Things Have Been So Busy Lately

Maddy's Feet

A lot has happened in our family since I lasted posted.

Maddy's Update:
Two bottom teeth have come in. That was lots of fun, haha. Maddy is now crawling and pulling herself up onto her knees. Her personality is coming out more and more. Maddy's feet look to me like they are going to need more help. I pointed out my concerns at the last ortho visit, but I think it is getting worse. Maddy has another ortho visit at the beginning of November.

Ryan, Maddy's Brother Update:
Ryan has started 2nd grade. He loves school and his teacher. This is her first year to teach. He is going to break her in good, I am sure. At the beginning of the school year, the kids were tested in reading. Ryan is reading at a 3.6 which means 6 months of 3rd grade. Nationally, he is in the 95 percentile for his grade level. Needless to say, I am so proud of him.

Kevin, Maddy's Daddy Update:
Kevin is enjoying "Maddy Time" while I am at school. He has several projects going around the house. He is putting our truck back together, it was totaled. We bought it back from the insurance company, and Kevin is fixing it himself. He has multiple talents. Kevin is also working on our boat trailer, it needs some minor repair. Everychance he gets , he heads to the Gulf to do some fishing. The last trip, I think only two fish were caught (a Spanish mackrel and a whiting).

Mandy, Maddy's Mom Update (that's me):
Schooolhas started back up for me also. This semester I am taking 11 hours. The classes are Chemistry, Spanish, and Crime in America. I am at the college on Mondays and Wednesdays from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Kevin watches Maddy while I am at school. Kevin works nights so it is starting to cut into his sleep time more now that Maddy is awake more. I am also getting involved in Phi Theta Kappa again. I was asked to be an officer, but I am not ready to commit to that again. Phi Theta Kappa is an honor society which is by invitation only to join. Members must have at least 12 credit hours and a GPA of 3.5 or higher. After this semester, I need only 3 more classes for my Associate's Degree.

Blog Update:
I am changing this blog to include the entire family. Although it will still mainly focus on Maddy. So Club Foot Readers don't stop reading.

I will try to update weekly to bi-weekly. Please forgive me if it is a little longer than that every now and then.

Feet Update

Sorry no picture, I haven't put the new ones on my computer.

Maddy had her ortho appointment last week. Her feet looked good, and Maddy only has to wear her shoes for 12 hours a day. (We were doing 16 hours.) I expressed concern about Maddy's left foot, it tends to turn when she is out of the shoes. Also when we hold Maddy in a standing position or she is in her ExerSaucer, she has a tendency to stand on the sides of her feet instead of the bottoms. Autumn (P.A.) said there is a possibility that Maddy will need another surgery, but we will not know until she is actively walking. This surgery requires general anesthia. A tendon on the top of the foot would be moved to the other side of the top of the foot. It requires two incisions. Both feet may need the surgery because the right foot does it also, but not as bad. Maddy has her next appointment in November.

Maddy Is 6 Months Old & Foot Update

Maddy weighs in at 14 pounds now. She is still small for her age, 10% in height and head circumference, and 25% in weight. Maddy had her ears pierced and received four shots. She did surprisingly well the rest of the day.

I asked Maddy's doctor if Maddy's feet looked the same as other 6 month olds. First, she reminded me of what Maddy's feet looked like when she was born. Then she showed me the differences, such as the tops of her feet are puffier and the way her feet are angled.

The Dennis-Browne shoes hold Maddy's feet at a 60 degree angle, so when the shoes are off, her feet are still angled outward instead of straight. I don't know if her feet will correct themselves when she starts walking or if the ortho doc. will change the degree as she gets older. Maddy has an ortho appointment this month so I will ask then.

Also, Maddy is now getting up on her hands and knees in the crawling position. Our ortho doc. said that when she did this we could do the shoes for naps and night time instead of 20 hours a day. I was so excited!!!

Well, that's the Maddy update.

Maddy Is Teething

Maddy will chew or gum anything. She has finally realized that her shoes are good for something besides her feet.

Look for more posts soon. She is learning new things everyday.

Two days ago, Maddy managed to roll also the living room floor (with her shoes on). We are starting to babyproof now. And today Maddy started manuvering herself. I put a toy to her right (a little out of reach) she was able to turn her body to get to the toy. Maddy is also preparing to crawl. She is lifting most of her torso off the floor and pushing herself backward with her hands. When she does that she is wanting to go forward, but hasn't figured it out yet. I want to master new skills, but I also want her to stay small since she is our last baby. Oh well, I know they must grow.

Messy Maddy

My Maddy is Growing Like A Weed

Maddy rolled over from her back to her stomach. She is so strong!

Maddy Has A New Cousin

The above picture is Maddy's cousin and my goddaughter, Marabelle Leigh. Marabelle was born July 14th at 7:35 p.m. weighing in at 1 lb. 15.6 oz. Marabelle was born at 30 weeks gestation. Please keep Marabelle and her mom and dad in your prayers.

New Shoes Already

Our little Maddy is growing so fast. We went to the ortho doctor last Tuesday, and Autumn (the P.A.) said we need new shoes. Maddy's toes are starting to poke out of her current shoes. Autumn said that Maddy's feet are looking great and we do not have to go back for 2 months. Maddy should be scooting or crawling by that time. I can't wait.

Last night, Ryan went to give Maddy her goodnight kiss and she laughed in his face. She is so cute. Ryan starting laughing so far that he started wheezing and needed his inhaler. Maddy's personality is coming out more and more everyday.

The rest of our vacation

Here is a picture of Maddy with Daddy on the Ferry.

We went to the aquarium at Moody Gardens. FYI if you go after 6 p.m. you get a discount.

Maddy is pooped out and ready to go home, but it's Father's Day so we are going to eat lunch first. At lunch we decided to go fishing one more time before we went back home.

This is a picture of the beach house we stayed at. We are about to leave in the picture.

Lone Star Flight Museum

Saturday was a full day. We visited the Lone Star Flight Museum in the morning. We were able to see one of the planes running (the one in the picture. Ryan really liked that, and Maddy could not figure out what that loud noise was. We saw lots of airplanes there.

First Trolley Ride for Maddy

Here we are on the trolley in Galveston. We have just finished a little shopping in the Strand. It is HOT!

Maddy's FIrst Time to the Beach

After driving to Bolivar Peninsula (about a 2 hour drive for us) then unpacking everything, it was time to hit the beach. Here is Maddy in her bikini. The water was pretty warm, but we only put Maddy's feet in the water. Kevin and Ryan had lots of fun playing in the waves. By the time we made it back to the beach house, it was 8 p.m. and we were starving. We hurried to shower and change. We made it to the Fisherman's Wharf 30 minutes before closing. Delicious dinner, little pricey, but it's a vacation!

Leaving For Beach Vacation

I forgot how much you need to pack when taking a vacation with a baby. We are loaded down and about to pull out of the driveway in this picture.

Maddy Rolled Over

Technically since it is after midnight, Maddy rolled over yesterday. I put her down for a nap on her stomach. (That is the most comfortable position for her. With the casts, she would only sleep for 30 minute stretches. I know about SIDS and Maddy's doctor knows that she sleeps on her stomach.) On with the story, when I went back in Maddy's room she was on her back. Maddy had her shoes on so I now know that she is strong enough to roll over without the shoes. I was getting a little worried, wondering why she hadn't rolled over yet.

I took the above picture today of Maddy with her big brother, Ryan.

Special Shoes

These are Maddy's shoes. At first, she had to wear them all the time. I could take the shoes off for an hour to give Maddy a bath, but then the shoes had to go back on. Now Maddy can have them off for 4 hours everyday. Now we are able to go places without people staring. People still look, but now they look because Maddy has a ton of hair and is so beautiful.

Once Maddy starts getting up on her hands and knees, she will only have to wear the shoes when she is sleeping. Maddy will have to wear these type of shoes until she is 2-4 years old, but only when she is sleeping.

The shoes are a hassle, but they are necessary. Without the shoes, Maddy would have require multiple surgeries to correct her feet. We'll keep the shoes.

Maddy has adjusted well to the shoes. She likes to have them off, but doesn't seem to mind when they are on.

The shoes are very expensive, $350. At first when I called our insurance the representative told me the shoes would be covered 100%. Then I received a letter from the insurance company stating that the shoes were not covered. I need to call them, but I have been busy with school. As fast as babies grow, if we have to pay for each pair, it will be a struggle, but we will make it.

Last Cast

The casts that were put on after the tendon procedure had to stay on for 3 weeks to allow the tendons to scar back. I was able to take the casts off on Easter morning. Maddy loooked so beautiful in her Easter dress with no casts. She was able to wear her first pair of shoes to church on Easter. I cried, it was so exciting for me to put shoes on her feet.

Achilles Tendon Procedure

Maddy was 7.5 weeks old when she had her achilles tendons cut. This had to be done because the tendon were too short and her feet pointed down. Cutting or releasing the tendons allows the foot to come up into the correct position. People have asked if the tendon grows back; our doctor says that it scars back.

Our appointment for this procedure was March 27, 2006 at 9:40 a.m. We arrived a little late, traffic was so bad that day. They hurried us back, our doctor came to to check Maddy's feet and verify that she needed the procedure. Then the nurse and physician's assistant (We like her alot, we make most of Maddy's appointments with her) applied numbing cream to the back of Maddy's ankles then covered it with a type of plastic band-aid. We went to the cafeteria for breakfast at Texas Children's Hospital. (All Maddy's ortho appointments are at Texas Children's Hospital, her doctor is the Chief of Pediatric Orthopaedic Surgery and Scoliosis and Professor of Departments of Orthopaedic Surgery and Pediatrics. Very good doctor, highly recommend.) After an hour, we went back to the office and waited some more, then it was time. The nurses had everything set up and ready. Dr. Phillips had already told us we could stay in the room or go out. Both my husband and I wanted to stay, I couldn't leave my baby by herself.

Dr. Phillips injected numbing medicine right under the skin of both ankles. Right after that my husband, Kevin, and I switched place. I stood on the other side of the room and Kevin stood by Maddy. He talked to her and rubbed her head. Dr. Phillips inserted the scalpel and severed the first tendon. Maddy screamed and I felt so sick in my stomach, I didn't want her to be hurting or uncomfortable. Dr. Phillips said that she was screaming not because of pain, but because she was being restrained. During the procedure, the pacifer was dipped in sugar water which seemed to help. The sugar water makes the babies suck their pacifers, and the sucking soothes them. Terry-strips were applied to the incision, then the cast was applied to the first leg. The cast holds the foot in the correct position so the tendon scars back to the proper length. Then the same thing was done to the other leg. As soon as both casts were on I was able to pick Maddy up, and she promptly fell asleep.

Thet told us that Maddy would be fussy that day and probably the next day also. Maddy did really well. She did not seem any more fussy than usual.

Serial Casting

The first week of Maddy's casts was very hard for our whole family. No one was able to get much sleep. The only way Maddy would sleep was lying on mine or my husband chest. Luckily he had not gone back to work yet, he was able get a little over a month off from work. We have a waterbed so we would take turns sleeping with Maddy on the couch. Our son, Ryan, who is 7 years old was so good and understanding that Maddy needed lots of care and attention. I was so nervous taking the casts off the morning of our next appointment. The casts came off fine though and her feet had made huge progress.

Maddy had a total of 5 one-week casts and one three-week cast.

The first picture is after I took the first casts off, and the second picture is of Maddy with her casts on.

Maddy's Doctor First Ortho Doctor Visits

This picture is of Maddy's feet when she was about 1 week old.

Maddy's first ortho doctor visit was when she was 2 weeks and 3 days old. At this visit the doctor confirmed that Maddy had bilateral club feet. She also got her first casts this day. The casts went from her toes to her diaper.

Welcome. I hope you come to enjoy this blog. I am going to describe our experiences with my daughter's Club Feet. Madelyn was born February 3, 2006 with bilateral club feet. My husband and I were not aware that our daughter had this condition before she was born. It was a complete shock for us.