Clubfeet Treatment Update!

Today Mason had his long-awaited checkup with the Orthopedic Surgeon for his clubfeet.  You can see more posts about Mason’s casting and bracing process for his clubfeet right here.  After checking Mason over and asking some questions we were delighted to learn that we’ve graduated to a new bracing schedule.  YAY!Instead of wearing his foot brace for 23 hours per day he will only wear it for bedtime (about 9pm to waking in the morning).  We are so excited for many reasons:

1. We get to see and play with baby toes!  All Day Long!  You have no idea how much I’ve missed seeing baby toes.
2. Mason is easier to hold, carry, and play with.  There is no awkward bar holding feet in shoes at a specific angle and width.  He’s all snuggly and can go in a baby sling for walks and adventures even.
3. We can slip physical therapy moments in more easily.  Working on flexibility in Mason’s feet and ankles as well as knees, hips, and everything else is easier when you don’t have to unclip a bar, untie and unbuckle shoes, and then put it all back on 10 minutes later.
4. Mason will have a good shot at working on rolling over at last!  With the weight and awkwardness of his foot brace it really made rolling over nearly impossible for him because he’s a paraplegic.  Mason is strong, but not that strong.  In the last few weeks he had started spinning in circles on his belly or back, and inching up when on his back or backwards when on his belly while wearing the brace.  So now that we’ve removed that weight it will be neat to see what he learns to do.

Mason is growing so quickly.  He is nearly 6 1/2 months old.  He is very curious and wants to know what is going on around him.  This makes him very distractible and lately he’s too busy checking out sounds and people to bother finishing a bottle.  As in, he never finishes one.  He has just barely started to pay attention when we’re eating meals so we decided to offer him a bit of oatmeal yesterday at dinner. He wasn’t terribly impressed.  I can’t say I blame him.  It went in and after mouthing it a bit the oatmeal came right back out.  We’re going to hold off on food for now and try again in a few weeks, but we’re in no rush. That’s pretty much it for updates until tomorrow when we meet with his physical therapist!