EASTER

I just wanted to share a picture of Haleigh at Easter.



Painting for Haleigh Fundraiser

THANK YOU ALL THAT CAME OUT OR HELPED WITH OUR

2ND ANNUAL PAINTING FOR HALEIGH FUNDRAISER



Haleigh Being 3

Haleigh being sassy

Hi everyone its been a few months and Haleigh is doing wonderfully. She is completely healed from her surgery back in December and in another few months we will be headed to her 3rd surgery, but for now she's just being 3.

A little about Haleigh at 3.


She is very smart, she used new big words all of the time words I am not sure I've said around her. Last week she used the words, intolerable, appropriate, delightful, beautiful, and manageable. She sounds grown.

Another example of her being exceptionally smart... both Madalyn and Collin have been learning the skeletal system and proper bone names, she has remembered the names for her finger/toes, head, jaw, knees, and elbows. And that's just from hearing me quiz the older kids.. I'm not sure how in going to keep up with her but I'm getting some homeschooling preschool book this week.

Haleigh & her Aunt Heather

She loves hair bows, and expects one in her hair everyday. She loves dresses and hates to wear shorts/pants now that its warm. She loves to play outside and swinging is her favorite thing to do outside. Her favorite fruit is strawberries and cutie oranges. She loves roasted corn and broccoli.

Haleigh can tell you about her nevus if you ask her, but she never brings it up. But if you ask her she will tell you its her birthmark, that she was born with it. You have to ask but she will tell you it doesn't hurt, but sometimes is itchy, and that we put cream on before we go outside and we rub it at night. The cream is sunscreen the rub is vitamin E oil.

I look at Haleigh and can't believe how much she has grown she's such a big girl.

I hope everyone is having a blessed spring and I will update soon with travel and summer surgery plans.

Looking Good

Haleigh is looking good, the swelling from surgery is gone, the stitches, tape and glue have been removed and she is looking like Haleigh again. That's one of the hardest things for me post surgery, just the fact that she doesn't look like herself for a while. It's at that time that I second guess myself. Am I doing what's right? I sit and look at her and wonder. Then I talk with my nevus family and realize every parent that has chosen removal feels this way after surgery. And I also find that the parents that chose to not remove also have these thoughts. And the truth is we as patents have to make hard choices, for our children. From the moment they are born. We make the best choices we can with the information that we have.

Haleighs next surgery will be bigger, instead of advancing the nevus we will do a skin graft on her top lip. This requires a hospital stay of 3 days and an Atlanta stay of 7-10 days. This also means she will be less herself for longer. So its going to be hard. We just pray that God will give us the means to handle what coming. The strength to hold our daughter up when she needs us. And the Grace to do it without falling apart.

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just a note

Haleigh is doing very well. She has not had any problems from her second surgery. Her next surgery will be the first part of June, that surgery will be different and s bit bigger. More on that soon...

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Photos From Atlanta Trip 2011

Haleigh ready for her pre-op appointment

Haleigh with her gift from the hospital

Dinner in Atlanta

BELOW ARE PICTURES FROM THE CHILDREN'S ART MUSEUM IN ATLANTA

Creating her masterpiece

building blocks

Fishing with Dad

Milking the cow next to the banana slide

Haleigh's 2nd surgery

Haleigh had her second surgery on 12-29-201.

Haleigh did very well through her surgery. This one like the last took about two hours, I really love the staff at the surgery center, they are all so nice. I realize that is part of their job of taking care of us, but they seem like they really care about us. I feel like we are receiving top care. And of course our amazing Dr.C who is top career.

One thing that stands out for me about the center is they do not take your child from you crying. There is no pain involved in the before care. I carried Haleigh to the OR and held her as the nurse explained to Haleigh how she was going to blow in the mask and breath in.  Haleigh was not scared and went to sleep holding my hand. They started the IV after she was asleep and i was in recovery. Everyone has their own recovery waiting room where they bring in your child after surgery. You child never knows your not with them, its perfect.

Haleigh's surgery was at 730, she was in recovery with us us at 10. We left the hospital around 12. Haleigh slept a lot and  has needed some pain management, but was eating and playing between naps.

We could not have hoped for this to go any better

Happy New Year!