Skydiving baby tricks!

The results are in: Baby Diana's case is far more complicated than previously thought--she's not only suffering from a bladder exstrophy, but exstrophy of other lower abdominal organs, plus spina bifida. As such, her surgery will be that much more complicated--too much, the doctors fear, for her teeny 6kg frame. Doctors' orders: fatten up, little one! Well, at least she doesn't seem to mind that her surgery's been postponed (for at least 3 months) to give her time to put on the much needed weight. She'll head back to Beijing later this week after the team here wraps up these weeks' investigations.

Practice makes...

perfect sleepy! Passing the time in the hospital (and preparing to be a piano-playing prodigy) can be so tiring!

Testing..testing..1...2...3...

CBCs, CTs, ECGs, X-rays, and echos make for some impressive testing alphabet soup!

Mama-duty Round 3

Baby Diana and I, along with New Hope nurse Lily from our Luoyang unit and baby Marina from our Zhengzhou unit, arrived swiftly and soundly at the Sanatorium to our home for the next months. We're fresh out the gates and ready to hunker down and do this!
This will be my third and by far longest stretch as temporary mommy during Diana's hospitalization and treatment--and that's even factoring in the 2.5 weeks I get to take off in the middle! (It just so happens that one of our nurses will be in HK and can relieve me for a bit.)
The decision to postpone my fall travel plans to extend my time at New Hope and take on this mission took about a second to make--after all, I had been secretly wishing that I could be Diana's carer; and Mongolia and the rest of China will still be there after all this won't it?
Really though, in our lives, how often can we be a part of a miracle that completely changes the course of someone's life, and be the bearers of hope where there was none?

My turn!!

For nearly six months, little Diana's been patiently waiting her turn for surgery (and putting on the needed weight). Great news: she's up next! We fly to Hong Kong in two weeks in preparation for her bladder exstrophy marathon operation (remember Emily's surgery took 10 hours, and Diana's condition is far more complicated). Home sweet home for the next 1.5-2 months: the pediatric ward!