Little daredevil

We took the kids to Crackerjax on saturday. They have this big bounce dome so we let Carly do it.

She LOVED it!

I think we will have to go there again.

Pre-school bound?

This week has been full of pre-school evaluations for Carly. We find out March 4th if she will get in to the special education pre-school and we are crossing our fingers! I know she qualified for physical therapy but not sure of the others. It amazes me at what she has learned by just watching. People don't understand that a year ago she only had 20-30 words. She hardly said a word. Just a year later she talks constantly and has progressed with speech so much. One big worry we all have is her eyes. With testing her eyes don't seem to be focusing well so I have to get her into the pediatric opthamologist soon! She is so excited to go to pre-school so I really hope this works out.

Next on the agenda by the way, is her VCUG on wednesday. I was able to get it scheduled under sedation so it wont be so traumatic. Cross your fingers her kidney reflux has gotten better!

Go figure

The day I put Carly in her BRAND NEW cream skinny pants from Gap she does THIS!

AND I can't get the stain out.

(I used spray and wash in a bleach load and it was lighter so I soaked them in oxy-clean stain remover and ran them again and it lightened more but still there.)

GRRRR!!!!!!

CT scan

Carly had her 3 month post-op CT scan yesterday. She did great! After her scan we went right over to see Dr. Moss for the results. Carly still has slit vents. We had hoped that adding the siphon valve and changing her pressures that her vents would increase in size slightly. Dr. Moss thinks that because her first shunt was set so high and she was decompressed so rapidly and it stayed that way for so long that she will always have slit vents. I asked about increasing her pressures but since she is not showing any symptoms that the slit vents are giving her trouble there is no reason to mess with it. He said, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." So unless she starts having headaches, vomiting or other neuro issues we will leave it the way it is. The problem with having such small ventricles is that there is less cushion to protect the brain from unjury and an increased risk of shunt obstruction. Since this condition is most likely permanent we just have to make the best of it. He said we will see him in a year for another shunt series and MRI. Yay!

(figure A shows slit ventricles in a shunted patient. Figure B shows normal ventricle size)

(Carly's ventricles 1 month before birth)

Eating dirt

is apparently her new food of choice.

Yesterday we were doing some work outside. Carly wanted to throw rocks so I let her loose.

I guess she was hungry.

I tried to get a picture inside her mouth...dirt between her teeth and a muddy tongue.

You get the idea.

Ballerina in the making

She's tiny and petite. All the makings of a great ballerina!

I love watching Carly at dance class.

She's getting better and learning lots.

But most of all, she's having fun interacting with other girls.

I can't wait for her recital in June. 

I don't expect her to do much more that spin in a circle but it's going to be great!

When I get the details EVERYONE will be invited to see her.

Don't worry if you can't come though- I'm sure I'll have plenty of pictures and video to post.

And I may brag a little....!

Taylor says it perfect

Your little hand's wrapped around my finger
And it's so quiet in the world tonight
Your little eyelids flutter cause you're dreaming
So I tuck you in, turn on your favorite night light
To you everything's funny, you got nothing to regret
I'd give all I have, honey
If you could stay like that

Oh darling, don't you ever grow up
Don't you ever grow up, just stay this little
Oh darling, don't you ever grow up
Don't you ever grow up, it could stay this simple
I won't let nobody hurt you, won't let no one break your heart
And no one will desert you
Just try to never grow up, never grow up

You're in the car on the way to the movies
And you're mortified your mom's dropping you off
At 14 there's just so much you can't do
And you can't wait to move out someday and call your own shots
But don't make her drop you off around the block
Remember that she's getting older too
And don't lose the way that you dance around in your pj's getting ready for school

Oh darling, don't you ever grow up
Don't you ever grow up, just stay this little
Oh darling, don't you ever grow up
Don't you ever grow up, it could stay this simple
No one's ever burned you, nothing's ever left you scarred
And even though you want to, just try to never grow up

Take pictures in your mind of your childhood room
Memorize what it sounded like when your dad gets home
Remember the footsteps, remember the words said
And all your little brother's favorite songs
I just realized everything I have is someday gonna be gone

So here I am in my new apartment
In a big city, they just dropped me off
It's so much colder that I thought it would be
So I tuck myself in and turn my night light on

Wish I'd never grown up
I wish I'd never grown up

Oh I don't wanna grow up, wish I'd never grown up
I could still be little
Oh I don't wanna grow up, wish I'd never grown up
It could still be simple
Oh darling, don't you ever grow up
Don't you ever grow up, just stay this little
Oh darling, don't you ever grow up
Don't you ever grow up, it could stay this simple
Won't let nobody hurt you
Won't let no one break your heart
And even though you want to, please try to never grow up
Oh, don't you ever grow up
Oh, never grow up, just never grow up!