Sweet Freedom....or so we thought!

Sweet freedom was within our grasp! We left the house Thursday morning in great spirits. We knew this was the last day of casts for Brylee and were anxious to start the new process of the braces. We knew this was the last frontier to cross before true normalcy for our little one. Excitement was in the air as we stopped for dollar menu breakfast from Burger King (we weren't organized enough for breakfast at home!). She was all smiles waiting for Carla to remove the casts and for Dr. Segal to give her the "ok".

(Not sure why my camera is fuzzy?)





Carla took the casts off for the last time.....and it was glorious! Brylee doesn't much care for the noise, but she loves to kick and play once it's done! Her feet looked normal, tiny, cute, and perfect!







We headed over to Hanger to fit her with the Ponseti Brace, (or AFO's and people know them) and she was loving life! Then it happened.......they put the brace on. My little girls heart broke. Her sweet little lips turned into the sweetest and saddest pout face you have ever seen. Yes, she hates the brace. This brace is extremely necessary, otherwise I would have chucked it out the window on our drive home. I would take the castings any day to this thing. It is definitely cleaner and I'm sure once she gets used to it it will be easier, but I hate it too! The lady at Hanger measured Brylee's shoulders wrong (the brace has to be the same width or a little wider than her shoulders), and then placed them an inch and a half wider than they should be in case of "growth". Meanwhile, my daughters legs are practically in splits and she is screaming! We were prepared that she would be fussy because her legs are tethered together, but she was in pain! Stupid hanger lady! After some research when I got home, we moved her brace in an inch and a half and she was a little happier.

This is my favorite pic of her so far. I love when babies sleep like this!








The first two nights Brylee was crying every hour in pain and frustration. By the third day Rusty and I had big hopes that she would be back to her normal self. After each casting she was only fussy for 24 hours. Still, she wasn't herself at all and would scream like a banchy anytime you touched her feet. One foot keeps trying to creep up so we are constantly working and tightening down the brace but I'm afraid she is screaming because the brace is too tight. All in all, we are still in the process of trying to figure this out.

The good thing however, (there always is a silver lining), is that this is the last major adjustment she will need to make with her feet. She wears the brace full time (23 hours a day) for 3 more months and then only at nap time and nights until she is 4 years old. I keep telling myself we just have to make it through this adjustment period! So, here is our little girl, cast free!!