We feel the proper place to kick-start our new blog is by introducing you to the three reasons we contemplated starting this journal. Each one of them has uniqueness that has impacted our family in ways that you will read about in later posts, however, here is a sneak peek into their not so "normal" life.
ALEX- Our oldest has surprised us all, in more ways than one. After the initial shock that Steve and I would now be classified a statistic within the teen pregnancy spectrum, he outdid himself by giving us all the shock of our lives when he was born. To our surprise he was born without a lip, however the political and more appropriate name is Cleft Lip and Palate. In case you are not familiar with what this is exactly, I will give you a very brief synopsis. During gestation around 6 weeks , his upper lip, gum line and palate did not fuse together as it would in a "normal" fetus, in return leaving a large gap. Since birth Alex has undergone 8 surgeries, speech therapy beginning at age 2 with graduation taking place at age 13, he's also in the process of extensive orthodontia by a orthodontist specializing in CLP. With only 2 surgeries remaining, he will soon be closing the surgery chapter in his life. I personally believe due to his diagnosis and the reconstruction process, it has benefited him more than being a challenge. He has always been tough, respectful, takes ownership in his academics and is quite the well rounded kid as his athletics keep him occupied. If you see him around, don't be surprised if he keeps the conversation short and sweet. Only those who know Alex on a personal level, have heard him speak....as he is not a man of many words.
EVA- The Diva. Our little lady is the heart of our family. She may be little, but my goodness does she have the worlds biggest heart. She cares for others so deeply and is quite the emotional mess when she hears or sees something sad. (including the dog commercials) Eva's physical journey did not start at birth like Alex, however we always had a suspicion that something may not be quite right. At the age of one, failure to thrive was officially labeled on her medical chart. You see, every child is measured on a growth curve and is then compared to other children of that age. Eva, well, she had her own growth curve, it just happened to be under the charts, not necessarily on them. Of course a series of tests were done and countless vials of blood were taken over the course of a year. Needless to say the first year of testing came back "normal" and as a parent I put the ca-bosh on further testing. She was happy and healthy, just little, and until she showed me another reason to put her through this anguish, we were done. From that point her growth was monitored closely and her growth curve was really not a curve at all, more like a straight line with a tiny bit of incline from time to time. Her 7 yr old visit showed a change however, her pediatrician revealed the first decline in growth. This, along with several other factors was enough cause for concern so we moved forward with additional testing.We found that she is Growth Hormone Deficient, Eva's pituitary gland is not functioning "normal" and her body is not producing enough of the growth hormone it needs to grow on its own. Re-precaution of lower than "normal" GH can result in not only short stature, but things we didn't see, such as delayed organ function. Currently, we are in the process of getting her body on track with the help of GH Therapy and her excitement to finally grow is going to be quite the adventure!
VEDA- Where to begin with Veda? Our little wrecking ball,our free willed child,our pain in the rear end? Veda has been quite the handful since conception and we don't see this slowing down anytime soon, if ever. Veda is the baby who walked early, has NO fear, yells back, loves climbing on anything and everything and I am most certain 5 years have been lost from my life since we found out we were having another child. Don't let the angelic smile alter your perception, we challenge you all to spend one day with her and you will see what it is we are trying to convey. We are learning to embrace the free willed child and I must say, the things I would fret about before Veda have disappeared. She is teaching us a great deal about choosing our battles and even though she is quite the little stink-pot, we have been given this gift to remind us that we need to live life to its fullest. She will have no struggle with this, unless of course you define injury as a struggle. I see many of those in her future. Many!
