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.
-
Gross things to do in a restaurant
Amid running errands on Saturday, we went to Cousins for lunch. Nothing is ever boring or mundane.
-
Friends wherever she goes
The first Friday of every month in the summer, my city has this outdoor community event. Music is played, food is served, and everyone gets plenty of exercise and beer.
-
Daddy-daughter time
Jessica went out this evening for a girls’ night out, so Namine and I took advantage of the nice weather and went to the park.
-
Another picnic picture
I just wanted to post this. The folks at RVA posted this picture (among others) on their Facebook page — Namine with her new friends at the picnic.
-
Milestones
Yesterday was the first day of Namine’s new physical therapy schedule. Instead of once a week, she’s got it twice a week. Her therapist felt that this is the right direction, since she’s been improving so much lately.
-
Planning a birthday
Jessica and I were compiling a list of children, with Namine’s help, to invite to Namine’s upcoming birthday party.
-
One more day
As I sit here typing this out, I should be home. We should be home. We would have headed home from my aunt’s this evening, but for inclement weather. With the strong winds and rain — and threat of hail — we opted to stay the night, and head home tomorrow evening.
-
Making brownies
Namine and my aunt made brownies this morning. It’s not often we make brownies before breakfast, but you need a break every now and then. Even better, Namine was thrilled to wear her new chef apron and hat.
-
Playing balance games
Namine asked me this afternoon if we could play Mario Kart. Before that, though, we tried something new. We fired up the Wii Fit to try her on some balance games.
-
Standing up for herself
At her end of the year school picnic, Namine made some new friends — but then, that’s never been a problem for her. And I was proud to witness her sticking up for herself.
-
School picnic
Today we attended Namine’s end of the year school picnic in Marshfield. It wasn’t quite as far away as when we visited for orientation and supplies pickup, but it’s still four hours away. To make the drive easier, we stayed with my aunt last night. As a result, the drive up this morning was only…
-
One puff less
Namine had an appointment with her pulmonologist yesterday morning. It was just a routine visit, but even so, we came away with some fantastic news.