It's official...and it's pink!

We got Nora in to see the orthopedic doctor on Monday afternoon. It was a bit of a scheduling nightmare and I might have given myself a few new gray hairs while trying to figure out how I would take Nora to the doctor at 1:40 and get back in time to get the other kids from school, not to mention the 2 neighbor girls who I was supposed to be babysitting...and did I mention that the first orthopedic doctor that I called from the ER referral didn't take my insurance? Ugh! Anyway, long story short, I got it all done and taken care of, had to take a half day off (no complaints there!) and the doctor appointment was quick and efficient and Nora is now sporting a very bright pink cast almost up to her knee!

The newness and funness of having crutches has started to wear off already, and she's got a little chaffing under her arms where the pads are rubbing her side. It rained ALL DAY long, so even just getting from the school to the van in the parking lot wasn't much fun...and extremely nerve-wracking for me. Part of me just wants to scoop her up and carry her around, but then I remember she's 10 and I probably can't lift her without giving myself a hernia. All in all though, she's been such a trooper. Her cast is halfway covered in signatures from all the kids in her class and she has certainly gotten a lot of attention. Pretty soon I'm guessing she will start making up a more exciting story than just "I fell down the stairs" but I'm trying not to put any ideas in her head just yet! Her friend Gabriella (in this picture) has been a huge help, carrying her backpack and helping her with her lunch. Every day at recess she can choose a different friend to stay inside with her. Three weeks in this cast so no gym or bowling or anything before then, and at that time they will remove this cast, do some more xrays and decide if she needs another cast or just a brace. We are praying for the latter, of course!


If you notice, a few of Nora's toes stick out from the cast. If you take a REALLY close look, you will see the nastiest toenails known to mankind. This child is in desperate need of a pedicure. I'm afraid to touch them, of course, since there are broken bones attached to those toes, but hopefully we'll figure something out. I also am going to need to find one of Russ's old socks, because even though we had record high temperatures yesterday, it's still January in Chicago, and it's gonna be COLD!