And the cast is off!!!

Yesterday we woke up very excited. It was the day we were going to go get Nash's 6 week post-op x-rays!!! We got ready to go and I wanted to call the office in Florida to make sure I had the right info to send the x-rays directly to Dr. Paley.  I was previously told to email them to him because that was the easiest.  The person I usually contact was out of the country so I called and talked to someone in the office.  They informed me that Dr. Paley was on vacation and wouldn't be back until next Monday...another week!! They also said I had to MAIL (not email..snail mail!) a disc of the x-rays and he would get back to me sometime next week. At the very least...we were devastated.  I know this doesn't sound like the end of the world, but it's been 6 very long weeks of an energetic 2 year old who had been in a cast that had been through lots of duct tape, replaced velcro, diaper leaks, and it was just plain stinky!! Not to mention his frustration and his parents who just wanted their sweet, happy, little boy back to normal. We were all ready for the words "You can remove the cast" And from how it looked...we weren't going to hear that for at least another week.

So, we went to the hospital, got the x-rays, got the disc and came home.  I downloaded the images onto my computer and sent them to Dr. Paley anyway. I knew he was on vacation but I thought it was worth a shot. We went about our evening and put the kids to bed. I was doing dishes when I heard my cell phone chime.  It was the sound of a new email. I didn't think anything of it and kept washing dishes.  When I was done, I went and checked my phone and there it was...in my inbox it said 'Dror Paley'! I started my "happy dance" before I even opened it! All it said was "Xrays look great. May start WB (weight bearing) and start PT" YAAAAAAY!!!!! Chris and I were sooooooo happy and relieved!! We decided to go take Nash's cast off....even though he was sleeping, we couldn't wait! 

He was such a happy little guy this morning. He was all over the place! He can walk along furniture but you can tell he's a little hesitant but he crawls just fine.  I even got to dress him in pants and a shirt today, not a onesie! No more onesies!! YAY! We will start PT next week sometime. Until then, we will just let him be free and watch him get stronger everyday!

Pre-op x-ray

Post-op x-ray

Just some news and "Thank you's"

Well, we've been home for 3 1/2 weeks now and Nash is doing great! He started back at day care last week and was so excited. He had so much fun with his friends and was happy to be out of the house!! We had lots of people come to our house to watch him while Chris and I went back to work. My parents, my sister Annie, Chris's parents, Uncle Steve, Deb Deb and Chris's brother Chad all took turns hanging out with him and giving him special attention so he could heal faster before he had to go back to day care.  Thanks guys!! 

He has been healing SO good that he is moving around everywhere and trying to stand up (with the cast on)! He's not supposed to but its been hard to stop him. He even woke up from his nap the other day and had taken his cast off himself! We asked the doctor in Florida before we left if other kids had ever taken their cast off themselves.  They said "Oh no, you won't have to worry about that"  HA!! They don't know our little man...He's pretty clever :) Such a stinker...He's done it 3 times now so we have to watch him VERY closely. Next step is duct tape!

Busted!

His favorite spot :)

I also wanted to take some time to write about some of the fantastic people that helped contribute to the Super Nash Fund. We've had some of the most wonderful things done for us and I wanted to mention a few.

The church I grew up in, Otley Reformed Church, in Otley, IA, has been a great support to us.  My parents and my sister Teresa's family still go there. They have been keeping the congregation informed and updated on Nash since he was born. I know that we are in a lot of people's prayers there.  My mom told me that there was a little girl named Anna that wanted to do a fundraiser for Nash.  She and her mom, Meg, wanted to bake cookies and sell them to raise money.  They worked very hard and made LOTS of cookies and gave us a wonderful donation.  What a blessing that little girl is in our life and we've never even met her!! We are going to be in Pella in a couple weeks so I hope we get to meet her soon :) Thank you, Anna, and to everyone who bought her cookies, and kept Nash in your prayers!!

Our friends, Beth and Stu Kaump along with Terry and Linda Brecht, have a BBQ every year to celebrate their son and brother, Timmy's life.  He was one of Chris's best friends from a very young age and he was a wonderful person and friend to lots of people.  He passed away 5 years ago and he is dearly missed. The BBQ brings old friends together to remember what a great guy he was. Beth has made t-shirts every year and sells them to everyone who wants one. She also makes "friendship" bracelets for people to wear to remember him.  This year, the Brecht family asked us if they could donate the proceeds from the t-shirt sales to the Super Nash Fund. We were so touched. They said that's what Timmy would have wanted. Their donation alone was a huge help with this trip and we are so grateful for them! Thank you Beth, Stu, Linda and Terry. You have been beyond generous. We believe Timmy is Nash's special angel. Peace....Timmy B.

Showing off his Timmy Bracelet

Thanks to everyone else who has ever put a donation in the 'Super Nash Jar' at the salon. Thanks for "extra tips" from my wonderful clients and friends. Thank you to our family members who have given us jars of coins or written checks to the Super Nash Fund. For the people who stop in my mom's store in Pella, IA and donate to Nash after she tells his story. Thanks to the girls I work with and Mary and Janette (the salon owners) for being so generous. Thanks to the employee at Lowe's who helped us create Nash's contraption and after telling him Nash's story, he bought all of the parts for us. Thank you to anyone who has ever said a prayer for our family or even thought of us during this crazy, intense, difficult and exciting time.

We have been so blessed with ALL of the people in our lives. Nash has a very long road ahead of him with surgeries, multiple leg lengthenings, daily physical therapy and lots of traveling. We couldn't have started this whole process without everyone's help. It's funny how other people know what you need before you do. It's the people who have been there, that know you need them but don't want to ask. We can't even express our gratitude in words. There's even been talk of a Tailgating themed Fundraiser with a Bean Bags Tournament and Chili cook-off this fall and a Superhero Race and Carnival next spring! If you would like to be a part of or help with any of this please contact my sister, Annie, at avanderwerff@newaldaya.org  I will post details as soon as I know more :)

And he's still smiling :)
How can you not love this kid!?