Tim and Sara Horan: 2010 a year to remember

2010 a year to remember!

2010 started off and ended on a great note! As we began 2010 we knew that it would only be a few short months and our beautiful 6 month old baby girl would soon be a toddler, having her 1st birthday and most importantly having cochlear implant surgery. Little did we know that we would grow so much stronger with Jesus in our walk but also grow together as a married couple. We met great people and made new and lifelong friends, mended relationships and continued to move forward with others.

In January we met Denise who became a part of our family. She is Emma's CHIP (Colorado Home Intervention Program) therapist who comes over 1 time a week to work with us on communicating with Emma. We have learned so much sign and still have so far to go. Emma's communication is amazing! I can't believe how well she is doing. We still meet with Denise and will continue to do so until Emma is 5 years old!

In March I celebrated my 22nd birthday by going to Denver with Tim and Emma. We enjoyed the day at the Denver Aquarium and it was absolutly amazing! I didn't think that Emma would enjoy it as well as she did only being almost 8 months. She loves fish! March also was when found out for sure that Emma was 100% eligible for her surgery. After having a MRI and CT scan done on her head the results came back great meaning that everything was formed correctly and the hearing loss was a result of either no hair cells in the cochlea or the sound was not being received by the auditory nerve that goes to the brain. We then scheduled her surgery for June 7th!!!
In April Emma was 9 months old and was growing great! She started pulling her self and cruising everywhere! We thought for sure she would be walking by the time he surgery came along! We celebrated Emma's 1st Easter and it was a wonderful day to remember what Easter is about. Jesus's death and resurrection!

June 7th a day I'll never forget as long as I live! We woke up at 430 after barely sleeping at all the night before knowing that our precious little girl was going to have massive head surgery but had comfort in knowing that God is in control and he is with us and her. We loaded up in the car and headed off to the hospital. Emma was in a wonderful mood unknowing that her life was about to change forever. She loved me pulling her around in the wagon in the hall ways waiting for the time to come when she would be taken to the OR. Then the dr came in and talked to us told us that everything would be great and the procedure would be anywhere from 5-8 hours! 5-8 HOURS!!!!!! Are you kidding me???? What were we going to do for that long! The nurse came in and said it was time. Only 1 parent could take her to the OR and it was me. I got into the sterile gown and held onto my baby girl as though it was the last moment, I laid her onto the table as the anastheisologist put the gas mask on her little face and she looked at me crying in terror I held her hand and then she was out. I went back to the room and waited patiently with Tim for what seemed like hours. Around 1215 we got a call saying all went well and someone would be up shortly to get us that she was heading to recovery!!!! Only 4 hours in surgery! Praise God for his faithfulness!!! Her surgery went so well.... Recovery was rough I had to hold her little head up as though she was a newborn, such a weird feeling especially since Emma is not a cuddler. But I enjoyed every minute of comforting chocolate wasted baby girl :)
We were able to go home around 5 o'clock that evening. and the next day she was already back to her old antics trying to walk around! totally amazing!!!3 weeks later we were able to have her ears activated. She heard for the first time and it was such a miracle an amazing blessing! We were all crying joyfully!

July we celebrated her 1st birthday! She LOVED her cake and ate sooo much of it I thought she was going to turn the colors of her cake. She finally began walking on her own shortly after turning 1. She could've walked way sooner but she is a stubborn one!!!

The past few months have been full of speech therapy and signing, playing games and of course playing with her best friend Emma 2!
I hope that 2011 is another year full of happiness and trials and tribulations!
Happy New Years everyone!!!! Love you all :)