Having a baby with hip dysplasia has had its challenges - especially as our journey hasn't been a short one. Finding baby products that are hip-harness friendly has been a huge learning curve for us. Amelia has always worn a Rhino Brace, which keeps her hips abducted by splaying them widely in the correct position - which means that she doesn't necessarily fit into the things the way a regular baby of her age does.

That rang true for her bassinet (which she could not fit comfortably in with the harness on) as well as most regular sleeping bags, and even certain high chairs and prams. 

We were recently sent a Redsbaby Skip Stroller to test drive, especially for those times when Amelia is out and about in her harness. Her current regime is to wear it for all sleeps, including day naps. If we are headed out for the day, it's important that she can still wear it while she is sleeping, to ensure she has the maximum amount of harnessed time as she can. The great news? She fits SO well in this little stroller!

The stroller itself is pretty nifty. It folds and unfolds so easily, and it can literally be carried over your shoulder - it's compact, lightweight and user friendly. This is the perfect travel companion, great for when you don't want your full-sized pram taking up loads of space. And when I say lightweight, I mean lightweight: it only weighs 6.5kg! 

All of the little details are fantastic - beautiful embossed handlebars, stunning fabric on the hood and seat liner, plus a carry handle for when you fold it up and pop it over your shoulder. The hood is extendable with a zipper, and the basket is easy to access and holds up to 5kg weight.

If you're after a lightweight option, or a second pram, I highly recommend the Skip. It ticked all of our boxes, and it's the perfect throw-in-the-boot option for all new parents!

EXCITING NEWS: Redsbaby are having a MASSIVE sale on prams and selected items as part of the Spring Frenzy, with 20% off until the 12th November. Grab a bargain while you can! 

Apparently we are already heading into that latter part of the year where time speeds up and the weeks all blur into each other - and I'm so not ok with it.

So what's been happening over here?

Amelia had her hip dysplasia x-ray and review, and unfortunately is still requiring harness time - her right hip angles are still not where they should be. She is now wearing her harness for ALL sleeps, which works out to be approximately 12 hours a night, plus 3-4 hours across the day. We are all pretty exhausted, but praying this last batch of increased harnessing will help us get across the line. Her next review is mid-September.

Georgia is back in the swing of things at school and Claire is enjoying two days a week of daycare, with both girls thriving on routine. We're enjoying it while it lasts, as the threat of Covid restrictions creeping back in again is on all of our minds. Both girls have gone back to swimming lessons. Georgia is doing amazingly well. Claire is just starting out and is, well, Claire. 

As for me, I turned 36 last fortnight. It was incredibly low key and sort of feels like it didn't happen at all.. but I spent it surrounded by family, so that's what matters most. I'm continuing to work with some amazing small businesses and having a ball photographing the kids as well as the products we are lucky enough to shoot. I'm also thoroughly enjoying my Virtual Assistant roles, and have been learning and growing in that department every day.

I'm slowly inching closer to the elusive 10k Instagram followers milestone, one that I've been aiming for for many years. I'm trying to do it as authentically as possible (hence the snail's pace) but hopefully the wait will be worth it! 

A few weeks ago, we revisited the Children's Hospital for Amelia's ultrasound, which was pretty uneventful. Instead of going straight in to see the Professor afterwards though, we had to go home and wait for a telehealth appointment a few days later. I was really nervous, as the ultrasound technician had indicated that there were still issues present - so in my head, I was mentally preparing to have to be wearing her Rhino Brace in the day as well as the night.

Thankfully, it wasn't as scary as I had thought. The ultrasound showed that her hips have shown some improvement, but there is still work to be done. It's positive, because it means the hours she's spending in the brace at night time are helping - but it's also showing she still has some immaturity in the bone and cartilage around her hip joints. The plan was to keep the brace on for another few months, before we get an x-ray to see how they are progressing.

We also need to have Claire come along for the next appointment, as both are now going to be ortho patients. The doctor was concerned that nobody had ever scanned or x-rayed Claire's hips after all of her gross motor milestones, so just to be safe, he's planning to have her checked as well. Apparently hip dysplasia can run in families, so we need to make sure nothing was missed in her early years.

It means that our sleep will remain broken for the next little while, but we're getting used to it now. And correcting her hips right now is the most important thing! That appointment is coming up in a few weeks, so I'm really, really hoping for some positive news. It's been a very long few months!