NSR...Ave's Perinatal Check

Note: This is a detailed summary of Ave's hospital visit. If you are here for the crafts, you can skip this one!

You know how you are stressed but can't appreciate how stressed you are until it finally leaves you? That was my day today. I took Avery for a series of tests today at the hospital and afterwards was just plum exhausted (I felt like driving home with my eyes closed)! I have to think that my brain was working overtime and I didn't realize it until we had our various workups all said and done. For those interested:

• Hearing test: Not exactly meeting her marks (particularly on her left side). We have to go back for retesting since a big part of her lack of alertness may be her poor sleeping schedule (hmm, you think?). (Note: It is so cute how they test the babies. They put us in a sound-proof booth and then the technician would make a sound [at various volumes/frequencies]. If she responded appropriately, a box would light up and inside would be a stuffed mechanical kitten, bear, etc. who would clap...cute!)
  
• Unsurprisingly, the pediatrician said she was behind on her development for gross and fine motor controls. He had the physiotherapist come in and work with Avery. She noted that Ave has not the same muscle tone on her right side as her left. The lateral muscles in her core, along with her hip, just do not like to be worked as much (maybe she favoured the left side after the surgery?).
  
  Anyhoo, because of such, she will not put her weight equally across her midsection (and particularly her hips) which makes learning to sit a real challenge. So, we have to work with her (rolling, sitting and even our hold positions) to make sure she starts to work on strengthening that side of her body. And in another six to eight weeks, we will go back to see if she has improved...still, sitting on her own will be another milestone that we won't reach soon (sigh! I want her to be able to do this since I think her disposition would improve dramatically!).
• Her fine motor controls are okay but not great esp. with her finger control (which may give further credence to why every meal with her is like sitting down with the Cookie Monster). Because of her focus on finger food (read anything that Tristan and Charlotte have, Ave wants too!), she is not gaining weight the way she was. Of course, she did have that stomach bug recently... Overall, it just furthers her need to eat (which is why all her nighttime snacking has not gone away).
• Worst part of the day? Trying to get blood from her at the lab on the way out...
  
  She was so tuckered out as it was and they a) couldn't find a vein in her first arm and b) when they got to the second arm they had to do everything they could just to coax a modicum amount out. She was, needless to say, beside herself. Ave has the tendency to calm herself all the way down after a trauma and then ratchet it all the way back up again (we usually go through about three to four cycles of this which lasts about twenty minutes). So, they put us off in a separate room and I just sat there slowly bouncing and singing "You are my sunshine" until we could put her clothes back on and leave. I swear, it is never the big things that sidetrack us, it's all these little things!
  

Anyway, save these issues (and her sleeping schedule...I am supposed to check in with the psychologist periodically for any feedback/tips if things do not turn around soon), she is doing very well. In fact, her heart condition wasn't even discussed save to note the murmur. The pediatrician said some of her developmental issues may more be due to the fact that she was a preemie than her heart surgery. It is so great to be able to have the full gamut of tests just so that we can know what is acceptable, what we need to work on and what just makes Ave a big ol' princess (read stubborn...ha!).