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Saturday, January 4, 2014

January 3rd

Yesterday was the 1-year anniversary of Millie-Bea's spinal surgery. Millie and I were sorting through some things in the bedroom and we found her hospital gown and i.d bracelets- they say "8 months, 7 days old". It just seems unbelievable that she went through all of that as a baby. Of course she's still going through it, but her day-to-day activity is 100% normal. We're much more optimistic about her condition, and hoping that last year's surgery was the only one she'll need.
I have recurring images from that day that pop into my head at random times... Brady and I changing her into the blue surgery gown; carrying her down the long hallway and catching graphic glimpses of the other ORs in progress; holding her tiny hand and kissing her goodbye while she went under; clasping her amber necklace in my sweaty hand while we waited upstairs and watched the clock; sitting with our neurosurgeon as he drew a picture of her spine and told us he had to cut a piece away to be tested for some other awful thing; leaning against the wall next to Brady, outside the recovery room doors, waiting for them to let us see our baby; sitting next to her for HOURS in recovery and feeling sick about the morphine they were giving her; looking down at her puffy face when I was finally allowed to nurse her in our pediatric unit room; trying to comfort her scared and painful cries while she slept; holding her by the window the next morning and watching the red and pink sunrise over Brooklyn.

It is such a surreal feeling to have the worst day of your life, a living nightmare, also be the greatest day that brought hope for a "normal" future. Brady and I continue to be grateful every day for Millie's wonderful doctors, nurses, and everyone we've never met who contributed to this amazing world of modern medicine.

On a lighter note, here are some ordinary things the bunny did yesterday, which could also be considered miraculous things depending on your perspective :)

On January 3rd, 2014, Millie...
- climbed up the stairs 7 times
- walked, bumscooted, and hopped down the stairs 7 times
- used the pot 6 times
- stood on a chair to help make granola and pizza dough
- kneeled on the floor and sat at her table to draw and paint her Christmas thank-you cards
- played "run back and forth while yelling like Tarzan" (a new game she learned from her cousins!)
- squatted down to feed the cats treats 2 times
- bent down to scoop dinner into the cat bowls
- climbed up into her high chair 3 times
- walked to her snack cabinet for a bowl and cup... about a million times
- climbed onto the couch to look at the snow out the window 3 times
- danced to The Doors record and also to Mama's silly singing
- paced back and forth while rocking her babies/animals to sleep

1-3-13 . Baby Millie recovering in the "crib cage" as we called it:
luckily we convinced the nurse to let us co-sleep:

 1-3-14 . Free as a Bird: Millie recently learned from Gaga how to "say cheese!"

It's kind of fun that her surgery was at the beginning of January... puts a whole new emphasis on Happy New Year!

3 comments:

  1. We are all so grateful that Millie is doing so well and I am especially grateful to Drs. Gurgley and Wisoff! And don't forget that Grandma had every person she came into contact with praying for Millie Bea... and many she never met at First Cong... and the Catholic and Orthodox churches as well. THANK YOU for such an illuminating story, Helen Jane. ox

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