Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Backyard project -----> Broken toe

Our dog, Tallulah has taken over our backyard and I've decided to reclaim part of it for Jane Baird. Jane Baird LOVES to be outside but our dog (who is almost the size of a horse) has run down all the grass and when it rains it gets muddy and its just a mess. After a play date at a friend's house I decided that I was going to come up with a solution.
Our backyard is divided into two parts separated by a little picket fence. Tallulah has the back of the yard and the front part belongs to Jane Baird. We scrubbed the screened in porch from top to bottom (because Tallulah and all her red dirt and mud had taken it over). We bought a water table for JB to play with on the porch and a couple of chairs for relaxing. We bought some concrete stepping stones to make a walking path to JB's outside play area and we mulched the entire area with rubber mulch, which was quite expensive! We started out with 12 bags (because its a small area) and then went back for 20 more bags and then another 10 bags!!! At $5 a bag, it added up quickly...but its guaranteed for 12 years and will not attract bugs so I guess its worth it. I ordered her a play set at Sears and it will be arriving in a few days. Like I mentioned, its a small area so it had to be a small play set. It's got a slide with a fort, a sandbox, and a swing which we want to replace with a glider swing. She is going to be over the moon when she sees it!!! I cannot wait. Every time we pass a yard with a swing set or a park or even a fast food restaurant with a playground she says, "Mommy, I want to play!" I've been feeling like we were depriving her, but not any more!
Ok, so to the broken toe part... So Thursday evening we were laying the concrete pavers down to make a foot path. Alan got off work just before dark and we wanted to try to finish it up before dark. There was a stepping stone leaning against the porch and JB thought she was going to pick it up to help Daddy. Tallulah bumped into her and it fell over on her little toes. She screamed out like I'd never heard her scream before. Her toes immediately started turning black so we rushed to Urgent Care for xrays. She was still screaming when we arrived...this was the worst pain I've ever seen her in and everyone knows that she has been through a lot in her 2 years. The doctor came in to relocate her toe that had been dislocated out of place and let me just tell you, it was the most horrific procedure I've witnessed. Jane Baird nearly went through the roof and her Daddy and I were crying. I know it had to be done, but it was so hard to watch. Anyway she got immediate relief after her toe was put back in place. The coloring changed immediately too. It went from black to light purple. Not only did she break one and dislocate one, but her toes were skinned and cut pretty badly. We went to see an orthopedist on Friday and JB wouldn't let him come near her feet. He looked at the xrays and said she would eventually heal. She walked with a pretty noticeable limp all weekend, but is almost back to normal now.
Jane Baird has had lots of aquatic therapy. We spent the entire weekend poolside at my parents house. It was so nice to soak up the sun and be lazy for a few days. Eating my dad's bbq wasn't so bad either! Jane Baird LOVES to swim. She calls the pool the "baths" and says "Mommy, I wanna take a baths" when she wants to swim. She is such a dare devil. She jumps off the diving board (with daddy's help and Mommy to catch) but she keeps telling Daddy to "go away" so she can jump by herself. We just had the best weekend ever! I can't wait until our beach vacation!!!

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