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.