We haven't written since we brought Taylor home but as they say "no news is good news" and we are happy to say that things are going very well. We've been settling in to the new routine and are happy as can be to have Taylor home.
We met the pediatrician on Oct. 31st and he did a very thorough exam of her and recorded a detailed overview of everything Taylor went through in the hospital. He'll follow her for now until such time that it's appropriate to send her back to a family physician. We went to the cardiologist last Thursday and that went very well. The type of arrythmia that she has is common in babies and the vast majority of babies grow out of it within 6 months to 1 year, so that is very hopeful. The arrythmia she has is not dangerous because a) it does not produce fast beats, and b) it is not incessant. Before she went on the beta blocker medication, the arrythmia was occurring 8% of the time, and since she's been on the meds, it's down to 2 or 3% of the time. The way it was described to us is that there is an irritable patch of cells that are competing against the heart's natural pacemaker. Because this patch of cells isn't beating any faster than the natural pacemaker, it doesn't produce runs of fast beats, but rather just occasional extra beats. The cardiologist is going to monitor her over the next 6 months to a year, with the anticipation that this will outgrow itself within that time. So for now she'll continue the meds until at least the next appointment which is 3 months from now. They will evaluate her in February after doing another 24 hour holter monitor and ECG.
Obviously we are very relieved at this point. First and foremost, she is apnea-free! The arrythmia is not a dangerous one, nor one that she can feel, and it will most likely outgrow itself within the year. So things are looking very good for little Taylor. She's a month old already and has grown from 5 lbs, 15 oz and 18.5" long to a very healthy 8 lbs, 10 oz and 20.5" long! Like her big sister, she's a good little sleeper, already doing 7 (occasionally 8) hour stretches through the night. Good job Miss Taylor! She seems to be kinda gassy, so she's a bit more fussy than Marissa was, but nothing overwhelming. Still sleeps a fair bit of the day, but when she's awake she is very alert.
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| Taylor's birth certificate |
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| The bottle looks bigger than her! |
Marissa is adjusting to being a big sister very well. She is very affectionate and is showering Taylor with millions of hugs and kisses, not sure how long this love affair will last but for now it's going strong! At any rate, she seems to be a happy big sister and even though 'gentle' is not part of her vocabulary, Taylor is holding up to it all just fine!
