Watching some Pre 4th of July Fireworks

Pointing at the fireworks

I love the way Cayman points at everything now...

At fireworks.

At dogs.

At cats.

At bald men. (Uh, yeah. That ones been a bit awkward.)

The One Where I Dig a Little Deeper Into My Feelings

I am feeling a lot of emotion today. Maybe it's pregnancy. Maybe it's what life has been for us in the last couple of months. Maybe it's how uncertain the future feels.

I thought I would just write. Get it untangled from my mind.

You see, I love my little girl so much, in the most profound and tender way. My love for her is big. Really big. But you already know that. Her spirit has carved such sweetness and joy into our lives and I find myself trying to protect her in ways that I know I can't.

I have trouble shaking the image of that early morning in May when life stopped for Cayman.

I can barely breath passed the lump in my throat. What a mother feels when her child is in danger is a strong and awful thing.

It is bothersome to me that the thing that caused Cayman's life to almost pass from here will always remain a threat to her. There is no cure for her hydrocephalus. She will always need a shunt to treat it. That shunt has no guarantees that it will not fail her. It already has six times in the past.

I don't want to live my days in worry but I have to admit I am struggling. I want there to be a fix to this. For a child that drowns but is successfully revived, you would get them swimming lessons or stay on high alert whenever a pool of water is around. Taking action to prevent that from ever happening again.

A shunt failure? I can't protect against that. There is absolutely nothing I can do. I do not want to belittle prayer by saying that because I do think it is powerful. It's just not tangible nor in my control. I have much measure in growth and maturity to do yet, learning to let go and trust God.

I find myself clinging to my little family, scared that in any moment everything might change. At home I take everything in under a safety precaution.

I've slammed the door shut to the basement stairs, upset that I found it left open again. The fan has been put above Cayman's reach. The rocking ottoman she likes to climb onto is pushed back into a corner when I leave the room. I check her buckles repeatedly after securing her in her car seat. At an intersection I look both directions multiple times on a vacant, open country road. I kiss Mike just one more time before he leaves the house. And if I forget to say to him "be safe" I call his cell phone because somehow it feels more secure to me if it's spoken. And now carrying a newly forming life inside of me makes it all feel even more fragile. I google nearly everything before I eat it, touch it, or breath it.

I remember very specifically what I prayed for all those months when I was pregnant with Cayman. In my human and limited thinking I asked God to give Cayman a normal brain. To take her hydrocephalus away.

We never saw any improvements.

At each ultrasound I thought to myself, "Maybe this time it will be different."

It was different but not in the way I was looking for. Cayman's hydrocephalus kept getting worse.

Much, much worse.

I had asked God to take it away but I felt Him say, "I have something different in mind. It's okay you cannot understand it right now. Just wait. And trust. Keep looking to me. This is going to bring me glory! It's going to further your testimony and point others to me. It's going to be better. It's going to be bigger. Just wait and see."

That day, I surrendered with a big obedient, "Yes!" to my Lord. And some days since then, it's taken small yeses here and there to remind myself there is a bigger picture to all of this than what I can see.

I do have faith of that.

And on those days when I need that reminder, just like today, I talk with God, spilling out all my fears yet again. He gently urges me to remember that He alone determines our days and that while it is good to be a mindful parent and wife, the pressure I place on myself to believe that I can be in complete control is a lie.

So here I sit quietly. Humbled. Praising the One that shows me over and over that He is the only One in complete control over Cayman's life.

He is the reason that she is a statistical medical miracle.

He is the reason that Mike made it through a recent car accident safely.

He is the reason I can trust that this little baby is growing deep inside of me exactly the way He wants him or her to.

In my weakly flesh I want so badly to push forward to the day when we will have an ultrasound that would give me a peace of mind that everything is developing okay.

In my heart...deep down in that place of knowing...I know I must trust. I must have faith. God has a specific plan and He's so big that nothing can stop His plans when He has a willing servant standing before Him.

Oh boy, am I willing!

There is so much God is trying to show me.

But when I am looking at my world through eyes of worry I wonder how many things I am missing.

"Lord, I am thankful that your strength is perfect when my strength is gone."

A Little Carnival

I think you would agree, I am overdue for a good Cayman post.

So here are some pictures and even a video of a mini carnival we attended last week.

Cayman rode her first pony. She did not like it, as you can see from the look on her face!

She was so traumatized by her live-pony riding experience, she refused to even sit on a carousel pony. So Daddy and her enjoyed the rounds from the seated bench position.

One thing for sure Cayman liked was the Berry-Go-Round ride. Our stuffed berry was filled by Mike, Cayman, me, CeCe, Sam, and Sidney. Obviously, I rode this before my real nausea kicked in. I would not be able to do that now. But it was tolerable and fun then and I'm glad I got to experience it on Cayman's first time.

Home Again

Cayman has been discharged from the hospital! She is feeling much, much better. Thank you again for praying. We serve a big God.

Please forgive me for my lack of updating. This pregnancy has really taken the wind out of me. It's just normal stuff - tiredness, nausea.

At the hospital I spent a fair amount of time just trying to keep everything down. I had not been feeling this sick until Cayman went into the hospital so I am sure it is due to the stress of the situation. It has seemed to amplify the pregnancy symptoms and I hope after returning to normalcy at home it will subdue again for me.

Another Shunt Revision

Well, here's a redundant story...


Cayman is back in the hospital.

Late afternoon on Sunday Cayman woke up from her nap just not acting like her usual rested self. Then she vomited. Within seconds we threw stuff in the vehicle and out the door we went to the local E.R.

They transported us by ambulance to the U of M hospital.

We spent the night in their E.R. until about 4:30 a.m. when Cayman was admitted into the PICU.

At 11 a.m. she went into surgery.

She still has a VP shunt. Yippee! That's a very good thing! But she is back to a programmable shunt now.

Since surgery...

She has eaten some.

Drank a little.

Played peek-a-boo a few times.

And has slept a lot.

If all continues as planned, we'll be going home tomorrow.

Shunt and Ears

Touching noses with the pig that the MRI team gave Cayman.

Cayman's MRI scan yesterday showed definite improvement in her ventricle sizes!

That was the most relieving news to hear!

The scan gave us tangible, reassuring results that her shunt is not failing.

There is still a significant pocket of fluid accumulated around the shunt. While the doctor does not like to see that, he feels confident to say that the shunt is working well. Likely, the build up of fluid around the shunt is due to something called back pressure.

I'll try my best to explain. It took me a couple of rounds before I finally got it.

It is a type of pressure than can resist the flow of fluid within the shunt. During the last shunt surgery (5.10.10), the programmable shunt which had been set on 1.5 for over a year, was replaced with a fixed shunt at that same setting. However, it seems that there is a difference of pressure within her blood vessel (VA shunt) versus her belly (VP shunt). The setting that regulated the flow perfectly while it was in her blood vessel might be too weak of a setting for it to drain the fluid properly in her abdomen.

Since the pressure on her brain looks healthy though and has even improved since last week's scan, the doctor wants to wait to take action just yet.

This back pressure will do one of two things:

1.) It may improve and eventually balance itself out. By waiting to see if this happens would spare Cayman of another shunt surgery.

or

2.) It may just remain as it is. Not getting worse. Not getting any better. In which case the doctor would then schedule Cayman for surgery to change the shunt's valve setting.

Overall, I am relieved about this.

Her shunt is not failing.

Her brain is not under pressure.

That takes a lot of worry off my mind.

I slept more peacefully last night. It was the reassurance I have been hoping to hear and I praise my Jesus for receiving it!

That might sound a little off the rocker since we are potentially looking at another shunt surgery but the difference as to why I am at ease about this all has to do with the level of seriousness. The back pressure would cause Cayman to be scheduled for surgery.

'Scheduled' is quite a different kind of stress than an emergency surgery over a failed shunt.

I can handle a scheduled surgery over a shunt that is not getting worse but should be working a little better.

That, that I can handle!

What I don't ever want to "handle" again is another shunt failure like the last one.

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Checking out her ears with the toy otoscope.

Cayman also had her appointment with the Ears, Nose, and Throat (ENT) doctor yesterday.

We have been trying to get this appointment accomplished since April. It's been rescheduled for so many different reasons that kept coming up. It's also the appointment that we have been 'practicing' for with the toy otoscope at home.

At her last Audiologist appointment Cayman hated her ears being messed with. She had to be restrained and that brought her to tears of fear and frustration.

I hated seeing her like that.

So I bought her a toy doctor kit, specifically one with a otoscope in its collection.

And we played 'doctor'.

So on this appointment with the ENT, we took along that toy otoscope. I gave it to Cayman to hold while the doctor examed her ears.

She cooperated beautifully!

I wish you could have seen my smile. It stretched from ear to ear. It gave me such a good feeling to watch Cayman sit there unrestrained in that chair and calmly let the doctor look at her ears.

The toy otoscope idea was a success and my little Cayman braved what she once feared so greatly!

Pregnancy Craving

Your response to our big announcement was overwhelming to us...in a good way! We thank you for rejoicing and praying with us over this baby.

I am not very far along. About 6 weeks. We had thought about not telling just yet for that reason but we could not keep the exciting news from our parents. And we knew it would be too much to ask of them to keep it a secret for more than a couple of days. So we concluded to just make the announcement before it leaked out some here and there.

I am glad we decided to tell of our news early though. So many people have told us that they have committed to pray for this baby and us as we embark on another pregnancy journey.

We are mixed with excitement and nervousness.

I am feeling great so far. The level of nausea I feel is so bearable to me. I was really sick with Cayman. I was pretty much confined to my bed, throwing up twenty-some times a day! I really hope it will not be like that for me again!


For now, my nausea can be satisfied by simply eating salsa.

I have consumed an unbelievable amount of homemade salsa in the last 4 weeks.

Tomatoes.

Morning.

Noon.

And night.

Apparently it is the main object of my pregnancy cravings. It was that way with Cayman and now for this baby too. In fact, my tomato driving desires is what tipped me off to buy a home pregnancy test this time around. I told Mike, "Either I'm pregnant or I am going to go on a diet!" I had been eating tomatoes like crazy for two weeks and my skinny jeans just were not fitting so well anymore.

So 'baby' and I have been endlessly enjoying our bowl fulls of homemade salsa.

Cayman does not understand how yummy it is. I try to share with her but she spits it out.

Mike, he understands how yummy it is. He has been enjoying the big batches of salsa I make too. He is so thoughtful to make certain that I have plenty before he dishes out his own.

And he always, ALWAYS makes sure I get the last serving from each batch.

I think he has remembered well from my pregnancy with Cayman the power of the hormones that can accompany a glaring eye when he once dished out the last of the salsa for himself.

He has not ever done that again! (lol)

Tomorrow...

Cayman sees the ear doctor.

But before that, she will also have another fast MRI performed, then she will see the Neurosurgeon. Her shunt is not any better. Poor kiddo.

SOOOooo...

My blogging may become sporadic over the next week, or two. Or more.

It's due to several reasons.

It is due to the fact that Cayman has been having 2, 3, sometimes 4 appointments a week. It's been busy.

It is also due for the fact that I have been buried in a couple good books that I am currently reading.

It is also due for the reason that I have been so busy still trying to get my photography hobby/business started. I just do not have the time like I desire to spend on it and I have been blessed to have received such an out pour of clients coming forth. I am so behind in all the details and I just do not like that. So I will be playing catch up as I have several more photo shoots ahead of me yet. The response has meant so much to me and turns out people actually like the photos I take. Uh, who knew? It's truly a dream opportunity for me and I'm beaming from ear to ear over it and feeling some comfort that perhaps God has led me to something that can help secure our family as we pay off each year's hefty medical bills.

Additionally, my sporadic blogging will be due to the fact that Cayman's toddler-ness is in full bloom. She is keeping me busy. I am blessed to spend my entire day occupying her short attention spans, wiping marker off her precious face, sweeping my floors multiple times a day, bathing the stickiness off of her, picking up the toy trails she leaves all over the house, and fixing her like a gazillion different meals to find something that will satisfy that picky-eating palate of hers.

Cayman's first time drawing on herself.
Blue ink.

Finally, probably the main reason is due to the fact that my mind is a little preoccupied by a little something that I have been sweetly blessed with and am so excited to share with you...

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I'm DUE!


:)

Will you join us in praying?

Lots of love to you all!

~ Kristen

Hanging in the Balance is Tough

Cayman's puffy shunt

Being watchful for another shunt failure has kept so many of the traumatic emotions from the last failure present for me. I feel like I am processing it all over again, fearful that we will be running those hospital halls with our lifeless Cayman in our arms.

I find myself continuously asking the doctors the same questions.

There is an inner turmoil I feel. I have so many questions and I ache for answers.

Answers feel safe to me.

If I can figure out what went wrong, or how to detect the tiny signs right away at the least, then maybe we will never experience again the seriousness of Cayman's last shunt failure.

It's my searching for some assurance.

A yearning to know how we could have prevented what was nearly the inevitable ending to Cayman's life here.

But the answers are just not that simple.

When the future feels that unknown there is always plenty of room for fear.

I shutter at the thought of Cayman's shunt failing again, which from a medical stand point is very likely sometime in her life, given her history. She is just one of those kids that seems to have an issue in that department. Then given the fact that Cayman's shunt is puffier now than it was at the beginning of the week makes us feel jumpy that we might be experiencing it again soon.

I have prayed much, with my Bible on my lap, asking God to spare us of it.

From April of 2009 to May of 2010, a whole year we experienced no shunt complications. In fact, for many weeks we had "forgotten" that Cayman had a shunt. We did not give it much thought from day to day.

I want to get back to that normalcy. It was nice!

I wish I could say that I am always strong and positive.

It has been faith stretching and future blurring.

The fear. The trust.

I have been learning much about the sinking suffocation of this fear. It's not a place built for me by my Lord, I know that fully well. I am grateful that even in that dark place I am not hidden from Him. He meets me there. I am reminded I am not alone. Sometimes that is all I need to be lifted out of the murky pit of despair. But other times I need more. And He provides then too.

His love is what holds me still.

I embrace the truth that He has plans - plans to take care of us and give us a prosperous future.

To be openly honest, embracing that does not always come naturally. Truth is, I choose to trust it because I don't know how to survive without believing that God is in control. Without Him I have no hope that the senseless matters of life will ever be brought to a benefiting purpose.

Either for in this life or the next.

More than the actual heartache itself, it pains me more to think it's all in vain. But with the Lord, I know it's not.

We are thankful for a family of God that embraces and takes care of us. We are thankful for friends and family who rejoice with us and stand by us as we experience all sorts of uncertainties.

We love you all for it!

Baby Ty, Cayman's New Cousin

A little over a month ago...

We excitedly embraced the new addition on Mike's side of the family.

Our nephew

Baby Ty

Born May 5, 2010 to Cayman's Uncle Mark and Aunt Cara.

Cayman has yet to feel the same kind of excitement we do over baby Ty.

She cried when she had to sit near him.

Perhaps she's jealous of the attention he's receiving.

or

Perhaps she's freaked out that the "baby doll" moves and makes noises.

I'm not really sure.

In picture form, she smiles and points at the baby. But in person she would much rather keep baby Ty at a distance.

She's a funny girl, that Cayman is.

Today's Neurosurgeon Appointment

Where do I begin?

The overall report was not the reassuring, good news we were hoping for.

Cayman's ventricle sizes are not where they typically are when they are stable. And to add to the bad news, the amount of fluid accumulating around her shunt is increasing. Those are not very reassuring signs.

HOWEVER, Cayman's temperament is more like her typical self. Also, her shunt manually pumps and refills properly. Plus her belly is free of any fluid pockets giving us more peace that the scar tissue in her abdomen is not preventing the drainage. All of that is very reassuring.

So what this all really means is that it does not for certain point to a problem being present, nor does it rule it out either.

So we continue to hang in the balance, where there is two possibilities and it's impossible to predict which direction the scale will eventually tip.

So while we continue the watch and pray at home, we will also return to the Neurosurgeon next week for another MRI to compare the ventricle sizes again.

It's 4:35 a.m.

Two days ago when I talked to the Neurosurgeon's office about the changes we have seen in the appearance of Cayman's shunt, it was decided to move up her scheduled MRI. So instead of it being in two months from now it is today.

At 7 a.m.

The arrival time for these things are 15 minutes prior to the scheduled appointment.

6:45 a.m.

Which means, we are leaving our house at 4:45 a.m.

Don't ask me what time we had to wake up.

I am wishing I was a morning person or a coffee drinker at the least.

I am propelled this morning though with a type of eager energy to get these scans done. Cayman will not only have a fast MRI of her brain, she will also have a belly ultrasound performed. Two tangible results that will hopefully put our minds at ease that the shunt is working properly. I do feel confident that we will receive good news. She has been acting more like her usual self as of yesterday even though her shunt has remained puffy. But there is a little piece in the back of my mind that is afraid to let my guard down and fully believe she is okay. I do not want to miss even the tiniest of signs (if that is possible). And that is why our bags have remained pack since Monday and will be going along with us to the trip to Ann Arbor today, just in case.

But I hope to return later with good news.

The kind of news that will lift a great load off my mind.

The kind of news that will send me running and rejoicing through the halls of the hospital.

The kind of news that will make the long drive back home feel joyful that we got a "free" outing together as a family.

The kind of news that will make me fall into my soft and luscious bed at home and slumber peacefully for the first in several nights now.



Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure.
-Psalm 16:9

A Scooter

In response to a recent request for another Cayman video (Sherri, I'm talking about you), I scanned through my picture files and brought forth this adorable one I took over the weekend.

What would you call this thing? A toddler scooter perhaps?

Whatever it is called, Cayman loves riding it down the driveway.

I get so much entertainment out of watching her do this.

**Update to yesterday afternoon's posting:
There really has not been anymore changes. Nothing is worse, nothing is better. I see that as a good thing over all. If the shunt has for sure failed we'd be seeing things worsening. But since it's not any better, it's possible that the shunt is slowly failing. That's happened before too. Or maybe things are simply okay and something else is bothering Cayman that is making her not feel quite like her typical self. The wondering is so exhausting I admit. We continue to watch and pray. Thank you for joining us in those prayers!

Asking for Prayers While We Stay Watchful

I did not want to post anything regarding this until we knew more for sure. You have shown us how much you love and care for my family and we feel so blessed by that. I never want to take you along on a roller-coaster ride of emotions unless there's a good reason for it. It didn't seem purposeful to insert drama without knowing for sure. But after many have read Mike's facebook status requesting prayer for Cayman, I thought it was only right for me to fill you in. Like I said, not for the purpose to string you along on an elevation of emotions while we stand by on high alert for signs of a shunt malfunction but I do not want you to feel left in the dark of the happenings in our lives either and think it does not matter to us how much you care for our family. We deeply feel great appreciation for our readers and the earnest prayers you have said for us.

Last night was scary! Cayman was just not her self. She went to bed a little early than her usual time.

At around 11 p.m. we heard noises coming from her room. We checked on her. It's a habit for me to examine the appearance of her shunt. Not wanting to awaken her, I left her room light off and very gently touched over top of her shunt to feel with my fingertips if there were any changes. The puffy, squish underneath my touch alarmed me and I flipped the light switch on and in an instant peered over her crib. She was still pink, breathing, and asleep.

Her shunt definitely looked different. It was a large sack of fluid ballooning from underneath of her skin.

Mike reached for his phone and dialed the on-call Neurosurgeon. I grabbed bags and discovered I can pack stuff for three people pretty rapidly.

In between all that, I lifted Cayman out of her bed trying to wake her so we could get an idea of her state of alertness.

She kept us guessing though. At times she seemed perfectly okay, laughing and clapping her hands. Then at other times she would pull at her ears, lay her head down, and stare off into space. Then she'd return to sitting up and laughing again. And then soon back to crying while grabbing at her shunt.

Oh how she keeps us on our toes.

Since the signs were not completely clear, we decided to take the 'wait and see' approach.

At about midnight Mike finally went to bed so he could get as much rest as possible before work in the morning. I stayed up with Cayman, rocking her back to sleep, and being watchful over her.

We kept our bags packed and the doctor's number close by.

All it would have taken was for her to throw up once and we would have been out the door and on our way to the hospital.

Very likely, all this extra fluid accumulating around her shunt could be normal and will resolve itself. But for the fact that it has suddenly appeared at the same time Cayman is not quite herself has put us in a high alert status to watch her closely.

I feel so exhausted and terribly frightened. I never want to have to know the strength it takes to bury my child. I feel burdened that I have that on my mind right now.

I keep reminding myself that God is with us. He has not changed.

In the mean time, could you pray for us and our sweet little girl, that all of this can just turn out to be no more than signs of over reacting parents.

I am crying because I know you will and I feel a deep appreciation to you all!

Love,

Kristen

We chose Frame...

Number Three!

It must have been the obvious choice. Hands down, it was the one the commenters yesterday mentioned the most.

Now we wait for the order to arrive. Possibly up to 2 weeks. I'm anxious for them to get here and see if they make any difference for Cayman.

Trying on Some Frames

There were four pairs of glasses Cayman tried on...

Number One:

A darker colored metal frame, a sort of antique bronze shade.
This was the shocked face she made when Grandma Sue placed the first pair of glasses on her face. The expression cracked us up!

Number Two:

Another metal framed pair but in blue.
Grandma Sue thought she looked like Harry Potter.

Number Three:

A pinkish shade of color in a plastic frame.

Number Four:

A tan color in a plastic frame.


Hmmm....

Which one do you think we chose?

Ophthalmology Appointment

Cayman's latest eye appointment has turned up the need for her to wear prescription eye glasses.

We've been giggling over the thought of how cute she's going to look in them. And we've also been scratching our heads in the wonderment of how we are going to get her to keep them on.

Her previous appointment to the Ophthalmologist (and I cannot believe I just spelled that word correctly without the aid of spell check) was in December. Since then her vision has decreased in her right eye. As her brain uses it less and less to focus with it has begun to turn in, giving her what we most commonly know as a 'lazy eye' (amblyopia).

She has been very far sighted in both eyes.

Now her left eye is lessening in far sightedness while her right eye remains very far sighted. The difference in depth perception between the eyes is causing the decline in her right eye.

And there's an explanation why.

Here it is...

She has something called a myelinated nerve fiber layer in her left eye. It's the continuing of the insulation wrapping that is around all nerve fibers. Normally this wrapping stops at the place where the nerve enters the eye. In rare occasions, this insulation continues enveloping the nerve as it passes through the eye.

Puzzled by this, I asked the doctor, "It sounds like a bad thing, but her left eye is doing so well in vision, so is this is a good thing for that left eye?"

He said, "It depends on which angle you look at it."

This extra layer around the nerve fiber has lessened Cayman's far sightedness in that effected left eye. While that is actually a positive thing when considering only that individual eye, it's a negative thing in account that eyes should work in pairs though. Her right eye cannot focus as her body favors the stronger left eye's vision.

Since she cannot focus both eyes together the doctor wants to try glasses to see if that helps correct the depth perception and hopefully prevent vision loss in her right eye.

If there is no changes with the glasses we'll move onto patching.

If that doesn't work he'll start talking surgery.

I feel I'm getting a small degree in ophthalmology now too.

Next up on the education list is otolaryngology, the ear doctor. In a week we will return to their office to do further investigation as to why Cayman's tympanogram continues to come back abnormally.

By the end of this very long, two and a half hour eye doctor appointment yesterday, my tired, loaded mind was feeling overwhelmed. On the drive home everything was rolling through my brain...

The eye sight issues.

The possible hearing issues.

The gross and fine motor skill issues.

The thumb issues.

The speech issues.

The shunt issues.

The cardiac arrest issue.

But with just one glance in my rear view mirror, the image of my little, pink Cayman buckled in the backseat melted the consuming stress away.

Even on the days when it's not always so easy, I can always say it's so worth it! Most of it feels quite small in light of the fact that she is still with us. That alone makes life sweet just as it is!

You will not find me complaining.

Overwhelmed at times, maybe yes.

But not consumed or defeated.

I am grateful for each way God has given me all the order and disorder, so that I might know both. Somehow He perfectly allows the disorder just long enough for me to realize and wholly appreciate the light, the courage, and the joy of each day.

My heart remains full of praise to my Lord that has blessed me in ways I am still learning new each day!

Baby Pool

We have had some hot, hot humid days. The kind of steamy stickiness that makes you want to dive into a nice, sparkling blue pool.

It's satisfying to me. I was bred for this warm weather.

Cayman's belly incision cannot be submerged in water until it's fully healed. The baby pool we bought for her birthday this past March is perfect for that reason.

I would call it a mat really, not so much a pool. The great thing is, her stomach is never under water with it.

It really is a cool little item. The garden hose hooks into it and fills portions of the mat up with water. Within those filled channels there are tiny holes that allow the water to escape creating a sprinkler effect. The height of the sprinklers are controlled by changing the water pressure through the hose.

You can see how well Cayman likes it though (below). She would much rather have the water warmed first before she has to sit in it. She might need to start taking some cooler temperature baths to build up her thermal sensitivities.

Li'l Squirt Baby Pool from One Step Ahead

Post-Surgical Follow-Up

Life (a.k.a. the last three weeks) with a VP shunt has been beautiful. We are completely warmed by the wonderful feeling that it is working for Cayman. I feel more at ease now. With a VA shunt I always carried in the back of my mind that someday Cayman would outgrow it - it would need to be replaced. Plus there's some icky risks to having it in a vessel surrounding the heart. It's so much better that it's in her belly now.

We returned to the Neurosurgeon's office last week for her post-op checkup.

She tipped the scale, weighing in at 22 pounds! That's HUGE! Not so much literally obviously as it is figuratively. I've written in the past about the eating struggles we go through with her. It felt like victory to see her finally push past the 20 pound mark!

I captured a few pictures of Cayman with her Neurosurgeon, the most wonderful doctor I can ever imagine. I wish I could introduce him to you all. I'm so proud to call him Cayman's Neurosurgeon. He is simply a wonderful man!




I never did get a great shot without Cayman's hands in front of her face. She just couldn't stop playing peek-a-boo and clapping.

What a sweetheart that kid is! So full of life!

And so are we!

Pictures of the Baseball Game

The holiday weekend was great. Perfect really.

It was busy, busy. But the good kind of busy if you know what I mean. We were out having lots of fun!

And while we were out dirty dishes seemed to spread themselves about our house, laundry surely must have reproduced, and the floors attracted all sorts of stickiness.

But there are just some things worth putting on hold for a fabulous weekend!

Now I am going to try my best to remember it's Tuesday, not Monday, as I start our very busy week. I hope to show up to all of our many appointments on the right day, at the right time; I plan to catch up on the household stuff; I will be tackling that very annoying mail pile on my desk; and I plan to finish all the editing to my already completed photo sessions.

{Have you checked out my Photography blog?}

So with all that there is to do I don't have much time to tell you about our baseball game that we went to.

So here's the quick version of it...

These are our friends Andrea and Ryan.
They invited us to join them at this game.
So sweet of them.

Cayman loved being outdoors.
She clapped and gave people high fives.

Cayman was put up on the scoreboard screen.



Andrea and Ryan made it up there too for the "kiss cam".

Fireworks concluded the night.
Cayman did not have the same reaction to the fireworks as she did last year.
She didn't cry but she definitely clung tightly to us as she intently watched the sky.

"Thank you Andrea and Ryan for an awesome day!"

“And another big thanks to Wendy L. for the Tickets!”