Today Gracie had her 12 month check up. We have had a crazy few weeks and this was the first we could get in to see her Dr. She now weighs 22 lbs 2 oz. and is 29 and a quarter inches. She has grown so much. She is also speaking at a 15 month old level which is excellent. The Dr. was very impressed with her. She also had to have two shots which weren't fun but Daddy left work to meet us so I think having us both there calmed her more than if just one of us had been there.
Grace has come leaps and bounds in Physical Therapy! She is really really close to crawling. She is also pulling her self up. She gets to where she wants to be and has very unique ways of doing so. She is still a very happy baby but has definitely developed a little bit of a attitude when she doesn't get what she wants. She gives kisses on command and still sleeping through the night despite the teething. She now has 8 teeth and I believe her back teeth are coming in.
It's amazing how you can look back over the past year and see how much she has changed. She no longer looks like a baby but more like a little girl. Tomorrow we find out if she is going to have a little brother or a little sister. Hard to tell at this point but either way we are excited about the closeness between them and the relationship they will develop. She will still be my baby no matter what! She just brightens my day and gives me hope for the future.
I can't believe my little girl is 1 years old! Her birthday was April 22nd (also known as earth day)! We had a great day. We played, ate, and had a great Physical Therapy appt with Erin, and had lots of visitors come by the house to wish her a happy birthday.
Aunt Jenn and cousin Alex even came by to take a nap with Grace!
Gracie loves her Uncle Andy and Aunt Bethany!
They came by the night before to be the first to wish her a happy birthday!
Gracie had a lady bug themed birthday party. The reason we chose that is because we called her our little luv bug while she was in my belly. We had so much fun planning the party and finding various lady bug decorations. Here are some pics of the birthday girl and her party. We had over 50 people there and she did soooo great! She didn't cry at all even with so many people clapping and singing happy birthday to her. She did seem to wonder why everyone was staring at her when the cake came out but as you will see in the pics below she got pretty wrapped up in her cake. The reason for the pink lady bug cake is because I was told that red icing can really stain there skin. But pretty much everything else stayed true to lady bugs with red and black decorations. She got a TON of presents-toys and clothes! We had so much fun and are so thankful to everyone who came out and made this such a special day.
My sister made over 50 individual lady bug cupcakes. They were a huge hit and very 
YUMMY!
Well we are finally in our new house. We moved the majority of our stuff last Sat. We still have some odds and ends at the condo but we have till the end of the month to get out of there. Right now my priority is to get my house in order by Gracie's 1st birthday party on the 25th! That's right! My baby is going to be 1 year old in 6 days! I can't believe how fast this year has gone by.
She started cutting four teeth about a week ago and then another two in the past few days! But she's sleeping better than ever and it doesn't seem to bother her. She also is looking less and less like a baby and more and more like a little girl! Here is one of my recent favorites! Her eyes just mesmerize me!
Gracie is going to spend the weekend with her Aunt Bethany, Uncle Jeremy, and Grandma and Grandpap Turnock. My mom turned 60 on Easter so we are going to good old Winchester, VA to celebrate. We are also going to celebrate Gracie's 1st with friends and family up there on Sunday.
However, Mommy is getting a break and is going to a much needed girls weekend to celebrate good friend, Natalia's bachelorette party! I'm headed to DC area tonight with 5 other girls and we are going to have a fabulous time. Tonight we are having wine tastings from different countries. I, of course, will have some wonderful sparkling cider. Then we have some fun things planned tomorrow and a catered dinner tomorrow night. From there I will say my goodbyes and head back to Winchester to mom and dad's. The girls will head out in a limo to down town DC for an evening of fun and dancing. I didn't think a 4 1/2 month pregnant chick would like right breaking it down plus I don't think I'm ready yet for two nights away from my little pumpkin. So that is the latest. I'm all packed and ready to go! I will post pics of our get-a-way in my next blog!
Matt and I are moving into our new home next weekend. We are so excited and ready for a change. The house is double the size of the condo we currently are in. Matt has been working hard on weekends, evenings, and any spare time he has to get the house ready. The most impressive is his handy work in the kitchen. He took an outdated, ugly kitchen and turned into a new, modern kitchen. Of course I picked out the colors but he did the hard work by refinishing the cabinets and painting it all.
I started packing but there is much to do. I'm excited to get rid of a lot of things that we haven't used in forever! Fresh start!! And even though it will take some time to fill all the extra space, I'm looking forward to less clutter due to more storage and space.
Picking out colors has been fun but sometimes frustrating. I never realized how difficult it can be to pick out a beige or tan color. I finally decided on one and am pleased with how it looks on the walls. I still have to pick out colors for the kids room, our room, and 3 bathrooms. But I have some ideas. I just know I can't do white walls!
We have a pretty crazy month. Not only are we moving but Bethany and Andy just bought a house and are closing next week. We are both going to be moving in the same week! Then we are having Gracie's 1st birthday at the new house on the 25th so that will be my motivation to get unpacked and settled. I'll post more pics as Matt gets more done.
Just a quick review for all of you who have been waiting for the highlights of the 5 dr's appt's Grace and I had the past few weeks. Sorry this has taken me a while to update. It's just been one of the crazy busy weeks.
1st appt. on Wed 3/18/09 with Dr. Werran with Children's Hematology at Children's Hospital of the Kings Daughters in Norfolk, VA:
Grace had several blood tests run to see if she had any blood clotting disorders that might have caused or could cause a blood clot (stroke) in the future. She was found to have low Protein S but from what I could understand (and this was the most confusing of the tests run) that she does not need to have any medical treatment for this. The chances of her bleeding from a blood thinner are greater than those of a stroke. So, all in all this is very good news. Her Dr. was curious to see the results of my blood test, however, to know if there was anything else he should be testing her for. This is an ever changing and growing diagnostic with the type of testing changing every day. She will go back in 6 months for another follow up. This is the best I can do in explaining this. We just know it is good news and are praising God it isn't something that requires medication!
2nd appt on Thursday with Dr. Lewis, Head Paediatric Neurologist at the Children's Hospital of the King's Daughter in Norfolk, VA:
This was a follow up with Dr. Lewis to go over different tests we had done. He still concludes that we may never find what caused the stroke in utero. Most likely it was caused by a blood clot in the placenta. He also assured me that the chances of it happening with this next child is 1-3%. So that was reassuring to say the least. He reminded us that the risk of seizures with children who have experienced a stroke are higher and went over what to do if she does have a seizure. He also went over the importance of stretching her right leg and arm because the spacticity and tone are what cause the muscles to be so tight. By stretching them daily you are relaxing them and preventing them from getting tighter or worsening. Other than that he seemed very pleased with her cognitively. She is speaking at an age level above her 11 months. We go back to see him in 6 months. Overall a very encouraging appt. A lot more so than the first time we saw him and got her original diagnosis.
3rd appt with Dr. Ferebbe, OB ( this appt was for me and baby surprise)
I had an ultrasound and saw the baby. His/Her heartbeat was strong at 155 bpm. It's so amazing to see how fast they grow in just four short weeks. Baby surprise went from looking like a peanut to an actual baby with arms, legs, and moving all around. It's truly a miracle. Matt and I are anxiously waiting to see if baby is a little brother or a little sister. Either way we are praying for a healthy, happy baby. If we could have another little Grace life would be wonderful!
I did get the results of my blood work but I have to go back on April 1st for clarification. My OB was away so I saw the nurse practitioner who consulted with another on duty OB and concluded that I was not a High Risk Pregnancy! PRAISE GOD! But I will find out more details at the next visit with my OB.
4th appt with Dr. Shelton, Dr. of Rehabilitation
We were referred to Dr. Shelton by our pediatrician. She was great! They basically make sure you are receiving all the resources available to you including PT, OT, equipment such as braces, or whatever the child might need. She was very impressed with Grace and said she is a very mild case and will do wonderful with her assigned treatment plan. She went over the importance of stretching, told us about botox injections that helps with the tightness in the muscles. It's also a less invasive treatment as opposed to surgery. Basically if we decide this would work for Grace, she would get injections every 4-6 months. Can't believe Gracie will get botox before me! hahahah!
She did say Gracie will need a special glove (made from the same material of a wet suit) and an AFO (ankle foot osulator). The glove she will wear during the day (this helps her keep her thumb out and her hand more relaxed). The AFO she will only have to wear when she is putting weight on her legs. I was able to see both from her PT. This is hard to hear but if it will help her then of course we are on board. We are also starting OT very soon. Lots to learn but everyone is very optimistic and wants nothing but the best for Grace. It's just overwhelming sometimes because I still feel so new at being a parent let alone being a parent of a child with a special need. But God is good and He promises not to give us more than we can handle.
5th appt. suppose to be hearing test but ended up at the Pediatrician
Gracie had an extremely high temp. and wasn't eating or sleeping much at all for a few days. The did a flu and strep test, blood work to look for a bacterial infection, and checked her ears. All came back negative. They attempted to collect a urine sample (impossible if you ask me for anyone who is still in diapers). Luckily her temp. broke the next day and she is sleeping longer and eating more than ever. She has even transitioned into one nap a day which helps me get alot more done and allows me more time to play and focus on her when she is awake cause I'm not wondering when she is going to go back to sleep. My little girl is growing up!
That's all the dr's appt's for now. THANK GOD! I am worn out! Thanks for all your prayers and continue to pray for wisdom and guidance for Matt and I as we are on this journey with Grace and are trying to make sure we are doing everything possible to give her everything she needs!
So I am about a month past when this haircut occurred but I just got the pics from my friend who is also our hairdresser. Gracie's hair grows like her mothers so she needed her first hair cut at 10 months. She had some hair trimmed around the ears and she did good for the most part. Here are the pics of her first hair cut. I have her first locks saved in a plastic baggy and will put in her scrapbook (once I get around to putting it together)!
