Smiles :)

Last week I was so caught up in posting about Christmas, I didn't mention that we crossed another big milestone last week... Brianna is now smiling, yes on purpose. It is great that she can recognize who is talking to her and will smile! The past few mornings Todd and I have gone in to get her up and she has been laying in her crib and just gives us the biggest toothless grins - so great!

I have been trying to get some pics of her in action, but haven't had much luck. Here is a partial smile. I promise to post more when we get some better ones!

We wen't to Brianna's specialist appointment today. Good news again! Because they couldn't get an ultrasound (the radiologist specialist was out of town) they took an X-ray which confirmed that she is doing well. The orthopedist said it may be as few as two more weeks in her brace, then she's as good as new!!

In other news, I officially go back to work on Monday... I can't believe how fast these past few weeks have gone. Thank goodness she doesn't have to go straight into daycare. Todd will watch her as he works from home next week and the following my mom comes down for a few weeks.

It's Christmas Time!!

So this year Christmas was a bit different for us in many different ways. Most obvious, is that this is Brianna's first Christmas. We are also living in NC where it is in the 60s and therefore no snow. Todd's extended family decided to have their Christmas in Hilton Head, SC. This just happened to work out well for us because it was only a 4 hour drive - not to mention in brought us down to even warmer weather and the beach!

After packing for what felt like hours, our car was full and we were able to meet up with Todd's family and caravan down the SC. This was our first trip with Brianna so we didn't know what we would and wouldn't need. Needless to say, we did pretty well! We stayed with Todd's family and extended family at the Disney Resort in Hilton Head (thank you Kingsburys!) and had really nice condos. We packed Brianna's pack and play and her bouncer and she did great!

It was great to see all of Todd's family and the Zimdar's got to meet Brianna for the first time. Everyone loved watching and holding her so it gave Todd and I a chance to walk around the resort and even play a bit of shuffleboard, horse shoes and pool with Lisa, Ryan and Alyssa.

The second day we were there the weather was a bit nicer and we got a chance to take Brianna to the beach for the first time! Of course it was still too cold for her to really experience it, but we got some pics anyway - you'll notice she managed to sleep through most of it :)

Christmas Eve was great with lots of food and gifts to go around. Brianna got a lot of really cute clothes, some toys and a blanket and the adults had their usual secret santa exchange. It was so much fun to see the kids opening their presents - its hard to believe that Brianna will be able to get more into it in the next few years...

Brianna gave us a wonderful present this year (along with crossing a BIG milestone)... she slept through the night for the very first time!! I couldn't believe it when I had to wake her up on Christmas morning - so wonderful!

Christmas Day we drove back home and Grandma and Grandpa Gordon drove down to Asheville - Adam couldn't be here this year (he still hasn't been able to meet Brianna yet). We spent the day relaxing, eating a great meal Todd made and of course opening presents. Grandma and Grandpa Gordon got Brianna some more cute clothes and an activity mat and what turned into a shopping spree at Babies R Us. Brianna was overwhelmed at all the toys on the play mat at first, but now absolutely loves it. She sat and looked up at it for over an hour today!

We finished the week with decorating Christmas cookies and working on Brianna's Christmas stocking - all Gordon/Anderson traditions. I can't wait until next year to see her stocking hanging up on the mantle :)

Brianna's First Holiday Party...

My dental clinic had its holiday party last night and we were brave enough to bring Brianna. She did great! She loved being held by everyone and was the center of attention for most of the night. It's so much easier now that she is in the cruiser because people can hold her and we don't have to worry quite so much about her hips, so she was passed around quite a bit and loving every second of it.

We had a great time at the party. Though we missed two of the other residents, James and Josh (and Katie). It was nice to see everyone outside of work! They had karaoke and nearly everyone - yes even me- took turns going up. We even got the chance to take our first family christmas pic!

The party has gotten us in the Christmas mood and now we are looking forward to Hilton Head tomorrow and Grandma and Grandpa Gordon on Christmas day!

Brianna's Pedi Checkup

We went to see Brianna's pedi this morning for her one month appointment. I have to say, I was really looking forward to this appointment for a few reasons... At her two week appointment, we couldn't get an accurate weight as she was in a pavlik harness for her hip. Also, she has been having problems with her reflux lately and I was anxious to get her meds adjusted correctly.



I am happy to say, Brianna is growing perfectly! This morning she weighed 9lbs 10oz. She was at the 50th percentile for weight and head circ. at birth and five weeks later is right on track... still right in the middle at 50th percentile! Her length is another thing! While we couldn't get an accurate length because of her hip problem, she is tall -definitely taking after her daddy!



All our tummy time has been paying off too! The pedi was very impressed with her ability to hold up her head and look to both sides. Beyond a new bout of baby acne (which made its appearance just in time for Christmas) and her little hip problem, our little girl couldn't be doing better!



Next pedi appointment... 2 month appointment with shots :(

Brianna's Story...

Our beautiful daughter, Brianna Leone, was born on 11/12/08 after 23 hours of labor. She arrived the day before her due date. She weighed 7lbs 11oz and was measured at 19 1/4 inches (though I believe this was wrong - she is really long). Though we were warned that she may be slow to cry at birth d/t some heart rate issues she was having in the last few hours of labor, Brianna came out screaming and had APGAR scores of 9 and 9!

She was absolutely beautiful and both Todd and I burst into tears when we first saw her! We spent two days in the hospital where we got to know eachother and adjust to our new roles. Then it was home to where Grandma and Grandpa Gordon were waiting (they flew in from WI that night) Since our first weekend home, we have had many visitors from WI who were all excited to see little Brianna!

At her newborn exam, the pediatrician noticed that her left hip was clicking. She said that her hip was dislocating and we would have to have a specialist look at it. When she was one day old, we went and had a sonogram done on her hip and sure enough, it was dislocating and was underdeveloped. We were told she has Developmental Hip Dysplasia and we would have to see a specialist in Greenville SC (an hour away).

Our appointment with the specialist came a week and a half later. It was hard to watch him try to put her hip out of socket (the PA wasn't able to find the dislocation so we were thinking it had cleared up itself). After placing her on a wooden board and manipulating her leg and hip, the Dr. found the dislocation and confirmed that we would have to place her in a Pavlik Harness. (Ill post a pic if I can figure out how). We were told she would have to wear it 24 hours a day and we couldn't even change the baby T shirt underneath it until the next appointment.

I was in tears after they placed the harness. Our little girl looked so unnatural and almost in pain with the harness. As vain as it sounds, I also mourned our chance to use all our cute newborn baby clothes that we had gotten before her birth and our chance to give her her first REAL bath (her umbilical cord had just fallen off the day before). We would have to go back for weekly appointments and sonograms to verify the treatment was working. The last thing we were told was that it was crucial not to take it off or adjust the harness as it could cause permanent nerve damage.

So we went home and learned how to handle our little baby in this awkward unnatural harness but realized it was for the best and should only be short lived (approx. 6 weeks). After our appointment on week 2, I noticed she was not extending her left leg. The harness also looked like it was not fitting correctly... of course I flipped out and called the hospital at 4 am to schedule an emergency appointment for later that day. When we went in, the Dr. said that she was kicking her leg but the harness was not fitting her right. He adjusted it and we drove the hour back relieved and happy - though I still wasn't convinced she was kicking. I kept hearing them discuss the permanent nerve damage over and over in my head...

By our next weekly appointment, she still wasn't kicking and again the Dr. didn't like the fit of the Pavlik. They decided to place her in a different type of brace called a Rhino cruiser. I have to say, I like this brace so much more than the pavlik! There is no real chance for error as its hard plastic AND we take it off to change her diaper/change her so she stretches her legs a bit. Most importantly, a few days after we switched, she started kicking again! Seeing her kick her little leg was the biggest relief!

The latest sonogram showed her hip was in socket and was developed appropriately! This was such great news! Now we just have to have the brace on for another few weeks to make sure its stabilized and our little girl will be good as new! Im sure she will be excited as she fusses everytime we have to put the brace back on because it limits her little legs from kicking/stretching.

I hate to concentrate on her hip as it is only a small part of her and there is so much we are learning about her. But it is an important aspect of her little life right now because it limits how she is held, what she wears, how she feels etc.

Looking beyond her hip, she is so perfect! After a few rough nights, she has fallen into a pretty good routine where she sleeps in 4-5 hour stretches at night and is very alert at pretty predictable times of the day. She loves spending time with her daddy when he gets home, she just lights up when he picks her up! She has also been tracking us since only a few weeks old and is now starting to realize she has arms and hands... so cute! We have also started hearing little coos and seeing smiles sneak through every now and then. Of course at this point they are still more accidents (or gas) than purposeful but its still great to see and hear!

Alright, I think Ive updated most of the events so far... I definately hope I keep this updated as its amazing how much I had to write just to catch up a few weeks - they change so fast!

Hello!

So, as I was sitting in the car on the way home from Brianna's 1-month checkup, I realized it would be a great idea to start a blog. I'm not sure if anyone will read it... as I'm mainly making it to keep track of how much Brianna is changing, milestones etc. We will see how this goes~