Ella updates

Ella is doing G-R-E-A-T!!

She was a candidate for the Synagis shot. It is a shot that you have to qualify for...and due to Ella's low birth weight we were accepted. She will receive one shot each month during RSV season (November -March). This shot does not keep her from getting RSV, it will just lesson the affects she would have IF she were to get RSV. IF she got RSV, we would most likely be able to treat her at home, rather than her needing to be hospitalized... Each time she gets the shot we have to been seen by the doctor before she receives the shot. Dr. Stuppy checks her out, and then we get the shot. So far, she has received the November and December shots. Due to her current weight, they have to split the shot into two, so she gets two shots each time, one in each leg. Poor Girl!

Miss Ella has her 1 Year appointment with Dr. Stuppy and her next RSV shot at her appointment on Jan. 13th.

We visited her Cardiologist on Dec. 1st. Dr. Ardinger is out of Children's Mercy and we really like him. She had a EKG performed, which showed the hole in her heart (that she was born with) is decreasing in size. At birth, it was 5-6mm, and it is now about 3mm. He was in hopes that it would be about 1mm. Ella has no medication for it and no restrictions. He said that it should continue closing...if not, nothing would be done until she was 6 years old, or so. I am not too, worried....I am praying it will be taken care of on its own. We will not go back to see him for a year. (Hearing that we do not need to been seen for year makes me feel good about it, too).

Dr. Stuppy ordered a blood draw to be done, since Ella has not had her blood checked since she was in the hospital. Yesterday (to get it on this years' insurance!) I took her to Children's Mercy to get her blood drawn. It was awful!! The nurse, who was very nice, had me hold Ella in a "bear hug" position and then she stuck her int he arm....like a big girl. However, it did not work and Ella was fighting it....so she took it out. POOR ELLA was screaming and crying....The nurse called for another nurse to come help her. I laid down with Ella and held her right arm and the other nurse held her left arm while the original nurse took the blood. It was so hard to watch. I know I hate having my blood drawn...so I hated seeing Ella in pain. We will get these results early next week. The nurse commented that "Ella was a fighter" and I said, "Yes, ever since the days she was born!" :)

We had our first "false alarm" at the after hours clinic this week. She was running a fever, pulling on her ears and had not been eating well. So I took her in thinking she had an ear infection, but we left with good news that she was fine and probably had a cold.

Ella is BLOOMING just as she should!! At 11 months, she is crawling everywhere and into everything--especially her big brother's toys. She was singing, " All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth..." but still has no teeth. Ellie babbles a lot and says, da da, ma ma, hi (sometimes) and Ella (sometimes). She loves her baby food and Puff snacks. Carter and Ella are just starting to interact more and play together, so it is fun to watch.