The Essence of Barefoot Freedom: There's a timeless joy in the simplicity of being barefoot, and our soft-soled shoes aim to capture that essence. Imagine the feeling of grass beneath your feet or the cool touch of hardwood floors – that's the barefoot freedom we want to replicate. Soft soles act as a gentle barrier, providing protection without compromising the inherent comfort of going barefoot.
Natural Flexion and Extension: The beauty of soft soles lies in their flexibility. They bend and move with the natural contours of the foot, allowing for unrestricted flexion and extension. This is crucial during the early stages of walking when tiny feet are discovering the world around them. The shoes become an extension of their movements, fostering a more natural walking experience.
Supporting the Developing Arch: Soft-soled shoes contribute to the healthy development of arches. As little feet take their tentative steps, the pliable nature of the soles aids in the gradual strengthening of the arch muscles. This support is vital for the formation of a sturdy foundation that will carry them through a lifetime of walking adventures.
Encouraging a Confident Stride: The early walking stages are about more than just mobility; they're about building confidence. Soft soles play a pivotal role in this process by providing a surface that responds to the child's movements. The result? A more confident stride, as if the child is gliding effortlessly, just like the feeling of walking barefoot.
Feeling the Ground Beneath: Soft soles act as a conduit for sensory feedback. Little feet can feel the ground beneath them, connecting with different textures and surfaces. This heightened tactile experience not only adds to the joy of exploration but also contributes to the child's understanding of their surroundings.
Transitioning Seamlessly: As children progress from crawling to those initial steps, the transition should be seamless. Soft-soled shoes, with their lightweight and pliable design, ensure that the transition is gentle and comfortable. This adaptability allows the child to explore the world on their terms, unrestricted by the limitations of rigid shoes.
At Sadie Baby, we cherish the magic of childhood and the importance of those precious first steps. Our soft-soled shoes are more than footwear; they are a celebration of the natural beauty of barefoot freedom. As your little one takes those initial strides, let their feet experience the joy of unrestricted movement, mimicking the comfort of dancing barefoot. Because in the world of tiny feet, every step is a dance, and we're here to ensure it's a graceful one.
]]>1. Shoe Size Guide: We believe that finding the perfect shoe size should be a breeze. Our comprehensive shoe size guide is at your disposal, offering assistance in selecting the ideal fit for those tiny, growing feet. However, we understand that uncertainties may linger, and that's where our customer support steps in.
2. Still Unsure? Reach Out! If the shoe-size waters still seem a bit murky, fret not. Send us an email at jasmine@sadiebaby.com.au. Our dedicated team, led by Jasmine, is here to provide personalized assistance, ensuring you make the right choice for your little one.
3. Best Suggestion: Buy Both! Torn between two sizes? We've got a nifty suggestion for you – why not purchase both sizes in question? Keep the shoes that fit perfectly and return the ones that don't cut.
4. Refunds Made Easy: Need to initiate a refund? Simply shoot us an email at jasmine@sadiebaby.com.au within 14 days of delivery. Ensure the goods are unworn, unwashed, undamaged, with original tags attached, and in their original packing and condition. We'll process your refund promptly, excluding postage costs.
5. Seamless Exchanges: Looking to exchange a product? Reach out to us at jasmine@sadiebaby.com.au, stating your name, order number, the product you wish to exchange, and the desired replacement. Include a pre-paid postage bag when returning the item, and once we receive it in its original condition, we'll ship your exchange.
6. Australian Consumer Law Assurance: Rest easy knowing that all our goods come with a guarantee that cannot be excluded under Australian Consumer Law. For more information, you can visit ACCC.
At Sadie Baby, your shopping journey is not just a transaction – it's an experience. With our size guide, expert support, and hassle-free return and exchange policies, we're here to make your online shopping adventure delightful. So, kick back, browse, and enjoy the convenience of shopping for your little ones without the fuss. Happy shopping!
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Snuggle Hunny Kids: Peek below for a sneak peek of their Baby Top Knot Headbands – just a glimpse of the magic they have in store. Ready for an online shopping adventure? Happy exploring
]]>Starting the Shoe Journey: Sadie and Maggie's Early Steps
Both Sadie and Maggie were early walkers, taking their first steps before they even reached their first birthdays. Sadie started walking at 11 months, while Maggie was up and about at 9.5 months. Their early adventures in walking were the inspiration behind Sadie Baby, where we set out to create shoes specifically designed for little feet.
Tiny Feet, Special Needs: Sadie's Story
Sadie's journey to walking was unique. Her feet were so small that we began making linen, cotton, and cotton duck canvas shoes to fit her before she was even two years old. It wasn't until she was almost two that her feet were ready for the smallest leather shoe we offered, a size 2. Each child's development is different, and Sadie's story highlights the importance of finding the right shoes that accommodate their needs.
Maggie's Early Walking Adventures
Maggie, on the other hand, was an eager and able walker. She began walking around 9 months, and she started fitting into our smallest size 2 shoes around the same time. While we encourage barefoot play at home, we recognize the need for footwear when heading outdoors. That's where soft sole shoes come into play.
Why Won't My Child Wear Shoes?
Many parents face the challenge of getting their little ones to wear shoes, often because they start with hard-soled or heavier shoes that babies and toddlers tend not to like. Here's a tip from our experience: Lightweight shoes like our soft soles don't hinder natural movement or sensory development, making them an ideal choice for your child's early steps.
Mum's Tip: Start by putting lightweight shoes on your child early, even before they start walking. Make it a part of your routine when going out, and in time, your child will grow accustomed to wearing "shoes" just like Mummy.
Rainy Days and Soft Soles
Wet weather can be a concern for parents, but our enclosed soft sole shoes are waterproof (though not floodproof). They feature suede or soft rubber outer soles, light padding inside, and full lining for added protection. Check out our T-bar or Mary Jane styles for those drizzly days.
The Benefits of Soft Soles
Soft sole shoes offer a unique advantage as they allow your child to extend their toes and grip the floor as if they were walking barefoot. This design can improve their balance and coordination as they grow. Little feet require a full range of motion to allow muscles and tendons to stretch, strengthen, and grow. Soft soles facilitate this natural development.
How Long Should My Child Wear Soft Soles?
Both Sadie and Maggie are petite pocket rockets, and we recommend keeping your child in soft soles for as long as possible. While we do suggest having "park shoes" with a harder, more structured sole for rough outdoor play (currently not available at Sadie Baby), soft soles should be the go-to choice for everyday activities.
Sadie has only recently moved up to a size 5, which prompted us to introduce the new hard sole size range. At four years old, she's eager for hard soles. Maggie wore soft soles from 18 months to 2 years. Our soft soles are highly durable, and both Sadie and Maggie have worn them extensively.
For the best development opportunities for your child's feet, we recommend soft soles for as long as possible.
Transitioning to Hard Soles
Once your child moves into the hard sole size range, it's time to introduce hard-soled shoes. However, as previously mentioned, the longer you can keep them in soft soles, the better for their development.
Choosing the right footwear for your little one is an important decision, as it can impact their development and comfort. Start with lightweight and comfortable soft soles to allow your child's feet to develop naturally. Remember that each child is unique, and their journey to walking and wearing shoes will be their own.
At Sadie Baby, we're dedicated to providing high-quality footwear that caters to the needs of growing feet. We hope this guide helps you make informed decisions about when and why your little one should start wearing shoes.
]]>Our Emma Sandal is our transitional shoe. I always find our Winter months are cold and can be gone quickly. Little feet grow unexpectedly and when they do our Emma Sandal is ideal shoe. Designed to see out the last weeks or month of winter when your little one outgrows her winter boots but not sure another winter boot is right. Buy our Emma Sandals in a size up, pair with our socks & complete the look. Once winter is over your little ones feet will have grown where the socks helped for the room.
Our Emma Release is included in White, Brown & Gold Leather in a cut out design, soft rubber soles for our size 2,3,4 & 5, and a flexible sole in our hard rubber sizes 5,6,7,8 & 9.
Our colourful socks come in White, Purple, Beige, Green, Golden & Orange.
Our Emma Sandals can be paired with a number of different outfits, however we choose some of our favourites for the photo shoot.
Our White Sandals paired with White socks & Cream Sunglasses. Paired with the most stunning Yellow Gingham Dress from Lacey Lane.
Maggie is four and she wears a size 8 Gold Emma Sandals with Purple socks & Purple Round Sunglasses.
Sadie is wearing our Brown Sandals size 8. With Angel Eye t-shirt & Joy Skort from Lacey Lane.
Daphne wears our Brown Sandals with Pink Socks & Flower Sunglasses. If you are looking for some amazing Australian Handmade Clothing you must see Milk Threads - I am obsessed with the flares and they are highest quality made product around. I recently just passed on Daphne's flare collection from last year (worn non-stop and still in excellent condition).
Maggie wears our White Sandals in size 8 paired with our orange socks & pink flower sunglasses. Top from Ruby & Owl (Australian handmade - again amazing quality this items last) & Milk Threads flares again (but in Daphne's size 1 so they where third length flares).
Sadie is wearing our Gold Emma Sandals size 8, Flower Sunglasses & Lacey Lane dress.
Round Sunglasses available in Purple, Green, Burnt Orange, Cream, Blush & Leopard Round Sunglasses.
Shell Sunglasses available in Clear Beige Sunglasses, Beige Sunglasses, Pink Sunglasses & Clear Pink Sunglasses
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One of the greatest pleasure's of being a mum of three girls. Is creating and making a room they love & I love too. I wanted the girls room to reflect each of their personalities as our two oldest share.
The bedroom is only a small space, so the room is simple and minimalistic, but has colour & personality without clutter. I have sourced the items for the girls room from some of my favourite Australian small business & some larger Australian Businesses.
The girls room wanted a Mermaid inspired bedroom. Now who wouldn't want a Mermaid inspired bedroom.
Sometimes when I discover simple things I feel like I am a true Rockstar. I am a lover of the simple things, a hot cup of coffee, a hot shower & a freshly made bed. And when I discovered that our Josie Joan Clips Poppy, Abagail & Rachel matched with our Pollen Australia shoelace which where the inspiration around our Alex boots I felt that simple joy of satisfaction. Here are some of the gorgeous combinations and a great way to teach your children about matching (insert mum laughter).
Our Sadie Baby wearing our Rose Gold Alex boots in size 6 complimented by this gorgeous dress from one of our favorites Lacey Lane.
Billie from @littleloves.ofmine is wearing our Alex boot soft sole in size 4 in Tan, paired with our white below the knee sock & pink shoelaces & clip.
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Both my daughters are only little pint size pocket rockets, if you have read our about us you will know Sadie has a rare form of dwarfism. Maggie is of average height but takes after her mum's gene's and is petite. I would recommend you have your little one in soft soles for as long as possiable. I do always have 'park shoes' for rough play outside, these do consist of a hard more structed sole. (Not yet available at Sadie Baby). However when we are shopping, coffee, spending time wtih friends we are in our soft soles, my girls will wear soft soles until they move up to the hard sole range. Sadie has only just moved up to a size 5, which was the reason behind the new hard sole size range. At four Sadie is now eager for the hard soles. Maggie now 18 months is still wearing our size 4, but will be moving to a size 5 soon, I plan to keep her in our soft soles until size 6, as her feet are still developing. Our soft soles are extremely durable, Sadie & Maggie both get extensive wear, Sadies has used her soft soles and breaks on her scooter and these shoes have been passed down to Maggie.
I recommend soft soles for as along as possible, for the best development opportunity for your little ones feet.Without a doubt I love shopping online, the ease of searching for something, having it appear before my eyes on my phone, then on my door step with just a few clicks.... #amazing! But, that doesn't mean its always simply and easy, nor that I have made the best choices. After leaning this, there are three simple steps I take before buying online.
1. Facebook page, reviews. I love seeing what other customers have to say about the companies they buy from. They don't have to have a five star rating, but this is an excellent way of seeing what other customers might think.
2. Ask.... I love hearing from you guys, and any business owner will too. If you are unsure about size, shipping time etc I can help, just ask. This allows us the opportunity to connect with our customers, become aware of questions or gaps that might need to be answered and it can also give us inspiration for something new!
3. Buying! One of my best recommendations is try. If you think to yourself 'I want it all' stop, just try one thing first. Buy one item - check the quality, make sure it works for you, and hey if it does, go back again. Second time round, free shipping over a $ value, well spend it.
I hope these helpful little hints help with you're future online shopping.
Layla is almost one and currently her foot length is 11cm long. Layla wears our size AU 3 (6-12 months). Which is the perfect size for her foot length, a little room to grow without being too small or big. The leather is so soft, so it doesn't rub or mark her little toes or feet, even without socks or tights. The little buckle makes it easy to slide her foot in and out.
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Snuggle Hunny Kids featured below see there full range of Baby Top Knot Headbands.
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There is a lot in the Low Tox Life book and I might be completely behind the times, but if you read my goals for 2019 it was to be a 'better recycler' this was my inspiration. I have slowly when the occasion has arisen made active changes to my life, and when the girls body wash started to finish I really wanted to find something as natural as possible & supportive of Australian based business. No Nasties, is Sunshine Coast owned, with the slick kids range being made from Native Australian extracts & made in New Zealand. I am so very excited to add this range to our collection, and I hope you love it as much as I the girls have.
We have been using the Hair & Body Wash, which smells amazing! We use the detangler after every wash (which has even mentioned to keep the nots out during a swim in the pool) the bio-degradable Tail Comb, which has been perfect addition to help with pulling Sadie's hair up (particular for Ballet) and the slick kids hair gel, which is a light hold perfect for baby hair & fly aways.
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Being a girl mum is more then I could have ever dreamed of, and if I was so blessed to have baby number three another beautiful girl would make this mumma one happy lady.
We absolutely love seeing are shoes are styled with Australian Handmade. These photos have been done by @our_small_adventures they feature our Rose suede 'London' shoes. I am excited to bring you some exclusive discount's.
I have followed Stacey and her beautiful business Parker Tee and Co from the beginning of Sadie Baby, she creates the most breathtaking Lux baby bib's. (I may just have a couple of these gorgeous bibs myself) They are made from high quality fabric and quaint finishing details, these gorgeous bibs make an ideal gift for a new mum and her baby, and our favourites are Juniper and Lavender.
Head to her website and use code word: sbfavs for 30% off your purchase.
Love discovering new handmade businesses and this one is stunning, Talaria create a beautiful collection limited edition dresses made for little girls, available in size 1 to 6 the dresses are made from a curated selection of beautiful textiles. Timeless pieces that can be passed down from daughter to daughter, or kept to passed down from mother to daughter. Have a look at the new Winter Magic collection, my favourites are the Enchanted Garden & Gold Linen. Use code word: sbfavs for 20% off this Australian Handmade business.
Twinkle Star Designs, another one of my favourite stores for luxe, functional & timeless pieces, their clothing is unique designed for girls who love stand out from the crowd. A combination of bright and simple fabrics, this gorgeous label will not disappoint, the collection of skirts is divine, so girly, I just love it. They also stock the most divine selection of tights and knee high socks that are perfect to complement our shoes for the warmer weather. Use code word: sbfavs for 15% off your purchase.
Wildflower the Label, sustainable, ethical, natural and unique handmade clothing made in Western Australia. The label features Australian vintage and Boho inspiration and there is something for bub, boys, girls and mum. The Wynter dress (available in size 1 to 10) & Kai Romper in grey (which can be seen in the gorgeous draw above, available in newborn to size 3). Use code word: sadiebabyfriends at check out for 15% off.
Autumn tones, such an earthy combination of the beautiful colours that descend us at this time of year. This outfit combination has been put together by @whispersofawildflower, Immy is wearing our dark tan leather 'London' Mary Jane style shoes, size 8 paired. The outfit is handmade by Feeling Peachy Creations in Brisabne. www.fp-creations.myshopify.com
Dark Tan 'London' Mary Jane style shoes from - $45.00
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I have decided to tell the story of how we came to know about Floyds’ diagnosis. I now look back and I’m almost ashamed that I felt this way. This is not intended to offend anyone it is just how we felt at the very beginning and is the truth about our emotions, laid out in the raw.
What a beautiful little angel we have who is healthy and happy and the light of our lives.
It was so easy for us to pretend that the doctors may have been wrong, because for 5 months our little boy was just like any other baby, he giggled, he cried, he grew, he changed, he had doctors appointments and midwife checkups, he was not any different from any other baby. No one said anything to us until we went to them saying “he has a lot of rolls, do you think that is normal for a bubba of his age”?
The first tests came through the radiology department and these were full body X-rays. This frightened me so much because I didn’t want to know what these results could confirm. We were advised that this needed to be done and poor little Floydy had to be held down as they took X-rays, for every part on his whole body.
I kept saying “this is enough, no more,” but they needed them all. He cried and so did I. Then wait then began. At this point I was still convinced that they were wrong about it all.
There were a few things I did that didn’t help the process at all. I consulted Dr google. I typed in his symptoms and the remarks the doctor had made.
Large head, short legs and short arms. Well that was a mistake. Major mistake. When i saw the words words Achondroplasia (dwarfism) my heart sank, my body started shaking, my eyes welled up and I was in shock.
Floyd, having Achondroplasia, was not all I was worried about. A large part of the initial weight I felt was due to the medical complications that had been described in some cases. You see Dr Google notes every single possible complication that a child with Achondroplasia could have. Google research allowed me to reason with my limited knowledge of Floyds’ personal situation. The information I came across using this manner of research described health issues and complications that at this stage, I presumed, would affect every child diagnosed with Achondroplasia.
I didn’t know any one who had Dwarfism. This condition, I thought, was genetic and passed on through the family. I had no idea average height parents could give birth to a child with Achondroplasia. Questions flooded my thoughts, how did they not pick this up at birth, why me? and the always present, constant response to my reasoning self , No,no,no.. This can’t be true, its not in our family, it’s not possible.
The thoughts I had, took me to so many depths. What are the health complications, social issues, would he live the life I had envisioned for him?
While waiting for the tests each day and night seemed harder, I would wake to feed Floyd and my mind would sink back and run away with my thoughts, I was so scared.
Ross was the same, each time I fed him at night I would crawl back into bed so tired and weary and I would see Ross wide eyed and awake, he would cuddle me and my heart would sink and we would both just lay there for hours within our own thoughts, not speaking and absolutely heartbroken. We were both so sad for our little boy. We were scared for the future. We just didn’t know.
Our peadiatrician called me 4 days later at 6pm. I had been waiting for his call and was desperate to speak to him. He asked if I had heard of Achondroplasia. I remember falling to my knees, I couldn’t speak, I couldn’t cry, I couldn’t breathe.
At that point it was such a hard word to hear. I had a feeling by then that he possibly had Achondroplasia but I hoped with every inch of my being that this was not the case. I called my sister immediately and cried down the phone with tears flowing down my cheeks “he has it, he has it” and then I broke down. She immediately came over and she found me lying on the bed looking at Floyd and together we all just cried, in that moment, we were silent.
Ross was working such long hours before Christmas and we had spoken about it briefly but for some reason we both didn’t really talk about it too much. It was like if we spoke about it, it was true. Ross in particular was in a lot of denial about the whole process so we just pretended that it could not be true. I remember when I told him he didn’t really say a word, I knew he thought they were wrong and because it’s just so rare and even the paediatrician wasn’t sure, it was easy to ignore it.
That night was probably the worst night of our lives and it was of course sleepless like many before it. Full of silence, we were both so low that we couldn’t even comfort each other. I wanted Ross to tell me they were wrong, that everything was ok with our little boy, that we were going to be ok but he just couldn’t. Ross was a shadow of the man I knew. He was in deep thought and his devastation was so apparent that there was no consoling it.
We met the doctor on Friday afternoon. He sat us down and it felt like he was reading from a text book, he had never done this before. He ran through all the complications that someone with Achondroplasia could have. Telling us the worst possible complications as to not mislead us. He didn’t mention that many children with this are not affected health wise. After he ran through the ‘text book’ I asked him if he had seen this before and he said 20 years ago and then proceeded to tell us not to shoot the messenger if Floyd did not have Achondroplasia. What the… I thought. Why don’t they know. The next step was the Geneticist.
The lead up to seeing the geneticist was a pretty full on week.
There were two very memorable times during this whole process that I was at my absolute lowest point. The first was the day after we had consulted the pediatrician and he had confirmed his suspicions. Ross had a preplanned night booked with his dad and brother to have dinner. I had asked him to stay home with me but then I changed my mind and felt like he needed the time to talk with his family about what was happening.
He left at around 6pm and immediately I delved into the deepest depression that I had ever been in. I piled Floyd into the pram and walked, I didn’t stop, I called my sister and I was inconsolable. I remember yelling “Is this real”.. She grabbed her running shoes and ran straight out the door and met me on the path. When I saw her I immediately cried the most gut wrenching cry that I had ever released. I voiced every single fear, worry and utmost devastation to her, we walked and walked and we cried and cried together, we would look at Floyd every couple of minute’s and he would stare at us with his beautiful big eyes as if to know that there was something wrong, that his mummy was sad, that he knew to be calm and he just lay there as content as ever, like he was saying to me ‘I’m ok mum’.
The second low point was 2 days later, it was Monday morning and Ross had 5 days left of work before the Christmas break and was doing 15hr shifts. I woke up from another sleepless night and I was so tired, not just physically but emotionally.
There were not many people who knew about our situation but I had confided in a really good friend of mine, Kristy who also happens to be a close neighbor. She messaged me saying, ‘are you ok’. I immediately wrote back “I need you” she was at my house soon after. I walked down the stairs with Floyd in my arms, still in my pajama’s and was at my worst.
I remember putting him down, we sat on the couch and I sobbed in her arms, I cried for my little angel. I thought this is not fair, how has this happened. She just sat there and listened and together we cried.
The morning of our geneticist appointment was one that was full of anxiety. Ross had yet to shed a tear about what was happening, not because he wasn’t sad but because it was hard for him to let go. His brother came over to say hello and offer his support, and this is when Ross finally broke down. This was the first moment that he had really let go of his emotions. He was so scared as was I.
1 week later Ross and I found ourselves sitting in the geneticist office at the Royal Children’s hospital in Brisbane, tears streaming down my face. The geneticist had just told us, Floyd, our son, had Achondroplasia. He had ‘Dwarfism’.
To us, it felt very insensitive in the way the Drs disclosed this information to us. “Go home and have a great Christmas and New Year because your little boy is happy and healthy” they remarked. I remember thinking “are you serious”!?
You have just told us our 5 month old baby boy has a very rare condition that only 1-25,000 children are born with and your telling me to have a good Christmas!
I now reflect back to that day and think, what the Dr told us was right. Floyd is happy and healthy.
Floydy is a little boy who will have the most perfect life.
We’d just visited a whole hospital dedicated to children and I’m sure that each month the Drs in this hospital see hundreds of much loved children, some with life threatening illnesses. From our Drs perspective, Floyd and his condition, was a preferred diagnosis, in place of many others.
After we got past the initial shock of it all we started to put it into perspective. It was a very hard process but as soon as we released our video the healing began. We were excited for the future. We realised that everything will be ok, that Floyd-Henry is a blessing and a gift and we love him just the way he is.
The outpour of support from our family and friends was so amazing. The messages, the letters, the love, compassion and excitement for our future was our magic healing potion.
Finally we were smiling again and we couldn’t be happier with the beautiful little boy that we created.
I remember one lovely mum writing to me from America and she said that one day you will remember this time and won’t believe that you even shed a tear for your little Floyd-Henry. I don’t honestly feel this way just yet but we are well on our way.
Check out there incredible video
https://floydhenrymorley.com/
A part of the reason that I started this blog two months ago was to inform friends and family of Leo’s diagnosis. I couldn’t bear the thought of having to tell each and every person and reliving the experience over and over. It was painful and would often result in tears. A blog seemed like a good way to share our story and have everyone made aware of our situation before they met Leo for the first time. Along the way we have attracted some loyal Leo lovers (I just came up with that then and I kinda like it!). It is so great to have you all on board our journey with Leo and your support and encouragement really does mean so much to me. So, I figure that I should use this platform to educate you all a little on Leo’s type of dwarfism as I am sure there will be some aspects that you wont be aware of (I certainly wasn’t!).
Firstly, I want to talk a bit about the physical differences that Leo will have. A baby with Achondroplasia has a relatively long, narrow torso with short extremities (arms and legs) and a disproportionate shortening of the upper segments of the limbs. There is a typically large head with prominence of the forehead (frontal bossing), underdevelopment of the midface with cheekbones that lack prominence, and a low nasal bridge with narrow nasal passages. The fingers appear short and the ring and middle fingers may diverge, giving the hand a trident appearance. Most joints can extend more than normal. For example, the knees can hyperextend beyond the normal stopping point. These differences will become more apparent as Leo grows. While he has some features that are similar to his brother, he has his own unique look that we absolutely adore. And can we all just look at that little button nose! It is so kissable.
I’ve mentioned in previous posts that achondroplasia comes with some medical implications. We try hard not to get too caught up with this as it can get very over whelming, but at the same time it is important to be educated about them as there are things that we need to monitor.
Health problems commonly associated with achondroplasia include episodes in which breathing slows or stops for short periods (apnea), obesity, and recurrent ear infections. In childhood, individuals with the condition usually develop a pronounced and permanent sway of the lower back and bowed legs. Some affected people also develop abnormal front-to-back curvature of the spine and back pain. A potentially serious complication of achondroplasia is spinal stenosis which is a narrowing of the spinal canal that can pinch (compress) the upper part of the spinal cord. Spinal stenosis is associated with pain, tingling, and weakness in the legs that can cause difficulty with walking. Another uncommon but serious complication of achondroplasia is hydrocephalus, which is a buildup of fluid in the brain in affected children that can lead to increased head size and related brain abnormalities.
Leo is a very healthy and happy baby so we consider ourselves very lucky. However, because we know how important it is to monitor these potential issues we do take extra precautions. Leo is currently sleeping with a sleep apnea monitor. This is just a little sensor pad that is taped to his stomach and attached to a small machine. It sets off an alarm if his breathing stops for an extended amount of time. The alarm has never gone off so that is a good sign. We have also done an at home oximetry test. This was to check how his oxygen levels are while he is sleeping. Soon we will need to go up to Starship Hospital to complete an official sleep study. This is a more intense version of the home test that we did. He will be hooked up to a number of machines and the doctors will watch him all night to assess his breathing. We, along with our paediatrician are also keeping a close eye out for various symptoms of spinal stenosis. At some point Leo will need to have an MRI to check for this. This is something that I am feeling particularly uncomfortable about. Mainly because of the fact that he will most probably need to go under a general anesthetic and this can be problematic for babies with achondroplasia because of their narrower passage ways.
So yes there is a little more involved with Leo’s condition than you were probably aware of. But we are confident that Leo will continue to grow into a strong and healthy boy with minimal (or no) health concerns.
Thanks for stopping by to learn a little more about Leo. The more you know about his condition the more chance we have of creating a community that is aware and educated about dwarfism, and therefore accepting and supportive of Leo and others like him.
A huge thank you to Olivia from https://ourlittlelionblog.wordpress.com/2017/08/19/learning-about-leo/ for allowing me to share her story and journey.