Flashback. . . Fast Forward Friday

As I mentioned in my Way Back When-sday post, I thought that we had lost thousands of our digital pictures stored on our hard drive when our computer crashed last summer. I have had so much fun this summer going through those "lost" photos and remembering all the precious moments those photos captured. Birthday parties, baptisms, Christmases, and brain surgeries.

Cue needle scratch across record.

Did she just say precious memories and brain surgeries in the same breath?

Yes. Brain surgeries. And while they may not be happy memories exactly, they are very powerful memories of an extremely difficult time in our life. I guess they don't make me as sad as they possibly could in light of the amazing progress our sweet girl has made since those unbelievable hard days. These images just remind me of what an amazing little gal our Avery is. She is the toughest cookie I know!

Here is Miss Avery a few days after her first surgery. I can't believe how good she looks in these pictures, considering that during the five hour surgery doctors removed part of her skull, froze it, and placed nearly-one hundred electrodes directly on the surface of her brain to monitor the nearly thirty seizures a day she was enduring every day back then.







And here is Miss Avery a few days after her second brain surgery, which took place just a week after, the first surgery. Now here, she looks miserable, and she was. During this second surgery doctors removed a large portion of her left frontal lobe. Miracoulsy, Avery did not suffer any permanent loss of function and quickly regained the skills she lost during her long recovery.





She is a miracle isn't she?

Considering we almost lost our sweet girl after that second surgery to a blood clot in her femoral artery (from a central line that was placed during the surgery.) Avery's condition became critical when that blood clot in her groin decided to migrate to her lungs and become a pulmonary embolism. Yeah, those were tough days.

But when I look at these images, I don't feel sad. I am only reminded of what a fighter my sweet girl is. I am reminded of how blessed we are that she is sleeping soundly in her big girl bed and that she is full of life and spunkier than ever.

She's a miracle isn't she?

Fast Forward to today and here is Miss Avery now! (photo courtesty of Bethany) She is so beautiful, it takes my breath away and I am so very proud of how far she's come in the last three years.



Avery girl, you never fail to amaze mommy with your strength and courage. You refuse to let all the yuckyiness you have to deal with get you down. You just keep fighting and Mommy couldn't love you more. You are may hero and I am so proud of you baby girl! God surely has amazing plans for your little life!