Mabel's First Halloween...

Happy Halloween Mabel! She went as a Snail to go with her own personal hard shell. Considering we were so tired, I had to work a few hours and Zack was home alone to handle the sleep little wild thing, we had a pretty great Halloween. We went out-on-the-town around 3:30 in the afternoon. Mabel only had one nap of an hour, but I was impressed that Zack got her to take that. Life is too exciting to nap with either mama or papa home. So they did really good. Zack looked so tired when I got back - poor guy, but he survived just the same.

We went out to our regular Halloween diner spot. We've gone every year in costume since we have been together (except last year because I was pregnant and soooo sick and it is a Mexican restaurant!). It was fun to get out, but a completely different experience with a baby. We got to show off Mabel and had a great time with friends and was able to get home close to Mabel's dinner and bath time. She seemed to have a great time being the cutest snail that ever was!

Oh, I was a Mermaid and Zack a Pirate, you know to go with the nautical theme!

Long night...

Well, sleep has not gotten any better. Poor Mabel wakes about every hour screaming. I can't figure out what is going on - besides the obvious that she has a cast on half her body, but she was sleeping better before this week. I had to "sleep" on the floor of her room on a makeshift bed of pillows and a blanket strategically placed so if I were to fall asleep with her laying on my chest she couldn't slide off me. Luckily her cast puts her legs in a position that fits right around my waist. It seems like most of the time if I pick her up she falls back to sleep on me, but my arm and shoulder is starting to hurt from having to pick her up and put her down in her crib over and over again. I think that cast weighs more than 3 lbs! I'm just so tired I'm afraid I may drop her or fall asleep in the rocking chair with her on me and she may fall, the floor is the safest right now. I haven't been this tired since she was about a month old!

It seems like something is really upsetting her though - you know not just the cast. Could she be itchy? It doesn't seem like she is in pain - I've checked her cast and it doesn't feel too tight, I can slide my finger in there. Could she just want me to hold her? I worked so hard to get her to sleep through the night before this whole cast thing, now it feels for-not. Well...today is going to be a long day, figures it would be a Saturday I had to work and Halloween to boot!

Sleep? I don't need no stinking sleep...

Well, last night was not all I had hoped for. Mabel fell asleep around 8pm and I put her down. She only woke about two or three times before we went to bed at 10pm...I know why 10? Shouldn't we had tried to go to bed sooner? I'm embarrassed to say that first of all I needed to finish Mabel's Halloween costume and second I wanted to watch my Thursday night programs...silly I know.

Anyhoo...Mabel wakes around 11 and settled back down quickly. She then woke around midnight and again settled down quickly. I find that if I pick her up and reposition her she tends to fall back to sleep quickly, sometimes I think she's just crying in her sleep and hasn't woken herself up yet. After midnight she didn't awake until about 2:45, I thought that was actually a pretty good stretch. I got up when I heard her cry and when I got to her crib I knew I as in for it. She was smiling at me! Oh no.....I checked her diaper and changed it. She seemed so playful and happy that I was there "visiting" her in the night. I tried not to talk to her. Stupid me I didn't tie my hair back so she just wanted to play with it - in my defence I thought it would be another five minute visit like before. Well, she did not plan to fall back to sleep. I tried everything, rocking, singing - well not nursing. I have a personal promise to myself that I know she can go through the night without eating and I'm keeping it that way even though I KNOW it will put her back to sleep. I'm not opening that can of worms! She would not go back to sleep. I kept thinking, what is keeping her awake? What is bugging her? Easy answer: THE STUPID CAST! Anyway around 3:30 as she continued to cry and fight sleep as I rocked her I heard Zack get up. He came in the room and turned the light on - in his sleep deprived and confused state he assumed it must be 6 am and I was either downstairs in the shower or pumping and it was time to get Mabel up and ready for her day. Poor Zack. Poor Mabel. Poor Me.

It is going to be a long day...

Two Weeks and Counting...

Today marks two weeks in the spica. I'm sorry to report our sleeping is not good. Mabel is still waking up about every hour in a half to two hours. As far as I can tell she is waking because she is trying to roll over and my theory is now that she is able to move around a little better in the cast she is 'forgetting' she cannot roll over and she wakes in frustration. I don't blame her one bit. I'm a wiggler myself when I sleep and until Mabel was encased in her cast she too moved a lot. Poor thing. Another thing I've noticed is the hair on the back of her head is getting matted from her not being able to move while sleeping, kinda like when she was newborn and got a bald spot from her head rubbing against the sheet as she slept. I'm so afraid she'll get a bald spot there. I wouldn't be to surprised, I mean the only time she can sit up without being propped against something is when she is in her spica chair or being held. She only wants to play on the floor for a very limited time right now since moving around is hard for her. I'm trying to encourage her to try and to attempt more crawling. She is doing pretty well.

This morning she had her post-op check up. The head of her femur is in the right spot so now it is up to her body to form that hip socket. The doctor was very happy with the x-ray which in turn makes us very happy. We go back in two weeks and they are now putting in the scheduling request for the cast change four weeks from now. Looks like we are living on a two weeks milestone schedule. I like having a schedule!

I survived my day...

Ok, update on my day sans Mabel. It was nice being back at work, having grown-ups need me to do things does feel good. The best part of my day? Coming home and having Mabel practically jumping up and down when she saw me! I don't think I've ever seen her so happy - makes a Mommy feel pretty darn good...plus she acutally took a two hour nap!

Back to work...

Well, my babymoon is over - sadly. Today I'm heading back to work...I'm really sad to not have my days all to me & Mabel. Before I had Mabel if you had told me I would envy woman who get to stay home with their babies I would have thought you nuts, but I do. I wish I could- don't get me wrong, I love my job, really, everything about it and I would never want to loose it, but I wish I could have it both ways. Why can't being a mom be a valid paid career??

So...I'm up at 5:30 to shower & pump before Mabel gets up and here I am facing a day at the office- not that I didn't get up early and pump when I wasn't working, but knowing I have to leave her makes it feel so different. I just love taking care of her, being there to share the day with here, you know all the little things...I'm not the first mother who felt this way, but when your feeling it you do feel pretty alone in it. If only I could split myself in two so I could do both! Lucky for me I have the ideal situation, I can complain but I shouldn't - I am able to work part-time and my very own Mom stays with Mabel, I know "win-win" but why can't I stay with her all day? I mean look at that face! Who would want to leave that?

...to boot she has taken to not sleeping well the past few nights. It is hard to know if it is the cast or something else bothering her, I mean really it has to be the cast right? She struggles to get comfortable and before the cast she always liked to roll over onto her tummy. Yes, "back is best" and I always put her down on her back, but as she was able to move she would always end up on her side or tummy, now she has no option. Plus she needs a pillow to kinda prop her in just the right way and that freaks me out. The first few nights she only would sleep on her tummy with a pillow - I couldn't sleep thinking of her smothering herself, I finally was able to get her to sleep on her back, but the past couple of nights she has been waking up about every hour to two hours. We'll see what tonight brings...No sleep makes a long day for mama...

Its like Christmas...

Mabel got her new spica chair. It came in the afternoon right before we were starting dinner time, but I HAD to put it together and see what she thought. Zack unpacked as Mabel and I watched, she seemed interested right away. When he had all the parts laid out, he looked at me and said "There are no instructions!" Since I LOVE putting things together and not that I want to brag - hardly ever used the instructions, I handed him Mabel and dove right in. It was really easy to assemble. It felt just like Christmas as I started tighten the screws. When I flipped over the table top I saw the chalk board message to Mabel - it made both Zack and I teary. What an amazing sweet touch.Mabel seemed so excited as she watched the chair go together, once it was done we put her right in even though it was now past dinner time and she does like to stick to schedule. She LOVED it, laughing, rocking, singing. We gave her some toys and she went to town!

Now, I'm a real do-it-yourselfer. I love to make things and I wanted so bad to make her something like this for while she was in the cast...I just couldn't! Life was just too crazy after we found out about Mabel's hip dysplasia and I was just too shot both emotionally and physically. I just couldn't do it, not only time wise but for my sanity to try and get this done in my "spare time" that ironically isn't so spare. So I contacted IvyRose who makes the most amazing spica chairs. She luckily making chairs again - she started when her own daughter needed one. Her chairs so so amazing and fun. I opted to get a plain white chair so I could decorate it for Mabel and feel like I did something just for her. Here are some images of what I did. I stayed up way too late putting it all together so Sunday she could have a finished chair to play with - she seems to love it! Now...where do I put the bean bag chair?

Getting more normal...

Well, I knew it would happen, but I didn't think it would happen this fast, things are feeling normal - mostly. I still hate seeing her in that cast, but now we have found our routine and it is working well. I think we have put together enough things to entertain Mabel while she is non-mobile and she seems happy. Napping is still an issue, but Mabel always hated to nap when I was home with her. I'm hoping that next week when I go back to work she'll take some naps for my mother. I'm in the best situation with working part-time and having my mother available to watch Mabel during the day - so far my mom has come over several times in the week to learn the new routine, details of diapering and entertainment and she's feeling good about everything...if only I felt good about having to leave Mabel again.

I finally was able to take a picture of Mabel in her cast. It took me over a week to not get depressed every time I see her out of her clothes - cast only. She still pushes at it and tries to worm her way out of it, but who can blame her right? She is still adorable!

One Week Down - 11 to go...

Well, we are adjusting well (I think). Mabel is her old self, I'll be honest I was afraid being in a cast would change her. Today I couldn't have been more excited to find out that one of her pre-cast outfits still fits her. It is an overall set and the buttons down the legs makes it fit over the cast - the stretchy fabric helps too.

Last night I got her to sleep on her back. She has taken to wanting to fall asleep on me and then be put in the crib on her tummy. Before the cast she always moved around a lot in her crib and most of the time she was on her side or stomach, but I always put her in the crib on her back. It is so drilled into my head that "back is best" when sleeping that I've been a wreak thinking of her on her tummy in the crib the last few days. To add to my fears she also needs a pillow in there to prop her up - another "no-no"! She may be able to sleep but I can't. Now that she's on her back I'm feeling much better about the whole thing. She is also sleeping much better and tonight is the first night that she didn't seem to need Tylenol. Today marks a week since her surgery and cast.

Things I learned this week:

The diaper changes are not as hard as I feared. I think I mastered it the first time I did it since I read a lot of tips from parents online. I find that the newborn diapers the hospital told us to use does not work, Mabel had a leak day two (how upset was I!) so I've been using her #3 diapers from before the cast. I also figured out that her right side is problematic b/c there is quite a gap between her leg & the cast so after I tuck the diaper in I also put some cotton in the opening to create a dam keeping the diaper in contact with her leg. At night I use the cotton all the way around the opening. We also added waterproof tape on the inside of the diaper area opening making it easier to keep the inside of the cast clean. I had created a diaper changing table the day we got home with a pillow on each side of the table so that when we change her we start with her on her belly, I open the diaper from the back cleaning the bum first leaving the large outer diaper under her, that way if she does pee it goes down right on the diaper - she's peed a couple of times and this works perfect to catch it. I then tuck the new diaper in the cast, put the backside of the large diaper back on her and then I just flip her right over onto her back onto the other pillow behind her and I clean her front side and then finish tucking the diaper and cotton and closing up the large outer diaper. Works great and having the table set up really helps - I added a table cloth over the pillows to make it look better in the room (form & function). I came up with this system at the hospital. I had remembered one parent saying they used a pillow to elevate their little girl's chest to keep the pee from going into the cast - great tip!

Mabel is still Mabel. This has not changed her, but she does seem frustrated as I would imagine. She has started pointing a lot more, maybe related I don't know. She also has taken to crying if I take something away that I don't want her to have.

She wants to snuggle lots. She has always been a snuggler, but more so now. She just can't be too close. She wants to be held all the time, doesn't want to nap and wants to nurse all day. She never really napped well and we did joke that nursing was her hobby so...as I said above Mabel is still Mabel.

Nursing is easier than I thought it would be. With my trusty bobby she is just fine nursing away. My arms do get a bit more tired if she falls asleep on me - the extra weight, but a couple more pillows do the trick.

A balloon can be the best entertainment! Mabel has a balloon that Zack bought her, we wanted to get her one at the hospital but never got a chance. He got her one the day after we got home and ever since it has been her best friend. She rides around in her stroller "taking the balloon for a walk" around the house. It also keeps her busy during diaper changes.

Bath time can still be bath time even though there isn't a bathtub involved. My new bath system seems to make her happy and we are happy too. I hate that she can't take a real bath, but she is clean, sweet smelling still and we can pretend the bouncy seat is a tub for the next few weeks.

We miss the highchair. Mabel loved her high chair, but she can't fit in it anymore. It is a great high chair mind you! I loved the tray - it caught everything and was easy to contain the messy hand prints. Now she eats in her booster seat at the table, still fun but more work for us. Now that she is in the dining room and not the kitchen I put her in her stroller while I make her meal then we go into the dining room to get in the booster to eat. I made the mistake of trying to feed her in the stroller...bad idea. Our system is as follows. Mabel in the booster with her sleeves rolled up, covered in a smock with a bib and I took towels and sewed corners on them to fit over the arms of the dining room chair and ties on the back to hold it into place. This catches everything and keeps the chair and my rug clean. Overkill? Maybe...but it works for us, keeps her clean and the chair so I'm happy.

Clothing is out there and stuff can work. I ordered some rompers to get started that I love. I also found some pants on line. I got onesies and leg warmers and a skirt a few sizes too big. I think we're pretty good to have options. I love dressing her and I am determined to keep having fun doing it. I'll be honest it is depressing going to the store and seeing something cute and knowing she can't fit into it, but it is temporary so we'll buy it later.

I've learned to accept the whole thing...

I know there is a lot more to tell, but I can't think of any right now...I've also learned to "function" again on limited sleep...now the next challenge is going back to work and leaving her...that will be the hardest thing for me!

Rough Day...

Well, we have had worst days, but today was still rough. Mabel wanted to be held all day...I mean ALL day. When I had to rest my arms or do something she rode in her stroller, and I did manage to get her to play on the floor for oh about 10 minutes. She was so insistent on being carried around that I just put her in the baby bjorn most of the day - she wanted to face me half of the day too! I'll tell you that the cast adds a couple more pounds and I was feeling it having her in the baby bjorn for so long. I ordered a carrier that can convert to have her on my hip, hopefully that will help for days like this. What is she going to do when I go back to work next week? I'm sure she'll adjust, but I'm sure when I get home she'll be right there on me.

A much smoother day...

Today was a much better day. First of all Mabel slept from 9:30 - 7:00, she must have been tired because that isn't normal for her even before that cast! My mom who watches Mabel while I work part-time came over to visit. Mabel was happy to see her Memere. Her mood was over all better as if she was more settled.

Zack had to work late so I did bath routine myself. I had been thinking over and over again on what to do to make it feel more like it was before the cast. Since we got home from the hospital we had been sponge bathing her in her bedroom - that was the first problem. Now keep in mind we were shell shocked the first night we undressed her and just looked at her there on the floor in that cast. We cried seeing her like that, unable to move and it was so new. We also had no idea what to do about bath, we filled a basin and sponge bathed her, she seemed so happy to see the basin of water we put her tub toys in it and let her slash while I held a towel over her cast...we cried seeing her like that. I think we were traumatized to be honest. Tonight I took a new approach. I brought the tubby back into the bathroom. I put her old bouncy seat where her tub went and I did her "naked dance" time on the blanket in her room before like always and then brought her in the bathroom like I use to and put her in the bouncy with a towel on it and sung the bath song. I gave her her tooth brush and toys like aways and "bathed" her like I always did. I even put a towel under her head and washed her hair. I pretended that she was in the tub like always - I even wrapped her in a towel! It seems so simple right, I can't believe I didn't think of it sooner! She had fun!!! (so did I)

Going to bed as a bit harder tonight, she had a hard time winding down. I'm still giving her Tylenol at night, I'm not a big medicine person, but I think she must have discomfort.

Our Not-So New Newborn...

Well, home life feels like we are starting all over again. It is almost like being the new parents of a newborn as we try to figure out the best way to do things.

I had always loved being Mabel's mom and taking care of her from day one, but the new challenges we faced as we got our techniques down I remember vividly. Mastering the diaper changes, figuring out what she needs, getting her to sleep, having all kinds of great baby gear that she doesn't fit into yet because she's too tiny...well, it is kinda like that all over again except now Mabel knows that we are doing things differently.

Overall Mabel's adjustment has been pretty good. She is in good spirits considering and to her credit she's been very "easy going". It is hard for us to keep her entertained all the time, she was always able to play alone with her toys and I know she'll do that again when she learns to accept the limitations of her cast. She gets frustrated when she realizes she can no longer roll over and move like she did. She has taken to pushing down on the top of her cast as if to try and get it off. She does cry in frustration, but over all she is doing well.

Sleep is another issue...she wants to sleep on mommy... which in turn means very little sleep for mommy, not that I've never done that before. Naps are pretty much non-existent, but she was never a great napper anyway.

Bath time has always been so much fun for Mabel, now it turned into the worst part of our day since she knows that we aren't doing what we once did, I'm confident I can work something out that will make her feel like it is normal. She always enjoyed a good "naked dance" time before her bath and now with the cast she looks at me like "Take this off too!" but I'm determined to make this fun again...I just have to figure out how. Not being able to bath her is just as hard on me as her, I feel like she needs a bath every night and sponge baths are not the same. We'll adjust, we have to. I look forward to her new first bath again...

Diaper changes are a lot easier than I had thought they would be, clothing is also easier thanks to some moms of other hip kids that started some clothing options. I found online some rompers that I love, they fit right over the whole cast. It made such a difference for us when it was painful to see her cast at first. I also have always loved the one piece sleepers for her b/c of comfort. I also found another site that sells pants that fit over the cast. I'm eagerly awaiting those, I got some cute onesies to go with them. I also found some baby legwarmers at Target in their baby section. Mabel will be a fashion nugget!

Surgery Day...

After the wait for surgery you would think we'd be happy to finally have a date, but nothing could prepare us for the actual day.

Mabel couldn't eat after midnight and couldn't nurse after 4:30am so I woke her up at 3:00am for a last nursing to tie her over until her 8:30am surgery. The morning couldn't have gone more perfect. She didn't wake up until about 15 minutes before we had to leave for the hospital. I had everything packed and ready to go the night before.

We got her dressed and packing up, she seems so confused as to what we were doing since she normally would be eating breakfast at that time. The pre-op went along pretty quickly. Our nurse was very nice and everyone loved Mabel, all the nurses came in to say "hi". Mabel was being very smiley and social which surprised us since she is normally more reserved. When it came time to bring Mabel to surgery only one of us could go with her - of course I had to, I'm her mommy. I carried her in and when we got to the surgical suite I my instinct was just to run away with her, but I knew we had to do this. I had to put her on the table and I was shaking so much I could tell she was so concerned with what was going on. They explained to me how they will first gas her until she falls asleep and they kept telling me how she'll go limp and her eyes will roll back, but in my mind I just screamed for them to get it over with as I watched her look around wondering what was happening and why I was bringing her in there. She cried as they put the mask over her face, she just looked so scared looking to me wondering why I was allowing this. I kept talking to her and holding her hand, but it was so hard to see her like that. She fell asleep in about 20 seconds but it felt like forever. Then the nurse escorted me out, I was crying so hard I couldn't open the door. Then I met back up with Zack and we were brought back to the waiting room to wait.



The operation took about an hour. Then they finally brought us to recover to be with her. As we entered the cubicles and turned the corner I saw a nurse standing in front of a crib and I saw Mabel's little foot and knew it was her. When the nurse turned around Mabel was in her cast, it was shocking to see, nothing could prepare me for seeing my baby in the cast, not all the pictures of other babies, not all the stories, nothing. My heart broke as she cried in such a weak voice. The nurse said she was trying to offer her a bottle but Mabel refused it. Of course she would! The only thing she knew of these people was that they knocked her out and put her in a cast, she wouldn't eat anything they offered! The nursed handed her to me and told me I could breastfeed her - I didn't know how to hold her but I didn't care, it felt so good to hold her again and comfort her. She settled down a bit, but off and on cried in pain. They kept giving her medicine in her IV to help calm her down. Finally were were transferred to a room by noon. I held her as they wheeled me in a wheelchair to her room, her cast fits perfectly over my lap and she just snuggled into me.



The hospital stay was fine. Our nurses were great. Mabel did very well and even gave us some smiles. She did cry in frustration and pain off and on. I wondered what she must have been thinking about this whole thing. It wasn't too long when she smiled and giggled again. When they disconnected her IV we dressed her - that made us feel "normal" again. I had found a site online that sold special rompers to fit over the cast - I'm so glad I had them. Poor thing had blisters on her bottom where the spica was rubbing against her skin - the nurse applied a bandage to help protect the area, she also petalled around the opening with moleskin as I had expected from what I had read. I mastered the diaper changed based on all my research and tips from other parents. The nurses were quite impressed. As new nurses came on duty they said they were told they had to meet Mabel in her cute outfit and that we could show them a thing or two about caring for the spica.

I couldn't wait to get home and get started over with our routine and getting situated again. Mabel had slept about 6 hours in the hospital and I was quite impressed with that. She was exhausted and I was able to sleep right next to her crib so that probably helped, but this was the first time she had ever slept away from home and in the best situation I would have been surprised if she had slept at all. We had to wait for the hospital to set us up with a car seat to get her home in, it didn't take as long as I had thought and the hospital doesn't charge for the car seat so that was a relief. We finally were set to leave by 11am on Friday. Mabel was all smiles as they fitted her for her car seat, it was almost as she knew it meant were were finally going home.



Surgery and Hospital Day couldn't have gone better in my mind, no it is time to settle in at home with our new routine.

Day Before Surgery...

The last couple of weeks have been a whirlwind of emotions and phone calls waiting for a surgery date from the hospital, but since they called yesterday to give us the time all of at once it started feeling like now it is all happening too fast! I'm ready to get the process started, sooner in the cast the sooner out, but how 'ready' am I really. The last couple weeks has been a bitter sweet dance of enjoying all the little things that will be gone for a while, bath time, all the cute outfits with leggins and pants, snuggling super close while nursing...now today it feels like the last of a lot and I'm really grieving the loss of all the little things she loves. Yes, I know we'll have them in new forms, we'll do them again 'normally' in a few months but right now I'm so sad and scared. I don't want her to have to do any of this! She just started crawling, loves to dance and stand and it is like this secret that she doesn't know, that all of those little things are being changed. I'm worried about the next few days. How will she feel? How will we deal? When will things feel normal and what will be normal?

My perfect baby has hip dysplasia...

The whole process for getting from diagnosis to surgery took about a month, it was a strange combination of feeling like it was taking forever and happening way too fast. Mabel was 9 months when we noticed that the rolls at the top of her legs looked asymmetrical. (September 9, 2009) With a closer inspection we noticed it looked as if her left leg was shorter than the right. After searching online we came up with Hip Dysplasia - we both knew it was it, she had all the risk factors: first born girl, breech birth, family history.

The next day I called the doctors office and got an appointment for that afternoon. Our doctor was unavailable so Mabel saw another pediatrician in the practice. He checked her hips for "clicking" and didn't feel the joint slip. He said that he couldn't feel anything but agreed it was suspicious that her legs looked different and ordered an x-ray.

The following week we went to the hospital for the x-ray. We were sure that she had hip dysplasia, we just needed to know for sure. I thought I was prepared but when the doctor called after reviewing the x-ray confirming that her left hip was dislocated I just lost it and couldn't stop crying.

So began the waiting. A referral was generated for a pediatric orthopedic, the original appointment was made for about 3 weeks from the x-ray! My baby had a dislocated hip and they were making us wait! I called the orthopedic myself and begged them for an earlier appointment and they fit us in for the following week. It as just as I expected from what I had read - the ortho recommend an closed reduction surgery followed by 12 weeks in a spica cast followed by a brace, he said the sooner the better for surgery. Then began the wait for the surgery date. I called about every day to see if there was news of a date, the waiting we making us sick! Finally over a month after we noticed her leg asymmetry we had a date for surgery.

The emotions we went through ranged from anger that the doctors missed this to grief over the loss of the little things that she just gained like crawling, to relief that at least this is a condition that can be corrected. We had lots of tears and sleepless nights just thinking about what was coming.

There is so much to be thankful for - although it was missed we caught it before she started walking, still "early" in the game. It is a treatable condition, the treatment is very successful on the whole. But we did have the right to feel the anger and grief. I really did grieve the loss of my Mabel's new found mobility. The closeness I was afraid of loosing when we cuddle and nurse - having a cast between us just broke my heart. I had a right to be angry that this wasn't found sooner, but the reality is that even if it was found at birth and she was put in an harness that wouldn't necessary mean she wouldn't have need surgery anyway.

Would Mabel still be Mabel? I knew that she would still be my little girl - perfect to me in every way, but would she be happy? She loved her "tubby time". Bath was the highlight of her night time routine, how would she deal with that being taken away. She loved to "dance" on the floor, kicking her legs, rolling and laughing, how would she feel being bound in a cast immobile? Would she hate us for doing this to her? Would she be sad? Angry?



Nothing is more scary than the unknown...