Big News?

Hey y’all! =)

 

This blog post will have some updated info on how Annalise is doing and what has been going on in the past month….BUT… it’s mainly to tell you about our exciting news!!!!!!!

 

So let’s start with the updates! 😉

 

Annalise went to the eye doctor at the end of February to check up on how she has been doing since she got her glasses.

Her doctor explained that she does have a diagnosis of hyperopia (farsightedness)… but the glasses are to help her eyes focus on near space (as that is where she needs to functionally use her vision at this stage of development).

The great news- Annalise’s optometrist saw improved fixation with near vision when she was wearing them!

He explained that the glasses do not affect her distance vision though… so when she is wearing them, she should have close to normal distance AND near vision.

It is recommended that she wears them at all times since it eases her eyes at trying to focus on things by themselves.

For the future… He wants to monitor and check back every six months to watch for RX changes as she grows.

So now it’s just a matter of getting her to wear them at all times! 😉 She has been doing better since the seizure… But we have noticed that after about 15-20 minutes of wearing them, she “spaces out”. That’s why we have been using them in segments, giving her breaks in between to readjust, but specifically using them during reading time and working with visual apps.

She has gotten A LOT better with wearing them but once she is done with them…she takes them off and either throws them or eats them! LOL!

 

This past week was a HUGE week for little Miss!!!!

 

First of all…. She got measured and assessed for her new “ride”! Insurance considers it a “wheelchair” but it looks like a stroller that has a super support system exactly where she needs it. We can’t wait to get her Zippie Voyage! (A couple of our other hydran friends have it and love it! :))

It can take up to 90 days to get it since it’s designed for her needs and size though. So we will just have to use a regular stroller until then. Luckily though… The Voyage should last her and fit her needs for the next 3 years or so… until she outgrows it and needs a bigger one.

 

Secondly- She passed her car seat assessment… So she is officially in her new convertible seat! She had outgrown the infant one that you can take in and out of the car due to her head size… so we had to switch to the one that stays in the car.

 

The next big thing that happened this past week was on Wednesday (March 16th, 2016). This was the day that she wanted to start learning how to roll from BELLY to BACK. (She has been rolling from BACK to BELLY since last summer but has never wanted to learn the other way since she likes tummy time! Also- she has done belly to back in her crib a couple times in the middle of a night a few weeks ago but that was the only time she has.)

I am HAPPY to say that now (after a few days of practice)… She is FULLY ROLLING without ANY problems. YAY!!! She’s finally our Rolly Polly!

 

The final big smilestone Annalise reached this past week was using MORE than one word at a time!!!!

 

—Side note: I’ve been saying that Annalise has been getting more vocal… She’s been trying really hard to make different sounds and noises. She has said “mama” or “mom” for awhile now. She’s said “dad” or “dada” a handful of times as well. We have even heard simple words like “hi”, “yeah”, and “no”. The best part is when she uses them in context (which is rare). Just the other day though, I was playing peek a boo with her and when I stopped for a little break, she looked at me and said “again” (for the first time) and smiled. The look on my face after we heard that was probably priceless. ;P

OH! This is the best one yet…. Last Friday- she was being a little goober and I flat out asked her “are you going to be a booger today?” and she rolled her head towards me, verbally said “yeah mom” then rolled away. (That was the FIRST TIME she had put TWO WORDS TOGETHER! Kevin and I died laughing!)—

 

Saturday morning, Annalise decided to try and mimic one of our questions to her!!!! She tried so hard to repeat “how are you doing?” and it is probably one of the cutest things we have heard! 😉

 

 

So between moving up to the next car seat, getting her new ride, learning to roll, and using more words and mimicking us… she managed to do that all while having some congestion/snotty nose problems! She’s slowly getting better though and acting more like herself. We think it was just a combination of teething and weather changes/allergies causing her to be a little “sick”.

 

 

Now that we have the big updates done…. I suppose it’s time to tell you this exciting news I’ve been hinting at on our Facebook for the past week! 😉

 

 

Today- March 23^rd is Annalise’s ONE YEAR SHUNTIVERSARY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

   

 (Before surgery) 

  (Right after surgery) 

(The following day when we got to go home) 

 
A year ago today, Annalise underwent brain surgery to get a shunt put in to help drain her excess fluid in her brain.

 

This was the day that FOREVER changed her life. This was the day that changed her life for the better. This was the day that enhanced her quality of life more than we could have ever imagined.

 

It has been one year since we took a leap of faith and put our little itty bitty baby through surgery. I honestly believe that this surgery is one of the reasons she is still alive today…. It was definitely a life saver for her. 

 

And I feel SO incredibly blessed that we have made it an entire year with NO problems. One year of NO malfunctions. One year of NO infections. One year of NEVER having to be worried that something is wrong with it and she would need another surgery.

 

So here is to celebrating one year of a “new life”. 

Here is to celebrating a small device that is forever apart of her and enhancing her quality of life. 

Here is to making it an entire year with no problems or other surgeries! 

 😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍

Now that we have the exciting news done… It’s time for updated pics! 
Here are some from Valentine’s Day:

  
    
 

Here are her one year pictures that we took and had done!    

    
    
   
  (Some throwback birth pictures in there as well) 
Here are a few from her birthday party:

  
 

And then just a bunch of random ones:

   
    
    
    
    (First day in her new car seat)
 (March 17-13 months old and St Pattys Day)

   (Helping dye Easter eggs ;)) 
    
 (One year wells child checkup)

   
    
    
    
    
    
 (Since we had opened a PO box for her birthday…. We have gotten 304 CARDS. That does NOT include letters, drawings, gifts, etc…just cards. 😍….  Our PO box is still open for a few more months too so you can still send a card if you forgot!!!!!!) 
We are SO SO SO blessed by y’all and we are incredibly grateful for all the prayers and support you have given to us! 
Just in case you want to read the blog post from last year about her surgery here it is! (It tells you all the differences we saw in just one day!) 

https://babypragel.wordpress.com/2015/03/26/march-23rd-biggest-day-yet/
Also, we still have our gofundme page (www.gofundme.com/hopeforannalise)  up in case anyone has it on their heart to further help us out on our journey. We are incredibly grateful for what we had received last year and have tried our best for live off that amount for the past year and couple months. That money has let me stay home with Annalise and give her all the therapies she needs… I pray that I can continue to do so in the next year (years to come). Honestly I believe that staying home with her has kept her so healthy and that’s all due to you guys and your help. So thank you. 

Praying that you all have a great rest of your week! 

We are so excited to celebrate Easter this weekend with our sweet girl and our church family. There is no greater example of love than Jesus dying on the cross for us. 

Remember to anchor your hope to the one who has already scripted the perfect ending!