11 Months Today

Our sweet pea is 11 months today. Next month she will be one year. And what a wild and wonderful ride it has been.

Coming home from the hospital was scary for us. After Sophie's birth, we felt somewhat nervous about leaving the 'push button' for nurse that we had grown comfortable with. It felt so surreal to arrive at our front door, with our new little angel, and our new life. When we got home, Wendy and Auntie Tatey had decorated our door for Sophie. She was well loved and received into our families. It was such a nice surprise to come home to. My friend Alix came over with groceries, and another surprise awaited us in our room. Wendy and Aunt Tatey had surprised us with a bed full of treats! PJs for all three of us, magazines and yum yums. It meant so much to us, and tears flowed in gratitude for family, health and togetherness.

Our friends Robyn and Adrian dropped off some yummy delicious homeade chili for dinner. You can see the photo of our girl from our first dinner. Soph slept through the whole thing! It felt very bizarre how things in our house were the same, and yet completely different!

Sophie nursed and slept like a beauty. She slept so much that we were even worried, and had to ask the midwives if everything was okay! They assured us she was the picture of health, and because she never really dipped from her birthweight, they told us that we didn't even need to wake her at night for feedings. She pretty much slept through the night as soon as we let her. I didn't want her out of my arms at all. I couldn't get enough of her. I wanted her to be held as much as possible. We were lucky to receive a co-sleeper that attached on the side of our bed. That way our little peanut could be very close. There were many nights that wasn't even close enough, and Soph snuggled in between her mama and papa. Those nights were bliss.

We were accepted by my friend Alix's wonderful pediatrician, and we went to see him the next day about Sophie's arm. We didn't set the alarm, thinking that because we had a new baby we didn't have to---big mistake!! We woke up 45 minutes before the appointment. We had never left the house before, and it was a 20 minute drive....We had to dress ourselves, dress the baby, drive there---EXCEPT then we realized we had lent the car to Brett's mom!! We were in another brainspace, I tell you! We ended up leaving the house in a total state of chaos, ordered a taxi (I was NOT thrilled about putting my precious 4 day old in a cab for her first drive let me tell you! Luckily the cab driver was very kind, and I had no problem letting him know that we preferred a higher rate and a slower and safer ride!). We got a referral to Sick Kids about Sophie's arm. In the meantime, Wendy came home and had no idea where we were---saw the state of the house and was worried sick about us! She called the hospital and the midwives looking for us---poor thing was so relieved when we called her from the doc's office safe and sound.

Our Sick Kids appointment was challenging for me. In the waiting room was a 4 year old boy with an arm that looked just like Sophie's--totally limp from the wrist down. I had a huge lump in my throat. The boy's mother was chatty, and asked me why we were here. She told me that her son's arm looked the same as Sophie's when he was born. Inside I started to cry. Outiside I politely smiled and tried to shut down the conversation. When we saw the physiotherapist, we quickly realized she was incredibly competent. In the matter of seconds, she said "no, Sophie does not have brachial plexis". "See this bump here? (there was a small pea sized bump on her forearm)..."Her radial nerve has been compressed--basically like when you sleep on your arm and you wake up and it's limp. I've only a handful of patients with this, but each and every one fully recovered in less than three months". She explained how day by day, the nerves would start feeling again, and first her elbow, then her arm, then her wrist, then her fingers, and lastly her thumb would move". I burst into tears---sooo relieved. I was so embarrased. I'm not usually one to publicly cry in front of strangers. I couldn't help it. I just kept crying and crying. She kept teasing me, saying "this is GOOD news". I was so thankful. And she was right. Bit by bit, Sophie's hand got stronger. With the help of some physio excersises (that Sophie wasn't thrilled about) and time, her movement came back.

I'll never forget the first time we saw her fingers move--it was 4am and Sophie was in between us snuggled in bed. We were marvelling over her, and all of the sudden she started moving her fingers--curling them open and shut. More tears (you sensing a theme??). It was definitely comforting to hear the physio's prognosis, but another thing to see it for yourself. Maybe she would want and be able to play the piano after all.