Our Little Theo: Welcome to the world, Nora!

The Foy family has grown by one since our last post! On April 2nd, Nora Whitney Foy was born, causing our hearts to grow even more full with love as soon as we met her. She's been home with us for two weeks now, and we all love being a family of four.

Theo is a great big brother already. He likes giving "Sissy" kisses, and is good about being gentle with her.

Nora is an absolute joy. She rarely fusses, she sleeps relatively well, and she's a good eater. I am treasuring my time at home with her. I love being a mom to these two!

The contrast between Nora's first two weeks of life and Theo's could not be more drastic. For example, on day 3 of Nora's life, we enjoyed a walk and breakfast at Common Market. On day 3 of Theo's life, he was being prepared for surgery to place his dialysis catheter. I think our experience with Theo has made us appreciate each moment at home with Nora immensely more than we would have otherwise. At the same time, it has made us appreciate even more all that Theo endured in the NICU, and the great care he (and we) received while there.

Common Market on Nora's 3rd day of life

One thing that changed overnight with Nora's birth was my perception of Theo's size. I left for the hospital thinking he was just a little fellow, and returned home to a GIANT. It's hard to believe that he was ever as small as she is! Now, weighing in at close to 26 pounds, he seems like such a healthy, normal-sized 2.5-year old. (Truth be told, he is still very little. I think he is somewhere in the 0-5% range for both height and weight. Nora, meanwhile, was born at 95% height and 90% weight.)

With a few exceptions, the last six months have been pretty uneventful in Theo's health. We managed to avoid most of the viral illnesses that came around this winter, and have not had any overnight stays at the "homespital" recently. The one issue he is dealing with is a UTI that won't go away. We're on our 3rd round of antibiotics now, which should hopefully kick it for good. But, the UTI took a toll on him for a while, and caused him to drop a few pounds about a month ago. He's back to gaining weight now and his cheeks are looking more full again, so all seems to be headed the right direction.

In other developmental news, Theo has started to eat most of his calories by mouth again, and we're down to only 10-ounces of fluid being fed overnight. His labs have looked great, and Dubya (his trusty new kidney) is thriving. His physical development has been good, and I'd challenge you to find a faster, more energetic 2.5 year old. He keeps us busy! Theo's vocabulary is steadily improving, and, if you want to be entertained, then I'd invite you to join us for a walk one day. You would get to hear Theo point out every car that we pass... including Nissan, Ford, Chevy, Volkswagen, Honda, Hyundai, Zoom Zoom (Mazda), and Daddy's car (BMW). It's true, my son is a genius.

It still amazes me that Theo is as healthy and energetic as he is. When we were initially given a prognosis for him, it seemed impossible to imagine that the toughest issue we'd face on a given day is how to properly discipline him, or if we should let him have M&M's even if he didn't eat as many pieces of pineapple as we'd like. Seriously, it's amazing. We're so proud of him and the boy he is becoming.

Next Friday, April 25th, we will celebrate Theo's one year Kidneyversary. I plan to post again (probably with Nick's help) to acknowledge the life-changing transformation that was made possible with Whitney's new kidney. What a year it has been!

First, though, we are excited to celebrate Easter as a family of four. We know that it is by God's grace that we've been saved... and by his grace that we've had the pleasure to endure and enjoy all that he has given to us.

Some of my favorite pictures from the last six months: