What a month it has been! After a very difficult labor and delivery our precious Juliette was born. Due to what happened during delivery, Juliette suffered from nerve damage from her neck/right shoulder down to her fingers. The condition is known as Erb's Palsy (Brachial Plexus Birth Palsy). Her arm was completely limp after delivery. By the time we left the hospital she had some movement in her fingers and she flinched her shoulder once. We were thankful for the little movements! We started physical therapy at three weeks old and do the therapy exercises several times a day throughout the day. The PT is to maintain her range of motion in her shoulder, elbow, wrist, and hand to prevent them from becoming stiff. Nerves recover very slowly so we are so so so very thankful for each and every little movement we see!
At a couple days old we found out some of Juliette's newborn lab work came back showing problems with her thyroid - potentially congenital hypothyroidism. After several more rounds of blood work, prayer, and waiting on test results her levels came back down to the normal range indicating transient hypothyroidism at birth and all should be well going forward. Praise God!
Oh, how wonderful it is to have Juliette Grace in our family. She really is the sweetest little thing. Juliette's a great sleeper which is quite refreshing. She enjoys her pacifier and blankets and loves to be cradled in our arms. She's always so calm and content when Jenni holds her. She is also held frequently by the boys and they love to try to help her when they hear her make noises. I'm not sure who uses the baby swing more - the real baby or Jackson. :) I find Jackson climbing into her swing quite often with the biggest smile on his face. We are thankful for one wonderful month with our newest love.
