Gideon's Casts

Gideon is now sporting some cool 

green and blue casts to match Micah's:

Gideon was due for another round of botox injections in his calves, to loosen up those tight muscles again, and this time we decided to cast his feet following the injections.  Sometimes casting for a few weeks can greatly prolong the effectiveness of the botox, and it provides a much more effective and constant stretch.  So we are trying it.  The botox was great last time around, but the effects were much too short-lived.  Gideon is dealing with it like a champ, and after a few minutes of confusion, he decided that he is okay with his clumsy new "boots."  He can sort of walk in the casts, but he has very little balance, and he weaves around and trips over himself and falls almost constantly.  So for the next few weeks he will get to borrow this snappy little walker from Shriners:

and for longer distances, he can take a ride in the chair:  

And my cheerful little Gideon is just taking it all in stride.  He is living in a hospital, he suddenly has his feet encased in clumsy fiberglass boots, and his brother is moaning in pain, but he is just going along with it.  As long as he has his mommy by his side, he is fine.  (If I decide to leave the room for a few minutes, that is a whole other story, though . . . then the boy quickly starts to fall apart.)  My mom is here at the hospital, helping me out, trading kid-shifts with me, cooking in the tiny family-area kitchen for us, and generally running herself ragged trying to keep up with all of this.  I am so very grateful for her willingness to be here with us for all of this, and also for Derek's parents who are helping out with the other kids back home.  

We had a beautiful sunrise to start out the day today:  

which blossomed into a lovely sunny day with 

an amazing view of Portland:  

but Micah is miserable, and just wants to go home and feel like himself again.  He always keeps an eye on the door (he is staring at the door in this picture) 

because he has figured out that whenever the door opens, it is most likely going to be somebody in scrubs coming through, and that person will (despite their smile and kind words) most likely be intent on poking him, moving him, making him eat something he doesn't want to eat, or otherwise tormenting him in some way.  He has become very nervous about the door, and every time it opens he whimpers.  He is breaking the nurses' and doctors' hearts here.  They keep trying to explain to him that they only want to help him, and he is just not seeing it that way. Please pray for Micah.  He is having a really hard time with all of this.