GET TO KNOW CALIYAH

BIRTHDATE: January 16th, 2020

NICKNAME: Cali, Cali Bear, Cali Boo

MEASUREMENTS: Our Cali Boo is tiny but mighty! 14lbs 5oz and 25in.

WHAT CAN SHE DO? Rollover to her side, sit up with a little assistance for minutes, loves to smile at mommy, daddy, and her nurses, obsessed with her hands, and just started waving. She’s an active girl, and I feel like crawling could be around the corner.

MY LAST SIX MONTHS: Cali was diagnosed with Pfeiffer Syndrome at birth, which prematurely closed all her soft spots in her skull. This has created a bevy of complications mainly around her breathing, so she has a trach and vent to help her breathe. She spent five months and a week in the hospital before coming home.

SURGERIES: My little one has undergone nine surgeries all before her six month birthday. Her biggest one was a craniectomy and tracheostomy.

FAVORITE TOY: Mrs. Bunny! She is her pink fluffy stuffed bunny. She loves to cuddle and lately eat her. A sweet story about Mrs. Bunny, it was a gift from one of her nurses in the NICU on Easter. I love that it will always be a reminder of how amazing and thoughtful her nursing team was during her stay at SCH.

FAVORITE ACTIVITY: She loves to move around on her kick n play mat, she's a busy body these days and always finds a way to roll over and turn her body, so her legs are totally off the mat. Her second favorite activity is a tie between bath time and sleeping! She is the calmest during bath time; she just loves to kick daddy when it's his turn. We call it her baby spa time, and she loves to soak in the water.

THREE WORDS TO DESCRIBE CALI

MOM: Wise, Curious, Resilient

DAD: Low-key, Smart, Feisty

FAVORITE MOMENT FROM THE LAST SIX MONTHS.

MOM- Bringing Cali home is at the top of the list, but right after that was seeing her breathe without her vent for the first time and be so calm. She had tried a vent break a week prior without her dad or me, and it didn't go so well. When I was there, I looked her deep in her eyes and held her hand, and she did terrifically. That moment gave me so much hope and comfort. It reminded me how strong our bond is and made me feel like despite not being around Cali every minute of the day, she still found so much comfort and strength in my presence.

DAD: My first Father's Day and then being able to bring Cali home days later has to be my top moments in her first six years of life. I was looking forward to that day for years; Falesha wrote about how important it was in this blog post. Cali's original discharge date was June 10th, so having to come to the hospital wasn't where I thought I would spend my first Father's Day.

I soon realized being with Cali, no matter where she is, will always be all I need for a perfect Father's Day. Her nurses made me the best card with Cali's hand-prints, something I have hanging on the fridge. Then four days later, after five months of traveling back and forth to the hospital, we got to bring her home. Taking you outside for the first time, first car ride, sleeping in your crib for the first time, so many first, that I will cherish for a lifetime.