Ellis's Lesson for the Day

Okay, Ellis. Today we are going to learn about architectural drawings.

So show me your plan...

and your section...

and your elevation...

and now your...wait, baby...that's not...we're having a lesson...what are you...



Okay, fine. Kiss the baby in the mirror. She's so cute I don't blame you.

Class dismissed.

Nap Time

Playtime turned into nap time before I could even pick her up

A Sweet Reunion

Ellis has gotten some good rest this weekend and seems to be back to her energetic self. She's one tough cookie.
I just wanted to share these pictures from her stay in the hospital. They were taken after the tough part of recovery was over and she was feeling slightly sociable. Three very special ladies stopped by to say hello. Jaci, Candace, and Morgan (along with many others) took fantastic care of Ellis when she was in the RCNIC at Children's for three months. These super-nurses were with her day and night, and they helped us through some of our most difficult moments. I don't think they know how extraordinary they are even though I keep trying to remind them!

Making the best of her temporary incarceration. The flashlight used to look at her throat made the best toy.

Home Again

Ellis's surgery went well, and we are all home safe and sound. Her surgeons said her airway looks good and the procedure went exactly as planned. In addition to removing some tissue at the back of her throat, her doctors put in a set of ear tubes. She was cranky and tired afterwards and needed a few doses of Tylenol throughout the night, but she seems to feel much better now. Greg and I took turns staying up with her, so all three of us are ready for some rest.
They were not able to downsize her trach this time because the procedure yesterday caused some swelling at the back of her throat and could have compromised her breathing. Her doctors want her to come back in two months for a repeat of this sclerotherapy procedure, at which time they also plan to remove her tonsils. If all goes well during those surgeries, they will most likely downsize her trach then. We were hoping it would be sooner than that, but we are just happy that her airway is clear and she is recuperating well.
Thanks to everyone for all the texts, emails, and phone calls. We really appreciate your prayers and support!

A Two Minute Glimpse Into Our Days

Hmmm...I wonder what Ellis would do if I didn't stop her from crawling out of the living room...

Ellis is still scheduled for surgery Thursday morning. We appreciate everyone's prayers for an easy procedure and a quick recovery. We will post an update Thursday evening if we are able. (Internet in the hospital is spotty at best.) Even though we are trying not to get our hopes up, we are excited by the possibility of her trach being downsized during the procedure. If that happens, we will be bringing home a babbling baby! If it doesn't happen this time, we know it will happen eventually and we will just keep being patient. More to come soon!

Lazy Friday

Ellis is taking it easy on this pleasant Friday, and we hope you are too! Her surgery is still on for next Thursday. Thanks for all your prayers and kind words!

One second she was scooting around the living room as if she were in a bumper car. The next second, she was sound asleep.  It takes a lot of energy to be this awesome.

Birthday Videos

Okay, last birthday post, I promise. :) Here are two quick videos of Ellis's first birthday song and lick of icing. She was being pretty shy because all of the people staring at her, which is understandable considering most days the only people she sees are me, Greg, and Elmo. Thanks again to Steph for being our videographer!

Birthday Vol. II

Here are some more pictures from the big party! A special thanks to Allyson and Stephanie for taking pictures, since Greg and I had our hands full keeping up with the birthday girl.

Ellis Is 1 Today!

Ellis, doing a happy dance, while wearing one of my dresses. I'm going to put her in it every year on her birthday until she is grown. I think it will make a nice photo montage in 20 years. Nothing wrong with planning ahead.

Ellis might not know what it means to have a birthday, but she definitely knows this week has been full of excitement, visitors, and presents! Our living room looks and sounds like a Vegas casino. Many thanks to all our friends and family who have made Ellis feel so celebrated.

We often refer to Ellis as our "little miracle" but on a day like today I am reminded that there is nothing little about the things God has done for her and us. This time last year I was at work, beginning to realize that something wasn't quite right, and I was having pains that I thought it was too early to have. (I still worked the whole day!) Later that night Ellis was born in the presence of 30 specialized professionals who had been planning for her birth and surgery for months prior. The sweet baby doesn't even have one "official" time of birth because the process lasted about two hours and as one surgeon said, "We all had more important things to do than to look at the clock." Although Ellis still has some challenges ahead of her, we have every confidence that through God's grace she will overcome all of those obstacles, just as we have seen countless miracles done this past year. When I first got to see her, about a day after she was born, I didn't think it was possible that a year later she would be breathing, swallowing, laughing, (almost) walking, and signing "Mama" when I come in the room. We thank all of you who have prayed for her all this time. Ellis is growing up knowing she is surrounded by love and faith. Time to celebrate!

Here's what we will be doing today:

Birthday Vol. I

Ellis is feeling better today, but we are still taking it pretty easy. She still doesn't have her normal amount of energy back. It's a good day for playing with her new birthday toys and snuggling up with her new birthday books.
I am anxious to share the pictures from her birthday festivities. It's a slow process for me to compile and sort through them all, but here are a few from the pre-party fun.

Miss Robin kicked off birthday week with a fun visit and presents from some of our dear friends at church. We have the best church family!

Ellis got to play in the kiddie pool in the living room a few times last week. (No water!)

She insisted on doing it herself

She also helped with the balloons. She had as much fun getting ready for the party as she did at the actual event.

Ellis sees herself in her birthday photo book

More pictures to come!

Happy July 4th!

Okay, so today is the 5th. But we have had our hands full! Ellis had her very first birthday party this weekend, and thank you so much to everyone who chipped in to make it such a special occasion! We have hundreds of pictures, so I am in the process of sorting through them and will post some soon. Ellis has a great time!
The day after however, we had a sickly baby on our hands. Maybe she had too much fun. She's now recuperating from another ear infection and lots of gunk in her lungs. She has been pretty pitiful and hasn't felt like doing much, but last evening she felt well enough to go for a stroll around the living room all on her own.

One hand! She's a big girl now.

And once with a little assistance...

Ellis even got to see some fireworks out our window last night. She applauded and pointed to them over and over, making sure that we were seeing them, too. No baby, you're not imagining things. The stars really are dancing, just for you.