Henrik's Lederhosen

You know the test they do in the hospital on newborns where they rotate the hips back and forth? I never gave it much thought or knew what it checked for until now. When they did the test on Henrik his hips made a slight click on the left side.

Over the last month we have had two sets of ultrasounds to determine whether he has pediatric hip dysplasia. It turns out that he has a mild case - his hip sockets are a little shallow, so when he moves his legs, his hip joint slips around a bit (more severe cases involve hips that are dislocated or that easily dislocate). This could cause chronic hip pain as he ages and an early hip replacement if untreated. They aren't sure what caused it - the most common cause is being in a breach position, but he wasn't. The doctors think it could be due to his large size - his positioning in-utero could have impacted the development.

We are lucky that they caught his dysplasia early because it is very treatable. We went to see an Pediatric Orthopedic Surgeon yesterday and he said there is a 95%-97% success rate. The treatment involves Henrik wearing a Pavlik Harness 24hrs a day for 6-12 weeks. The harness keeps his legs in froggy position so that the hip joint can form around his ball joints as he continues to grow and develop. Though the harness looks uncomfortable and bulky, it really doesn't cause any discomfort for Henrik - he can still move quite a bit - it just keeps his legs from being fully extended. He still easily can feed, go in his car seat, be swaddled, etc.

The harness isn't exactly a stellar fashion statement, but I'm sure we'll find some ways to disguise it. We're thankful that they caught this early and that there is such a high correction rate. We're just praying that the harness works for Henrik.

Here is our happy boy in what I like to call his Lederhosen :)

One Month Old

Henrik is one month old today and we've been loving every minute. He has been gracious to me and Branden -- being a fantastic sleeper (6 or 7 hours most nights) and is just starting to show us a hint of a smile. Though I don't want to wish away any second of this new baby phase, it is exciting to dream about what he will be like as he gets older. For now, I will just enjoy his snuggles and coos.

Happy One Month Henrik!

Annika's BIG GIRL Week

This week Annika decided that she is a big girl and grew up before our very eyes. Her week of becoming a "big girl" started last Sunday when she took her first trip to The Well at Bethany Beach to pick out a bag of penny candy and share ice cream with her Nana, Papa and Great Grandparents.

Upon our arrival at home from the cottage late Monday night Annika insisted upon sleeping in her "big bed" and hasn't wanted to go back to her crib since. Though it sometimes takes her longer to fall asleep, we've been lucky so far...she hasn't figured out that she can climb out of the bed.

On Tuesday Annika who has been warm to Henrik, but hesitates to get too close to him, insisted that she wanted to hold her baby brother. She's asked to do it two times since!

On Wednesday, with an early September deadline quickly approaching for the first day of preschool, we embarked upon the challenge of potty training. Annika went to the store and picked out her very own potty and though the first day was a HUGE challenge, I'm proud to say that she got ALL of her potties in the potty today!

Holding Henrik makes me realize just how big Annika has gotten. It seems like yesterday that she was the one waking us up in the night for feedings. I think she's done enough growing up for one week...I'd like her stay my little girl just a little bit longer.

Meeting the Great-Grands

This past weekend we ventured to the cottage for Henrik's first nights away from home so that he could meet his Great Grandpa and Grandma Peckenpaugh and Great Grandpa Wilson who were all in town for a visit. It is such a gift for my grandparents to have an influence on my children and share with them their love, prayers and wisdom.

The weekend proved to be a lot of fun:

Annika joined her great grandparents for some late-season blueberry picking. More of the berries made it into her mouth than the bucket!

Henrik took his first trip to the beach and slept peacefully under the umbrella the entire time. It provided some much needed relaxation in the sun for his mommy and daddy.

Annika was a little fish, spending most of her time in the water on her "tube" with either her daddy or nanna.

Henrik's First Bath

It was a gorgeous day today, so we decided that Henrik should have his first bath outside. Here are some photos from the big event.

First Week at Home

Today marks the end of our first week at home with Henrik. It's amazing how a week can feel like a few hours and a whole month at the same time. We have been loving every second together. Here's a recap of what we've been up to:

Wednesday
We came home last Wednesday in the pouring rain to a home that had been adorably decorated with "It's a Boy" signs and balloons. Annika picked out a giant monkey balloon for her brother and a giant Hello Kitty balloon for herself. My mom was there to help with our transition home and was a lifesaver when it came to easing Annika into the idea that her baby brother was here to stay. A highlight was a gift of a baby doll and cradle my sisters and I used to play with so that Annika could play mommy to her very own baby. She's been putting her baby down for naps, changing diapers and burping her baby ever since.

Thursday

Nana Peckenpaugh took Annika to see her very first movie at the movie theater - Winnie the Pooh. She did great and even brought home her bowl of popcorn to share with her daddy.


Friday
Grammy Johnson took Annika to the lake house for a day with Grampy, Jenna and her to play on the boat and run off some energy outside. She even took a nap in her new toddler bed for the first time! Branden and I took Henrik to the doctor for his first check-up and ran some needed errands. We also took some of the quiet time at home to cuddle with and enjoy our new babe.

Saturday
We spent Saturday laying low and enjoying time the four of us. Thankfully Henrik has been a fantastic eater and sleeper so we haven't felt too desparately sleep deprived. Branden being home has been a huge blessing - I'm thankful every day to have such an amazing husband. We were gifted with a couple hours of babysitting from Grammy Johnson Saturday night to grab dinner at one of our favorite restaurants, Oakwood Bistro, and celebrate our seven year anniversary. It has been an amazing seven years!

Sunday
On Sunday Branden and Annika went to church and had fun sharing with our friends the good news about the arrival of baby Henrik. Everyone at church has been so warm with prayers and well-wishes during the anticipation and arrival of our little guy. After church we got brave and packed everyone up for a day at the cottage in Sawyer with my sister Becca, her husband Chris and their daughter Kayla. We had fun showing off Henrik, relaxing, playing games and catching up with each other.

Monday
Monday was picture day. We spent the afternoon with a fantastic photographer, Valerie Ott, getting photos of baby Henrik and the family. We're anxiously awaiting to see the results!

Tuesday
Yesterday we spent another (much needed) day relaxing at home. None of us changed out of our pajamas all day. We were blessed in the afternoon when our friend Danielle brought over all of the meals our church family had made us to get us through our homecoming with baby. We were absolutely astounded at the generosity and have enough food for more than the next week.

Every day is such a gift. I love every minute of being home to cuddle with Henrik (who wants to be held constantly), giggle with Annika (who has the cutest sense of humor) and hang out with my best friend, Branden.

I promise some newer photos of Henrik soon, but he has been bitten by the baby acne bug, so I've been hesitant to take too many.

Here's to hoping that the rest of the summer coasts by slowly!