Lady Bug Hugs: July 2013

Tuesday, July 30, 2013

An update from the Hendrickson's

Ok... so I didn't meet my goal of every two weeks, not off to a good start here. We have just been enjoying the summer. Hanging out. Since I last wrote there really hasn't been to much happening on this side of the web. We haven't really gone anywhere. We did however just have a HUGE festival pretty much in our backyard. Every year our township hosts a festival with a really nice fireworks display. With the way our house is in relation to the park sometimes you feel like your the one lighting the fireworks. We kept Emma inside though for fear that it would be to loud for her little ears.

On the doctors note, we saw Dr. Pan for one last time. There was a pesky stitch that just wouldn't dissolve. He gave me a couple different options. 1) I could just let it dissolve on its own (annoying) 2) I could cut it myself to make it flush with her skin (UHHH..... NO) or 3) we could just go in and he'd remove it (ding ding ding, folks we have a winner). He gave her a once over and said she looked great and that he didn't need to see her again until her 1st birthday.

We also had an appointment with her regular pediatrician. Our little chunk weighs 15 pounds and 13 ounces, which is the 83%, but she is 24 and 3/4 inches long, which to her credit is in the 61%. So she's not to disproportioned, lol. She also got 4 shots :( although I guess on the bright side of SB she didn't feel it. The nurses always comment on how they'd love to have her as a patient all day, she's such an amazing baby. The good doc also noticed that she is beginning to get her front teeth. This makes it very apparent that my little newborn baby girl isn't so little, or newborn anymore. She will always be my baby girl though, even when she's 30 I'll still try to cradle her, have you read that book I'll love you forever? Well in there is a picture of the mom sneaking into her son's room as an adult and holding him. That'll be me although less creepy. LOL!!

We have a vacation planned for our family at the end of August. This is very gut wrenching for us. We want to go to FL, we want Emma to have her first beach experience, but at the same time we are kind of struck with the what if's. What if her shunt malfunctions, what if she gets an infection. What if this and what if that. We know that God is in control and he is going to provide and take care of our girl but as her parents its our job to worry and to try and plan for every scenario. Her neurosurgeon said that he doesn't need to see her before we leave either (AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH), we'd feel 10 times better if she had an MRI right before we left, but that's why he gets paid the big bucks, because he knows what is good for our girl. So if you all would say an extra prayer for this, just that our hearts are calm and that we make the right decision. I know we can't spend our entire lives around Cincinnati Children's and I know that Emma needs these experiences, but could Dr. Stevenson (neurosurgeon) just come with us?

I probably sound like a broken record with our prayer requests but these are what we weighs on our hearts. Please continue to pray for Emma, for her general health along with her SB health, that her shunt doesn't malfunction or get an infection, that she doesn't suffer with symptoms of her Chiari, and that she doesn't have anymore seizures. Also please pray for mine and Peter's vigilance as it relates to Emma's needs.

Thank you all for your love. support and prayers they mean the world to us.

She loves her bumbo!

This is just to show that she is such a wiggle worm. She starts over to the left and somehow in the middle of the night works herself this way.

Loving her fingers.

Just chilling.

She is loving life in her exersaucer.

Had to get a few with Charlie.

She is LOVING her fingers!

Monday, July 8, 2013

The adventures of Emma

Sorry for the long break. I'm going to try and do better as a blogger. My goal is to post an update every two weeks, even if its just pics of whats been going on in our lives for the past two weeks.

As Dr. Seuss says "Oh the places you will go". Granted he had a much deeper meaning then traveling but I find it applicable for this post. Emma has been all over the place in the past couple weeks.

Emma turned three months old. My how time flies when your having fun. We are having such a great time being this little girls parents! She continually amazes us, just by her good spirits and disposition alone we are amazed. Let alone all the other things she has overcome.

Emma went to see her aunt become an american citizen at the Lexington Federal Courthouse. That was such a cool experience to be part of! She sported her red white and blue and was such a good baby (per usual).

Then we went to the Spina Bifida confrence in Louisville. This was also very neat. It was neat to see people of all different ages and walks of life with one major thing in common. We learned so much, though it'll be more useful when she is older but still great things to get us thinking. We also got to spend some quality time with friends that we met through a forum for children with SB. I keep telling this story and I'll tell it one more time. They had a 30th anniversary bash on Saturday, it was just a simple cook out, but there were two little girls there, they couldn't have been older then 6. They were in their wheelchairs, the parking lot was on a slight incline, and these two little girls started at the top of the hill let go of their wheels and went FLYING down the hill. Now me being a stranger I just stood there in COMPLETE shock, thinking to myself surely they are going to crash or go careening into the food table. The little girl grabbed a hold of her wheels came to a SKIDDING stop and just started laughing, she didn't have a fear of the hill she just saw it as an opportunity for fun. Their parents were just watching them. I sure hope I can be this relaxed and chill when it's Emma's turn to go flying down the hill, whether its in a wheelchair, on crutches, with her walker, or just in her sneakers.

She has also started laughing, we can't really figure out quite yet what is so funny but its adorable to hear it when she decides something is funny!

In other HUGE NEWS... Uncle Matt has moved home!!! We couldn't be more excited that he will get to watch her grow up, that he will be here for her milestones!! YAY!!!!!!!!!!

Thank you for your thoughts and prayers for our family. The peace we feel is overwhelming. We ask for your continued prayers, for Emma's health, that her shunt doesn't malfunction or get an infection, that she doesn't have symptoms of her Chiari II, that she doesn't have any seizures, and just her overall health. Please continue to pray that Peter and I are vigilant to her needs health related and otherwise. Thank you again, it's very much appreciated!!