Continuing to Progress

Stella has continued to make great progress this past month!

Not only has she turned 1 but she also had the best echocardiogram yet! Her most recent echo (April 12th) looked great - her pressures were lower than the previous appointment and the right baffle that has been problematic (mostly because it is so hard to find) was seen and looked normal! We were at once a month echos and now we don't have to have another echo for 2 months!!! We had also started preparing for a cardiac cath to happen probably this summer so that our cardiologist could get a better view of her pulmonary veins - but with the great echo results it is seeming that a cardiac cath will not be necessary! Stella weighed in at 18 lbs 7 ounces and was 29 inches long :)

Stella has continued to be spasm - free and VOMIT-FREE since we have been weaning the steroids. Tomorrow is her last day to get steroids (we are down from a 10 mg dose to a 1 mg dose) and the seizure activity and the vomiting have stayed away. She will continue to be on Keppra but hopefully even without the steroid the infantile spasms and the throwing up will not return. Since she has stopped throwing up she has been a lot more vocal - she loves to talk and scream and she wakes up each morning happy and saying "hi" (well it's more like "HAAAAAA" but I translate it to be a "hi Mama!") She is also a lot more willing to try to eat. We give her tastes of food every day and we even have a special "honey bear cup" for her to learn to drink from. So far she is loving pears and bananas! 

Stella has also graduated to a big girl car seat. She is still rear-facing but we no longer have an infant carrier. This makes it easier and harder - it's nice always having the seat in the car but it's difficult when we go somewhere like the grocery store and need her in a seat. We're looking into getting a baby carrier to solve this problem! 

Stella is also being a big girl by sleeping in her own crib throughout the ENTIRE night and usually for two NAPS during the day! The wonderful sleeping habit is seriously like having a completely different baby - I'm not sure who this girl is but I hope she stays for awhile :)