How Do You Measure a Year?

Sadie "dolled up" for Easter.

It's hard to believe that Sadie turns TWO this weekend. Although in some respects, it seems like she's been around longer than just two years. Heaven knows, the poor girl has endured so much in her short little life.

It has now been almost 9 weeks since Sadie's brain surgery. As the doctors predicted, Sadie is still having seizures. The seizures are milder and less frequent than before. Pre-surgery, Sadie was having 5-10 clusters/day lasting as long as 15 minutes. Post-surgery, she is at 4-6 clusters/day, with the most severe lasting 10 minutes. While this is a significant improvement, I can't help but be a bit disheartened that we didn't see a more drastic improvement. Although we went into the surgery with our expectations set, knowing that we could see NO improvement... as a parent, you can't help but HOPE for more.

Since my last blog post, sleep has improved slightly (quick prayer to sleep gods). At two years old, she still has trouble sleeping through the night, primarily due to the seizures that awaken her multiple times during the night. Mommy has now developed a habit of pulling her into bed with her if she awakens between 5-6 am. Mommy and Sadie snuggle, hold hands and dose for another hour or so. I have to admit, it's my favorite part of the day :)

Sadie using a switch during vision therapy.

Therapy is going well. Sadie's muscles are getting much stronger. Her head control and trunk control have improved immensely. We've also been working with a switch - basically a big button that teaches Sadie cause and effect. She currently uses a switch that says "eat" when we feed her. This picture shows her using a switch during a vision therapy session.

Unfortunately, until we receive that crystal ball from heaven, we'll have to continue making these difficult decisions on behalf of our daughter...not knowing the final outcome. Making each decision in the most thoughtful manner possible, all the while hoping...and hoping...that your decisions made will result in her having a better quality of life. And isn't that what EVERY parent wants for their child?

Last year's birthday blog post measured Sadie's doctor visits, therapy sessions, etc. This year, she has had the same busy schedule...but I feel like so much has changed. When we look at her, we don't see a child with disabilities. We see a child who knows her Mommy and Daddy - likes music, being outside, snuggling with her aunties...and a child who is HAPPY. And that is our biggest wish for her.