Luca is walking!

My last blog post was practically outdated less than 24 hours after I wrote it. Luca was up and walking all over the house on Thursday! He is walking really well now! It is such a wonderful experience to have him back on his feet. Thurs. morning he woke up and on of the first things he said to Juliette was "do you want to play chase?"
His short leg cast comes off on Monday afternoon! We are thrilled to almost be done with this casting period and have Luca on his feet! Celebration!!!

On his FEET!

Luca is back on his feet, literally. He is slowly working on walking again! He can get from the bathroom to his room occasionally and has a few times gone from the living room to his room. Progress has been slow, but he is definitely making some! He is still using the wheelchair at school and at home if he needs to really get anywhere. His foot hurts when he stands or walks on it although it seems to be improving as the days go by. He is eager to walk, but often he starts and needs to sit down again quickly. Luca has also been much more patience with himself and this progress than I could have imagined he would be.
Then, yesterday I came home to him jumping one legged on the trampoline, so you can tell he is pushing the limits like usual.
Only 5 more days till his cast comes off. I am not as excited about the walking part as I use to be just because I realize that all might take some more time, but at least he will be able to take a proper bath!!! And we don't have to worry about the cast getting wet or dirty and all that.
He has also picked out space themed AFO's and Luca is very excited about picking those up on Monday!
Pictures of Luca to come....

Here are a few cute ones of Juliette I took this week! She is quite a book worm these days! She will spend 30 mins. or more sometimes just going through a pile of books on her own. "I read all myself" she says. It is so precious and welcomed. She has gotten to spend some special time with Cozy Nana and she sure loves that lady!

Luca's new cast

Luca got his long leg cast taken off yesterday. He was thrilled to get it off. His new cast is white and blue and goes to below the knee. It looks so tiny compared to the last cast. Luca's leg is quite weak and he is not walking independently yet. He needs someone to spot him anytime he is on his feet (literally arms around him every step). We still have the wheel chair and he has been using it at school and some of the time at the house. Luca is determined, of course, to walk and very internally motivated. We are hoping that he will get more stable soon. I should have realized that it would be so hard for him to walk but I didn't.  We are thankful that his new cast is much lighter and Luca can bend his knee and stand more easily. We were also able to give him a bath holding his leg up while he lays in the bathtub. First bath in 6 weeks. He looks and smells good!!

This evening I said, "Luca please look up so I can take a picture of you to put on the blog with your new cast." Luca said, "no, don't take a picture. If people want to see my new cast they have to come visit me." I think this kid likes visitors:) I took the picture anyway for all of those of you who won't see us in the next two weeks. Thank you to all of you who have come over these last many weeks! He will be excited to show off his cast when he sees you next.

Luca also loved April Fool's Day. I am thankful he didn't learn about it till this evening and was joking from then till bedtime. He said "I don't want this day to end! I love the jokes!" Our neighbor Jake got him with, "Our neighborhood is out of hot water" This was just before Luca had to take his first bath....panic....April Fools! I think we will have to watch out next year...I have a feeling he is not going to forget this funny day!

Here are a few pictures of Juliette looking at books, how she starts every day. And then after bath. Below are the pictures of Luca's new cast!

Good-bye Popeye

My dad is flying back to Germany tomorrow (hopefully as he is flying stand by) to lead a trip of high school students from BFA and the German High school to Romania. They are going to work together to construct a medical clinic/school. We are excited for him to lead this trip, and to see Betsy and Eric, but we will be missing him in Seattle.
We have all enjoyed getting to hang out with Popeye and Luca especially has had a very meaningful time with Popeye these last many weeks post surgery, with some special one on one time. We are so grateful that he has been here to be apart of our lives! Thanks again for your energy, encouragement, and care for the kids Dad!
Thankfully my mom will be staying here in Seattle during the Romania trip!

 Come back and play baseball soon Popeye! from Luca...and I am going to miss the whip cream.....

last few days in the cast

We are counting down the days maybe the hours of Luca's long leg cast coming off. We are on the home stretch but it feels like sometimes that last last mile in the marathon is the hardest part right? Well, I am feeling that way right now. We are almost there but these last days are tough! Yesterday, I made the terrible mistake of trying to do the day like I did when Luca was walking...what was I thinking. (too many activities, went to the Pet store, toy store with my dad and Juliette and Luca, visited Luca at school with Juliette, not enough rest time and Juliette didn't nap.) Learned my lesson, won't do that again. Thankfully my parents were here to help too. Can't wait till Monday afternoon!!!

One cool story: The other day I came up the stairs in the morning to find Luca in the kitchen with his hand splints and AFO on sitting in his wheel chair....does this kid have superpowers or what? Questions race through my mind. How did he get out of bed? Into his wheel chair? And wheel himself to the kitchen with his hand splints on? I made him tell me about it.
He said, "well, it took me while...I rolled out of my bed...scooted to my wheelchair, held my wheel chair with one arm so it wouldn't roll away from me and pushed with my one leg and pulled with my arm over the chair and rolled myself in to the chair. Then I used my foot to roll myself forward because I have these hand splints on....oh, I also dropped a letter for a friend, that I wedged between the wall and my toes in my AFO and squeezed my toes down to hold the letter tight then I brought the letter to my mouth and got it onto my lap."
"wow" I said, "that is incredible"
I am not sure my words describe the situation very well, but Luca never stops surprising me with his creative adaptions to make things that seem impossible, possible for him!

I am slowly learning to never say never with Luca pertaining to him having arthrogyposis or even this long leg cast.

A few highlights of the week...Amy and Gus taking Luca to the aquarium all afternoon!!! Thank you Amy!
Another highlight my dad taking Luca on errands, buying him a baseball bat and a ball and then watching Luca play hit the ball in his wheel chair 10 times in a row! Again, never say never with this kid. And what a special time with Popeye!
My mom was reading him Little House on the Prairie last night and Luca got such a kick out of this song:
"Old Dan Tucker was a fine old man;
 He washed his face in a the frying pan,
He combed his hair with a wagon wheel,
And felt the toothache in his heel.
Git out of the way for Old Dan Tucker.
He's too late to get his supper.
Supper's over and the dishes washed,
 Nothing left but a piece of squash.
Old Dan Tucker went to town,
riding a mule, leading a houn'"

He just laughed and laughed....and asked my mom to sing it for John as soon as John came home from work.

Thank you to all of those who have visited, bought or sent cards, or gifts, or come to visit! These things have all be HUGELY helpful during post surgery 6 weeks!!!!

Luca playing with his favorite thing...mud

 Came out of his room scooting his animals behind him.

 Playing with clay from Auntie Cindy!!! Thank You!

 blowing bubbles by himself! Thank you Phil and Holle for the bubbles and gifts!

Juliette enjoying a 60 degree sunny day...what does she do, while Luca plays with the dirt? She strips and runs around...

Science projects, rocket ships and smiles

Jen brought over some really cool science projects the other day for Luca, Ezra and Silas to do together! It was awesome! Here are a few pictures of the explosions. This is what happens when Diet Coke and Mentos meet.

Then the next day we went over to our friend, Vanessa's house and she had gotten the biggest box ever to turn into a rocket ship. Her son, Luca and my son Luca,  and her twins, Tristan and Alexean (sp) painted and set the ship up to the moon. They pretended to be astronaut dogs and fought off aliens together:) So fun! While I got to enjoy a beautiful run by the sound! Thank you Vanessa! I wish I had pictures of it!

Then here are a few pictures of some happy moments I have had with Juliette while Luca was at school and while he was at a great musical concert with Popeye!

This is Juliette with her new birthday presents, a food cutting set and coffee pot from Popeye and Nana. She loves to make you a good cup of coffee with a snack! She is also showing off her new PJ's that zip up the back so she cannot get out of them at night. We prefer when she keeps her clothes and diaper on! 

Luca's recasting

Luca, John and I went to Children's Hospital this morning for Luca to get the cast changed in the operating room. We arrived at 10 am, waited till about 11:30 am and then John went in to the OR with Luca as he fell asleep. Luca was pretty calm about it all this morning but certainty did not want to being there. Luca really wanted to see Dr. Mosca before the surgery and was able to do that. Luca smiled the most this morning during that short visit with Dr. Mosca.  Luca was finished with the recasting about 12:30 pm and then came out into recovery at 1pm. He was sad when he first got to us, but got some pain medication and watched the IPAD till 2 pm. I asked Luca if his foot felt better after he got IV morphine. Luca said, "ya, it worked"
We got home about 3 pm and he is watching some Curious George. Luca will be in the long leg cast for four more weeks. He has an appointment on March 31st to get his short leg walking cast! And April 14th (the day before his birthday) to get his short cast off. Luca is excited to be cast free again for his birthday! We will all be glad, thanks for your support in this journey.