Ice Skates

We just got back from taking Madelyn ice skating. Carl grew up on the ice and is a very skilled skater. I on the other hand grew up skating on an outdoor ice rink a mile from our house, with no lessons other that what my father taught me. We had been talking about getting her on the ice for about a month and just never got around to it until today. Madelyn loved it! She loved the skates and took to them like any other pair of shoes. We all know that Madelyn LOVES shoes. On the ice she was willing to be pushed, pulled, and carried. She loved when Carl would carry her and skate around the ice, she wanted him to go faster and could not figure out why I was always lagging behind. I am very sorry I didn't get to take any pictures, but I was too busy trying not to fall down. It has been at least seven years since I have skated, maybe even more.

The best thing about the evening was that I was inspired. Madelyn who had never really seen ice skates before had no problem putting them on and was ready to go. She embraced the expirience with out any fear. She had no reservations that she might fall down or get hurt. The only time she complained was when it was time to go home, because she wasn't really ready yet.

This type of attitude inspires me to take in life and enjoy it. Not only the familiar things that I love but maybe to try a few things that I have not tried or tried for a while. Embrace life with a little more zeal. Who know that putting a two year in a pair of skates would do that.

2 year check-up

This is Dr. C, Madelyn's padiatrician. I have depended on him greatly in the last two years and as he is retiring, I will miss him so much. Madelyn was in great spirits at her two year check up. No tears, only giggles and a little shyness. Madelyn is now 36 inches tall and weighs 26 lbs. She is really doing well on her curve. Dr. C and I reminisced for a few minutes at how difficult she was to feed and how she just missed getting the feeding tube. That all feels like such a long time ago yet when I think about it I can still feel the stress.

All in all, Madelyn is developing normally and is a typical two year-old. Prais the Lord!

Madelyn's 2nd Birthday Party!

Madelyn's Birthday was a bunch of fun again this year. We kept the crowd alot smaller this year. We gave her a Little People house. As as you can see it was a hit. As parents it's fun to see your baby turn two. It seem just moments ago we were praying our hearts out to God to allow Madelyn to survive, and now she is playing, happy, full of joy and brings so much laughter to our home.

Madelyn loves ice cream. We go through many tubs at our house. So I thought we should have an ice cream theme for her party. I made three flavours of homemade ice cream. Had a custom t-shirt ordered for Madelyn to wear with an ice cream cone on it. And I made an ice cream cone cake. (I have to say that I was very proud of how it turned out.)

Here Madelyn is making wish! She did a really great job blowing out the candles. She liked it so much she wanted to do it again. And so we did. Hey, what the birthday girl wants the birthday girl should get.

Madelyn had a great time unwrapping her gifts. Thanks, everyone!

The Morden Corn and Apple Festival was the same weekend as Madelyn's birthday. So we had a very fun-filled weekend. Madelyn thinks it was all because she was turning two.

Quick Update

We have had the most crazy few weeks. August is always nuts at our house now this year we get to celebrate Madelyn's first birthday. So since Carl and I come from very small immediate families I thought that I would open up Madelyn's first birthday to a bigger crowd. There are many people out there that have been praying for Madelyn and she has done so well, I am still in awe when I think back a year ago.

I started by planning a BBQ supper and making a list of people that might like to come to a little girls birthday party on the last friday in August. I was so pleasently surprise on how many people wanted to come, they even postponed camping trips.

We have been very busy getting the yard in better shape to show off to the crowd. Thanks Dad!

Carl I celebrated our 9th wedding anniversary! I can't believe it's been that long. We have had an amazing time. We even got to go on a two dates. One was out for supper a great local resturant. The other we went in to Winnipeg for some home decor shopping and fast food. It's amazing how quickly you can spend money in just a few hours, but our home is more homey because of it. Thanks to Ang, and grandma and grandpa for looking after Madelyn.

We also took in the local festivals that always makes a weekend fly by and you wonder where your lazy Sunday afternoon went.

This last week we went to see Dr. C for Madelyn's one year check up and then on the same day I booked an appointment with Dr. W, Madelyn's surgeon, just because I have many questions about Madelyn's Pectus and development of it.

The appointment with Dr. C went great. Madelyn is now 19pds and 8oz. That puts her into the 25th percentile. Woot, woot! We have been hoping for getting back into the 20th percentile since birth. I am so pumped, but she is still on formula at 1.0 cal/ml. That is down from 1.1 ca/ml. I had high hopes of moving to whole milk.

I did find out that Madelyn will have to see an opthomologist, because her daddy had a lazy eye, or inturning eye. I don't know the medical term for it. This can be a genetic problem and if caught early is easy to treat. I'm not at all worried.

After a little bit of Costco's great buys, and an hour lunch at a playland McDonald's it was time to see Dr. W. Now I made this appointment on my own because I have noticed that Madelyn is developing a pectus. I know that nothing will be done until she is a teenager but I wanted some real answers to the questions that I had.

Dr. W was gracious with me and answered every question over Madelyn's crying and fussing. Yes, she has a pectus. On a scale of 1 to 10, its about a 1. Yes is can get worse, but there is nothing to do right now. What can be done in the future we that all depends on medicine in the next ten years. Bracing the torso does work, but can be long and uncomfortable. If it is very severe Dr. W. right now fixes the problem, but there is a verticale scar on the chest. He does not do the "Nuss" procedure yet. Manitoba does not offer it as of yet, since it is still now widely practised. Can that change in 10 years when Madelyn might (and I say might, because we don't know yet.) need to have this done. Well yes, because we always know alot more in ten years. Just look at her and the results of CDH. Ten years ago, I would have delivered her in a rural hospital and she probably would not have survived. Praise God for technology!

So that pretty much sums up the month of August for us. I'm sorry for the ramblings. I promise to get more organized and have better more frequent posts.

What is up for September? Mommy is going back to work, so it time to figure out how to fit that in.

On another note, I had the privilage of meeting an expectant mom with a baby of CDH and an ompheocele. Here is her blog: http://crystalandnathanrachul.blogspot.com/ As Madelyn is doing so well, I was forgetting all the worries and heartache we had only a year ago. As Crystal was talking, I was just finding myself fighting back tears. My heart goes out to this couple. Please pray for them as they will need all the prayers and support in the next few months.

Back on the Curve

I took Madelyn to the public health nurse office to have her weighed. And drum roll please........Madelyn is now 17pds! I was so excited, I was jumping up and down. No one there really knows what kind of an accievment that is for her. Madelyn is now back on track with her birth wieght in the 20th centile curve. Hopefully she can continue to gain weight since she is so active now she is burning alot of calories. And of course not eating anything on a spoon.

Physiotherapy

Last week I finally got a phone call from the BTHC physio dept. Madelyn was referred via her newborn follow up appointment in April. At that appointment I was shown how to do a few exercises to help Madelyn to learn to sit. She was sitting a few weeks later. But I was still anxiously awaiting the appointment with the physitherapist here to see what else we should be doing. So when they called last week Tuesday and asked if we could come the next morning I said we would be there.

Madelyn was is good spirits considering it was her nap time. The physiotherapist,Carla, was very friendly and Madelyn took to her nicely. We played on the floor and Carla assessed her well. I got a few more excersises to do with Madelyn that will help her crawl. She actually started crawling at the appointment. She had never done that yet, so I was very happy.

Since then, Madelyn is all over the place. She is not doing the proper technic of crawling on all fours, it is more like an army crawl with her tummy down on the floor. But we will continue to work on her core muscles, and help strengthen her shoulder gertal. Now I sound like a physiotherapist.

All in all, Madelyn is progressing nicely. Her muscle tone is weaker, but still in the normal range. And I am also happy about the fact that we also talked about her oral aversion, and next time I will get to talk to a OT, if Madelyn is still not eating with a spoon.

Guess Who's Sitting!

That right you guessed it, Madelyn!

Well I guess who else would it be. Just in the last four days Madelyn was getting so much better and today she didn't loose her balance everytime she lead over to pick up a toy. I am so happy to see progress because I know the physiotherapist was so concerned that she was now up to her age in the gross motor skill area.

On another note, Madelyn got her first tooth poking through on Friday. It's so cute, and razor sharp. More are on the way, as today was not a good day for her. I actually put her in the car and went for a drive to get her to fall asleep this afternoon. I just didn't know what else to do.

Here's to hoping tomorrow is a better day for my sweetheart.

Cheers!

Progress....

So Madelyn is still not sitting my herself. Most people just tell me that she will etc. Her appointment last week Wednesday at the Newborn Follow-up clinic was eye opening. The physiotherapist saw what was wrong. She told me how to excerise Madelyn core muscles. I have been doing it multiple times a day since. Early this morning I saw some progress. Madelyn actually put down her hand to lean on and steady herself. I was so excited to see all this work was getting somewhere. So maybe, just maybe she will progress to the next level soon. So, here is to hoping for the best!

Cheers!

Just Hanging Out Together

I had a great time with Madelyn today. Every day as she get older, I get to know her personality better. I think she is great! She is funny, giggly, and very thoughtful. After I had put her to bed for the night, I couldn't resist just standing there at her crib. Remembering all the hours we sat in NICU. Now, here she is sleeping peacefully in her crib. It's so hard to believe that it was only a few short months ago that we didn't know if she would live. This feeling of contentment is great, God has been good to us. Praise the Lord!

Mischief.....A sign of what is yet to come.

After nap time the other day. This is what I found. I can't help but wonder if this is what I have in store from her. I find myself wondering what kind of personality she will have. Some days I think she will be a little firecracker, stubborn and slightly demanding. Other days, she is so quiet, thoughtful and content. She is obviously a fighter, a survivour of CDH, and a zest for life.

What Changes In A Day?

So, I really don't know what happened from one day to the next but Madelyn is doing great! On Wednesday we went to see Dr. Carson and she is doing well. (See last post.) On Thursday Madelyn had her six month immunization shots (we are one month behind due to a 35 day hospital stay.) And she was just bigger all around. Her weight was up to 15 pds. And her hieght is 28 inches. I am going to have to get a different car seat in three inches. I can't believe this. She is now in the 95th percentile in height! Now if you saw Carl and I, we are both short people. The only place there is any hieght is from my Dad at six feet tall.

Here are the two of them together. Grandpa is like her best friend. She is always happy to see him. I no longer have any grandparents and love the fact that she has such a great relationship with him already.

Everyday Life

Madelyn is seven months now and I really want it to be spring. So we had a little photo shoot in our livingroom.

The lighting is off in this picture, but I thought it was sweet.

Madelyn is trying to crawl, the cat as you can see is getting nervous about the whole thing.

My little princess is just having a great time with all her toys.

Madelyn has been sucking on her toes now for about a month and a half. I think it's hillarious!