Louisa's Visit with the Neurosurgeon

Whew. The visit with the neurosurgeon is come and gone.

And it's practically all good news! Louisa will have a MRI sometime in March (for which she will be sedated). That will show the neurosurgeon everything he needs to see to determine if her conus needs correcting or if her cord is tethered or at imminent risk of tethering. If so, then surgery will take place in May (need to get her to six months).

Now this might not all sound rosy, but the good doctor thinks--from his examination and her improvements/normalizing--that no treatment/surgery will be needed. The MRI is a double check, just-to-be-sure kinda thing.

We really do feel relieved and are hopeful for good results in March.

Thanks for your prayers and concern. They mean so much!

Lots About Louisa

Photo credit: Haley Owens

Miss Louisa Bryn Caroline Youree is a doll baby. I mean that figuratively and literally. She is precious, making my heart burst with joy every time she moans, sighs, and turns her head. When we brought her home, she was nearly a pound heavier than her birth weight (which was 4 pounds 10 ounces), but even then she was the size of Anna's dolls. (In fact, on Christmas morning when Anna opened a pack of doll clothes, she was confused at first because she thought they were clothes for Louisa!)

Everyone wants to know--understandably--if Louisa was premature. Actually, no; the doctors estimate she was full term. She scored a 9/9 on the APGAR and never had oxygen assistance. She never spent time under the lights or in the NICU. Praise God! Healthy, but tiny.

Our little love is eating LIKE A CHAMP. I am happy to report that she has never lost an ounce. At her one-month appointment, she weighed . . . (wait for it) . . . SIX POUNDS AND TWELVE OUNCES. We are thrilled with her progress. She's gone from eating 2-2.5 ounces when we brought her home to eating 3-4 ounces. That's my girl! Little Lou no longer wears preemie clothes; she's rocking those newborns like a star.

Photo credit: Haley Owens

Louisa is also laid back. Don't hate me, but I've scored in the calm baby section. Surely I've just jinxed myself. Nevertheless, so far so good. Louisa is on a good 3-4 hour schedule. Of course she has fussy spells, but she really is easily soothed. LOVE HER. She's so cuddly I could melt.

(And talk about a Christmas gift for Mama: Louisa slept for five hours straight on Christmas Eve.)

Here are a few factoids about the wee one:

• Being swaddled is her favorite past time. She adores it . . . and it keeps her from mauling herself with those fingers. 
• She's not a fan (AT ALL) of changing clothes.
• If Louisa could hate anything more than changing clothes, it's having lotion applied to her body. H-a-t-e-s that.
• But put that cutie in the bath tub, and it is relaxation city. I do believe I've yet to meet a person who enjoys a bath more than Louisa.
• Her eye focus/contact is improving. I may or may not get smiles daily. (Swoon.)
• Louisa has the BEST big sister a girl could hope for. 

Photo credit: Haley Owens

Last, we ask for prayers for our sweet girl too. Louisa was born with a minor medical concern. While that issue is improving, it (along with a few other clues) led our doctor to perform an ultrasound. That procedure discovered an abnormality in Louisa's spinal cord. At this point, we do not know a ton about what that means for her. The small amount of research Bryan could find on the issue provides a range of severities--from no problems to difficulties walking to intestinal struggles to a tethered cord. Louisa has an appointment on December 29 with a neurosurgeon; we hope to have more answers then.

Thank you for all the well wishes, the gifts, the comments on Facebook/Instagram. Louisa has added more joy, hope, and love to our happy little family. Thanks be to God for His great gifts.

Introducing Our Baby Girl!

We are overflowing with joy to introduce Louisa Bryn Caroline Youree. She was born on November 17, weighing 4 pounds and 10 ounces. She was 17 inches long. We will post more info after we are home and settled. She is a delight!!! We are THRILLED! Thanks be to God!

Anna Zane Is a Big Sister!

I've said it once before, and now I'll say it again: IT'S A GIRL!!!!

Tomorrow afternoon, we will bring home our new baby girl. (We will surely post pics and videos and gush and cry and be so happy.) Our hearts are beyond excited and thankful and grateful and joyful and so many other things.

We've known this little one was a possibility since November 14. The short wait since then has been filled with ups and downs, but we made it . . . and will be loving that little girl in less than 24 hours!!!

Right now, we are joyfully drowning in tubs of stored baby clothes, laundry, bottles, etc. We are waaay ahead of the curve, though, compared to Anna's placement. LOL. Since we've been loving a little gal for nearly four years, we have most everything we need, but for those of you who've asked, we did register for a few items at Babies R Us this weekend.

Stay tuned tomorrow for a picture, a name, and so much cuteness!

Psalm 30 expresses my feelings perfectly:

"You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; you have loosed my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness, that my glory may sing your praise and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give thanks to you forever!"

14 Days of Anniversaries

October 10: Marked the anniversary of my mother's passing two years ago. It is, in fact, one of those life events that feels like yesterday and seems eons ago all at the same time. I'm really missing her this autumn. I'd like to chat with her on the phone.

October 13: Marked SEVEN years as Mrs. Youree. We celebrated with three days/two nights in Bentonville, Arkansas, staying at this uber interesting hotel, 21C. If you're ever in the area, you MUST visit this inn. It's an art museum within a hotel. And the green penguins are hysterical (and slightly creepy).

The reason we chose this destination was to visit the Crystal Bridges art museum. Y'all, it's great. I could just enjoy the architecture and the surrounding nature all day, but then, add in some impressive and classic American art . . . speechless. I was also shocked when I bumped into a college friend in the gift shop. I mean: What are the chances?

And what's the best anniversary present e-v-e-r? After a dinner and a movie, we decided to splurge on donuts. We busted into Dunkin' like two kids in a candy store, ordering a half dozen to go . . . when, out of nowhere, the lady says we can have six more donuts FREE. Happy anniversary to me! (Before you either freak out or become too impressed, we didn't actually eat 12 pastries ourselves. We gave *a few* to the folks working the hotel lobby desk.)

The highlight of the trip, though, was some much enjoyed alone time with my hunk. What a treasure he is to me. I can't believe he agreed to marry me. :-)

October 17: After leaving Bentonville, we met my in-laws (who'd been keeping Anna), our niece, and Anna Zane in Branson. That Tuesday we visited with my nephews, who live in Missouri; that was so fun! And then the Youree crew enjoyed the thrills and sugar of Silver Dollar City. The girls had a blast. On the 17th, we drove home, but I kept thinking about my mother. The 17th is her birthday and also the anniversary of her funeral and burial. The 17th is a weird day.

October 24: Ah yes, the anniversary of my birth. As you age (gracefully, right?), birthdays lose their luster . . . and sometimes, for a mother of a little one, it really feels like any other day. But this birthday was a surprise of sweetness. We just had a great day together as a family. Bryan surprised with me a fun gift; we gorged on a great meal; and we were just all in sync. It was a great way to end 14 days of anniversaries.

Notes About Ebola From the Good Doctor

What a 24 hours for the Youree household.

We'd known about a possible Ebola patient in Dallas. Yesterday, that was confirmed. You probably heard a sigh of relief when CDC officials announced the infected patient was not symptomatic and therefore not contagious when he traveled via airplane from Liberia to Dallas, Texas. While my deepest concern and heartfelt prayers are for those 12-18 individuals who did, in fact, have contact with this gentleman after he became infectious, I cannot tell you how thankful I am the pool of exposed people is limited.

My Mister, who is an infectious disease physician, and I had a heart-to-heart about what it would mean for our family if an Ebola patient came under his care. This is unlikely, but with the virus 30 miles from our door, it's a conversation that needed to happen. This conversation also gave me a new perspective, prompting me to pray for those medical professionals caring for the Dallas patient--and the hundreds who are tirelessly working in Africa. These folks have families like ours.

And we've both fielded a lot of questions today about Ebola. (I'd like to mention that I am NOT a medical professional, although people repeatedly seek me out for medical advice. LOL. Now, if you're hoping for some help with dangling participles . . . .)

Yes, Ebola is a big deal. But, it is not a super virus that cannot be contained.

Bryan very graciously spent his evening last night crafting information for me to publish on the Fort Worth Moms Blog today. He provided a succinct yet thorough presentation of Ebola, helping us understand its treatment, transmissions, and symptoms . . . and how we can keep our families and communities safe and healthy. Please take time to read and share this blog post as it is our hope to share accurate information instead of the speculative and sensational material filling the media. Spread facts, not fear.

The full link to the article, "Ebola in DFW: What You Need to Know," is: http://citymomsblog.com/fortworth/2014/10/01/ebola-in-dfw-what-you-need-to-know/

Adoption Anniversary

Am I waxing eloquent . . . and reminiscent on this blog or what? Today is ANOTHER important Youree day, folks. It's the anniversary of the adoption finalization. Way back when I blogged about this great day (complete with pictures); it still sends shivers down my spine as I remember the excitement and emotion of those few minutes standing before the judge. Oh, I thought I loved her then, but that love grows bigger every day.

We celebrated with a family outing on Saturday; the Youree Three cheered the Rangers on to victory.

And then this evening, we ate dinner at a restaurant, where the wee one gorged on her favorite delicatessen: Cheetos.

She also wanted me to take a picture with her soda. These treats are BIG deals at our house.

For adoption day, we give Anna one gift. This year a Doc McStuffins doll with a full head of hair was the winner. Anna is currently obsessed with styling her dolls' hair. I mean obsessed. In true-to-Anna fashion, Doc was quickly stripped of her clothes and the braids taken out of her hair upon leaving the safe confines of the packaging. She has not stopped playing with her (except at the restaurant . . . only because I wouldn't allow her to take it in. Doc waited patiently in the car seat until we returned).

Anna Zane, you're with us. We are family forever! We love you!