What We've Been Up To Since We've Been Home...

Have I mentioned that we are all so happy to be home?! Emma Kate is definitely back to her smiling self (see pics below), although she still has a way to go before she's 100% again. She has been playing very happily and is back to crawling (slowly), pulling up and cruising. She has been pretty inconsistent with her sleeping habits. One night, she slept all night, and two other nights it seemed like she didn't sleep at all. Her naps are inconsistent as well. Some days she takes a normal nap, and some days I can't get her to sleep anywhere else but my arms. I am realizing how spoiled I was, because she was such a great sleeper before. Hopefully we'll be back on a regular routine soon. She has been pretty fussy, understandably. It is difficult trying to figure out what is wrong, because it could be so many different things. Poor baby, she's been through a lot in the past few weeks. When we first got home, EK was having lots of tummy issues, and I was worried that we might have switch her formula. I talked to the nutritionist in Boston and she suggested that I try adding some Benefiber to her formula. This has really seemed to help. This morning, we had EK's 18 month check-up and post-op visit with EK's pediatrician. She had to get 3 more shots-Ahh! We decided that we are going to schedule the swallow study in BR in about 4-6 weeks, to make sure EK is swallowing normally and not aspirating. The trick will actually be getting that girl to SWALLOW something! Next week, we are having EK's post-op visit with Dr. Brummund, EK's cardiologist. In 2-3 weeks, we'll be going to New Orleans to meet with an ENT who trained in Boston to follow up on the airway issues. She will be a busy girl! Also, I wanted to give you all an update on the skeletal x-rays that we had done in Boston. This blows my mind, really. Here is what the report said, "No evidence of skeletal dysplasia is noted", "No abnormal limb length is identified". WHAT?! I've heard the term skeletal dysplasia since I was 20 weeks pregnant, and now you're telling me she's fine?! All I can say is that this is a TOTAL answer to prayer. No other way to explain it! Now, this is not to say that she is going to grow to be 6' tall or that we're not going to keep a close eye on this. She still is VERY tiny, but WOW, what an encouragement! I'm really curious to see how this heart repair will affect her growth and development. Hopefully, since her heart is not working so much overtime, she will grow and develop a little bit faster. I know that this is all in God's hands, and EK will grow exactly the way He intends. What a comfort to know that He is in control!