Alright... I'm not even going to say it. I know it, you know it. I'm late and since I'm on bedrest I really have no excuse! :o)
Things are going fast and slow at our house. On the one hand, it seems that the days are just flying by as quickly as ever and on the other hand it feels like I haven't left my house in years. I feel amazingly out of touch with the real world in ways that I didn't quite expect. Yesterday, we had a big doctor's appointment to meet with the surgeon and some other folks (more about this later) and driving down our street I commented to Brad about how lovely it looked since all the leaves have fallen onto the lawns creating this lovely fall look. Brad said, "wow, I guess it's been awhile since you've been out!" So it's sort of in this weird way that I feel disconnected. I'm not sure what the weather is ever like, and I'm not sure it ever occurred to me before to miss knowing that. I've been three weeks inside now and I'd say it both feels like I just went on bedrest a few days ago and that I've always been on bedrest. I know I'll get through it though, and I know that in the long run it's really a very short period of time.
Once again, I'll update on the twins first and then put the gazillion photos of L in my next post this afternoon as your reward for sticking with me. You better get ready too, cause there are some cute ones in there! :o)
We've had several big appointments in the past several weeks. First we met with a new cardiologist. Well... she's not a new cardiologist, she's just another cardiologist in the same practice that we had already been to, but this doctor makes more visits to the hospital where we will deliver so we decided to start seeing her. She again confirmed the diagnosis of HLHS and told us that there is no controversy there and that it is definitely the diagnosis. She also warned us that at times there are problems that are not uncovered until birth, but that from what she could see, the HLHS is the only heart defect that we are dealing with. She also let us know that the calcification and thickening of the endocardia is consistent with HLHS and will likely get worse as the pregnancy progresses and the left side of baby B's heart continues to shrink. This is normal for HLHS and does not effect outcome. She was able to get pictures of everything they needed for the surgeon and we got a pass to come back in another month! She was very concerned and interested in the genetic connection within my family though. My sister had a closely related heart defect, coarctation (narrowing) of the aorta, and I have a second cousin with HLHS (my first cousin's child). HLHS is very rare and to have family members with the same or similar defects is pretty amazing. Finally, we were able to confirm once again that baby W is healthy.
We also had another appointment with the new perinatologist practice. This time we were able to see the head of the practice, which was wonderful! He put us at immediate ease and wanted to refocus our attentions on the major issue at hand, which is getting the twins to their largest possible size and most developed before they make their appearance in this world. He was concerned about the high rate of preeclampsia in mothers of twins, so he put me on a new regimen of taking my blood pressure, testing for protein in the urine and checking for fluid retention through weight gain. Since the only real prevention for preeclampsia is rest, he also put me on strict bedrest. This means laying down all the time with bathroom breaks and meals at the table still allowed. I'm not going to lie to you... it stinks! It's not nearly as bad as it could be though, and I am enjoying developing an online shopping habit and it does make my doctor's appointments seem that much more exciting!
Our third major appointment was with the people who will be treating us at the hospital when the twins are born. Last night we met with a geneticist, a lactation consultant and the surgeon who will be operating on baby B. We met with the geneticist first. She was also interested in the family connection between these heart defects. She told us that the current trend in thought is that there is a genetic predisposition to these conditions that includes a dominant/recessive gene (much like tay-sachs or other genetically inherited diseases) where both parents have to contribute the recessive "heart defect" gene in order for a baby to be born with one. She said that this gene is probably not a gene that causes HLHS but that causes a predisposition to that type of heart defect with HLHS being on the more severe end of what can develop. Brad and I are both carriers of the recessive gene even though the dominant "no heart defect" gene is clearly what is working in our bodies. Therefore, with any further pregnancies our chances of having a child with a heart defect is probably around 25% (the actual statistics for actual families ranging from 8% to around 35%), and depending on if/who baby B decides to have children with he could have anywhere from a 50% to a 0% chance of having a child with the disease (though all of his children will be carriers of the gene). The geneticist warned us, however, that the research is still very new (which makes sense, because the cardiologist told us that it was not a dominant/recessive gene thing, so clearly there is not agreement across the board on this) and that by the time baby B is ready to have children, things may be drastically different. I hope that wasn't too confusing. She was able to draw a picture for us which made it much easier to understand. If you have questions, let me know and I'll try to answer them. Our plan has never been to have any more biological children but it was definitely interesting to hear given that everytime I make plans God laughs. :o)
Next we met with the lactation consultant. When I learned that I was having twins, I started to research how to breastfeed them. I have to say that having L, who was largely formula fed, and seeing her today, I'm not as worried about this as I might have been if these were our first children. I would love to breastfeed them, but I know that if it doesn't work out that it will be fine. That said, I wanted to meet with the lactation consultant and talk logistics. With one baby in the hospital and another baby at home and my boobs firmly attached to my body, I wondered how could we realistically make this work. Baby B is more than likely going to be too weak to suck effectively at the breast, making this even more difficult. We discussed some solutions and I think we will be able to work it out. At least at this point, we know what we need to do after we get to the hospital to facilitate as easy a process as possible.
We then met with the surgeon. This was, of course, the main reason that we came to the hospital and the person we were most anxious to meet. I have to say that it was kind of eerie to be sitting next to the man who is going to perform the surgery that will save our child's life. It just kind of blows my mind that I had this casual conversation with this doctor who is going to change me forever. It was crazy! I've met a lot of specialists in my life, and I find that some have a better bedside manner than others. The surgeon was fantastic. He walked us through each step of the surgery with a model of a giant heart and explained everything to us. It was just amazingly helpful to have someone so nice be the person to help us out. It was also nice to see the statistics on the hospital. At our hopsital, last year, there were 10 Norwood procedures performed (all by this surgeon and his team). The survival rate was 90%. That's pretty good! He pointed out to us that in terms of heart surgeries in general, that the Norwood is quite risky, because even with a mortality rate of 10-15% it's still much higher than most other surgeries. We're not thinking about that though and we're going for 90%. He explained to us the challenges little B is going to face just getting from the first surgery to the second surgery since there is about the same mortality 10-15% in between the two surgeries. This is mostly caused because if he catches a cold or even a normal childhood infection it could be deadly for him. In order to help us with this, we'll receive monitoring equipment to help us keep track of B's vitals so we can get to a hospital before an emergency gets out of hand. All of that sounds kind of morbid, but it's his job to go over that stuff with us. The visit was very largely positive and we are going to trust this man to take care of our precious child. He also discussed our other options with us. The only other surgical option (the only other option involving survival beyond a few weeks, in other words) is heart transplant. We had already done a bit of research into this, and so we'd decided against it anyhow, but it gave the subject some finality to discuss it with the doctor. B may end up with a heart transplant at some point, but hopefully not until adulthood. We now have a concrete plan for surgery, though just like the cardiologist he warned us of the possibility of finding other problems after birth, but we're praying for the best in that regard. All in all it was a great meeting!
That's all for now with updates on the twins. Baby W is doing great. They are both growing like weeds and hopefully will continue to do so. I'll have to get Brad to take another belly shot, if you promise not to judge me for wearing pajamas. My belly at least feels crazy huge!
See you all this afternoon!
Friday, November 20, 2009
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Weekly Update
Oh my goodness. I'm so embarrassed. It's been too long since I've updated, but here it is!!
I'll update on the twins first, and then show you about a million photos of miss L. The biggest problem when I slack off is that then these updates get super long! So sit back, relax and enjoy!
Since we last updated we've been back to see the cardiologist one more time. The diagnosis of HLHS was confirmed at that time and we found out the specifics about where we were going to deliver the twins. There are actually a couple of choices within a reasonable distance to our house that can perform the surgery, which is truly a blessing. In the end we would be able to deliver at one of the hospitals and at the other we'd have to deliver and have little B transferred. We decided that this would be sort of a nightmare for Brad and I trying to manage a two year old, a newborn and spend as much time with B as possible, so the choice was made to deliver at the hospital which is marginally closer to us.
After the hospital choice was made it was time to make some decisions about our doctors. The new hospital is far enough away that none of the doctors we were using previously service the new hospital. Luckily the cardiologist practice that we were in does have doctors that visit the new hospital, so we were able to transfer within the practice, but we needed to find a new perinatologist and OB to deliver the babies. We had our first appointment yesterday with the new peri, who will actually deliver the babies, so no need for a new OB (hooray!).
The practice was fantastic and the new peri was great! We did find out that baby B has some calcification on the left side of his heart and the endocardia (lining of the heart) is thickened. We're not sure what this means, but she did say that it was in line with the diagnosis of HLHS. We'll ask the cardiologist at our appointment next week. The best news of the appointment was that besides B's little heart everything else looked GREAT! Sweet baby W is doing great and they are both growing well. In fact they are measuring a week ahead and are the exact same size. It looks like all that eating is paying off!
The best news also led to the most shocking news, though. The new peri informed me that because the babies are measuring large and because it is so absolutely VITAL that we keep them in there as long as possible because little B really needs to weigh in over 6 pounds to have the best chances for surgery. She is worried that with two large babies that my body will eventually simply not be able to carry them any longer, and to avoid that time coming too quickly, she has put me on "house arrest" bedrest. Basically, I can park it on the couch or the bed, sit or lie down, get my meals, take a ten minute shower each day and go up and down the stairs once a day. It's going to be a challenge, but I am just going to try to make the most of it and read some books, scrapbook and watch some DVDs. My mom is coming (THANK GOODNESS) to help with L. I'm so sad that I won't be able to play with her the way she's used to but I'm already trying to come up with some activities that we can do. We're hoping to keep these babies growing another 12 weeks and that just seems like a long time to upset L's normal. We're going to get through it though, and we'll do whatever we can to make things as normal as possible.
...AND now onto the photos!
A couple of weeks ago Brad had a meeting in another city, so we took a road trip. The trip was a little longer than I had really thought it was going to be, but it was actually really fun and the change of scenery was really good. His meeting was on a college campus, and L discovered that college girls love cute two year olds. She used this to her advantage nearly the entire day we were there. We had checked out of our hotel room early and so we ended up napping in the car and doing some Christmas present research at target, but we mostly hung out on campus and L had the BEST time running and running and having fun.
Here she's found some leaves to throw:
...of course, soon it was back to running and making friends. She would say, "HELLO!" to everyone who would walk past.
She began playing peek-a-boo with people passing by. Too cute!!
My goodness, I can't believe she's so big!
...and finally, there was some serious dancing going on.
All in all, it was a GREAT day. The campus was gorgeous and we had a wonderful day.
The day after we got home L came down with a cold, but by last weekend she was feeling better, but still not ready to leave the house so she and daddy took the opportunity to carve a pumpkin.
At first, L seemed to be a little confused about what was going on, but she was definitely interested.
Who is shy? Not this girl, but that's a cute face!
Then daddy took the top off of the pumpkin...
...and L said, WHAT IS THAT STUFF IN THERE?!
She was not about to touch it, but decided she'd help scoop with a spoon.
Then daddy carved the face on.
Too cute!
No more sticky guts?
... and finally out on the porch!
L's all better now, although we're sort of house bound, but we've been enjoying our time in doing some crafts around the house.
(nevermind the bedhead, please!)
Tonight we painted pumpkins that we'd gotten on our visit to the farm when my parents were here last.
CHEESE!
She was really concentrating.
and somehow... her eye eventually got painted.
and somehow... the paint eventually got tasted, but apparently it's not very good.
But then it was back to work.
Here's a sample of some of her work this week:
See you next week!!
I'll update on the twins first, and then show you about a million photos of miss L. The biggest problem when I slack off is that then these updates get super long! So sit back, relax and enjoy!
Since we last updated we've been back to see the cardiologist one more time. The diagnosis of HLHS was confirmed at that time and we found out the specifics about where we were going to deliver the twins. There are actually a couple of choices within a reasonable distance to our house that can perform the surgery, which is truly a blessing. In the end we would be able to deliver at one of the hospitals and at the other we'd have to deliver and have little B transferred. We decided that this would be sort of a nightmare for Brad and I trying to manage a two year old, a newborn and spend as much time with B as possible, so the choice was made to deliver at the hospital which is marginally closer to us.
After the hospital choice was made it was time to make some decisions about our doctors. The new hospital is far enough away that none of the doctors we were using previously service the new hospital. Luckily the cardiologist practice that we were in does have doctors that visit the new hospital, so we were able to transfer within the practice, but we needed to find a new perinatologist and OB to deliver the babies. We had our first appointment yesterday with the new peri, who will actually deliver the babies, so no need for a new OB (hooray!).
The practice was fantastic and the new peri was great! We did find out that baby B has some calcification on the left side of his heart and the endocardia (lining of the heart) is thickened. We're not sure what this means, but she did say that it was in line with the diagnosis of HLHS. We'll ask the cardiologist at our appointment next week. The best news of the appointment was that besides B's little heart everything else looked GREAT! Sweet baby W is doing great and they are both growing well. In fact they are measuring a week ahead and are the exact same size. It looks like all that eating is paying off!
The best news also led to the most shocking news, though. The new peri informed me that because the babies are measuring large and because it is so absolutely VITAL that we keep them in there as long as possible because little B really needs to weigh in over 6 pounds to have the best chances for surgery. She is worried that with two large babies that my body will eventually simply not be able to carry them any longer, and to avoid that time coming too quickly, she has put me on "house arrest" bedrest. Basically, I can park it on the couch or the bed, sit or lie down, get my meals, take a ten minute shower each day and go up and down the stairs once a day. It's going to be a challenge, but I am just going to try to make the most of it and read some books, scrapbook and watch some DVDs. My mom is coming (THANK GOODNESS) to help with L. I'm so sad that I won't be able to play with her the way she's used to but I'm already trying to come up with some activities that we can do. We're hoping to keep these babies growing another 12 weeks and that just seems like a long time to upset L's normal. We're going to get through it though, and we'll do whatever we can to make things as normal as possible.
...AND now onto the photos!
A couple of weeks ago Brad had a meeting in another city, so we took a road trip. The trip was a little longer than I had really thought it was going to be, but it was actually really fun and the change of scenery was really good. His meeting was on a college campus, and L discovered that college girls love cute two year olds. She used this to her advantage nearly the entire day we were there. We had checked out of our hotel room early and so we ended up napping in the car and doing some Christmas present research at target, but we mostly hung out on campus and L had the BEST time running and running and having fun.
Here she's found some leaves to throw:
...of course, soon it was back to running and making friends. She would say, "HELLO!" to everyone who would walk past.
She began playing peek-a-boo with people passing by. Too cute!!
My goodness, I can't believe she's so big!
...and finally, there was some serious dancing going on.
All in all, it was a GREAT day. The campus was gorgeous and we had a wonderful day.
The day after we got home L came down with a cold, but by last weekend she was feeling better, but still not ready to leave the house so she and daddy took the opportunity to carve a pumpkin.
At first, L seemed to be a little confused about what was going on, but she was definitely interested.
Who is shy? Not this girl, but that's a cute face!
Then daddy took the top off of the pumpkin...
...and L said, WHAT IS THAT STUFF IN THERE?!
She was not about to touch it, but decided she'd help scoop with a spoon.
Then daddy carved the face on.
Too cute!
No more sticky guts?
... and finally out on the porch!
L's all better now, although we're sort of house bound, but we've been enjoying our time in doing some crafts around the house.
(nevermind the bedhead, please!)
Tonight we painted pumpkins that we'd gotten on our visit to the farm when my parents were here last.
CHEESE!
She was really concentrating.
and somehow... her eye eventually got painted.
and somehow... the paint eventually got tasted, but apparently it's not very good.
But then it was back to work.
Here's a sample of some of her work this week:
See you next week!!
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
New Links
Hi everyone!
I wanted to draw your attention to a few new links on the blog site just in case you receive these updates through a feed reader. I have added a couple of blogs by moms of HLHS babies and a few informational sites as well. I hope that you find them as helpful as I have!
See you next week!
I wanted to draw your attention to a few new links on the blog site just in case you receive these updates through a feed reader. I have added a couple of blogs by moms of HLHS babies and a few informational sites as well. I hope that you find them as helpful as I have!
See you next week!
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Weekly Update
I've lost count of how many weeks it's been since I posted! I promise to do better!
It's amazing how life can change abruptly and completely in an instant, isn't it?
First, I want to offer an update on the twins and share some news we received this past week. Part of the joy of having twins is having the opportunity for many many ultrasounds. We get to see the babies every three weeks or so and it's so fun to see how they are growing and changing. We now know that we're having two boys! We've decided on names and are already loving baby B and baby W.
This past week we went in for our level II ultrasound. This is the big ultrasound that almost every pregnant woman has at some point during her pregnancy even if it is uncomplicated. The ultrasound began as very routine and we were loving seeing our boys. When the perinatologist was reviewing our ultrasound, however, it became clear that something was wrong. The doctor reviewed the pictures over and over and kept looking at little baby B (who is actually baby A, by the way). He explained to us that he was fairly certain that baby B had a severe heart defect. Baby W (formerly known as baby B - how is that for confusing?) looks great, completely healthy, but baby B's heart had not developed properly. He was concerned that he couldn't get a complete look at B's heart because of his position in the womb, but was confident in saying that he believed that B suffers from a condition known as Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome (HLHS). Basically, the left side of B's heart is not properly developed and will not function properly. The doctor wanted us to see a pediatric cardiologist for a fetal echo and confirmation of the diagnosis immediately and made the necessary appointments to get us in right away.
We visited the pediatric cardiologist two days later at the earliest appointment we could get. The cardiologist worked for more than three hours to try to get a good look at B's heart. He told us that he could see that certainly his aorta is small and the left ventricle is small, both of which are consistent with the HLHS diagnosis. He told us that most likely we are dealing with HLHS, but he wants to wait two weeks to confirm the diagnosis for certain. Because B is located more to my interior and down inside my pelvis, it's hard to see him as clearly as they would like. The doctor thinks that in two weeks he'll be enough bigger and enough closer to the surface to see very clearly and to confirm the diagnosis for sure.
The diagnosis is devastating and there is no cure for HLHS. The good news is that there is treatment for the condition. There is a three stage surgery that can be performed which will change B's heart from being a two sided, four chamber heart, to being a single sided, two chamber heart. There are only a few hospitals in the country where this surgery can be performed and we are blessed enough to live closeby one of them. We are naturally concerned because the outcome is not certain for our precious boy, but we are hopeful.
At this point both babies are safe in their home. As long as B is tucked away inside of me, my heart and lungs can do the work that he needs to live. After birth, however, he will be preparing for surgery within days of his arrival to save his life. Our main objective at this point is to get the twins to the point of being large enough and stable enough at birth for the best possible outcome for B's surgery. Our goal is to make it to six pounds. This is a little above average for most twins, who are generally born a little early, but I can help the process by making sure to eat, eat, eat and to drink water and rest. I am working hard at those things and Brad is being an amazing father and helpmate to me. He is not only entertaining L and keeping her occupied and stimulated, he's also basically running the house at this point by himself. I always knew I picked a good one!! :o)
In the future, I will most likely be put on bedrest to simply prevent premature labor, but for now it's not necessary.
So... please pray for us. Pray that this pregnancy goes on as long as is possible and B is large enough for surgery when he is born. Pray for peace for all of us. Pray for healing and that no other health issues remain to be uncovered. AND pray that we are going to know how to manage three children under three when one is going to be going through all of this. We need all the prayers we can get right now.
I also want to say thank you to everyone who has emailed us, called us and shown us support over these past few days. It's been a roller coaster of emotions and feelings and I know I haven't been able to respond to everyone individually. We are truly grateful for your support.
If anyone wants anymore information about the condition, you can read here to understand a little more about what HLHS is. My cousin Amy had a beautiful baby boy last year with the condition and you can read about his story on her blog here.
So... that's been occupying our minds and thoughts for the past few days, but it's been FOREVER since I updated this thing so you know I have more for you. L is a busy girl and I've got the photos to prove it.
Way back when we visited the local fire station with our mom's group that L and I actively participate with. It was a blast and L had a great time checking out the fire trucks and everything else.
Here's mister M checking out his snacks:
Here are some of the mommies and kids that attended that day:
AND of course... L sporting her fancy fire hat:
After that Mawmaw and Pawpaw came for a visit. We love having them around and L is STILL talking about it a few weeks later. She loves to point at the passenger seat next to her and say, "Pawpaw sit" because indeed that is where he sat!
During their visit last year we went to the pumpkin patch/farm and so we had to go back this year. Last year Brad missed out and ended up having to work while we went, but this year he decided to come home a bit early so we could all go together.
There were plenty of pumpkins around (and apparently, plenty of exit signs!).
The first thing that L saw was a giant mountain of hay (straw? I know one of you reading this knows the difference...). She and Pawpaw scaled the mountain and got right to the top and had a little rest.
Of course, what good is climbing a mountain if you can't jump off?
L loves her Pawpaw so much in no small part due to the fact that he's always willing to do fun things together.
After the hay/straw mountain we found some sleepy pigs. Last year L was not that interested in the animals there at the farm, but this year she could not get enough!
L sat in a giant chair with her daddy.
AND we saw a sweet little cow having some dinner.
As soon as L saw the cows she ran up to the fence and shouted, "MOOOOOOOOOO!" Nobody answered though...
We also saw bunnies, chicks and some just born piggies with their mama who were also having their dinner (awwww!).
After the animals it was time to check out the slides. L and her daddy rode almost all of them including the super big giant one not pictured here!
It was an awesome time!
We also took a (late) belly shot this evening. Here I am at 20 weeks, feeling large and in charge and knowing that it's only getting bigger from here!
We'll be having lots of doctors visits between all our specialists (one a week on average) and we'll continue to update everyone as we know more. See you next week!
It's amazing how life can change abruptly and completely in an instant, isn't it?
First, I want to offer an update on the twins and share some news we received this past week. Part of the joy of having twins is having the opportunity for many many ultrasounds. We get to see the babies every three weeks or so and it's so fun to see how they are growing and changing. We now know that we're having two boys! We've decided on names and are already loving baby B and baby W.
This past week we went in for our level II ultrasound. This is the big ultrasound that almost every pregnant woman has at some point during her pregnancy even if it is uncomplicated. The ultrasound began as very routine and we were loving seeing our boys. When the perinatologist was reviewing our ultrasound, however, it became clear that something was wrong. The doctor reviewed the pictures over and over and kept looking at little baby B (who is actually baby A, by the way). He explained to us that he was fairly certain that baby B had a severe heart defect. Baby W (formerly known as baby B - how is that for confusing?) looks great, completely healthy, but baby B's heart had not developed properly. He was concerned that he couldn't get a complete look at B's heart because of his position in the womb, but was confident in saying that he believed that B suffers from a condition known as Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome (HLHS). Basically, the left side of B's heart is not properly developed and will not function properly. The doctor wanted us to see a pediatric cardiologist for a fetal echo and confirmation of the diagnosis immediately and made the necessary appointments to get us in right away.
We visited the pediatric cardiologist two days later at the earliest appointment we could get. The cardiologist worked for more than three hours to try to get a good look at B's heart. He told us that he could see that certainly his aorta is small and the left ventricle is small, both of which are consistent with the HLHS diagnosis. He told us that most likely we are dealing with HLHS, but he wants to wait two weeks to confirm the diagnosis for certain. Because B is located more to my interior and down inside my pelvis, it's hard to see him as clearly as they would like. The doctor thinks that in two weeks he'll be enough bigger and enough closer to the surface to see very clearly and to confirm the diagnosis for sure.
The diagnosis is devastating and there is no cure for HLHS. The good news is that there is treatment for the condition. There is a three stage surgery that can be performed which will change B's heart from being a two sided, four chamber heart, to being a single sided, two chamber heart. There are only a few hospitals in the country where this surgery can be performed and we are blessed enough to live closeby one of them. We are naturally concerned because the outcome is not certain for our precious boy, but we are hopeful.
At this point both babies are safe in their home. As long as B is tucked away inside of me, my heart and lungs can do the work that he needs to live. After birth, however, he will be preparing for surgery within days of his arrival to save his life. Our main objective at this point is to get the twins to the point of being large enough and stable enough at birth for the best possible outcome for B's surgery. Our goal is to make it to six pounds. This is a little above average for most twins, who are generally born a little early, but I can help the process by making sure to eat, eat, eat and to drink water and rest. I am working hard at those things and Brad is being an amazing father and helpmate to me. He is not only entertaining L and keeping her occupied and stimulated, he's also basically running the house at this point by himself. I always knew I picked a good one!! :o)
In the future, I will most likely be put on bedrest to simply prevent premature labor, but for now it's not necessary.
So... please pray for us. Pray that this pregnancy goes on as long as is possible and B is large enough for surgery when he is born. Pray for peace for all of us. Pray for healing and that no other health issues remain to be uncovered. AND pray that we are going to know how to manage three children under three when one is going to be going through all of this. We need all the prayers we can get right now.
I also want to say thank you to everyone who has emailed us, called us and shown us support over these past few days. It's been a roller coaster of emotions and feelings and I know I haven't been able to respond to everyone individually. We are truly grateful for your support.
If anyone wants anymore information about the condition, you can read here to understand a little more about what HLHS is. My cousin Amy had a beautiful baby boy last year with the condition and you can read about his story on her blog here.
So... that's been occupying our minds and thoughts for the past few days, but it's been FOREVER since I updated this thing so you know I have more for you. L is a busy girl and I've got the photos to prove it.
Way back when we visited the local fire station with our mom's group that L and I actively participate with. It was a blast and L had a great time checking out the fire trucks and everything else.
Here's mister M checking out his snacks:
Here are some of the mommies and kids that attended that day:
AND of course... L sporting her fancy fire hat:
After that Mawmaw and Pawpaw came for a visit. We love having them around and L is STILL talking about it a few weeks later. She loves to point at the passenger seat next to her and say, "Pawpaw sit" because indeed that is where he sat!
During their visit last year we went to the pumpkin patch/farm and so we had to go back this year. Last year Brad missed out and ended up having to work while we went, but this year he decided to come home a bit early so we could all go together.
There were plenty of pumpkins around (and apparently, plenty of exit signs!).
The first thing that L saw was a giant mountain of hay (straw? I know one of you reading this knows the difference...). She and Pawpaw scaled the mountain and got right to the top and had a little rest.
Of course, what good is climbing a mountain if you can't jump off?
L loves her Pawpaw so much in no small part due to the fact that he's always willing to do fun things together.
After the hay/straw mountain we found some sleepy pigs. Last year L was not that interested in the animals there at the farm, but this year she could not get enough!
L sat in a giant chair with her daddy.
AND we saw a sweet little cow having some dinner.
As soon as L saw the cows she ran up to the fence and shouted, "MOOOOOOOOOO!" Nobody answered though...
We also saw bunnies, chicks and some just born piggies with their mama who were also having their dinner (awwww!).
After the animals it was time to check out the slides. L and her daddy rode almost all of them including the super big giant one not pictured here!
It was an awesome time!
We also took a (late) belly shot this evening. Here I am at 20 weeks, feeling large and in charge and knowing that it's only getting bigger from here!
We'll be having lots of doctors visits between all our specialists (one a week on average) and we'll continue to update everyone as we know more. See you next week!
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Weekly Update (x2)
Wow! What a couple of weeks!
I can't believe our baby is two. That just seems so old!
Her birthday was very exciting indeed. At about 6:00am she woke up screaming. Brad had left early for work that day and I was alone at home with her. She just kept crying and grabbing her neck and telling me "owie." After I noticed a large lump in her neck, I quickly decided we were going to the emergency room because the doctor's office still had over two hours until it opened and we rushed over. Immediately the doctor noticed that L would not turn her head to the left. No matter what we tried, she would not turn her head. The doctor quickly assessed that her left lymph node was infected and she was concerned that it had perhaps abscessed and she would need to be admitted in order for it to be drained. She ordered a CT scan just to be sure and some IV antibiotics to combat the infection. The poor baby was like a wet noodle. She laid on that hospital bed and didn't even flinch when they gave her the IV. I knew that it was bad when she laid the entire four hours on the bed without really moving, and for the CT scan she was perfectly still and didn't require any sedation. You guys know my kid... she never quits moving!! I just felt so bad for her.
Each time one of the techs, nurses or doctors came in their room they would ask for her name and I would tell them and then they would ask for her birthdate and they would say, "oh..." and I would say, yup, it's today. Poor baby girl. The CT scan showed that her lymph node was indeed quite swollen and infected but that it was not abscessed. It also showed that she had a massive sinus infection. All of this was such a surprise, only a few days earlier we were playing at Sesame Place and she came home with a tiny bit of a cold, but seemed fine. They gave her another dose of the IV antibiotics and then sent us home with strict instructions to rest, drink plenty of liquids and gave us a prescription for amoxicillin.
We followed up with L's doctor the next day. She assured us that L was indeed still contagious and we decided that we had to cancel her birthday party for the next day. It was good that we did because Saturday morning she woke up covered in hives. It was amazing. We called the doctor and started poor L on benadryl that afternoon. The benadryl worked great, although as soon as it wore off the hives came right back. We got it all straightened out though and now we know! No amoxicillin for L!
Even though she was sick and tired, by the evening of her birthday we decided that she could have a little tiny birthday fun. So we rounded up the presents.
Then we sat down and got to business. Every present opening experience is more fun than the last for us. This time she did great ripping the paper right off of things.
After they were all opened, it was playtime.
We got a cradle for L's babies. She watched her daddy work for awhile putting it together but then decided she really needed to get in on the action.
Brad even got L a cake on his way home. He tried decorating it. Of course, then the cat got into it...
It's our own personal cake wreck!
It didn't stop us from eating the non-cat-licked part however.
A few days later, when we were still stuck in the house, but feeling a bit better we got out the play-doh that L got for her birthday. She loved playing with it, but I think her daddy loved it almost as much.
Last Sunday we opened even a few more presents. I had eyed this Aquadoodle pad for awhile, and when one of L's good friends got it for her birthday I was excited to see it. It's been a big hit, she loves this thing!
She took a break for a tickle fest, of course, but she's been playing with that Aquadoodle a lot!
She also spent a good deal of the weekend (and beyond) playing babies. L loves her babies and she's been having fun feeding and rocking them.
She's so funny, being her little mommy self! She's going to be a big help when those babies come in a few months.
Speaking of those babies, things are going well. Some days I feel like my old self ready to get up and go. Some days I'm just exhausted and wanting to stay in bed. My new evening ritual is to eat my dinner and wait for my heartburn to kick in. It's not my favorite pregnancy symptom but I'll take it. We've had several ultrasounds lately and the twins are growing well and looking great. We were able to find out that baby A is a boy, but we don't know what baby B is yet. We're very excited!! L is going to be a great big sister!
See you next week!
I can't believe our baby is two. That just seems so old!
Her birthday was very exciting indeed. At about 6:00am she woke up screaming. Brad had left early for work that day and I was alone at home with her. She just kept crying and grabbing her neck and telling me "owie." After I noticed a large lump in her neck, I quickly decided we were going to the emergency room because the doctor's office still had over two hours until it opened and we rushed over. Immediately the doctor noticed that L would not turn her head to the left. No matter what we tried, she would not turn her head. The doctor quickly assessed that her left lymph node was infected and she was concerned that it had perhaps abscessed and she would need to be admitted in order for it to be drained. She ordered a CT scan just to be sure and some IV antibiotics to combat the infection. The poor baby was like a wet noodle. She laid on that hospital bed and didn't even flinch when they gave her the IV. I knew that it was bad when she laid the entire four hours on the bed without really moving, and for the CT scan she was perfectly still and didn't require any sedation. You guys know my kid... she never quits moving!! I just felt so bad for her.
Each time one of the techs, nurses or doctors came in their room they would ask for her name and I would tell them and then they would ask for her birthdate and they would say, "oh..." and I would say, yup, it's today. Poor baby girl. The CT scan showed that her lymph node was indeed quite swollen and infected but that it was not abscessed. It also showed that she had a massive sinus infection. All of this was such a surprise, only a few days earlier we were playing at Sesame Place and she came home with a tiny bit of a cold, but seemed fine. They gave her another dose of the IV antibiotics and then sent us home with strict instructions to rest, drink plenty of liquids and gave us a prescription for amoxicillin.
We followed up with L's doctor the next day. She assured us that L was indeed still contagious and we decided that we had to cancel her birthday party for the next day. It was good that we did because Saturday morning she woke up covered in hives. It was amazing. We called the doctor and started poor L on benadryl that afternoon. The benadryl worked great, although as soon as it wore off the hives came right back. We got it all straightened out though and now we know! No amoxicillin for L!
Even though she was sick and tired, by the evening of her birthday we decided that she could have a little tiny birthday fun. So we rounded up the presents.
Then we sat down and got to business. Every present opening experience is more fun than the last for us. This time she did great ripping the paper right off of things.
After they were all opened, it was playtime.
We got a cradle for L's babies. She watched her daddy work for awhile putting it together but then decided she really needed to get in on the action.
Brad even got L a cake on his way home. He tried decorating it. Of course, then the cat got into it...
It's our own personal cake wreck!
It didn't stop us from eating the non-cat-licked part however.
A few days later, when we were still stuck in the house, but feeling a bit better we got out the play-doh that L got for her birthday. She loved playing with it, but I think her daddy loved it almost as much.
Last Sunday we opened even a few more presents. I had eyed this Aquadoodle pad for awhile, and when one of L's good friends got it for her birthday I was excited to see it. It's been a big hit, she loves this thing!
She took a break for a tickle fest, of course, but she's been playing with that Aquadoodle a lot!
She also spent a good deal of the weekend (and beyond) playing babies. L loves her babies and she's been having fun feeding and rocking them.
She's so funny, being her little mommy self! She's going to be a big help when those babies come in a few months.
Speaking of those babies, things are going well. Some days I feel like my old self ready to get up and go. Some days I'm just exhausted and wanting to stay in bed. My new evening ritual is to eat my dinner and wait for my heartburn to kick in. It's not my favorite pregnancy symptom but I'll take it. We've had several ultrasounds lately and the twins are growing well and looking great. We were able to find out that baby A is a boy, but we don't know what baby B is yet. We're very excited!! L is going to be a great big sister!
See you next week!
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Two Years of L
Can you believe she's two?! I can't. It's so hard to believe!
Here are photos from two years of L:
L at one month:
L at two months:
L at three months:
L at four months:
L at five months:
L at six months:
L at seven months:
L at eight months:
L at nine months:
L at ten months:
L at eleven months:
How big is L?
SOOOOOOO BIG!!!!
L at 12 months:
L at 13 months:
L at 14 months:
L at 15 months:
L at 16 months:
L at 17 months:
L at 18 months:
L at 19 months:
L at 20 months:
L at 21 months:
L at 22 months:
L at 23 months:
WOW! I still can't believe how big she is, but there it is! She's becoming a big girl!
Here are photos from two years of L:
L at one month:
L at two months:
L at three months:
L at four months:
L at five months:
L at six months:
L at seven months:
L at eight months:
L at nine months:
L at ten months:
L at eleven months:
How big is L?
SOOOOOOO BIG!!!!
L at 12 months:
L at 13 months:
L at 14 months:
L at 15 months:
L at 16 months:
L at 17 months:
L at 18 months:
L at 19 months:
L at 20 months:
L at 21 months:
L at 22 months:
L at 23 months:
WOW! I still can't believe how big she is, but there it is! She's becoming a big girl!
Vintage Birthday Post
This is a repost from L's birthday last year, but I love it so much I had to post it again. It's called... On the day you were born...
We woke up early and went to work. It was the first day of school and I was starting a new job. I woke up thinking about you. Not you specifically, but about who you would be, where you were, who your first mama was and how she was doing. I was wondering if you'd been conceived yet. I was loving you. I had no idea that at 12:30am that very morning weighing in at 6 lbs 4 oz, and 19 inches long, you had already been born. Perfect and beautiful, you were already in this world.
It was around 6:00 when the call came in. I was already in my pajamas. Daddy had gone to California Tortilla after I'd had an exhausting day. I ate chips and queso and diet coke for dinner. We didn't reach the phone in time and heard Leslie's voice on the answering machine. We'd assumed that our background checks had come in and she just said, call me back. Daddy called. All I heard as I sat across the bed listening but checking my email was, "born today... can you come." Daddy said, "I'll need to talk to Sarah about this," and he hung up. Your daddy is not a man that deals easily with change. He likes his things to happen slowly, and he was not expecting that phone call. He was sort of in shock. He told me that a baby had been born and needed a home. Could we come right away. He told me he thought it was a boy. He knew the answer before he asked me. He called right back and put Leslie on speakerphone. We told her yes, of course, yes. She informed us that you were not a boy, but a girl, and we told her your name. After that phone call daddy laid on the floor for a long time. He was so very very happy, but needed to absorb everything. Then we got busy.
We had a thousand phone calls to make. I called into work and called Mawmaw and Pawpaw and Daddy took care of tons of other things. We lined up catsitters and friends to help out. I went to target to get a few things because we hadn't prepared. I picked up a blanket and some clothes and a few other things. I got the wrong size diapers. I was still in shock too. I was so blissful. The woman at the cash register told me, congratulations on your baby. I never told her anything, but I guess it was pretty obvious from the contents of my cart. It was wonderful.
We left at 10:00. We went by the Stapleton's and left a key. By 11:00 we were on the road. We ate so much junk food to stay awake. We thought about stopping several times, but daddy kept saying how he just wanted to get to you, and that really kept us going. In Ohio, after daybreak, we stopped for a couple of hours at a rest stop to sleep and then we kept driving. We got to Mawmaw and Pawpaw's too late to see you that day. Leslie would come at 8:30 the next day to take us to the hospital. We hardly slept.
At 6:30 we woke up to the sound of cousin K coming through the door. Mary and K were so excited to see us. Mawmaw and Mary had done a shopping trip of their own the night before, buying the right size diapers, thank goodness, and tons of tiny pink things for you to wear. It was such a relief to see the piles of goodies they'd gotten. I'd only purchased two outfits for you! You were going to need more than that!
We were ready to go long before Leslie arrived. We had the camera and your carseat and a bag full of random baby things that we thought might be helpful. We arrived at the hospital at around 10:30. Everyone had to go to the bathroom, which I wanted to avoid, wanting to get right to see you but daddy pointed out that he wouldn't want to leave you after he did see you, so it was a good idea to go now. I waited outside. After the potty break Leslie went to the social worker's office. We had to meet her so she could check credentials before we could actually see you. She (social worker) was in a meeting and we would have to wait until 11:00 or so when she was due out. I was so sad. We headed over to the nursery to just peek in the windows. You'd gone to the nursery as soon as you were born. Your first mama N knew that she was placing you for adoption, and thought that the parting would be easier if you stayed in the nursery instead of in her room. The hospital had scheduled a nurse each shift just to hold you and care for you. The nurses were busy doting on you when we got there. You had obviously wound each of them around your little finger. When we arrived, the nurses knew exactly who we were. They invited us in.
One nurse was standing over you. You'd had your first poopy diaper and she was changing you and she looked at me as soon as we entered and said, oh! here, you can change her! I was so surprised that she had asked and I was so worried that I would hurt you or do it wrong, and in front of all of the nurses! I did fine and you did fine. They'd just given you a bath before we'd arrived and you were ready to just be held. I picked you up out of the bassinet and held you for the first time. It's a moment that will always be special to me. I wasn't the voice you were used to and my heartbeat was not the one you'd heard for nine months, but in that moment I became your mama. I became the voice you would get used to, and the heartbeat that you'd sleep near. In that instant, I promised you that I would do my best. I was scared to death, not by the great big future of parenthood, but simply by that moment of taking care of your sweet tiny self. I'd seen lots of tiny babies, but I'd never cared for one. Your daddy looked to me to know what to do. I was so scared that I wouldn't know, but at the same time, looking at your peaceful little face. I was going to do whatever it took to make sure it got done.
Your first mama N had gone home already after visiting you several times in the nursery. I desperately wanted to meet her. I wanted to see her and hold her hand and promise to her that I'd do my best. I wanted to tell her that I knew that the sacrifice she was making was enormous, and tell her how sorry I was, though I'd never be able to make it up to her, that she was in this position. I wanted to make it okay for her. I still wish that I could somehow. I don't know how you'll feel about all of this one day, but right now I just want to tell you that she must be brave and strong to have gone through all this. I know that those things will be passed on to you.
I passed you on to your daddy after a few moments of holding you. You were so amazingly perfect and peaceful. We stayed in the nursery for an hour or so, feeding you, holding you and being in wonder.
When the social worker made it around to the nursery after her meeting she was happy to see us. They readied a room just for us and we were able to stay in a private room for the rest of the day. The doctor needed to come and see you and wanted you to eat a bit more before they would release you. We were happy to stay as long as we needed to.
I dressed you in the clothes we'd brought. You were down a bit to 5 lbs 15 oz and you were so tiny. The clothes I'd brought were newborn sized up to seven pounds, but they still swallowed you up. You were mostly happy just to be held and sleep. Leslie waited a few hours while we got to know you and then had her turn holding you. This must be the best part of her job, holding beautiful babies.
Around 3:00 the doctor came through and discharged us. Another social worker came by and met with us. He had some paperwork for us to sign. We prayed for you and for mama N and then we were on our way.
It was pretty amazing to put you in your carseat and start for home. I remember being very quiet. Leslie put on the soundtrack to the movie Hairspray. You slept. Daddy and I just sat and thought. So much had happened. We were now parents. We went by the church to get Leslie's daughter K on our way home. Aunt Mary was there and she was the first family member to see you. She gushed all over you and promised to go straight to Mawmaw and Pawpaw's house when she got done with children's choir. There were loads of people waiting for us when we got there.
You are one year old today. All of these things happened in what seems like a lifetime ago, and somehow also just like yesterday. One thing is for certain. You have changed us as your parents. It's not your job to do, but you've made us better people. You've made me aware of things that I never would have thought of before. You've brought joy to my life and warmed a place in my heart I didn't even know was cold. My life would no longer be complete without you. I don't even know how I made it without you in the first place.
God has a funny way of working things out. I don't believe that God makes terrible things happen. I don't think that God wanted you to be seperated from your first mama. I don't think that God wanted for your Daddy and I to suffer pain because we could not create biological children. I do believe that so often God creates good where pain and sadness were before. I would go through that pain a thousand times to still know you. You are what my heart desired. I just didn't know it before. I know that God brought us together. I know that we are supposed to be a family.
Adoption is sort of funny. Besides the occasional home visit and hearing, our lives have been pretty much like those of your biologically parented friends. Our experiences have been mostly the same as everyone else's, but our story started much differently. This is your birthday story and it is almost as special to me as you!
Happy birthday baby girl.
We woke up early and went to work. It was the first day of school and I was starting a new job. I woke up thinking about you. Not you specifically, but about who you would be, where you were, who your first mama was and how she was doing. I was wondering if you'd been conceived yet. I was loving you. I had no idea that at 12:30am that very morning weighing in at 6 lbs 4 oz, and 19 inches long, you had already been born. Perfect and beautiful, you were already in this world.
It was around 6:00 when the call came in. I was already in my pajamas. Daddy had gone to California Tortilla after I'd had an exhausting day. I ate chips and queso and diet coke for dinner. We didn't reach the phone in time and heard Leslie's voice on the answering machine. We'd assumed that our background checks had come in and she just said, call me back. Daddy called. All I heard as I sat across the bed listening but checking my email was, "born today... can you come." Daddy said, "I'll need to talk to Sarah about this," and he hung up. Your daddy is not a man that deals easily with change. He likes his things to happen slowly, and he was not expecting that phone call. He was sort of in shock. He told me that a baby had been born and needed a home. Could we come right away. He told me he thought it was a boy. He knew the answer before he asked me. He called right back and put Leslie on speakerphone. We told her yes, of course, yes. She informed us that you were not a boy, but a girl, and we told her your name. After that phone call daddy laid on the floor for a long time. He was so very very happy, but needed to absorb everything. Then we got busy.
We had a thousand phone calls to make. I called into work and called Mawmaw and Pawpaw and Daddy took care of tons of other things. We lined up catsitters and friends to help out. I went to target to get a few things because we hadn't prepared. I picked up a blanket and some clothes and a few other things. I got the wrong size diapers. I was still in shock too. I was so blissful. The woman at the cash register told me, congratulations on your baby. I never told her anything, but I guess it was pretty obvious from the contents of my cart. It was wonderful.
We left at 10:00. We went by the Stapleton's and left a key. By 11:00 we were on the road. We ate so much junk food to stay awake. We thought about stopping several times, but daddy kept saying how he just wanted to get to you, and that really kept us going. In Ohio, after daybreak, we stopped for a couple of hours at a rest stop to sleep and then we kept driving. We got to Mawmaw and Pawpaw's too late to see you that day. Leslie would come at 8:30 the next day to take us to the hospital. We hardly slept.
At 6:30 we woke up to the sound of cousin K coming through the door. Mary and K were so excited to see us. Mawmaw and Mary had done a shopping trip of their own the night before, buying the right size diapers, thank goodness, and tons of tiny pink things for you to wear. It was such a relief to see the piles of goodies they'd gotten. I'd only purchased two outfits for you! You were going to need more than that!
We were ready to go long before Leslie arrived. We had the camera and your carseat and a bag full of random baby things that we thought might be helpful. We arrived at the hospital at around 10:30. Everyone had to go to the bathroom, which I wanted to avoid, wanting to get right to see you but daddy pointed out that he wouldn't want to leave you after he did see you, so it was a good idea to go now. I waited outside. After the potty break Leslie went to the social worker's office. We had to meet her so she could check credentials before we could actually see you. She (social worker) was in a meeting and we would have to wait until 11:00 or so when she was due out. I was so sad. We headed over to the nursery to just peek in the windows. You'd gone to the nursery as soon as you were born. Your first mama N knew that she was placing you for adoption, and thought that the parting would be easier if you stayed in the nursery instead of in her room. The hospital had scheduled a nurse each shift just to hold you and care for you. The nurses were busy doting on you when we got there. You had obviously wound each of them around your little finger. When we arrived, the nurses knew exactly who we were. They invited us in.
One nurse was standing over you. You'd had your first poopy diaper and she was changing you and she looked at me as soon as we entered and said, oh! here, you can change her! I was so surprised that she had asked and I was so worried that I would hurt you or do it wrong, and in front of all of the nurses! I did fine and you did fine. They'd just given you a bath before we'd arrived and you were ready to just be held. I picked you up out of the bassinet and held you for the first time. It's a moment that will always be special to me. I wasn't the voice you were used to and my heartbeat was not the one you'd heard for nine months, but in that moment I became your mama. I became the voice you would get used to, and the heartbeat that you'd sleep near. In that instant, I promised you that I would do my best. I was scared to death, not by the great big future of parenthood, but simply by that moment of taking care of your sweet tiny self. I'd seen lots of tiny babies, but I'd never cared for one. Your daddy looked to me to know what to do. I was so scared that I wouldn't know, but at the same time, looking at your peaceful little face. I was going to do whatever it took to make sure it got done.
Your first mama N had gone home already after visiting you several times in the nursery. I desperately wanted to meet her. I wanted to see her and hold her hand and promise to her that I'd do my best. I wanted to tell her that I knew that the sacrifice she was making was enormous, and tell her how sorry I was, though I'd never be able to make it up to her, that she was in this position. I wanted to make it okay for her. I still wish that I could somehow. I don't know how you'll feel about all of this one day, but right now I just want to tell you that she must be brave and strong to have gone through all this. I know that those things will be passed on to you.
I passed you on to your daddy after a few moments of holding you. You were so amazingly perfect and peaceful. We stayed in the nursery for an hour or so, feeding you, holding you and being in wonder.
When the social worker made it around to the nursery after her meeting she was happy to see us. They readied a room just for us and we were able to stay in a private room for the rest of the day. The doctor needed to come and see you and wanted you to eat a bit more before they would release you. We were happy to stay as long as we needed to.
I dressed you in the clothes we'd brought. You were down a bit to 5 lbs 15 oz and you were so tiny. The clothes I'd brought were newborn sized up to seven pounds, but they still swallowed you up. You were mostly happy just to be held and sleep. Leslie waited a few hours while we got to know you and then had her turn holding you. This must be the best part of her job, holding beautiful babies.
Around 3:00 the doctor came through and discharged us. Another social worker came by and met with us. He had some paperwork for us to sign. We prayed for you and for mama N and then we were on our way.
It was pretty amazing to put you in your carseat and start for home. I remember being very quiet. Leslie put on the soundtrack to the movie Hairspray. You slept. Daddy and I just sat and thought. So much had happened. We were now parents. We went by the church to get Leslie's daughter K on our way home. Aunt Mary was there and she was the first family member to see you. She gushed all over you and promised to go straight to Mawmaw and Pawpaw's house when she got done with children's choir. There were loads of people waiting for us when we got there.
You are one year old today. All of these things happened in what seems like a lifetime ago, and somehow also just like yesterday. One thing is for certain. You have changed us as your parents. It's not your job to do, but you've made us better people. You've made me aware of things that I never would have thought of before. You've brought joy to my life and warmed a place in my heart I didn't even know was cold. My life would no longer be complete without you. I don't even know how I made it without you in the first place.
God has a funny way of working things out. I don't believe that God makes terrible things happen. I don't think that God wanted you to be seperated from your first mama. I don't think that God wanted for your Daddy and I to suffer pain because we could not create biological children. I do believe that so often God creates good where pain and sadness were before. I would go through that pain a thousand times to still know you. You are what my heart desired. I just didn't know it before. I know that God brought us together. I know that we are supposed to be a family.
Adoption is sort of funny. Besides the occasional home visit and hearing, our lives have been pretty much like those of your biologically parented friends. Our experiences have been mostly the same as everyone else's, but our story started much differently. This is your birthday story and it is almost as special to me as you!
Happy birthday baby girl.
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