Adjusting to Cast Life

We got released from the hospital yesterday after lunch and made home about 2 o'clock.  James and I ate lunch then Wyatt and I promptly passed smooth out in the living room, him in his nap nanny and me on the couch.  When Wyatt woke up, James sweetly took him into the playroom to help him begin adjusting to his GIGANTIC and HEAVY upper body cast.  

I'm not kidding or exaggerating y'all.  That thing is huge!  lol.  I was not at all expecting it to be that large.    They told me 5-7 lbs but I would put money that's it's heavier.  I haven't put Wyatt on the scale just yet but I will.  

blue = fiberglass cast
white = flannel strips
off white/gray = undershirt

Wyatt is adjusting smoothly.  We spent some time yesterday letting him play with just being in the cast and a diaper.  It allowed us to watch him "interact" with the cast.  We quickly could see where it was bothering him most.  Had to loosen the undershirt some around his shoulder and armpit.  I'm guessing that's from us pulling on it to cut part of it off to keep the moisture from soaking into the cast.  Also, the fiberglass in some spots was rough so we spent some time covering those spots with flannel adhesive strips the hospital gave us.  His cast is blue, I tried for gray (wouldn't show as much dirt) or maroon (gig 'em!) but no such luck.  If we need to, we can take the drimmel to some of those sharp edges.  So far the flannel seems to be doing the trick.  

Wyatt is very top heavy now.  Yesterday he struggled to stand up without hold on to something but as the evening and today has gone on, he has figured it out.  He still tires easily though.  He's wanting to climb and do all the things he was doing but he is just going to have to get stronger to get there.  For example, if he somehow ends up on his stomach, his arms aren't strong enough to get up.  He can push up some but it takes it all out of him and he can't do anything else.  Today he crawled up on the crate seats in his playroom and then couldn't move from there.  He also got up there another time and was trying to crawl to a chair we have in there (which he frequently did before) but he got his upper half on the chair and couldn't move.  I predict in about 2 weeks, he'll be doing most everything he was doing.  He's a fighter and he'll get stronger.  

Watching him go through this reminds me of when he first started sitting up, first started crawling and first started walking running, except it's all at the same time right now.  It's a weird feeling.  

how he slept all night

He was running this afternoon, from me of course and going to opposite direction I wanted him to go, and he fell.  Not uncommon for him to fall like that but watching him do it in the cast was weird.  It made the loudest thud sound when he hit the wood floor.  I think it scared him more than anything but gosh, it scared me too.  

much happier in the morning

Last night Wyatt fell asleep pretty quickly for him.  We put him in his crib on his back.  He stayed in that position, only moving his arms and legs, all night long.  He's a toss and turner of a sleeper so I was surprised we didn't see him try more.  The hard part was him losing his paci.  He'd whine and we'd have to go in there about every hour to two hours all night long.  At 5, I thought he was up for the day, so I grabbed him and selfishly put him in our bed knowing he wouldn't be able to go anywhere.  Normally, precast, he's be all over and in and out of the bed.  We all actually fell asleep for another 2 hours.  It was glorious.  lol.  

in the car seat & wearing maroon for college colors day

For nap today, we tried putting Wyatt in his big boy bed.  Since he can't jump out of it the second I lay him down, I thought I'd try to transition him now before he is able to move better.  Maybe it's my chance.  lol.  He stayed in bed obviously and again fell asleep fairly quickly for him.  Same at bed time.  

he looks like he's geared up with football pads

So, the cast is so large that NONE of Wyatt's shirts fit him anymore.  We have very generous amount of hand-me-downs, wonderful clothes giving g-parents and I've been known to buy a "must have" outfit here and there.... so this kid's closet was FULL.  I think he may have had as many shirts as me.  They all got boxed up and this morning I had to make a Target run.  I had to buy him size FIVE shirts.  It's crazy to look at him, knowing his real size and hold up the size 5 and know that that shirt is supposed to fit my little boy.  On the bright side, once the cast is off, he'll have a full wardrobe for the next couple of years.  

Life as Wyatt's parent is definitely different now.  While in the past, Wyatt has had pretty much free reign of the house.  I didn't always have to have eyes on him.  For right now, one of us is with him.  It's just not safe for him to be on his own.  If he falls, he needs help getting up.  And he is attempting to climb, like I said, and right now, that's just not safe.  I'm sure falling the wrong way could not only hurt but actually be really dangerous.  

But thankfully, it's already gotten easier as the day has gone on.  There's a lot of little things we have to be even more careful of now.  For example, Wyatt's g-button.  It's a leaky one.  It has always been a leaky one.  So, we have to check it ALL THE TIME to make sure his button pad doesn't need to be changed so that it doesn't get on his cast and make it stink to high heaven prematurely.  

in his big boy bed

Sitting in his high chair and car seat looks differently as well.  He looks mighty uncomfortable in both.  But I think he's okay.  He doesn't complain about either.  We also have be crazy careful about him not throwing up on his cast.  So, he wears this full size bib while he eats and for about half an hour after.  I don't know what we'll do if he throws up on himself.  We'd probably have to go in and get a new cast, early.  

Thank you so much to everyone that has prayed for us and offered us some sort of encouraging words and support.  We really do feel it all.  I know I said it last night but I'll say it again and continue to say it, THANK YOU!  

God is bigger than any trial we are or will encounter.  He is giving us strength and energy we didn't know we had and He's been doing it for years now... really always but our trials really began during Wyatt's pregnancy.  When praying for us and pleading on our behalf, please don't forget to help us praise His name on our behalf for all the miracles he's blessed us with as well.  :-)