One Year Older and Wiser Too...

Our little Eva turned 9 on Friday. I cannot believe how time flies. It seems like just yesterday she was spitting up all over me. Most of you have probably heard her little story but I have never actually documented it before so I will now:

When we discovered we were pregnant with Eva, we were so excited. We were a little nervous because little Emma was only nine months old at the time. Eva was the easiest pregnancy I had, physically. I only gained 25 pounds with her and didn't have to be on bed rest, unlike the 75 pounds I gained and 2 1/2 months of bed rest I was on with Emma. It wasn't until the week before she was due that my blood pressure went crazy high. They decided to induce me and I gave birth to Eva without any problems.

Emotionally, my pregnancy with Eva was the hardest. We were told early on that the ultrasounds showed cysts on her brain. We were also told that sometimes this meant there could be serious problems. Other times it could mean nothing. It didn't help that when Lee and I were engaged we both confessed that we always thought we would have a handicapped child. That is a strange thing to have in common. I just knew this pregnancy was going to be that child. We hoped for the best but also tried to prepare for the worst.

When Eva was born everything checked out. She was healthy! It was quite a moment for us. She did swallow a lot of meconium and had to be taken away to be monitored but other than that things looked great. The next day a nice little nurse came to talk to me and let me know that Eva had two holes in her heart and that I would need to get in touch with a cardiologist. She also mentioned almost under her breath that Eva had stopped breathing during the night and turned blue but that she "seemed fine now". My initial reaction was one of anger. Why didn't they come get me? Why wasn't I informed earlier? Then I convinced myself that those nurses and doctors knew much more than me and if they said that things seemed fine than I was sure they were right.

I took her to the cardiologist and didn't get a ton of answers to questions, only things like "Well, the holes could close up. We'll just have to watch and see. Come back and see me in a month."

Eva always seemed to be in pain. Things just didn't seem right. She would just randomly start screaming. And then she had what I thought was a seizure. I rushed her to the doctor who then told me to get her to the hospital. Her doctor was pretty sure she knew what was going on but you can never be too safe so for the next couple of days Eva was poked and prodded and underwent every scary test imaginable. And then came the results.

Reflux. I was relieved it wasn't anything more serious but still worried about her quite a bit. I knew the next little while was going to be a challenge. Eva was put on expensive formula (Alimentum) - that smelled horrible - and expensive medication (Zantac and Reglan). She had to be propped up at all times, even when she slept, because she would choke on her spit up and stop breathing. Lee and I got pretty much no sleep for the first 6 months because we were so terrified of what might happen to her if we closed our eyes. My mom was my angel during this time. We lived only 7 houses down from her and she was always over checking up on us and helping with Emma who was still so young and demanding of my time. She took over so I could get rest. She was my saving grace.

We never got used to the projectile spitting up. We even swore that she aimed sometimes. And the overwhelming stench that permeated our home was like nothing we had ever experienced. It would hit you like a tidal wave as soon as you opened the door. She had a hard time putting on weight and there was no change with her heart issues. This became our new "normal".

I was always very grateful that Eva wasn't worse than she was. I knew of so many families that had it so much worse than me. But I was human and I had moments when I didn't think I could handle it. But I saw little miracles happen in our life every day that kept me going.

When Eva was nine months old we made the decision to move to Utah. It was a hard decision. Living in HB near my mom was all I knew. I wasn't sure if I was ready for a "big out of state move". But Eva's Cardiologist gave me some names of good doctors that she knew that practiced near where we would be living. That helped ease my nerves just a little.

I will never forget the last appointment I had with Eva's Cardiologist before we moved. She sat me down and, with a big smile on her face told me that both of Eva's holes had closed up completely. She assured me that I would never have to worry about Eva having a heart condition, that it was as if she was never born with them. Again, another miracle. There were many prayers of thanks given that day.

In addition to that, as soon as we moved I noticed Eva wasn't spitting up any more. It was like someone had reached inside her and shut off the Reflux switch. We couldn't believe it. She was cured just like that. Another miracle. All her problems stopped as quickly as they began. Not only did I gain a baby who finally smelled good but I gained a testimony of the reality of miracles. They DO happen. This time of year when we all remember the miraculous birth and life of our Saviour, I also get to remember the miracles that took place during the first year of Eva's life.

I asked Eva a bunch of questions and very reluctantly she answered them. I stole the idea from my friend Danika's blog. She is always so good at jotting down family history. I think I will do this for each of my kids' birthdays this year...

Favorite color: Green
Favorite number: 16
Favorite Drink: Sprite
Favorite Food: Sloppy Joes
Favorite Game: Uno
Favorite Animal: Cat
Favorite Song: I don't have one, but favorite singer is Miley Cyrus
Favorite TV Show: Hannah Montana
Favorite Movie: The Princess And The Frog
I feel sad when: I get hurt
I feel mad when: people be mean
I feel proud when: when I get good grades
I feel scared when: people scare me
I like it when my friends: be nice
I like it when my teacher: gives us Fruities
I like it when I: be nice
On the weekends I: play with friends
During summer I: go to Cherry Hill
At school I: work
I am good at: art
I wish I could: fly
I am special because: ? Because Eva couldn't think of anything, I will say that she is special because she is caring and patient and kind and beautiful and smart and talented and humble. I could go on and on.
Who is your best friend? Miah
Why? Because she is nice
What makes you laugh? jokes
If you were a parent for a day, which rule would you get rid of? chores
What do you want to be when you grow up? an artist
Do you think it would be hard to be a mom or dad? Yes
Why? having to deal with mad kids
If you could have a magical power, what would it be? Freezing people
What is the best thing about being 9? Being 9
What is the best thing about being YOU? ? Since I can't really answer this for Eva I will only say that I wish I could be half the person she is. She amazes me every day.

Every Friday in Eva's class, a mom or dad comes in for the last half hour to do something fun with them. They call it Mr. or Mrs. Fun. I signed up specifically to do it on Eva's birthday. Lee and I went in and played a memory game with the class which was all pictures of Eva. Then Lee played a song that he wrote for the class. Eva said that was the best Mr. or Mrs. Fun yet. That made me happy. We also celebrated her special day by going to see The Princess And The Frog. We also had family over for sloppy joes (Eva's pick) and lots of chocolate. She received a "real" camera for her birthday and hasn't stopped taking pictures yet.

Happy Birthday Eva!!!