11.2 - Almost There

Dora is her favorite!

I really thought when I saw the scale move past the 11 kilo mark that surely Hope hit 25 pounds.  I can't do the math...I have to actually check a handy website to get the conversion.  It is 24 pounds 11 ounces...almost 25 pounds!  Woohoo...I am so excited.  Even though I really wanted it to be 25 pounds, it is so wonderful to see her move up in kilos.  She is actually eating a lot more food and drinking less of her pediasure.  I can't wait until she doesn't have to drink her high-calorie pedisure anymore.  I don't know when that will happen, but it is exciting to think about.

A few other updates.  Hope will be starting preschool in the fall.  She is on an IEP for Other Health Issues and will be getting additional physical therapy and speech therapy support.  I was actually kind of surprised in the IEP meeting because I really thought the speech therapist would want to spend more time with her.  She talks, but mainly to me and close family.  I guess she opened up to the speech therapist when they were doing her evaluation.  The speech therapist actually thinks that she is right at age level with her speech.  Now, I was more surprised with the physical therapist, although I don't know why.  I guess I just don't think about her physical limitations that often.  She walks slow, but she does have really short legs.  She doesn't run much, but I have never worried about that because I am always happy when she isn't burning calories (see how crazy my life can be).  Based on the physical therapist evaluation, she will be spending a lot of time with her.  They will be getting a pulse ox machine and will not push her too hard. 

Finally...the last update.  We will be walking again this year at the Congenital Heart Walk.  It will be October 6th at Wade Oval.  We would love any friends and/or family to come and join us.  You can register and join our team (Hope's Heart Heroes) at the following website:

http://congenitalheartwalk.kintera.org/NorthernOhio

 

The Best 7 Years

My husband and I have been married for 7 years today.  It has been the best 7 years of my life.  Jerry and I met about 10 years ago through a mutual friend.  I was separated at the time and all of us just hung out as friends.  I had feelings for him, but it was just the wrong time.  I was traveling a lot for work and he was also going through some personal stuff in his life.  Fast forward about a year.  I am sitting in my hotel room in St. Louis catching up on work from a project.  I get a phone call from a number I didn't know.  It was Jerry.  He got my number from a friend of mine and called out of the blue to ask me to go out with him when I got home on the weekend.  The timing was perfect.  I was free, he was free, we were both interested.  It was amazing...until...I got an assignment in Denmark.  Needless to say, we were in love and knew it was a great opportunity for me at work.  I spent 14 months working in Denmark and traveling home for a week every 6 weeks.  Jerry flew for the first time...to meet me in Rome for a long weekend.  He came for a week to tour around Denmark, Germany, and Sweden.  It was great and it was really hard.  We fell further in love, but it was hard to be apart so much.  When my project ended, we decided to move in together.  I continued to travel a lot and we would see each other on weekends and when Jerry would fly out to see me.  Ahhh...I do miss traveling sometimes.  Anyway, we found out I was pregnant in March, 2005 and decided to get hitched.  We had a beautiful ceremony in my mom's backyard.  It was perfect.  We have been through a lot in the last 7 years, but we have grown stronger and love each other more today than yesterday.  Jerry is my rock and I can count on him for anything.

Here are some more great pictures from our wedding...we both want to get back those figures we had back then:

Professional pictures...we left the reception for a while to get these done.

Destiny looks so young in this picture.  She wore the same dress as me and it was beautiful!

Our families...isn't my mom's yard perfect for a wedding!

The wedding party...my sister, Marilyn and Jerry's brother, Jerome

My brother giving me away!

Our beautiful cake...made by my beautiful sister, Marilyn

10.90 - 24 POUNDS!!!

We are finally on a really good weight gain track and I am loving every minute of it.  Hope is starting to eat a little more every day and we have gotten her Pedisure down a little, so she is not only getting her calories from liquid. 

I can't believe she is 24 pounds.  She is right on track for my personal goal to get her to 25 pounds by her 3rd birthday.  I am just praying that she doesn't lose too much weight during her cath and recovery.

Not much else to report.  There are a lot of heart families that are going through a lot of stuff right now and I know I would leave out someone, so I am asking for prayers for all of them right now.

Phenomenal Woman of the Year

My mom is very special to me and a lot of other people.  Yesterday she was awarded the Phenomenal Woman of the Year Award from Husani Management for her contributions to community...especially for special education children.  My mom has taught special education for 30 years and is retiring this year.  Her special day was spent with several hundred other people watching the kids from the School of the Arts dancing, playing music, a wonderful fashion show, and ending with an excerpt from the off-broadway play From Breast Cancer to Broadway...Birthing Hope.  The day was excellent and it was great seeing my mom honored for everything she has done.  She deserves the award and so much more!