These casts were made for walkin' . . . someday!

I am so blessed to have this little precious baby! We have felt a definite change in the tenor of our home. I don't know where Gabriel came from--he is so calm! We have felt the Lord's hand daily as we have sought to know what to do for his little foot. We were blessed to get an appointment last Friday at Primary Children's Hospital in Salt Lake City (they are very busy!). We thought about going to an orthopedic surgeon here in St. George, but no one here sees clubfoot patients on a regular basis, and we felt strongly we needed the very best care possible.

It was with some apprehension that Seth and I left our poor mother/mother-in-law Elaine with the 3 older kids and headed up last Friday. She has helped us so much! I admit it was difficult to want to put a cast on the poor little crooked foot, but once we arrived, Seth and I felt such peace. That hospital is a special place! The doctor and nurse who casted his little clubfoot leg were wonderful. He cried for a second, then calmed down to the soft music they had playing as the nurse rocked him back and forth. He fell asleep just as they finished the cast.

I have felt such peace--I know that this is going to be okay. If Mom and Dad could handle it with me, I'd better be tough enough to handle it with little Gabe! It amazes me how much more quickly they can fix things now. I was in casts for 2+ years, and Gabe will only need them for 6-8 weeks. Then he'll have to wear corrective shoes with a bar in between until he's 3, but only at night once he's walking age. And the best news is that he'll be able to run, jump, and do just about any sports, unlike his old momma. Thank goodness for modern technology! And yes, he actually smiles. I have to brag a bit--isn't two weeks early for that? He especially smiles for Seth. He already loves his daddy!
(Thanks, Beth, for the cute shirt!) I love his cross-eyed expression in this picture. And how about the Cary Grant dented chin, eh? Thanks to the King genes . . .
One day Jacob came running up and said, "Mommy, Mommy, I taught Gabe-ree-yul how to shoot!" Then he proceeded to demonstrate the following:
He stretched those poor fingers into perfect shooting position, but I don't think Gabriel enjoyed it quite as much.