Clinical Check

     This morning was a clinical check for Froggie. This means we were just going in to make sure she was still tolerating the harness and that it was fitting the right way.

     We got there early and headed in quickly to avoid the rain. After a few minutes in the waiting room we were taken back and Froggie was weighed in at 13lb 2oz. We were then escorted to our typical exam room and waited for Froggie's doctor to review her files and come in. 

     I had mentioned to the nurses that I was concerned about a popping/snapping sound that occasionally came from Froggie's right leg. After she went to add it to Froggie's file Froggie and I returned to making faces at each other and playing with her blankie and frog. I also requested copies of Froggie's X-ray and Ultrasound to keep with all of her records (I walked out with them on CD at the end of our appointment!).

     Froggie's doctor adjusted her harness back to the looser original settings that he had tightened at our las appointment. We were once again reminded to keep up with tummy time and Froggie's doctor took a closer look at her hips to see if anything was causing the noise. He wiggled her legs all around and said that everything felt ok and it may be the ligaments in her knee. He mentioned that the harness isn't able to properly do its' job once Froggie starts to roll over and move more. What I took away from this is that Froggie would then be able to put herself in a position that would keep her hips from laying in the way the harness is supposed to keep them.

Froggie checking out her feet.

     When I explained to the doctor that Froggie is starting to roll from side to side and if her harness is off she can roll from her belly to her back he mentioned that he would like her to wear the harness for another month but at her next check we would do X-rays to check her progress. So July 11th we find out what the fate of the harness is!

Tummy time at school after her appointment.

     This evening Big Brother was showing his little sister the wonderful world of his cars. He even let her hold his brand new Mater!

Eating Mater!

Let 'Em Know 5k - Fragile X Syndrome

     I mentioned that I had registered for another 5k in July, this one is to raise awareness for Fragile X. It is a virtual 5k so I'll be walking/running it on my own during the month rather than en masse with everyone who is signed up to participate. 

     Much like Hip Dysplasia, I didn't know anything about Fragile X until recently. It was brought to my attention through social networking. A friend of mine from college has been posting about family members with Fragile X and was the one who alerted me to the 5k. I'm all about raising awareness; especially with the new understanding that without knowledge funding for early detection and treatment is almost impossible to find. 

     So the big question you're all asking is - What is Fragile X?

           "Fragile X Syndrome (FXS) is a genetic condition that causes intellectual disability, behavioral and learning challenges and various physical characteristics. Though FXS occurs in both genders, males are more frequently affected than females, and generally with greater severity. (http://www.fragilex.org) The only way to identify Fragile X is to know what it is and push for testing. Without knowledge of the syndrome parents may not know to push for a better diagnosis than the one they may have been given instead.

     Please consider donating to our team and helping to raise awareness of something that affects people on a daily basis. Until you read this you probably had never heard of Fragile X Syndrome, but it is those causes that you knew little about that require the most help. If you want to check it out or donate you can do that here. http://www.crowdrise.com/Kathleen-NFXFLetEmKnow5k-kathl/fundraiser/michellemong

Feeling Froggie

     Greetings from a silly, sleepy Froggie.
    

     Froggie got her very own froggy from my mom this past weekend and she loves it. Well she loves to eat it, which is about the same thing as far as a 4 month old is concerned. 

     Lately Froggie has been very interested in playing with her harness. I'm not sure if she likes to hold on to it in an attempt to get it off or if it's just a convenient place to put her hands. I'm not really sure how effective her harness is if she sits around with her legs up in the air but she seems to have fun. I decided to take some pictures today while she was holding her straps and playing with the velcro.

     Tomorrow is another clinical check so we'll see if her harness needs adjusting at all. 

Upcoming Projects

     I got a package in the mail today that I've been obsessively checking the tracking of for the last week. In it was a new book "The Parents' Guide to Hip Dysplasia". It's a new edition that was updated by author Betsy Miller and published this year. My first upcoming project is to read my new book and learn more about Froggie and others with Hip Dysplasia.

     My second project is to develop a logo for Froggie and the fundraising I'd like to do for the International Hip Dysplasia Institute in the future. It's coming along nicely and I'll be sure to share it with you all when it's completed (or at least closer to completed than it is right now). 

     I've signed up for 2 (yes... 2!) 5k's this month. Both are in the month of July and as I mentioned before one is the Armed Forces 5k. The second is for Fragile X awareness. I'll post about it tomorrow, stay tuned.

     That's it for tonight. Froggie hopes you all had a good day! My car has a "boo boo" though so we're getting up EXTRA early to take hubby to work. 

God Bless Froggie

     Today was a busy day for us. We were up and about early to prepare for this afternoon prior to church. We set up a pavilion and loaded up cars before heading to church. After mass some more of our family and friends arrived at the church to witness Froggie's baptism. Her gown even fit over her harness.

     We are blessed to come from large extended families and had many of them in attendance for Froggie's special day. After her baptism we had a picnic for everyone, it was a beautiful day for it and short of a small mix-up with our cake order it went off without a hitch.

   

Equipment Day at the Zoo

     Before we began our preparations for tomorrows festivities the kids and I met my hubby when he got out of work to go to equipment day at our zoo. They brought in a bunch of construction vehicles and a fire truck and placed them throughout the zoo with volunteers to aid children in checking them out. It was REALLY busy but Big Brother was SO excited to go see the "big trucks".
     He got to climb inside most of them and did such a great job waiting in line. He always impresses me with how patient and kind he is when we're out and about.
     Froggie spent our time at the zoo in the ergo and was a pretty happy camper. Here are some pictures from our day.

Hubby and Big Brother in one of the trucks.

Big Brother and the trucks.

Froggie and I with the big trucks.

Me and the kids.

How Froggie spent most of our time at the zoo.

     Froggie's Harness was still drying and we needed to go out and about so she got to wear pants! I think everyone was a little interested to see her in them.

Heavy Duty Wash

     Well today was the day.
     We can't get by with spot cleaning today. Froggie spit up ALL OVER her harness and it needed to be cleaned. Despite the fact that the harness itself says hand wash and drip dry we made the decision to run it through the gentle cycle in the washing machine and hang it up. It seemed to work well and looks a little better, though the feet seem to be permanently dingy.
     Froggie is getting LOTS of out of harness time while it drys!