Sunday, January 17, 2010

Life Goes On….

As the title reads, life has been moving along great for us. It is Amazing how it falls back into a normal routine as though she was never stricken with Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia and all it’s problems. Ava is striving more and more to talk. She now repeats everything we say. Oh and does she ever ask questions. Her favorite thought is, “Why Mommy?” She is trying to learn her colors and how to count. So far she counts like this…. “One Two Eight Nine!!” She loves to run and jump. She waits patiently for her sisters to get home from schools so she can tag along with what they are doing. She meets her Daddy at the back door and greets him with a warm “Hi Daddy!” and a HUG. She is so loving. I couldn’t ask for her to be doing better. Weight seems to be a issue and probably always will be with Ava. She has been stuck on 30 pounds for a good several months now. We pray that she will hit a growth spurt and she’ll gain a few pounds. She does eat pretty good for a three year old. We continue to do her nightly g-tube feeds. We are up to almost 700 calories a night time feed. She tolerates it well and most days she gets up and wants an egg first thing. (Which is a good thing!)

As most of you know I have a love for photography. It is my true passion. I love how taking pictures makes me feel. I am now finally being able to put my name on my work. Pictures capture a moment in time that otherwise passes by without another thought. Here is one I did of our hands. (Ava and I)I will cherish these picture forever. I can honestly say I have held a Miracle. We love that she is strong and is now healthy. We’ll take what we are given, as we know life is a blessing.

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I want you to see for yourself how big she is getting. She is growing so tall. I trimmed her hair last night and she could barely hold still long enough for me to finish. She kept saying, “Done Mommy?” Then a few seconds later she would ask again. Today was ALL about reading Dora books. Yes we have taken “Dora” on. We now have Dora everything!

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She makes this face A LOT!

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I spiced this one up with my artist flare!

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Simple and very elegant…. Lady Ava.

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Miss, I Love Books enjoys a good read!

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And no angle left missing…..

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I need to schedule a surgery follow-up appointment for Ava but I’m putting it off a bit. She is enjoying everyday and who could ask for anything more?

Thanks for your commitment to Ava’s blog. I don’t write much anymore as normal things tend to be boring. I try to use my writings to inspire those who have been affected  by pain and hard ache. There is life at the end of the tunnel. Ava is living proof! I pray that Ava continues her healing path…..she is a very courageous little lady.

~Terri

3 comments:

Bryan said...

Thanks for the update. It is truly an inspiration to hear how well she is doing. I can't wait for the day we will have an entry like this! So glad you are enjoying every moment. Pam Winter

My Three Sons said...

Well I'm glad that life is "boring" for you. I love boring.

Glad to see everyone is doing good. Love the pictures. That last one with the light shining around her face is my favorite.

shashank said...

Here is a link to more information about the genetics of Diaphragmatic Hernia that was prepared by our genetic counselor and which has links to some useful resources for those dealing with this condition: http://www.accessdna.com/condition/Diaphragmatic_Hernia/118. There is also a phone number listed if you need to speak to a genetic counselor by phone. I hope it helps. Thanks, AccessDNA