It was a good visit, as we really appreciate Dr. Stephen and her thoroughness and attention.
First, Airdrie is doing extremely well with interaction with people, smiling, babbling, laughing, etc and is right on target as a baby of 20 weeks. This is WONDERFUL news as it is evidence that the rest of her brain appears to be developing normally. It also is a great sign that her intelligence is not affected by the Dandy Walker Malformation. God is good.
Second, it is apparent precious AirBear has a "squint" which is what we in the US would call "cross-eyed". It is uncertain as to the cause; it could be the DWM or it could simply be a muscular issue within the eye. Either way there are steps to take to resolve the issue, some easier than others, but we are being referred to an ophthalmologist for further treatment in that regard. We are also unsure as to how much baby girl is seeing. We know for sure she is not blind, but there are also a few concerns we have in regards to her vision. Again, this will be addressed with the specialist. God is good.
Third, Miss Airdrie has some balance issues. The cerebellum is the area of the brain affected by DWM and the cerebellum is in charge of motor skills, movement, balance, and coordination. If you were to hold Airdrie (and I KNOW you wish you could, she's as sweet as pie!) you can feel her wobbliness, and that holding her head up steadily for long periods of time is rather difficult for her. She also does not raise her head when she's on her tummy, nor does she put any weight on her legs when you "stand" her up. Because of these issues Dr. Stephen says Airdrie's development is more consistent with that of a 3 month old, not a nearly 5 month old. To address these issues we are being referred to a physiotherapist (who may in turn refer us to an occupational therapist). God is good.
We are not shocked by any of this news, we live with our sweet baby and see her physical difficulties. Whether sweet AirBear will continue to fall further and further behind or just remain consistently 6-8 weeks behind is yet to be determined. Mark and I are quite happy that we're going ahead and addressing issues and the fact that Airdrie is on track intellectually--that is a blessing. Many parents have children with far more dire prognosis and we are well aware that God is abundantly gracious to us.
As we continue this journey I can't help but remember a time when Mark and I would lay in bed and just sob asking God to just let our baby girl live. He has. He IS good, so good. I'm reminded of what Job says to his wife when she tells him to curse God and be done with it (Jordan's Authorised Version) when his life is falling apart around him. Job replies,
"...Shall we indeed accept good from God and not accept adversity?"
God is good.
God be praised.
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