This kid sure knows how to milk sick!

I mean … she was sick … really sick … but if ever there was a kid that could control the world because she’s sick … it’s this one!

Hunter was born with something called curly toes.  Who knew?

Wait!  Let me back up … actually, she and Piper were both born with something called “swept feet.”  The doctor jokingly called it a packaging defect.  It was from the way they were positioned in the womb … their feet just didn’t get enough room and grew to the side.  So when they were born, they didn’t have the muscle control {or whatever? my memory’s faded} to make them straight.

They both had to wear special shoes … that actually looked like they were on the wrong feet.  Super fun having all the well-intentioned passerby’s tell the baby that their “mommy put their shoes on the wrong feet.”

Anyway.  And Piper actually needed a cast on one foot to help it out.

So okay … 3 years later, we’re thinking Hunter’s toes are a little funky looking and decide to take her in to see her orthopedic doc for a little look-see.  I so wasn’t expecting to find out there’s an actual condition called curly toes!  Say what?  Right?

But alas … there is.  And the only fix is surgery.  And actually, it’s not just a cosmetic thing … these funky curly toes can give her a bit of trouble in the future if she doesn’t have them taken care of.

So surgery it is.  April 29.  The nurse drew little smiley faces on her feet before the surgery.  And ever-the-photog, I snapped a pic of it!

The actual toes in question {not that you care, but I feel compelled to share} are the 3rd and 4th digits {nice, huh?}.  The 2nd curly guy there … he doesn’t actually have a problem.  He’s curled because the 3rd guy isn’t strong enough to hold the 2nd guy up straight.  Weird huh?  Okay … I’m done trying to explain all that curly business.

Alright, so the fact is … she had surgery on both her feet.

And 3 days later, CJ and I head out of town.  She hadn’t started walking yet, but was supposed to the day we left.  Taylor was kind enough to send me the video below of some of her first few steps … not bad, huh?

This was Sunday.

And in the middle of that night, Taylor calls my cell to ask where the thermometer is.  Hunter’s sick.  Very sick.  So I tell her and then talk to my mom.

104.3 fever, which I normally wouldn’t worry too much about, but I was concerned her toes got infected, or she overdid it walking or something.  Very unsettling to be thousands of miles away when your baby is sick, right?

So … while riding in a golf cart on my way to a spa appointment the next morning, I’m begging the nurse {of our pediatrician} to allow Hunter to be seen right away.  The nurse wanted me to call her ortho surgeon.  But this mama had a pretty good idea it was something besides her tootsies that was the problem.

Turns out a nasty ear infection was to blame.  He prescribed some penicillin … and had she not had the ear infection, he would’ve sent her for chest xrays for pneumonia/bronchitis.  But felt the penicillin would take care of anything else going on.

She ended up getting worse before she got better, so CJ and I cut our trip short and headed home.  Just as well, as my heart was at home anyway.

Because it took a day to change our travel plans and get flights … and a day to travel home … Hunt was better by the time we got home.  A blessing really.

And boy-oh-boy … what would we do without super-granny {aka, my mom}!?

Okay … so this kid is pretty much better.  She had her follow up appointment for her tootsies last Friday and is healing nicely.  She got the bandages off and is back in regular shoes … the stitches will come out in another week or so.

So can someone tell me … if she’s better … why is this princess still getting everything she wants?

Must.stop.the.madness!!