Bored or taking a rest?

This is how a find Grady from time to time during the day. I'm not sure if he is bored or just weary from lugging his LEGS around. I would be. He actually told Will this weekend the following..."Daddy, I wanna walk." I know buddy. This has been a rough couple of months.

Feet part 7

this is as far as his foot will flex back toward his shin--thus the need to release the tendon in his heel in the upcoming surgery

Grady pointing out some pressure wounds from the casts...all normal

mmmmm-yummy!

This was a rough visit for some reason. G cried the entire time--from sawing all the way through casting. Later- I realized it was possibly because there were several extra people in the room. ( an intern, a medical student, Dr. Khoury, & 2 casting specialists) I guess because everybody wants to see the 2 1/2 year old with unrepaired clubbed feet- or at least partially unrepaired clubbed feet. Even a blow pop didn't help. But we got through it the casts are BLUE this time (although I forgot to snap a picture).

On another note- Will took him back on Tuesday to meet with Dr. Kitchens for a urology consult. He will have a circumcision during his tenotomy surgery in a few weeks ALONG with some minor cosmetic corrective surgery on his "parts" as we like to call them. Turns out he has a unique issue that makes him tinkle crooked.

SO --poor guy is gonna wake up from surgery and be like,

"Whoa- Guys- It was my feet! My feet! "

I know little man--it's all gonna get better real soon.

My boy has some MOOOOVES!

I caught G-man on the move this week at our appointment in B'ham. I had heard he gets up and walks on his casts at preschool but had not seen it myself until I shot this.

The boy is a piece of work!

more of sweet Grady--and a little of sassy Ruby, too!

Grady and Ruby LOVE "Pop-sichles". I thought this was cute of the two of them playing house.

Home Again, Home Again, jiggety jig... Feet part 6

Rockstar spotted at Children's South in Birmingham, Alabama!!!

Such cute little toes- but OMG do they STINK when the casts come off!

Too tired to go into detail and will post pictures later (EDITED to add pix--obviously) but it was a VERY good visit to Birmingham today. Both feet are on the move and the right seems to have given up its stubborness. We have a surgery date to perform his tenotomy (acchilles tendon release so his heel will come down) for October 12th... This will make it so that he is no longer on his tippy toes but able to walk on flat, normal feet!!! YEAH! He will also have his circumcision that day while he is under anesthesia so that he won't have to go under twice. (Thank the LORD for THAT coordination).

And the new casts are camouflage, again. I just couldn't resist!

PS- there is a chance he will need a 2nd foot surgery if the tenotomy does not do all it should...but God is in control of that & I will not give in to worry about that!

Also- we joined Wynnton UMC yesterday at the LINK service and are so glad to have a church home again!

Feet Part 5...downtown B'Ham and the case of the redneck casts!

ready for a dove shoot--

BTW- I still can't get over how serious he looks in every picture I take...GUYS- he is soooo NOT this serious MOST of the time--He's a goofball. He does not like new people or crowded situations but other than that- he is so cute and fun and lovable and funny! Oh well- you'll just have to take my word for it.

BUT ISN'T HE THE MOST HANDSOME LITTLE GUY YOU'VE EVER SEEN???

and only in the SOUTH are you going to see a little boy in CAMO casts sporting a john john & peter pan collar!

Mr. Spencer takes care of Grady's casting each week...really nice guy!

Dr. Khoury stretching G's feet today--the left foot is VERY cooperative but his right is being more stubborn.

a bath was definitely in order- STINKY!!!!
The cheezits Grady had hidden in his cast had crumbled and made quite a mess-- as well as leaving some weird indentations on his shins.

sweet feet


between casting



on the ride into the hospital--G's chariot

the old casts--#4

We headed for Birmingham on a Wednesday this week since Monday was a holiday--therefore we had to meet up with Dr. Khoury at his regular clinic at UAB in downtown Birmingham. It made for a longer day and we look forward to seeing him at our usual Southside clinic on Monday as usual next week.

`

Sorry if the pix are a little out of order.

I'm tired...deal with it

:>)

Feet Part 4--the GREEN casts & the great poo poo disaster

We visited Birmingham for the 4th time today and saw some real progress. Grady still screams hysterically during the sawing off process but he hardly cried while being re-casted today. Dr. Khoury explained the process a little better to me today and now I know where we're headed...he's trying to overcorrect G's feet so that they point OUTWARD about 60 degrees from his thigh bone. Right now his left foot is responding better and is at 20 degrees while the right foot is at 5 degrees...it's just strung a little tighter, so to speak. Those measurements are while his feet are in the casts--you'll notice they still point inward on the photos above but they will stretch and move now into positions that they would NOT before we started. The purple dots are just markings for the dr's reference.


So- the visit went very well and we headed back home only to make the mistake of relaxing for a moment instead of putting Grady on the potty for his daily constitutional RIGHT AWAY.

OOPS!

He had the BIGGEST poopy I've ever experienced.

I had to CUT his underwear off of him.

And yes- the casts WERE affected.

I won't post pictures of THAT because it was just too horrific and not fit for a blog. Just trust me when I tell you how happy I was too see my sweet husband pull into the driveway JUST IN THE NICK OF TIME to pull off one of his ever creative engineering solutions.

Man- I LOVE that Georgia Tech engineering degree!

With the help of an old sock and some cool colored duct tape- all was solved!

all better!

Feet Part 3

This is where we began 2 weeks ago--

& this is today-- after the 2nd set of casts was removed...

and the new casts were put on--SET 3!!!!


Another trip to the big city--and home again. We got in and out very quickly today and made it back home around 3pm.


I can't say I see any giant improvements but there ARE incremental changes. Grady REALLY hates the saw they use to remove the casts but he settled down some and was not nearly as hysterical this time when they re-casted him.

Dr. Khoury estimates 5 or 6 more sets --emphasis on ESTIMATES. We may be in for some surgery as well but week by week- we're getting there. I'm sure Grady wonders why he EVER chose to come to America--actually he didn't get a choice but you know what I mean. One day he will look back at the video of how he got around before and will understand why he had to go thorugh all of this.

In the mean time- I realized today that my big kids are getting an amazing opportunity to see what kind of parents we were to them when they were babies. I hope they realize that all of the hugging, reading, picture taking, lullaby singing, boo boo kissing, time outs, spankings, park outings, happy meals, etc. are only repeats of what they got when they were our littles. Only this time around I think we're perfecting our methods...

or slowly driving ourselves crazy.

Feet Part 2

Well- the trip over to Birmingham went relatively well. We prayed on our way out of town and the Lord covered us. Did a little homeschooling in the midst of car riding and waiting room waiting and made it back to C-Town by 4pm with a lunch at Whataburger. OH- also got to drive part of the way with Uncle Willy as the lead since he was on his way to North AL as well...met up with him in Alex City and cell chatted with him for a few miles...made the trip fly by.

I made the trip without Will this time and it went fine except for when Ruby lost it during casting and I had to escort her back to the waiting room to sit with her brother and sister. I guess Grady's wails were too much for her. Grady DID scream the entire time- from cutting off the old stinky casts to bathing the stinky feet to re-casting... this time in hunter's neon orange.

You can't miss him- that's for sure. It was hard getting good pictures of his feet with all of the screaming but I tried.

Another week down--as soon as we left the office, Grady settled down and now back at the house he is just dandy. Not walking or crawling on the casts, just scooting on his bum...but it gets him from here to there.

Glad to be home--and REALLY glad I left a casserole out to thaw when I left this morning. Those are running low by the way if anyone wants to lend a hand on Monday nights- this chef's pooped.

Thanks,

Feet: Part 1

These are the only pair of "shoes" he's ever had- a gift from the Barcelos family. And this was the last time he will ever wear them. They have been stored away in a special box of momentos for when Grady is older.

and these are 2 1/2 year old "virgin" clubbed feet--never been treated.

casting was unpleasant but didn't last long.


Grady was NOT playing Peek a Boo---he was very distraught at being "handled" by the cast guys--who were very adept and gentle, btw.

in Daddy's arms afterwards--not sure about all of this.

~

We had our first visit with the pediatric orthopeadist this past Monday in Birmingham. It was a 3 hour drive. On MaggieRuth's 11th birthday. And Adams' 1st day of high school.

~

It was a BIG day.

~

We have faith in the doctors--they seem sincere and excited about working with Grady to help him to walk and run easier. Grady was not so excited but we elected to go ahead and begin casting on our very first visit. Mags picked the cast colors--black & purple-- since it was her birthday. Not sure about the significance of those colors but it was her choice. He cannot walk in them or bathe, or swim. And he's a few pounds heavier. But all in all- he is handling them well--some sadness during the actual casting but none since and he will start preschool next week--in double casts. Not sure what that will look like but we are going to try it out anyway--his teachers are willing and can't wait to have him. I can't wait to see his language develop.

~

We will head back to Birmingham every Monday for the next few months- at least. There may be some minor surgery in Grady's future but we are going to take a wait and see approach and let the casting do most of the work for now.

~

There is A LOT going on around here right now--both emotionally & physically but we are holding on and praying for peace and calm as we settle into this new routine. Grady and Ruby are getting along famously and if 2 Chinese toddlers weren't eyecatching and comment causing--believe me when I tell you that the casts draw MUCH commentary when we are out and about. Always entertaining! I will miss his sweet crooked feet but I can't wait to see the day when he runs and wears normal shoes. I don't think he will GET the significance until he is much older. In China- he would NEVER have received treatment--but then had he been born with straight feet- he would not have been abandoned and therefore would not be here with us. So- right now I thank God for clubbed feet because I can't imagine my family without this little ray of sunshine that is Grady.

PS- Any votes on the next 2 cast colors?