I'm free.....sort of

Just yesterday I had yet another doctor's appointment. They took some more pictures of my hips, then the doctor told us that they were perfectly normal. Hurray! I have to wear my harness for another month or so (however long Mama and Daddy can handle up to one month, according to the doctor), but I am supposed to be out of it for 3-4 hours each day. This means I can change my clothes every day, which is nice because I tend to get dirty. I can have a bath more than once a week, and I don't have to wear that hot harness during these really hot days. Mama said one day we'll even go swimming together! As soon as we got home from the doctor Mama and Daddy took the harness and I got to stretch my legs for a really long time. I was a little confused at first, but then I got really excited about it. They took about a billion pictures of me wearing only my diaper. I even got to sleep without my harness on last night. It was a little weird, but really cool and comfortable. I've been a bit crabby at my Mama because she put the harness back on this morning, but I suppose I'll forgive her. I really tried to talk to her about my feelings, but I could only get vowels out. She didn't understand, which really made me mad. I suppose I should start working on communicating better. Words are hard though. I'd rather play that work on learning how to talk.

Hey, I contol those things!

Just recently I discovered that I control my hands. Grandma Diane and Grandpa Dean bought me this really cool new toy for me to practice with. Here is a video of me playing with it. Excuse my Mama if she sounds a little crazy. Spending all day, every day at home with me does that to her. There are more on my picture website if you are interested, but they're pretty much the same. Aren't I amazing?

Two months old

Yesterday was my two month birthday so I thought I should update everyone on how I've been doing. I'm still getting used to my harness, but it's really not all that bad. Mama and Daddy like it because I don't have as many dirty clothes as I used to (I only get to change my onesie twice a week and have a bath once a week so that I'm not out of the harness too much). I really like riding in Daddy's tummy pack or Mama's sling because I get to hang out so close to them. I look a little funny in the sling with my feet hanging out the bottom, but I don't mind. Mama, Daddy and I have started going to all of the farmer's markets around my house since I really like being outside so much. We have a lot of fun checking out all the fun stuff you can get there. Mama and Daddy have started reading poems to be when it's time for bed and I really like that too. I can't wait until I can read them myself, but I hear that will take quite a while. They've also started singing more songs to me when I'm sad. I really like the Beatles, which I'm sure Grandma Michelle and Grandpa Dean will be happy to hear. Daddy and I have been watching a lot of hockey lately, but sadly it's over for the year and Daddy's favorite team didn't win the Stanley Cup. We're sad, but we'll start watching baseball instead and I'm sure I'll like that too. Overall things are going well, and I'm growing up faster than Mama and Daddy can believe. Tonight, in fact, I am sleeping in my own room all by myself for the very first time. I think next week I'll learn how to drive.

Pictures of me in my harness

Here are a few pictures of me in my harness. I think I can pull it off pretty well.

My spiffy new accessory

I just got back from a doctor's visit (which I am getting quite tired of by the way, as this is a total of 7 visits in my almost 8 weeks of life) and they decided that I get to wear a nifty new fashion accessory for a while. They did an ultrasound a few weeks ago on my hips, and the results told my doctor today that I need to wear a harness to keep them in place (it's called a Pavlik Harness if you are interested). Apparently my hip sockets are too shallow to hold the top of my leg bone in place correctly, and the harness holds my legs at a funny position so that the socket finishes forming correctly (my bones are still soft because I'm so young). Mama says they call it hip dysplasia and I have an extremely mild case of it (www.hip-baby.org has some good information about it). She and Daddy aren't worried about me, but they and the doctors would rather be safe than sorry, so I get to wear the harness for a while. I should only have to wear it for a few weeks, or a few months at the very most. I can still wear all of my pretty dresses over it, and I can take it off to take baths. Most importantly to me I still get to play on my tummy, but I don't think I'll be rolling over again any time soon. I just thought I should tell everyone about it so that you don't wonder why I'm holding my legs a little funny in my upcoming pictures.