Social networking..

Soooo many things to get addicted to on the Internet.. I am currently active on Facebook, Twitter, Blogger, Pinterest (which I LOVE) and a forum.  I have no idea what I used to do before all of these things existed, but I dare say my house was a lot tidier. 

We had a visit to Monash Hospital on Monday afternoon and it went really well.  We were running late due to slow service where we went for lunch, so I dropped Jimmy & Eva at the door while I parked the car thinking we would be waiting ages anyway.  By the time I got into the physio department she was almost all done!  The harness had been off and put back on again, it needed adjusting as she'd grown.  Jimmy said that when it was off Eva had had a huuuge stretch, she would have loved it.  Everything is progressing nicely, and the safe zone of Eva's hip movement has increased by 15%.  We also don't need to go back to the hospital for two weeks which is great! 

Jimmy barbequed lamb last night and we sat outside where our only table is and it was lovely.  Eva sat up in her bouncer and ate her fist, her latest fun game!

How times have changed...

Source: retronaut.co via Stephanie on Pinterest

All the pregnant ladies...

How good is this, mostly I'm just impressed that the lady can dance like that at 38 weeks pregnant!  All I could do at 38 weeks was make it from the couch to the chocolate tin!!! 

Love this part the best: 

Pain in my hips
And now you gonna trip
Cuz you can’t have sex with me.

Don’t have a lap
Can’t take a crap
And how ‘bout water retention

My urine leaks for 40 weeks
But you can’t be mad at me!

Oh dear... so true hahaha 

We have had a busy few days and if I have noticed one thing it is that Eva is a lot better behaved when we are out than if we are at home!  Could be that she's more stimulated and she likes looking at more than just my mug all day, or she just has good manners, not sure!!!    Thankfully she is back into her night time routine of sleeping from ten o'clock at the latest until eight o'clock the following morning - bliss.  I had her in her own room for her naps yesterday and also when she went to bed, but come to my bedtime I moved her back into our room.  She just seems to little to be in there on her own - overprotective mother much?!  We are off to the hospital on Monday for a check up, I'm looking forward to it and will be armed with questions this time around!! 

Trifle

Poor Eva - it has been 35°C today and she was very unsettled.  It was really hard for me because on previous hot days I just take her in a cool shower & it calms her right down.  Of course I can't do that at the moment, so I wiped her down a few times with cooled baby wipes.  She calmed down in the late afternoon and slept for over two hours.  

While she slept I donned my pinnie and made a trifle.  Not just any trifle, but a black forest trifle.  My excuse was that I needed to test out the recipe before Christmas, but really I just couldn't wait until Christmas to try eating it! I am so glad I did make it, it even got a 'mmm' from Jimmy, which is very hard to get especially when it comes to cooking!  I must admit, the favourite part of my first trifle making experience was using my awesome glass bowl that Mum gave me last month!

Before

During

After

Now I am off to listen to lullabies, cuddle my baby to sleep and enjoy a glass of wine, all while trying to stay away from the trifle!

LFMAO

Once upon a time I would have boycotted this band simply because they are so mainstream, but this song really makes me giggle and considering it's getting so much airplay at the moment, it's bought me a lot of smiles this week when I'd rather have been crying!

Pride

I am so proud of my little princess, over the weekend she has showed a lot of improvement.  I have found that the middle of the day is the most restless for her & she cries a lot, but I am taking some advice from a fellow Hip Mum and trying to distract her with toys and/or tummy time.  She seems to really be enjoying the tummy time with a towel underneath her chest where the strap is, and has also taken a liking to a little purple bunny rabbit.  

There was a point on Saturday when I was ready to burst into tears, when I had to go to the Supermarket & Eva was so upset that everyone, and I mean everyone, was staring at me and staring into her pram.  Some said nothing, one asked me why I didn't leave her home with my husband, another old lady told me a three month old should not be crying like that for no reason (she was covered in blankets).  If they had of all just left me alone, I would have been in and out in five minutes and not half an hour.  It was so horrible being judged.  

Last night she slept in her own bed from Midnight until 8.30am.  She did wake around 4.30am but after a quick cuddle was fast asleep again.  I have seen a lot of smiles from her today which has instantly healed my heart.  We went out this evening and she was so well behaved - looked around at everyone, smiled at her Papa, had a nap, drank her bottle and lay in her pram while we ate.  So proud of her, I am starting to see more of the Eva pre-harness.  Even though it's only been a few days, it feels like it's been on for such a long time!  I keep reminding myself everything will be okay, but it's nice to see some progress in her demeanor to reassure those thoughts.  Now I need to start hoping and praying that we will see the same improvement in her hips.

Rainy Saturday afternoon snuggles

Sunday smiles

Tired out

 

Thoughts after the first 36 hours

It's so hard seeing Eva so upset.  I can tell by looking at her how uncomfortable she is, I watch her as she tries to stretch, her arms go up and then she tries to stretch her legs down & it just can't happen.  Her little face fills with frustration and I just know she doesn't understand what is going on.  I know it's normal for her to be unsettled but it is breaking my heart to see a change from my smiling, laughing, playing daughter into an inconsolable little baby who won't let me put her down, even when she's sleeping. It has brought me to tears on so many occasions today watching her be so unhappy. All I can do is hold her and hope she adjusts soon so she feels happier :-(

We have started to tell people what is going on with Eva and it has surprised & comforted me to know how many people know what DDH is.  I have felt a great amount of support from our families and our friends, even those who are not close by, their words, thoughts & prayers mean the world to me.  

The little girl is sleeping in her sleeping bag for half an hour stints at a time, I think her startle reflex is waking her up so I need to learn how to wrap her arms only.  The sleeping bag is really good because it's a size 0 and zips up, so I can get her in without squishing her legs together.  Every time she wakes she begins crying straight away, I think she is still confused, so I am really looking forward to Hubby getting home to sit by her while I have a shower and tidy up a little bit (the house and myself).

Sleepy cuddles with Mum this afternoon

In my Bambi sleeping bag

Today's diagnosis..

According to the Hospital - hip dysplasia (DDH) is an abnormal development of the hip joint. The hip socket is too shallow to hold the ball at the top of the thighbone and results in subluxation and/or dislocation of the hip.

According to me - hip dysplasia is a horrible thing that has caused my happy baby girl to need a harness which in turn has caused her to be inconsolable.

Today we went to Outpatients Clinic B at Monash Hospital.  I knew it was going to be a horrible day right from the start when for some reason I was mopping the floor at 6.30am.  I never mop, let alone at that time of the morning.  The drive to the hospital was a long one - more so because I took a wrong turn & went 15km in the wrong direction.  It felt good to be angry with myself about doing that, because it gave me something else to feel other than upset about whatever the outcome of our appointment was going to be.

After waiting an hour, we saw David the Physio, really nice guy.  At least I thought so, not so much Eva because he interrupted her morning tea.  I listened to him explain to us what was going on with Eva's hips & what would need to be done to fix it.  I just continuously nodded and said 'okay' a few times, because I knew if I said anymore I would cry.  Especially after hearing she would need to wear a Palvik Harness for 24 hours a day, not even allowed off for a bath or a little bit of a play, to be reviewed in six weeks plus weekly visits to the hospital clinic physio - Mel.  More so when I heard that if the harness is not successful she will have an operation.  I knew these things can happen to 'Hip Kids' but I wasn't quite prepared to hear it in relation to my own daughter.

Now, six weeks might not sound like a long time - but when I had been watching my little girl changing and developing, rocking herself side to side in preparation to roll, kicking and moving her legs, and imaging all that being taken away from her - it feels like forever.

Like the beautiful little girl that she is, Eva smiled and 'talked' to the ladies fitting her into the harness.  She had cuddles with Papa on the way out of the hospital and fell asleep for the whole car ride home.  It was not until a bit later in the day when she started to cry.  It was the saddest sound I have ever heard and I swear it broke my heart.  It was not an 'I'm hungry' cry, or an 'I'm wet' cry, or even an 'I'm tired' cry - it was an 'I hate this and am sad' cry.  I watched her try and stretch and saw frustration on her face, it felt like a very long time until Jimmy got home and then I broke down into tears.  As much as I want the harness off, I know it is going to help so I won't be touching it.  My baby girl is finally sleeping, after a long cry and me trying everything to settle her.  She looks comfy enough but I feel it's going to be a long night.