Pros & Cons

In two weeks, my sweet Caroline will be getting her cast removed.  We are excited and over joyed!! 

Back before we started this Spica cast journey, I thought there really couldn't be many, if any, pros of Caroline being in a Spica cast, but I have found some:

• The crib mattress is still at the newborn level, so not much bending for me.  
• When I put her down, I come back to her in roughly the same spot, but maybe facing a different direction.
• I don't have to bathe her every night, every other night, or even on a regular basis. 
• She doesn't wiggle when I am holding her and it is actually easier to hold on to her with one hand.
• I can squeeze her as tight as I want and it won't squish her.  :o)
• I can only hold her in one position at night when I am feeding her, but that won't stop us from cuddling and bonding.  My littlest lady loves to have her arms rubbed at night and will lift each one when she is ready for me to more on to the next arm.   She also loves for me to rub her legs.
• I don't have to worry about her blanket coming off at night because it sticks to her cast.  

Like all situations, there are a few cons:

• She hasn't had a bath in THREE months.  She had one at cast change (6 weeks), but she didn't smell any different to me.  I ended up giving her a sponge bath when she came home. 
• She is HEAVY and awkward to hold at times. 
• I can't hold her in the cradle position and there is only one real position I can hold her in at night. If she is sick or upset at night, there is no way for me to cradle her and that is sad for both of us. 
• She is a messy eater and that means her cast is not in the best condition.  
• She isn't mobile and that makes for a very frustrated Caroline at times. 

It is truly amazing how your perceptive changes once you are faced with something that you can't change.  Back when she was diagnosed with Hip Dysplasia at 4 months, I thought the cast was the worse thing possible.  However, after going through this journey, I think it was one of the better hip treatments because we know there is a certain amount of time she has in the cast.  We know that we can't take it off for only a "few" minutes for bathing or playing.  Caroline never gets the taste of freedom which prevents her from being irritated about being in the cast. I don't have to un-velcro straps just to change a onesie or diaper.  I know we had to try all the other treatments (Pavlik Harness, Rhino Cruiser), but sometimes I wish this would have been our only option.  I do know that if it was or only option, I am sure I would have found the cast way worse than it really was because I would have had nothing to compare it to. 

 I have a confession to make, I am obsessed with taking pictures of this little beauty!