first blog

So, this is my first blog. I'm kinda excited! Just a quick update about our family. Maddison Grace has arrived. September 13 at 9:25 pm....weighing in at 7 pounds and 15 ounces. She's doing very well. Yesterday, she had her weight check up appointment and she now weighs 8 pounds and 2 ounces. She's so cute...and CUTE! My mom is doing great too! She's tired, but she's really enjoying staying home with Maddi. I'm kinda jealous that she gets to stay home (away from work!) and love on her all day long. :-( No fair!


Marissa is in 3rd grade. Crazy...she's 8 and will be 9 in January! She's growing up way too quickly. She's still energetic as ever and still a little dramatic, but that's why we LOVE her! In 3rd grade, apparently the load of homework increases greatly! They're memorizing the WHOLE chapter of Hebrews 11!!!! 40 verses! Very ambitious. I do remember that in 3rd grade, I wrote my first paper/report (the first of many...the never ending story of school). It was about raccoons (I don't why I picked that animal) and I made a little poster and talked about them for a few minutes. But anyways, 40 verses, I think that's a lot, but pretty awesome too!


Dad's lawn business is starting to slow down with the colder weather approaching. I think he only has a few more lawns left and then he's "closed" until Marchness. Although, some days he was pretty tired from the work, I think he really liked it a lot. When we lived in Ivor, he loved taking care of the yard. Although his business is a little slower, he's pretty busy with school this year. He's teaching ALL the p.e. classes. He's still the A.D. (for the non athletic crew- athletic director) and is looking forward to the upcoming basketball season. And of course, he is enjoying Maddison!!! "Bright eyes" and "lil sis" are his nicknames for her.


Mom, wow what a wonder woman. Ok, to all the moms out there...YALL ROCK! I don't know how yall carry a baby for 9 months. Those 9 months are so exciting and yall must burst with anticipation, but the morning sickness, stretch marks/weight gain, the odd cravings, fluctuating hormones/emotions, and forgetfulness (mom had a lot of that...lol) has got to be draining at times. And then it's time of labor and delivery. Holy cow!!!! Yeah, so moms pretty much rock! And I definitely appreciate her a lot more now. She's been doing a lot and doing a GREAT job! I give her total props and kuddos!


And now, an update about me. I'm still working at CHKD. The past few months have been a little crazy. I've been driving all over the Tidewater area working at different clinics, but finally things have settled now. Two days a week, I work in Norfolk in splint and serial casting clinic. There we cast for splints and also serial cast. I love the pace of that clinic. It's go go go! And it's great to see kids transform over the weeks in serial casts. I'm working with a very knowledgeable therapist, Karen.
Then on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays I'm at Harbour View (3 minutes away from home!!). Kids we see there have a variety of disabilities- CP, austim, speech delays, and many more. Again, it's great to see kids improve! Even though some days I very tired- I'm gaining so much experience and I'm very thankful for the opportunity to work at KD!!!!



We cast the kiddos with fiberglass (the same material used when you break your foot) and then we use a slide (the blue thing) and a tool like a box cutter (but much safer) to take the cast off. Then we send the cast/mold to Cascade, where they fill the mold with plastic and then you have the finished product of a brace/splint.


This a pic of serial casts. Serial casting is a noninvasive procedure that helps kids improve their range of motion. The cast is well padded and immobilizes a joint that is lacking full range of motion. The cast is applied and removed on a weekly basis. Each cast gradually increases the range of motion in the affected joint. It's a really cool process! The kiddos can use pink, blue, or purple casting material. The casts do not create a hindrance for the kids- they can walk, run, and play!

Today, I'm officially a COTA (certified occupational therapy assistant) applicant!! My application is in the mail! It's very exciting and a little nerve racking. I have no clue about the wait time for acceptance. So, I sit and wait.


Well, until next time...