Lily Update...

Not a whole lot new to report, but we thought we'd do a quick "bring everybody up to speed" post. Lily's been doing really well lately, aside from the typical 4-year-old angst, independence, and crazy creativity. Her latest inventions include a "Duck Dog," which is a dog with wings and who quacks, and "Windvitations," Invitations that are written on paper kites and delivered by the wind. She dreams these things up while wearing a Tinkerbell costume, ladybug wings, a witch hat, and Mardi Gras beads. Oy.

She's been loving being outside lately, and watches for her friends Reagan and Sydney across the street to come outside. (See the video below!) Her friend Sarah and her cousin Siobhan are favorite playmates too and we are all collectively enjoying the finally warmer weather!

Her latest MRI was last week and we met with the Doctors who told us everything continued to look good. The "little piece of something" that we've referred to for months is now being called residual tissue versus leftover tumor. The doctor said the MRI looked great and we would continue to monitor. We have another year or so of MRI's every 3 months, and if those stay clear, then we go to every six months, then once a year and so on until they are sure we are in the clear.

Tomorrow we have Eye Surgery to correct the nerve damage from the brain surgery. It's outpatient, so we will be bringing her home tomorrow afternoon. While her vision itself is in good shape, her eyes wander and she still tends to be more left side oriented. For the week after the brain surgery in September, she had real difficulty even glancing to the right. That has since largely resolved, but her eyes still lack the muscular control they had pre-surgery. We're hoping that this surgery fixes that.

Other than the Eyes, balance and coordination are still a minor issue, but the more she plays, the better we see that getting. She also hops a little when she runs, but we think that's more from coming from a family that is not known for their running skills, unless they are being chased.

All in all, things are good, and we are grateful, blessed, and happy. We sincerely appreciate all that people have done and continue to do for our baby. (Who will tell you matter-of-factly that she is no longer a baby, but a "Big Gull" and please do not call her baby. But, she's still our baby.)