Thursday, August 13, 2009

In the beginning...

It is always a tense time around here when my computer is in the shop. And that is just where it has been! I was having to "borrow" Todd's laptop, and he is wanting to know if anything at all has changed on his fantasy golf team or whether the sports center site has changed the scores he checked just about 15 minutes ago.So basically, he doesn't like to share! He and Ellie are working on "sharing"!!

Anyway, I have not had my computer. Would you believe that it was in the shop for numerous reasons, one of them being my space bar didn't work unless I pounded on it! And I mean, POUNDED!! I had so much fun emailing Jessi without spaces. She had so much fun responding to my emails without spaces too! I called her one day and just started talking in sentences without pausing at all. I told her I thought we should adopt a NO pause policy in our talking and typing!
So anyway, the nice people at the computer store fixed my space bar and also found the 20,000+ pictures that I TOLD them a year ago that they failed to transfer from my Dell to my Mac! I KNEW it! And sure enough, today, they found them! They also backed up my entire hard drive to an external! Hallelllujahhhhhh. Can you hear the angels singing?! I have been NEEDING to do that forever!

Ok, so long story LONG... I now have LOTS of new pictures from the past to reference while I am posting a blog! I looked through so many of Jake and basically, it just made me kinda saddish. I have been seeing 11's everywhere lately, and have been wondering what he was trying to tell me, but ya know what I figured it is... he is wishing me a Happy Birthday! As I type this, I swear it is 10:11! So, I chose to post some OTHER pictures I found that I don't think I ever posted. You can tell me if I did.

Here goes...
First born. Blissful! Crazy in the head! Would you look at all the baby stuff on that counter?!

But mostly, would you look at that Pavlik Harness that my baby girl had to wear from 5 days old until about a month and a half?! (That is when we got a body cast!)

She had a dislocated hip. Looking back, it was a very quick 3 months, but at the time... ugh! And don't you EVEN think for a minute that we don't know how to CUTEN up a Pavlik Harness!

Nosirrreeee. We wore satin zebra print pajamas. and we wore monogrammed panties....and even livened up the doldrums of a 24 hour a day body splint with fuzzy hat and slippers!!They weren't gonna steal our JOY with no stupid brace! And speaking of blissfully blind...was I seriously worried about GABBI's crossed eyes not too long ago?! Whoa! New moms are blinded by love. I never even remember Ellie being THIS cross eyed!

and for the record, until I had Gabbi Girl, I didnt' know what I had missed without being able to really hold and cuddle my teensy weensy Ellie!

Body casts kinda do that! Would you just look at how high that sucker came up on her chesst!I had access to new moleskin and tape and cast padding and all that jazz at my office! I changed it daily! But it still had a nasty smell! Ugh. Glad those days are behind us!Ellie definitely made a body cast look cute though! There was one little hole in the bottom of the cast for all voiding to occur. We had to use a maxi pad stuffed into a preemie diaper and tucked into that hole. Then, we used a big girl diaper over all of that and atop the cast to catch the runoff the best we could. There was no way to keep it all from going down her legs! With what I do for a living, I knew there were much worse things than a dislocated hip, and I knew better than to complain too much! We made it through that time just fine, and I think you all know that it didnt' impair her mobility in ANY way!! I was astounded when she hit her milestones on target or even ahead of time! That ol' Ellie Sue. She has been action packed since the day she was born! What a fun kid she is to have! So glad she is in my life!

Mo

25 comments:

Cori said...

Yay, for external hard drives!! They are so awesome.
Ellie looks precious, I had no idea she had a dislocated hip. I actually took care of a 6 year old in the hospital this past semester who had surgery for hip dysplasia.
Glad you have all your pictures back!!

Anonymous said...

I will never complain again after seeing what you went thru my dear...okay I will still complain but man I can't even fathom that with a newborn. I just love her face watching tv, she looks the same in the face...what a sweetie pie. Thx for sharing those Mo, I love how you love!

Bj said...

Cute, cute pics Mo....so glad you got your pictures back...it would be a shame to lose all those...and glad you got your "puter" back....huggers, bj

Melissa said...

Love the hot pink cast!!

Pepper said...

I don't remember seeing these pics. They are adorable. I love all of your comments. And it made me laugh thinking of you and Jessi typing like that. Thanks for the laugh.

Kenzie Holley said...

AWWWWWWWW. Bless her heart. But look at her now. She is the sweetest thing ever! And just look at those cheeks!!! ADORABLE!!!!!!!!!

Mackenzie =)

Sandy said...

Despite all the packing you had to put on her she still had a big smile that made it all worth while. Mo you are a great mom. Thanks for your post

Cathy Tansy said...

Mo, I can't believe how much Ellie has grown. Both girls are such cutie pies. I drove by your clinic in Monroe yesterday and wanted to stop and introduce myself, but was running late for my mom's doctor appt. Maybe next trip down!!!

POPS said...

Pops has entered the game! He has a Google account and can now comment!

The Mommy said...

Welcome to POPS! I really enjoyed the pictures. Isn't that fun? Looking back at photos of what really wasn't that long ago and REALLY noticing how much things have changed. I was just doing that last night in my search for one particular photo. Gets my sentimental heart every time!

My youngest (he's four now!!!) was born with congenital hip dysplasia and wore the same type of harness. Luckily he is a summer baby and was happy in a onesie. He wore it for quite a while and we thought we were headed for surgery as it wasn't correcting as quickly as they would have liked. Then I started letting him sleep on his tummy during the day (you know, that BIG NO-NO) and when we had the next x-rays, his hips had corrected considerably! In fact they thought they had the wrong x-rays. They couldn't believe it when I told them the only thing that had changed was his sleeping position.

Any whooooo, glad your computer issues are fixed and loved the photos.

Have a BLESSED day!!!

P.S. Did you ever post pics of your spring scrapbook project? Just curious!

BenefitsLink said...

Thanks for reminding me to backup my computer! My daughter was born with dislocated hips and those pictures sure bring back memories. The harness didn't work so we went through traction, surgery and the cast. I wish I'd have had your maxi-pad tip back then. But she's 24 now and perfectly fine and you're right about being grateful it wasn't something worse. But it's still hard. And look at little Ellie now. So cute!! I love the curls.

tricia said...

Isn't it amazing how living in the present happy moments dull the past inconveniences;makes them seem not so bad.

Carri Russo said...

Ellie even makes a body cast look cute!!!! She is going to be one of those girls that can show up with no make up, sweat pants and hair in a pony tail and she will still be the cutest one there!!!!

SamC said...

Wow, it seems like a dream that Ellie was ever that small. They grow up so fast. Thank you for sharing.

snekcip said...

I can say I thoroughly remember Ellie in a body cast but the pictures are new to me though!! I absolutely cracked up at the "fuzzy slippers"! Ellie face has not changed a bit! She still looks the same! I love looking a "baby pictures" of my kids! It makes you wonder...WHERE DID THE TIME GO!!

PS Thanks for the response via email! I will try to look for that paper this weekend! I lost some priceless photos when my computer crashed and you think I would have "backed up" my recent photos!! This post was a vivid reminder!!! DOING IT ASAP!!!

c.holley said...

IhadforgottenaboutEllie'shipstorysinceyoutoldusatthe
beach.my,my.herfaceisstillthesame.thatcurious,sweet,wonderfulfaceofEllieSue.Loveher!!

Courtlyn

Did ya get that?? =D

c.holley said...

I was saying that sweet, wonderful, curious face of Ellie Sue but the computer cut it off. ??

Renee said...

Yea, your computers fixed! I bet Jessie is super exicted too. That's hillarious about the no spaces on an email. Ellie is too precious, body cast and all.

Happy Birthday Mo!

Michele said...

I forgot about her cast!! My sweet boy, who is 3 now went to UAB last year for constraint therapy (he had a stroke in utero). I would get so upset about his arm cast,even though we elected to have the therapy....but during that time..I would often think of Ellie. I would tell myself the arm cast was nothing compared to what you guys had to go through. We all survived...Cannon is doing great..and I can't believe I had forgotten about Ellie's cast. Have a fun weekend!!!

Norissa said...

not sure if you are a facebook user, but I saw this page and thought of you :)

http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/pages/1111-make-a-wish-/167166170580?ref=nf

Beth E. said...

Awwww....I remember when she had that cast! She's come a looong way since then, huh?!

Have a great weekend. Be thinkin' about me. We took our baby boy to college today....Wednesday we'll help our older son move back to his college. Sure is gonna be quiet in this house!

Carrie said...

You know, I didn't even remember the casts until now. You really are something because most people would have dwelled on that but it really does seem like such a short time now, and so long ago...but it really isn't! You are such a great Mommy. Your girls are so blessed.
Oh, and I have been missing Jake alot lately. I think of him every day when I see my green "Shake 4 Jake" wrist band around my contact solution bottle! Well, I think of him more often than that, but at least once a day!!!
So happy that you have recovered all those pictures. What a blessing in itself!
Have a great weekend.

Oh, and tell Todd I am proud of him for sharing!!!

Nascar88_20 said...

Seeing Ellie in her Pavlik really brought back memories. My 15-yr old daughter was born with hip clickers and wore the brace for 4 months. Thankfully, we didn't have to have a body cast. I can totally relate to the smell, though. She was treated at the Campbell Clinic in Memphis and I still remember being so excited when she outgrew the original harness and they let me clean all the dead skin junk off her little legs and toes before puttng on the new one. I'm big on keepsakes, but I just couldn't keep that nasty thing (but I did keep the 2nd, not stinky one). Thanks for the stroll down memorie lane!

Melissa McCone said...

When my daughter was born, her left hip was dislocated and she had to wear the harness for about 6 weeks. She did not have to do the body cast though. I thought the same thing..."How are we going to get through this!" But, we did and it just makes you stronger and think...no big deal. I have said that same quote many times in my life...especially lately, but I know God gives us these situtations because he knows we can handle them. My daughter is now 6 and has never slowed down!! Love reading about and your family Mo! You guys are great!

mom2allboys said...

we need some more Mo' Joy!! Hope you are doing well, just looking for an update:)