"Abby the Screamer"

 

Sep 28, 2007

Abby the screamer

It's one of those days. There is a ton of laundry that needs to be done, closets that need reorganizing, dusting, sweeping, mopping, bathrooms to be cleaned and beds to be made. Yet here I am on the computer getting nothing accomplished. Abby just went down for a nap and I'm trying to savor a few precious and quiet moments for myself!
I was just talking to my sister about Abby and her newly discovered talent... SCREAMING. Dawn asked me if she was squealing or screaming. I laughed. I suppose it's her way of squealing but she does it to the extreme.

It's amazing how different things are now. Faith has always been so quiet. She makes sounds and talks when someone is playing with her or during her physical therapy sessions but the rest of the time she's quiet. She'll lay in her crib or sit in her rocking chair quiet as a mouse without a care in the world. Occasionally she'll let out little sounds to let me know that she knows I'm there. Sometimes she'll sneak a smile when she hears someone. Mostly though, she's quiet. She doesn't have to make noise to be noticed. Her life and the fact that she is still here speaks louder than any words or sounds that she could ever hope to say or make. With a testimony like hers, who needs to be loud vocally?

Then along came Abby. I am suddenly aware that someone at some point installed tornado warning siren inside the house. She is discovering her voice and has learned she can sing Opera! The peace and quiet is shattered into a million pieces once she's awake. The simple things don't entertain her anymore. A new activity is only fun and exciting for the first ninety seconds and then it somehow morphs into a form of torture that sends Abby into a screaming frenzy. Mommy comes to the rescue and plays with her until all is well again and then moves her to a new spot, maybe the swing. Abby grins with delight. She loves her swing. It moves, it plays music, there are animals that dance in a circle above her head and mommy is always thoughtful enough to set a few toys in her lap. Ahhh, this is so much nicer than the floor, she's happy here! I return to the kitchen to load the dishwasher. I can hear her gabbing and sqealing with pleasure at her new surroundings and activities. I put two coffee mugs, a plate and one spoon into the dishwasher and I'm about to grab another plate when suddenly time runs out and Abby is in a panic. As I walk into the living room she's crying her eyes out and screaming at the top of her lungs. I don't know what's wrong but by the panic in her voice the toucan on the mobile must have attacked her. Or maybe the monkey bit her. The toys that had sat on her lap have suddenly come to life and leaped from the swing to escape the enraged human who was beating them on the tray and trying to bite their heads off. They are safe now having flown through the air and landed on the carpet, out of reach! Something horrible happened in that swing because it has now morphed itself into a torture chair. It's time for Faith to eat but first I have to find a safe place for Abby who's now convinced that all of her activity centers and toys are out to get her and she must find a way to stay away from them. The only safe place where she can smile and laugh? Mommy's lap, but I'm getting "sissy" ready to eat. Abby looks around, her eyes wide in panic but quiet staring at me as if to whisper "mommy! hurry up! My swing is going to swallow me up. I have to get out of here!" A few minues later as I start the feeding pump for Faith, Abby's pleading whispers to me to rescue her have now turned into sheer panic again and her eyes seem as though they might just pop out of her head if I don't rescue her from the jungle right this second!!!

I swoop her up to safety and she thanks me with a smile from ear to ear. She looks back at her swing and furrows her brow as if to say "HA! My mommy turn your power button OFF!!! You can't get me now!" We'll play for a while, maybe 10 minutes or so then the frenzy will return; this time even mommy's arms or lap won't help. We'll have to break out the heavy artillary....the bottle, a force to be reckoned with!! No one, not even Abby can fight the effects of a warm bottle, the glider, mommy's arms, and the sound of mommy's "shh-shh-ssshhh".

Maybe after that I can load the dishwasher and eat lunch. By the time that's done she'll be awake again and the battle will once again be underway!

10:06 AM

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    Dana Lofton Luanne, you should be a writer. I know that it was probably not funny at the time, but your take of Abby was so hillarious!! She sounds like she is going to keep you on your toes!!

Living Faith

Sep 27, 2007

Living Faith

In August of 2004 I found out that I was 5 weeks pregnant. My doctor wanted to send me to a perinatologist to assist in my care during my pregnancy because of my diabetes. When I was 11 weeks along I drove out to Pensacola for my first visit with the peri. After the ultrasound the doctor came in and told us that he was seeing an encephalocele on the baby. He explained to us that this was a Neural Tube Defect and meant that the skull had not closed and part of the baby's brain was growing outside of the skull. He said that he wanted to bring me back in 2 weeks for another ultrasound to see if there would be any changes. He said that if there weren't any changes we would have some very difficult decisions to make because this baby would not be compatible with life and he walked out of the room. Two weeks went by and we returned to the office and we were seen by a different doctor. After the ultrasound he took my hand and said "I'm so sorry, but we've confirned the diagnosis." They took us into a consultation room where they offered me my "choices". I could termnate or continue but if I chose to continue I needed to realize that if the baby made it to term and through the birth it would not live long after. It wasn't a choice for me, the only option was to continue and give God a chance to do His will. We didn't buy anything for the baby realizing that we would never bring her home with us. I was determined to enjoy whatever time God gave us with this baby. The months were long and difficult. We went to MANY appointments and watched as the baby grew and became more and more active.
The day after Thanksgiving we found out that we were having a girl. I knew then that her name HAD to be Faith because that was the ONLY thing getting me through the pregnancy. At 8 months we met a pediatric neurosurgeon who told us that she had treated many babies with encephaloceles and not to give up hope. Treatment was possible but would depend on Faith and the severity of her condition. We did decided that a c-section would be best and set the date for April 1st. We had not bought anything for the baby and were told that that was a wise decision because we could not know what would happen. As my father said, we enjoyed playing with her in the womb because we didn't think we'd get any other time with her. They told us all of the things that could be wrong with her such as deafness, blindness, paralysis, heart trouble, deformed limbs or organs, chromosonal problems, or even a state of vegitation. It was all in God's hands and we were trusting Him. A date for the c-section was set and we waited for April 1st.
After a very long and difficult pregnancy, Faith was born by c-section in the middle of a stormy April Fool's day. She came out breathing on her own and doing better than anyone imagined. She had brain surgery at 3 days old that lasted 4 hours. The encephalocele was reduced from 28cm to 12cm during the surgery. The remainder was left becase she has functioning brain and a main artery in it. Her chromosone tests came back normal!! She isn't paralized or deaf and none of her limbs are deformed. Her heart is in perfect condition as are the rest of her organs. She does have oral delays and difficulties and cannot take anything orally because she does not suck. Therefore, she also had surgery to have a G-tube put in so that we could feed her. They have told us that she is blind but that's not a problem for us. We are just thankful that we have her to hold and love at home with us. She is growing everyday and learning to pick up that head of hers. "A little Faith can bring BIG miracles!" Continue to pray for her!!