Juliet had her 30 month appointment and Bayley evaluation the beginning of May. She goes to see her high risk pediatrician twice a year to check up on her developments and growth and eating.
Overall, she is doing great. She is on track or ahead for everything except "self care". (Basically, she's not potty trained yet so that knocks her down a bit.) She is a problem solver, talker and stubborn! (I know, shocker, right?!)
Her growth is perfect! She is no longer "adjusted" so even though she should only be just two, she is in the average range for weight and height for a 2.5 year old.
Unfortunately, we did not get only good news while there. Juliet was born with a large PDA, which is hole in her heart. While she was in the NICU, she was given medicine in hopes of closing that completely. Well, it didn't close it the whole way but it got it small enough that it was not causing any issues for Juliet, so we left it alone.
She had seen the cardiologist after being released and it seemed the PDA had finally gone away. We had not heard it for over a year. But, it was heard again at her 30 month appointment. So we headed back to her cardiologist to check it out.
Turns out, it is still there, and since she is over 2 years old, there is little to no chance that it will close on its own. So after discussing all the pros and cons, we have decided to go in and close it via surgery. Because of her being premature and having CLD (chronic lung disease) her doctor wants to wait until she is at least 3 to give her body a better chance at a quick recovery. And thankfully, the hole is not causing any other damage to her heart in the mean time. This means we will watch her a little closer for the next year and this time next year we will be taking her in for surgery.
It is a very basic and common procedure. However, that does not take way the fear of my little girl go in for surgery. It's always scary to see your kids needing surgery, (which I know because our oldest required surgery at 11 months old), but this is a different fear. She has fought so hard to survive, and any little thing is harder to bare because I have almost lost her before. It's not a totally irrational fear because I have had to make the decision to pull my son off life support. I have seen Juliet weak and motionless as a machine breathed for her. I know I could worry myself into a hole of depression so deep there would be getting out. But, Juliet is resilient. She survived in odds that were so stacked against her she shouldn't have survived at all, let alone being left healthy!
So I ask for prayers. For Juliet, for my family and for me. For us to have the strength to keep going, even though this surgery is coming up. For peace about it all and help us to not worry about the future.
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your request to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus." ~Philippians 4:6-7
