Kate's 1st Christmas

I have been a slacker the last couple of days. It has been a crazy holiday season with Christmas parties, doctor appointments and getting the last minute shopping done.....the Rosenvall's are WORN OUT!!! But, we did have a great Christmas this year. We spent it with the Roper's in Fillmore, as this is Jordan's last Christmas with us for the next 2 years. On Saturday, we had a big get together at the barn with some family friends. It was fun because most have not seen Kate yet. We ate dinner and then Grandpa Roper hooked the hay wagon up to the tractor and drove around town carolling (only in a small town). We didn't go, but it sure looked like a lot of fun. This Christmas was especially fun having Kate with us. We can't wait for next year, as she will understand Christmas a little more. She, of course, got spoiled by the Grandmas!!
Today was a special day as we were able to go see Uncle Jordan off at the MTC. He is going to the Lubbock, TX mission. We are really going to miss him. I love this picture of him holding Kate. It's crazy to think that when he gets home, she will be 2 1/2, walking and talking and will have her heart fixed and her cleft palate surgery behind her. It seems like such a long time from now, but I have a feeling that it will go by really quick!
Kate is continually progressing. She had a check-up with the pediatrician on the 18th. She weighed 11 lbs. 1 oz. and measured a little under 22 inches. She's still not on the charts, but she made the 3rd percentile for her head circumference...WAHOO!!! She is smiling a lot more.....even giggles sometimes. However, I can't ever seem to get the camera fast enough when she is smiling. We have had some LONG nights the over the past week. She wakes up crying several times during the night (which is not typical). Anyway, I think I have come to a conclusion......we think she is teething!!! We're not for sure, but I noticed that her lower gum is a little swollen on one side with a slight bump. So, if it is that she is getting teeth already....we're in for a real treat : ) Much to my dismay, Kate's hair is getting thinner and thinner every day and is getting much lighter. I think she is going to be a blondie!!!
As we reflect upon this past year, we have so many things to be grateful for. We are so blessed to have Kate in our lives and for the many supportive family and friends. We truly don't know what we would've done without this support. We look forward to the starting of a new year.

Merry Christmas!

We went to a Christmas party last night and it was a "Christmas Sweater" theme (hence our festive Christmas sweaters......Yes, those are real lights on Bryan's sweater). We had a great time, but had to check out early because we noticed Kate's feeding tube had come out several inches and we didn't have any tape with us to fix it. Oh well. It was great to get out and be with our friends.

This week has been an adjustment not only for Kate, but for Bryan and I. Kate is still getting used to having the prosthetic in her mouth, but is slowly taking more and more from the bottle. She seems to think that day is night and night is day, so we've had a couple long nights. But, she is continually making progress. She is scheduled for her Echo cardiogram on January 3rd, so the days are winding down quickly.

My designer hospital gown

After a crazy and tiresome weekend, we are back home and tyring to help Kate adjust to her new mouth. The surgery went really well. It took a bit longer than we thought, but it wasn't too bad. The Dr. thought it would take about 1 hour 15 minutes and it actually took 2 1/2 hours because her mouth is so small, so it was a little nerve racking while we waited.
The procedure consisted of sewing together the soft tissue of the palate and tacking a prosthetic devise (like a retainer) to help protect the sutures of the soft palate and act as the hard palate until the next surgery which will replace her hard palate. This will also prevent food from entering the nasal cavity. During the procedure, they do what is called a "tongue stitch." Basically, they sew her tongue to her lip which allows the doctor or nurses, in an emergency situation, to remove the tongue from the airway quickly. Kate HATED it and was actively batting at her face to try and pull it out. They removed the sutures before we left on Saturday and she is a much happier girl. Her recovery has been very remarkable. In fact, we were feeding her from a bottle just a couple hours out of the recovery room. It's still very foreign to her and we're still working with her to familiarize her with the new changes. Having this procedure has really changed the sound of her cry, so we've had to get used to that. We're so glad that it is over and that everything went really well.

"O Christmas Tree"

We finally got the Christmas tree up this week. Kate is totally mesmerized by all the lights. When we feed her, she is more interested in looking at the lights than eating! It's really fun to watch her.
Tomorrow is going to be a big day for Kate. Her prosthetic procedure is scheduled for 6:00 am. (Yah, I know it's EARLY)!! The procedure shouldn't take that long......hopefully not more than 2 hours. We're hoping that she won't have too much pain afterward. She will need to stay in the hospital for 24 hours, so Bryan and I will be staying with her tomorrow night. We want to thank all of you who have fasted and prayed for her. We are so blessed!

Kate's Blessing

Today was such a special day for our little family. Kate was blessed in our ward and Bryan gave her such a beautiful blessing. It was a very spiritual meeting.