Much loved little girl...

Annabel has been doing good. She is probably back up to her highest weight ever. She is eating well and her sleep habits are better, including sleeping with her oxygen. She is back at speech therapy but not at physical therapy yet. We were supposedly waiting for her to have her surgery on her back(tethered cord) but can't seem to get the necessary test that he wants first. This has been over three weeks of me making calls to the hospital to schedule them, waiting for the doctors nurses to call me back all to be told that they are working on this. I was told this could take place prior to Thanksgiving so she could recover over the holidays but there is no way now that can happen. Also, if Annabel can make it until after Christmas that is what I will hope for now. Her MRI isn't schedule until Jan 5th and I really want this first. They drs. have placed her on a priority cancellation list, but I am of little faith where this is concerned. I have been unsettled with the feeling that each day we wait to see if we will be called to make the two hour drive. It is very hard to plan anything at this point. But I am grateful that she is well. She has had no colds, runny noses and we have been free of any type of infections including UTI's. This is really a big deal. We are back to cathing her every 3 hours, also twice daily placing the gentimycin irrigation in her bladder and giving her as much liquids as we can drip in during the night. She is still taking breast milk that I am positive is the reason for the success of her weigh gain and her tummy being as good as expected.

With that said, I have blogged before about Kourtni, our new nanny. She has become more than that. I knew she had a heart for special angels in her life. I knew she would attempt to learn anything possible to help with Annabel. She is very confident and willing to do whatever is best and has become a second set of ears for me when listening to the doctors. That is what my Tara did and it is hard not to become dependant on that. So was I shocked when Kourtni suggested that she try to induce lactation so Annabel would be able to have breastmilk and eventually not worry about prescriptions from the milkbank. With that said our pediatrician is wonderful and so very quick about writing the script for her when needed so no complaint there. I sure didn't want Kourtni to feel that this was expected of her at all, but how could I not be touched that she wanted to do such a thing for Annabel. Annabel's milk mommy, Michele has been such a wonderful support for Kourtni as so has Mallories' mom, Connie. Kourtni researched how to induce lactation and began the necessary steps. From the information that she gathered we thought it would be a month before needing a pump but it wasn't. Today, Annabel recieved her first 70 cc from Kourtni. So that is what some of the pictures to follow are. It is still early but from all indications are very hopeful that she will be successful. She is so disciplined with her pumping and she still helps me with Annabel's needs. I continue to be amazed by what she wants to do to ensure that Annabel has everything possible to help her stay in the best possible health that she can.

The family continues to do well as we are all getting ready for the Thanksgiving holidays. Kourtni has been a nice fit with the family and the girls go eat and go to movies together in her off time. I want to thank my family for adjusting and being so accepting of her. But she makes it so very easy. We will have much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving. I want to thank everyone who contacted me via text, email and phone calls concerning Tyler and where he is stationed. So grateful that he is at Fort Bliss, not Fort Hood. But so sad and hurting for the families who were so affected by this terrible massacre. It will also bring the reality that Tyler will be leaving stateside for Kuwait then Iraq on Dec. 4th. But we will celebrate that we are together as family, that Annabel is feeling well, and that Tyler is home for a 3 day holiday...