He likes... smiling and 'talking' to people (very social baby); chewing on his fingers and trying to get his whole fist in his mouth; being held upright and looking out; watching and listening to his brothers; reaching to grab faces; reaching to grab books; reaching to grab toys - did I mention that he is reaching to grab and this is HUGELY good news for this boy! Using his hands to reach and grab things is one of his therapy goals, and he's surprised us all at how quickly he is learning. This month he also starting rolling over front-to-back.
We took a few pics when he turned 4 months old on Sep 3rd. He was still in his short casts at that point, and able to bend his knees and touch his legs for the first time. This week he got the casts off - the end of the Ponseti process! - and fitted for braces that he'll wear at night-time (to prevent regression). It is great to have his legs 'back'! We're surprised at how much his legs had grown in the casts - at today's check-up he was 5.1 kg or 11 lbs 3 oz, and 23.5". Still a skinny guy but now he's looking bigger and taller.
In the three days since getting his casts off, he's been sensitive about his feet and lower legs. Very stiff ankles and tight muscles & tendons. Also the foot shape is still a bit strange but such a difference from birth, and now he has arches!!! The right is a bit better than the left. The orthopedic showed me a couple of massages to do and I'm sure the therapist will help when she comes next week. Obviously we don't want them to regress so the stretches are really important because his tendons want to tighten up and pull back on the foot to where it was before. I read that the risk of regression is 30-50%, so it is possible he would have to do casts again if a foot starts to move. ...We don't really know long term what his feet will be like. We do know that he'll likely need these orthotic boots for a long time and potentially leg braces while learning to walk - depending on how his dislocated left hip recovers from eventual surgery. As with so many elements of arthrogryposis there is no real certainty of what the future holds, except we know it doesn't get worse as he ages, and so far he has improved well! We are hopeful, and very thankful for a cheerful little boy.
2 comments:
Ahhh i love him so much!!! He has a very distinct personality and his smiles just melt me. Thanks for this helpful update and explanation...it helps to understand more of where he is and you guys are at this point. Sending love and lots of hawk cuddles.
Holy cow - that smile!!!!! Incredible! And good news about his progress. So encouraging that his arthrogryposis doesn't get worse! He is in good hands - yours :).
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