The Closing of The First Year; The Beginning of Endless Possibilities

This is to be the final post under "The First Year", we have done it!!! As Addyson's first birthday came and went I reflected on what that day was like just one year ago.I still get emotional when I think about her birth, but it is a different kind of emotion now. In just one year Addyson has undergone three surgeries and we have many more to go. More importantly though, Addyson has grown to be a fabulously perfect, incredibly ornery, firecracker of a little girl. She can bring a smile to just about anyone's face simply by giving them her ornery little, nose wrinkled look.

We have accomplished so much in one year and have met many wonderful people along the way, the most important being Addyson's amazing plastic surgeon. Developmentally Addyson is right on track and in some cases ahead of the curve!!! She has motor skills that you can't believe!!!! Even though her speech is limited because of her cleft palate she still does her best to produce sounds. We have even taught her to plug her nose and make a /b/ and /p/ sound. We are working on the /d/ sound so that as soon as her little palate is closed she can finally say dadda, which will melt her daddy's heart!!!

I am anxious to see what this next year brings, we will be tackling another milestone in a few short months, with Addyson's upcoming palate surgery. I mentioned to members of my family that Addyson's birthday marks my New Year.It seems like the strength of our family has been tested many times since Addyson's birth, but we have found the strength together to make it through the toughest of times. Addyson is blessed to have so many wonderful people in her life, along with her angels that I know are watching down on her and keeping her safe for us. We have many more adventures and challenges to face, but I now know that the possibilities are endless for my little girl!!!

Our Tuffy Butt

If you would have told me 10 months ago we would be where we are now I don't think I would have believed it. Addyson has endured so much and we still have a long way to go, but with each surgery I become more confident in our ability to handle the next procedure.
With the initial lip repairs behind us I now have to begin thinking about Addyson's upcoming palate repair. I am VERY nervous about this procedure and wish so much I could take Addyson's place. At our appointment earlier this week we learn the details about the palate repair and of course the worst case scenarios. Addyson will not have her palate repaired until December so she has a few more months to grow and I have a few more months to worry!!! Everyone always says, "Don't wish this time away, they grow up so fast." I, however, wish this time away because I hate that my little girl has to endure so much pain at such a young age.
Throughout this journey there have been many comments from people with good intentions of making me feel better, but while all these comments are given with genuine concern they don't make me feel better about handing my baby to a surgeon, even though ours is a fabulous one.For example, when people tell me, " It could be worse." I understand that it could be, but for me this is my worst. When Addyson was born, my doctor said to me, "We all want perfection, but Addyson is going to be a healthy, happy, beautiful little girl. You have to focus on the fact that she is perfectly healthy and this is just cosmetic." I can't help but wonder if he would have told his wife the same thing had their child been born with a cleft lip and palate? Cosmetic or not, no parent wants their child to be in pain. I do truly believe that our Addyson is stronger then most, as she has handled all of her surgeries so far with considerable ease. She is our little, "Tuffy Butt", as grandma Christy would say!

At 4 months post lip repair Addyson's lip is beginning to loosen up and her scars are completely flattened out. Her scar is still apparent and gets especially red when she is mad or hot!!!!! I am careful to keep sunblock with me at all times so that I am able to protect the delicate skin on her lip.

No More Bottle!!!!

We did it!!! At our initial consult with our cleft lip and palate team the occupational therapist informed me that we would have to begin weaning Addyson off the bottle at eight months. I had not idea how we were going to do this, especially since 99% of the cups sold are spill proof, which doesn't work for Addyson because she is unable to create suction with her palate being open. I had to make modifications to various cups so that they would be free flowing. At 10 months we did it and Addyson is 100% weaned off the bottle!!!! We are currently using the Nuk soft spout cup, but will have to advance to a spout free cup before Addyson's surgery in December. Addyson is doing a great job of controlling the flow of the milk by tipping it up and not drowning herself with milk!!!! I am so glad that we are finished with the haberman bottles that have 500 pieces to keep track of!!!!

We are using the Nuk soft spout now, but will begin introducing Addyson to the Playtex Coolster. My goal is to have her using the Playtex cup 100% of the time before her palate surgery.

National Cleft and Craniofacial Awareness and Prevention Month

Beautiful- adjective; having beauty; having qualities that give great pleasure or satisfaction to see, hear, think about, etc.; delighting the senses or mind: This post is dedicated to all of the uniquely beautiful people in the world. I am blessed to be surrounded by many "Beautiful “people.

We are all taught as children, “That beauty is skin deep,” however, I don’t think that I truly embraced or witnessed what beauty was until I became a mother. I am blessed to have two absolutely beautiful children. They truly “delight the senses”, every day.

July is National Cleft & Craniofacial Awareness & Prevention Month and I thought it would be appropriate to share the journey of my “Beautiful” Addyson. Addyson is 9 months old, she was born with an incomplete bilateral cleft lip and palate. In Addyson’s 9 months of life she has brought me more joy then I could ever imagine. I spend a lot of time blogging about Addyson’s procedures and recovery in hopes that I can help another parent who is preparing for some of the same challenges that we have prepared for, but today I want to share Addyson, not her procedures or recovery stories.

Our Addyson is the definition of beautiful!!!! I speak for my entire family when I say she possesses many qualities that give pleasure to see, hear, and think about. First of all, she is the sassiest 9 month old I have ever met!!! She definitely lets her presence be known. When Addyson was born I didn’t know what to expect and had many fears, mostly fears because of the unknown. As I reflect on the last 9 months there have been many fearful moments in our journey, but those moments are replaced by the day to day joy that I get watching Addyson grow into a “beautiful” little girl. Thank you to all the strangers and friends who have told me how beautiful they think Addyson is just by seeing her big blue eyes and smile!!!

Hugs to all of those families who are persevering through similar journeys with their “Beautiful” children.

A Milestone in the Healing Process!!

This morning, after many weeks of hot compresses and painful massages, the stitch that had been working its way out of Addyson's lip finally appeared and came out. I am so glad that I don't have to torture her anymore. The stitch was like a pimple that wouldn't go away. The process of letting the stitch work its way out took almost 3 weeks. Finally, Addyson's lip can heal and we can begin to see what it will look like without a scab on it from the stitch. It has been a little over a month since Addyson's lip repair and her lip is softening up nicely and looking better and better each day.

The stitch, knot and all!!

Let the healing begin!!

In other news, Addyson has been fighting ear infections for months now and we will finally be getting tubes placed in her ears. Hopefully this will bring her some much needed relief!!! The poor girls hasn't slept well in months and her and mommy have matching dark circles to prove it!!

On a more uplifting note, Miss Addyson is now crawling, sitting herself up, pulling herself up, and making a /m/ and /n/ sound, along with really loud squeaks and screeches!!!!

SOOO BIG!!!!