Happy One Month!

Taking a quick break from my research to post Nora's one month stats.  Yes, I realize she is close to six weeks old, but I can assure you that this picture was taken on her one month birthday thanks to my sister's insistence.  Megan said I can't "fake" the one-month photo, but I think I still could have pulled it off;)

One-Month Stats:

Wears mostly newborn size clothes.  I put her in a three-month onesie for this photo - see all that extra fabric?  This girl needs "Newborn Tall" sizes.  However, since that doesn't exist, Nora will start wearing three-month sizes since the newborn clothes are too "short" for her.

Weighs 8 lbs, 4 ounces and is 23 inches long.  She is roughly in the 30th percentile for her weight and over 90 percent for her height.

Nurses at 10, 2 and 6 throughout the day.  She takes about 30 minutes each time. Makes for a great excuse to do a little online shopping from my phone;)

Smiles. All. The. Time.  So freakin' cute.

Sleeps well MOST nights - one or two nights a week are the exception.  Each week gets a little easier, a little more predictable.

Loves to hang out with her parents.  We are on-the-go people, so this little girl has been to the mall, run errands all over the city, hung out on a college campus, attended church and dined in nice restaurants with her parents' friends (she was asleep for all of this of course).  She never complains.

Goes to the pediatric ortho every week.  They have to adjust her harness each week as she grows.  Every time, the doctor comments on how long she is getting.  We may have another volleyball player on our hands:)

Only has THREE weeks left of full-time harness wear, and then she will just need to wear it for a few more weeks at night.  After that, her hip should be fully formed correctly and we won't have to worry about this ever again!

Most recent photo dump:

 Sleeping through her first trip to Goodwinds so Mommy can pick out her spring flower selections.  She likes to keep that pacifier close while sleeping in case she wakes up and wants it.

Emma and "Uncle Deedle".  Emma is in love with her cousin!

Emma loves to help "Uncle Deedle" with Nora

Emma wanted in on the photo - think they'll want to repeat this pose when Emma is 24 and Nora is 20?  Worth a shot.

Did I mention she smiles all the time?  JD was taking a picture of her and I walked up to tickle her cheek.  Bam - big smile!

What Is She Wearing?!

If you've seen our daughter over the past week, you may have asked yourself - what is she wearing?!

Answer: The Wheaton-Pavlik Harness to correct her hip dysplasia.

When Nora had her first exam in the hospital, the pediatrician said that she heard "clicks" when maneuvering Nora's hips, which are a symptom of hip dysplasia.  Hip dysplasia occurs in about 3 of every 1,000 live births.  Basically, it's where the hip socket doesn't form correctly, and the baby is born with a dislocated hip.  Totally fixable, not a big deal at all - unless you let it go untreated until an older age.  If untreated, people with hip dysplasia as infants could develop arthritis early on and need hip transplants as early as their 30's.  Diagnosing hip dysplasia as an infant allows for the most minimally invasive corrective action - Nora just has to wear a velcro harness for a few weeks.

We knew in the hospital that she "might" have this, but the ultrasound was negative and we agreed to have another ultrasound when Nora was a month old.  At the one week checkup, our pediatrician felt it might be occuring in both hips, and decided we needed to check again sooner.  After sending us to a radiologist and a pediatric ortho, they finally confirmed her hip dysplasia in her left hip and suited her up.  For the next six weeks (now down to five), Nora has to wear this harness full-time.  After that, there is an additional six weeks of part-time wear where she only has to wear it at home and when she sleeps.  Luckily, this harness has over a 98% corrective rate, so we are confident this will be all she needs.

How is Nora adjusting?  She has no idea.  Honestly, she is just as happy as before.  And she still sleeps great.

How are her parents adjusting?  For a few moments, we acted like the world was ending.  Seriously.  It sounds so silly now - if this is the worst thing that can go wrong with your child, a fully correctable bone issue - who are we to complain?  I think we were worried about people thinking our baby was "different", as shallow as that sounds.  At the end of the day, we are thankful to have such diligent physicians in Nora's life who ensure that she stays happy and healthy as she continues to grow and smile each day!

Conversations Between Exhausted Parents

The other night, Nora was pretty fussy.  Between having a growth spurt and a touch of diaper rash, our normally sleepy baby would not sleep on her own.  I had resorted to feeding her around the clock and holding her in bed with me as the only way to soothe her.  Some time around three a.m., JD struck up a funny conversation in his sleep (eyes closed):

JD: Honey, you've been holding the baby all night.  Can I get you anything?  A hot dog?

Me: A hot dog?  Seriously?

JD: Not a hot dog.  You know what I mean.  One of those things.

Me: I have no idea what you're talking about.

JD: You know - a peanut butter and salsa thing.

Me: What? A peanut butter and salsa sandwich?

JD: Yeah, you want one of those?

Me: Are you high?

JD: Huh? Do you want one?

Me: (knowing we have no hot dogs in the house, but wanting to mess with him) No, I think a hot dog sounds good.

JD: You want salsa on it?

Me: Sure.

And then he falls fast asleep...never a dull moment!