And the cast goes on

When the Gopher was 4 months old, we found that he had a dislocated hip. It sounds scary and painful, but apparently it doesn't bother them very much. We saw an orthopedic surgeon and he recommended that we wait until he was a year old and then re-evaluate. So after his first birthday, we say the doctor again. He decided that we should go ahead with the surgery and put his hip back in place. So on January 18th, the Gopher had a closed hip reduction. After the surgery we knew that he would be in a cast (called a Spica), it goes from his chest all the way down to his ankle on the left side, and to his knee on the right. There is a hole cut out in the middle for diapering. Sounds like fun. Well Gopher wasn't very happy with it for the first week. And we spent the second week dealing with the smell. Oh yes he smelled. On the Friday of the second week, I called my father-in-law and asked him to bring me some duck tape. Our running joke is that by the end of this, he will be held together with duck tape and feminine products. After we made it through those first two weeks, we have been doing better. We got him a bean bag chair (Longhorn of course), and Popo made him a tray to sit at. We found out yesterday that the doctor wants him to stay in it another 6 weeks (making a total of 12). He said that the longer he stays in it, the better chance he will have of his hip staying in place when they take it off. So we are in it for the long haul.

The Gopher

Last but not least, the Gopher. We found out while I was pregnant, that he had a chromosomal abnormality. He has an unbalanced translocation between chromosomes 2 and 11. This makes him have partial trisomy 11q. At a later date, I will go into detail about the first year of his life. For now lets just enjoy that cute face. In November he turned 1 and he now weighs over 20 pounds. He is a happy little boy. He loves to be held and he loves his sisters. There are many things that he can't do, but we try to focus on the things that he can. He sleeps through night, he can smile and laugh. He can now hold a toy in his hand and he now enjoys playing with toys. He loves to hold a Mylar balloon and make it rattle as he waves it back and forth. He likes anything that makes noise, plays music or has lights. Hopefully someday he will get to be the Gopher, and chase his sisters around. But for now we are thankful that he is happy and healthy.

The Goose

Next comes the Goose. She was born in 2002 and was completely different from her sister from the beginning. We joke that she came into the world backwards and has always done things that way. She was a smiley happy baby and stayed that way. She was an easy going toddler with a fun loving attitude. She has an infectious laugh that can make even the most straight faced laugh. She always says the funniest things. She makes up words that would be very appropriate for the situation. My personal favorite is I am't for I am not, and annoising (for annoying and noisy at the same time) and instead of backwards she says backsword. She amazes me with her knowledge. She hasn't started school yet, but her understanding of the world around her is beyond her age. She finally was old enough to start dance and sports this year. She is quite clumsy, but when she gets past that she is pretty athletic. She is going to out grow her sister. They are two years apart, but already wear the same size clothes and shoes. She is also creative and quite artistic. She loves to dance and has really blossomed in her class. If I had to guess her future, it would be as a Rockette or Prima ballerina. (She already has the Diva part down.) She is the girly girl. She loves to wear dresses and dressy shoes. She may be a bit dramatic, but she is kind and very loving. She is also a great big sister to the Gopher.

The Bear

Now that I have given the background of their names, it's time to introduce the characters. First comes the Bear. She was born in 2000 and it is so hard to believe that she is now 7 almost 8. Besides being grumpy, she is also stubborn, smart and creative. If I could guess what she will grow up to be, I would bet on writer or something else creative. She loves to read and write stories of her own. She also likes to antagonize her sister (but don't all sisters do that). She has an amazing memory and this year she was runner up in the primary school spelling bee. She is very detailed and loves to be the leader. She plays soccer, softball, and wants to learn to play the piano. She is adventurous and likes roller coasters and climbing, but she knows her limits and not afraid to say no if she is uncomfortable. She finally lost her first tooth after Christmas. Unfortunately she swallowed it, so she wrote the Tooth Fairy a letter. She is also a great big sister to the Gopher.

What's in a name

You may be wondering why the names: bear, goose and gopher. Well when we chose names for our children, we wanted traditional, biblical or Saint related names. So when our oldest daughter was born we named her Sarah. Well when you have children, you come up with all kinds of cute little nicknames. They started out as baby names and then evolved. As she got older we started using the rhyming names. Thus we ended up with Sarah Bearah (shortened to Bear). Who would have know that her personality would have adapted the traits of a bear. She fits it to a tee. Don't wake a sleeping bear (if you know what I mean). Well our second daughter arrived and we chose the name Lucy. Well of course what rhymes with Lucy, but Goosey. And how she has lived up to her name. She is definitely a silly Goose. Our third child was born in November of 2006 and we named him Christopher. Not a whole lot rhymes with Christopher, especially animal names. We had to follow the trend. So we decided to go with Topher Gopher. We'll find out over the years if he too will live up to his name.