Memorial Day Weekend

You guys...

We found a park!!!

Having a curious, friendly toddler running around and a baby fresh out of surgery makes it hard to find a park where I feel comfortable. Bret loves to run around and discover! If there are too many people, he will usually people watch and follow the older kids. Or, if the park is not gated, he will escape into the parking lot. YIKES! Then having Mia in her car seat, in the stroller makes it hard to follow him around.
BUT...
This park is AMAZING! He can run around freely! There's hardly any people there. I LOVE it!

I took a kite, blankets and some snacks. We ran around and flew our kite. Bret was mesmerized by it. It's amazing how kids can turn something ordinary, into a magical moment. He would follow me around and try and run after me to catch the kite. Sometimes, when the wind wasn't blowing a whole lot, he would catch a piece of the tail and squeal in delight.

There was also sand in the playground and Bret was entertained for a good hour. He poured sand all over himself, fascinated by the texture and how it looked on him. I didn't mind one bit! His face was bright red at the end and he had THE BIGGEST smile on his face.

All in all, I think we can count our Saturday outing as a complete success. When we got home Bret had some dinner, Heath bathed him and Bret went to bed without complaining. He didn't even cry when we didn't give him a bottle to put him down. Win. Win. Win!

That night we were able to enjoy some fun grown-up time with Cari and Morgan. Morgan and Heath watched a basketball game, while Cari and I talked and Mia laughed FOR THE FIRST TIME! It was adorable. 

Sunday was super fun too. Our friends, the Garcias, came over for dinner and our kids played. Sadly, we didn't get any pictures. There were 4 kids that needed attention and parents that wanted to chat, so, no time for pictures! But I am SO grateful for good friendships. 

Finally, actual memorial day.

WE WENT SWIMMING!!

Don't worry, Mia didn't swim. In Heath's own words when someone asked him if she got in, "Yea right! That's an infection waiting to happen!" True dat!

BUT, I did have her wear her swim suit just so she could feel like she was part of the fun. Oh okaaay, in reality I know she could care less. I just thought she looked SO CUTE in her swim suit! 

Bret on the other hand, went swimming for the first time EVER in his life! 

I first took him to the splash pad because I thought he would enjoy running through the water. Well, he hated it. He cried and glued himself to my leg every time kids would run around spraying each other. Truth is, it was a bit windy and the wind was a bit chilly. I don't blame him, it was not hot enough for the splash pad. 

After this first traumatic experience, we went to the pool. We sat in the shore of the kiddie pool for a good 5 minutes until he felt comfortable. Then, I scootched further in, and he started crying, so we sat there for another 5 minutes until he felt more comfortable. Finally, I put him in his floating device and I took him further in. and guess what?! He didn't smile the entire time I had him. So I went to get Heath, who was with Mia. 

Bret, had a BLAST!

Heath took him around in his floating device and would play peek a boo with him! He got Bret so comfortable with the water that at the end he was blowing bubbles in the water! Bret laughed, squealed in delight, and even kicked his legs so he could move around! 

Bret loves his daddy so much! We LOVE it when he can come with us and play. 

"MOm! Fix my towel, seriously?!"

 Memorial day weekend final points,

Mom: 10
Dad: 10

Then, after Bret was in bed and Mia had been cathed, Heath and I enjoyed some s'mores that we roasted over our grill in our porch. It was ALL Heath's idea.

Husband points: +10 (Winner!)

Aaaand then he had us watch the basketball game...

Husband points: -5

(Just kidding! It was still fun!)

Hope you enjoyed your Memorial Day weekend and that everyone got a chance to think about and thank those that have served this country!

Mia is 3 months

Mia is 3 months and life is good!

She has had quite the month. First with a trip to the E.R because of some swelling behind her ear and neck where  the shunt runs through. After a revision from the surgeon, he said that she needed surgery. So we showed up and were all ready for surgery. The neurosurgeon came in and he decided to give her another week to see if the swelling would go down on its own. I may or may not have been kind of annoyed at him. I knew there was something wrong, but he wanted Mia to show more serious symptoms of a shunt malfunction to actually perform surgery. These symptoms include, vomiting, extreme sleepiness, a bulging fontanel (soft spot), maybe a fever or seizures. The only things I noticed were different with Mia was that she was sleeping more than usual. Also, her fontanel wasn't bulging, but it wasn't soft either. It was hard.
We went back a week later and the swelling hadn't gone down. So, it was surgery time!

Mia's got this surgery thing DOWN! Turns out there was something wrong; the shunt was clogged. So they replaced it completely and now she has a brand new shunt. Yay!

 I have been thinking a lot about a scripture this past week,

"...men are that they might have joy." 2 Nephi 2:25

Here I am having a hard time seeing my baby girl go through surgery after surgery. These are serious surgeries that have to do with her spine and her brain! And yet here is Mia, smiling away after waking up from sedation and eating, with brand new stitches on her head and her belly.

I now see that the wording on that scripture is might have instead of will feel. To have something means we can "posses, own, or hold". Might is a possibility. In other words, we have the possibility to posses joy! Which leads me to this scripture:

"For it is expedient that an atonement should be made; for according to the great plan of the Eternal God there must be an atonement made, or else all mankind must unavoidably perish; yea, all are hardened; yea, all are fallen and are lost, and must perish except it be through the atonement which it is expedient should be made." Alma 34:9

Sometimes life can be really tough! We may feel like we can't do it anymore, or like it's unfair. All of these things can make our hearts harden a little at a time. Without the atonement, trials and unfairness in this world would make our hearts hard as rocks! Making us angry, sad, hopeless and all those negative feelings. Always! That's why the atonement is SO important or as the scripture says, expedient!
God made it possible for us to overcome our sorrows and the unfairness of this life. Through the atonement of Jesus Christ we can have the possibility of feeling joy! That doesn't mean we will be happy go lucky all the time. But it does mean that there's hope. Because even during the most trying times, we can feel happy and experience joy in this life.

Mia is a great example to me of being happy amidst hard times. Her and Bret bring me so much joy!

So yes, after everything, life IS good.

Happy 3 months baby girl. You are our little fighter and we love you dearly.


ESPAÑOL

Ella ha pasado por mucho este mes. Primero con un viaje a la E.R debido a una hinchazón detrás de la oreja y el cuello, donde la derivación atraviesa. Después de una revisión por parte del cirujano, dijo que necesitaba cirugía. Llego el dia y estábamos todos listos para la cirugía. El neurocirujano entró y decidió darle otra semana para ver si la inflamación se reduciría por sí sola. Puede que si o puede que no estaba un poco molesta con él. Yo sabía que había algo malo, pero él quería que Mia mostrara los síntomas más graves de un problema de la derivación para llevar a cabo la cirugía. Estos síntomas incluyen, vómitos, dormir mucho, una fontanela abultada (parte blanda), tal vez una fiebre o convulsiones. Las únicas cosas que noté eran diferentes con Mia fue que ella estaba durmiendo más de lo normal. Además, su fontanela no estaba abultada, pero no era suave tampoco. Estaba dura.Volvimos una semana más tarde y la hinchazón no había bajado. Por lo tanto, era el momento de la cirugía!

Mia es una experta en cirugias! Resulta que SI había algo mal; la derivación estaba tapada. Así que lo reemplazaron por completo y ahora tiene una nueva derivación. ¡Yey!

Esta semana he estado pensando mucho acerca de una escritura,

"... existen los hombres para que tengan gozo." 2 Nefi 2:25

Aquí estoy yo teniendo un tiempo difícil al ver a mi niña pasar por la cirugía tras cirugía. Estas son cirugías intensas que tienen que ver con su columna vertebral y el cerebro! Y sin embargo, aquí esta Mia, sonriendo después de despertar de la sedación y ser alimentada, con nuevos puntos de sutura en la cabeza y el vientre.

Ahora veo que la fraseología en que la escritura es poder TENER gozo en lugar de SENTIR gozo. Tener algo significa "poseer". En otras palabras, tenemos la posibilidad de poseer gozo! Lo que me lleva a esta escritura:

"Porque es necesario que se realice una expiación; pues según el gran plan del Dios Eterno, debe efectuarse una expiación, o de lo contrario, todo el género humano inevitablemente debe perecer; sí, todos se han endurecido; sí, todos han caído y están perdidos, y, de no ser por la expiación que es necesario que se haga, deben perecer.". Alma 34: 9

A veces la vida puede ser muy dura! Podemos sentir que ya no podemos hacerlo más, o que la vida es super injusta. Todas estas cosas pueden hacer que nuestros corazones se endurezcan un poco a la vez. Sin la expiación, los desafios y la injusticia en este mundo harían nuestros corazones duros como piedras! Haciéndonos sentir enojados, tristes, sin esperanza y todos esos sentimientos negativos. ¡Siempre! Es por eso que la expiación es TAN importante o como dice la escritura, necesaria!

Dios hizo posible que superemos nuestros desafios y la injusticia de esta vida. A través de la expiación de Jesucristo podemos tener la posibilidad de sentir la alegría y tener gozo! Eso no significa que estaremos super felices todo el tiempo. Pero sí significa que podemos tener la esperanza de que aun en los tiempos dificiles podemos sentirnos feliz y tener gozo.

Mia es un gran ejemplo para mí de ser feliz aun durante los tiempos difíciles. Ella y Bret me traen gozo.

Y sí, después de todo, la vida es buena.
Feliz 3 meses mi nena hermosa. Eres nuestra pequeña guerrera y te queremos mucho.

JUST. KEEP. SWIMMING

*The alarm goes off

It's 5:00 am on a weekday. I don't want to get up. I don't want to leave the comfort of my warm bed. 

I'm 15 years old and my ride is here. Groggily I put on my pants over my swimsuit, a coat, and I head out the door to meet my friends out in the car. 

Less than five minutes later we get to the pool. 

It's 5:15 am and it's time for practice. Gotta take off the towel and stretch. The coach is talking now telling us what our warm up is going to be. 

Okay. I have to jump in now. But I don't want to. I know the water will be cold. I'm still sleepy, I'm still warm. I don't want to jump in and be cold! 

I close my eyes. *SPLASH*

Eeek! It's cold! "It's okay", I tell myself "just keep swimming". The more I swim, the better I feel. I do a flip turn. One more lap and I can feel it's getting easier. Easier to breathe, easier to stretch my body, easier to move faster. Suddenly, I loose myself in the water. I feel like I'm gliding and honestly being woken up at 5 in the morning is not so bad now. 
My body tells me, "this is good for me! Keep going!" 

It's the end of the work out. My body worked hard. I'm wide awake now and I love how my body feels as I cool down. I feel stronger. 
I feel ready to conquer the day. 

----

It's 1:00 am now on a rainy Monday. More than 10 years have passed since my swim team days. My motherly worries now keep me awake.
I see my baby girl snuggled warm in her pack and play. I know that in about 30 hours, she must go in for surgery.

But she's only a baby! Babies shouldn't have to get surgeries. Surgeries are for when you're older and you've used your body more. Not for when your body is brand new!

As the clock keeps ticking, I can feel it approaching.

-I don't want to jump in! I don't want to be cold!-

I look at her peaceful frame asleep in her bed and can feel her say, "It's okay mom. We can do this! We have done it twice before, we can do it again!" 

"This is good for my body."

I tell myself to keep going. Eventually, it will get easier to breathe. As time goes by my brain will stretch with knowledge and understanding. My heart, though it aches at times, will continue to grow with love and patience. I will be able to learn faster and loose myself in the care of my daughter so she can have THE BEST chance at a good quality of life. Then, spina bifida won't feel so bad anymore.
Just. Keep. Swimming.


---
In my head it's post-op and my baby is in her hospital crib. I know she's sedated and still asleep. In an attempt to comfort her as she starts to wake up, I put my finger in her little hand. She moves a little and gives me a sleepy smile,

"See mom? It all worked out. I feel stronger now. I am now ready to conquer life"

*Sigh*

I love my baby girl. We can do this! We WILL kick spina bifida's butt!

Mia is 2 months!

My sweet Mia is 2 months old today! I can't believe how fast time has flown by. First, let's talk about how well her back has healed! You can't even really tell that the scar goes up to almost the middle of her back. The body is amazing isn't it? The way it repairs itself is quite a miracle.

Snuggles with daddy are the best

This month has been tough for Mia in a different way. She got sick with the cold. Let me tell you, having a baby this young get sick with the cold is NO JOKE. We have been either in the doctor's office, the E.R or the Respiratory Clinic, almost every day for the past week.

On Sunday (our actual anniversary date), I stayed home with Mia while Heath and Bret went to church. Well, Mia kept coughing and coughing and it was hard for her to breathe. Then she started foaming at the mouth. My initial thought was that it was just phlegm, but I got on the internet and it scared me. So, I called the physician on call and he told me to go to Instacare, but it was closed, so I ended up going to Urgent Care in Centerville. They checked us in, asked me what was going on and then had me wait for the physician just for her to look at this picture, and tell me that they didn't deal with babies, "especially babies with a cold that have Spina Bifida".

Let me go off on a rant here for a second...
This is not the first time we've been sent to Primary Children's E.R because Mia has Spina Bifida and the doctors don't know what to do with her, despite the fact that what she has doesn't have anything to do with Spina Bifida. IT'S A COLD PEOPLE! Just suck out her boogers and stop wasting our time! How do they not have the equipment to care for babies? Why do they always use her Spina Bifida as an excuse?
Did you know I went to 3 different pediatricians when she came out of the NICU and called 3 other ones before I found one that was "comfortable" caring for Mia?! She's a BABY!! 
I realize that her Spina Bifida does make her a bit different because she has more "needs", but honestly, sometimes it makes me think that the doctors out there don't know what they're talking about. What did they do at Med school?!
Some of my annoyance towards all these doctors that have turned us away because Mia has SB has almost disappeared after talking to a resident during Mia's clinic last month, he said that maybe the reason why they are that way is that they don't get a lot of babies like mine and so they aren't as comfortable with that because they haven't had practice treating them. Well, that kind of made me feel better...But this urgent care visit made me feel annoyed again.
Ok. Rant over.

So, I go get Heath, and Bret's grandpa comes over to pick Bret up, and Heath, Mia and I head over to Primary Children's E.R.
On our way there Heath said, "You know, if we have to come here any more times, we're going to start making friends there."

and guess what?!

WE DID!!!

As we were checking Mia in, I saw another couple that had a car-bed just like the one Mia went home with. I though, I bet their baby has Spina Bifida. When the nurse asked me if Mia had Spina Bifida I said, yes and the couple overheard and they turned and looked at me. I KNEW IT! Heath took over talking to the check-in nurse and I headed over to talk to that couple.

Me: Does your baby have Spina Bifida?!
Them: YES! Yours does too right?!
Me: YEAH!! Oh my gosh! Can I give you a hug?!*

*I know that's weird, but it just felt so good to see another couple with a baby like ours. I felt like we were kindred spirits. We understood one another and I understood the worries they were going through. It just feels good to know --in the flesh-- that there are more of us out there.

Their daughter has a lesion similar to Mia's and they had just gone home. Their daughter was 10 days old and she started leaking spinal fluid from her back. That's why they were back. I felt for them. Honestly, the healing process is really stressful. We exchanged phone numbers and I gave them the links to the facebook support groups (because you really do need support in times like these) and we parted ways. It was really nice to meet them. Oh and she did let me give her a hug :)

The rest of the E.R visit went like this,
-Nurse comes in, takes vitals and asks us what's going on (10 min)
-Wait (30 minutes)
-Repeat the same information to 10 different people (1+ hours)
- I was right, the foam was just phlegm. So, they suction her out (less than 5 minutes)
-Getting discharged (30 minutes)

RIDICOULOUS! Right?! 

I want one of those suction machines at home so I can just do it and we don't have to waste time driving, or at the doctor's for her to be able to breathe properly.

We got a prescription to the respiratory clinic. On Monday we went to her pediatrician to be suctioned and then at 2 in the morning, she couldn't breathe super well so I went to the Primary Children's respiratory clinic for her to be suctioned. She's doing a TON better! She can actually cough without throwing up, or turning super purple. YAY!

Okay, now here's what you've been waiting for, pictures of my baby girl!

Right here she's resting, but she lifts her head and looks around. She's so strong!

Also, did I mention my mom left? We love and miss her! She's so pretty and she looks great with her grand kids. 

See how cute she is?!! Nothing scary about her. I love my baby girl.

Bret is 14 months!

Bret is 14 months as of yesterday. He got sick last week with the cold. This is THE FIRST TIME he's gotten sick. So, it hit him pretty bad. My already skinny baby is now really skinny and he looks like he's 3 years old instead of 1. In an attempt to help his sister one day when she was crying, he coughed on her and now she's sick as well. 

Heath teaching Bret how to putt (L)

It's been difficult but kind of nice because he wants to be cuddled and I've missed cuddling him. 

Heath got a new mower for his business. Obviously, he had to take Bret out for a ride. Look at Bret's long legs!

Things I want to remember:

Bret now only says ONE word and he uses it for EVERYTHING! That word is, "agua". He wants the laptop, " agua". He wants some food, "agua". He wants a toy, " agua". He wants some water, "agua"(Well, at least that one is right). So, when he says " agua" we have to play a guessing game and see which "agua" he's referring to. He helps out though by pointing, pushing away, or throwing the unwanted item aside.

What my living room has looked like for the past week. Sick babies on the couch watching movies and snuggling...aaaand crying and coughing and sniffling and crying, did I mention crying? ALL. DAY. LONG. But the snuggling makes it all better. 

He has also started crying/screaming A LOT. Maybe it's because he's been sick or because the "terrible two's" are approaching, but I like to call him my "shrieking eel" inside my head.

He is also really helpful. Now that he walks, he likes to help me sweep and mop. He likes to help me wipe his table and the floor. He also helped me out when I was organizing his room.

All in all he's super sweet and fun! I LOVE this age! He blows kisses, gives me smacking kisses on the cheek. He is curious about everything and he is starting to make animal sounds.  

I LOVE my baby boy! 

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO US!

Aww look at us being cute! I can't believe it's been 2 years!

Two years doesn't sound like much. It's what, 24 months? When you put it that way it doesn't sound long AT ALL. But, if you compare it to an LDS mission for a  young man, or an associates degree, then it's life changing. And boy has it been life changing. 

Here's a summary of the past two years:

-We both went to BYU

- I graduated with my bachelor's 

-We had Bret

-We moved from Provo to Bountiful

- Heath started going to The U

- We had Mia 

-Heath started his own business

See?! LIFE CHANGING!

We are NOT the same two people in that picture you see above. No. We are now a more polished, chubbier (at least I am, but calm down guys, it was for a good cause) experienced version of ourselves! And we still have work to do! Lots of work. 

It. Has. Been. HARD! We have been thrown some curveballs that we have had to overcome individually and as a couple. And that's my favorite part, though it's been hard, each trial has brought us closer together. So, has it been rewarding? YES! has it been fun? YES! has it been a learning experiences? HECK YES! 

Last year I graduated on our anniversary. This year, Heath took me to a fancy-shmancy Mexican restaurant the day before our anniversary. I had NEVER been to a restaurant where they decorate the food and give you foods in correct proportions. I had only seen it on the Food Network and well, I was having the time of my life! 

We critiqued every dish using culinary lexicon that we have learned watching shows like, Top Chef, Chopped, Master Chef...and others (honestly, I think I've seen them all). Then, sitting next to us were two critics! They were writing down and recording their thoughts about the food they had eaten. And of course, like the culinary critics that they are, they didn't finish their food. Not even their dessert! They each had a spoonful, jotted down their findings, discussed them, and moved on the next dish. 

So, here is our experience at Frida's Bistro in Salt Lake:

The handmade purple corn tortilla was perfectly made and stuffed with Chihuahua cheese and Mexican zucchini. The balance of savory and sweet made this dish our top favorite. In other words, this was freakin' delicious people! And you should all try it!

 Check out that fancy folded napkin. And YES I did eat my quesadilla with a knife and fork. Heath made fun of me, but whatever! I was imagining I was Giada de Laurentis and I know if she was judging this quesadilla, she would have eaten it with a fork and a knife. And even if she didn't, I know I would have eaten it with a knife and fork if I was judging a cook on the Food Network. (Also, now that I look at this picture, -- maybe I'm just sleep deprived--  but the quesadilla kind of looks like the California bear on the flag, don't you think?

 This is Chile en Nogada. When I saw this, I knew I had heard of it before, so I googled it to know for sure what it was. Well, it looked delicious, and I love pomegranate, so I ordered it. It was disappointing, really. I mean, the rice was crispy, CRISPY! Did the cooks never take Rice 101?! Well, it's NOT meant to be crispy, EVER! I almost, asked them to hire me so that I could make their rice for them, but I have two kids that need me, so I didn't. It ruined the dish for me. But it looked GORGEOUS! I just couldn't get over the rice. I still can't. 

Here's my handsome sleep-deprived husband! He had the Salmon ceviche. This is his critique, "It was full of flavor, but I've had better. The pieces of Salmon were too big and there wasn't enough tomato, onion and cilantro in it." I honestly can't conceive the thought of eating raw meat, let alone big chunks of it. It looked great though.  

Dessert: Chocolate mole [MULL-EH] cake with chocolate ganache, black-pepper ice cream and pickled cherries. 

Again I was overcome with my Food Network fandom that we just had to order it because it said "ganache" and "black pepper ice cream" which are only things that are made on those shows of course. I don't know what I was expecting really. Maybe a delicious flavor combination that sparked an epiphany and a choir of angels singing hallelujah! But this is how it went down,

Heath takes the first bite of the black pepper ice cream. His face looks excited, hopeful almost --after a main course let down--. Then, his face quickly turns from that to confusion, query, and then... plain disgust. 

I was laughing at this point.

Me: What's wrong? What's the matter? What does it taste like?

Heath: Like, BLACK PEPPER! Who DOES that?! WHO MAKES BLACK PEPPER ICE CREAM?!

ROTFLOL guys, like seriously. We are a bunch of non culinary connoisseurs. 

Heath's description of the chocolate cake: 

"It's two ding-dongs stuffed with chocolate moose. Like, who are they kidding?"

We ate it though, and laughed at ourselves and had a great time. It cost us an arm and a leg but you only have an anniversary once a year. We later found out the cherries had been pickled in Tequila. But the alcohol dies right? Once it's canned? 

Oh well, we drove home safely haha and let me tell you, the combination of the cherries and the ice cream made the not-so-normal ice cream be delicious. 

I learned one thing: The BEST Mexican food I've EVER had is in Mexico. They make all this fancy food, better-tasting, and much cheaper. It was a great experience though and I think we would go again just to experience other dishes. 

We didn't get a picture of the both of us because it was raining and we had to go home and cath Mia. I'm so happy to be married. I'm happy to be married to Heath Forbush. He makes life so enjoyable. =)

Today is our actual anniversary. We spent it at home, the urgent care and then the E.R at Primary Children's. More on that later. 

A big thank you to Heath's parents that made all of this possible by taking care of our two babies! Love you guys! 

I love our forever family. Here's to many more years!

Getting to know them: Mia Grace

"...and my grace is sufficient for all men; ...for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them." Ether 12:27

Getting to know Mia Grace at this point is more about her needs as a baby and what I can do to meet those needs.

When I found out she had Spina Bifida, I thought she was at a disadvantage. I thought, why would God give her this?! Life is already hard as it is! Mia Grace is a great reminder to me of the promises given in the scripture mentioned above. She is such a strong little person. Spina Bifida isn't a disadvantage and it doesn't define her. When she was born, I realized that she was born to conquer. She has been so strong and resilient. There is nothing she can't do. 

I realized then that this scripture is more for me than for her. It was me who was weak. In other words, I was scared. I knew nothing of the medical world. The things I did know about her diagnosis and the care and warning signs we had to look for where too scary for me to think about. I felt like I wouldn’t be able to do any of those things.

Now that she’s been home for over a month, I feel like I’m getting to know her better as well as how Spina Bifida affects her. For example, Mia has hydrocephalus and had to get a shunt put in. The shunt helps all the extra liquid in her brain drain properly and it helps her so that she doesn't get symptoms from the Chirari II Malformation she has as well. So, if Mia throws up, I now think okay, is it her shunt? (I then touch her soft spot to make sure it's still soft). Then I think, she also has nerve damage somewhere in between her stomach and rectum...was she not able to digest the food correctly because she hasn't been able to poop? or is it the Chiari II making it hard for her to swallow? 
There's also the straight catheterization twice a day due to some nerve damage in her bladder. I remember I was really scared to do this one at first, but then when it came time to do it, I know God gave me the strength to be able to do it. 

Check out those curls!!!!

We have been able to go to what’s called, Spina Bifida Clinic. This is where all of the specialists come and see Mia. It usually takes half a day. I never thought I would love it so much. They answer all of my questions and I learn a lot! They calm my worries and help me help Mia. At the clinic we see the neurologist, neurosurgery, plastic surgery, urology, occupational therapy, physical therapy, her nurse, and nutrition. My favorite specialist out of all of them (and the most relevant at this point) is neurology. That doctor is so good at teaching us about Mia’s brain. Learning more about how her brain works and how hydrocephalus affects it and how the shunt helps it, allows me to prepare and understand when things don’t work correctly, or why they do work!

This doesn't mean I'm never afraid. HA! If I think about it too much or start thinking about what could go wrong and the unknown, I freak myself out and I just want to put both of my kids in a bubble where I can keep them safe and sound. But alas, that cannot be... That's when I have to stop myself and enjoy my baby NOW and the accomplishments of every day, as minuscule as they may seem. Like, all of her wet diapers make me go into my happy dance! It helps me know that her bladder is emptying and she'll be less likely to have kidney damage. She also hasn't had a UTI which is awwwwsome!! So far, we haven’t had the need to go to the E.R for a shunt malfunction or infection and I hope it stays that way. Her back is finally healing up nicely and she can lay on it. There's a lot of things to be thankful for and a lot of things to be happy about.

Mia has shown me strength, patience, and faith. I know God sent her to me so that I could work on trusting Him a little more. 

These two are magnificent!!