every bit of getting and picking up for M while he is at school. We have all made adjustments. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger---- at least that is what we are hoping for.
M is scooting enough now that we are reliving the baby fears that he will fall off a couch or a bed or scoot himself out of his car seat when he uses it inside. Really hoping to avoid anymore broken bones or trips to the ER.
Taking 2 of 3 in for swine flu vaccine today; hoping they get in the kind for M 's age since it would be more miserable for him to have it in his current condition.
love and hugs, B

Bathtime and Crawling!!!

Who thought I would get great excitement from a half bath and some crawling? Three year old in a body cast makes you slow down and appreciate the little things. This morning M laid on the kitchen counter and played in the sink until his little neck hurt from the odd angle of it. He loved playing in the water this much.....

And he played so long his hands (which had not been submersed in water for 2 1/2 weeks) looked like this....

This weekend we took things slow and went out only a couple of times. It is cumbersome to haul him around. D has come up with a new way to use the wagon; instead of laying him down in it he puts the car seat in it (yes, it is secure--though it makes me nervous) and M rides like he is on a throne. E and G started swim lessons. D went in to watch them and said they both did terrific. M played in the playroom several times and the last time he did he kept scooting off his pillow and across the floor a little bit to get to different toys. Yeah! He's crawling..... or scooting... or at least making an effort to move on his own instead of screaming for us every second of every day. Doc appt tomorrow so I wlll keep everyone updated.

love and hugs, B

M Turns 3

M turned three years old today. My youngest. Three is worse than two--- lets hope this year speeds by or he plays against type for a three year old. A bit different for a birthday. We did the party with four of his friends, but it was just a playgroup with special snack. I was very proud of M for playing in the playroom without an adult around. He got his friends to bring him what he needed and I was only called once in the 45 minutes to put him back on his pillow. When he is on his tummy he scoots. Oddly enough, we are hoping for our 3 year old to crawl soon. I have no pics of the party, but did get pics of the cupcakes. Monkeys-- of course.

M's attitude was running hot and cold today. Don't blame him. If I was trapped like he is I would be inconsolably angry. A few pics from the rest of the day. Balloons from Aunt S, Uncle J and A-R; thanks-- I didn't realize how much time the poor guy spends looking up until this afternoon. He loves having these to bounce and play with.

Thanks for all the phone calls, cards, gifts (love the LEGO Nena and Pop) and love sent to M for his birthday.

The family cake was also monkey. Ice cream monkey cake was delicious though my technique and planning left something to be desired this time. Not a neat assembly but the final product looked good and tasted terrific.

Finally one nice pic of D and G tonight during present opening.

Overall I think M had a good birthday. One blog I read about a child in a spica cast said that her child couldn't really remember the cast even five months after he had it. Sometimes I hope M is like that and blocks this whole thing out afterwards.

Sometimes I hope he remembers it and it makes him more compassionate and stronger.

Sometimes it feels like it will go on forever and then I see someone who is permanently disabled and it will go on forever for them and I feel very selfish and awful. In the big picture six weeks in a body cast is not the worst thing.

Sorry to be a downer. I will try to bring happy thoughts to the next posting.

love a hugs, B

Who Wears the Pants???

Well, for the first time in a week and a half M wears pants. I altered boxer shorts and a pair of sweat pants (all boys large) to fit and to go on and off easily for diaper changes. Velcro down the sides is the key. M loves the shorts (yes boxers; they are light enough so he won't sweat inside the cast and make it smell bad faster). I love the look of the sweat pants, but may have to cut off the left leg that is fully covered by cast so he will wear them and not get so hot.
What I have learned this week so far is that having a 3 year old who is incapacitated is nearly the same as a newborn except for the fact that he can complain with words and does not like to be left sitting anywhere that he thinks he is being left out of the action. Newborn: park them in a swing or under a baby gym thing. 3 year old in body cast: try to leave the room and listen to him scream to find out where you are and what are you doing and when are you coming back and why don't you take him...... Getting out the door takes just as much time and stuff except the stuff is bigger-- like taking the wagon everywhere. I should have warned the dentist that we will be late tomorrow. It's the first time we have to be somewhere first thing in the morning, on time, with everyone.
Tonight he was spending tummy time on the bean bag (again just like a newborn) and found he could scoot himself backwards off the bean bag. He liked this trick; I did not since it is a chore to put him back on.
Sorry so boring. Stuck mostly at home. love and hugs, B

Halloween Weekend Recap

We had a lovely Halloween weekend. Tiring, but in a good way. Saturday we went to the mall to get D's new glasses. I found that being in public with M in his wagon is as annoying for me as it is for M. When people would say (in a kind way, trying to make it better) "Oh isn't he cute; I wish I could shop like that; isn't that the life" it was really hard not to scream at them: OK lets put you in a body cast and see how you enjoy the ride in the bumpy wagon. Going out in public alone with M in the wagon might not be the best idea; I see an arrest on the horizon if I do. We hit a trick-or-treat event in our little town, though not the one in the harbor. Above pic was taken there. Rested up for a couple of hours and then D took all three trick-or-treating in our neighborhood and hit all 47 houses. D said everyone was happy to see M out and M was happy to be out since dad wasn't paying attention and he snuck several pieces of candy. I handed out candy which is my favorite position since I get to see all the kids from our neighborhood dressed up. Super Sweet moment of the Night: one of G's friends came by and after I gave her candy she just kind of stood there; her dad said she wanted to give M some of her candy to M if he couldn't trick-or-treat. Too sweet! I have to say that the whole 'fall back' thing was planned perfectly this year. The kids were so tired that it worked out great.

Today was good. Kids got to play outside and D and I got lots done to prep for the coming week. Setting up for success. Setting up so I don't have to run errands with M. This week brings altering clothes so M can wear something over his diaper and finish his knitted toe cover for the left foot.

Below a pic of how M is doing. He loves his new monkey! He loves all monkeys! He is a monkey! ;) G is too funny behind him with the lollipop.

love and hugs, B