MRI and Ultrasound Update

Yesterday we had to go UAB for Kaitlyn's MRI and Renal Ultrasound, of course we had to be there bright and early, 7:45 am, which meant getting up before the sun! Not so much fun I tell ya. Not only that but we had to wake her up before 2 for a final feeding, then between 2 and 6 she could have clear liquids, so we again woke her at 5 for some juice. Poor kid, she would have actually slept through the night had we not HAD to wake her. Oh well.

Once we arrived, we went for check in and then for the MRI but they had the ultrasound tech ready, so we did that first.  She did so awesome, just laid there and let her do her job :) I thought for sure by 8 she would be screaming her head off for food. Nope! So after the ultrasound was done we headed for the MRI, took awhile to get ready but the worst part was K getting the IV.  That was the only time she cried.  We were done with that within an hour or so, then it was back to the clinic to wait for the doctor consultation and test results.

Our neurosurgeon came in and asked how things were going etc and told us that everything looked fine on the MRI, this was just a baseline for future reference since her surgery. The only thing that could be "somewhat" troubling is that children that have tethered cords have a 5-10% chance of  re-tethering and because of her lipoma, her chances are in the higher range.  There isn't really anything we can do to prevent it, so we'll just keep an eye out in case things start to happen that weren't before. If it does happen and it's not caught, it could cause nerve damage.  However we're not thinking about it right now. I know there are still a lot of possibilities that could happen, but I can't dwell on it.

Next came our urologist,  pretty much same deal. The renal ultrasound went fine, he wasn't to concerned over anything and again we're just keeping an eye on things if something changes. He too agrees we do not need to come back for 6 months unless something comes up. So as of right now we are set to return on April 18, 2011!

I was glad to get good reports yesterday as I had not been sleeping well the last couple nights. Everything is back to "normal" today and look forward to some doctor free months ahead!

The Roly Poly Queen

Kaitlyn is now a Roly Poly Queen! She seriously rolls over all the time now. :) I put her on her back for some playtime and she rolls right over to her stomach. I put her on her stomach and over she goes lol. Her arm no longer holds her back, she has just the right umpf to get over no problem now. It's so cute!

She's also doing pretty well with trying to get her knees under her while shes on her tummy.  I think she may start army crawling by the time shes 6 months at this rate. She moves side to side pretty well and even pushes herself back but no forward movement yet. WHEW, I can't take that kind of stress yet LOL ;)

We've been eating some oatmeal cereal daily, she isn't thrilled with it all the time but she does pretty good. I just started some applesauce and so far no reactions, later we'll try to some squash.  I imagine her face we'll be quite funny when she tries it out. 

Not much else to report, she goes to UAB on Oct 18th for her MRI and ultrasound, so prayers and positive thoughts for that please!

Happy 5 Months Kaitlyn!

Today Kaitlyn turned 5 months old! Time has been flying by. I finally got her on video rolling over, so of course I had to share :) Enjoy!

Happy 5 Months!

Rollin' Rollin' Rollin' Keep Those Babies Rollin'

Hehe, OK, I mentioned a couple days (or was it weeks?) ago that Kaitlyn could roll from her stomach to her back no problem. She's been struggling for days and days to roll from her back to her stomach.  She's got insane neck muscles and leg muscles lol because she'll roll to her side and try SO hard to get over but she can't.  She gets mad and blows raspberries ;) and she tries again and again. 

So yesterday I had her on the floor and put her on her stomach and she immediately flips over to her back and realizes she wants back on her stomach. So she begins her ritual of trying to flip over, but she just will not move her arm out of the way! I looked away for a minute and she was on her stomach! Then right back to her back again...sigh.  So I leave her and I watch her for a bit and she finally did it again, so I saw what she did. She's basically rocking herself and flinging herself over her arm. :) I think eventually she'll realize she needs to move her arm, but for now it works.

I wanted to get it on video but of course my batteries were dead :( but hopefully this week sometime I can share :)

While I am here sharing, I wanted to make note of her 2 recent well checks.  She's doing quite well, meeting current milestones and such :)

8/20/10-2 month check up (she's like 3.5 months at this visit) she weighed in at 11 lbs, 12 oz and is 23.5 inches long, 40.5 Head Circumference

10/1/10-4 month check up (she's almost 5 months at this visit) she weighed in at 13 lbs, 4 oz and is 24 inches long with a 41.5 Head Circumference

I actually think her length may be off, since she was turned kind of funny, so I plan to remeasure her this week at home.  Per the charts she's about 25% across the board... funny since the other 2 were always 75% to 95%. ;)

How 2 Words Can Change Your Life

It's funny how two little words (though they don't seem so little when you hear them) can change your life.  Those two words are, Spina Bifida. Before Kaitlyn was born I had "heard" of Spina Bifida, but really did not know much about it.  I think most of the world is this way, even doctors. Having to learn what Spina Bifida is, is like an induction to a secret club, one you (in your mind) decide you don't want to be part of.  However once you're in that club and you have made peace with those words, you might decide it's not so bad of a club.

I'm not sure if I am quite there (100%) yet but I am getting closer. I have accepted the fact Kaitlyn was born with Spina Bifida and while her defect has not been as bad as others, it still sucks to be honest.  However it's who she is and will always be and the love I have for her is no different than the love for my other two kiddos.  There has been some really rough times, her birth with unknown birth defect, her NICU stay, not holding her after she was born and major surgery at 6 weeks old but there's been some really great times as well.  All of her firsts, first smiles, first laughs, roll overs, taste of cereal and more. Some days I forget. I forget she has Spina Bifida, because by all accounts those who simply "see" her, have no clue that she has Spina Bifida or the fact she still has a lipoma on her back. We hope will diminish more as she gets older and bigger.

Despite the Spina Bifida, she is like every other child I know. She's happy, she's sad, cranky, loving and a wonderful addition to our family. So even if you're a expecting mom and you're given this diagnosis, it is not the end of the world or your child's life.  It's simply a different direction in life, one you're not expecting but one you'll learn so much from and help others learn from as well.

So while those two words did change my life and even my family's life as we're thrown into the unknown, I m learning to embrace the change. I've met in real life and online some really awesome moms to other Spina Bifida babies and their blogs are inspirational, motivating, uplifting and touching. Sometimes I cry from the sadness in their posts, other times there are tears of joy for milestones and good news from doctors.  So while this club is not one I would have chosen to join, I am embracing and accepting it daily.

Don't forget October is Spina Bifida Awareness Month! Donate to your local Spina Bifida Association!