Foot Notes

The Extensor hallucis longus is a thin muscle, situated between the Tibialis anterior and the Extensor digitorum longus that functions to extend the big toe, dorsiflex the foot, and assists with foot inversion. Wow! That's a pretty important tendon. I met with Dr. Wapner, the great foot and ankle surgeon, on Friday and he scheduled me right away to have my EHL tendon repaired at Pennsylvania Hospital (founded by Benjamin Franklin in 1751) on Wednesday.

Laura(to Dr. Wapner) : So I guess I won't be going to Texas on Monday...

Dear Joe and Harvey stayed in PA with me to help me get through this ordeal. I told them they should just go without me (I've been getting kinda grouchy lately) and that I could stay at my mom's post-op. (Of course, I really didn't want us to be split up on Christmas!)

We had a beautiful Christmas morning with all the presents that Santa brought. Harvey loved tearing off the wrapping paper - one little piece at a time! Joe gave me a Scrabble game to help stave off boredom. Harvey liked his new car book with wheels on it. He has been showing his Curious George doll (his new best friend - poor Frosty and Paddington got the shaft) how to play the piano on his new toy keyboard which, by the way is a perfect fifth sharp. How is H supposed to develop perfect pitch when these tone-deaf toy manufacturers keep messing up the notes?

Joe is organizing the closet we just had fixed. What a mess. Why do we have two tunnels, two strollers, etc.? Stuff really piles up with a kid in the house!

Meanwhile, I am catching up on reading Doctor Zhivago for book club and adjusting to slowing things down. I have been busy getting so much stuff ready - bills, paperwork, Fontainebleau Bulletin, etc. Somehow this whole "getting ready" business reminds me of week 40 of pregnancy. Ahh memories!!

I promise to have pictures up later.

My Left Foot

Tomorrow is the BIG day with the BIG TOE guy of Foot and Ankle surgeons in Philadelphia. Harvey will be excited to get an extra day of day care at the Childrens Garden. The babysitter reported to me tonight that Harvey was reluctant to leave his playmate at the end of the day. Tomorrow will be his last day with the "little sunflowers". In January he will move upstairs to be with the older tots in the "Forget me nots" room. Joe is coming home on an early Amtrak tomorrow morning. What a tough week it was running around to foot doctor appointments and MRI and sitting on the telephone waiting forever to get through to Dr. Wapner's office. After 30 minutes on hold, I got the receptionist and accidentally pushed the wrong button and hung up. Called again. 20 minutes. Hello, can I get an appointment to see Dr. Wapner. First available is end of January. I tell her about my torn tendon and my limp big toe. She says she'll talk to the doc when he gets out of the OR to try and get me in "real quick". 6 hours go by. I talk to more people who sing the praises of Dr. Wapner. I call back. 15 minutes. I ask if I have a chance of getting an appointment. She tells me to come in on Friday at 1:30 and gets all of my insurance info. Fingers crossed that I will get a surgery appointment very soon. The MRI result showed a completely severed tendon with an approximate gap of 3 cm. The podiatrist informed me today that I need to get this done ASAP and that I will be on crutches for 4 weeks post-op. I just keep saying to myself - at least it isn't my hand...

Not-So-Happy Feet

Just keep counting your blessings. All I can say is...I am so glad it isn't my hand. Yesterday I was walking along, minding my own business, contemplating which stickers to give out - the monkeys or the sparkle frogs, when I heard (and felt) a "SNAP" in my foot (think rubber band). I knew exactly what it was. The tendon in my left foot above the big toe snapped. Rewind two months to when a kitchen knife fell on my foot resulting in a dramatic trip to the ER, a few stitches, a special shoe and a few trips to the podiatrist. Stitches came out, shoe came off, a month goes by, do a few yoga sessions, experience a little too much tenderness in the area and a funny little bump and wonder if I should call the doctor. Too late! Now I cannot move my big toe. Today's trip to the doctor almost confirmed my worst fears: tendon is balled up above injury site and will require surgery to sew it back together. I say "almost confirmed" because the MRI will be done on Thursday.
L: What about San Antonio, Doc? We are supposed to get a flight on Monday? Should I get this done right away?
Doc: What day do you leave? (24th) When do you return?(2nd) ..... Well you could do it right when you come back provided that you get wheelchairs at the airport and stay off your foot as much as possible. I am actually going away next week and return on the 31st.
L: HMMMMMM. Anything bad that could come of waiting?
Doc: Well, I just don't want to see the tendon retract any further - it gets hard to have to start fishing around too far up. (UGH!)

To be continued...

2nd Year Check Up

Harvey had his visit to the pediatrician last Monday.

23 Pounds 12 Ounces (5-10 percentile)
34 1/2 inches (50 percentile).

I love the expression on his face here. I can't quite figure what it means. Any guesses?

We were told to look forward to "toilet control" after age 3 and that crib days will last for another year before we switch to a regular bed. He also told us that up to 8 oz. daily is PLENTY of milk.

The hard part was that the doctor told us that our next visit won't be for another year! I think we as parents are being "weaned" from doctor visits. I gues our little peanut is on his way!

Harvey's First Day at Nurserey School

A Little Family History

One of the stops we made coming back from Boston on Spring Break was to visit the Deshon-Allyn House in Connecticut. These were Joe's maternal ancestors who lived here. Harvey wanted to run all over the property, but there was a bit of a mud issue.

Family Photo in Boston

103 Degrees

It's been a tough day. Poor little Harvey has had a temperature since Sunday night. I called the pediatrician tonight. He said to keep giving him Tylenol and if the temp doesn't go down that we could try Ibuprofen (baby Advil). He explained that the viruses going around have temps that spike up to 105 and fluctuate down to 101. He was kind of slow all day and very cuddly. He even sat through all of "One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish", Someday (from MJ and M) and There's a Wocket in My Pocket! It didn't help that our building still has the furnace on. We actually turned the AC on in his room and put luke-warm compreses on his forehead, arms, legs and torso. The doc said to not force the cool baths and compresses if he rejects them because then he would shiver and cause his temp to go even higher. He's had a runny nose for the last several days. Fortunately his appetite is still okay although he fell asleep before finishing his grapes at dinner tonight. It makes me want to cry. I hope he kicks this thing off by tomorrow or we'll have to go to the Doctor on Wednesday. Joe said, "He's so hot that you could cook an egg on his tummy!"

Tough Night

At 4:30 AM I thought I heard a dog barking. It was my baby. My heart sank. My own throat was pretty sore and my nose all stuffed up. He was coughing and crying and it was completely heart-breaking. I didn't go to him. He went to sleep again after 30 seconds. But then about 20 minutes ago he was crying and barking again. My mind was a rush. I have a performance today. Should I go to the pediatrician and cancel. I just heard all of these news articles about how baby cough medicines are not only not helpful, but potentially harmful. Still tossing and turning after Harvey was sound asleep with his little butt in the air (I peeked), I decided I needed to Blog this one out of my system.

Piano Lessons

It sounds a lot like aleatoric music to me, but his sound is getting stronger.

More "Then-and-Now" Pictures

Harvey

















Mommy

We're Back!

I am finally back in action after a month long crazy medical ordeal. I was diagnosed with a rare neuromuscular condition called Guillain-Barre Syndrome. I had to spend 11 days in the hospital and rehab and I am almost fully recovered now. Fortunately I was able to nurse Harvey throughout all of it and there was a ton of support from the Lactation Consultants at Lankenau Hospital. My family had to drive our little monkey over to the hospital every day and I would pump at night. The other good thing was that the hospital pump was really powerful compared to my Avent Isis hand pump I have used in the past. Harvey is saying "DaDa" now - just in time for Father's Day! It is such a blessing to be home again with this little guy. He weighed in at 15 lbs and 28 inches length on June 5 at the pediatrician.

How Sweet It Is

Harvey and Daddy made Mommy pancakes for Mother's Day today. Actually, Harvey slept late this morning so that Joe could make the pancakes. It was such a joy to be pampered all morning.

Then, as we were walking out the door to ride to Grandma and Grandpa's house, the buzzer rang. "Who is it?" I called. No answer. "Just buzz them in," I heard Joe calling out from the other room. It seemed odd to me that this safety-first guru dad who looks for rounded edges on furniture would be so eager to let a stranger into the house! But I complied despite my silent protests. 2 minutes later the mystery visitor rang the doorbell. "Who is it?" I asked, deciding that I wasn't letting them in without a response this time.

"Flowers!" And as I opened the door and signed, Joe joined me and my roses with a happy-to-be-guilty grin. I think I like this Mother's Day stuff! PS Harvey said, "BA BA" today.

Beach Boy

Today is Easter and we are just getting around to updating the blog for the first time in three weeks. Mombo, this one's for you! Thanks for getting us to go to the Texas Coast and for Harvey's first forays in the sand.

Harvey With Mommy