Halloween and Post-Op Appointment [UPDATED]

UPDATE:  I know, I know ... a blog post AND an update to the blog post all in one day?!?  One would think that I don't have any work to do.  But I was looking back through my calendar and old blog posts and realized that, exactly one year ago today, Bo and I were sitting in the doctor's office at Women's Care Center hearing the word "omphalocele" for the very first time and realizing that our world was about to be turned upside down.  If you had told me then that we would be where we are now, I would have laughed at you.  I am at a loss for words thinking about all of the miracles we have experienced over the past year ... Claire having no other chromosomal abnormalities (Down's Syndrome, Trisomy 13, etc.) or any other issues often found with omphaloceles (cleft palate, BWS, spinal cord issues, heart issues, etc.), her being able to breathe without assistance from the start (I still tear up thinking of her first cry), her ability to nurse from the start, the small size of her "O," the ridiculous skin coverage she had at birth (and the quick growth of the remaining skin), her short NICU stay, the wonderful results that we got from the compression wrapping, full muscle closure at five months old with a very short recovery time, etc. etc. etc.  God is truly great.  Also, I have said it before, but I cannot say it enough, so I will say it again ... we would not be where we are today without the love, support, and prayers of all of our family and friends.  Thank you, thank you, thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

And now back to our regularly-scheduled programming ...

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Happy November everyone! Time has seriously gone by way too quickly this year ... I can't believe that Claire Bear will be six months' old in just ten days (assuming that I get this post up today, which is never a safe assumption).

Speaking of the Bear, I almost feel mean for posting the below picture, but it is just so cute, I couldn't resist.  The poor child, she has the meanest parents since we insisted on trying to get a cute pumpkin picture, even after it was obvious that she was not happy:

Poor Bear

However, neither Bo nor I are ones to give up, which is good since we were able to get a happy picture on our second attempt later in the day:

Much better

Claire and her BFF, Carter Anne, were sock monkey twins this year for Halloween and joined Cole for the trick-or-treating festivities.

They look thrilled, don't they?

Okay, I have more pictures to post, but I take a break from that to provide a more detailed summary of Claire's recovery since her operation.  In reality, it only takes one word:  AMAZING.  But since I am supposed to be running invoices right now, I need a good excuse to procrastinate, which means y'all will be getting more than just that one word.  You can thank me later.

Seriously though, except for the scar, you can't even tell that Claire had major surgery less than a month ago.  The fluid build-up around her incision site disappeared within a couple of weeks, just like Dr. F told us it would, and the steri-strips fell off (with some assistance from Bo) last week.  At the advice of Dr. F, we kept Claire out of daycare for a second week, and it is a good thing we did since all the babies in Claire's room came down with a nasty respiratory virus that week.  We are so thankful that we followed Dr. F's advice as his main concern was that Claire would catch a cold, that would result in a cough, that could end up undoing all of her healing progress.  She did return to daycare this week, and it was so funny to see how excited she was to be back in that room!

Claire had her post-op appointment with Dr. F. yesterday (the 5th), and he was happy with her progress.  He said that we could use Mederma on her scar to get it to fade, and he cleared Claire for tummy time.  Dr. F did point out the wrinkled skin around Claire's incision and said that we could get it "cleaned up" later on down the road, but honestly, neither Bo nor I think it is a big deal.  In fact, all of the extra skin that Claire grew (which is what is causing the wrinkles) was a blessing since it meant that the incision site was not stretched too tightly after the operation.  Dr. F doesn't want to see Claire for another three months, which seems so far away, but it is further confirmation of how well she is doing.

Okay, back to the pictures:

Claire went to her first UVa game on 11/2/13.  

Go Hoos!

She had previously been to a tailgate, but didn't go to the actual game because the weather was so bad.  Claire - and her brother, Cole (because it was his first game, too!) - had a good time and were soooo good.  We stayed until close to the end of the first half since we didn't want to be on the road too late (and that way, we didn't have to watch UVa get trampled by Clemson).

Claire has also been sampling baby foods:

So far, she has had sweet potatoes and carrots, and she loves them both.  She is not quite at the point where she will eat until she is full (she still wants to nurse afterwards), but it is a good start.

Other than that, Claire has been:

Stylin' in her turtle hat made by her Uncle Sammy (who calls her Turtle Face):

Strengthening her core muscles with Daddy:

And just generally hanging out:

Bright future and all that, y'all

So, anyway, I guess it is back to invoices.  Claire has her six-month appointment (more shots) on the 18th, and after that, we are just looking forward to the family gathering at Thanksgiving and Christmas.

~~ Val