2 Months Old

Addie is 2 months old today. Seems unbelievable all she has already gone through. The main thing she has gone through so far is her feet, and at this point she is almost completely done with the casting of them. The surgery went well and her next appointment is Feb 19th where they will take off her casts for the first time after surgery. Her doctor will most likely put them back on for another week or so until her braces come in, which we will order at the appointment. He was very pleased with her progress after surgery, and just seeing her casting you can tell how dramatically her feet have been stretched and changed to look more like a typical foot. What an amazing blessing all that modern medicine can do! We have also dealt with her hip which for the time being will remain out of place until the bone solidifies more around 12-15 months and can be put into socket. The last issue we have been watching is the movement of her arms specifically her left arm, which she did not move at birth. We met with 3 different therapists in order to determine eligibility for the state program Early Intervention and also to decide what type and amount of therapy she needs. They all agreed that she does qualify for the program; though at this point the think continual therapy is not necessary. When the time comes we will be able to get therapists through their program who will most likely come to our house to do her therapy. The program will also help pay for the cost insurance does not cover. The occupational therapist did give me some range of motion exercises and advised us to massage her arms. We started this about 2 weeks ago doing the exercises 4 times a day. Last weekend we began to see slight movement at her elbow and also noticed that if you pulled her arm out she would pull it back into her side, where up to this point it always stayed. Then, yesterday while her brothers were talking to her she got excited and started LIFTING it off the floor! It is amazing progress! God is touching her still.  The therapists all recommended reevaluating her at around 3 months, when she can start to do weight bearing exercises, to determine the extent of therapy needed. Other than that she is doing great. She smiles a lot, especially at her brothers! She is nursing very well now with the shield, and she is sleeping pretty decently at night. She was doing 6 hours for awhile but not we are around every 4. I have been able to get all 3 children to nap together most days so that is a huge help for me! We are living and loving. God is working and faithful. I am so thankful to see His hand so continually. We went through the surgery and while the feet were good the hip did not go as we had hoped, but now the arm is better than we had hoped. In the midst of it all we just must trust in His word and His promises. We may not always see or know what He is doing now, but we know that He is working and we see how He has worked which encourages us in believing that He will continue to work!  So we hold to the truths we find in His word that "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.  As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your way and my thoughts than your thoughts." Isaiah 55:8-9. In the end His way is always best, this we know. We trust and we praise! When she lifted her arm yesterday I just wanted to shout for joy! It is hard at times to watch and know the things she should be able to do but can't. The joy that comes as she conquers the milestones is amazing. Knowing that God is working in her and on her. He is using each step of this journey to bless us, and draw us closer to Him. That fact gives me the strength to go on even when I don't know why or how. I know Him and that is enough. In time He always shows Himself, and it is always the right time and the right way. Addie may have many difficulties in life, but God will touch her of them all. "The righteous person may have many troubles,  but the Lord delivers him from them all" Psalm 34:19.  I can only praise because through this we are growing and are becoming the people we need to be to do the work He desires us to do. 

Psalm 150

¹ Praise the Lord.

Praise God in his sanctuary;
    praise him in his mighty heavens.
² Praise him for his acts of power;
    praise him for his surpassing greatness.
³ Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet,
    praise him with the harp and lyre,
⁴ praise him with timbrel and dancing,
    praise him with the strings and pipe,
⁵ praise him with the clash of cymbals,
    praise him with resounding cymbals.

⁶ Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.

Praise the Lord.

Surgery Update

Today was the day Addie went in early this morning and had her surgery. She did great in pre-op even though she hadn't been able to eat since 3:30 A.M. She did well with the surgery. Her feet did great and are now casted for 2-3 weeks after which we will move onto the braces. Her right hip even with the loose tendon did not go into place. At this point we will just leave it alone. They will do some x-rays on it around 12 months to see how it is growing and at some point between 12-15 months they will do invasive surgery to get it into socket. We are home now hoping to get some rest. She is on tylenol for pain as needed. While these are not all the results we hoped for we know that God is working. I may not understand why and how but I know that He is. As we were waiting for surgery this morning in the pre-op I was walking and singing to her. One of the songs I sang talked about how He heals hearts, at the moment I remembered how blessed we are. If God had not touched her heart at the beginning it could have been a much worse surgery with much scarier outcomes, but He did. He touched her heart in His time and in His way for His glory. I am continuing to trust that He is and will do that with her legs and hips. Our God is good and our God is faithful of that I am certain so I continue to praise as we go through each day on this adventure with our Addie. I am thankful for the touches He has already given and thankful that we are still being held in His arms! Psalms 18:1-2 "I love you, Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold." I love Him because of who He is and what He has done and will do. So while we wait for healing we hold onto to Him the anchor amidst the waves of this life knowing "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." Romans 8:28

Tomorrow...

Surgery is rapidly approaching and I have been a mix of emotions. On one hand I am excited to move on and to be able to have some more definitive answers and timelines once we see how well the surgery goes. On the other hand I am wishing we could delay longer because I don't want my baby to have surgery. It has been so nice to have her without casts these past few days. We got to give her full baths and wear pants! Its the small things sometimes that bring a smile. I got to play with her feet and see her legs!  Isaiah 40:11 says "He tends his flock like a shepherd; He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young." I got such peace when I read that verse this morning. He carries us close to His heart and leads those that have young. I want to be by His heart and in His arms because alone I am scared and I am tired. It reminded me yet again that I am not alone but that God, the maker of Heaven and Earth, is holding me and comforting me. That reminder leads me to His peace and His strength. Isaiah 41:10 "So do not fear for I am with you; do not be dismayed for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." Because He is good and because He is faithful we will head into surgery tomorrow not afraid and not anxious. He is holding us in His hand! He is strengthening us and helping us! He is the reason we can smile and carry on regardless of what we face. So tomorrow instead of fear there will by praise and instead of anxiety there will be prayer! Our God is good! Psalms 118:24 "This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it."