A Randall's Ramblings: January 2010

Saturday, January 16, 2010

Birthday boy...again

Sorry this took so long. These are some of the pictures from the party Caden had at Grandma Berrett's (Branden's mom's) house on Sunday the 20th. He had a blast, of course, and entertained us all. As you'll see in one of the slideshow pictures, Branden's mom thought it would be hilarious if, after Caden got two handfuls of sticky cake, she asked him "where's your ears?" Thanks Grandma ;) Needless to say, we had a bath at Grandma Berrett's house that night before going home!

About Caden

Caden is a ridiculously happy little 3 year old. He's also our hero. He was born with two orthopedic abnormalities. Bilateral clubfoot, or congenital talipes equinovarus, and two forms of Arthrogryposis, a condition in which the joints of the extremities never fully develop in utero, never flex or 'exercise', leading to contractures of those joints (if you look closely at some of the pictures of him as an infant and even now, his wrists bend down, he never makes a fist, and the knuckles areas of his fingers are completely smooth because he doesn't have those joints). The clubfeet were a surprise, they were never detected on ultrasound because of the way he was positioned breech the entire 9 months. The Arthrogryposis was diagnosed about a year later. And in late September of 2011, he was given a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder. He is currently in the nighttime bracing phase of his clubfoot treatment, in regular physical therapy for the joint contractures in his hips and legs, and full leg braces at night to keep him stretched, and while his autism is considered on the mild end of the spectrum, he has just graduated from Early Intervention (which he's been in since he was 6 weeks old) and will start a new preschool soon. He's had casts, surgery, more casts, blisters, a plethora of braces for his feet, ankles and legs, therapists and specialists and long car rides to Salt Lake City and yet through it all he stays happy. He just adapts to whatever is thrown at him and simply goes on with his life in the way he wants regardless of what he has done to him. He's a trooper, our little Tough Guy, a true gift from our Heavenly Father, and we wouldn't have him any other way.

A Randall's Ramblings

Saturday, January 16, 2010

Birthday boy...again

People who give a hoot

Family 'n' Friends