Picture time and laughs...

Its amazing to me that after so many tests and things Brianna has been through that she is so relaxed and happy so much of the time. This past week we went and had her 3 month pics taken and she was all smiles (until the end). She had the cutest little grin on her face most of the time which made it pretty easy to take pics. We are waiting on getting the CD from the photographer so I will post some when we get the official copyright version.

Brianna is to the point where she has to put EVERYTHING in her mouth. I know this is just the start and she will be doing this for quite a while. It is so neat to see her actually pick things up or reach for them and bring them to her mouth. Her all time favorite is her giraffe. Here is a pic...

She is also getting really good at trying to sit. We got her a bumbo not too long ago and she loves sitting in it. She can sit up nearly unassisted already which is really neat. (we put the boppy behind her in case she falls)

About a week ago, she started laughing. I went to pick her up from daycare one day and she just started laughing when she saw me. It is so cute. Every night Todd and I try to see if we can make her laugh. Tonight I was able to catch just a bit of it on camera. Im trying to post it, we will see if it works!

Happy HEALTHY 3 month old!

Today was a good day. We were up early and had Brianna's MRI. It wasn't easy watching her have to be sedated, but she didn't have to go under general anesthesia afterall so it was much easier than we thought. They did head, neck and chest MRI. The whole test took about 1 1/2 hours. Afterwards, she was a bit groggy for a while but is now back to her normal self. At about 4 today, we found out the great news... no tumors or cancer to be found! We can now concentrate on our beautiful baby and not have to worry there might be something wrong. Todd and I are so relieved and happy.

Today was also her three month old milesone. Its hard to believe she was born just three months ago! Now she's sleeping through the night, smiling, laughing, holding things, and starting to try to roll over. Im posting some pics that we took today (granted she is still a bit groggy from her MRI this morning)...

This past weekend, we got a chance to go down to the Pisgah National Forest, just 30 minutes from our house. The weather was great and everything was so beautiful this time of year even without leaves on the trees. Im posting some pics from our weekend...

Ultrasound results

We were up early this morning for Brianna's ultrasound. The tech was very thorough and looked at all her major organs (I thought she would only be looking at her kidneys/adrenal glands). The scan didn't take too long - only about 20 minutes and Brianna did great until the end when she got a bit hungry. She is definately an old pro when it comes to these tests now!

I was worried we wouldn't find out the results until next week and while at work today the office called. Everything in her abdominal cavity looks good! No abnormal masses/tumors - SIGH. We couldn't be more relieved.

Next big step is the MRI on Thursday to look for any brain masses. She has to be sedated for that, and it could be the scariest to find out the results for, so wish her the best of health and luck~

Daycare, visitors and updates...

So this has been a busy week for us! Monday was Brianna's first day of daycare. I must say it was bittersweet. I know that Brianna needs the socialization and Todd and I need to work in order to provide the kind of life we want for her, but its so hard thinking of strangers watching our little girl. Needless to say, she has been doing great! The first day was only a half day as Grandma Gordon picked her up just after noon. Today was her first full day and she seemed to be doing well when I picked her up. Here is a pic Todd took just before dropping her off on her first day of daycare...

We had a really great weekend here in NC. With all the uncertainty, we wanted to do our best and have a NORMAL weekend for once. We drove to Hickory on Saturday to the furniture capital of the world and went to a 4 story furniture mall. Then on Sunday we went to the arboretum and walked through some of the gardens. It was really nice to be outside in early Febuary without needing to wear a jacket! Here is a pic of us at the gardens...

Aunt Mary and Uncle Kenny were in town tonight and got a chance to meet Brianna for the first time tonight. Even after a long day of daycare, Brianna was all smiles and had a great time meeting them. Here is a pic of Brianna with Uncle Kenny... she was a bit fussy when it picture time with Aunt Mary came around.

Other big news for the day... We have Brianna's ultrasound and MRI scheduled. Next Monday morning is her renal ultrasound and next Thursday morning is her MRI. She will have to be sedated for her MRI so that one we are a bit nervous for and we will be taking the whole day to be with her. The pediatrician also called back tonight to follow up with us and see how the oncology appointment went. It was really nice to know they are thinking about us over there. He also brought really promising news... the urine test they took last week came back as normal for both indicators for neuroblastoma. This is great news! Now we just need to hear similar results at our tests next week and we can breathe easier...

Grandma Gordon leaves tomorrow... Todd and I have been very lucky to have her here for the past 3 weeks and it sure is going to be different without her! Im sure Brianna will miss her a bunch!

Here are a few more pics we have taken over the past week.