The Mitchells: 29th Birthday-Part 3 FINAL

Sunday, July 08, 2007

29th Birthday-Part 3 FINAL

Growing up we were SPOILED on our birthdays. We were given birthday months...since each of us were born in a separate month...even our parents. We had birthday parties galore, got to pick where we ate lunch after church, and our grandparents made sure EVERYONE got presents, not just the birthday person. It was a HUGE deal. As I've gotten older I've tried to recreate this for myself. In 2003 (for those of you who remember) it was a birthday week of celebrations...including all the 4th of July festivities and a dual birthday with my friend Kent (who at the time had a roommate named Joe Mitchell...whom I barely knew). The following year we spent the weekend at a wedding for the Sinclairs and then Joe and I spent some time in beautiful Graham, TX. Since having a child I have realized that MY birthday isn't as important as I once thought. I spent months thinking about Ella's birthday party...and barely remembered that mine was coming up. Last year Ella was so sick that we didn't do anything on my birthday after taking her to the doctor and watching her closely (she'd only been home a month). This year was perfect. I spent time with friends, my family, and my daughter is so much healthier this year than last...which is my true wish when blowing out my candles.

Here are some pictures from Saturday lunch with girlfriends Maggie and Jennifer (who came in from Louisiana, but not for my birthday).

And here are some pictures from my dinner with family (missing Drew and Mike). Micah was funny...trying to steal my cake. It was just a good end to a great celebration.

29 is going to be a great year. I have an amazing husband, a healthy and happy baby girl, and we will welcome our 2nd child this year. Sara's husband, Mike, will come home...and the Witschorke family will be whole again. Ella will continue to amaze us with her development. And hopefully most of all God will be glorified through our lives.

2 comments:

Katy said...: Happy belated birthday! You look so beautiful in your pictures! Glad you were able to celebrate YOU!; 2:28 PM
Debbie said...: Yes, kids will do that to you. Your birthday is no longer the BIG deal. You look Great! I bet you're having a boy! Love you!; 10:42 AM

Ella's Story

Elizabeth "Ella" Hope Mitchell was born on May 10, 2006 at 3:45pm...by 5am the following morning the whole world turned upside down. The doctors came in to inform us that while Ella had been resting in the Newborn Nursery, she began to have irregular breathing and seizures. It was touch and go for the next 3 days. We were told several times that she probably would not make it alive through the ordeal. She had contracted Group Beta Strep which had resulted in meningitis. Due to the seizures and the infection we had no idea what the long-term effects would be. After Ella spent a long and trying month in the NICU we came home to see where the effects of her illness had left us all.

A few months later, almost a year, we had an official long-term diagnosis...Ella has Cerebral Palsy. She is a happy and loving child. She struggles with physical delays, cognitive delays and all sorts of things that have come and go.

2-eye surgeries to correct lazy eye
3-EEG's to check for siezures
5-MRI/MRV/MRA to check actual brain damage
3-CT scans for brain stuff
1-G-button/feeding tube surgically put in (and then Ella removed herself)
10 (approx)-Swallow Studies
1-Scoliosis Study
2-Kidney Reflux tests
2-Upper GI tests
1-24 hr reflux test
8-hearing tests
countless UTI tests
seemingly a million developmental tests
a hand splint
bath chair
adaptive stroller/wheelchair
stander
gait trainer
AFO's

ha, not to mention all of the therapist...currently: OT 2X/week, PT 3X/week (2 land, 1 horse), ST 3X/week (2 oral motor, 1 speech), develomental 1X/week, vision 2x/month, and we are about to start ACCDAT camp.

As of 4/8/2009.