HAPPY BIRTHDAY BRYNN!!!!!

From the moment Brynn was born she was a special child. She had already had devil horns made out of her hair before she was even finished being born(Thanks Dr. Jarrett), she received 10s straight across on her APGARs which is very rare, after 10hrs of being born she smiled not once but 4 times in an hour. She continued to smile for everyone who came to see her.

Brynn's birth was by far my easiest. I was released a day early and went from the hospital to Katya's pre-school orientation. That made up for the 6 straight months of vomiting I had during my pregnancy. Well almost...

She was a super happy baby for 3 weeks and then she began to become more irritable and started projectile vomiting after every feeding. I noticed she was loosing weight because clothes that fit her at birth were too big. Her 6 week check up came and she had gone from a happy 8lbs to just over 5. My whole world started crashing down. We stopped nursing thinking it was my milk but even water made her vomit. We monitored her for another week and she lost another 6 oz. We were sent to Primary's right then. They ran some tests but found nothing. They kept her for monitoring. She was there for 3 days and we were sent home. She was still loosing weight so after another week and 5 more oz they kept her another 8 days. She continued to decline. They ran every test and could find nothing abnormal that could be causing it. My baby was slowly dying and they could tell me nothing. I had my first and only nervous breakdown that week. Joe was so scared he thought he should call for an ambulance.

On her 3rd day(the 2nd time) they tried a feeding tube to her stomach but she would vomit. So they put a tube to her intestines. When she was released we were sent home with a pump. Over the course of 2 weeks she pulled the tube out 8 times and we had to take back to Primary's every time to have it put back in. It was put in every time with out anesthesia. After the 4th time I couldn't watch or listen. It was too hard to hear her scream. It was sometime around this time that they suggested we think about putting a shunt in her abdomen. It would be permanent and stunt her overall growth. We told them we would think on it.

After the 8th time, on Christmas Eve, I said enough was enough. That time she had her hands taped down and she was asleep. 15 seconds later (the time it took me to open my car door walk around the car and open hers) It was all the way out of her body. I said a silent prayer and went into WM to get last min items. Since we had been in the hospital all day no one had really eaten so I got some popcorn chicken for me and corndogs for the 2 girls. Brynn kept making sounds and looks of wanting to eat my food. At this point I was in the baby dept to get diapers ect... I told Brynn that she was too little for big people food. She began to cry. Then what has only happened to me once before in my life I heard a distinct voice tell me to feed her solids. I didn't think twice and began filling the cart with baby food. I didn't know how I was going to feed it to her since she didn't know how to eat from a spoon but I didn't care. As I rounded the corner a bottle stood out from all the rest. It was a feeder bottle. Works with suction. You fill it with baby food or rice cereal and as they suck on a nipple the food is pushed up. It was exactly what I needed. I bought 2 of them and hurried home. She ate the food so fast I thought she had inhaled it. I waited and waited. No vomiting! That was the best Christmas ever! 3 days later I was able to tell her dr the wonderful news. With in a month she had gained back a whole pound! She stayed in the negative end of the size graph for 2 yrs but was steady in her growth so we were happy.

Now she is as healthy as could be. She is still tiny but makes up for her size in ambition and leadership. She can be quite ornery and bossy. I wonder sometimes if it isn't from all the unpleasantness she suffered through as a tiny baby. But she is our miracle child. We love her and wouldn't trade her for anything. I fear for her life everyday thinking that I was only lucky the first time and that I really won't get to keep her. Amazing what trauma does to your brain.

Brynn is super smart. She is one of the top readers in her class and only 1 of 4 who knew all of her letters (upper and lower) and all their sounds. She is great at math as well. We are so proud of her.

Happy 6th Birthday Brynnie!!!