The Diagnosis: Your Son Needs a Spica Cast After our two-year-old Jaxson's freak trip and fall that resulted in a fractured femur, we are finally nearing the end of his seven weeks in a spica cast. To say this journey has been one of the hardest seasons of our lives is an understatement. I survived week one with the help of Nana and my husband who stayed home from work to help. The first two or three weeks were the worst. Week four and five we got in a new groove. And weeks six and seven have been more like daily, "How long is this going to take?" countdowns. I felt so much encouragement and got good ideas from blogs I found by googling :) that I thought I am now in the place I can share from our spica cast journey to help others as well. So if you're reading this because you googled it, too... You're not the only one. I promise it will get easier. And thank God bones can heal and the cast won't stay on forever. Diapering with a Spica Cast: The 3 Steps to Success 1. Big Diaper 2. Little Diaper 3. Bladder Leak Pads Diapering was by far one of our biggest challenges. We would place a smaller size diaper inside the cast "hole" by tucking it inside. Then place/seal a larger diaper on the outside of the cast. This didn't always protect from leaks, so we pretty much kept him on a towel wherever he was... the stroller, the couch, on someone's lap... to make clean up after leaks easier. We also found a few weeks in, that applying a Poise pad for bladder leaks inside the smaller diaper was helpful for more absorption. Blow outs were another story. Thankfully we only lived through a few of them, but when #1, or worse, #2, gets into the cast it's not only yuck but difficult to fix. Wipes can only do so much. At the beginning, diaper changes were a nightmare for J. This faded over time, but after one of the worst blowouts we literally had to (because he had a waterproof liner inside his cast) use a spray bottle of water to try to spray out the poo explosion. Normal Diaper Changes We used phrases like "Tucking Time" and "Tummy Time" for the diaper changing process. He would lay on his back and we'd talk or distract him with a toy (or sometimes even baby brother). Then we'd do "tucking time" for the front, and say "Let's roll over for tummy time" when tucking in the diaper from the back, etc. There was one time that he tooted on me during a change, so I made "Don't you toot on me!" my go-to line if he needed cheering up during a change. :) He also dealt with severe constipation in those first couple of weeks. So we increased fluids, did half coconut water (for the magnesium) and half apple juice, and I even had to put in a suppository a couple of times. Then There's Entertaining a Child with a Spica Cast... This is where we got creative! (Thanks for a gift-a-day for a week box from Mimi and Papa in New Mexico, J had small new toys that we spread out for a while.) A few of his favorites were a magnetic fishing set, educational DVDs - including a train documentary from Half Price Books (thank you, Nana), and alphabet magnets. He also got a personalized lap desk from our friend Sarah (Anchored by Grace Designs). We also found a cool bean bag chair - the Big Joe - from Walmart for easy, comfortable sitting. And we can't forget the yard sale win of the century - the $7 basketball hoop. Or as J calls it, the "baska-ball player." I almost forgot; we also had to get him a booster seat because there's no way the angle of the spica cast would allow him to continue in his normal car seat. And they only had a girly, pink flower one - but I'm not telling him. Let the Kid Wear Shoes It's been hard getting him to change t-shirts (he goes from one Cars shirt to the other), but he has often requested socks, which always leads to a request for shoes. So J often got to don his Crocs and tennis shoes. Although he was very disappointed when his right rain boot wouldn't go on over the cast. (He loves his boots. We found ours at the Just Between Friends sale.) "Normal Life" Cabin fever can kick in quick! So we tried to get back to normal life activities as soon as we were comfortable. J loves going to Walmart and H-E-B (raising him right!) so we'd bring daddy along to push him in his stroller while I would handle the grocery cart, the baby, and the actual shopping! We also returned to church, where we both traded off who would stay with J in the nursery (should the need to diaper change arise). This gave J the chance to boss other people around for a bit. :) Baths with a Spica Cast You can't bathe with a cast. Sorry. We just used those throw-away bath wipes and did our best. I also made it a habit to put essential oils on his feet every evening before bed time. Spica Cast Removal We can't wait for Thursday. We'll be sure to update you on how that goes. We've watched a couple cast-removal videos on YouTube with him to talk about the loud saw that cuts the cast off and the way it tickles. He's been saying "Jaxson walk" and "four days" all day. Tomorrow it's only three to go. Hooray! UPDATE - The Spica Cast is Gone!The day Jaxson had his cast removed was a little traumatic. He had to have an X-Ray both before and after the removal. The saw they used to cut it off was a little loud for him. Both his legs had atrophied, and everything was stinky from not being bathed in weeks. But J was so glad to have it off! We took him to Chick-fil-A drive-through for a celebratory chocolate milk. The next several days he still mostly crawled around the house. It took time for him to build his strength and to trust his legs again. We are thankful he did not end up needing physical therapy. We used an outdoor scooter (that you sit on and push) in the house –– so soon he was pushing along wherever he wanted to go! I took a short video on my Instagram just 5 weeks after the cast was removed while he was running at the park. There's nothing quite like the pitter patter of little feet is there? UPDATE - Three Years After a Broken Leg
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I recently got a copy of Loving my Lot for my birthday! Yay! In the section titled, "Eating to Honor God" something really got me so I thought I'd share a peek from my journal. Make sure, in eating, that avoiding certain foods is not out of fear of disease, but motivated to do all for the glory of God. I confess I have been motivated by fear, self-shamed when I failed, and self-willed to try harder (depending more on myself) the next time. This is idolatry. Forgive me, Lord. I have taken documentaries, books written by intelligent people, and made a new set of laws for myself. But these laws are serving the kingdom of fear and enslaving me to impossible standards. I can't always eat grass-fed. I am not able to not ever eat wheat... or food from a box. Does it mean I quit? No. I can take what I've learned about what encourages optimal health and do my best - not his best, not her best, but my best. I can take steps in the right direction without penalizing myself with fear of disease. My soul is secure. My eternal destiny is set and sealed. My life, regardless of my choices, is held by my Sovereign God because of the grace of Jesus. So I'm glad not to be in charge or in control. The results are not left up to me. This is a relief. With a little help from Philippians 3 and 4... In all things I rejoice. I press on to the upward call of God in Christ Jesus, holding on to what I've attained remembering my citizenship is not here. It's in heaven, and He will transform this lowly body to be like His glorious body by the same power that enables Him to subject all things to Himself. Therefore {this is why} I stand firm, rejoicing always, letting my reasonableness be known to all, with my heart and mind guarded by the peace of God because I submit all my requests to Him with thanksgiving. So whether you're gluten-free dependent, a Whole30 faithful, or a Plexus fanatic, check your motivations and your thought life around your decisions. Are you motivated by fear? Are you guilting yourself instead of enjoying the occasional special occasion? Aim to do all for His glory and live without fear. You can read Jeanne Harrison's blog here (She's the author of Loving My Lot). With all that's gone on in our world the last few weeks, it seems like everyone is getting crazier and crazier. Or maybe we just have more news and the word travels faster? I don't know. But in this 24/7 news culture, it seems that the loudest voices aren't the ones speaking hope. I just thought with all our sharing and retweeting, as Christians, as the supposed majority, we should do our part in sharing a little more hope. "'Very truly I tell you, whoever obeys my word will never see death.' At this they exclaimed, 'Now we know that you are demon possessed! Abraham died and so did the prophets, yet you say that whoever obeys your word will never taste death. Are you greater than our father Abraham? He died, and so did the prophets. Who do you think you are?'" (John 8) Important to note:
Tasting Hope The taste of sweat in your mouth on a long run. Unmistakeable. And kind of gross. The taste of salty ocean when an unexpected wave crashes into you, buoying you into the reality of its power and your smallness. The sweet taste of wedding cake being crammed into your mouth by your beloved. Hey, that's all that most of us get! We all understand it - it's one of the five senses we learned about in grade school. But the other day while reading The Story the phrase "will never taste death" stood out to me. I hope it's a reminder to you if you're a believer in Christ of the hope that you have. The hope we are commanded to share. Let's spread the taste of hope, because of the infinite mercy and wonderful mystery of the One who tasted death on our behalf. But we do see Jesus, who was made lower than the angels for a little while, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone. He is greater than Abraham. Jesus is Messiah. There is hope.It's been a while since I posted, but I promise I haven't stopped writing! I've probably been writing even more lately. I can't wait to show you! I've been working on a few stories for Katy Magazine. You should get to see three of them in the upcoming October/November issue! The other three should be appearing in the December/January issue. I wish I could drop hints about who I got to talk to, but I can't! :) The other recent project has been really cool. Our church, Grand Parkway, recently expanded the bulletin size to be able to include short testimonies of our people. I've volunteered to help gather up some of those and have already started getting to know people in our church better as a result! Each week or sometimes every other week, there will be a new short story showing how everyday people know, enjoy, and glorify God. A couple weeks ago, Marcus, Amy, Jaxson and I got to attend the Circles 2015 conference in Grapevine, TX. It was reminiscent of the ECHO conference in Dallas (I'm still using that iPad I won three years ago! Whoop!). Here's a few things I learned: Pay attention to ideas that won't let go. For me, some of those are...that book I hope to one day write. That race I hope to one day train hard enough for. Those photography skills I wish I'd take the time to develop. That podcast I'd like to co-host that would interview real-life people about their marriage, parenting, spiritual disciplines, and more. When you are creating, you're literally creating life. Something that didn't exist before now exists. Babies have a strange way of making you more popular with the locals. Yes, there have been a few unwanted closeups at the grocery store. But a few more times than those close encounters with strangers, I've seen how quickly baby J can break the ice in a room and open the door for dialogue. During a recent Post Office visit where two employees were saying things to each other like: "I don't do it like that." "I didn't click that." "Why didn't it work?" Baby J kept the growing line of waiting non-hazardous packages and important envelopes waiting patiently. One woman spoke to him kindly, and he flashed her a grin. She swayed her purse back and forth and spun it around - watching his gaze match its every movement. Cheaply entertained. (Him or us?) Another smiled at his sweet disposition. "Enjoy it while it lasts," she said from their own motherly experience. "It won't be long before he's getting into everything. Touching everything. And putting everything in his mouth." Before baby, I probably would have waited in line without talking to anyone. I'd ignore the comments from others about how long it was taking and about how nice lower humidity was. Now, with an open door everywhere I am with baby J, I hope to share more often. His name is Jaxson which means God has been gracious. He's been gracious with giving me such a precious gift. He's been gracious for changing my heart to see that children are His greatest gift. That they are wealth. He's giving me daily (and nightly) opportunities to put someone else's needs ahead of my own. It's trying. It's refining. I'm learning more than I did in all my years of life before baby J about pause, about small things, about love. So to you married peeps who are on the fence about starting a family. (For what it's worth.) Do it. Go for it. You won't regret it. But I know not everyone is on the fence about when to have kids. I know of several sweet sweet friends of ours who wish they were on the other side of that fence, who are trying to conceive (TTC), trying to adopt (TTA), or trying to foster (TTF). Please know that you are on my heart and in my prayers every single day. If you or someone you know is in this season, would you consider putting their names or initials along with TTC, TTA, or TTF in the comments? I would love to be praying for them as well. We recycle. To most, that means I am probably a little more crunchy than I realize! But I'll take that as a good sign. For us, recycling is a trip! No, really. It's a literal trip. About once a month, we take our recycling to Fort Bend Recycling Center. They accept cardboard, paper, plastics, cans, glass, etc. For me, it's a simple thing we as a family can do to be ecologically mindful. It's just as easy to take stuff to the recycle bin as it is to the trash can. Plus, it means Marcus has to take out the kitchen trash a whole lot less! "The ecological teaching of the Bible is simply inescapable: God made the world because He wanted it made. He thinks the world is good, and He loves it. It is His world; He has never relinquished title to it. And He has never revoked the conditions, bearing on His gift to us of the use of it, that obliges us to take excellent care of it. If God loves the world, then how might any person of faith be excused for not loving it or justified in destroying it?" If you live in the Fort Bend area, you should totally check it out! Be careful though, it's right next to the animal shelter, and you might end up with a puppy. There are so many I wish we had a big ranch so I could adopt them all. |
PodcastListen to devotionals shared at FBCSA MOPS on Kennan's Podbean Podcast channel here.
Marken Media Co.Marcus & Kennan own Marken Media Co. serving the multimedia needs of small businesses. Known by the #devinecolorwall, we strive to foster a space for the community to CREATE • COLLABORATE • CELEBRATE.
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KennanI'm a lover of words. Sometimes I edit, cook, craft, or sing. I'm also a wife and mom. Categories
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