A Picture For Her Baby Book!

If you have been following us for a bit, you know we have been struggling with Miss Wiggles and her walking. She started walking at 10 months...well ahead of developmental milestones. The problem was that almost a year later and she still looked like she had just learned how to walk...unsteady, lots of tumbles, etc. At first we thought she was limping. X-rays and blood work showed nothing. Then Daddy noticed her feet appeared to be turning in...both of them and at random times. So, the pediatrician referred us to an orthopedist (more to shut me up than out of real concern!) and the orthopedist actually started to dismiss our concerns as well...until he saw her walk!

But let me back up a bit...

I called the orthopedist's office for an appointment and had to wait two months only to have that appointment changed as well. In the meantime I called Early Intervention and got that ball rolling (you know me - I don't sit and wait!). EI saw significant delays in her gross motor but decided to wait for the orthopedist's evaluation to develop a plan. I shared this with the doubting doctor (who, by the way, was older than dirt and a bit scary!) who couldn't understand why I contacted EI since she was only 20 months old! Duh! EARLY intervention?

Anyway...he really made it seem like we were over-reacting to her walking issues and questioned what we thought we were seeing. And then she walked down the hallway! His mouth fell open! He immediately took us back in the exam room and gave her a thorough evaluation. His diagnosis? Her left hip has not developed correctly. It faces forward in the hip socket instead of turning in like most toddlers do by this age. As a result her feet are not turning in but her whole leg swings out when she walks to avoid the discomfort.

As hard as the diagnosis was to hear (although we felt justified!), the treatment is even worse! For at least the next six months she will need to wear special shoes connected with a bar at night as well as knee immobilizers. Physical therapy will be integral too. We will continue with strengthening exercises at home as well as ballet class. All this should help avoid surgery in ten years...which would had been the outcome if we hadn't pushed for her to be seen.

So Miss Wiggles has moved into our bedroom so we can comfort her (without disturbing Tater) when she is uncomfortable. And so that she can enjoy the A/C while wearing all her apparatuses! Mommy cried the first few nights but Wiggles adjusted well! She fusses because she's tired but doesn't seem to mind the equipment too much at all! She's still trying to get onto her belly to sleep but is slowly giving in to our wishes!

The best part? I was going to take away her Nuks this summer...and now she gets to keep them until she's done with the braces!

We're Lovin' Summer!

Miss Wiggles is expressing her individual sense of fashion!

(And she had just taken off the armful of bracelets while I was grabbing the camera!)

Our garden is actually growing...and producing veggies!

I have a small bowl of green beans to prove it...and these pictures!

The overview...

The pumpkins and cantaloupe

The celery

A cantaloupe bloom

The tomatoes...blooms but no tomatoes yet

The Squash...

...that we grew!

And more blooms!

(Except we don't eat squash!)

The bean plants

And we've been spending LOTS of time splashing in the pool!

Going under the water bridge!

Hope you're enjoying your summer, too!

Wordless Wednesday

...and Bruiser wasn't camera-ready!

Summer Catch-Up!

Bruiser won tickets to our local baseball team, so we got Miss Wiggles a sitter and took the other two for a "fun"evening...in between the whining and refusing to sit. Wonder what it's like to go to a baseball game without children?

Bruiser didn't like the sun...and thought he had to hold his sunglasses on!

Tater was all smiles!

And Bruiser was much happier when Mommy pulled Taggie out of her bag!

Wiggles had her first ballet class and looked super cute!

Then on the 4th we headed to our favorite neighbor's grandmother's house for a day at the beach and a picnic in the heat. This has become an annual tradition that we all look forward to and the kids had a blast...in between the whining and begging for food! Ah, parenthood!

Wiggles (a.k.a. Vulture), snacking away.

Tater, mid-whining.

Handsome boy!

Snuggle time for Miss Wiggles!

Nuk and red, white & blue!

Bruiser found the cars!

Tater taking a 5 second break...there were so many kids to play with!

This is how nicely they were playing together this morning!

And Wiggles helped Daddy make breakfast...by snacking a bit!

Beach Day!

We started of the day with Tater in my bed at one o'clock in the morning...watching Nick-at-Nite while I slept...can you say "tired girl Saturday"? It was a lazy morning but we were ready to head off on our first beach day of the summer by around ten o'clock. As Daddy and I were gathering the last minute items, Bruiser opened the front storm/screen door. Both of us yelled for him to close it and he did...with Miss Wiggles' finger in the hinge. Her flattened finger and Mommy headed to the Urgent Care for x-rays and a splint while Daddy took the other two to get beach snacks. After our brief detour, we made it to the beach by one o'clock...and everyone enjoyed the "perfect beach day"!

Wiggles' with her splint.

Love Tater's hat!

All three had fun playing with Daddy while Mommy got to sit and read for a few fabulous moments!

This is the first day Wiggles actually played in the sand and water.

And in spite of her injury, she loved it!

Her splint fell off from the water and now you can see her bruised little finger

(the one she is sort of holding up).

Bruiser got his feet buried and loved wiggling free!

Tater loved it too!

Weekend Recap!

Yesterday we headed to pick up Tater - halfway between home and Papa and Mimi's. Memaw and Pop-Pop brought her and we had a picnic and a bit of a wildlife hike!

This was the kids turtle friend that didn't enjoy having his nap interrupted!

He quickly headed back to the water!

This little "friend" surprised me and elicited a scream that was heard all the way around the lake!

Can you see ALL the turtles sunning themselves?!?

Then today we headed out strawberry picking in the mucky weather with some very good friends from church. I planned ahead and outfitted the kids in old clothes, bug spray, and rain boots. I thought was heading for "mommy of the year" but you'll soon see why not!

Tater and her friend, K.

Bruiser heading in for the find!

Wiggles sampling along the way.

A. doing an excellent job!

More sampling!

They should have weighed her before and after to charge us for what she ate!

Tater and K. showing off their finds!

Wiggles coming for sympathy after she fell face and belly first into the mud puddle!

I had already removed the shirt but she was still filthy!

But nothing stopped her from finding more strawberries!

Bruiser loves his boots...and puddles!

See the dirt?

Love the strawberry streak!

And love that expression!

Please note that everyone had a blast and we quickly headed home for tubbies and naps all around! The best way to end a Saturday!