19 Months & Counting

It's been six months since our last appointment with Gillette. Lena got a big thumbs up from her doctor and we were told to keep everything the same. We have another appointment in 6 months for her. So, we're still at wearing braces for nap and night time (approximately 15 hours a day). She did move up two sizes - from a Double Zero to a One. In November we will also have Emerson's yearly follow up appointment. He's been brace free since September 2010.

She will be 19 months old this weekend and is meeting most milestones with her peers. Walking is still a few months off, but we're not worried. Her doctor said he'd put money down on her figuring it out in the next 60-90 days. She does cruise along furniture, but has yet to make that next move of letting go. She did stand up once in the middle of the floor without assistance, but since I didn't see it happen (my husband did) -- I'm going to say that doesn't count. Mama's gotta see it!

She began the evaluation process for Early Childhood Special Education. So far we qualify for physical therapist to come to the house and help with her walking. They'll be back again on Friday to do additional testing to see if she qualifies for anything else. Big brother Emerson went through the same program and qualified for all kinds of great help. He is still in the program in a pre-school setting twice a week, and next year it will go up to three times a week.

She is really good at climbing things now. She can make her way up onto kitchen chairs, but she hasn't quite figured out the couches yet. We recently purchased a slide and swingset for the kids, and she is very happy climbing up onto the platform for the slide.

Lately she has been very resistant to nail trimming. I don't know if this is something all clubbed foot kids have or just something for my children... but they both have some pretty funky nails. Emerson has what I call "double nails" on two of his fingers. It's like one on top of another, only the top one is really thin. Lena's bow outward like little bowls. Both of their toe nails are just bazaar. They are hard enough to trim if she did lay still, but now that she's fighting me it's even harder. Eh well, atleast they grow slowly.

Mundane Crabby Mama

I've been in a real bad mood lately when it comes to braces. Putting them on and taking them off multiple times a day to keep with our "nap and night time" wearing schedule is doing a number on me. It's been almost three and a half years of doing this between the two kids. I know some folks have to do it that long just with one kid, and I'm certainly grateful I don't have TWO kids in braces... but man... isn't she done yet? I know, I'm a whiner. Schedule wise I'm the only parent around during nap times (except for the weekend), but at night we've been trying to re-arrange things so my husband is doing the braces to give me a little mental break from it all.

Picture for no reason other than they are cute

Developmental wise she is a crawling machine and will pull to a stand while holding on to furniture. She hasn't shown much interest in letting go to stand solo or walk, and I'm starting to wonder if she will take a little longer to walk than her big brother did (17 months 3 weeks.) Why walk when crawling is so much fun, right? Plus her feet are way smaller than big brothers were and we wonder if they would even be big enough to really support her weight for walking. Doesn't really matter either way, we know she'll walk when she's ready.

Random side note, one of the straps on her sandal is starting to break tonight so we will have to make an unscheduled stop at Gillette. Her next appointment with the doctor isn't until April and there is no way that strap is even going to make it through the next week. It's the most important middle strap too.... I hope they can get us in soon!

One Year Follow Up Appointment

Our son has been brace free for a little over a year! Today was his first official annual check up, although with attending baby sisters appointments he's had his legs peaked at a number of times in the last year. Dr. England observed big brother walking and the flexibility of his feet. Things are looking great! We'll continue with annual appointments from here on out, but he noted that generally if there is going to be an issue it would have reared its ugly head by now. Whew!

Sister has her appointment in December, but since she was with Dr. England took a peak at her progress. I mentioned my concerns about how flexible her hips are... this girl is out of control! He noted a "click" at about 45-60 degrees and suggested we get an x-ray done just to make sure her socket is perfect. We had time today, so we got it done right away. She's looking great! Kind of a fun little Halloween souvenir too. Having clubbed feet and being a girl just makes her predisposed to being extra flexible I guess. Olympics here we come!

Since baby girl was seen today now we don't have another appointment for six months! We're in the slow and steady part of recovery. The longer she wears the braces the better off she'll be. She doesn't seem to mind them at all, so it'll probably be another year of part-time wearing just like big brother.

Developmentally she pulls to a stand on furniture, crawls (and speed crawls too - when she's doing something naughty), and will occasionally hold on with only one hand.

Late Update...

Sorry I'm a slacker... she had her 9 month follow up appointment at Gillette back in July and there wasn't much to report. She's doing good! We got some new shoes (size double zero) since her old ones were about three seconds away from busting on the strap. The new ones have a roller on the buckle part... I'm still not "sold" on if that helps or hurts in wearing them. Seems like they are harder to get tight enough and the new straps are already looking worn after only two months of use. Hmmm.... :-/


Lena has been a crawling pro since mid-to-end of July. She mostly did an army crawl while holding her hands together... it was kind of ridiculously cute. Only recently she has moved up on all fours and has gotten quite fast.

She has been pulling to a stand for about a month. She hasn't done any cruising on furniture. Mostly just standing there and getting stuck in one spot. Big brother pulled to a stand at 12 months old and was cruising by 13, so if she's following in his footsteps it won't be long before she starts jetting around the furniture. If I had to put money on it... I'd say walking by 17 months... but I know earlier or later still puts her in a normal range. She really enjoys crawling so I think she might lack some motivation to try anything else for a long time. 




She VERY flexible and has her legs out to the side in a near split I'd say 90% of the time. Guess that is just how she is comfortable! She is hilariously impossible to get into any kind of exersaucer or jumper because of how wide she leaves her legs. Good thing she's barely ever in one! 


I've had some mild concerns about her joints in her arms and legs popping when doing diaper changes or clothing changes when I pull on her limbs. I've had friends who have had children dislocate their limbs doing the simplest of tasks, and I don't remember this popping happening with Emerson, so I'm a little paranoid that she is more loose than normal. Guess I'd better learn some skills incase she ends up popping out of socket! Owie!

Big brother Emerson turned 3 years old at the beginning of September and has been brace free for one year now! We have a follow up appointment for him end-October and then a 6-month follow up for Lena in December. We're in the "slow and steady" recovery part with her, which is good... but also frustrating because so many people forget that we even have this part of our daily lives. Braces are on during nap time and overnight for Lena until around 2-4 years old. It's a long haul! 

We Have Lift Off!

Well, baby girl has found ways to be even more mobile as of late. She can get up on one knee and launch herself forward in a crawling motion. She's very sneaky about it (just like with rolling) and I have yet to get it on video to show off. She's been doing it for almost a week now. She is very frustrated about not being able to go forward fast, but the anger is motivating her to get better. :) Right??

We have our followup appointment in two weeks. Her toes have been hanging over the ends of the shoes for about a month, so we are anxious to upgrade out of her size triple zero. They've had a loooong run. About 6 months with each kid. The strap nearly broke through a month ago and has just been hanging on by a thread.

This video is from her first night of crawling. Just shows her getting up on her knees and being crabby... but you get the point. :) Her brother used to do milestones on the number of his birth... so I bet she'll do something amazing on the 12th. Fingers crossed!

She's Got It... Yeah Baby She's Got It...

With or without braces on... she's unstoppable!

7 Months Old

Baby girl is 7 months old now and can sit independently, and as of two days ago can log roll across the floor! Surprised me! I was uploading some photos onto my computer and every time I glanced over at her she was another roll closer to the couch. She made it about 8 feet (about 4 rolls - 2 back to front and 2 front to back). Yikes! She's going at a turtles pace... but still making progress on traveling. I, of course, have yet to get this on film because she is camera shy. HOW do they find the camera even when you have it hidden?? Naughty children!

Sitting independently took her about two weeks to perfect. She started off being able to do it on the bed, something about the squish made her more confident. When I realized how well she was holding herself up I started to get brave about letting her do it on the carpet. She is a little slouchy with it, but I suppose with more strength she will get better at that. She cannot get to a sitting position without help - but if you put her that way she can hold it for a very long time.

She is brace free for about 5-6 hours a day and we are really enjoying it! I am finally able to enjoy some real baby wearing! I think by the time my son was brace free during the day he was a little too old to get used to the idea, and perhaps the Baby K'Tan wasn't comfortable for him. I was able to get an Ergo on babysteals.com a few weeks ago and baby girl seems to love it!

On a side note, from 4 to 6.5 months baby girl only gained 2 oz. This has been a little red flag on my mind. We go back in the middle of June for a 6 week follow up. I'm not sure if anything is wrong with her, if something was wrong with their scale (she was 2 pounds heavier on my home scale after about 3 weeks), or if nothing is wrong at all and she is just going to be a small baby. She was 13 pounds 3 oz and 24.5 inches long. She looks and acts completely healthy, so its hard to imagine anything is wrong.

Matching brother/sister outfits purchased from Bellarina Boutique.