She keeps me laughing and on my toes. One day she found my keys, waved bye-bye to me and headed for the door. LOL I'll have to keep my eye on her.
Eliana is a very polite child and I don't think it is because we have done such a good job teaching her manners. She is so quick to say thank you when someone helps her - often needing no prompting by me at all! (And if you don't hear her, she will keep repeating thank you until you do. LOL) I've pondered this trait and have my own theory on why she is so quick to say thank you. I think it is because she has a grateful heart. She is thankful. I've read that those who express gratitude each day are happier and healthier people. I know I try to focus on my blessings and sometimes/some days do a better job of it than others. For me, it can be work. It seems to come a little more naturally to Eliana. I have much to learn from her.
She had her routine cardiology appointment this week. (For those who are new, Eliana was born with 2 large holes in her heart. She had open-heart surgery at 4 months to repair the holes. She will always be monitored.) It has been a year since we have been there. Eliana was happy to be in the waiting area and enjoyed one of the computer games that was set up there. Things changed quickly though when we were taken back.
She did not want her blood pressure taken - and fussed and cried about it. I kept telling her that it wouldn't hurt. I'm not sure she believed me. After checking her vitals, (she is still a tiny little girl at 27 pounds), we went downstairs for an echo. We were met by a sweet technician we haven't seen in quite awhile and it was fun catching up with her. Eliana remained afraid and did not want to take her shirt off. Did not want the electrodes put onto her chest. Really, she just didn't want to be there. We tried a movie, bribing her with candy, singing songs. She looked at me at one point and just said/signed "all done". I told her that she wasn't done and this did not please her.
To clarify, these were not tears of defiance or stubborness I don't think. She truly seemed fearful. It made me wonder how much she remembered. She was so little. She went through so much though her first year of life!
Back upstairs where we met with a student doctor who asked a lot of questions and tried to do a brief listening to her heart. She is still uncooperative. Down the hall for an EKG. Yep, you guessed it. She cried and cried until the procedure was over. Then she was fine. I kept trying to reassure her that none of this would hurt, but she wasn't buying it.
It made me wonder how many times God is holding me in His strong arms and telling me that this won't hurt. That I will be alright. And yet, I still cry and fight - not wanting to believe. Learning to trust and relax is a hard lesson sometimes and I'm thankful for the reminder.
While we were waiting for Eliana's cardiologist, we read books. As many as we could. She loved this and was happy. This was the one time I was able to take pictures.
We met briefly with her cardio and he said she was doing well. She still has leakage around one of her aortic valves. This is one that was close to one of her repairs. He said it wasn't much worse. I didn't press it. She is doing well and I'm thankful. I'm not going to borrow trouble by worrying about the future. If we have to deal with more heart issues, it really isn't immenent anyway.
I'm thankful we live when we do - and where we do. I know that in another time or place that I would have held my little girl and watched her die while she was in heart failure. I did experience the beginnings of this and it terrified me. I'm thankful we live in a place with such amazing medical care. We are so very blessed. I'm thankful for a little girl that has brought joy to my days and laughter to my soul.
As a mom, I can say that about each of my children. My life is so much richer for being a mom. Each child has blessed me beyond what I could have ever hoped or imagined. Each one teaches me, challenges me, encourages me and loves me. My heart and my life are full. I am a very blessed woman!
Leslie
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