What a great, great month we just had. We partied. We got great news from Alivia's doctors. We traveled. ... Such a HUGE difference from this time last year. Last August and September, we were grappling with Alivia's diagnosis and facing an avalanche of questions. This August and September, we chased after our thriving little girl, who has no idea her heart was so sick. I pray daily that she lives a life never knowing that kind of illness again. I don't know why her heart became enlarged, and I don't know why it's normalizing. We just take each day as it comes and are grateful when the day ends well. I can't express just how grateful I am to be able to feel so much more at ease. A certain part of me still holds fear regarding the "what ifs", but that's a small part and I don't let it ever overshadow the good.
To recap the month and touch on the usual highlights -
Weight: 22 lbs, 1 oz (14th percentile)
Milestones: Another tooth or two, stringing 2-4 words together (she especially likes to announce possessives like "Daddy's truck," "Tyler's towel" and "MY anything"), completely off her Lasix med, and hair long enough for pig tails or a pony tail (not that she'll sit still long enough to actually put them in).
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| This is her "I'm in charge" pose. |
Likes: Italian (pizza, spaghetti), watching Elmo on YouTube on our phones, dancing to Tyler's VBS music, running away from anyone trying to make her stand still, swinging, throwing bows from her hair onto the ground or hiding them in the couch cushions. :)
On Aug. 13, Andrew and I invited our coworkers, close friends and family to our house for a celebration to thank them for assisting us over the past year as we adapted to our new normal. We've had so much support and feel so lucky to have these people in our lives. I'm allowed a very flexible work schedule so that we can keep Alivia home and out of daycare; our parents travel 30+ miles one way a couple times a week to babysit one or both kids; and we're just surrounded by so many who pray for Alivia often. It was a GREAT day, and not once did I dwell on the horrible Aug. 13 we experiened last year. For THAT, I'm eternally grateful.
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| Opening a gift from my coworker, Sue, at her party. Such a sweet gesture! |
Looking forward, we hope to just enjoy the fall. We now see Alivia's cardiologist and pediatrician every 3 months unless we need to see one of them earlier. It's possible Alivia will have another echo in early December. As I understand it, the more her heart is allowed to pump normally, the easier it is for the heart to continue shrinking toward normal size. Here's hoping (and praying, praying, praying) that occurs.
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| Playing in the bounce house at cousin Nate's birthday with Uncle Greggy. |
So glad to hear everybody is healthy and happy!
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