I LOVE YOU!

There is always something new that Nayeli does everyday. If I don't write it down right away I forget. She is so smart in figuring things out. She will get a container and put the lid on it and seal it tight. I amazed on how easily she is pleased. She loves water and will go outside and ask for water from the hose so she can put her hands and face over it. She can sit there for a while playing. She is using more words to communicate to us on what she wants. When she is fussy she forgets to use her words and just cries or yells. So I usually know what she wants. Either a drink or a snack. She also loves to be picked up. Shane said that one day a few weeks back he had to put the carrier on so he can do work around the house while I was at work. She loves to grab your hand and have you follow her where she wants you to go. She will say sit if she wants you to sit. If you don't she gets upset. She is getting a little bossy but all she really wants is for someone to play with her. How can we say no to her?

Last week she started to say Amen during dinner prayer and lunch. She held her hands almost through the entire prayer. She says mommy here when she is giving me something. If she really doesn't want it she will say here until I take it away. She will let me know to stop something she doesn't like by telling my "Stop it". She started to say ABC and will keep singing it over and over again. She said Hi How are you? to herself while she was looking at herself in the mirror last week. Her favorite toy is her Dolly. She puts her Dolly in her little stroller and will put a blanket on her and say cold. Every night before going to bed she has to give Daddy, me, Twinkie and Molly a hug and a kiss. She never fusses when it's to go to bed. We have a routine and she likes it.

We have her enrolled in Gymnastics, Swimming, Basketball and Kindermusik. I hope we are able to keep taking her to one or two classes during the winter months. She loves all of her classes. I think my favorite is Kindermusik. They disenfect everything plus the teacher is so creative. She sat on the teachers lap for the first time last week. I was shocked. I am so happy she is being more sociable. The classes have helped.

My parents came for a visit last weekend. We went to Monterey and Carmel. We had so much fun walking around and smelling the ocean air. The annual Dachshund gathering was held on Sunday. Over 175 dachshunds were there. Nayeli loved having all of them approach her. She had a few of her chips taken away by them. She didn't mind.







Shane's mother arrived yesterday and is visiting for a week and half. Nayeli and Grandma Dar are having a great time with each other.

Tonight was a very special night. Nayeli said I love you to me as I was putting her to bed. I had a few tears as I walked away. Not a day goes by that we don't thank God. She is 21 months today and it's amazing on how in 3 months she will be 2 years old. There is no slowing down.

Nayeli's favorite dance moves

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Colorado

On June 22nd we flew to Colorado for five days to visit our family and friends. We thought of driving and then decided to fly. As soon as we got on the plane we disenfected our seats and window. Nayeli did great on the flight there. We bought a car seat for her since the two that we have were too big to go on the plane seat. We had the carseat out for two weeks in the family room so she would get used to it. She loved sitting on it while watching her favorite TV shows. She was great on the flight there.

As soon as we arrived Nayeli took a nap. She slept for over 2 hours. Shane's mom and step dad Jim flew in from Buffalo to visit us. They stayed at Great Grandma Gerry's house while we stayed with our friends. We stayed in their basement which looks like an apartment. We loved it! Nayeli loved that there was toys for her to play with. She would wake up and go straight to the doll house. She was so happy to have other kids to play with. Everyone got to meet Nayeli for the first time it was so exciting. She immediately bonded with Grandpa Jim. We also noticed that she was very comfortable in going up to everyone and receiving hugs and kisses. When it was time to go to bed she would give everyone a hug goodnight. It was so cute. One night when we were all praying before dinner. She held her hands in front of her too. Not as good coming back she was tired from waking up at 6am. so we could make it to the airport on time for our flight.

We met two other CDH families while we were there. We met Ella's family and decided to go to the zoo. It was great meeting them. We have been following each other's blog. It was nice to connect and talk about our CDH experiences.

We met John's family at the park. They flew in to visit family and friends from Alaska. We were so happy to finally meet. We have been talking to each other while we were still pregnant. Our little one's played and laughed. It was a little emotional too. I thought of the babies that were born with CDH and didn't survive. I pray for those familes and think of them often.

We had a great time visiting our family and friends and having BBQ's. We wish we all lived closer. Here is a video of our trip.

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UCSF CDH Clinic

On Thursday the 17th of June, we went to UCSF for our 3rd CDH Clinic. Although these appointments stress us out a bit, we look forward to meeting with the wonderful staff at UCSF. They have such a friendly professional crew of folks, and they are always very receptive to our concerns.

The meeting began by "attempting" to get Nayeli's height and weight. They measured her at around 33 inches and her weight was just under 25 lbs. We debated the weight as Nayeli had her clothing on and also was packing a pretty good size pee pee. None the less, we are always pleased by any weight gain.

We then met with the developmental psychologist so she could evaluate Nayeli to see how she is progressing in this area. Nayeli did a great job and even surprised us on a couple of the exercises, which included her pointing out items in a books, stacking blocks, and putting thin sticks into holes in a block. We don't always think this testing is a true representation of Nayeli's, and probably a lot of kids true abilities. Nayeli, like most children who are born with issues, I think get a little shy at the onset as they are not exposed to people and other kids right out of the gate. At home, Nayeli is amazing, to the point of helping us put dishes away, and remembering other complex tasks we do on a daily basis.

Last, we met with Nurse Barb, Dr Miniati, and another Dr who was visting from outside of the US. Prior to meeting with us, they reviewed Nayeli's x-rays we brought from Kaiser. Kaiser now makes us get Nayeli's xrays at a Kaiser facility prior to our UCSF appointment so they do not have to pay UCSF to do the xrays...ah yes, more budget cuts!

Overall, the staff said Nayeli is doing great. We talked about Nayeli's paraesophageal hiatel hernia amd they pretty much said it is the same. We asked them about the possibility of another surgery and they said they would just "monitor it" and watch how Nayeli does with it. Dr Miniati also discovered that Nayeli now has a "belly button hernia." Dr Miniati said that this type of hernia is usually not a problem as long as the hole is "smaller than a thumb." So far, he said they hole is smaller than a thumb and it is another thing they will just keep an eye on. As long as Nayeli eats well and continues to go to the bathroom on a pretty regular basis, they say we have nothing to be concerned about.

We know we are very blessed with our miracle girl. Each day that passes and we watch her grow, we know she is getting stronger every day. The other day, Shane was vacuuming. To keep Nayeli from getting scared of the vacuum, Shane gave her her toy vacuum and had her roll it with him next to the real vacuum. Moments later, Nayeli picked her toy vacuum up with one hand (which is at least several lbs) and walked across the room carrying it with one hand. We thank God for her strength and perseverance every day.

Psalm 29:11 "The LORD gives strength to his people; the LORD blesses his people with peace.

We are so happy that summer is here! We have something fun to do every weekend. Nayeli is loving the outdoors and getting out. We took Nayeli to our dachshund meetup group a couple of weeks ago. We enjoyed a nice walk along the shoreline and enjoyed the beautiful view of SF. I enrolled her in a class through this rehabilation center for wildlife. She loves animals and squeaks when she really likes one.

I decided it was time to get a new pair of running shoes and get out and run. I was afraid of running before because my Doctor told me that by running it could reduce my milk production. Nayeli will be 20 months and she is still BF. I don't think my milk supply will be a problem. I ran 1 mile the first week and 1 1/2 the second week. It's so much harder when you have to push a baby in the stroller with Molly on the bottom basket and also have Twinkie on the leash. I am going to continue running at least once then twice then three times a week. I love running! I just wish I could run like I used to.Nayeli loves pushing the stroller with Molly and Twinkie. Molly enjoying her new carseatIt's funny to see Nayeli go in to the laundry basket and read her books.

Fun in So Cal

I can't believe how long it's been since we updated the blog. We have been having so much fun! We recently took a trip to LA. We visited lots of friends and we went to Disneyland. Nayeli loved it! The weather was so nice 80 and 90's the entire time we were there. I loved it! Shane doesn't do well in heat. We had a nice relaxed time. My parents cooked the entire time we were there so I felt like I was at a five star hotel with them. They really make us feel special. My parents took us to a nice four year anniversary dinner. It was great going out and going to a restaurant. I loved having her sleep in the same room with us. She would wake up and start talking. She is in such a good mood in the morning. My dad got this shirt for Nayeli when he was in Oaxaca earlier this year.
First time on a playground swing. Going out with friends.First time on a pony.Having fun with CDH sister CadenneSparky and Molly salivating over my mom's BBQ. All three cousins together.
Our Family!
Going out with friends!
A week before our vacation Shane sprained his ankle while he was playing hockey. He is recovering. I think Nayeli knows daddy doesn't feel well and gives him a harder time. She refuses to be carried by him alot and wants me to carry her or hold her. We thought we were past this. She screams and cries everytime Shane puts her in the carseat. I don't have that problem unless we are leaving a fun place. Nayeli is starting to be more vocal about what she wants. She started this habit to ask for her binkie before bedtime. She would only use the binkie during the day for naps. Now it's the first thing she asks when she is going to bed. I have given it to her but take it away as soon as she falls asleep. It actually helps her go to sleep faster. I guess the binkie is a good thing.

Her voice is so cute when she wants something. She will say juice yes, milk no, cheese yes. When she refuses to eat she will eat chips or crackers. We are ok with that as long as it's loaded with calories. I am breastfeeding three times a day. I probably average 2oz. each time. I will cotinue to BF as long as she wants. I was starting to worry when I was only pumping a couple of drops during the day at work. I am not pumping as much but will average 2oz a day. She seems to take more when she breast feeds.

We are enjoying taking her to the park and having her do regular things. We are still cautious and wipe her hands after. We are also enjoying going out to dinner. We hope we can be normal one day.

She started saying animal names and what they say. She says sheep baaaa, cow moo, horse ney, and will only make pig and lion sounds.
She is starting to say two words
*bless you after we sneeze
*thank you
*poopoo ewww yuckie
She says that each time she sees the dogs pooping or she goes outside our backyard and points to it and says that.
She mimics us alot.
Her new words are grandpa, grandma, box, fart, please, open, on.

She loves the light switches and likes to open and close anything she can get to. We are child proofing all of our drawers, cabinets and door handles. She started to unzipper her pj's in the morning.

Her favorite dance CD is Michael Jackson. As soon as she hears it she starts dancing. We are allowing her to watch 30 to 45 minutes of TV. She loves Yo Gabba Gabba.

I love when she blows goodnight kisses to me. Her favorite book is the Baby Bible. She especially likes the pictures of the animals on Noah's ark. She will try to say their name and make the sound or mimic how they move. For Giraffe she extends her head out. For elephant she will take her arm out and wave it. Her favorite one is the Lion she will roar. Everything she does is miracle in our eyes. We hope to start potty training soon. We are shopping around for a good toilet for her and a travel one too. She has always done things on her time so we will be ready for her when she tells us she ready for potty training.

18 month pics on video

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18 months!

It amazes us on how fast you are growing up. You are a little sponge ready to soak everything in. You love to go outide and will stand by the glass sliding door and say it in your cute way "ouside". When you are outside you ignore us and have a fun time exploring. You walk with such enthusiasm. You will tilt your head back and smile and giggle with joy. Your smile is contagious. We love watching you! You love bugs and will sit and stare at them. You are so gentle with them. You never step on them or squish them with your finger. You especially love ants and rollie pollies. Twinkie stepped on a rollie pollie by accident and squished it. It died instantly. You stared at it and wondered why it stopped moving. I said it went bye bye. I didn't know what else to say. You have shown empathy towards your plastic dog toy. I was playing with it and by accident it flipped on it's back and I was dragging it with it's leash. You quickly started to cry and ran towards your dog toy and held it. When you drop your dolly you rub it's head. Sometimes you will rock her and try to sing to her. I think you are trying to sing rock a bye baby.

You are teething again! You are chewing on everything including your hand and fingers. Sometimes even your toes. You sometimes let me clip your nails but usually you get restless and you won't let me touch your finger nails or toe nails. You love getting baths. When you are in the tub you splash water at me or daddy. You laugh and think it's funny. You love watching Barney before bath time. You love to dance to some of Barney's songs. You love the I love you song. You will say "I" and keep saying it when you want me to sing it.

We think you really like Grandma and Grandpa's dog Sparky you ask for him all of the time. You say Parky. It is so cute. When we were going for a walk with Twinkie and Molly the other day you said walk. You kiss your dolls, teddy bears, Twinkie, Molly, mommy and daddy when we ask for a kiss. You especially like to kiss John and Carter's or any pictures with babies on them.

You are sleeping through the night. If you wake up it's for a diaper change. Sometimes when we walk in you will crying and will be sitting in the corner of your crib with your teddy. You immediately suck on your finger and go back to sleep after your diaper has been changed. You go to bed at 8pm and wake up at 8am. You started to take one nap per day. You are doing well with the transisiton. You get very tired by 1pm. You nap from 130pm to 3pm. You hate diaper changes unless they are when you are in bed. You don't like getting dressed or having your hair brushed in the morning. You do like to brush your own teeth. You also like to brush your own hair with mommy or daddy's hairbrush.

We took you to your first kindermusik class last Friday. You were overwhelmed seeing all the children in the classroom you were fine towards the end. Daddy and I were a little nervous taking you. After meeting the instructor and telling her about you she was very nice and understanding. She made us feel very comfortable and said she disinfects all of the toys before any of the children touch them. She also said she sends chilren home with their parent if they are sick. That made us feel at ease.

You copy alot of the words we say. Your new words are look, outside(ouside), dos(spanish for two), No or No No No

Words you say
Mommy
Daddy
bye bye
turtle
apple
bananna(nana)
Twinkie(Twikie)
Molly(Mol)
Kitty car,
baby
eat
moon
hi
shoe
ball
more
mimis(sleep in spanish)
orchata(mexican drink)
naranja(orange in spanish)
agua(water in spanish)

You Baby sign
dog
car
duck
book
hat
wave bye bye
airplane
kitty
turtle
baby
all done
milk
eat
light
moon
sleep
book
butterfly
flower
leaf
shoe
rabbit
telephone
frog
ball
more
do the kissing sound

You can point to your head, ears, nose, eyes,toes, feet, fingers and belly when we ask you. You love having your feet tickled. You think chasing Twinkie and Max is the funniest thing. Twinkie doesn't mind and will chase you back. Max just runs away from you. You love eating dog and cat food. You love to share your food with Twinkie or your teddy bear.

You keep us busy and love every moment with you even when you have temper tantrums. You do outstanding performances. You love the simple things in life. It brings you so much happiness. We are grateful and thankful for living with a miracle.

Our friend Debbie has agreed to watch Nayeli starting in July. We are so happy! Molly's first outing since she was put on crate rest for her cervical bulging disc on January 22nd Nayeli is at her first kindermusik class with other children. Nayeli with Nana at the library during story time.Twinkie, Molly and Max celebrating Nayeli's 18 months! Nayeli touching a public slide for the first time. Don't worry I cleaned her hands.