Eiche fam

Namine

Namine Olivia Eiche was born on July 15, 2008 with a double-inlet left ventricle heart defect; Pierre Robin sequence, a condition that resulted in a regressed jaw and a partial (U-shaped) cleft palate; caudal regression syndrome (also known as sacral agenesis), which damages the growth of the tailbone and legs, also giving her clubfoot; and scoliosis.

  • Qotd

    You can’t call me Nom Nom! Only Uncle Matt can call me Nom Nom!

  • In long-standing Eiche tradition

    I made Namine into a mermaid.

  • Qotd

    I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to not eat you! Namine says to her animal crackers.

  • Namine’s first piano recital

    Namine’s first piano recital

    Namine played in her very first piano recital.

  • Qotd

    Namine’s thoughts on the end of Avatar: The Last Airbender.

  • Breathing easier

    Namine had a pulmonology appointment the other day. She came away with good news: she can now start to be weaned off her inhalers.

  • Heart appointment today

    We met with Namine’s cardiologist today. With Namine’s O2 stats being lower since last weekend, our main concern was that the time for the third heart surgery, the Fontan, was drawing near. That’s a train you don’t want to miss.

  • Kids will be kids

    Jessica and I met today with the principal of Namine’s new school. The experience was by far the best of all the “here’s your new school” tours we’ve taken. (I think the tally is up to three or four by now.)

  • The hard part

    Despite all the fun we had over the weekend with Namine’s first dance recital, we had a scare on Friday. We had just gotten home from the dress rehearsal, and Namine wasn’t feeling well. So we took her pulseox, expecting her O2 to be in the low 80s; we were certainly not prepared for what…

  • Post-recital pictures

    Post-recital pictures

  • No glitter allowed

    No glitter allowed

    At a dance recital, you can expect glitter. I tried to avoid it when my sister was in dance – alas, to no avail. And now I’m in for it again, with Namine’s very own first dance recital coming up.

  • We want the same thing

    We want the same thing

    Namine is so easygoing most of the time, it’s easy to forget how stubborn and iron-willed she can be. Monday morning, she spent the first ten minutes of physical therapy stonewalling the therapist.