thanks for hanging in there!

Thank you readers that have stuck with me, even though I have not been very good at posting regularly. Our days are full to the brim with waking up at 6am! I then get dressed, brush my hair and head downstairs. I empty our dishwasher (which is a total blessing!) and then I try to grab a quick breakfast for myself. As I am doing this usually a child or three come down and sit in the blue room as it has become known as. This is our addition. I then pump and by then it is time to get baby Mercy up for the day. She is doing great! She is easy to soothe and that is what countless Doctors and therapist say to me all the time. They say she soothes unusually easy just with the sound of my voice. She doesn't need to even be held. I attribute this to the days when she was hooked up to a video EEG in the NICU and I couldn't hold her for days at a time, I could only talk to her. Those days seem far away now but the emotion upon thinking of them is still there. A couple days ago I heard the lifeline helicopter fly over my house and I went outside to look, and I cried, and cried. I actually had to go into our bathroom til I got my composure as I was not fit to be in the kitchen making supper at that point. It took me 45 minutes to get myself together. I must say I was a bit surprised at my reaction.

Mercy is not fisting as much and has spent much of her time during the day with hands open. She still has some hypertonia that causes some "twitches" andshe is still seizure free. Because of her site deficeit she relies mostly on touch and sound. She has impeccable hearing and is beginning to reach for things, and loves to feel things in her hand (the softer the better). She is still NOT smiling but I think it will come to her. It's just that she cannot see well enough to copy our expressions. She does have a "happy look" that she gives in the morning. She can also laugh and smile in her sleep. She is developing nicely, and is receiving physical therapy two mornings a week. She is going to be having Occupational therapy 1 time a month maybe two it hasn't been decided yet. She will also have her vision evaluated next week, I will have to let you know how that goes.

We are keeping busy with doctor's appointments, therapy, homeschooling and just life in general. Thank you for all your kind notes of encouragement, they are such a blessing to me and my family. God bless you all!

Until another time,

Anna