Such great news today!!

Though it is too easy to say when things are going well, GOD IS GOOD! All the time! We went for a routine MRI today, as well as a routine neurosurgeon appointment. The MRI went smoothly. They allowed me to get in the MRI machine with Madi so that they did not have to sedate her. I rubber her little soft face and sang to her while they did what the call a "big bang MRI", which only takes about 5 minutes. It was a bit eery feeling to be crammed in such a small, enclosed space, but I was thankful to be there! Madi did great because she knew momma was right there with her the whole time. She wasn't a huge fan of the ear plugs or the fact that she could not move her arms, but she really did great! I got a little nervous for the appointment because Mary, Dr. Moss's nurse practitioner said she would look at the MRI and be back, but kept not coming back. I was starting to get worried, especially considering we are supposed to be on a plate today to head to disneyland. She said there is more fluid in the left side, just like there was before, but things looked good. The reason it took so long is because she called Dr. Shaffron and had him compare her old MRI to her current one. Things looked pretty much exactly the same. THANK YOU GOD!! Then she said the most amazing thing..... we will see you in 6 months! Now, for some people, 6 months might not sound like a big thing, but to us it is HUGE. We had a very rough start with shunt problems and within the first 2 months had spent about 1 month in the hospital. Those were some very rough times. For now, things look great, and I couldn't be more thankful. We're taking it one day at a time.

My little baby's first sickness

Though Madi has been sick in the past, it was always what I call 'shunt sickness', because it was always something to do with her shunt. This time, though, Madi is just plain sick. She's been sick since Monday after catching her brother's swine flu (I think, but it hasn't been tested) bug. She's been spending a lot of time wrapped up on momma, which is by far the best place to be when you are feeling sick. Today, though, all she wants to do is sleep and her fever is back. We have spent hours and hours in this same position. She was awake long enough to go get her third shoe for her foot (pictures to come when she is feeling better), but that is about it. If she does not improve by tomorrow, I will be taking her in to the doctor. Please keep my little angel in your prayers!

Look at my big girl go!

After many, many, many attempts, I think I may have successfully uploaded a video of Madi crawling. If you look very carefully, you can see her new tooth, which is on the top left. Both my kids got their top teeth first, which is odd. I am so very proud of my little girl. She is going to change the world, I just know it! She's already changed ours so much in the short time she has been with us. Have I mentioned how amazing she is?

Kissed by an angel

Today Madi surprised me with something wonderful.... a big, opened mouth, slobbery smooch! It was wonderful! I had said "Madi, Kiss" and made a kissing noise, but was not really expecting anything in return. Instead I got a big kiss! Madi leaned forward with her mouth wide open and planted a big one on me. I wanted to see if she really knew what she was doing or if it was just coincidence so I did it again later in the day and, sure enough, I got the same response from her. My little girl is just growing up way too fast! Too bad she's not allowed to date and practice her new skills until she's at least 30.

Ok, ok, just a few more pictures

My first train ride

My mommy loves being close to me

Sitting pretty

Mmmmm.... corn

A little dose of cuteness to brighten your day

We start them out young

My beautiful eyes

Yes, I'm always this happy

I have an awesome brother who is a good friend

Riding in style

She's got some fancy new shoes

Madi's cast is officially off! YEAH!!!! She is now sporting a very cool pair of new shoes. I'm going to make little flowers and bows to clip on them and have already ordered a few pairs of cute knee-high socks from the children's place. I mean, hey, she's still got to be stylish, right!?!?!? We are, unfortunately, having some issues with these, so she actually may be getting a different pair. I noticed she was getting pressure sores on her left foot that weren't letting up after 30 minutes. She also had some swelling and warmness, which is not normal and was only on her left foot. I started using the "pringle chips" to alleviate it but it's not working. Her feet are also not staying planted in her shoes as they should. I constantly readjust, and they constantly pop out. It is an upward battle for sure. I showed her physical therapist (who, by the way, we LOVE) today and she is also concerned. We have an appointment set up to go back in and see Dr. Segal so hopefully he can help us figure out what is going on. Let me tell you, though, this girl is something else! She doesn't let anything get in her way. She's already figured out how to start crawling around again. What an amazing little gal we've been blessed with!