Catching everybody up

Alrighty, didn't win the Cutest Baby Contest. Whatta ya gonna do? I guess the winner was cute. :-)

The "winner"

Moving on, Elizabeth had her four month check up today with her regular pediatrician, Dr. Liu. Munchkin is in the 25th percentile on her weight and height, which is fantastic. Dr Liu is very pleased. And apparently Elizabeth has a small head and that's all there is to it. Elizabeth's noggin is in the 5th percentile.

For those keeping score:

10/24/05 - 12 lbs. 9 oz. 23.75 inches long.

Oh! And perhaps the biggest news of this post, Elizabeth is teething! Yes, you read right folks. Our cute little four month old is working on her first official tooth. Down on the bottom gum, smack dab in the middle, there is a tiny pink outline of a tooth wanting to push thru. Right now it's at the point where the pressure it is putting on the gum makes the top of her gum turn the slightest bit white. I would post a picture of it, but you try getting a four month old who is drooling-like-a-fountain, finger-grabbing, and sucking-and-chewing-on-anything-you-put-remotely-close-to-her-face, to keep her mouth open, with tongue in mouth, long enough to snap a picture.

Back to our regularly scheduled program

We Need Your Vote!

We are going to submit a picture of Elizabeth for a local radio station's "Cutest Baby Contest," but we can't come to an agreement on which to submit! We won't say who likes which one, but it's down to these two pictures, each of us having our own preference. Let us know in the comments which one you would send in. We need your vote by tomorrow (Friday, 10/21) by 5:00pm. The contest deadline is 7:00pm, but we want to have a little time to submit it.

So which is it, left or right?

Sweet, sweet slumber

So, we got On Becoming Babywise from the library this week. A gal from church highly recommended it. After one full day of it, we're fans too. Why?

Elizabeth got 8 hours of sleep last night. That's right folks, 8 hours. From 9:30pm to 5:30 am. That is a thing of beauty right there.

She's mobile... sorta

Got this email from Steph ten minutes ago:

"She started off on the diaper ready to be changed!"

The PANDA Team

Great article in the Oregonian today about the team that transported Elizabeth from Southwest to Doernbecher and then a week later transported her from the NICU to the operating room. And yes, we still have the Panda bear.

Thank you Rick, former Honululu fire-fighter, now member of the PANDA Team, for taking such good care of us. We will never forget you nor what you have done for our family.

Forgot to mention

Yesterday at the cardiologist's, Elizabeth weighed 11 pounds 14 ounces. And she is nearly 22 and a half inches long!

Back from the Cardiologist

Well... you want the good news or the bad news first?

We just got back from Elizabeth's echocardiogram. And the results are in. Although the blockage hasn't gotten any worse, it hasn't gotten better either. And, according to the cardiologist, the likelihood of it getting better is slim. So, for now, we'll have a follow up appointment in the beginning of December on November 3 (Dr. Shaughnessy left a message today 10/5 saying that she wanted to move up the follow up. Nothing to worry about, just wants to keep a closer eye on Elizabeth. We sure don't mind). More than likely, Elizabeth will need to have the catheter procedure done in a few months. The good news about that is it won't be for a little bit yet, so that she has time to grow (which makes her arteries bigger which makes it easier for the specialist to navigate thru her body).

We found out that the catheter procedure won't be quite as intense as we originally thought. When/if it does happen, Elizabeth will go in the morning and have it done. If it doesn't work, she can go home after a few hours, with a surgery to then be scheduled for a later date. If the catheter procedure does what it's supposed to, then she'll stay overnight at the hospital (in the normal ward, not the intensive care unit) and probably be able to go home the next day. So, that's a relief. Bummer that it's even on the radar, but, it is what it is.

We also got the clear from our cardiologist about the possibility of moving to MA next summer. If the move does take place, our cardiologist will give us some contacts out there. And apparently Boston's Children Hospital is primo stuff and has on staff one of the most world-renowned cardiologists (I think we got the guy's name right). So that's nice to know.

Thanks to all who prayed.

Grace and peace,
Allen

Prayer Open House

For those that are local to us, Monday night we'll be having a prayer open house here at the homestead. Tuesday afternoon Elizabeth goes in for her follow-up echocardiogram to determine if the blockage in or around her pulmonary artery has increased. If it has increased, the docs will have to schedule her for another catheter procedure, probably within the month.

So, Monday night from 7-9 pm we'll be having lots of folks come over to hang out and pray for Elizabeth, specifically that the blockage would be gone come Tuesday. We'll be praying for other things too, as folks request. If you're within reasonable driving distance, come on by!

Lounging Under the Skylight