This picture was taken less than two weeks ago. Ellie had her palate repaired on May 30th. We weren't sure whether it would be done before we brought her home, but it's great to have that behind her and it should make the introduction of new foods a little easier. She will almost certainly need more surgeries as she grows, but other than the possibility of ear tubes there shouldn't be anything in the immediate future now that her palate is repaired. And what a smile!!!
Ellie's updated growth report states that she can walk, say "mama", and - perhaps most importantly - she can understand what is being said to her. That is a huge relief, because hearing issues related to excess fluid are common among children with cleft palate who have not been evaluated for ear tubes. Hopefully now that her palate is repaired she will have an easier time learning to say new words. But the fact that her receptive language skills appear to be normal is excellent news.
Our agency is busy finalizing our travel plans. We now have contact information for the families who are traveling with us, so I imagine over the next week or so there will be a flurry of emails as we begin getting to know each other. We'll have a conference call later this week so that our agency can give advice about the trip and answer any questions we have.
We will probably meet Ellie two weeks from today!
Oh my goodness! She's precious! And we will get to see them SO soon!! Finally! Looking forward to meeting you. :)
ReplyDeleteTo answer the question: unbearably cute.
ReplyDeleteAlex Glashausser