2 years ago today - I came home from a trip the night before, and took some extra time in the morning to spend with Toni. Immediately I noticed something was not ok. She was walking as if she had vertigo, or basically like she was drunk. Anywhere she tried to walk, she couldn’t get there without falling over and curving her path. I took video to show the Dr, and they told us to take her immediately to the ER. Long story short, 4 days later and all tests clear (THANK GOD!!), we were discharged from the hospital, but with no answers. The Drs said they really don’t know what happened, other than she had a virus that made it’s way to her brain, causing inflammation. We had to let it pass, then watch and monitor her. Toni did experience issues after (she’s doing amazinggg!), and I’ll leave the story there, but right after a nurse told me “Be your child’s advocate”. I didn’t realize it then, but it wasn’t until a year later that I needed to remember those words and really use them. Mamas and Dads - this is a reminder to be your child’s advocate. 100000% listen to the doctors, they are AMAZING!, but also listen to your gut. If something feels off, look into it. If it’s nothing, good! That’ll bring you peace. If it’s something, ok. You are one step closer to getting the tools you need to help your baby. Research the heck out of what the dr tells you, trust them of course, but if it weren’t for someone telling me to be her advocate at that time, I think I would have overlooked a lot after. Either way, no one knows your baby better than you. Just a reminder to be their advocate ❤️