Da, da, da, da

Here's a couple of clips of Miss Natalie chatting a few days before she got her cast off. We love hearing her gab!

A soft tummy and chubby legs

Our little pumpkin is cast free today! Hooray! She's moved on to a brace which I have to admit is a bit disappointing but it's definitely better than a cast. She can wiggle and move her legs and we get to feel her soft tummy and squeeze those chubby little legs.

Right now she has to wear the brace all the time (except for baths) and we're not sure how long she'll need it. It could be about three months, but our doctor doesn't want to commit to a time, she'd prefer if we watch Natalie's hip and do what's best for ensuring her hip stays stable. And we totally agree.

Overall Natalie did great today, especially for a little girl who didn't get to eat until 11:30 this morning and woke up to find herself no longer in a cast. She was a bit upset when she woke up but she nursed for a while and seemed to feel better.

It was so strange to pick her up and hold her without a bulky cast surrounding her little body. Dan and I felt a bit awkward at first but we're getting better at it. I was just so nice to see her little body again and feel her skin. I found myself lifting her blanket up just so I could see her legs and touch her.

Her skin was very dry in spots and one spot in particular on her left hip is very irritated but she doesn't seem bothered by it.

She didn't love getting her new brace fitted. But I don't think it was due to pain, she was just really tired and wanted to cuddle with mom and dad rather than be handled by nurses (no matter how sweet they were).

Once we got home she seemed to be back to herself. I think Dan and I are more affected by this than Natalie. We're a bit nervous about changing her diaper and want to make sure we aren't doing anything that will risk dislocating her hip. But I'm sure after a few days we'll get into a groove.

Here's a video of Miss Natalie waiting to get her new brace fitted.

Ciao for now,
Wendy, Dan and Natalie

Only 14 days to a cast free baby!

Just a quick update to let you know that we're only 14 days away from cast removal day. Hooray!

Natalie is still doing great, but she is definitely itching to move. You'd think she wouldn't really know that she should be moving at this point but I honestly think she knows. Here's why, she's started to tip herself over when she's propped up playing with a toy. How? She grabs the leg of the toy and uses it to pull herself down toward the floor. During tummy time she has also started to turn herself around by dragging her arms. She tries to pull herself forward but she's not quite strong enough.

As you can see she can also keep herself busy playing with her latest favorite toy - a bowl. I'm not sure why I bother to buy toys. :)