We're Here, We're Here

Ahh, summer. So much to do ... and then you get hit with the below-the-belt hit: a summer cold. It's so not fair! Why can't they stay confined to the nine months of winter when you don't mind staying inside by the fireplace? Yes, Scott and Annie have been under the weather a bit. One of the patients I can tote to the doctor and have checked out; the other not so much. (He did say that he "might" call the doctor tomorrow now that he's certain he has a sinus infection. We'll see if that really happens! And mind you, I took Annie to the doctor at his insistence, really. Our fabulous, marvelous, wonderful nurse practitioner said she doesn't mind seeing Annie anytime but thought we might be able to manage to listen to her lungs ourselves once in awhile. LOL Vicki, I'll buy a stethoscope, I promise!) Annie, unlike Scott, does seem to be on the mend without any real fuss (thankfully).

These days we are doing really well. All of the specialists (swallow, nutrition, PT, GI, etc.) have decided that Annie's food is safe for her once it has been thickened with rice or oatmeal cereal. It's working with her special bottle, so it's all good. The reflux medication seems to have helped with her spitting up, and her appetite -- even with the additional calories per ounce that the cereal adds -- seems to have increased a bit. (It seems like we teeter on the precipice of each pound marker. This month it's the 16 pound mark that we are awaiting eagerly. I weighed her this morning and she was 15 pounds, 15.5 ounces.) Meanwhile, we're working on feeding her by spoon as often as we can, so that we can get her the practice and move towards spoon feeding her everything. She is safer the thicker her food is, apparently. (The GI in Boston said things like "I don't know if it's safe to let you leave the hospital with her today" ... ugh! Luckily, things seem to have calmed down with the involvement of all the specialists.)

Oh, and the other thing we are doing these days is baby proofing. Annie is into everything! She has a determined crawl when she spots something new and exciting (still crawling army style, but is using both arms almost equally now). She loves emptying the bottom shelf of books and then eating their dust jackets. Alas, my Harry Potter books will never be collectors' items now. Other favorites include the tupperware cabinet, the bag of plastic recycling, and the ever-popular houseplant. She is pulling herself up on practically everything, including the couch, chairs, ottomans, toys, and cabinets. She has started to cruise a tiny bit and will even walk a few steps holding onto our fingers. She's so tiny that it looks comical, if you ask me. (Think Chucky.)

Jamie and Annie have begun to hang out in the living room together, which is fun. Jamie asks for me to put Annie in the living room with her first thing every morning so they can play or put on their "big kid talent show." I'm not close in age to my siblings, so the closeness of Annie and Jamie is a revelation to me. I can't help but hope that they will be close as they grow up (or at least after they both survive their teen years ....). So far, Jamie truly has been a model big sister. She loves Annie and wants to be with her "sista" ALL THE TIME. The only rough spot has been overexuberant love, especially now that Annie is on the go. I catch Jamie "helping" Annie to stand or moving her from one place to another. She thinks Annie is all set for playing and doesn't realize that she's still tiny and shouldn't be manhandled by a four-year-old! If Annie starts to cry at all, the first thing I hear if Jamie is innocent is "she just bumped her head! It wasn't me!" If Jamie is complicit ... well, silence on her end speaks volumes.

We'll be headed to see the cardiologist here in NH in a few weeks and Annie has her nine month check-up tomorrow. Other than that, we are blissfully free of doctors' appointments and happy to enjoy the summer again, now that Annie's little cold seems to be on the way out. I wanted to write and update because I had a few minutes. Thanks to everyone who wrote asking about the GI appointment!

It's a bit bittersweet, but the first photo I put on this blog was a photo of Jamie at soccer camp last year. Here's one from this year's camp ... wow, what a year. July 18 marked one year since our first fetal echo and the initial diagnosis of EFE. We wondered if we would ever even hold Annie in our arms and now she is a laughing, giggling, fabulous addition to our family. I'm grateful she's here every day, no matter what came with her. We can't imagine life without her, that's for sure. She is our happy, sweet, easygoing baby who wakes us up each morning with a big smile on her face. Now it's time to start planning that first birthday party!

(Other photos: We tried to get a good picture of Jamie & Annie with the blueberries we picked, but Annie was just too interested in grabbing those lovely blueberries!

Also, Annie hanging out at soccer camp. and Annie and Jamie playing in the living room.)