Updates

It's time for some updates now that I'm nearing the end of my maternity leave! I've had such a productive maternity leave this time round. An awsome Sister in the ward taught me how to sew and I made my first quilt (for Shelby). I cleaned out all the closets and 2 car garage. We can finally park our cars in it!

Payton is still improving with her Physical therapy. She goes once a week and is getting around a little more every week. She is still months away from walking I'm sure, but she is working hard to get there. She has mastered potty training, even at night! You can imagine this wasn't very easy since she can't walk and get on the potty alone, but she did it! She has realized what the terrible 2's are all about. She through a temper tantrum in church last Sunday. When we got home she was put in time out. As she and I are sitting there in silence, she looks at me and says, "Mom I love you very much!". She knows how to manipulate us~ HA!

Shelby is growing like a weed. She now weighs 10 1/2 lbs! She's been smiling a lot, but only for her mommy. hee hee She hasn't done it for Mikee yet, but I got pictures to prove it. She is still having some problems with bowel movements. She can go 2-3 days without a BM. Hopefully she'll work this out as she gets older. She is sleeping in her own crib now, and wakes up 1-2 times a night for feeding. It looks like she is going to have blue eyes like her mama.

Mike is back in school to finish his Landscape Design / Horitculture Degree. We'll see how busy we'll be once I go back to work next week. Grandpa Potter will be watching the girls on Wednesdays while Mike is at school, and I'm at work. So thankful we have family here to help with the girls! Mike cut the tip of his pinky finger while working at the Pub and had to get a few stitches. He also sprained his ankle playing soccer. I tell ya I shouldn't let him out of the house.

We just had my grandma (Payton & Shelby's Great-G'ma) here for a few days for Shelby's blessing. We had such a good time having her here with us. Payton still asks for her first thing when she wakes up thinking she is sleeping in Shelby's room still. HA! So lots of changes for our family this summer. Here some pictures to share!.......

Shelby @ 5 days old.

Shelby telling Payton she talks to much! HA!

Payton feeding the goats at Young's Dairy

Payton's first Dragon's game!

Some PT in the pool.

Payton loves watermelon

Which of these things is not like the other?

One of Mike's many summer injuries. EEK

Payton & her cousin Emily @ Carriage Hill

5 wk old piglets @ Carriage Hill

My first Rag Quilt!

In Use

Granny Pat with Shelby

I guess I should have given her a napkin!

Shelby's beautiful smile!

Leg Armpit

Funny story! Payton is starting to get around a little bit better, and was playing all over the couch with me. Mike snuck up behind her and started tickling her right behind her knees. Payton in between hysterical laughter said, "Daddy tickled my leg armpit!" Then I couldn't stop laughing. She comes up with the best stuff! She goes for her second physical therapy appt tomorrow. Shelby had her hip ultrasound, and it looks like she has a mild version of what Payton had. She'll (hopefully) only need to wear a harness for about 6 weeks. I can deal with that!

Shelby Caroline

Shelby Caroline made her debut 7/20/09 @ 2:40 pm. She weighed 7 lbs. 10 oz., and is 19 3/4 inches long. My parents were so awsome and watched Payton while Mike and I stayed in the hospital. We were admitted Sunday night. I was only dilated about 2 cm. They started to get my cervix ripened with some gel, and left me alone till morning. At 8:30 I was only dilated 3 cm and they started the Pitosin to get the ctx's started. I started feeling them pretty strongly around 9:30, so asked for the epidural before they got too bad. Got the epidural at 10:00. I had such awsome staff there. I LOVED my nurse! The epidural was everything I dreamed, and I slept on and off for the next several hours. My nurse mentioned she got off at 3:00, and I really wanted her to be there for the delivery, so Shelby and I had a talk. At 2:20 the nurse noticed some decelerations on the fetal monitor. She was in the process of calling my Dr. and had me roll onto my side. As I did this I hear Mike shout, "Her head is out!". The nurse had me roll back onto my back and Shelby fell out the rest of the way onto the bed! I didn't push, I had only some mild cramping, what in the world just happened? She had a loose nuchal cord, everything else looked great. She delivered at 2:40 and my nurse was able to get out on time. Shelby is so obedient already! I didn't tear, I was back on my feet as soon as the epidural wore off, and I have the quietest, sweetest little baby girl ever. She eats well, sleeps well, and poops way too well. haha. She only fusses when she is hungry or needs a diaper change. I swear to you she is spoiling me. There has got to be a catch somewhere! Her bilirubin levels are mildly elevated, so she will be going to the pediatrician tomorrow, but we had this with Payton also. She is just making the transition from one kid to two, entirely too easy. This is only our first night home together as a family though. eeek.

Payton seems to be making a little bit of progress moving her bad leg. She is still very guarded. She will be fitted for her brace tomorrow, meets with the new pediatrician for the first time on Monday, and meets for follow up with the Surgeon next Thursday. I'm thinking Physical Therapy is definitely in her future. She doesn't have the confidence yet to experiment on her own. She loves her baby sister. Talks to her as if she's been around forever.

We are so excited about this new phase in our lives. We are thankful for all the blessings we have been given, and can only hope for continued good news with everything.

Payton is wearing the bracelets that baby Shelby gave her.

Life After Spica!

So........where to start. A lot going on right now. Payton went in yesterday to get her Spica Cast off. The nurse was quick thankfully, and got it cut off pretty quickly. That's the worst part, trying to calm a 2 yr old who has no idea what is happening to her, while a stranger is sawing through a cast she has known for 4 months now. Once it was off though it was amazing how light and cuddly she felt. She clung for dear life to me.

We went for the x-ray, which is what I was beyond nervous about. This is where we got our bad news last time. Being pregnant, I have to stand where the x-ray tech snaps her pictures, while Mike holds Paytons stiff legs in positions that hurt. The advantage, however, is I get to see the images as they are taken. I'm no x-ray tech. but I know my anatomy. The first time I knew it was bad news, the 2nd time the images came up after we left so we had no idea, this time I got a glimpse and nothing struck me as off.

We waited in the room for seriously what seemed like a 1/2 hr, saying our own little prayers that everything would be fine. The longer we waited, the more worried I was. I should know this is just how hospitals work though. The Dr. came in, along with a couple Residents, also not usually a good sign. "The x-rays look good!" I think my heart skipped some beats. Plus he thinks she will only have to wear her "rhino" brace at night, and not 23 hrs a day after all! Super excited about that one.

The ride home was as expected, a bit cranky but who wouldn't be. She napped for a couple hrs when we got home. She got her first bath in the bathtub today. Mike had to sit in there with her since she can't hold herself up yet. She still holds her legs in a frog position. She recently has been stretching out her good leg and bending it though. She is still very guarded about her "bad" right leg. She sits in her own little princess chair again, and seems to be making awsome progress. She is holding herself up better, and bending over in her chair to pick things up. She will be making improvements everyday. She is happy and herself, just doesn't like being moved right now.

On another note, Payton will be staying with G'ma & G'pa Potter Sunday night through probably Tuesday. Mike and I will be going to the hospital Sunday night to begin induction of Shelby! Nothing will really get started till Monday morning though. We finally have the room kinda ready, just need baseboard and blinds. We are excited about all the new things happening in our lives, just a bit stressed.

Thanks to all for everything. We have survived all of this with all of your help.

Just got to the hospital to get the cast off!
Tylenol in hand!

They stayed in this position for about 24 hrs after the cast was off.

Still the happiest girl around.

Last time she sat in her princess chair was the night before her first surgery.

Haircut!

Thanks to Sister Kines for the very cool haircut she gave Payton! She absolutely loves it. She looks in the mirror and says, "I bootiful". We love it also. She hasn't gotten a rats nest since, and it is effortless. BIG PLUS! Thanks again Jennifer, and I am so hitting you up next! haha

Upper Limb Dexterity

Well, with Payton looking at another 4 weeks in a cast, I figured lets work on her upper limb dexterity. There's only so much she can do with her toes. hahaha. Although she is getting good at grabbing things with her good leg / foot. I'm one of those moms that hates big messes, especially the ones that can stain. So I hadn't ever had Payton try her hand at painting. But running out of ways to keep her entertained in a stationary position, I have turned to the paint. She is a natural. It helps with her being a neat freak like me though. She was very clean about it (although she did mix all of her colors...eeek), yes I know I'm out there sometimes. She had so much fun. She painted 4 Masterpieces below. I've been hoping for her to favor her right hand, since she's been using whichever hand has the crayon in it, etc. She went straight for the right hand and did great. I know there's nothing wrong with a lefty, but it is a right handed world we live in. Anyhow, enjoy Payton's Masterpieces. She goes for surgery 1230 Tomorrow afternoon. Keep her in your thoughts.

Payton's funny words of the week: (looking through the Ensign pointing out pictures of Jesus) "Mommy Jesus' Dress!" hahaha. "Yes. It's similar to a dress but it's called a robe. "--she crackes me up daily

Updates.......

I'm so bad at this blogging thing. I need to be more diligent and commit. Anyhow, Payton is doing well. She is a week into her second cast, so 3 weeks left. She is over the grouchy hump and is back to playing, singing, and being bossy. HA! She says, "Daddy come HERE!", "Rub Leg", "Hurry Up", when she's done eating, or doesn't want something any longer she says, "Take it away!" It's more funny than anything though. She has been sleeping in her big girl twin bed since the second cast went on with NO problems. Sleeps all night long! I just can't believe it. With not much else to do, she pretty well knows all her colors, even specifying dark blue pacy and light blue pacy. She's still working on the alphabet, but does pretty well when singing it. She'll count to eleven "elemon" and then skips around to twenty. She is just so darn smart. At the end of the casting she will be in a "rhino" brace for possibly as long as a year. But most children do walk in it, they just squat like crabs. She has pink eye right now, but other than that she is doing great.
Shelby is growing. I had an Ultrasound yesterday and she is breech, go figure, but now weighs 3lbs 6oz. 9 more weeks to go! She moves all the time, and her fluid looks good, which is something I worried about, since Payton's was low most of the pregnancy.

Mike and I are doing well. Just a lot of time spent in Dr's offices. We were able to go out for our 4 yr anniversary last weekend. We've got some awsome family, willing to watch Payton overnight and evenings which is great for Mike and I to get out every now and then. His business is doing great, it always picks up this time of year. If you drive by the house right this moment, you'll see $3,000 worth of palm trees and other plants sitting in the front yard waiting to be taken to Brio, The Pub, and the Commissary. We are finally working on Shelby's room. It was the office / storage room, so it will take time to find somewhere to put all that. We still need a dresser and a bookcase, if anyone hears of some good deals. wink wink.

Well that's pretty much what's been going on. Just working / Mommying / Incubating............

The cast is off........for now.

Today was the big day. We took Payton to get her cast off, and didn't quite get the news we were hoping for. Just getting the cast off was traumatising. The saw was so loud, Payton freaked out the whole time. Then we got her x-ray, that ended up showing healed bones, but the hip had come out of the socket again since surgery. So what this means is back to the OR tomorrow. She'll be put under anesthesia again. The Dr. will try to manipulate her hip back into it's socket, and possibly more surgery to tighten the capsule that holds the joint together. Either way she will be back in the spica cast for another 3-4 weeks. This time she will be put in a brace afterwards for an uncertain amount of time. She's hangin' in there. She acts like her hip hurts a little, but more or less is wondering what to do without her cast. She doesn't really even try to move her legs right now. So back to the casted toddler tomorrow, ? surgery around 12:45. Thanks again for all the prayers and thoughts. They are appreciated!

The countdown is on!

Where to begin.....The surgery was on Wed. the 25th. We had to be there bright and early at 5:30am. They got us back quickly and we changed Payton into her hospital gown. Around 6:30 they gave her a loopy cocktail. This was both difficult, and entertaining to watch her as it set in. She peeked through the railing on the bed since she was having a hard time sitting up and said, "I see you." They came and got some blood work, the Anesthesiologist came in, then the Orthopedic Surgeon came in to answer questions. I of course was crying at the time he came in. I'm sure he thinks I'm a basket case. Every time I see him I'm crying. Pregnancy Hormones! They got her back right at 7:00 to start surgery at 7:30. They were out every hour or so to give us updates. The surgeon came out around 1200 to tell us it all went well and Payton was in recovery. The only thing they didn't plan for was having to use a smaller plate for her femur. Other than that no surprises and all went well.

We were paged to meet her in her room. As we were on our way we saw her being wheeled down the hallway. She looked so little on the hospital bed. The nurses said she immediately started asking for "daddy" as she was waking up. Is anybody surprised there?!

She has done really well. She hated her IV more than anything. The morphine and Codeine didn't allow her to sleep well at all. She kept jerking herself awake everytime she would fall asleep. When we got home we started just tylenol and she has slept pretty well. She is really heavy since the cast is plaster. I have a hard time lifting her from the ground, being 24 wks prego, but Mikee is usually home to get her for me. She gets really frustrated some days and others she is the same happy Payton.

Diaper changing is actually pretty simple. It just takes more time. Luckily she has never been one to have blow-outs. That would certainly be more challenging. She gets rotated alot. When she's on her sides she watches movies, or sleeps. When she's upright she colors, plays with her magna doodle, throws her ball, anything to keep her a bit active. She loves being pulled around in her wagon when the weather is nice.

We go back to see the surgeon next Monday. I hope to only hear good things. She has a little blister on her tushy, but that's the only thing I've been even a little concerned about. May 6th is the BIG DAY! So the countdown is now on.

Thanks to everyone for meals, prayers, words of encouragement. Everyone has been a huge help.

Payton watching for the scary nurse to come back.

Right after surgery

My first attempt at actually holding her with the cast.

We knew she was feeling a bit better when she was back to talkin' on the phone.

Waiting to be discharged. Clearly all she can wear are size 4T dresses.

In the wagon, ready to go home.

The Cadillac of car seats!

Tossing the ball with G'ma Miller once we got home.

Coming to Terms

Payton's surgery is scheduled for March 25th. We have to be there at 5:30am! I don't think Mike, Payton, or I have seen 5:30 since she was a newborn not sleeping through the night. This shall be interesting for sure. There is no way either of us will get any rest until she is out of the hospital. The orthopedist said they are typically in there for 2 days. I am slowly coming to terms with all of this, Mike is still sorting his way through it, the way only Mikee can. HA! We both want to do, say, something to get our point across to our ex-pediatrician however. I just don't think I can take legal action though, I have given it thought. I just want to put this in the past as quickly as possible. I've been doing my best to explain what will be happening to a 2 yr old. It is so cute to here her say "my sordery". I just know she's going to wake up from the "sordery", not able to move her legs, freaking out, looking to us to help her. Wow! Anyhow, this too shall pass! Thanks to all who have given support, and advice. If I am missing from church for awhile, you know why. We meet with the Orthopedist on Monday for pre-op talk. I hope this calms me more than freak me out more. We'll see!

DDH and a Spica Cast

So I guess an update is appropriate for my little pirate walker. We took her to Children's Orthopedics where she had some x-rays done, and her legs looked at. They layed her on her back and put her legs in the butterfly position and pushed them toward the table. The left leg could almost touch the table, however, her right leg (the short leg) didn't quite make it and made her cry to even try. After the x-ray we were told Payton has DDH or Developmental Hip Dysplasia. Her left hip is great, but her right hip is completely dislocated and has been for who knows how long? Since birth????? I'm convinced that I have a sloppy pediatrician who never listened to my concerns at 12 and 18 months. But what can you do now?! If this had been caught then, Payton would've been able to avoid invasive surgery. But now she will be getting surgery here soon to rebuild her hip, that will leave her in a spica body cast for 6 weeks. Along with another surgery in 2 years to remove the plates in her hip. So if anybody has a pediatrician they would like to recommend I would love the help. I'm afraid if I were to see mine again, It would be pretty confrontational. Anyhow this is a pretty bitter post, I apologize. I know this could be much worse. I just haven't quite come to terms with it all, and I'm sure I wont until she is in the cast and we have all gotten used to the situation. Any advice, tips, anything is appreciated. I already know awsome Riley will be sharing her expertise on the spica cast with us when Payton comes home. How lucky we are to have others who are familiar with what to do. I am completely shell shocked still. If interested you can learn more at www.orthoinfo.aaos.org. Just type DDH in the search.

Yay for Ebay!

After seeing the same crib bedding everyday for the past two years, I decided to sell Payton's bedding on Ebay, and put that money toward new bedding for Shelby..........................Now I believe I'm addicted. I might just sell everything I own. The final bid was for $87.00! Before my listed item had even ended, I had purchased a new crib set, and a twin bed set for Payton on Ebay also. Luckily that $87.00 covered everything but the shipping and handling. I practically broke even! What a deal! So now maybe I will find some motivation to start the nursery for Shelby once I get the awsome bedding. I'm 20 wks now, so I'm at least on the downhill side of things. But, WoW!!! Seriously I love ebay. Here were my fabulous deals.

Young Love

At girls night out the other night, Derek Tipton was awsome enough to watch Payton along with his adorable son Lucas. It was past both of their bedtimes, and I just knew they were gonna give him a run for his money! When Lynette and I got home, they were playing so nicely and being perfect angels for him. As Payton and I were leaving, Lucas poked his head out the door. Payton yelled "Bye Lucas!". He yelled back, "Bye!" It doesn't get much cuter than that. So needless to say I worried for nothing. This is typical of me though. I've already got their wedding day planned, and can't wait for their next date together. HA!!

Little Pirate Walker

So I'm sure many of you have noticed how Payton at two years old still walks like a pirate. She was our late walker to begin with at 19 months, and she's been wobbling ever since with really bad balance. So when we took her to her wellness visit, I expressed my concern to the pediatrician. I explained how I just don't think her legs are the same length. Her left leg has a good inch or more. So she checked it out, and sure enough agreed. So now we wait to see Orthopedics at Children's Hospital at the beginning of March. Hopefully it will be an easy fix, we just have to figure out where the issue lies. Is it a hip issue, a bone issue...who knows. She has no idea she walks differently, she's just glad to be movin'! HA! And I know I'll miss the little pirate walk once we get this all resolved.

I Have A Two Year Old................??????

Payton turned two years old on Saturday, and was quite the princess! She loved her clip on earrings, necklace, tiara, dress, magic wand......She devoured her carrot cake, and had a blast playing with her cousins and friend Caity. She has become so big so fast! I've been doing the whole pregnant mommy reminiscing. Going through pictures, and trying to get some albums finished before this next little diva comes. As I've been going through them, I realize how much I missed the baby stage. I've been pretty open about not caring so much for the infant stage. I just love where Payton is now, with communicating and enjoying eachother. But I think I will take the time more this second time around to also enjoy the infant stage, that soon will be gone. Anyway....here is Payton at the fabulous age of TWO!!