Checkup

Annabelle had a checkup today - her first for awhile.  As always, I was nervous going in.  I often forget about the journey we've been through, and I'm always a bit taken aback when people ask me how Annabelle is - I forget. 
I forget all the tears and heartache and sleepless nights through the Pavlik, and the Rhino, and the Spica.
Today's checkup was nothing short of perfect.  My girl's hips are still perfect. 
Her next checkup isn't for another year. 

Healthy Hips

We had our first no-intervention checkup today with Dr Olney.  Annabelle has been out of her brace for a little over a month. 
Her hips are healthy.
Her hips are perfect.
WE HAVE HEALTHY HIPS.
I'm crying tears of joy as I write this. 

No more Rhino!!!

Lately Annabelle hasn't been sleeping as well as she used to - she's always been a pretty awesome sleeper.  My little adventurer has also been taking her brace off herself!  I've tried to put it on under clothing to make it more difficult for her - but overall, it's just not going as well as it had been.
The last time we saw Dr Olney, he had said we would keep her in the brace at night as long as she was tolerating it - which we felt she no longer was.
I emailed Dr Olney's nurse today, and mentioned she wasn't sleeping as well, and was taking it off, and she said .... we can go without the brace!!!!!!!!! 
We have another appointment next month with Dr Olney, so we'll see how she's doing without the brace on. 
I can't believe this journey we've been on for 19 months is changing courses.  I just pray her hip continues to develop and heal as we've been hoping. 

She's walking!!!

I can't believe the day has arrived, but my little girl is WALKING without help.
It's so amazing to think how far she has come.  I was so scared that this day would never come.  We were assured it would, but to actually she her doing it.  She's amazing.
She's been walking against walls and walking with toys for awhile, but this is a HUGE milestone!!! 

One year.

I'm pretty big on remembering dates - so I was floored as I happened to be reading my first posts on this blog earlier and noted that a year ago today, Annabelle got her Pavlik Harness.  I had felt some kind of premonition that our journey with Hip Dysplasia would not be brief, and that I would need an outlet - somewhere to share my thoughts and feelings, as well as Annabelle's progress.

What a year.
February 18, 2012 (birth day) : click felt in right hip on exam, xray unremarkable
February 22, 2012 : four day checkup, no click felt, Pediatrician recommends followup ultrasound at 6wks (the "gold standard" for followup)
March 21, 2012 : one month checkup, no click felt.
April 2, 2012 (6wks, 2 days old) : bilateral hip dysplasia diagnosis via ultrasound
April 9, 2012 (7wks, 2 days old) : Pavlik Harness treatment started
4 weeks in Pavlik Harness - no success.
4 weeks in Rhino Cruiser - left hip successfully reduced, right hip still dislocated
June 4, 2012 (15wks, 2 days old) : attempted closed reduction - no success, back to Rhino cruiser
July 17, 2012 : right hip still dislocated, left hip still in place
September 19, 2012 : right hip still dislocated, left hip still in place, surgery scheduled
October 9, 2012 : Open Reduction and Capsulorrhaphy of the right hip, spica cast
November 21, 2012 : Spica cast off after six weeks, both hips in place, able to be out of Rhino cruiser 3-4hrs a day
November 26, 2012 : James and I were concerned about Annabelle's range of motion -  hip still fine.
January 16, 2013 : Both hips still in place, able to be out of Rhino cruiser 6-8hrs a day.
March 20, 2013 : Both hips still in place, able to be out of Rhino during all waking hours.

And I am overjoyed to report today that Annabelle, as of today, is properly crawling - with her knees!  She's still pretty slow - she moves faster when she's army crawling, but this girl won't stop!  She's been successfully sitting up for two weeks, pulling herself up since January, and cruising furniture for at least a month (bad mom, I don't have the dates memorized - I will have to check back on my Facebook statuses.  Stati?)  Last week she took off walking with a walker.  I was floored. 



Now I'm just looking forward to seeing my tiny girl walk, and to hear the words I've been longing to hear for so long:  Healthy Hips.  We're so close.

Standing girl

Annabelle is officially pulling herself up!!!!!!!!!  It makes my heart happy - and I cried.  :)

Life with a hip baby

It's been nearly seven weeks since we said goodbye to the Spica cast.  She's been out of it longer than she was in it.  It seems like a distant memory.  I definitely don't miss it, but it wasn't that bad.  It was short lived, and it's now past us.

Annabelle is doing quite well now, she's become extremely mobile and army crawls herself all over the house.  She's only allowed out of her brace for four hours a day, so she doesn't get much time to practice 'real' crawling, sitting or standing - all of which she cannot do on her own yet. 

I have managed to get her standing and sitting with assistance and she will stay in that position for a small amount of time - while clinging onto a toy for dear life!  She still can't get herself into a sitting or standing position on her own - and I suppose that will just take time.  She definitely has more range of motion than she did - but she's still limited and guards her right hip quite a bit.  I work on stretching it when I can, however it occasionally pops when it's moved - which Dr Olney's nurse said can happen (and is okay).  It freaks me out when it happens, though, and she SCREAMS in pain. 

We see Dr Olney again on the 16th - and assuming all is still going well with her hip - she should have the amount of time allowed out of her brace to increase.

Feeding the Spica baby, part 2 - breastfeeding

lying flat on the boppy, while still in the hospital

If you don't want to see pictures, turn away.  :)

lying flat on the bed, nursing in her sleep

I had been a bit anxious about breastfeeding Annabelle while in Spica ... but it has worked out just fine.    Again, I don't need to really elaborate, just check out the pictures.

bye bye, Spica

I have many mixed emotions tonight as I write this ...
I am happy that my baby girl's cast is off.  I'm happy we're one step closer to healthy hips.  I'm happy the hardest part is past us. 
It's hard to see my baby in so much pain, though.  I hadn't expected it quite this much.  I had expected her to be in pain after surgery - that just makes sense.  I understood that we should anticipate her to be uncomfortable after the cast removal since she hasn't moved her legs in six weeks.  What I didn't anticipate was the pain she has been in.  It's breaking my heart.  I hate that she's in pain.  I wish I had planned for this possibility in my schedule, seeing as I work tomorrow - it's hard knowing she'll be here and uncomfortable and I won't be able to be with her.

Otherwise, all went well.  Both of her hips are in place - yay!  Her left hip is starting to develop more, which Dr Olney was pleased with.  We go back to see him in six weeks.  Until then, we're back in the Rhino cruiser for 20ish hours a day - 1.5hrs out in the morning and at night and the other hour can accumulate through feedings, diaper changes, car travel, etc ...

Feeding the Spica baby, part 1 - highchair

As with everything else, Annabelle does not fit in our highchair in her Spica cast.  I had done some homework about options for a highchair, given that Annabelle is eating solid food now.  I debated getting one ahead of time, but James suggested we wait until we got home from the hospital.  We lasted about two days, until Annabelle batted my hand away and I was covered in pureed peas. Bleh.

out at Panera :)

This is what we ended up getting for Annabelle, and it works wonderfully.  I got it for $25 at Walmart.  Annabelle's cast is not quite wide enough, hence the pillow.  We had to figure out how to do the straps so that she would be safely strapped in, and it worked out great ... the shoulder straps went around her waist, and the side straps went over her legs I took her out to eat at Panera six days after her surgery.


And ... we were able to put her in it
 after her cast came off, and keep her nice and secure in her brace.  :)

cast is off!!!

Bathing the Spica baby

Spica cast = no bath for six weeks. 
We tried a couple different methods of bathing - because even though Annabelle doesn't get excessively grubby, she still needed bathing.  :)
You can essentially get the gist from the pictures, so I don't need to elaborate.  :)

Diapering the Spica baby

The biggest question everyone has when learning about the Spica cast is "HOW DO YOU DO DIAPERS?????"

It's so very simple.  Pre-spica, I had been quite anxious about this as well, but truthfully, it's easier to diaper a Spica baby than a wiggly baby.  :)

Before going into the hospital for Annabelle's surgery, we didn't buy any diapers, because we weren't sure what we'd need.  After learning how to diaper the day after her surgery (after her catheter came out), we determined the supplies we'd need.

Pre-surgery, Annabelle was in size two diapers.  She ended up needing size one diapers to go under her cast, and size six diapers to go over it.   In the hospital, the size one diapers they had were Pampers Swaddlers, with (insert fanfare) the wetness indicator.  I was never happier about the brilliance of this invention.  There was a means to be able to know whether or not my daughter's diaper was wet (if it was questionable) - without going through the rigmarole of pulling the diaper out of the cast.  Genius.  My husband went to the store and got a small package of both Pampers Swaddlers and Huggies Little Snugglers to determine if one was better than the other.  My answer = YES!  The Pampers were soooooooo much better than the Huggies for our Spica cast.  The Pampers were much wider at the bottom in the crotch area, so they were able to be tucked entirely under the cast, unlike the Huggies.
So ... we opted to spent the extra cash to buy the Pampers Swaddlers while Annabelle is in Spica.

For nighttime, I had read on several other blogs to add an incontinence pad for extra absorption.  Brilliant.  These are what we ended up getting at Target (see below photo), and they worked marvelously.  Annabelle often sleeps 10-12 hrs at night (maybe waking just enough to nurse), so she would often go that long without a diaper change - and she would still wake up dry.
Just make sure to get the moderate absorbency, rather than the light!

Babywearing the Spica baby

When I was pregnant with our first daughter, Charlotte, I did a lot of research on baby products.  I wanted to make sure what we were investing our money in was the safest for our child.  I had initially registered for a Baby Bjorn carrier.  After reading many reviews, however, I learned that that style of carrier may not be the best for a baby's hip development.  I don't know what stuck with me, but after that I didn't feel like that was the best option for us.  I ended up purchasing a Ergo carrier for Charlotte and that investment has proven to be invaluable for us given that we have embarked on a journey with hip dysplasia.


The International Hip Dysplasia Institute  suggests that carriers that allow the baby to sit in the carrier rather than dangle promote a healthier position that does not cause excessive force on the hip joint.
There are lots of different styles of carriers that promote this better positioning.  The ones I can think of off the top of my head would include any Mei Tai style carriers, Beco carriers, Ergo carriers and the Moby GO.
I feel content knowing that when Annabelle is NOT in her Spica, if I have her in our carrier, her hips are well supported and safe.  The Ergo has also come in quite handy because I've been able to wear Annabelle while she is in her Spica.  I wore her almost the entire evening after we came home from the hospital, and I use it anytime we're out shopping, since we have to take her out of her carseat, and she doesn't fit in the cart.  :)

 



*** please note that I am not endorsed by any company to make claims, and I am not specifically promoting a specific type of carrier.

2 weeks down, 4 weeks to go

I don't mind the Spica much.  I almost hate to say that, but I don't.
It's cumbersome, it's heavy.  Last week I had a day where I was mad at it ...
It still makes me sad to look at my little one and to know she's not meeting her milestones because of her DDH.  It sucks.  It breaks my heart sometimes.
But I feel so unbelievably blessed to know that our journey is hopefully brief and our daughter will be FULLY HEALED before she will ever know the difference.
Annabelle amazes me.  She is truly a gift from God, and I know He gave her to us to be her parents for a reason.  I cherish her (just as I do her big sister). 
I see God working through us in our situation to bring light to others that come upon this blog.  He has a plan.

Spica roll

Yesterday Annabelle was turning herself pretty well both on her tummy and on her back.  I had thought that by the end of the 6 weeks she'd be rolling and/or crawling just based on how well she was rotating herself yesterday.
This morning, she rolled!  I saw her get some pretty good leverage at one point and thought she might do it, but didn't think it would be this soon!  I was elated.  This girl doesn't let anything hold her back!

Blessings come from raindrops

I think we're nicely getting used to the spica cast.  Annabelle has been sleeping relatively well, she has been eating well, and is a bit less frustrated now about her lack of mobility.  I think her pain is doing a lot better too. 

Looking back on our journey so far, it's been frustrating, it's been full of worry and tears.  We have learned a LOT.  They always say parents with kids with conditions become experts, and while I'm definitely not an expert, I feel relatively well educated ... enough to answer questions when people ask them ...

Every day since Annabelle was born I have been so grateful that her hip dysplasia was caught early.  As Dr Olney has told us, this is often not detected this early in life.  Most of his surgeries are done on older kids, aged 2-3 who are diagnosed after they start walking.  I thank God that Annabelle *WILL NOT* remember the Pavlik Harness.  She won't remember the Rhino Cruiser, or mommy and daddy twice handing her over to the OR nurse.   She won't remember the Spica Cast, she won't remember the pain.  She will remember the stories we tell her down the road, and how much love her mommy & daddy had for her through this whole journey. 

The few weeks before Annabelle's surgery, she cut six teeth, to bring her total to EIGHT.  Those few weeks were frustrating beyond belief.  A few days before her surgery I decided that her cutting her teeth then was a blessing.  She endured that discomfort prior to surgery and going into her spica cast.  Now I don't have to worry that her fussiness/discomfort is from incision pain or from the spica. 

While we were waiting outside the recovery room for Annabelle to be transported to her room, there was a family with a little boy that looked to be about two years old.  His mommy was explaining to him that he had to walk with the "nice nurse" and she would see him afterwards.  I feel so blessed to not have had to explain to my daughter why I was sending her away.  To not wonder if she would look at me afterwards wondering why I sent her off to be in pain.  The last glimpse I have in my head of her being taken to surgery, is her smiling at the OR nurse while playing with her hat.

I am also extremely thankful that the closed reduction was unsuccessful.  We didn't have to endure 3 months in spica, with a cast change at 6 weeks over the hottest summer on record. 

All in all, I am so, so, so grateful that the condition our daughter has is FIXABLE, CURABLE, and something that we will be able to put behind us.

we are home!

I'm glad to be home with my baby but a bit nervous to learn how to take care of her at home ... at the hospital everything is a bit more adapted to her ... at home, we have to figure out what works!

Annabelle is doing well now, she is still in some pain but we're trying to keep on top of it ... she's nursing well, and she ate babyfood this morning as eagerly as she always does.  She's back to smiling frequently, but is definitely more subdued.  She wants her mama all the time ... 

Good morning, beautiful

Morning smiles

attempted tummy time

Meet the Spica

playing with daddy

going home!
Yes, I did match her dress to her cast, I had bought this
dress before her attempted closed reduction as her
"Going Home outfit"

Photo with daddy!

Riding home!  Her new rented Britax Hippo carseat ...
She looks uncomfortable,
but she actually slept the whole way home

Open Reduction and Capsulorrhaphy

I'm so glad today is finished.
Annabelle had her surgery, an open reduction with capsulorrhaphy, which took about 2 hours.  We were able to see her about 4.5 hours after the nurse took her back to the OR.  She was heavily sedated on pain medicine and was occasionally moaning.  It took Annabelle a long time to wake up, and even longer to smile, which is rather unusual for my normally very smiley girl.  We skyped with daddy & big sister this evening and big sister got Annabelle to smile.  It was nice for her to see her baby sister at the hospital and to have a little view of the cast that we've talked about.

Here's a little photo recap of our day:

last bath for six weeks!!!

totally oblivious to the day ahead

waiting for Dr Olney to arrive

arrival in her room

Daddy watching over her

starting to wake up

first time holding her

starting to play

Love my girl.

First smile of the day, Skype with Daddy & big sister

Sweet dreams, sweet girl.

Reduced.

Annabelle's hip is now in the right place for the first time since she was born.

Waiting ...

Annabelle is in surgery.  We got a call a little over an hour ago from the OR nurse saying that they had just started.  Dr Olney anticipated anywhere from 2-3 hours from start to finish, as they'll be applying the cast and I'm assuming it will have to dry.

The wait is hard, and I'm trying to keep myself busy ...