Rory’s New Shoes

Today Rory celebrates her one-month birthday!

Today, she also received her second set of plaster casts. For those who aren’t aware, we found out during an ultrasound that our baby has club feet.

Later, we found out Leo had a club foot, as did one of my aunts, so it’s not too surprising that Rory would inherit feet turned inward like golf clubs. Luckily, it’s an easy fix, one she won’t remember, and one that will be complete before she’s even walking.

The treatment is a concept akin to braces on your teeth: a series of minor corrections to put them into place. Last week, she got her first set of plaster casts. She will get six sets total, one per week. (Second set today.) Then, the doctor will make a cut in a tendon on each side before putting Rory in another set of casts for about three weeks. After that it’s the “boots ‘n braces” phase. Rory will wear a set of boots connected by a bar (similar to a snowboard, sort of) for 23 hours a day for a few months. After that, she’ll just wear the boots during naps and nighttime, like a retainer.

Famous people who had club feet include soccer player Mia Hamm and figure skater Kristy Yamaguchi (who lives in Raleigh, by the way). While it will in no way impact her future athletic career, it does mean she won’t get to wear any cute shoes until late this year. On the other hand, the leg warmers we put on her casts for bath time are adorable. 🙂