Traction- Day/Night 2

I do not expect to blog every day, but these first two have been a high learning curve and I thought to share another update.  First, the photo above was specifically requested by our Hip Chick.  She held the monkey up and said, "Mommy, cheeeeeeeese!"  (Mommmy has been a shutterbug...)

Our hippie seemed to have a better day today than yesterday.  She still hit some rough patches, but nothing was as full as last night.  She was rather content with Animal Planet, Bubble Guppies, Yo Gabba Gabba, or Mickey Mouse Clubhouse on tv.  We also entertained her with electronic games, storybooks, and stickers.  She must remain upright for 30 minutes after meals, so these specific times are quickly becoming treasured reprieves.  She still is not supposed to move or walk (and she complies 90% of the time), but these times are exciting opportunities for coloring, more reading, and interactive toys.

We knocked out her first sponge bath today.  For obvious reasons, there will be no photos posted.  She did not seem to enjoy this experience.  We wrapped her legs with trash bags.  Then, we began a small stream of water- just enough to flow directly down the drain.  We created an extra water barrier with a rolled up towel in the event we miscalculated the water flow.  Then, we placed her on the opposite side of the towel from the tub faucet.  We wiped her down to the best of our ability, then laid her head onto the towel to wash her hair.  This part caused a bit of panic.  Once we finished rinsing her hair, she adamantly told us, "Wawa all done."  Still, it was an achievement for us- as mentioned in a few prior posts, she will have sponge baths for roughly six months.  At this juncture, the hair washing seems to be best kept as a two person job. 

Below are a few of her creative positions in spite of the traction unit:

Watching TV

Napping

Using her new stuffed bunny as a pillow.  Do we see a smile?

As with last night, she did not fuss when it was time to sleep in her traction unit.  Other than one pronouncement of "STUCK" (which we quickly remedied), she rolled onto her stomach and has been sleeping as well as usual.  Mommy and Daddy on the other hand- perhaps we sleep a little less than usual these days.  Her nurses mentioned that most parents of children in this program feel as though they revert to a newborn sleep schedule.

Speaking of schedules, tomorrow my husband and I begin alternating days at home/work and caring for her by ourselves during the workday.  (Hence my midnight blog, as I worked at home until that time tonight.)  Tomorrow is his day at home and mine at work, although we will each do our best to remain active/available for our employers on the days at home.  It will be interesting to see how we each manage this next phase of our transition.