Busy week - 3rd and 4th casts

The third casting was last week, and I didn't get to post because E and I left right after his appointment to go see my grandmother in the hospital.  We got there a little late (hate traffic!) but it was a neat appointment because he had his fluro x-ray.  No idea if I spelled that right, but we could see the bones in his foot are starting to line up nicely.  Yay it's working!  On the downside, E's leg (especially the front of his ankle) is super red and irritated-looking.  I'm sure it's just the skin reacting to being covered by the cast for so long, but he was unhappy even getting the cast removed this time - probably due to the vibration on his sensitive skin.  Poor guy cried through both that and the re-casting.  My hubby picked the cast color this time, as I previously failed to realize that the purple cast that I thought was cool looking was unacceptable because purple is the color of the Baltimore Ravens, and being a Pittsburgh Steeler household that is not good.  So, we left with E in a camo cast, which did earn multiple compliments during our trip to Georgia to see Granny.  Aside from a bout of pinkeye and another upper tooth cutting, this cast was pretty uneventful.

We actually arrived early for today's casting, and Dr. Henderson was very happy with how E's foot is looking.  Again, we cried during the cast removal.  And then we cried before Dr. H even had a chance to touch his foot.  He knows what's coming, and it breaks my heart that he's so unhappy.  He's normally such a sunny kid!  I just don't know how to help him through this.  He weaned himself off of the bottle last month, and a sippy cup isn't much comfort.  We had the lamb paci (from Pacimals - love that thing!), but he worked himself into such a state that his little head was soaked in sweat by the time we were done.  On the bright side, it sounds like we're getting another x-ray next week and Dr. H is expecting to schedule our surgery.  Hubby and I are not in agreement about the time frames we heard last time when we asked about the plan during and after surgery.  Dr. H said that they like to keep the kids overnight after the procedure to make sure everything's ok, and I think they'll cast him into a neutral position when they're done for 8-12 weeks.  My husband heard 10-12, but either way we probably won't be out of the cast until after Thanksgiving.  Maybe Christmas, but that's just me thinking and hoping.