One down, one to go

Our first major appointment of the week is officially DONE!  Harper had her first developmental clinic at the Nunnelee Specialty Pediatric Clinic at the hospital here in Wilmington this morning, where she was evaluated by different medical professionals.  We saw a doctor (actually, the doctor who saw Harper the day she was born and sent her to Duke), a nutritionist, a physical therapist, and another therapist/evaluator who assessed her cognitive development thus far.  Harper did amazingly well.  She cooed and smiled and interacted with everyone, and only got mad one time!

The results?  Here they are (and bear with me on all the details- this is my way of keeping track of everything for myself!)... Her growth is perfect, so no more diagnosis of oral aversion, and no more consideration of a g-tube.  She is in the 50th percentile for both height and weight, and is currently up to 14 lbs. 6 oz.  We are remaining on the Elecare until she is about 6 months old, then attempting to start transitioning to regular formula.  Her cognitive development is right on target, and they assessed her to be at the four-month mark.  Her motor development is where we are seeing some delays at this stage, which lines up with what her pediatrician and her therapists have noted.  Today she was assessed at a 3-month mark in terms of fine motor skills, and only the 2-month mark in gross motor skills.  It was also noted again today that she does still have a preference for her left side, but it is improving. At this stage it is still unclear if these delays are just a result of having such a rough start to life and not having the opportunity to develop normally at first, or if it is due to a neurological issue. Regardless, Harper will get all of the help she needs to continue down the right track!

Overall, everyone is once again amazed by Harper and what God has done in her in such a short time.  Her medical history and records cause people to expect the worst, but they're always surprised when they meet her.  Yes, she has some delays at this point, but they are so minor and insignificant in comparison to what was predicted for our precious girl, and we feel confident that she will no doubt overcome those obstacles in time.  For now, the doctors will continue to follow her growth and development, she will continue to work with the awesome therapists on her team, and we will continue to pray and praise God for the daily miracles we get to experience through Harper... signing off until our next adventure to Duke tomorrow!