When we adopted Emilia, we knew that her primary physical special need was a congenital heart defect. This was a condition to which we had expressed openness in our paperwork and something she shares in common with her youngest cousin. Today we had our first appointment with cardiology at Cincinnati Children's and all went well. Emilia's VSD is very small and her EKG is normal. She shows no signs of heart failure or breathing problems. We were told repeatedly to treat her like a normal child with no restrictions and no medications and to return in six months for a check-up and echo under sedation. They just want to be sure they are not missing anything. Her prognosis is very good.
At today's appointment, Emilia was also weighed and measured. I had been anxious for this information because I wanted to know if removing dairy from her diet and providing her with healthy, nutrient-rich foods was making a difference. Emilia weighed in at 8.53 kg (18.8 lbs) which is up 13 ounces from her last weigh in with the feeding team on 12/20. This means in three weeks' time, Emilia has gained nearly a whole pound. She also measured 74.2 cm (29.2 in) which is up 1.3 cm from 72.9 at the International Adoption Center on 12/7. I am thrilled to see her make such progress. It's very rewarding for me as I am constantly contemplating her diet and trying to make it as delicious and nutritious as possible.
I remember you mentioning in Bulgaria how adamant her orphanage was about how much and how often she was supposed to eat. it sounds like there's a lot of concern about Emilia's diet - does she have a specific condition that requires everything to be so precise? Just curious/nosy. :)
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