Trips to the park

We have had a couple of days now where it was cool enough to go the park and the first time we went there were ducks all around and they were HUNGRY. To bad we didn't bring bread the first time, but we did the 2nd time, but sadly the ducks weren't hungry, but we did get some great pictures out of both days!!

Caitlyn checking out the duckies swimming along

Caitlyn's first swing ride, she wasn't sure at first,

But Grew to LOVE IT!!!!!

This was on our second trip to the park you can see she was very excited...lol

This is what she was looking at from her stroller

Hanging with daddy looking at the ducks, she wanted to touch them sooo bad.

All i can think is that she was thinking how do i get away from these people so i can play with the ducks.

Chillin and relaxin with daddy in the shade

She has such a blast going to the park

Play Hard and Sleep Hard

Video of her taking her first ride on the swing!

After a little bit on the swing she loved it and couldn't stop laughing!!

Pictures of Caitlyn

Here are some pictures and videos of Caitlyn these past 2 months!!!

My little angel feel asleep on the way home from church holding my scriptures, it was so cute!!!!

If you look close you see she has a french mustache, now she did one side and we had to keep it even and did the other, it was hilarious!!!!

Cute little self trying to get the camera

She LOVES water especially in her sippy cup.

She plays so hard she passes out, plus this was the first time she fell asleep on her own for a nap.

First taste of rice cereal, her first solid.

I was riding in the back with her and looked over and this is what i saw, just like mommy a big reader!!!

All she is thinking is how do i get that camera from mommy...lol

This is when she first started crawling, just after 4 months!!!!

Caitlyn first taste of food, it was rice cereal.

We just thought this was a very funny video of Caitlyn trying to get the camera from us and how she can be so obsessed getting it.

Visiting Plantations

Last month Brian, Caitlyn, and I decided we needed to get out of the house. So Brian went online and found a couple of plantations just north of Baton Rouge, so we decided to head on up! The really cool thing about the 2 we went to was that they were slave plantations and have been around for a very long time. The first one we went to was the rosedown plantation. The special thing there, beside the awesome mansion, is the garden. Now with it being middle of summer we were not able to go and see all the garden(just too hot). The second plantation, Audubon Plantation, was really neat also because it had been there even longer!!! We couldn't use flash when inside the house so a lot of pictures are really blurry. We plan on going back this next spring so we can see all the flowers in bloom, but anyways here are some pictures from this trip! ENJOY!!

The Rosedown Plantation!!!!
Caitlyn and I waiting for the tour to start.

The shower. A slave would come in and fill the top with water and then you stoop in the bucket and took your shower.

posing for our picture

Gorgeous stair case!!! Hand made!!!

Daddy with Caitlyn in the nursery, we threatened we would leave her here but the tour guide just laughed...lol

The most beautiful bassinet i have ever seen!

Half canopy bed

Family photo on the balcony.

If you look at the cards there are no numbers, that is because it was illegal to gamble and not having numbers meant not gambling....yeah right....lolThere is only one liqueur cabinet and it can only be in the gentleman's room because back then it was illegal for women to drink.

One of the sisters that lived in this house was related to Martha Washington, yes that's right! and Martha gave this painted tapestry to the lady of the house....AWESOME!!!!!

Very interesting curtain holders.

Brian and I having some fun with Statues!!!

Beautiful, is all i have to say!!!

This is Gus, their pet, he was really cute and nice!!!!

They have a resident Peacock, he was kind of friendly, just wouldn't let us pet him.

We never saw her, but we were kind of hoping we would...lol

This is the Audubon house, or should i say Mansion!!

This is the kitchen, back then kitchens were not in the house, for fire safety reasons they were located in another building away from the main house.

Caitlyn was having soo much Fun!!!

The Dining room. At the top of the picture there is a big board, a slave child would pull on a rope and make that swing back and forth to keep the flies off the food. That's where you get the saying: SHOO FLY.

CANOPY BED, ORIGINAL TO THE HOUSE. ALSO INSTEAD OF HAVING A BOX-SPRING THERE ARE ROPES RIGHT UNDER THE MATTRESS AND EVERY NIGHT YOU WOULD HAVE TO TIGHTEN THEM... THAT'S WHERE "SLEEP TIGHT"CAME FROM

A Bath Tub

A potty

We are upstairs out on the porch, it was very cool and it's high enough where mosquitoes don't go!

Eating & Going

Well, my little girl isn't so little anymore. She is still small, but she has starting eating solid food and can you believe my 5 month old is a crawling machine. About a month ago we realized she could move a little when we had her on the floor and when we look down at her she had moved to be under my chair. Now, she can move around the house at ease, well slow, bur she can do it. Here are videos of her eating and moving....ENJOY!!!!!

What's new with Caitlyn

OK, everyone has been asking about Caitlyn and all i could tell them was that she has a mild case of hip dysplasia and that's what i would leave them with, then one day some one asked me what exactly that meant and i tried to explain but i can't do a very good job. So i have decided to do some research and post it on here with some pictures of her in her harness that she is wearing 23 hours a day for the first 6 weeks (the one hour its off is bath time...lol). So the next few paragraphs are what it is and the last paragraph I'm going to tell you how she is doing with it and then end with some pictures.

Definitions

Hip dysplasia refers to an abnormality in the size, shape, orientation, or organization of the femoral head, acetabulum, or both. Acetabular dysplasia is characterized by an immature, shallow acetabulum and can result in subluxation or dislocation of the femoral head. In a subluxed hip, the femoral head is displaced from its normal position but still makes contact with a portion of the acetabulum. With a dislocated hip, there is no contact between the articular surface of the femoral head and the acetabulum. An unstable hip is one that is reduced in the acetabulum but can be provoked to subluxate or dislocate. Teratologic hip dysplasia, which is outside the scope of this discussion, refers to the more severe, fixed dislocation that occurs prenatally, usually in those with genetic or neuromuscular disorders.

The term developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) has replaced congenital dislocation of the hip because it more accurately reflects the full spectrum of abnormalities that affect the immature hip. DDH can predispose a child to premature degenerative changes and painful arthritis. Careful physical examination is recommended as a screening tool; early diagnosis helps improve treatment results and decrease the risk of complications.


Developmental dysplasia of the hip refers to a continuum of abnormalities in the immature hip that can range from subtle dysplasia to dislocation. The identification of risk factors, including breech presentation and family history, should heighten a physician's suspicion of developmental dysplasia of the hip. Diagnosis is made by physical examination. Palpable hip instability, unequal leg lengths, and asymmetric thigh skinfolds may be present in newborns with a hip dislocation, whereas gait abnormalities and limited hip abduction are more common in older children. The role of ultrasonography is controversial, but it generally is used to confirm diagnosis and assess hip development once treatment is initiated. Bracing is first-line treatment in children younger than six months. Surgery is an option for children in whom nonoperative treatment has failed and in children diagnosed after six months of age. It is important to diagnose developmental dysplasia of the hip early to improve treatment results and to decrease the risk of complications. (Am Fam Physician 2006;74:1310-6. Copyright © 2006 American Academy of Family Physicians.)

So there you have it, this is what she has and it is easy to fix with a harness for 12 weeks. Now, if any of you know Caitlyn she is a very active girl and was rolling over and trying to crawl before she got the harness on and her favorite thing to do was to stand. Well as you will see with the pictures she can no longer do any of those things and she get very cranky and irritated that she can't. So for the next 12 weeks we have a cranky kid and all she does all day pretty much is complain in her own language. But, hey i don't blame her, if i couldn't move my legs for any period of time i would do the same. So far it has been 4 weeks and everything is looking good, there shouldn't be a reason why the harness won't work so we are very lucky for that. We are counting down the day until it comes off and then we are throwing a off the harness party(also at the same time a very good friend of ours is getting her neck brace off and we are going to celebrate together...lol). Now if any of you have anymore question please ask, i love answering because i learn at the same time.