A lot to take in!

We have had a busy week!  We had a meeting with all 5 of her therapists to go over the 1 year evaluations, create new goals, and create strategies in order to meet those goals. The meeting was really hard to sit in and listen to for me. I realize that we need to focus on how far Addie has come and not just where is she is at but wow it just felt like I was sitting there and everyone was telling me everything that is wrong with her. We left with some positive goals though and some great plans to meet them. We are all very pleased with what she has accomplished so far and I know that it is only because of God. Then Friday Addie and I traveled to St. Louis and back to see her hip doctor there. At the appointment we discussed that Addie needs to be 20 pounds before they will even schedule surgery, so at this point she has a little over 3 pounds to gain. Her hip is going to require an intensive surgery where they will move it into place by fixing the ligaments and cutting her bone. Unfortunately at this time they won't be able to correct her socket so most likely she will require a second surgery in about 5 years later when the socket is mature enough to be corrected. Overall it was a good appointment and we were able to work on some of the plans the physical therapist has for her. We are in the process of getting Addie some braces to wear during the day when she is standing up in order to keep her feet in the correct position while allowing her to begin to bear weight. We are also getting her a stander that will hold her up and allow her to weight bear on her hips, legs, and feet. The stander will help her increase her muscles in her legs that she has not had a chance to work on. It will also help strengthen and stretch her back appropriately in ways that she is not getting from always being on the floor. We are really looking forward to the positive outcomes from the braces and standers. BUT, her feet have gotten tight again and so she would not be able to wear the braces in the correct position without hurting her feet. I was able to go see her orthopedic doctor here today, who has been treating her feet from birth, and he has casted little Addie again. We go back on January 2nd to have them taken off and are hopefully that she will not need anymore casting in order to wear the braces. The timing for the casting could not have been more perfect because she will not have to miss any therapy sessions while she is casted because Easter Seals, where she receives most of her therapy, is closed from Christmas Eve until January 2nd. God is so good. All of these things can be so overwhelming and realizing that a lot of what we are facing will be things that we are watching for years to come really hit me hard, but I know that God is faithful. I was listening to a sermon the other day and was reminded that hard times don't erase God's promises. We may not see all the answers now but His promises are as true today as they were yesterday and as they will be tomorrow. Thinking of Christmas we celebrate the first coming of Jesus that people waited years and years for, and even though it didn't happen when they thought it would it happened and it happened exactly like He said it would. The same is true of His second coming and of all the promises He has made to His children in the Bible. I may be tempted to lose my peace and focus on all the struggles and things that Addie has ahead of her and that we as a family will face but I know that my God has not forsaken me "For he has not despised or disdained the suffering of the afflicted one, he has not hidden his face from him but has listened to his cry for help." Psalms 22:24. I opened my Bible up to that Psalms today and I had a note written there saying 'God will use all my sorrow for His good if I let him guide me through it to where He wants me to be.' He has proven that true to me in the past and I know that He will do it again so while we face the many trials in the days and years ahead with Addie. We will praise because of who He is, because of what He has done, and because of what He has promised to do! "We are confident of this that He who began a good work in us will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus!" Philippians 1:6 He already came once and He is coming again and I want to be found praising Him because He is worthy of our praise!

Praise Alert!!

God has answered again! We are beginning to see external rotation in Addie's left arm! This was the hoped for outcome from her surgery in October! They were not expecting to see the results already! Here is a video of her doing it and then clapping for herself! She loves pool therapy and I am so grateful we are able to do it so often as it seems to really be helping her arm function. Once again God has been faithful. We are continuing to count on that faithfulness as we head to her St. Louis appointment tomorrow to talk about her hip. Thank you all for your continued prayers for her healing and strength as we go through this one step at a time. He has been carrying us all along and we have not been consumed by these trials the past year! Lamentations 3:22-24 "Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.”

Addie is 1!!!

Today is Addie's 1st birthday. I can not even believe that time has gone so quickly! We have had a year I could not have imagined. God has been so faithful and steady. When I think of all Addie has faced this year I am reminded of all the way we have seen God's hand. Before she was born we were warned about her heart but God touched that. We were also warned that there was most likely a genetic defect, an underlying cause of all her physical issues. When she was born there was no genetic defect! Upon birth her left arm could not move now she is able to lift it over her head when lying down and is beginning to get external rotation! Her middle fingers on her right hand tended to stay pointed into her fist upon birth, now they move freely. Her feet were severely clubbed but now with casting, surgery, and her braces they are looking much better! There was concern she was aspirating but after a swallow test we were able to cross that off the list. God has worked in so many ways in her life and it has been so exciting to watch, but He has also worked in our lives. I am amazed as I go back over all we have dealt with this year and am able to realize how much God has carried us through and been so true to His word. His faithfulness through this past year helps me to hold onto Him in the coming year. I receive a daily devotional and the title of today's was "He still heals." Addie still has many issues to deal with including her dislocated hip, which we follow up with next week in St. Louis, but God still heals. He has made promises and He will be faithful to those because He is faithful! I shared these two verses with Mike shortly after the ultrasound showing us some of the difficulties Addie would be facing. Psalms 89:1-2 " I will sing of the Lord’s great love forever; with my mouth I will make your faithfulness known through all generations. I will declare that your love stands firm forever, that you have established your faithfulness in heaven itself." God's faithfulness comes from who He is, it does not change!