Group Picture

Cousin Rachel, neighbors Jared and Rachel,
and Baby Ella at our house after her dedication.

Independent Little Girl

Here she is, trying to drink and eat all by herself!

Six Months Old

The highlight of Marcella's 6-month doctor's appointment was finding out how much she's growing. Here are her current measurements! Height: 27" long (90%). Weight: 16 lbs, 10 oz (75%). Head circimference: 16 1/4" (10%). She had four more shots including the flu shot, which made her a bit grouchy this weekend. She wasn't happy much and actually prefered Mom over Dad, believe it our not. It's the first time she has shown preference. She just wanted to cuddle with mom when she was not feeling well. Whenever Tyler took her, she started to cry.

This week she is starting to exert her free will. She will throw a temper when she does or does not want something, like a bottle or toy. First she starts crying, her lips quiver and vibrate, then she screams, and last she works herself up so that she coughs and even gags. My oh my! Tyler came home from work last night when she was in the middle of screaming like this and he just laughed. Sometimes we don't even know what she is so upset about.

Ella also wants to do things herself. She likes to hold her own sippy cup of water. She also likes to feed herself with the spoon, but that gets really messy. Now, I give her a spoon to practice with and I feed her with a second one. She prefers avocadoes and pickles. Yes I said Pickles! She will knaw and suck on a dill pickle spear, just loving it. I think she likes the salty taste. Surprisingly she also liked tomatoe garlic soup. She must get her taste buds from her dad who also LOVES garlic. I drew the line when Tyler wanted her to taste horseradish sauce last night. That can definitely wait. I won't even eat that.

Oh and did I mention she has two bottom teeth now! They came in a week apart. Her drooling has now slowed down, so maybe her other teeth are going to wait awhile to come in.

She is stronger than ever, sitting up by herself and pushing her body up in the crawl position. She loves playing with her toys, moving them from hand to hand. And of course her favorite toy.. is our dog Grayer. She smiles big whenever she sees him and loves touching his face. In the afternoons when Karen is babysitting, Ella likes to play with baby Claire. They "talk" to each other, babbling back and forth in their own baby language. They smile at each other and grab at their toys.

Ella's Dedication

Nanna made Ella this beautiful smocked dress for her special day! On November 5, she was dedicated to the Lord at the Keystone Baptism Celebration service. Pastor, Gene DeJong is holding her in the picture. Tyler shared Ella's story and why we wanted her dedicated. Then Gene and all of us prayed for her.

Five Months Old!

Look at our BIG girl! She loves sitting in her high chair, just to play or to eat :) A close look at her head reveals new hair that is growing in. It's more golden than the dark hair before, maybe more like Mom's hair. And her eyes are still bright blue. She has started crying real tears. When her eyes get wet, they sparkle. She is very curious about everything around her. Now she touches the dog, or should I say grabs his ears and pokes him in the eye! He doesn't seem to mind much. Ella also likes experimenting with her voice from grunts to squeals... but her favorite noise is growling like a lion. I think she learned that from her Baby Einstein excersaucer and the lion button she pushes so much. We can't leave her lying down for too long. She love to be STANDING upright, with our help of course. She thinks she is such a big girl!

Back to School

Because many of you have asked, I'm finally getting around to adding another post. We ended our summer with a trip out East. Nanna Emrick and Aunt Kristy threw a party for Ella in New Jersey. Lots of friends and family showered Ella with hugs and kisses and some great gifts! We used the money to start a savings accound for Ella's future education. Then, we spent a few days at the lake cottage in New York. Although we would have loved to stay longer, I had to be back to get ready for school and meet with all of my students.

It sure was hard leaving my Ella and going back to work. The beginning was the most difficult when I had to work full days. Now that I am on my part time schedule, things have settled down a bit. Ella wakes up early, usually around 6AM and would like to stay awake, so we have breakfast and read. Then when she goes down for her morning nap, I shower and get ready for the day. Often I squeeze in a bit of housework too or plan what to have for dinner that evening. Then, Ella usually wakes up just in time so I can see her for a short bit before heading off to work. When I get home in the evening, I appreciate my time with Ella (even when she is fussy) since I haven't seen her all afternoon.

Marcella's starting to eat solid food now! Since she was reaching for food off of our plates and already sitting in her high chair at the table, we thought it was about time. We started with rice cereal. We've also added bananas and avocado. When time permits I'm going to try to make my own baby food and freeze it. I got some great ideas from the book, "Super Baby Food." As ambitious as I might seem now, I know I'll need some jars of Gerber food for back up. Anyway, we are just feeding her once a day, at night after we eat dinner. That seems to be when she is the hungriest.

Also in September, Ella had her 4-month doctor's appointment. She's now 25 1/2 inches weighing 15 lbs, 4 oz. That puts her in the 90 percentile. Her head has not caught up to her body. It's circumference is only 15 1/2 inches which is only the 10 percentile. I thought that I would have a tiny, frail child because of her heart defect. Instead, Ella is such a chunk. I love her fat cheeks which I kiss often!

Ella also saw her cardiologist. She wasn't very cooperative during the ultrasound of her heart. She fussed, then cried, then screamed and really just didn't want anyone messing with her. (I think it was a full moon) We'll have to go back in four months to try again. If she won't lie still... then they might have to schedule an appointment to have her sedated at the hospital. Dr. Schneider is still concerned about her narrow vessels. In particular, the left pulmonary artery is small. It's the one that pumps blood into her left lung. We'll know more after a successful ultrasound in... January I think.

I'll post pictures soon. Ella has lost almost all of her dark hair. There is now lighter-colored hair growing in like peach fuzz. Her eyes are still blue and they sparkle when she cries as she's just started making tear drops.

A First!

I just wanted to update everyone on Ella's latest accomplishment. For the first time, on this fine afternoon, Ella rolled over! I had her laying on her stomach on the floor while I was putting some pictures in a photo album. I wasn't really paying attention, and all of the sudden I noticed that she was no longer on her stomach, but on her back! Tyler was home doing some drawings, so we put her on her stomach to see if she would roll over again... and so we could watch this time. And... she did it again. Then we decided to capture it on video, and she rolled over for a third time. Are we proud parents, or what? She is getting so strong and developing very well!

Three Months Old

Marcella is growing up and we are starting to see her personality! She is mostly laid back and easy going as long as her stomach is full of milk. She enjoys watching what is going on around her. Using the Baby Bjorn front carrier has been a great way to keep her in on the action when we are doing chores around the house. She also likes to sit upright either with our help or in her exersaucer. This was given to us by Uncle Doug and Aunt Jan! Thanks for letting us borrow it.



Look at Marcella's beautiful smile! She is a pleasure to spend time with! She likes copying our silly faces and trying to talk with us in her own baby language.





The drooling has also begun! She also chews on everything to make her gums feel better. One thing that she is learning to suck on is her thumb, but she still prefers to stick her entire fist into her mouth instead.












Because she likes bathtime so much, we have exposed her to water some more at the lake and the pool. She may be swimming on her own by next summer!






Marcella has met several other babies recently. Picured here is Braden, born just four days after Ella in Ft. Wayne, Indiana. Braden's mom, Lisa Gorczyca, and I have been friends since elementary school.

















Also, check out our neighbor kids, Rachel and Jared. They think Marcella is pretty neat and enjoy spending time with her.

This Scar

This scar will continue to tell a great story of life and healing. Everytime I look at Ella, I'm reminded of the greatness of God. He is so good to his children and he has surely taken care of and blessed our family immensely over the past several months. Our journey began as we learned about Ella's congenital heart defect in February. It continued as we learned to trust God in such a bigger and deeper way than we ever have before. Some people have asked, "Why didn't God heal her before she was born? Why did she have to go through the surgery and hospital stay?" I believe that God is powerful enough to heal in the womb, however He allowed us to go through this experience so that we would grow and learn a new appreciation for life. Marcella's heart defect has turned into such a blessing, and I'm glad that I had this opportunity to need God. I continue to lift up prayers of thanks for our daughter and for the scar that will always be a reminder of God's grace and healing in her life!

9 Weeks Old

Time is flying by so quickly. Can you believe that Marcella is now 9 weeks old? She is having longer awake times and is starting to show her personality. Her favorite times of the day are waking up after a long nap and smiling happily at me - very contented. Sometimes she thinks I am so funny that she giggles. She also loves bath times in the evening. I've never seen a baby so excited to be in the water and splash around. She even tries to catch the water in her mouth and drink it??!!! A good night for us is Marcella sleeping 7-8 hours. If she does awaken during the night, she has learned how to suck on her hand. This pacifies her enough to put herself back to sleep. In the evening, she loves to ride in her stroller as we walk around town. Thursday nights, there is always a concert on the riverwalk, and she enjoys meeting new people and listening to the music. And, let's not forget her long naps. What baby doesn't like to sleep? It's during this time that she is growing bigger! Some of her 0-3 month clothes are starting to feel snug.

14 Babies!!!

These are many of the teachers that I work with at Chandler Woods Academy. There were 14 babies born this year and two more are on the way! We made the local tv news on Friday and we will also be featured in the Grand Rapids Press. It was a big day for Marcella. We had to get ready and at school by 9am! Then we stayed to talk with other teachers and have a barbeque lunch from Sandman's. I'll be going back to work part time in the fall and job sharing with Kristy Mitchell (in the front row with the baby in red). The good thing is that the state of Michigan passed a new law that schools cannot begin before Labor Day. This is to increase tourism. Yeah! I'll get a longer summer and more time with my daughter.

Something the Lord Made

Tyler and I watched a great movie this weekend called "Something the Lord Made." It's about "blue babies" who don't get enough oxygen because their heart formed wrong before birth. In the 40's, babies with heart defects had a 100% mortality rate and doctors said nothing could be done to save them. How sad! Two doctors, Alfred Blalock and Vivien Thomas from Johns Hopkins Hospital, began researching babies with heart defects. Using innovative methods, they performed the very first heart surgery in the world! It was amazing to hear the true story of how these men went against all odds to save babies suffering from heart defects. Their work opened the door to continued medical research and future heart surgeries... and look what doctors can do today! The Lord made a way for Ella's broken heart to be fixed! Thanks for recommending the film, Kyle and Abby!

Relaxation

This is how Ella sleeps at night, with her arms up high. Really! They say it is a sign of contentment and relaxation. She takes several long naps during the day, however she hasn't yet learned how to sleep through the night.

I'm learning how to relax, too. No longer on a busy daily schedule, I'm enjoying an occassional nap and lots of time with my daughter. This afternoon, we sat on the porch and observed the power of a thunderstorm as it blew into town. Every day, we also check on a nest of baby robins housed on our front porch. It is the second nest we've been able to observe this spring.

The Doctor Says...

This is Dr. Schneider, the cardiologist who diagnosed Marcella with the congenital heart defect. He visited her when she was at DeVos and will continue to provide care for her as she grows. We went to his office yesterday for Ella's 2-week post operative appointment. Another ECHO was done of her heart to determine how it is healing. Everything looks great!

Dr. Schneider explained how complicated the surgery was, even adding information we didn't know. For example, Ella's arteries were very rare and complicated... not at all normal for this type of surgery. During surgery, when her heart was revealed, Dr. Bove found that the VSD (hole in her heart) was bigger than thought. He also found that her left pulmonary artery was smaller than expected. In addition, the coarctation of the aorta was very severe. Even with all of these complications, Ella's heart is now fixed and working really well. We are so thankful that God has blessed our surgeon, Dr. Ed Bove, with skilled hands and lots of experience.

Dr. Schneider removed all restrictions including no more medicine. Marcella is our healthy baby girl now! We rejoice that she is doing so well. And, she is gaining weight and up to 9 pounds! We'll visit Dr. Schneider again in 3 months, and then again in 6 months. After that, she should just have a yearly visit to the cardiologist.

Memorial Day Weekend

We had lots of visitors this weekend! Helen and Dave drove from Michigan. Pictured are Keturah, Heidi, Helen, Dave, and Betty.





Then my brother Ryan and his wife Michelle came for a visit. They brought us lunch and enjoyed some time with their new niece.

Next we made our first trip out with Marcella to Kyle and Abby's for a cookout. Several Keystoners were there to meet the miracle baby! It was great to finally get out of the house.





Monday, we were joined by friends and neighbors for the Memorial Day parade in Lowell. It went down our street so we watched from the porch. Marcella slept through her first parade and the ceremony afterwards.

My little girl

It is a true joy to have my little girl home. I am really enjoying fatherhood and seeing my girl progress in her life. It seems like it has gone by so fast even though it has been just a few weeks. I am so thankful for all the prayers and words of encouragement from all our family and friends. You all have been a great encouragement for Christy and I to help keep us at peace with all that we have gone through with Ella. We still need your prayers even as she is getting better for us to raise her as Godly parents and to bring her up in a Christian home. Thank you again, We know all your prayers made Ella a miracle baby from her surgery.

This quilt was made by our good friend, Lisa Johnson. What a powerful Bible verse! Marcella is definitely strong with God as her father! She has a great future with the Lord by her side.

8 pounds!

Our nurse put naked, screaming Ella on the scale today to reveal that she has gained weight and is now 8 pounds! She continues to get stronger and is developing a big appetite. Tyler and I are adjusting to parenthood. We love holding Ella and looking into her big blue eyes. Tyler is so enamored with little Elle that he doesn't even mind changing her dirty diapers or getting poop on his hands. I, on the other hand, find it disgusting when Ella has explosive poop, pees on me, spits up on my shirt, or leaks milk down my chest. I hope I get used to this soon. Teaching fifth graders is a lot easier than taking care of a baby.

My mom spent the past week with us and we were sad to see her leave today. Not only did she enjoy caring for her first grandchild, but she took care of needed housework like laundry and dishes. There are many new flowers out front planted by Mom, too. Thanks for helping us this week. We love you!

No More Feeding Tube

Ella is doing very well. She is getting so much stronger that she can drink her whole bottle easily without getting winded or falling asleep. Look how she is even trying to hold the bottle herself! She is also waking before her feed time and letting us know she is hungry. Yesterday, Tyler took out her feeding tube! Yeah! Her face is still irritated and red where the tape was on her cheek. She has very sensitive skin.



Ella has graduated from sponge bath to a real soaking bath in her little tub. She actually liked sitting in the warm water. Check out how her chest is healing. The sterile strips should fall off on their own next week. As Ella grows, her scar will get smaller and fainter.

We're Home!

How exciting to be discharged from the hospital and finally be at home! Three weeks have past... 2 days at DeVos Children's Hospital, 6 days waiting for surgery at Mott Children's Hospital, 1 successful surgery, 3 days recovering in ICU, 5 days to grow stronger at the hospital, and now 4 days home in Lowell. The time has flown by so quickly!

When we arrived home on Thursday afternoon, we were surprised at the welcome-home decorations. Thanks to Kyle, Abby, and Ashlyn for decorating with streamers and balloons! Then, we found food to eat in our refrigerator. Thanks to our generous neighbors, Randy & Ginny and Mike & Karen, for shopping and baking so we could have food to eat. And another surprise... Abby and Julie made meals for us at Main Dish Kitchen! Thanks friends. We feel very loved!

Ella sleeps a lot! She is getting stronger every day and we are using the feeding tube less. First pediatrician appointment went well. Ella weighed in at 7 pounds, 11 ounces, an increase of 4 ounces since birth. They hope for her to gain about an ounce a day. We have a visiting nurse that comes to our house a few times a week and will be monitoring her health and recovery.



















Our dog, Grayer, didn't acknowledge Ella's presence for the first 24 hours. Then, he caught her scent during a diaper change and started to be curious. He has been very gentle and a good big brother so far. Look at how nicely Gray is cuddling with Ella and Papa!

Tyler and I are trying to adjust to the lack of sleep. Ella is a night owl and has some of her most awake times between 9pm and 1pm. Grammy Sandy is staying with us this week to help with care of Ella and housework. There are so many baby things to wash and sterilize.

Last Day at Hospital

It is almost time to go home. Ella did gain some weight overnight and she continues to eat well. She has started nursing a little, and a lactation consultant is working with me on this. We weigh her on a special scale before she eats and then again after she eats to get an estimate of how many mL she took in. Our nurse practitioner said we could stay for one more day. It is really nice having the extra help and care here in the hospital. We can take Ella home tomorrow (Thursday), probably in the morning. And we have scheduled her first pediatrician appointment for Friday.