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!