September 23 Elle turned 18 months old. It is so hard to believe that she is 18 months old! She is progressing so well - sign language and speech is going great, she is trying so hard to stand up on her own and we are still working on eating. She is growing like a weed and is 23lbs and 31 inches long. On the afternoon of the 23rd, we had Elle's 6 month appointment with her cardiologist. I was terrified going into the appointment dreading what he was going to tell us. During my Bible study that morning, the leader had mentioned Job 42. Thankfully I had my Bible with me and I was able to read that scripture before we walked in. Job 42:1 "Then Job replied to the Lord: I know that you can do all things; no plan of yours can be thwarted." Just reading that scripture before we walked in gave me so much peace. The appointment itself was not what we expected - the echo tech was out sick so we had to reschedule for the next week to bring Elle back in so that an echo could be done. Talk about a major letdown! Oh well - the Lord has perfect timing!
September 24 we celebrated the one year anniversary of Elle's open heart surgery by taking heart shaped cookies to all the wonderful therapists, nurses, doctors and admin at the TCH outpatient center we are at every week. They have done so much for our family over the course of the last year. They work so hard to help Elle learn and grow and she has come soooo far in a year. I remember sitting in the waiting room before the anesthesiologist came to take Elle back for her surgery. It was so hard to sit there holding Elle knowing that the doctors would be coming at any moment to take her into the operating room. Lee and I were there reading books to Elle and saying prayers for not only her recovery but for the surgery team that would be fixing her little heart. 12 hours later we were able to see Elle as she came out of surgery. We were so thankful she made it through the surgery ok and so relieved to be able to see our little angel. Words can't even describe the feeling of seeing your child as they come out of open heart surgery. Words also can't describe the sheer happiness we feel a year later seeing her grow and thrive.
Elle in her cute heart outfit - celebrating her 1 year anniversary of joining the zipper club!
Elle and I reading before they took her back for surgery September 24, 2009
Left picture - a few days post surgery - September 27, 2009 Right picture - 6 days post surgery - September 30, 2009
We had re scheduled Elle's echo for September 30. She was a perfect little angel during the entire echo (like having an ultrasound on your heart....same type of wand....same gel....pretty much the same thing). She was perfectly still on the exam table and watched a movie while the tech did her work. When it was finished, we were taken to a private waiting room. Dr. W came in a few minutes later and asked one of the nurses to come and get Elle so that he would have our undivided attention. He updated us on the status of her heart. It has progressively gotten worse over the last 6 months. His feelings were that she would have to have surgery sometime in the next few months. Lee and I weren't surprised by this at all. We had expected to hear it. Dr. W was going to contact Elle's surgeon and have his team look at the echo and then contact us with a plan of action. So...more waiting.
Friday, October 1 Lee and I left for a quick trip to California to see a very dear friend get married. We left at 7:00am on Friday morning and our flight left California at 3:50pm on Saturday. We were there for 30 hours and then back home - but totally worth the super quick trip. We got to see a fabulous wedding and catch up with old and dear friends. It was so sad to leave on Saturday afternoon.
October 4 we heard from Elle's cardiologist. He had talked with Elle's surgeon and another one of the surgeons and after reviewing her echo, they both felt like she was well enough to wait until January. We will go back for another echo in January and the surgical team will make their decision for surgery then. It was good to hear that the surgical team is pleased with Elle's progress and growth and feel confident in waiting a few months for her to grow and get a little bigger.
October 6 was mom's night out with one of my besties. Shannon invited me to the Carrie Underwood concert and it was soooo much fun. Her concert was amazing! When she sang "Jesus Take the Wheel" I started to tear up and then she went in to the most beautiful rendition of "How Great Thou Art." It was absolutely amazing! I had so much fun with Shanny. We were talking that night about how we can go weeks at a time without seeing each other and then meet up and it's like we see each other everyday. I wish we lived closer (we live an hour apart) but not seeing her everyday makes me cherish our friendship and the time we do get to spend together so much more.
Over the last month, Elle has been blowin' and goin'. She is getting into everything! While she isn't walking yet - that isn't stopping her from climbing the shelves in the fridge!
APF pics....love love love the sale rack at Dillards for her super cute new zebra outfit!
We are working so hard at PT on her standing up on her own. She works soooo hard and is doing such a good job! I filmed this at the end of therapy....after an hour of hard work....so....needless to say.....she was tired.
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