Our resident fish is back in the pool!
Emma returned to swim lessons today~ with many accolades from her teacher and a wonderful smile on her face.
With her palate closed, she struggled a bit to re-learn breathing. It felt awkward, is how it looked. She was such a brave girl. Just took it all in stride. Worked hard with a smile. And she did it!
It was the last lesson in this series, and I'm so glad she was healed and ready to go for the final lesson. Beginning next week we are taking two lessons a week for a month, when she has her next surgery! It was a wonderful solution to a girl wanting more "school" in her days and a compressed timeframe in which to accomplish more swimming.
Our girl is not interested in sitting around. She has no time for waiting! She's so desiring to work hard, jump in and learn, engage in life, experience new things. She is craving experiences, and it is such a joy to be part of providing them to her and doing them with her. Older child adoption is so beautiful in that way. Everything is new. All of it, for her, is a joy. And she is so excited and charmed by each new thing.
So blessed to be her mom and bask in the overflow of our Joy Bucket's joy.
In other huge news:
We have a month of casts {arm and leg} coming our way in April.
And that segues perfectly to this afternoon. We went to Gillette and met with Dr. Van Heest, Emma's pediatric orthopedic surgeon. X-rays and a finalized treatment plan for phase one of surgery.
On April 11th Emma will have surgery on her right hand and left foot and calf. She will have a cast on her arm/hand for a month and another cast on her foot/leg for 2-4 weeks.
The surgery on her right hand entails a third web with syndactyly release. The lay description of this procedure is that her hand currently looks like it has four digits. Her "middle finger" and "ring finger" are fused together in a shortened "nub" {actual medical jargon}. This nub will be separated into two distinct fingers! How incredible is that? They will graft skin from her elbow crease to the new fingers.
I can't believe it. Her x-rays were lovely to behold. I'm glad for her, even as I am mourning a bit that her sweet hands will change. They are so dear to us. This change, however, is so to her benefit.
Piano lessons are scheduled for summer! She has been asking and asking. And we cannot wait to have her take them once the surgeries are complete. A very fun thing to look forward to.
Her left foot involves a second and third toe nubbin excision with partial syndactyly release. This means that her second and third toe are "webbed" together. The doctor will separate them, thus creating five distinct toes. Tips of two toes will also be amended, which means that they will remove the very tips of them in order to help them function better. I'm purposely being a bit vague in that description.
Swimming lessons this summer are back on the slate for swimmer girl! That and lots of playground play. Running in grass, climbing trees, cavorting in sunshine and stomping in rain puddles. It is all going to be so fun. A celebration of life. Right where she is.
It was a big day. We are very grateful for the provision of exceptional medical care. Emma Kate is in such good hands. Caring, skilled, thoughtful, wise hands.
And more than that, she is in her Father's hands. That is the perfect place to be.
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