So many things...

I am sorry I have been long in blogging. So many things...

First, my recovery is going well. And thanks to physical therapy Evy is getting a taste of being cared for by babysitters. For now just Grandmas Clausen and Foote as well as Aunt Kristi.

Second, Evelyn has had a birthday. One year! Boy, we made it! I am crying now at the thought of what we've been through. Well, you can see from the following pics how far she has come. They are taken one year apart.



Then



and now.

It was a great day. So many people were able to gather in celebration of Evy's life and birth. Unlike we were unable too do one year ago. It was as if we had all been holding our breath for a year, hoping for the best. Then we beheld the cherub reaching out for more, and we all sighed. It was summed up best in a card we received from Evy's primary nurse Natalee:

"Dearest little one-year-old,
you're sweet as can "bee"
and what a "buzzy" year you've had-
so much to do and see.

You always keep life humming with discovery and fun...

...and what a world of happiness you bring to everyone!"

I guess a loose interpretation of the word buzzy can describe the year. Thanks to all of you who came. It was a great day.


Natilee holds Evy for the first time since we left the NICU.

Third, Grandpa Forrester came up for the party. We took him to the zoo. Here is a pic of the "Three Smiling Forresters".



Lastly, Evelyn is going in for eye surgery on 7/15. You may have noticed in some of her pictures that she is cross-eyed. This is common in preemies. The brain makes the wrong connections to one or both eyes. In Evy's case, her left eye. They correct this by moving the muscle so that the wrong connection makes the eye go straight. It has a 80% chance of sucess, and this is made better by patching the good eye before surgery. Evelyn is now wearing a patch for four hours a day until the surgery.



I will update on this later...