Broken Hearted...

During Maya's final medical review in China, the doctor heard a murmur in her heart. She didn't think it was much to worry about, so we didn't, but she suggested we discuss it with the doctor here in Canada. The adoption pediatrician here also heard it but, again, said it was very likely due to her poor nutrition in the orphanage and would likely heal within a few months. Nothing to worry about. To be sure, she set up an appointment for us to see a Cardiologist at the childrens hospital. We had that appointment yesterday.

After sedating Maya (she's terrified of doctors), the technologist and nurse ran an a series of tests on her and took lots of pictures of her little heart. Although very cool to see her heart beating and all the chambers pumping, we were sad to see the source of the murmur. One of the 2 by-pass valves that typically close up after birth hasn't closed up on Maya. The artery that supplies the lungs is leaking blood back in to the heart through this valve, putting extra strain on the heart. The left side is having to work much harder than the right side so has become enlarged. Our baby has a broken heart and needs surgery...

The surgery will likely occur in November. Luckily, due to newer technology, it won't have to be an open-heart surgery. It involves cutting in to the artery at the top of her leg and running a catheter up her artery and inserting a shunt at the source of the heart leak. This will close off the hole & allow scar tissue to do the rest. She'll only be in the hospital for 1 day but will be moving slow for a while. Even though they made it sound so simple & easy, I still don't like the idea of them sticking things in my baby or playing with holes in her heart.

More Videos

In case you haven't looked in a while, there are lots of new videos of our little star on YouTube. John has been creating weekly updates of her progress plus a 'now & then' video to show the difference. Enjoy!

I can hear you...

Aug 24 - We had Maya's hearing test today. After being stuffed in to a vault-like room, Maya was subjected to a variety of tones all around her. When she turned her head to the sound, she was rewarded with flashing lights and the sight of a dancing toy in a box. I wish all tests were this easy! She passed with flying colours (or dancing Pandas based on your preferences) and won't have to re-test until she's 3 years old. Woo Hoo! Now we just need to get John to get his hearing tested...

Good Golly, Miss Molly...

Aug 23 - I got a very exciting phone call from my friend Catherine today. She finally got matched with a baby girl! Woo Hoo for her!! Her little girl is currently 3 months old, is from Viet Nam and she's adorable!!! 5-6 months from now, Catherine will travel to pick up the baby and bring her home. When she arrives in Canada, her name will be Molly (great name!). To top all of this off, Molly's birthdate is May 19 which is the same birthdate as Maya - 1 year apart. This also means that Molly was born the day after we met Maya so we know exactly what we were doing on that day. How cool!

Freeze Frame...

Aug 22 - We FINALLY got Maya in to a professional photographer. It's only taken 3 months and multiple missed appointments but we did it and it was great! Maya was a star and had a blast hamming it up for the camera. There were SO many great shots of her to choose from that we're STILL going over them. I didn't realize how expensive photo sessions were but they are keep-sakes that I'll cherish for many years. I'm sure Maya will love them some day too. Once we actually choose our shots, I'll try to post some of them here.

Developmental Progress

Aug 17 - we met with the Developmental Disabilities consultant today. The adoption pediatrician puts in a referral to this group for every newly adopted baby. The rep came to our house to meet Maya, observe her behaviour, evaluate her progress based on her age and give us recommendations for helping her through the next stages. Maya, yet again, passed with flying colours and the rep left with no recommendations other than 'keep doing whatever we're doing'. Maya has met or exceeded almost all of her progress markers for social, emotional, physical, cognitive development. We have a freakin einshtein on our hands!!!!...

Maya's can-do list

Aug 19 - Today is Maya's 15 month birthday. Our little girl is changing so quickly that we need to keep track of these things better than we (read me) have been. At 15 months of age, Maya:
-now weighs 20lbs 10oz (she has gained 2.5lbs in 3 months)
-now stands 31.3" tall (she has grown almost 2" in 3 months)
-says: dadda, momma, up, down, diader (diaper), taku (thank you), mmm (moo), kak-kak (quack-quack), hot, hat
-signs: eat, more, milk, water, all done, all gone (courtesy of my dad), bed-time (although avoids this one), down, thank you, cold (this one is hilarious!), bath, hat
-upon request: kisses, cuddles, hugs, will retrieve & return high-chair for meal times; will go to back door and sit down on carpet when she's ready to have her shoes put on
-walks forward, backward & sideways; climbs up stairs well; climbs down stairs but only if no alternative is offered; loves going down slides on tummy; ; will (sometimes) lay down upon request to have diaper changed; helps change clothes; will retrieve requested toys.
-LOVES: singing itsy-bitsy spider/wheels on the bus/teddy-bear garden/alphabet song; being tickled; her bottle; brushing her teeth; washing her face;
-HATES: most fruit, most vegetables, most meat, most food in general...