Frame Huggers

To try and help make the patching process a little smoother, we found these great custom made FRAME HUGGERS online.

It is a great product and much gentler on Lucia's skin than the adhesive patches.


Although it has advanced her skill in being able to reach up and pull her glasses down . . . I guess you win some you lose some.
She looks a little guilty. The phrase "no no, glasses on" is becoming part of her receptive language vocabulary.

Zooing Around Town

Yesterday Rojelio got off work at a reasonable time so we decided to take a quick trip to the National Zoo. We took the Metro from our end of town into DC. We saw some animals and concluded the event at a Japanese restaurant, The Sake Club, before jumping back on the Metro to head home.

Lucia showing the monkey statue who's boss.

So our daughter is not too much of an animal lover. She was okay with the animals that were behind the glass, but cried at all the other animals that were out in the open . . . oh well.

A Wagon of a Time

Lucia got a new wagon. We'd like to say it's because she has been such a good girl adjusting to life with her new glasses and patching, which she has, but coupled with the reality that her mom can't resist Target clearance.

Lucia with her buddy Tad riding co-pilot.

Just our luck, her Bumbo fits nice and snug into the wagon, with an added bonus that it matches perfectly.

Brainy Baby

Lucia got her glasses yesterday. Perfect baby glasses. No hinges, screws, or other small parts that could end up in a baby's mouth.

Unfortunately they only had them in blue, so it gives her a little more of a boyish appearance. We'll just have to counteract with frilly girly clothes.

Doesn't she just look like the smartest baby you've ever seen!?

See the previous post, Manny, for an explanation of why Lucy has glasses.

Turtle Talk

Lucia was having words with her turtle the other day and expressing a little frustration.

Swinging Smiles

Lucia enjoying her morning vestibular workout in her swing.

Man at Work

We no longer have the luxury of belonging to an HOA so it is up to us to perform all the lawn maintenance duties. Gotta love the white socks with sandals look!
Nice work Rojelio.

Sittin' Pretty

Lucia has begun to use her high chair. She is not yet eating in it, but enjoys sitting with us at the table during meals, being in the kitchen with Annie while she cooks or does dishes, and it is the perfect height for her to enjoy Sprout. Yes, we do allow our infant to watch television every now and then.

To celebrate her three-month birthday we surprised Lucia with a Bumbo. She loves it.

Manny

When Lucia was about one-month old we noticed a very small bump in the area of her left eyebrow. Annie thought Lucy may have bumped her head while becoming more brave with her head control.

Days later the bump was not going away. A week later the bump was getting bigger rather than smaller. After trips to the doctor, an ultra sound, and an MRI it was determined Lucia had a cavernous hemangioma. Basically the bump is a benign tumor filled with blood vessels causing it to have a purplish-blue appearance.

June 5, 2008

Since then her bump, we call Manny for short, has grown. Because it is so close to her eye it is affecting her ability to fully open her eyelid. She sees a pediatric opthamologist to monitor her vision on a monthly basis.

Usually treatment is not given, but Lucia will likely get steroid treatments once her eyelid does not expose her pupil. Otherwise if her developing brain does not use that eye it will shut it down and she will lose all vision in that eye. The treatments will help Manny shrink.

Typically hemangiomas will go through three stages: proliferation (growth, could last up to 12-months), rest, and involution (shrink). Going through these stages typically takes years. About 50% of the lesions disappear by age five.

Lucia's last visit to her pediatric opthamologist revealed she developed an astigmatism in her left eye. Her current course of treatment consists of patching her good eye for a couple hours a day and wearing glasses.

Lucia & Manny chillin' on July 19, 2008

Let the patching begin July 24, 2008

Under the Knife

She kissed her husband goodbye. The anesthesiologists wheeled her down the hall. The experienced surgeon walked into the OR. Got down to business. He sliced four incisions into the young mother's abdomen as she lay helpless on the operating table while under the miracles of modern day anaesthetics.

Slice . . . slice . . . slice . . . slice . . . poke . . . poke . . . poke . . . snip . . . snip . . . YANK . . . stitch . . . stitch . . . stitch . . . stitch . . . .

Yesterday Annie had laparoscopic gallbladder surgery. No complications were experienced. Recovery is going well. Her abdomen feels like she did a hundred million sit-ups.

Annie before her first surgery ever.

Annie in the "bear hug." It's this gown that a tube plugs into, it puffs up with air and you can control the temperature. Research shows patients that are warmer pre-surgery do better during surgery . . . take it as you will.