Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
First Attempt at Emma's First Birthday Party
Emma officially turned 1 on August 2.... can't believe I'm the mommy of a one-year old already!
We were supposed to have her first birthday part on August 6th-- Grammy and Grampy Farrell were flying down from NH, and Grandma and Grandpa Trumpatori were flying down from NY. We had a great day planned to start at The Little Gym, then come back to the house for a BBQ and cake. Well.... all did not go as planned, shall we say.
Poor Emma, on her first birthday, started to show signs of Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease. A highly contagious childhood illness in which the affected child has sores in his/her mouth, on his/her hands and feed, spikes a high fever for 2-3 days, and basically cannot/does not want to eat or drink due to the pain of the mouth sores and lethargy. Super.
Long story short: The party was rescheduled.
Grammy, Grampy, Grandma and Grandpa already had their flights, though, so they all came down to spend time with the (albeit sick) Birthday Girl. Emma was a good sport with all of her visitors, and acted as if she wasn't even sick!
Here are a few pictures from the visit...
We were supposed to have her first birthday part on August 6th-- Grammy and Grampy Farrell were flying down from NH, and Grandma and Grandpa Trumpatori were flying down from NY. We had a great day planned to start at The Little Gym, then come back to the house for a BBQ and cake. Well.... all did not go as planned, shall we say.
Poor Emma, on her first birthday, started to show signs of Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease. A highly contagious childhood illness in which the affected child has sores in his/her mouth, on his/her hands and feed, spikes a high fever for 2-3 days, and basically cannot/does not want to eat or drink due to the pain of the mouth sores and lethargy. Super.
Long story short: The party was rescheduled.
Grammy, Grampy, Grandma and Grandpa already had their flights, though, so they all came down to spend time with the (albeit sick) Birthday Girl. Emma was a good sport with all of her visitors, and acted as if she wasn't even sick!
Here are a few pictures from the visit...
Friday, July 8, 2011
Grampy's 60th, Ear Check, Walkin' and Talkin'
Time to play some more catch up.. Brian, Emma and I flew up to New Hampshire two weekends ago to surprise Grampy Farrell for his 60th birthday. The plan had been in full effect for about 3 months (little did Grampy know just how sneaky his family could be!), and it went off without a hitch! We flew up Friday morning, ended up going back to Grammy and Grampy's for a quick nap, then headed off to Bertucci's to meet for lunch. Grammy told Grampy that she wanted to grab some lunch with him, but when we walked over to the table....SURPRISE!!! Brian, Emma and I were sitting there waiting. Emma gave Grampy a nice big smile when she saw him, and kept them coming all weekend! We had a great time at Grampy's second surprise of the weekend, a luncheon at Villa Banca that Grammy arranged. It was great food, all 5 grandchildren did well, and it was all followed up with cake. For the rest of the weekend Emma was able to play with her older cousins, Lily, Will, and Jocelyn. And we finally got to meet the newest cousin, 8 week old Michael. He's so cute and tiny! Here are a few pictures from our visit:
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Emma's follow up appointment with Dr. Ferguson (a.k.a. Beaker) went very well. Her ears "look perfect" according to Dr. Ferg, and we don't have to come back for a follow up until November. He'll just keep checking to make sure that the tubes stay in place and that we don't need any new ones. He also said we don't have to worry about keeping her out of the water when we go to the beach in September. Apparently there has been recent research about avoiding submersion in water with ear tubes, and the only water to avoid being submerged in is lake water. Ocean, bath and pool water are all apparently fine. So.... beach, here we come!
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Yesterday marks the first "official" day of Emma walking! She'd been taking 3-4 steps at a time for a little while, but her confidence just wasn't there. I think her friend Harper has been teaching her some tricks at school, because yesterday Emma just decided to go ahead and walk about 20 feet by herself. After that it was go, go, GO!!! We've been trying to capture some video and will post it as soon as we can! Emma's other new "trick" is to say "Hi, Dada!" She doesn't do it consistently yet, but she's pretty clear when she does say it. We've also noticed she's starting to use some of the same sounds for things like doggy, Kaya, and ball.
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Emma's follow up appointment with Dr. Ferguson (a.k.a. Beaker) went very well. Her ears "look perfect" according to Dr. Ferg, and we don't have to come back for a follow up until November. He'll just keep checking to make sure that the tubes stay in place and that we don't need any new ones. He also said we don't have to worry about keeping her out of the water when we go to the beach in September. Apparently there has been recent research about avoiding submersion in water with ear tubes, and the only water to avoid being submerged in is lake water. Ocean, bath and pool water are all apparently fine. So.... beach, here we come!
-----------------------------------
Yesterday marks the first "official" day of Emma walking! She'd been taking 3-4 steps at a time for a little while, but her confidence just wasn't there. I think her friend Harper has been teaching her some tricks at school, because yesterday Emma just decided to go ahead and walk about 20 feet by herself. After that it was go, go, GO!!! We've been trying to capture some video and will post it as soon as we can! Emma's other new "trick" is to say "Hi, Dada!" She doesn't do it consistently yet, but she's pretty clear when she does say it. We've also noticed she's starting to use some of the same sounds for things like doggy, Kaya, and ball.
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Tubes, New Tricks, New Yard
Wow, I have seriously been slacking off on the blog. Sorry about that! For some reason the last month or so has felt very hectic. Here are a few updates:
On Friday, June 10th, Emma had tubes placed in her ears to help with the multiple infections. Dr. Mike Ferguson, a pediatric ENT that I work with, was the surgeon who placed the tubes. Ferg is great, he looks a lot like Beaker (from the Muppets), so I figure that's why the kids all love him ;) He's been wonderful throughout the process. I can always contact him via email to ask his opinion on things and he gets right back to me with open, honest answers....including telling me that I'm a "paranoid Mom" after I sent him an email that Emma was grabbing at her ears about a week after the tubes. :)
Beaker...
Ferg...
The morning of the surgery was a little stressful to me because Emma's been starting in with the whole Separation Anxiety thing, and I was TERRIFIED that she'd freak out when I had to hand her over to the nurse. She, of course, was wonderful....and Mommy looked like a sobbing idiot for no reason.
The surgery is only 10 minutes long (literally). Ferg came out to get us right after he put the tubes in and informed us that Emma had RAGING bilateral infections when we went in there. He was able to remove the infected fluid and place the tubes without a problem.
Her recovery was just fine--- she slept off the anesthesia on the way home, and by 10 am we were home and she was eating a full breakfast! So far, so good :) We go for a re-check appointment with Dr. Ferguson in about a week and a half.
In other news, Emma has a few new tricks up her sleeve, including: **almost** walking! Her new favorite activity is holding one of our hands and walking everywhere she can. Today at The Little Gym she actually took 3 steps before she fell down! So exciting! I think we just need to build up her confidence and she'll be off and running. It's so crazy to think that just 6 months ago she was a little lump on a playgym mat. :)
Another emerging trick is to tell you what a doggy says! If you ask her, she'll (most of the time) say "oof, oof." It's adorable and ridiculous at the same time, and I LOVE trying to get her to say it. We're working on what a kitty says, too, but I think she's stuck on the doggy right now.
About two weeks ago we had our backyard (and a small portion of the front yard) landscaped, and then Brian and his boss (Gary) decided to put up the structure to screen in the back patio. So far everything looks great! All of the framing is up and waiting for stain, and then the guys will do the screening. It should hopefully all be done in time for Emma's birthday. Can't wait!
On Friday, June 10th, Emma had tubes placed in her ears to help with the multiple infections. Dr. Mike Ferguson, a pediatric ENT that I work with, was the surgeon who placed the tubes. Ferg is great, he looks a lot like Beaker (from the Muppets), so I figure that's why the kids all love him ;) He's been wonderful throughout the process. I can always contact him via email to ask his opinion on things and he gets right back to me with open, honest answers....including telling me that I'm a "paranoid Mom" after I sent him an email that Emma was grabbing at her ears about a week after the tubes. :)
Beaker...
Ferg...
The morning of the surgery was a little stressful to me because Emma's been starting in with the whole Separation Anxiety thing, and I was TERRIFIED that she'd freak out when I had to hand her over to the nurse. She, of course, was wonderful....and Mommy looked like a sobbing idiot for no reason.
The surgery is only 10 minutes long (literally). Ferg came out to get us right after he put the tubes in and informed us that Emma had RAGING bilateral infections when we went in there. He was able to remove the infected fluid and place the tubes without a problem.
Her recovery was just fine--- she slept off the anesthesia on the way home, and by 10 am we were home and she was eating a full breakfast! So far, so good :) We go for a re-check appointment with Dr. Ferguson in about a week and a half.
In other news, Emma has a few new tricks up her sleeve, including: **almost** walking! Her new favorite activity is holding one of our hands and walking everywhere she can. Today at The Little Gym she actually took 3 steps before she fell down! So exciting! I think we just need to build up her confidence and she'll be off and running. It's so crazy to think that just 6 months ago she was a little lump on a playgym mat. :)
Another emerging trick is to tell you what a doggy says! If you ask her, she'll (most of the time) say "oof, oof." It's adorable and ridiculous at the same time, and I LOVE trying to get her to say it. We're working on what a kitty says, too, but I think she's stuck on the doggy right now.
About two weeks ago we had our backyard (and a small portion of the front yard) landscaped, and then Brian and his boss (Gary) decided to put up the structure to screen in the back patio. So far everything looks great! All of the framing is up and waiting for stain, and then the guys will do the screening. It should hopefully all be done in time for Emma's birthday. Can't wait!
Monday, May 16, 2011
Tube-ville: Next Exit?
Poor Emma just can't catch a break. She **just** got over bilateral ear infections last Tuesday (her ears were "beautiful" according to the doctor). On Thursday she had a temp of 101.5 so she had to stay out of school on Friday. Over the weekend she became more congested, added a cough, and then yesterday had gooey eyes. Brian brought her in to the doc this morning and...tada! A RAGING ear infection in her left ear, plus conjunctivitis.
I'd been in touch with a pediatric ENT that I work with lately regarding Emma's multiple ear infections. He suggested coming in for an evaluation if she were to get any other ear infections. So... we've got an appointment with Dr. Ferguson next Wednesday afternoon. He said it's definitely not too early to put tubes in (he's put them in babies as young as 4 months), and that her eustacian tubes just might be too immature to stay open (which doesn't allow drainage, which leads to ear infections). So, we'll see what he says next Wednesday.
Surprisingly, Emma has been acting pretty normal throughout all of this. She's still Turbo Baby, crawling, climbing, laughing, talking, all the while. We even Skyped with Grandma Carol, Uncle Evan and Allyssa yesterday and she was a complete ham the whole time.
Sleep has been a bit better lately, too. We started the Cry It Out method last Wednesday. So far, so good. Em keeps waking up for about 5 or 10 minutes of fussing, but has been able to put herself back to sleep. Of course, it probably helps that I've put about 4 pacifiers all around the crib so she can just crawl around and find one. :)
I think that's it for now. Nothing really new to report. Just trying to get (and keep) our little girl healthy, but it sounds like we'll need some help with that. Keep your fingers crossed for us!
I'd been in touch with a pediatric ENT that I work with lately regarding Emma's multiple ear infections. He suggested coming in for an evaluation if she were to get any other ear infections. So... we've got an appointment with Dr. Ferguson next Wednesday afternoon. He said it's definitely not too early to put tubes in (he's put them in babies as young as 4 months), and that her eustacian tubes just might be too immature to stay open (which doesn't allow drainage, which leads to ear infections). So, we'll see what he says next Wednesday.
Surprisingly, Emma has been acting pretty normal throughout all of this. She's still Turbo Baby, crawling, climbing, laughing, talking, all the while. We even Skyped with Grandma Carol, Uncle Evan and Allyssa yesterday and she was a complete ham the whole time.
Sleep has been a bit better lately, too. We started the Cry It Out method last Wednesday. So far, so good. Em keeps waking up for about 5 or 10 minutes of fussing, but has been able to put herself back to sleep. Of course, it probably helps that I've put about 4 pacifiers all around the crib so she can just crawl around and find one. :)
I think that's it for now. Nothing really new to report. Just trying to get (and keep) our little girl healthy, but it sounds like we'll need some help with that. Keep your fingers crossed for us!
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Uh oh.... guess who can climb the stairs???
Today was the first time we've ever seen Emma even LOOK at the stairs. Well, today she showed us her "secret skill." Yikes!
(Note: Pay no attention to my backside. Brian neglected to tell me it was hanging out. Sorry!)
(Note: Pay no attention to my backside. Brian neglected to tell me it was hanging out. Sorry!)
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Emma's Naming, "Easter Emma," Bath Pics
Our trip to NY was a big success. Emma slept all the way up to NY on the flight there, napped in the car on the way home, and was good all day....until bedtime. Yikes. She was a holy terror that first night. As of yesterday Emma was diagnosed with a bad ear infection, so now that I look back on that night (and the night that we flew back to NC), her ears were probably starting to hurt and the air pressure didn't help. Poor thing.
In any case, Amy's wedding was absolutely beautiful and unlike anything I'll surely ever see again. Let's just say, it was an "experience." Amazing food, amazing drinks, amazing music. Good times had by all. AND we spent our first night ever away from Emma. Thank you Grandma Carol, Uncle Evan, and Allyssa for taking such good care of the baby.
Emma's naming ceremony went very well. She seemed to really take to the Rabbi. He was pretty funny and made the ceremony interesting and "interactive." Emma even tried her first bite of Challah bread! It was so great to have all of the grandparents present (Grammy and Grampy Farrell, Grandma Carol and Grandpa Joe) and even one of Emma's great grandmothers (Great Grandma Jennie Trumpatori).
Emma received some beautiful and thoughtful gifts, including: a beautiful necklace and frame from Grammy and Grampy Farrell, a pearl picture frame, and a comfy blanket that was given to her by Allyssa (she designed it herself and even chose the colors for it based on a picture of Emma with her daisy headband and tutu).
Emma took the name of her Great Grandma Pauline "Peninah" Meisler. Peninah literally means Pearl (or can also be referred to as Coral, as I learned from Allyssa), so the pearl frame and the engraved frame from Grammy and Grampy certainly hold special meaning.
Here are a few pictures from the naming:
We didn't do anything special for Easter or Passover this year, as we figured Emma is a little young to really "participate" in anything. So, here are a few cute pics of the "Easter Emma" with her bunny ears on...
And just for fun, some cute bath pics...
In any case, Amy's wedding was absolutely beautiful and unlike anything I'll surely ever see again. Let's just say, it was an "experience." Amazing food, amazing drinks, amazing music. Good times had by all. AND we spent our first night ever away from Emma. Thank you Grandma Carol, Uncle Evan, and Allyssa for taking such good care of the baby.
Emma's naming ceremony went very well. She seemed to really take to the Rabbi. He was pretty funny and made the ceremony interesting and "interactive." Emma even tried her first bite of Challah bread! It was so great to have all of the grandparents present (Grammy and Grampy Farrell, Grandma Carol and Grandpa Joe) and even one of Emma's great grandmothers (Great Grandma Jennie Trumpatori).
Emma received some beautiful and thoughtful gifts, including: a beautiful necklace and frame from Grammy and Grampy Farrell, a pearl picture frame, and a comfy blanket that was given to her by Allyssa (she designed it herself and even chose the colors for it based on a picture of Emma with her daisy headband and tutu).
Emma took the name of her Great Grandma Pauline "Peninah" Meisler. Peninah literally means Pearl (or can also be referred to as Coral, as I learned from Allyssa), so the pearl frame and the engraved frame from Grammy and Grampy certainly hold special meaning.
Here are a few pictures from the naming:
We didn't do anything special for Easter or Passover this year, as we figured Emma is a little young to really "participate" in anything. So, here are a few cute pics of the "Easter Emma" with her bunny ears on...
And just for fun, some cute bath pics...
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
A Mother's Prayer for Its Child.... by Tina Fey
A hilarious excerpt from Tina Fey's new book. I find it to be hysterical and EXACTLY hits on my every fear as a mommy.
Please, Emma, listen to my prayer...
“First, Lord: No tattoos. May neither Chinese symbol for truth nor Winnie-the-Pooh holding the FSU logo stain her tender haunches.
May she be Beautiful but not Damaged, for it’s the Damage that draws the creepy soccer coach’s eye, not the Beauty.
When the Crystal Meth is offered, may she remember the parents who cut her grapes in half And stick with Beer.
Guide her, protect her when crossing the street, stepping onto boats, swimming in the ocean, swimming in pools, walking near pools, standing on the subway platform, crossing 86th Street, stepping off of boats, using mall restrooms, getting on and off escalators, driving on country roads while arguing, leaning on large windows, walking in parking lots, riding Ferris wheels, roller-coasters, log flumes, or anything called “Hell Drop,” “Tower of Torture,” or “The Death Spiral Rock ‘N Zero G Roll featuring Aerosmith,” and standing on any kind of balcony ever, anywhere, at any age.
Lead her away from Acting but not all the way to Finance. Something where she can make her own hours but still feel intellectually fulfilled and get outside sometimes And not have to wear high heels. What would that be, Lord? Architecture? Midwifery? Golf course design? I’m asking You, because if I knew, I’d be doing it, Youdammit.
May she play the Drums to the fiery rhythm of her Own Heart with the sinewy strength of her Own Arms, so she need Not Lie With Drummers.
Grant her a Rough Patch from twelve to seventeen.Let her draw horses and be interested in Barbies for much too long, For childhood is short – a Tiger Flower blooming Magenta for one day – And adulthood is long and dry-humping in cars will wait.
O Lord, break the Internet forever, that she may be spared the misspelled invective of her peers And the online marketing campaign for Rape Hostel V: Girls Just Wanna Get Stabbed.
And when she one day turns on me and calls me a Bitch in front of Hollister, Give me the strength, Lord, to yank her directly into a cab in front of her friends, For I will not have that Shit. I will not have it.
And should she choose to be a Mother one day, be my eyes, Lord, that I may see her, lying on a blanket on the floor at 4:50 A.M., all-at-once exhausted, bored, and in love with the little creature whose poop is leaking up its back. “My mother did this for me once,” she will realize as she cleans feces off her baby’s neck. “My mother did this for me.” And the delayed gratitude will wash over her as it does each generation and she will make a Mental Note to call me. And she will forget. But I’ll know, because I peeped it with Your God eyes.
Amen.”
-Tina Fey
Please, Emma, listen to my prayer...
“First, Lord: No tattoos. May neither Chinese symbol for truth nor Winnie-the-Pooh holding the FSU logo stain her tender haunches.
May she be Beautiful but not Damaged, for it’s the Damage that draws the creepy soccer coach’s eye, not the Beauty.
When the Crystal Meth is offered, may she remember the parents who cut her grapes in half And stick with Beer.
Guide her, protect her when crossing the street, stepping onto boats, swimming in the ocean, swimming in pools, walking near pools, standing on the subway platform, crossing 86th Street, stepping off of boats, using mall restrooms, getting on and off escalators, driving on country roads while arguing, leaning on large windows, walking in parking lots, riding Ferris wheels, roller-coasters, log flumes, or anything called “Hell Drop,” “Tower of Torture,” or “The Death Spiral Rock ‘N Zero G Roll featuring Aerosmith,” and standing on any kind of balcony ever, anywhere, at any age.
Lead her away from Acting but not all the way to Finance. Something where she can make her own hours but still feel intellectually fulfilled and get outside sometimes And not have to wear high heels. What would that be, Lord? Architecture? Midwifery? Golf course design? I’m asking You, because if I knew, I’d be doing it, Youdammit.
May she play the Drums to the fiery rhythm of her Own Heart with the sinewy strength of her Own Arms, so she need Not Lie With Drummers.
Grant her a Rough Patch from twelve to seventeen.Let her draw horses and be interested in Barbies for much too long, For childhood is short – a Tiger Flower blooming Magenta for one day – And adulthood is long and dry-humping in cars will wait.
O Lord, break the Internet forever, that she may be spared the misspelled invective of her peers And the online marketing campaign for Rape Hostel V: Girls Just Wanna Get Stabbed.
And when she one day turns on me and calls me a Bitch in front of Hollister, Give me the strength, Lord, to yank her directly into a cab in front of her friends, For I will not have that Shit. I will not have it.
And should she choose to be a Mother one day, be my eyes, Lord, that I may see her, lying on a blanket on the floor at 4:50 A.M., all-at-once exhausted, bored, and in love with the little creature whose poop is leaking up its back. “My mother did this for me once,” she will realize as she cleans feces off her baby’s neck. “My mother did this for me.” And the delayed gratitude will wash over her as it does each generation and she will make a Mental Note to call me. And she will forget. But I’ll know, because I peeped it with Your God eyes.
Amen.”
-Tina Fey
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
8 Months Old, First Bike Trip, NY Trip
Happy 8 Month birthday to our baby girl! (4/2/11)
Emma had her second tooth break through a few days ago. It seems the "teething boogies" are neverending, so I'm wondering if she's going to pop a few teeth through on the top soon.
She's been sleeping much better lately (::knocks on wood::), only waking once in the night looking for her pacifier, then sleeping til about 6 am. Hey, we'll take it!
Her new favorite thing to do is crawl over to walls and stand up against them. We like to call her "Spider Baby" because she's so quick when doing this and doesn't lose her grip.
It's pretty incredible to see how quickly she's growing up. Now that she's a crawling machine she is exploring more and more. At The Little Gym she's getting more and more confident, crawling away from Mommy and towards new friends or the gymnastics equipment.
Brian bought a pull-behind bike trailer for Emma (the covered kind) a few weeks ago. We finally found an infant helmet and go her in it (she hated it) and went off for her first bike ride. We just went around the neighborhood for about 10 minutes. All in all she seemed to like it, we just need to get the straps to fit her a little better because she was sort of listing to one side the whole time.
We leave for NY on Friday morning--hopefully the little Stinker will sleep on the plane. If not, I have a feeling we'll have our hands full (now that she constantly wants to be moving).
We've got Amy Cohen's wedding (Kelly's college roomate) on Saturday night. It's a black tie event and we're looking forward to getting all dolled up to have a night out. Thank you Grandma Carol for taking care of Emma for that night so we can enjoy ourselves!
On Sunday morning, we will be having a naming ceremony for Emma. It's part of the Jewish tradition and is a way of honoring recently passed relatives. We're doing a more modern version of this with the Rabbi coming to Carol's house on Sunday morning to lead the ceremony, then we'll follow with a brunch. Emma will be taking on the name of Brian's maternal grandmother, Pauline or Pearlie. Brian and I are looking forward to being a part of such an important ritual and to be able to honor Brian's grandmother in such a nice way.
...Now, just wish us luck with the flights!!!
Thursday, March 24, 2011
The One-Toothed Wonder! Oh...and....guess who's crawling?!?!?!
Two BIG milestones this week! Saturday Emma's first tooth popped out, and yesterday she started crawling (more than just one or two paces). Here are a few pictures of the "tooth" (you can barely see it poking through), and I'll post a video of her crawling, too!
Crawling! (Grumpy and crawling...but hey, still crawling!)
Crawling! (Grumpy and crawling...but hey, still crawling!)
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Ladies and Gentlemen...
We have a TOOTH!
It popped out and surprised us this past Saturday! Emma really didn't even seem to notice--- she had actually been sleeping BETTER since last Thursday...weird. As soon as I can get one, I'll post a picture for you all. It's just the start of it, so it's just a little white line, but hey, we're counting it!
It popped out and surprised us this past Saturday! Emma really didn't even seem to notice--- she had actually been sleeping BETTER since last Thursday...weird. As soon as I can get one, I'll post a picture for you all. It's just the start of it, so it's just a little white line, but hey, we're counting it!
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Emma "The Spotless Wonder" Trumpatori!
Emma is healing wonderfully from her surgery! Here are a few pre-op and post-op pictures:
One week before her surgery:
Picture of the incision the day of surgery:
Picture of the incision 2 weeks post-op:
Initially, Dr. Gage was planning to do a smaller incision that would be oriented from front to back. He decided to change it and go more sideways (and a longer incision) when he was in the OR because she would have had a scar that came down onto her forehead if he did it the original way. This way her hair will eventually cover the whole thing!
One week before her surgery:
Picture of the incision the day of surgery:
Picture of the incision 2 weeks post-op:
Initially, Dr. Gage was planning to do a smaller incision that would be oriented from front to back. He decided to change it and go more sideways (and a longer incision) when he was in the OR because she would have had a scar that came down onto her forehead if he did it the original way. This way her hair will eventually cover the whole thing!
Thursday, March 17, 2011
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