First Tan For The Little Man

Have I mentioned that Isaac has a tan? Yep, he's been spending so much time outdoors this summer that he's turning into a little coffee bean.
This is very cool indeed because there were many summers that were spent mostly indoors because he was either too sick, his oxygen sat's were not very good or he needed more medical equipment. Isaac has his own language and when we mention going to the park he gets excited and tells us that's EXACTLY what he wants to do! We have to spell it out for the dog though or she will go nuts! Last week Isaac's Great Aunt Karen and Uncle Dave came up for a visit from California. It's always a treat to snuggle with the little man!
Sweet moments with big sister!
Isaac's new shirt that he got from Aunt Cassie when she went to Disneyland. It says "I may be small, but I'm the boss! Isn't that the truth?!

The Big Appointment

Yesterday we went to the big appointment to talk more about the pros and cons of having hip surgery. At the last appointment I left feeling extremely overwhelmed and hardly able to explain it all to my husband. Since we both needed to be on the same page, he was able to go to this one. I was so relieved that he could be there to help me sort out what's best for our sweet boy.

It's a fact that Isaac's hips are 60% dislocated and they will most likely continue to get dislocated because of his high muscle tone. He may not be able to speak, but he's very good at giving us cues. I'm certain that we would know if he was in any pain, especially while in the stander or the gait trainer. The surgery could be very long and invasive. I know that many kids have had it done before, but he has a very fragile respiratory and immune system.

So the big picture is that RIGHT NOW he's a very happy boy and healthier than he's ever been. It took a long time to get here. We wouldn't want to jeopardize that in any way. So we play wait and see and HOPE that there is no pain in the future. If that happens we can revisit the possibility of surgery again. For now we don't feel that it's the best decision.

On a positive note, Isaac has been enjoying his backyard swing and walks to the park almost every day!

Sometimes......

Most of the time I try to find the positives, but sometimes I dream about what life would be like if summer activities with a trach didn't cause so much worry.

Earlier we went on a nice family walk to our local park where they have a splash pad. Sam, Autumn and the dog were having a blast, but I found a nice place in the shade AWAY from the water for me and Isaac to sit and watch. Water is like hot lava for a trach kid. I thought maybe I could just get his feet wet, but there were too many kids there and it was likely that he would get sprayed in the face by accident.

But sometimes you have to take risks, so we put him in his kiddie pool a few days ago. Big sister wanted to fill it up with more water than I felt comfortable using. I let her splash water on his feet, but I was a nervous wreck the whole time! I was thinking about how nice it will be if ONE DAY he gets that stupid trach out and he can play in a pool without any worries.

He did have fun kicking his feet in the pool and then dried off in the relaxing sun. This is the life!

A Happy 4th And A Big Decision

We had a nice 4th of July BBQ with family yesterday. I got some cute pics of him looking patriotic in his american allstar shirt.

A special moment with Mama!
Isaac was happy to scoot around in his gate trainer and also show his Aunt Cassie his dance moves (rocking out to row, row the boat). It was great seeing my Mother-in-law too and she seems to be doing so well since her hip surgery last month.
Speaking of hip surgeries, we have another appointment with Shriner's on the 13th. This will be our final appointment to decide on IF and when to do the surgery for his hip dysplasia. Please be praying that we make the right decision that is best for Isaac's quality of life. If he does have it done I will be planning it for the fall. That would be a better time to wear a spica cast.....not so hot! Is there ever a good time to wear a spica cast? I think not.