Apple fairies!

This is what came from my head and hands and some of the new fabric from last week. I'm in love!! I also want to make a pair of corduroy bloomers to match, the fabric is already cut and ready to sew. But, the kidlets are working on a couple of stuffy noses, so they are being a bit clingy.
Apparently my Underwool design is getting talked about at Diaperswappers and on the HyenaCart forums. I love that! I'm starting to take custom orders, and am having so much fun working with my customers to make the exact item that that are wanting.

Oh, and by the way...

I've been walking without any assistance for two days!!!
My doc gave me the all clear today, and all I have to do is build up more strength in my lower leg and I'm good to do anything. I'll probably have some residual pain for up to a year, but the break is almost completely knitted together. So, I won the race to walk, but the babies aren't that far behind.

Walking!!

I walked!
I've been walking with the franken-boot, but without crutches for a few days now. I also have a smaller nylon ankle brace that was supposed to be the next step, but whenever I had it on my ankle hurt. It dug into me and was quite uncomfortable. The physical therapist said that some people have a lot of trouble with that style of brace and find it easier to just go without it. So I did. I am able to take a couple of unassisted steps before it becomes painful, and have the go-ahead to drive. I can also finally carry the kids around, and I know that before long I'll be able to walk normally. It's so exciting to finally see the end of this whole fiasco.
My internet access is still patchy, we haven't yet figured out what's wrong. Hopefully this weekend we'll be able to troubleshoot. Then I'll be able to stay online long enough to restock my HyenaCart.
If you've tried to email through the "contact" link on my website, and I haven't responded, I am not ignoring you. There was a problem with the way the email was being routed to me. I think I've corrected it, but if for some reason you're having trouble getting a hold of me, feel free to just leave a comment here and I'll get back to you.

Sewing as physical therapy

I sewed two things for the website today, It was nice to get a chunk of time to do what I wanted without a baby hanging off of me. My sweetie played with the kids and they were happy without me for two hours! I really needed the time to myself, and it was so nice to actually finish something. While sewing, I made sure to use my right foot to run the machine. Pressing the foot pedal is very similar to one of the exercises that I do in therapy, so I thought it might be a good way to work the muscles. In therapy the other day, I took a few steps without the boot. I was wearing a small nylon ankle support inside a tennis shoe. It was really strange to have both feet flat on the floor. I had to stop after just a few steps because it started to hurt, but it's nice to know that I'm making progress. Although I'm not sure that I'll make my goal of walking by Thanksgiving. I'll keep trying though.

I may just walk before the babies do

I'm single-crutching! The physical therapist said to keep working on balance with one crutch and when I'm good at that I can try to walk without them, just with the boot. Then I can start wearing a smaller brace and real shoes. I think that I'll still have to do at least another month and a half of PT before I'm really walking normally again, but I'm getting there. My next doc appointment is in 6 weeks, so he thinks I'm healing fine on my own. He did say that I'll likely have some sensitivity for 6 months or so. The coolest thing? I took some crutch-less steps!!! It was fun, but I did hurt a bit afterward and needed to ice my ankle for a bit. But, it wasn't the ankle that hurt, it was the muscles that I haven't been using. I'm so excited to get back on my feet and to be able to carry the babies again, and clean the house, and drive. My goal is to walk without crutches by Thanksgiving.
I'm feeling winter starting to set in. My sewing has all been with wool and flannel, and I've been wanting to knit the kids sweaters and overalls and hats. I'm hoping to be able to use the woodstove this year, but we first need to come up with a good way to keep the kids safe around it. Learning to walk around a chunk of hot cast iron could be scary. I'm sure we'll figure it out though, and will be all snug and warm with cups of tea and the kids playing happily and safely nearby.

I moved my foot!!

It just moved a little, but there was movement! The therapist gave me lots of exercises to do at home, and I'll be going there 3x a week. For now, the exercises are mainly stretches to get me some range of motion back, but soon we'll start working on walking. I'll still have the boot and crutches for a while, but I'll be getting the muscles ready for walking without them. It felt really weird to move my foot after so long in the same position, and the bottom of my foot is super tickle-y from not being touched in so long.

The Big Day

It's finally here, the big doctor appointment where I'll learn if I can start sewing again and what the next step (hee hee) is in regards to my treatment. I've been a bit terrified that I'll go in there and he'll say that there's been no progress and that I'll need surgery. I guess that's better than being convinced that he'll tell me to start running, dancing and jumping. Better to be pleasantly surprised than disappointed and depressed. Updates later...



Well, no walking yet. But, the doc wants me to gradually put a little weight on it, within my comfort level, until I can walk a bit without the crutches. Still no carrying babies though. It will probably be the next appointment (in a month) until I can really walk without the boot or crutches and he stressed that no driving was allowed. I'm supposed to take the boot off sometimes when I'm just sitting around, and after a few weeks he wants me to try walking a little without the boot. I start physical therapy next Monday, and I have absolutely no idea how that is even feasible. I'm supposed to go 3x a week. How that's going to work with no driving and the babies is still to be determined. But, he said that if it doesn't hurt to sit with my leg unelevated, I CAN SEW!!! Now I just have to convince the babies to let me.

A visit

My mom will be here tomorrrow!! She's coming to see the babies and help do the things that I can't do because of my ankle. I do normally have tons of help, friends come every day to baby wrangle and make sure that I'm eating, and do dishes and stuff. There's just some stuff that only a mom can do. Like hunt down and destroy every dust bunny in the house or fill the fridge with food for a week. I'm always so sad to see her go.
This evening the babies ate pears! They loved them and were grabbing the spoon to shove it in their mouth. We had four spoons, we'd fill one and give it to a baby while simultaneously taking the empty one away. It worked pretty well until the boy discovered what happens when you bang a spoon full of pear mush on the highchair tray. Hilarity and baths! It was a fun night. Their first food was sweet potatoes last week, and while the girl liked them, the boy made lemon face and quickly stopped opening his mouth for the spoon. They did enjoy smushing them around on the tray though. We'll stick with pears for a bit and then try something new next week.

Traffic

Someone submitted my website to StumbleUpon and crazyness, I've had as much traffic in the past two days as in the last month. It sucks that I haven't been able to stock items in my HyenaCart store. This weekend is a trial sewing run, though. I'll see if I'm healed enough to be comfortable in an extremely awkward position with my right foot elevated and the left foot operating the sewing machine. It's exciting to think that I may be productive again soon. Stay tuned...

a big load

I spent a chunk of time today uploading photos of fabric to my website. It's a great use of time while my ankle is healing. If someone wants to order a custom outfit, they will be able to choose the fabrics for their order from the gallery. I'll upload any new fabrics that come in, and update them as they sell out. I really like how simple the interface is to use, it will make it very easy to keep the fabric selection up to date.
I'm expecting some fabric to be delivered in the next day or so, some hemp fleece and terry from a coop order. I'm planning to make some mama pads for an arts fair that's coming up in November. Hopefully I'll be selling some clothing and accessories at a friend's booth. That is, if sewing left-footed isn't too difficult to get comfortable with. I've been able to spend more and more time with my ankle not being elevated, so I'm crossing fingers that sewing will be happening soon.

A new day

No sewing yet, but I did get this photo in my email today. It's an outfit that I made about two months ago for a friend of mine to give as a gift. The model is the recipient. There was also a hat, a huge and floppy sun hat that I call The Cupcake Hat. The photo with the hat being worn is pretty dark and didn't take kindly to Photoshop lightening.
In ankle news, I'm still crutching, and am beginning to feel like I'm going to be like this forever. In reality, it will be another month and a half to two months, which will be difficult but I'll get through it.
The babies and I spent the day at a friend's house today. It was nice and broke the monotony a bit. I think the babies liked the change in scenery, although towards the end they got cranky. Me not walking is hard on them and I think they're ready to have their mobile mama back.

Ankle update

I went to the Ankle doc this morning. He said that it looks good, hasn't shifted, should heal fine, and he still doesn't think that I'll need surgery.
He did say that I'll need to keep doing what I've been doing (elevation, boot, no bearing of weight) for at least another month. He'll see me again on the 10th of Oct and then let me know if it's ok to start bearing weight a little (he said that I still won't really be able to walk at that point). Then after a month of that, I'll start physical therapy. According to him, it's at least a 3 month process, sometimes more. So, remember that if you decide to fall in a hole . At least I'm almost off the pain meds. I only took 1 yesterday, and took 1 today before the appointment in case he wanted to poke at my ankle(he did ). I don't think I'll need them anymore unless I bump it or something. I'm thrilled about that, I really don't like that the kids were being exposed to it while nursing.
I'm going a bit stir crazy not being able to sew, but I am coming up with tons of new ideas for when I can. I'm working on a winter bonnet pattern that I think will be really cute.

No Surgery!!

But I do have to wear one of those giant boot things. Mine has a nifty little air-pump like those fancy shoes from the 80's. Only, it doesn't make me jump higher or run faster or reverse the rotation of the earth. It just gives me a little more support when I need to get up and crutch to the bathroom. But it is nifty. I've been in the robo-boot for 5 and a half days now, and I feel like I've been wearing the same sweat sock for about 3 weeks. The problem with that is that I'm not wearing a sock, so I can't take it off. I'm getting much better on the crutches though and I'm relying less and less on the pain meds. There's a light...

Still broken

I was supposed to go to the orthopedic surgeon today to find out what the next step should be with my ankle. I'm guessing surgery, but I'll wait for the expert opinion. Anyway, the doc wasn't in the office today, so my appointment will be tomorrow. All this waiting is so difficult. Plus, the kids are having a hard time with the change of routine.
I have such a great group of friends who are helping me more than I could ever imagine. They are coming over to help with the babies, bringing food, and keeping the house in a state of sanity. Of course you never really plan for these types of things to happen, but it's so comforting to know that if they do, you've got someone watching your back. It really does take a village.
I never thought about it before, but there isn't really a safe way to carry a baby while using crutches. There aren't even unsafe ways to carry twins while using crutches.

And Slower Still

But not because of the website. Because Pirate Bootie Baby is up and running!!!
There's nothing in the gallery yet, or in the store, but I now have a full-fledged, bona-fide website. What's slowing me down is 15 pounds of plaster wrapped around my right leg. While visiting a friend of mine yesterday, I tripped and put my foot in a small hole while holding one of the kids. As soon as I felt myself falling my first instinct was to protect the baby and in doing so, wrenched my ankle and fractured it. Because of the holiday weekend, I have to wait until Tuesday to see the orthopedic surgeon to see if I need pins or anything. For now I'm in a temporary cast and have to keep it elevated and not put any weight on it. It makes taking care of twins quite difficult. Luckily I have a great group of moms that are going to come help me with the babies until I'm back on my feet. Also my mom and mother-in-law will help when they can get here. Trying to see the positive side, at least it happened on a long weekend so that Scott is home all day.