"See ya" adenoids!

Adenoid surgery went remarkably well. I expected two or three full days of recover, lots of sleeping, not very much eating, lots of fussiness. First thing this morning, Ella hopped out of bed, and she has been non-stop ever since! In fact, Hal and I have both commented that we've never seen her so energetic.

PLEASE let this be a sign of things to come! Plus some better sleep couldn't hurt. :)

Adenoids...yuck!

Quick update on the adenoids: We will be having Ella's adenoids removed this Friday. It's a very routine procedure, but it does require general anesthesia, so of course, I'm a little nervous. They say children her age will recover very quickly, in just a few days, so I expect it to be a rough weekend, and hopefully for her to feel better by early to middle of next week.

Reasons for this procedure are plentiful, but in a nutshell, she has never breathed through her nose. Her enlarged adenoids make it impossible for that. She was also diagnosed with mild asthma and allergies (which make asthma worse). So...combine constant runny nose with cough, serious congestion at the same time (didn't know that could happen), wheezing as she breathes whenever there's pollen in the air (hello...we live in Austin) and the fact that all of this has been going on for at least 2-3 months at this point, and surgery was our next option. We tried nasal steroids to open up her passages, but they didn't work. And the doctor said that the only other option for opening up her nasal airway was to remove the obstructions (adenoids). He did talk to us about the fact that this may or may not clear up Ella's breathing problems, but it will at least open up her nasal passage so even if she still has asthma and allergies to deal with, she'll be able to better breathe and pass mucus, etc. through her nose and clear out her sinuses easier. I'll update after the surgery. Prayers, please! :)

Kissing Cousins

Or best friends.

This is Ella's best friend, Helena. They have a love/hate/love relationship. They love each other until they both want the same toy, and then it can get a little awkward. But mostly they just want to spend time playing and riding in Helena's wagon.

Swimsuit pics

Swimsuit #1: Tropical
theme

Swimsuit #2: Nautical theme

Curly hair: 100% natural

P.S.

Pics to come of E in her new swimsuits. Plural because a girl can't have just one.

Spring

It's been too long since I've updated, so although this will be quick, I'm hoping I can fit the good stuff in.

I wish I could explain adequately how much fun Ella is these days. I know there may be rough waters ahead, the terrible twos, etc. but so far, this rocks!

Lately, Ella:

is speaking in full (4-5 word) sentences. Not always, but definitely with frequency.

is playing independently so much more. I watch her take her dolls and make them kiss, hug, talk to one another. She covers them with a blanket and says, "They seeping (sleeping), Mama."

is eating more meat (yay!) and trying more foods so we can move on from beans and rice.

loves going to "school" twice a week and being Ms. Becca's helper.

loves Mickey Mouse and The Incredibles ("Cwedbulls")

loves helping Mama cook with her own mini-cooking set, but prefers to use real food (hassle)

The biggest change has been how much she will play by herself and how much time that frees up for me to get things done.

On a not-so-great note, the docs think she has asthma and enlarged adenoids. She has been sick for about two months with a runny nose, awful cough, and constant congestion. They hear a wheezing when she breathes--not a good thing. We've tried a few different medications, but none work without pretty bad side effects. So, off to the ENT tomorrow to see if she'll need her adenoids removed. Updates to come.