13 Months

Time just keeps going. I heard a phrase this past week that sums it up so well ' the days are long but the years are short.' I can't believe how quickly time is flying. It gets hectic and chaotic here keeping up with not only all of Addie's appointments but also with the little boys running around. It is a wonderful chaos though and I am so thankful I get to be home for all of it! Addie is handling everything we go through extremely well. We are now putting her in the stander once a day for 15 minutes to encourage weight bearing and standing. We will probably be bumping that up to twice a day in the next week. We also are still doing her E-stem on her arm 2 times a day for 15 minutes each time. She just sits there and plays with it. Her arm is doing very well in what movements she is capable of while lying down. We are working on increasing her strength in the left arm so she is able to move it when on her side and then when sitting/standing. She is also making good progress with her grasp and wrist placement. Her eating is still at the same spot where is she able to eat purees or mashed up food, but she still does not chew on her own. She has started to feed herself when I put out little snacks that will melt in her mouth. She is also now drinking from a normal cup instead of a sippy cup so that she is stretching her mouth out more during the day. She is also starting to use more sounds and use them more often in an attempt to communicate.We are continuing to see steady progress in many areas but it is also more evident to see where she is behind as she gets bigger. One of her favorite games is for Mike or I to hold her and chase Michael and Stephen as they run around the house. She just giggles and giggles! I can get sad at times when I think about where she would be if we weren't dealing with all this physical issues. I have to remember how far she has come. A year ago we were in casts for her legs and no left arm movement with no idea what she would be able to regain there! God has worked many miracles in her life and we are anticipating even more. It is hard sometimes and the days and weeks are long as we go from therapy to therapy with so much to do at home in between, but time is going quickly. As I sit back to reflect I can see how much God has been with us although in the moment it is easy to lose my focus and only think of what we still have to overcome. It reminds of the song I put at the beginning of the blog"I Will Look Up" by Elevation Worship. There is a verse that says "I look back and see that you are faithful I look ahead knowing you are able." I am sitting here encouraging myself again as I reflect on this past month for you. He has been faithful and so I know that He will continue to be faithful. I am not perfect somedays life weighs heavy on me as it does for all of you, but with God I have one who is eagerly waiting to carry the burden for me if I would just let go! I am going to spend some time giving up my burden yet again because He promises to take it and give me rest in its place. I hope that with whatever you are facing you will also turn to Him and allow Him to minister to your heart as only He can. It doesn't mean any of your present circumstances will change, but your heart will and that is what matters! So I will finish with this promise from Jesus himself in Matthew 11:28-30 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”