The Big Break

 We survived until 15 months into our 4th child before we had to deal with our first broken bone.  One day, Kaitlyn fell down the stairs.  This was not the first time she had tumbled down the stairs, and she didn't cry any more than she had previously.  But, over the next few days, I began to notice that she was a little fussier than normal (especially when Addy tried to grab her) and that she wasn't using her right arm very much.  So, after 2 and a half days, I finally took her to the doctor to have it checked out.  The doctor did one test and said he was pretty sure we were in trouble.  The x-ray showed that she had broken both bones in her forearm, but thankfully they had buckled and stayed in place.
We started out with a splint and sling.  It only took me leaving the doctor's office and trying to strap her into her car seat before I realized this was not going to be a pleasant experience.  It's tough to buckle around a sling!

 While she was not happy about being constrained, it did not stop her.  It only slowed her down a little.
She still managed to ride her bike,

 Play in the sandbox,

  And smile cutely.

 After a week, we had to take her back in and get a hard cast put on.  The kids took a vote and decided that pink would be the best color.  She thought she was getting rid of all of her limitations and was not happy when she realized she wasn't!  At least this worked with her car seat!

 Eventually, she learned to manage to do everything she had previously.  It wasn't always easy for her, but if she couldn't grab it with her fingers, she would use her cast as a table or brace.

She also learned it was a great weapon for warding off annoying siblings and their friends or for fighting off anyone who got too close to her food and toys!  (Not that anyone would believe that by looking at this cute face!)

After 5 weeks, the cast had faded from hot pink to dull pink.  It had been written on, thrown up on, and eaten on.  It also had chocolate, dirt, and chalk smeared on it.  I have no idea what had gotten inside of it, and I'm pretty sure I don't want to know.

After they cut the cast off, Kaitlyn was not quite sure what to think.  She kept rubbing her arm and looking at it trying to figure out what had happened.

 I was expecting her arm to be much smaller and more atrophied, but they only real difference I could tell was that it was a funky color because it was covered in dry skin (and who knows what else) and it was very wrinkled from the wrap it had on it.  Later that night, Kaitlyn went to take her milk cup from me using the crook of her arm like she had been doing for the past month.  I said, "Kaitlyn, you don't have to hold it like that anymore."  She looked at me and then looked down at her arm.  Then, she reached up and grabbed her milk with her hand and she was off!

Here's hoping that's the last broken bone we have to deal with!