RETRO CIRCLES

Saturday, July 23, 2011

HOT HOT HOT!!

This summer is so ridiculously hot, and I even love the heat, but this is just too much!! In July alone we have had only 5 days under 100 degrees. We had several days of 105 temperatures and a wonderful weekend of a 108 degree Saturday followed by a 111 degree Sunday! That is actual temperature, not the 'feels like'! The 'feels like' is just plain HOT!

Needless to say we have not done a lot outside.  We are an outdoor family. We love spending time outside. We love the water. But it's just too hot for us and definitely too hot for Magnolia! We have to get out for her doctor's appointments and therapy, but she gets so hot in her little car seat, we don't get out unnecessarily. Needless to say we are going a bit stir crazy. 

Magnolia has had a very busy summer.  She had a VCUG test on July 7th.  They found no sign of kidney reflux.  They are unsure as to why she has hydronephrosis.  We will keep an eye on that.   Magnolia also had her HIB vaccine on July 12th and thankfully she did not seize! Magnolia had x-rays of her hips in and out of her brace on the 12th.  The results say that in and out of the brace her left femoral head is ossified and appears normally aligned with respect to the acetabulum. Her right hip out of the brace has a slight superior and lateral subluxation.  In the brace her right femur appears properly aligned.  Basically that means we still need to put her in the hip brace as much as possible.  She hates it. I hate it. But it is much better than the alternative, a spica cast, especially in this heat!  Magnolia has been getting her foot and neck taped by her PT and we have been happy with the results.  We saw her orthopaedic doc last week and she ordered AFOs to be made.  We went to have them molded on Thursday.  I'm anxious to see what Magnolia thinks of them.  She responded well to the tape.  It didn't bother her at all and she actually seemed more aware of her foot and willing to put in down on the ground while it was taped.   We are hoping for the same effect with the AFO.

Magnolia has also had a busy summer therapy schedule.  She has speech on Mondays, OT on Wednesdays, PT on Thursdays, hydrotherapy on Fridays and then an additional speech/PT visit every week that comes to the house.  Next week she has her cardiologist appointment and her ENT appointment.  I'm trying to get as many visits in before I report back to school.  Where did the summer go?!?! 

Toller finished his baseball season and he absolutely LOVED it! Thanks Jeremy for letting him play on your team!

Hitting a home run!

Too hot to play outside.  

Just making sure it's still you Toller
Hanging out
She is getting so big!
We are working hard on this.  It doesn't happen too often but it will...someday.
Peaches?!? Not a big fan.

Magnolia still can't sit very well in this but she is getting better everyday.
Smiling at Jeremy    



Monday, July 11, 2011

New Toys

Magnolia has not found an interest in toys.  We have tried a lot of different ones and for the most part she could take them or leave them.  She does like to look at books with pictures of real babies.  I had to go to my favorite local bookstore and have them order me more because they are hard to find.  The bookstore ordered several and Magnolia loves them.  Our OT suggested we get Magnolia the little mylar balloons that are attached to a stick that are often put in plants. We cut the sticks down so they were not as long and gave them to Magnolia (with supervision of course). She loves them.  She can hold one (though I am not sure she knows she has it in her hand) and wave it around and watch it.  It is bright and shiny!  It is perfect because it is so light and easy for her to grasp.  Our OT was digging through a huge box of toys seeing if there was anything that caught Magnolia's eye and guess what did?  A slinky!? Yep, a slinky! Toller got out one of his tiny slinkys and hooked it to Magnolia's play gym.  She loves it!  She bats at it and grabs it. 

It is shiny!

Look how cool this is

So good to see her reaching for something

Everyone loves a slinky!

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

4th of July


We spend every 4th of July (and most every summer weekend) at a quaint little Kansas lake.  This year we stayed at the most adorable bed and breakfast called the Cottage House.  It was the perfect place for us to gather and for Magnolia to relax and not have to be out in the scorching summer heat.


Magnolia loved being outside
Gorgeous front porch at the Cottage House
Having breakfast with Nana outside on the porch
Isabella loving on Magnolia
Aunt Heather giving Magnolia her first dip in the lake
Magnolia loving her Water Way Babies ring.  THANKS Kristy for the info on this super cool ring.
Relaxing after a swim
Our nephew Alex and his sweet girlfriend Charlsie hanging with Magnolia

Magnolia loves her Uncle Scott




Toller skiing.  He loves the water!


Toller and Jack maneuvering the boat....oh just imagine what it will be like in a couple of years with the real boat!!


We love the lake
Happy 4th of July