A mother of a "special" child

A mother of a "special" child

When I was young I'd often say, I'd like to be a mom someday

While playing with my baby doll, I thought that jobs not hard at all

I'd have a baby,maybe two, a girl in pink........ a boy in blue

I grew up and sure enough,

The baby that was sent to me, was born with disabilities

At first I'm frightened thru & thru, there is so much to learn to care for you

This wasn't in my plans at all, whenever I was young and played with dolls

Your mind and body were so weak, you might not ever walk or speak

So much special care required, I'm often scared and often tired

As months and years go slowly by, I often smile but sometimes cry

To watch you grow and not complain, though you endure your share of pain

Oh how I'd hold you and I'd pray,that you'd be healed and whole someday

But I know that was not to be, not physically or mentally

And so I taught you best I could your progress slow but very good

But then one day I realized, as I gazed into your loving eyes

That I had learned so much from you, determination....courage too

A love so unconditional, it floods my soul and always will

I'm proud to say I gave you birth, for your an angel here on earth.

Author unknown

BIG Little sister!!!!

Me and the girls!!!

Bath time babies!!!

Brooklyn 16 months & Brandi 2 months!!

The girls are 14 months apart but are very close to being the same size!! Brandi is catching up with Brooklyn so fast!! Their last measurement on February 8, 2010 Brooklyn @ 19 months was 30 inches, and weighed 18 pounds 4 ounces. Brandi @ 5 months was 27 inches, and weighed the exact same at 18 pounds 4 ounces!!! I was so shocked that they weighed the same!!! Brookie is still in the lead by 3 inches but, baby sister is catching up very quickly!!! So we now refer to Brandi as "The BIG little Sister."

Becoming a big sister!!!!!

First picture of all three of my beautiful babies!!!

Brandi Nicole Strahan

Brandi Nicole 1 month & Brooklyn Aliyah 15 months

The new Big Sister!!!!

The approaching time of the baby's birth was a very anxious time for me. I was worried how Brookie would take to having a new baby in the house, and how we would manage having a new baby and having brook who is so very demanding, to say the least. Brandi Nicole was born September 7, 2008!! She weighed 7 pounds 11 ounces, and was 21 1/2 inches!!! It was very different than Brookie's birth. I had a second C-section due to risk that go along with having a natural delivery after having a previous C-section with Brook. Brandi was a beautiful, pink, healthy baby!!! She looked like a lil' butter ball compared to Brookie when she was born!! Brookie was at the hospital whenever she was born and stayed in the hospital with Ben and I during the hospital stay!! She has only ever been away from me for a couple hours whenever I had to go to the hospital early on in my pregnancy with Brandi, due to severe cramps and bleeding. We don't let her stay with any one else due to all of her medical problems, I would be a nervous wreck!!! She did very well at first when the baby was very small and didn't really do much. Now that the baby sits up and plays she will sometimes hit and pinch her, but I don't think that it is her way of being mean. She does this to Ben and I, and it seems like more of an impulsive behavior. She is my little mommy hen and tried to "help" with the baby!!! She will give the baby her bottle, or take it from her!! She tries to shove her pacifier in the babies mouth whenever she cries, even though the baby never took a pacifier!! And she will give her kisses!! Over all I would say that she is happy to be a big sister, and loves the new baby!! I do feel like it will be beneficial for brook to have a sibling so close in age, due to her developmental delays.

My Big Girl!!!

Birthday girl!!!!

Opening birthday gifts!!

Brookie turned one in July of 2009!!! This was a very welcomed birthday that we were so very happy to celebrate. So for my baby girls birthday I had her a fairly big party!!! It was not that great of a day for Brookie. She was very anxious, and wasn't happy unless Ben or I were holding her. She did however enjoy the cake and ice cream that her poppie fed her, & had fun trying to open presents!! And she looked so adorable in her little birthday outfit that I made for her!!!

Surgery

Brook's tube sight never closed on its own and they told us it was no big deal, and they would just go in and close it surgically!! In the mean time with so frequent ear infections we were advised by her pediatrician that she would need to have tubes put in and beings that she was going to have the tube site closed that would be a great time to do both. After seeing a ENT and coordinating the surgeries for the same time, and being cleared to do the surgeries by cardiology and neurology. we went a head and had the surgeries done. Since this surgery She has been doing Great!!!! Only one ear infection in 4-6 months (this was great compared to every 3 week)!!!!

Hospital Pics due to seizures!!!

Almost back to 100% after being in the hospital for a week!!!!

Being care flighted to Scott & White after having her second seizure.

Resting after having 2 seizures in a 4 hour period.

During the video EEG She was not happy at all!!

Scary new Symptomes

After having Brook's feeding tube removed we ended up having to go out of town for business. While in Sommerville Brooklyn got sick and started vomiting after every feed. She got a low fever and was very lethargic. Worried, but not panicked because this had happened on other occasions, we decided that she was okay that we would treat the fever with Tylenol and Motrin to keep it down (never got over 99.4). At around 7:30 she was sleeping on my chest, she began to squirm a little and I thought she was just waking up. Her body tensed up and started lightly jerking. She was gasping for air but could not get a breath. I screamed for my husband while running through the house "Something is wrong with Brook, she is not breathing!!!!" I was absolutly terrified!! By the time that found my husband she was purple and had went limp in my arms. My husband (Ex-state trooper and always calm) yanked her from my arms laid her on the floor and began trying to feel for a pulse, not finding one he began to do CPR. While a friend called 911 in a panic. After about 3 1/2 minutes of being unconscious with no signs of life I heard my baby girl start weakly crying just as the paramedics came in. They took us to the hospital where we ended up staying the night. Doctors told us that her calcium level was fine and that she had a febrile seizure (not likely at 99.4). They also told us that seizures were not related to VCFS , and that she would more than likely never have another one. Well, they were WRONG!!! about a month later the same thing happened and she was care flighted to Scott and White hospital in Temple, and while in the ER she had another seizure (2 within a 4 hour period) we ended up staying there about a week. They did every test imaginable but could find no reason for the seizures except to say she had a seizure disorder with epileptic tendencies. She was released from the hospital on a seizure medication and a vitamin B6 (to help with the side affects of the seizure medication). we had one more seizure where we were taken by ambulance to the hospital and they gave her a stronger seizure medication. After my poor little girl going through 4 seizures and having to be revived, we for at the moment seem to have figured out her dosage and medication!! Her last seizure was Spring of 2009 so from a neurological stand point we are stable for the time being!!!