Some notes on Brooklyn's progress

Brooklyn had her ears checked last week.  After her first shunt was placed back in December, one of her ears passed (the one on the right side, where the first shunt was placed) but the other did not.  So we were pleased to find out this time that both ears passed and so she should be hearing effectively out of both ears.

As for her other progress, we will continue to look for developmental signs, both cognitive and physical.  While she will not likely hit all milestones on a normal timeline, we have hope she will hit them eventually.  For instance, she is now smiling and is adorable when she does.  However, she has not laughed a whole lot yet, but there have been a couple of times where we heard the beginnings of a laugh.  It is important to note that while the shunt is now working from what we can see, we will have to patiently find out over time what damage has been done from the pressure.  We will be grateful for any progress she can make, especially cognitively, and hope for full cognitive capacity, but whatever the Lord has in store for her we will be grateful.

As for the motor skills, it is expected she will lag behind a normal timeline.  Again, we hope for the best, but even if a perfect outcome occurs, it will most likely be due to a delayed timeline.  For instance, many babies might start to roll over at this point.  Given her head size, this is not reasonable to expect from her until she has stronger neck muscles and her body catches up a bit more with her head size.  Assuming she does gain "normal" motor skills, she can be expected to be delayed in terms of when she crawls, walks, etc.  Again, we are just so grateful to have her here, have her safe and healthy, and look forward to whatever progress she makes.

Brooklyn is beautiful and a wonderful baby.  As I've mentioned before, she eats well and she has been sleeping through most of the night.  She is fun to interact with, especially to hear her cooing, and is adored in our family.

Thanks to all who continue to pray for her - we appreciate your continued support!