Update on Elise's Leg

We took Elise back to the doctor this morning because she was still walking with a limp and still seemed uncomfortable. We also wanted to get a second opinion since the first pediatric orthopedist didn't even try to examine her both times we were there! The orthopedist we saw today actually examined Elise and then ordered another round of x-rays. At this point the fracture would show up on the x-ray so I was looking forward to either getting some peace of mind (if the x-ray appeared normal), or getting treatment for Elise. Sure enough the x-ray showed two small fractures. The doctor wasn't suprised; he could tell right away during the examination that it was fractured. He said that over time it would heal itself but that a cast would help Elise be more comfortable and give her more support while walking. So Elise has a hot pink cast (with silver glitter no less!) on the bottom of her right leg. They gave us a little portable boot to put on her foot which is really helpful when she tries to walk. She's been a really good sport and is handling it the best she can. She's moving around pretty well at this point so hopefully she keeps it up and in two weeks when we go back to the doctor we can get it removed! The thing I was most worried about was giving her a bath because you can't get casts wet of course! Elise LOVES her nightly baths and would play for hours in the tub if we let her. We actually pulled out her infant tub and it worked like a charm. Thank goodness!


A close-up of Elise's pink cast with silver glitter!



Trying to get the hang of walking.



Being silly as usual!



We'll keep you posted on progress...hopefully we're really on the road to recovery now!

On the Road to Recovery!

We've had a crazy week here as I'm sure some of you saw on Facebook. Last Wednesday, Elise slipped on a blanket that was laying on our floor. Since Greg and I were busy cleaning up after dinner neither of us saw her actually fall. It must've been bad because she couldn't pick herself up or walk afterwards. That night I was a little freaked out because I wasn't sure what to do. The next morning we took her into the doctor and she recommended an x-ray. The x-ray appeared normal but the doctor mentioned that kids at this age have a propensity to fracture a growth plate which is really hard to see on an x-ray. So she recommended we visit a pediatric orthopedist because by Friday Elise was still not walking. :( At that point, Elise was so sick of people poking and prodding her that she wouldn't let the doctor get near her to examine her. You would think the PEDIATRIC orthopedist would have some tricks up his sleeve in order to distract a child for an examination...not the case. The doctor told us that the fracture was stable so there was no harm in waiting till Monday to come back when he would try to examine her again. I knew right away that Elise's reaction wouldn't be any different when we came back Monday but I was holding out hope that she'd start walking over the weekend and we could cancel our appointment. In the meantime, the doctor said to gently press her lower leg (below the knee) to see if she was still in pain. So that's what we did. By Sunday she was still not walking but she let us get closer to her leg and everytime we tried to "examine" her she wouldn't cry. Finally some progress! On Monday, we took her back to the orthopedist and he thought the best treatment was to wait on it. He wasn't convinced that it was anything more than a bruise even though she was still not walking. I was happy about that because I know Elise would not do well with a cast or splint on her lower leg for 4 weeks! That night we noticed her standing more. She would occasionally pull herself up to a standing position when she was next to furniture or her toy box. The next day she took a couple steps, albeit with a little limp but it was still more progress! Now she's walking more and more each day, still with a little limp, but hopefully she's back to 100% very soon!

Elise in her baby pool; we tried to keep her spirits up even though she couldn't walk! I think it worked!!! :)

Memorial Day Weekend!

We had a great long weekend, celebrating Memorial Day. On Saturday Greg, Elise, my sister, and I took a trip to the Atlanta zoo; it was Elise's fist time so we were excited because we knew she was going to love it! She had a blast looking at all of the different animals - zebras, giraffes, monkeys, gorillas, panda bears, kangaroos, etc.

Greg and I being silly and entertaining Elise!



Visiting the Kiddy Zoo!



Inside the petting zoo; Elise was NOT interested in petting the animals!



Looking at the animals!!!



Our favorite animal, the giraffe!



Here are more pictures of Elise from the weekend!

My (almost) 19 month old, going on 25!







Sitting outside, celebrating Memorial Day...she's actually trying to get my camera so she can look at pictures of herself!



Although Elise will be 19 months old this Wednesday, I'm just getting around to posting her 18 month stats. She is 25 lbs, 15 oz - 50-75th percentile and 34.5 inches long - 97th percentile. This is the first time she made it on the chart for height. :)

Latest Happenings!

We've had a busy May so far, celebrating Mother's Day, my dad's birthday, and taking a trip to Florida to celebrate Greg's Grandma's 90th birthday!

Mother's day was great; Greg and Elise made dinner for me since we made my mom breakfast on Sunday morning. They also made me a little purse out of paper; when you open it, it says Happy Mother's Day! It's by far my favorite gift of all!!


Mommy and her Baby!



Daddy and Elise showing off the purse they made me. If you look closely, you'll see the purse hanging from her right arm.



Elise wishing my mom a Happy Mother's Day!



On Friday we were on our way to Florida. Greg's grandma just turned 90 so we headed down to visit family and of course celebrate her birthday!

Here's Elise ready to enjoy the pool!



Splashing around with her watering can.



Believe it or not, for all the times we've been to Florida with Elise this was the first time we were able to take her to the beach. We were so excited to let her run around by the water and play in the sand, etc. For the short time that I've been a parent, I've already learned that things rarely go the way you expect them to with kids! And the same goes for our day at the beach! Elise was not a fan of the sand; she literally started crying hysterically anytime her feet would touch it. So she was either on the blanket, on our lap, or in our arms the entire time. She liked being in the water and playing in the waves so I guess it wasn't a complete bust!


Elise's first time at the beach!



Playing in the sand (while staying on the blanket) with Aunt Jill and Brad!



Sitting on Grammy Pammy's lap, eating some Cheerios!



Lounging on mommy with more Cheerios!



Stay tuned for Elise's 18 month stats...her well- visit is this Friday!

18 Months Old!

Elise turned 18 months old on Monday; I can't believe that she will be 2 in six short months! Here are some new pictures of our angel! :)

A Little Girl with a Big Personality!

Our sweetie is almost 18 months old and I just can't believe how fast the time has gone. Elise isn't a baby anymore that's for sure, she's now a little girl with a big personality! When I look at pictures of her from even just 6 months ago, I'm amazed at how much she's grown and changed! She's now talking non-stop and even putting two words together when she talks like, "more milk." In addition to walking, she's now running. When we say Hi, she says Hi back instead of just waving to us. I'm not gonna lie, not all of what she's doing these days is good. Having a soon-to-be 18 month old also means temper tantrums. Before I had Elise, heck even 6 months ago (before these tantrums started) I thought to myself that Elise was so good that she'd never have one and she'd just skip the tantrum stage all together. HA - was I WRONG! Things like going back inside after playing outside or taking away something she shouldn't be playing with (like her daddy's Blackberry) will cause these tantrums. Another thing we're dealing with is biting. It has only happened twice but it's still a big deal, especially when you're on the receiving end! Needless to say, having an almost 18 month old means having to discipline. While we're dealing with some of the negatives that go along with "growing up", all in all the "terrible twos" haven't been that terrible; Elise knows when we're upset with her for doing something wrong and she never deliberately disobeys. She is a really good girl who's exploring her independence. :)

Coloring after storytime at Barnes & Noble.



Elise walking around with daddy at the Dogwood Festival.



Hanging with mommy at the Festival; Elise enjoying her paci while mommy enjoys an adult beverage. :)



Love it when she scrunches her little nose!



Now Elise can push her lion...



...only a few short months ago all she could do was sit on the lion!

Spring has Sprung!

We've had beautiful weather these past few days so we're spending most of our time outdoors enjoying it! Elise absolutely loves playing outside and spends hours collecting rocks and twigs, looking at birds, and being silly! When it's time to go inside she starts crying so we've started eating every meal outside to maximize our time outdoors! :)

Watering flowers!



Playing with her shadow!



She loved walking around with the flowers!



Playing on the deck after eating breakfast outside.



We had a great Easter complete with an egg hunt, tons of food, and great company. Elise had the best time finding the little plastic eggs that we hid. It was so much fun watching her face when she spotted each egg...my favorite part of Easter this year!


Getting her Easter basket from GiGi and Grandpa!



She walked around with it for a few minutes before opening it.



Love this face!



Enjoying her new books!



Elise loves Easter and is already looking forward to next year!