One Year

Well guys, its been one year.  A year ago tonight, I weighed a million pounds and checked myself into Banner Good Samaritan to have a baby.   (Yep- I looked totally showered and excited to give birth!)

One year ago, Alessandra was born.  Unlike most mothers in labor I didn’t want to “push.”  As long as she was in me... she was safe.  The moment she was born, she was going to have to start fighting for her life on her own.  She came into this world ready for the challenge even though I wasn’t.

One year ago I watched my husband become a father.  Within moments after Ali was born I couldn’t be with her.  She was taken to the NICU for observation and I was forced to the recovery floor.  If I had any feeling in my legs at all I would have ran after her.  I had to sit back and let Mark take control.  From that moment forward we became a team.  We have spent many nights this year separated by hospital circumstances, but always a team.  Always working together to take care of our family.

One year ago I watched my beautiful Bailey become the most responsible big sister in the universe. I would have lost my mind by now if it wasn't for all her help.

Alessandra has put up quite a fight this year.  We have spent a cumulative of 3 months in the hospital undergoing heart surgery, thoracic duct ligation, heart failure, lung disease, chylothorax effusions and plueraldesis procedures (2x).

At one year old, she is the happiest little girl.  She is catching up on her milestones and improving every day.  It takes work. It takes weekly therapy and various doctor appointments to get her caught up, especially with eating.  She is moving in the right direction and is becoming less and less dependent on her O2.  Feeding therapy is a hair pulling process but every day she makes progress in new ways that surprise me.  I hope to keep up with this blog to chart her improvement as well as the effort it took for us to get there.

Things I acquired this year:

·      Super acute ability to hear a sneeze/cough/sniffle within a 10-mile radius.

·      Hand sanitizer. Gallons of it.

Things I learned this year:

·      Life can hurt worse than I ever imagined.  The amount of pain to be endured is limitless and yet… life goes on.

·      Things get better.

·      Some people leave. Most stay and show support to no end.

·      I LOVE nurses.

·      Keep your cardiologist close to your heart (I learned this from a fellow heart mom and I just love it).

<3

~Melissa