The Four

Life is Good, just watching these four,

Am I selfish for wanting more?

Why is it that life just doesn't seem fair,

I am missing the one with the short dark hair!

Chrissy sits in the recliner,

the sun shining behind.

Lighting her profile

with peace sublime....

Sophia my Faith enjoying her swing

feeling warm and toasty,

her sweet little face, makes my heart sing....

Stephen is organizing his movies and games

He is such a sweet boy, so earnest and smart ,

I knew he was special, right from the start! 

Little Joshua plays on the couch,

His hands are always busy,

His smile at the ready,

His love and devotion always so steady.....

Up above the mantle, sits a portrait, so sweet .

She watches over us all, from high above,

My Emily, my Hope, my precious love.

I miss the one with the short, dark hair.

Her giggle, her laugh, her rambunctious air!

It gives me comfort to know that she watches,

from Heaven above.

Though my heart hurts and is often sore....

I am happy she watches over my Four!!  

 

March 2012

Happy Two Month Birthday, Feb 29, 2012 to sweet Sophia Faith!
March 2012, and she is still in the hospital. But she is holding her own and she is doing much better. We are slowly getting all her "problems"and accompanying "conditions" straightened out. She has Adrenal Insufficiency, Diabetes Insipidus, and still needs a new shunt. She just had g-tube surgery and a Nissen fundoplication on Friday. She will start pedialyte through her g-tube today and tomorrow will start regular feeds through her tube. With her fundoplication, we are hoping we have stopped the projectile vomiting she was having due to her reflux. The neurosurgery fellows and doctors have had a nice change of heart and are checking her daily for CSF pressure until her g-tube site heals and they feel safe in putting in her new shunt. She is getting a "tap" through her fontanel if her pressure builds too high, which is painless, easy and safe. They are drawing out about 50 cc of excess CSF fluid every other day. That is keeping her at a good level, with no pressure on her head. So she is much less irritable now and is just a little sweetheart.
She will communicate with me by cooing and soft cries when I talk to her. She is very opinionated, and will let the nurses and me know when she is displeased with something or wants some attention!

The plan now is to wait 10 days, until her g-tube/fundo site is healed well, and then the neurosurgeon will put her new shunt in. The stomach must be healed before they put the shunt tubing in, as it rests in her tummy as well, and they want no risk of an infection again.  I understand the caution!   Unfortunately, they will probably not let her come home in between her g-tube surgery and the shunt surgery, since they are having to monitor her CSF so closely. So we have to continue to be patient!  We are getting closer to bringing her home though! 

Meanwhile, everyone else is doing A-OK! Joshua is now pulling up on everything and is cruising around the furniture! What a sweet little man he is!  He is also talking up a storm and learning new words every day! He is growing in every way by leaps and bounds. We hope to have his adoption finalized by the beginning of April. One more post adoption supervisory visit and we should be ready to start filing adoption paperwork!

 Took Stephen and Joshua to the rodeo this week. Stephen was chosen to participate in the Lil Rustler's Rodeo by the Spina Bifida Association. He had a great time. He got to ride a horse, rope a "calf" (not a real one), play all kinds of games, and generally get lots of attention from the cowboys!  He got a hat, shirt, bandana and a belt buckle and a bunch of other little prizes. And we got to attend the Rodeo that night.  Josh was scared to death of the indoor fireworks at the Reliant Stadium! But both boys had a good time!

Chrissy is doing well. She has been a little congested and had a lot of sinus problems with all the changes in weather lately, But we have not had to take her to the doctor, only increase her breathing treatments and suctioning! She is such a sweet little girl, and remains happy all the time!  

We are definitely a blessed family, though very overwhelmed and busy at the moment. It is so hard when you have a child in the hospital long term. We are praying to get Sophia Faith home within the next month, so that our April will be a wonderful one!  Would love to have everyone home and healthy by April 1, 2012, and have two adoptions completed by the end of April!  

That is our goal!!! Keep us in prayers, that we can accomplish this soon!!!!