October's Silver Lining

She will make friends with
literally anyone

I've mentioned a couple times that we haven't had a lot of "big bloggable moments" in October. That has been a blessing as there are a lot of things churning behind the scenes that have us all a little unbalanced. Some are things that aren't for the blog, some are things that we aren't ready to share quite yet, and some are just part of the season of life we are in (three young kids). But to say there has been a lot of adulting on our plates the last few weeks would be very accurate. It's definitely not all bad stuff - but it's all big stuff.

So as today's spina bifida clinic appointments* approached, our October really needed a win. And let me tell you, the day delivered. We started the morning with Fiona's 9 year well check. You guys, she is 47.5" - which is at the 2 percentile mark!!! We have been hanging out in the less than 1% area for years! So she doubled her percentile! Even more importantly, her growth velocity (which is what we really care about) was at its highest rate ever (2.7" per year). This is phenomenal news and F, Dr. H, and I most definitely had a celebratory moment. She weighs 44.5 lbs, which is still under 1%. But much closer to that first percentile than we have been!

Hospital cafeteria lunch

I mentioned to Dr. H that Fiona has been complaining about being extra tired the last few weeks and has been noticeably more rundown. We did a quick hemoglobin check to rule out anemia (totally normal) - and she feels fairly confident that it is a "pubescent growth spurt." Excuse me ... what?!?! Apparently that "p" word is rapidly approaching and I am not okay with it. For the record, neither Fiona nor the growth spurt seem to take my "not okay" into account.

Spina bifida clinic was the fastest we've ever been in and out (only 3+ hours). Bugs was a trooper and went in with just the best attitude. She paid attention, engaged in the conversations, and took an interest in her health. We were so proud of her. Everything is looking really good. All tests came back the best we can hope for and all the doctors were very impressed with how well she is doing. Her shunt looks good, Mike is planning to replace her button at home (he feels confident that YouTube can assist if needed. Bugs feels less confident), and her legs and feet are holding strong. We stay the course and go back in a year.

While we were all a bit emotionally exhausted post appointment, it was a great morale boost for everyone. If we had to pick something in October to be the silver lining, clinic day would top the list! We are grateful for every year of good reports - and don't take a single bit of it for granted.

*All health information shared was cleared with Fiona ahead of time. I told her that she is now in control of how much is posted on the blog.