Leaps & Bounds In An Almost Body Cast

It seems odd to even the most medically experienced, but that's our Jordan, keeping the medical world on its toes.

In this case it was major, elective surgery for her hip dysplasia. Normally Jordan doesn't "bounce back" from things at all, including her adnoidectomy & t-tube placement in February, but this time she's like a new kid. Perhaps now that her hip is back in place it isn't painful, and none of us realized just how much the pain of her hip dysplasia was affecting her. Perhaps she is "soothed" by the surround-pressure of the cast. Perhaps she's just feeling better since she seems to be virtually free from mucus & secretions (we've barely used the sucko at all the last 6 days!)

Whatever it is, she seems happy, relaxed, and is trying to do more things. She's alert & tracking more and more with her eyes. She's "playing" with her red balloon -- as soon as you put it in her hand she watches it and moves her arm up and down to make it dance around. She's even trying to lift her hand to her mouth to suck on it, and with a little help, she can get it in her mouth & doesn't gag or bite herself. She's chewing up bananas in mesh bags like a maniac, and using her own hands to push the bag into her mouth when she needs to. In general she's doing great things, and even her OT & ST today could notice improvements all around. She's even screaming and crying to tell us when she's unhappy -- and although no one likes to hear their kiddo scream & cry, I can certainly appreciate how she's telling us things.

If I'd have know how much of a positive difference elective hip surgery could make I would have suggested it earlier!

All loaded up in her very own Kid Kart, ready to leave Shriners hospital for good -- or at least for 6 weeks until her cast (hopefully) comes off. Not too bad in the spica cast car seat for the ride home. She didn't even wake up, despite me wacking another car's side mirror while I was trying to get her in (yes, she's much like a board to tote around, her her feet do crash into things now since they don't flop out of the way). At home playing with her balloon (we were using the black board to help make the balloon stand out a little more)Spring is here -- sort of. The daffodils are all over the place, and the cherry trees are in blossom, then we get a day or two of rain. . . .
Today was nice enough to get a little time outside, and a little sun on Jordan's faceMeanwhile, Avery & I were busy making our first birdhouse of the season (we always seem to make a few each spring). She was very serious about it!