Ouch!

The cast is finally off, but Jordan doesn't seem all that happy about it. We had to give her some Tylenol/Vicodin today as she screamed & quivered & worked herself into a fever. Devon & I both thought we saw a few seizures last night and today. She didn't even enjoy her long-awaited bath. We are discouraged to see her in pain and not doing as well as she has been, but we are hopeful that it's just a temporary setback. At least she was happy with her banana mesh bag during tummy time this afternoon. With her unhappiness & pain, and with the hassle of the brace during diapering, I find myself almost wanting the cast back, in a sad, twisted sort of way. . . .

Cast Off!

Waiting, waiting, waiting in the lobby at Shriner's Hospital in Portland. Could this be the day? It was a long day today -- we left at 8:00am and got home a little after 3:00pm (with a stop for lunch, too). But it was nothing like the 47 days Jordan spent in the spica.

First she needed an X-ray to make sure her hip was healed enough to ditch the cast. It was! (before on the left in grey, after on the right in blue) Here's one last look at the tunnel through the cast.

Then it was time to wait for the cast cutting ceremony.
Chop, chop, chop
Cut, cut, cut
Stink, stink, stink!
Good riddance
Now, for the incision
It looks great, even ready for a bath!
When the going gets exciting, Jordan goes to sleep. She was sawing logs even during the last part of the saw cutting. The cast tech was amazed -- he'd never seen anything like it. Most kids, especially 2-year-olds, go mental with the sound of he saw, the tickling of the cutting, and the sensations of touch after 7 weeks protected. But that's our Jordan! Robin & I were not at all surprised. Ahhhhh, a regular, size 5 diaper!
Pickled foot
Then it was off to Orthotics & Prosthetics for her new Rhino brace. It has to come off for diaper changes, and she is allowed to bathe, but other than that she has to wear it continually for the next 1 to 3 months (the doctor will decide at then end of each month how many months she'll need to wear it). Then we'll slowly taper off the time in the brace, keeping it on for many more months at night only. It's just to remind her where her hip should be & to be gentle with it, because the hip should be stable enough now that she can't hurt herself (or we won't hurt her unless we dangle her by her right leg). If it is going to pop out again, it'll be because of her weak muscles and joints, not because of moving her leg around.
At home on her tummy at last!
Now that's some dead skin! We were so busy today, and she was so tired, we decided to save the 2-hour bath until tomorrow. Besides, it didn't really even stink as bad as we thought it would, I think the duct tape saved us.

7 Things

I have been tagged by Astrid! The idea is to give 7 facts about yourself and then tag other bloggers to do the same. I don't know how much of a shock any of them will be ...

So here are 7 facts about me!

1. I've made over 150 sweaters, adult & more recently children size, since I learned to knit while living in Norway in 1988-89 (junior year of high school). I'm really into kids sweaters of Icelandic style these days -- they are quick to knit, and don't need a sewing machine to finish them. The most complicated one I made for Devon a few years ago, and it took 47 hours of knitting & sewing time to complete.

2. I'm not nearly as obsessive as I used to be. I've learned with Jordan there is so little I really can control in this world. I guess I am still pretty obsessive, though, but we're making progress. . . . (the Legos are not currently organized by color, it just never lasts. . . .).

3. I'm tortured with a non-conforming bio-rhythm, and I really cannot sleep before 1:30am, no matter how hard I try. Even when I'm completely blotto from lack of sleep, I'm still up until 1:30am every night. Then, at 1:30 I crash & sleep like the dead (preferably until ~10:00am, but I'm usually not that lucky).

4. I'm obsessed about capturing the spirit & expressions of my kids in photographs, but really cannot get into the thrill of video for some reason (despite the new Flip Video purchase, which is fun, but just not the same).

5. I want to build my own house, with my own hands & tools. In fact, I think it should be part of growing up -- something everyone should know how to do for themselves.

6. I love to read non-fiction, because, really, truth is stranger than fiction. It's also insight into how people tick, which also is fascinating to me.

7. I could eat (vegetarian) Italian & Mediterranean food for each & every meal of my life.

[Note: It Must Be Said: Like Julie said, Astrid, Julie & I are too much alike -- over half of Astrid's & Julie's things could be mine. . . . (relaxing stresses me out, must do many things at once, sleep like the dead, Type-A personality/obsessive, don't like shopping, but buying on-line is just fine with me, loved Pierce Brosnan since grade 7 & Remington Steele, Princess Bride a favorite since high school, some of the best quotable lines ever, love love love tea, but usually like it iced in the summer, warm in the winter)]

Here are the rules:
Link to the person who tagged you.
Post the rules in your blog entry.
Share 7 random, or weird, facts about yourself.
Tag people at the end of the post, linking to them.
Leave a comment on their blog so that they know they’ve been tagged.

I've tagged the following three committed bloggers:

Kim in Rancho Santa Margarita, California (Jamie's mum)

Deb in Boston, Massachusetts (Gaige, Bliss, True, & Andrew's mom)

Kelly-Ann in Minneapolis, Minnesota (Grant & Linae's mom)

Nice Enough For The Park

The weather wasn't great today -- sunny, but cool when the clouds rolled over the sun. But it didn't stop us from getting in a couple of hours at Felida Park. While there a boy named Jack tried to teach the other kids how to kick a soccer ball. He was like Bobby Knight, and when the ball kept veering away from the goal with an errant kick, he was right there to give the offender another chance. Boy was he going a bit crazy when the girls thought perhaps throwing the ball toward the goal would be easier. . . .

There were certainly lots of funny faces all around, too.

At home they worked on a Care Bears puzzle together, Kate's first

My Favorite Mural

I found this mural driving home from the hospital in north Portland. I've driven past it hundreds of times, and always wanted to take Avery & Jordan in white clothes to pose in front of it. Perhaps I'll do that someday, but last month Kelly & I were in Portland with Avery & Kate and our cameras, so we gave it a trial run.

Ew, licking the lollipop!

(photo by Kelly Wood)(Photo by Kelly Wood)(Photo by Kelly Wood)There's the camera, run!
(photo by Kelly Wood) Ughhhh, there's the other camera! There's no escape!