It Was A Good Day

Today was another whirlwind day but it ended up a good day, at least in the eyes of Riley. 

We started the morning off with Riley's first report card parent/teacher conference.  Riley got a very, very good report card and update from her teacher, we were very proud!  I got to pick her up after school because she had a 2:00 appointment with Dr Hoffinger. 

We grabbed a quick lunch at home before heading to her classroom so I could meet with her teacher to plan the Thanksgiving Party for her class and then we headed up to Walnut Creek for an appointment with Dr H.  I was pretty nervous, Riley's right foot has seemed a little stiff so I was concerned we might be heading down a relapse path even though I haven't seem any curvature.  While I was meeting with her teacher, Riley colored a picture for Dr Hoffinger thanking him for fixing her feet.  We also brought a kindergarten picture for Beverly.  We got there and luckily they weren't too busy so we only had to wait a few minutes before going back.  Riley handed Beverly her picture, which she LOVED!  Bev has always loved Riley, even when Ri was a baby, Bev used to scoop her out of her car seat and walk her around the office before Riley had her casts removed and re-applied.  Riley always calmed down in Bev's arms.  And of course we can't forget when Bev came to visit Riley in the hospital after her tendon transfer.  She's equally important in Riley's treatment as Dr H is. 

Then it was time for BossyMan.  He came in and Riley handed him her picture, he loved it and gave her a huge hug and then she told him about her Dashing Dolphins and her 6 dolphin tails.  He couldn't believe that they had a running club for 5 year olds but was very happy to hear about Riley's excitement over it and her participation.  He did the usual inspection and after watching her walk said he saw absolutely no turning in on either foot.  I let out a big sigh of relief and told him I was concerned because that right foot seemed tighter than usual and he said he felt that it was tighter as well but the position was good and there was no turning when she walked.  (Sad, that I can feel the tightness in her feet like a well trained orthopedic surgeon).  He also said that at this point (2 months before her 6th birthday) that it would be extremely rare to have an issue at this point on that foot.  He felt like we would have seen any issues if we were going to see them.  The surgery seems a success, the right foot looks good without surgery so there might just be a light at the end of this long journey that we've been traveling.  I am cautiously optimistic that we may be finally putting clubfoot behind us.  She's come so far and I'm so proud of her strength and the way she just lets it all roll off of her.  She could very well use her clubfoot as an excuse to not participate or do stuff but Riley has never let clubfoot get in her way.  I often wonder how a child who spent the last year and a half in casts and AFOs ignores all that and is able to run around and participate as if she's never been through any of this.  It blows my mind!

That's Riley and Dr H on the right side together

Check out the flexibility on those tootsies!

Miss Sassy!

Our traditional picture!

Since we were in Walnut Creek, Riley wanted to go to my office.  So we headed over there for a little bit, enough time for some Kellogg's treats!  There were only a few people in the office but Riley still enjoyed herself.

And I wonder why she likes coming to work with me!?!

Like most days; it was busy, chaotic, and exhausting.  But it was a good day!  I'm so proud of Riley's great report card, thrilled that her feet are looking good, and happy to spend the afternoon with her.  Work has been awful lately and Friday was a good reminder of what is really important in life!

4 Year Well Check

Well I finally got Riley to her 4 Year Well check.  The good news is there was no ear infection this time though she still has fluid behind her ears so we go back in a few weeks to make sure it clears up and she doesn't develop an ear infection.  Jacob was also infection free though Saturday he developed a fever (still on antibiotics) and we were sidelined Sunday as well with him.  Small miracle in itself, I sat and watched the Super Bowl by myself since Marc took Riley to the party that we were supposed to go to as a family.  (I hate football!)

Riley checked out great, she passed her hearing test so now I know that her not listening is selective hearing and not hearing loss, she passed her vision test and developmentally she's right on track if not a little ahead.  Unfortunately, her pediatrician recommended surgery on her left foot.  It was noticeably stiffer, turning in and overall in not as good of shape as her right foot which is absolutely perfect.  She felt like she would need it long term and it's better to do it now while she is young than later, not only for all of the reasons that Dr H recommended but also because from a pain perspective after 5 they remember the pain more than before 5, we wouldn't do it until next February or so, so she would be just 5 but I think it's in our cards.  Fingers are still crossed that we get a miracle and it loosens up on it's own (and with stretches) but I am bracing (no pun intended) myself for a surgery next winter. 

So her stats:

Weight: 30.5lbs (~12th percentile)
Height: 38.3" (~18th percentile)

She's still a squirt but since she has always been on those trend lines (since she got on a chart) she's maintained those percentiles so the Dr is not worried about her growth. 

And she got 3 shots and that went over oh so well (note the sarcasm).  Best idea of the day was putting Jacob in the stroller because I had to carry her out of the Dr screaming in pain, yelling "I can not even walk!"  She's a bit dramatic.  Jacob was screaming because she was screaming.  I had to laugh so I wouldn't cry, especially when the nurse yelled from the back of the office "Have a glass, or 2 of wine, Mom!  You deserve it, you're doing great!!!" 

On Top of It All...

On top of all that was going on with Poppa Jack, Saturday Jacob woke up wheezing.  Poppa Jack had some albuterol so we tried that but it didn't make a dent in his wheezing for more than 5 minutes.  He was really tired so I left him sleep, he slept for 2 hours, woke up, took a bottle and went back to sleep for another 2 1/2 hours.  He refused all table foods, which should have been my key indicator that something was wrong with him.  When he woke up from his second nap his wheezing was really bad.  We decided to take him to Urgent Care before Poppa's party rather than after it.  My brother took Riley to the party and Marc and I took him to Urgent Care.  When we got there the Dr could see him from behind the counter struggling to breath so he rushed us back to an exam room.  He started him immediately on 2 doses of albuterol because his blood oxygen level was 93/94.  The 2 doses worked for about 15 minutes and then he started wheezing again and his blood oxygen levels dropped once again to about 95.  They gave him a dose of prednisone and another breathing treatment and the same thing happened.  They gave him one last shot before they were going to send us to the hospital to be admitted.  So we gave another dose of albuterol, by this time he was so exhausted he actually fell asleep which helped relax him and allowed him to take in the medication better.  Fortunately this dosage stuck and we were able to take him back to the hotel, we missed the party but my brother was awesome and brought us the works back to the hotel.

That night was a long night, I had to wake up every 2 hours to give him a breathing treatment, fortunately he slept through all but one, even though that machine is literally the loudest machine ever!  I seriously felt like I was nursing again!!!

He also had an ear infection again so we left urgent care with Albuterol, Prednisone, a travel inhaler that now lives in my diaper bag, and an antibiotic for his ear infection.

We left Florida Monday because I had an appointment scheduled at his pediatrician.  She finally diagnosed him with asthma because he's had 3 big episodes, 2 of which required Urgent Care.  She thinks he'll outgrow it since it's brought on by illness, she said they typically outgrow this type of asthma so fingers crossed.  We're trying Pulmicort, an inhaled steroid every night for a month to see if that helps lessen the severity of attacks. 

Needless to say, I am emotionally (and physically) exhausted after this week!

Oh and little dude was 20lbs 4oz on Tuesday at the Dr!

Wow, What a Week!

It all started last Tuesday (which ironically was Jacob's due date) when we took Jacob into the Dr for his 2 week well baby check.  His temperature was really low (about 97) and he had lost 5 oz over the week from when I had taken him in for a weight check (and he was actually gaining weight).  The Dr had us check his billierubins because he was still pretty jaundice and then sent us home to keep him bundled and started supplementing his feedings with formula.  We did everything in our power to keep him warm; we layered him, pumped the heat up, put his blankets in the dryer but throughout the day his temperature kept dropping.  When it hit 95.5 I called her back, he was also very lethargic and I had a horrible time trying to wake him up to feed, he didn't even really want to take a bottle.  The Dr told me we had to head to the hospital to be admitted because his temperature was just too low.  Urgh.  So off we went again to Valley Care (we went through this with Riley).  Thank goodness for our wonderful friends Jen and Pat, not only did they take Riley in on the night that Jacob was born but they once again came to our rescue and picked Riley up from day care when they got Bella.  We seriously would be a big mess without them!  So we took Jacob over to Valley Care, got admitted and went through the whole process that we went through 3 years ago, blood tests, spinal tap and IV antibiotics to make sure he wasn't septic.  After his tests he was still running a low body temperature even though he had a ton of layers on so they brought a warmer in from the nursery and put him under it for a few hours.  That warmed him right up and he was able to maintain a normal temperature the rest of our stay.  It also perked him up enough to get him to feed better and so he started putting on some weight.  He put on 3 oz while we were there and then another 4 oz from Thursday to Friday when we got released and went back to his Dr for a weight check.  Thank goodness all of his tests came back negative and it was just a case of (as my friend Autumn said) being a "wimpy white boy."  He's now eating great, though we are still supplementing, and on Tuesday he was up to 6lbs 9oz and grew an inch and a half in a week!

All in all considering the circumstances our stay wasn't half bad.  The nurses were great, we actually had the same nurse that we had when Riley was in the hospital there and she doubles as a lactation specialist at the kids' pediatrician and she remembered us.  She set up a little table and brought Riley stickers, coloring books, and crayons.  Riley was able to visit so Marc brought her in the morning before school, she loved picking up coffee or bagels for me, and then brought her to visit after school.  The nurse sent me out on our second day to give me a break and get me fresh air so Marc and I went to Babies R Us and got Jacob some warm Newborn clothes, hit Starbucks and went to Old Navy before getting Riley and bringing her back to the hospital with us.  The hard part was, Riley wanted to stay with me. :( Jacob even managed to pee on both the Dr and the medical student his last day there which all of the nurses loved! :)

My poor little dude!

Starting to feel better!

So sweet!

Feeling better and plumping up, check out the extra chins he's working!

Not sure what this face means but it was cute!

He was so hungry that he was holding his own bottle

The nurse set up a little area for Riley

Going home, part deux

Big Sister posing with brother on the way home

So Thursday we went home, Jacob was crying on the way home and Riley was so incredibly sweet she said, in the sweetest voice ever, "Oh no, brother, what's the matter?  It's ok, I'm here."  It was so sweet.  Friday, Riley had an appointment with Dr H to check her clubfeet.  I am happy to report that her feet look perfect and we are once again going braceless at night to see how her left foot responds, he felt her tendons were stronger and her tone better than when we tried 9 months ago so we are giving it a go for 6 weeks.  Riley had been talking about not wearing her "night nights" for quite some time and so the night before I prepped her that Dr H could very well say that she still needed to wear them.  After many "whys" I told her Dr H was the "boss man" so if he said she had to wear them she couldn't argue.  Friday brought us to his office and Riley referred to him as "my Hoffinger" and then told him he was the "bossy man."  Haha!  She was hilarious.  When he told her that she didn't have to wear her night nights anymore she put her hands in the air and said "Hooray!  Yayfeety pj's like her brother!  After Dr H we headed to the pediatrician to get Jacob re-weighed, he weighed in at 6lbs so we were on the upswing.  We went back yesterday and he was 6lbs 9oz so we are well past his birth weight and have been given clearance to feed on demand which meant not one but two four hour sleeping chunks for mommy last night.  Woohoo!

Daddy and his babies at Dr H, Jacob is sporting one of the hats that Beverly gave him

When Average Is Good

Today we went for our monthly ultrasound to check the little guy's growth and everything is going perfect!  He is measuring average, at the 52nd percentile (average) which puts him in at 1lb 14oz and still has him measuring a day ahead of his due date.  Everything else looks great too, the fluid around him looks good, he's still super active, he's now head down and he did not like the ultrasound wand pushing against him.  We also saw him open and close his eyes which the tech doing the ultrasound said that you normally don't see at 25 weeks so that was pretty cool!

Here are some pictures of our little man, I think he's looking less like Riley and Marc in these than in the previous ultrasounds.  Yes!  My genetics may actually stand a chance!

His profile with his feet up at his mouth, quite impressive!

Face with hand up by his eye

He sure does like his hand up at his eye

Well We Tried

Yesterday we took Riley to her 1 month, post-stopping the brace check-up at Dr H.  I have been concerned about her left foot for about a week now.  I've noticed every so often when she is walking or running that it seems to turn inward and kind of rolls on the outside.  Unfortunately, I know my feet, because Dr. H saw what I was seeing as well.  So back in the brace we go for 3 months and then we head back for another check-up to see if it's any better.  We knew this was a possibility all along and we told Riley the night before that if Dr H said that she had to wear her "night night" shoes again that she had to and that she couldn't fight us.  We told her she had to start wearing her "night nights" again and she said very seriously "No night nights."  So we asked Dr H to deliver the news, it was really sweet.  He sat her on the counter and told her that she needed to wear her night nights so she could grow up to marry an orthopedic surgeon and be a heart surgeon herself.  She agreed to wear her night-nights.  Beverly helped us out by telling her if she wore her night-nights each night without a fight she could have a lollipop every morning.  This is what she sent us home with - I think they spoil Riley just a little bit.

We also had the tendon transfer talk, Riley might need it done on her left foot after all, only time will tell but we're hoping that the brace fixes the problem.  And we don't really know if it's a problem yet, thank goodness I'm neurotic and insisted on coming back a month later so we caught it super early.  It was a very early conversation and may never happen but we're preparing for the fact that she may need it on the left foot.  The right foot still looks fantastic, that darn left foot has been the bane of my existence for the last 2 1/2 years!

RiRi of course is our RiRi and has taken it all in stride.  She wanted to help buckle them last night and tonight she sat nicely while I put them on.  Friday I cried as I strapped them on.  This morning she had her lollipop and was very excited about it.  I hate night-night shoes, I hate clubfeet, and I hate that Riley has to go through this.  She doesn't deserve this and I just don't understand why things happen sometimes.  It breaks my heart to see her in them again and as I folded her footy pjs that she has grown to love so much in the past month to hide them in her dresser, my heart broke all over again because I know it's only a matter of time before she wants to wear them and I'll have to tell her no.

So we tried to live clubfoot free and put clubfoot behind us but it looks like it's here to stay, at least for now.

And Just Like That...

it seems our clubfoot journey is coming to a close.  I know we will never be done with visits to the orthopedic surgeon and I'll never stop over analyzing Riley's feet or the way she walks but by george we conquered clubfeet!  We had our 4 month check-up at Dr. H yesterday, also known as her 2 year check-up.  As always Beverly spoiled Riley!  Riley scored another beanie baby and got 3 lollipops (Sugar-Free) and walked the place like she owned it.  Dr. H told us that Riley definitely read the book on how to be a girl with her mannerisms and the way she walks.  She even paused her walking exam to bring Dr. H to get a book.  Our exam and conversation went something like this.

Dr. H after examining her feet and observing her walking: "Well she looks pretty perfect!"
Me: "Really?  She feels pretty flexible but you know me, I always worry." 
Dr. H (kind of tentatively because he knows I'm the brace enforcer): "What do you want to do about the brace?"
Me: "What do you want me to do with the brace?"
Dr. H: "Well at 2 I usually tell patients in her situation to stop it."
Me: "Well do you foresee us having any recurrences if we do stop it?"
Dr. H: "I always worry when we make decisions like this because I want my kids to be perfect but she shows no indication of being a candidate for a tendon transfer or any indication that she would have a recurrence.  She's very flexible."
Me: "Well I just bought a new brace at the end of the year so I want to use it."
Dr. H: "Ok, we'll keep going through April, we'll see you again the end of April/beginning of May and we'll reassess but she looks great!"

And just like that a huge weight has been lifted from my shoulders, all of the weekly trips for casts, the countless stares from strangers, the security line at the airport with a metal brace, the countless bruises that line my legs, and the nights of pinning Riley down to put on her brace.  All worth it!!!  Because clubfeet, we OWN YOU!  I am so proud of my Riley-Roo for facing this obstacle with grace and bravery and overcoming it!  You did it my love!

And as my reward, I'm going shopping for footy pajamas! :)