Physical Therapy - California Children's Services (CCS)

Sawyer is 17 months and has recently started walking. Around 15 months he is starting to stand on his own, cruise, and walk with us holding his hands, but he needed more assistance to get him to walk on his own. At his one year checkup with our Orthopedic surgeon he recommended enrolling him in physical therapy. Every state has a program setup for children who qualify to see a physical therapist. In California it's called California Children's Services (CCS). Once your child is approved they are eligible for care until the age of 21. All of this is free of charge! Yup, you heard that right...FREE!

From my own experience this is a long process. My doctor told me from the beginning to make sure to followup as many times as needed to keep the ball rolling. We started by filling out paper work coinciding with our doctor to start the case. About two weeks later I was resent the paper work to fill out again. After I turned everything in I gave it a good week and called to make sure they had everything they needed from me. I was given an update at that time and it looked like we were just waiting for the therapist to decide if Sawyer qualified. I ended up calling two more times to push things along. Everyone I talked to was super helpful and nice. It took almost two months total to hear back, but Sawyer was approved! It was a really happy and tearful moment. Getting one on one attention is just what Sawyer needed.

We met with the physical therapist for the first time when Sawyer was 14 months. He did some activities with Sawyer to see how he moved and what he could do. We made goals of standing and walking. They look at a 6 month period of time if they decide therapy is needed. If they don't think therapy is needed they meet with you once a year. He recommended twice a week for 45 min sessions. It took another month to get a prescription over to our doctor and for the final go ahead. I'm really excited for Sawyer and super thankful this is a service the state provides. Having a child who needs more then the ordinary is costly. Any help is always appreciated. Plus, Sawyer LOVES going to therapy. To him it's playtime and he usually does not want to leave.

I'm writing this post for parents of children with Fibular Hemimelia (FH), but I also hope that it can help others as well. When I first learned about Sawyer's condition I searched the internet for any information I could find. Hearing from other parents in our situation helped me the most. I strive to do the same.

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I want to end on a light note. I think it's super important to find humor in your everyday life. Fibular Hemimelia is no exception. In our everyday conversations I find myself pausing and thinking...did I just say that? Here is a list any parent with a child with a prosthetic can relate to...

"I can't find Sawyer's leg"

"His leg is in the baby bag, my purse, _____________ fill in the blank"

"Can you pick up Sawyer's leg it dropped under the table" Said frequently at restaurants.

This picture is a classic Where's Waldo moment. Can you spot Sawyer's leg? Apparently he thought mommy needed help cleaning out his baby bag.

Sick Baby Recovery Kit

Cold season is officially here...well it is for us anyway. Sawyer gave us a 4 am wake up call this weekend. For the love of sleep and a healthy, happy baby I went into high gear mommy mode. I gathered all the essentials to karate chop this cold! I am not a doctor and I don't even play one on TV. Disclaimer:  these are my must-haves based on my experiences.

From left to right

1. NoseFrida - I bought this for a friend's baby shower and later she admitted that she returned it. She thought it was a gag gift only to learn...SHE NEEDED IT! Her doctor actually recommended it. It is strange, but works great.

2. Saline drops - Use this with the NoseFrida.

3. Aquaphor - I like using this around the nose so it doesn't dry out from a runny nose.

4. Boogie Wipes - I use these even when Sawyer doesn't have a cold. I love the way they smell and I wipe Sawyer's face with them. When he has a cold I wipe his nose with them.

5. Vapor Bath - I just used this for the first time and really like it. I gave Sawyer a bath right before bed and I feel like this helped drain him out and helped give him a good nights rest.

6. Vick's Plug-in - Recommended by a co-worker this ROCKS! It fills the entire room and really helps to keep your little ones nose unplugged.

7. Humidifier - I highly recommend this brand. I wanted to buy the cute little animal shaped one, but was immediately talked out of it by an employee at Target. He told me they have the highest return rate.

8. Thermometer - This is a super basic one, but was recommended by our hospital and it's really all you need.

9. Food Feeder - These are great for introducing whole foods, teething, and for cooling down a fever. I put a frozen piece of fruit in it and let Sawyer munch on it.

10. Frozen Fruit - This goes with #9.

11.Tylenol - Use to lower a fever or allow your little one to rest easier at night.

12. Pedialyte - I always have this on hand. After a horrible experience when Sawyer couldn't keep food down this really helped keep him hydrated.

That's a lot of stuff, but it really does the trick. Sawyer was back to his normal sleep schedule the very next night. This is a great list to keep in case you need it or makes a great gift for a shower.

What are your must haves when your little one is sick?

1 Year Old!

 Sawyer turned one this week and we celebrated with a party this past weekend (details to come). It's been one crazy year, but I wouldn't do it any different. I drew out his chalkboard this morning and immediately thought what I could do for next year? I already have a few ideas up my sleeve. It's been fun to see the transformation from baby into toddler. I love that we have all Sawyer's big moments documented. This year has been a blur and I definitely would not remember all the month-to-month happenings if I didn't write them down.

I bought this felt mini crown for Sawyer's birthday party. I imagined him wearing it while he smashed his fists in some cake! Of course, he had other plans. He was not having it and I ended taking it off. I still managed to squeeze in a mini photo session when he was in a more cooperative mood.

Last, but certainly not least...a year of chalkboards. Love you Sawyer! You are now officially a toddler. I can't wait to see what this year will bring!

10 & 11 Months

Sawyer will be 1 years old at the end of the month. I swear it feels like I just had him (minus the extreme lack of sleep). I can hardly believe it's almost 12 months! I'm a little late on posting, but here are Sawyer's 10 and 11 month photos.

It took about a bunch of tries to get this photo. All Sawyer wanted to do was crawl...really, really fast.

This has to be one of my favorite photos (that little tush!). With Sawyer on the move it's been increasingly challenging to get these pictures, but not this time. He stood right up and was all about grabbing at the door knob. I am so proud of this little guy.

Our Story - Sawyer's Journey

This has been one of the most trying years of our lives. Having a baby is not an easy task and our story does not end there. During my second trimester screening we not only found out we were having a boy, but we were completely devastated to learn there was an issue with his development. I will never forget the doctor entering the room asking the nurse "Which side?" He didn't have to say anything to us; the question and his tone said it all. Something was wrong. I want to share our story of Sawyer's journey. I hope to bring awareness, and help other families in similar situations.

We found out over the remainder of my pregnancy that Sawyer had a problem with his right foot. Our doctors did many tests while I was pregnant to find out what was going on, but could not give us an exact answer. It was not until Sawyer was born and checked out by many specialists that we had a conclusive diagnosis. Sawyer has Fibular Hemimelia, which is a longitudinal fibular deficiency. That's a lot of big words so let me break it down. You have two bones in your lower leg the tibia (large bone) and fibula (small bone). A person with Fibular Hemimelia is missing part of or their entire fibula. In Sawyer's case he is missing part of the fibula, which resulted in partial foot growth. Our doctors could not tell us why or how it happened, but we do know it's not generic. In our case it was also an isolated incident meaning it does not affect anything else mentally and physically, which we were very thankful for.

There are two avenues for treatment: leg lengthening and foot reconstruction or amputation and prosthesis. In Sawyer's situation he did not have a weight bearing foot so there really was only one option for us. At the age of eight months Sawyer had a Boyd amputation. He is left with part of his heel and will be able to walk short distances without the use of a prosthesis. Currently we are in the process of getting him fitted for his first prosthetic leg. The goal is to have him up and walking on schedule with other children his age.

Everyone deals with things differently and I really struggled with the news. When I was pregnant I cried on my way to work most mornings. Once I had Sawyer I cried when I thought about how unfair this all was. He is an innocent baby boy, why him? I was very lucky to find a wonderful psychologist who helped me with my feelings. She told me what I was going through is similar to mourning the death of someone. The loss of the life you thought they would have. What helped me most was talking to family, friends, and researching what was going on with Sawyer. I found salvation in hearing other family's stories. It was one reason I decided to tell our story on this platform. I believe it's not something to be ashamed of and have come to the point where I was ready to tell our story. We are all different in our own ways. Although some differences show more on the outside then the inside it does not make us any less of a person. Sawyer is an amazing little boy and has a very bright future.

From left to right:  This picture was taken soon after Sawyer's surgery at 8 months. Sawyer's cast went right past his knee and his leg was bent to keep the cast from slipping off. As you can see it did not set him back. He moved, played and adjusted to the cast. The center picture is at 9 months and the image on the right was taken at 10 months when the cast was off.

9 Months Old

Sawyer is 9 months old! This was by far the hardest picture to take. Once I set Sawyer down he was on a mad dash to explore his room. I finally cut out a bunch of foam flowers to occupy him. It worked!

When I found out I was pregnant with a boy I instantly became obsessed with finding cute boy accessories. I bought this fedora last year, but there is a similar one here.

5 Months Old

I'm a little late on posting this, but at least I got it up before Sawyer is 6 months! Love is definitely in the air in our household. I've officially decorated for the season and I'm LOVING IT.

I have a chandelier ceiling fan (cringe) above our dining room table and I've found it's the perfect vehicle to hang stuff from. I love these pom poms and they add a lot of drama to the room.

I collect plates and display them on a wall in our dining room. I like keeping it fresh by switching them out to match the season. I found these heart plates at Target...SCORE!

4 Months Old and Some Christmas Cheer

Yesterday it felt like Thanksgiving and tomorrow is Christmas Eve. What the heck happened? Having a baby and getting into the spirit has been difficult for me this year. I have been so caught up in the day to day I forgot about enjoying myself and this magical time of year.

This weekend I finally got into the swing of things (better late then never!). We started a new family tradition and went Christmas light hunting. I found a place close by where the entire community decks out their homes Griswold style. We strapped Sawyer in the car, grabbed some gingerbread and eggnog lattes, cranked up the Christmas music, and hit the road for a Christmas light extravaganza! Sawyer slept the entire time and we got a dose of the holiday spirit.

Next we build a gingerbread house. NOTE: You have to build the house, let it dry for HOURS, and then decorate. I seriously thought I could knock this out in a night. It took two days, but I'm pretty impressed with what we created and I plan on using it as my centerpiece on our dining room table. Next year I will buy a kit again, but I am also going to add some of my own candy in to make it more unique.

This year are hosting Christmas morning breakfast for Derek's family. I plan on making Cinnamon Baked French Toast (you can prep this the night before and bake it in the morning), Best Breakfast Potatoes Ever (the recipe calls for red and green peppers just perfect for the season), Spinach Quiche (it's a take on this recipe except I don't add bacon and I use cheddar cheese. I like to keep this vegetarian. I'm also having fruit and bacon on the table along with a few extras. Stay tuned for pics!

Back to Work

Today was my first day back to work and I have to admit I was dreading it all weekend. Sunday night I felt pretty low, but I packed myself a lunch and picked out an outfit and got to bed early. Sawyer woke up at 2:30 am and I was perfectly happy to tend to him. I was going to miss him so much and even though it was at the crack in the morning I was more then happy to have some quality time with my babe.

Easy lunch suggestion - GoPicnic boxed meals. This is an adult lunchable. It's healthy, tastes great, and fills me up. I love these (except for Tuna & Crackers...the tuna is super fishy)!

Work ended up not being so bad. I not only was dressed for the day, but my hair was also done. I had some adult conversation, pumped 3 times for about 20 mins (60 mins shaved from my day...SCORE!), and I got a break from being full time mom. I worked it out so I go in every other day and I am SO thankful for that.

This is my jam. I listened to it on my way to work and it totally pumped me up!

I was so busy prepping for work I totally spaced posting Saywer's first Halloween pic! It's a bird, it's a plane, it's Super Sawyer!

3 Months Old

Sawyer is 3 months old! He is much more alert and curious about the world around him. He smiles when I talk to him and he copies faces I make. My favorite is when he puckers his lips together and wiggles his head side to side. It's the funniest thing to watch. He started grabbing onto his feet last week and loves to do yoga...you know "happy baby" pose. I also started teaching him basic sign language. One night when I was putting him to bed I swore he signed "milk". Then I read that babies his age start discovering their fingers and the next day I saw him check out his hand. I still wrote down in his baby book that he signed milk. It could have been...right? #babyeinstein

1 Month Old

I can hardly believe our boy Sawyer is 1 month old today! Time has flown by and our little guy is getting bigger and becoming more alert to his surroundings. I painted a door in his nursery with chalkboard paint. I love the idea of constantly changing out the artwork to add freshness to the room. Plus, how cool would it be to write on the walls as a kid and NOT get in trouble?