It seems like forever since I last posted, though it has only been 3 months or so. We have been without internet due to some decietful business practices on the part of the company and have chosen to not be a part of! We will be moving at the end of this month and will hopefully be reconnected to the world again!
Hunter is doing wonderful!! He is still attending OT on Thursdays and continues to improve. They have him wearing a splint at night to stretch out those elbow muscles but he is so highly functional you almost don't realize he ever had a problem. Praise the Lord!
We are looking forward to the birth of our newest family member in November and have just recently learned that it's a girl!! We will name her Maia Lynn and are praying that no complications arise through pregnancy or delivery. She will be healthy and whole with no problems...AMEN!
I know this is a quick update. I will post more as I can.
Blessings!
Saturday, July 5, 2008
Sunday, March 23, 2008
We missed it...
...the big appointment of the year and we missed it! Hunter's 12 month eval with the pediatric surgeon was on Monday and we just weren't able to make it. We've rescheduled for March 31st so I will definitely keep you posted on what the end of this year brings! :) Pray, warriors, pray!
This will be a very short and to the point post tonight. I'm very tired and we have our big Easter service in just a few hours!
Therapy has been going well the last couple of weeks. Great progress is being made with Hunter's arm. He is FINALLY bearing a bit of weight on it...yay! Although it is close fisted rather than open handed we'll take anything we can get right now. His "commando crawl" has turned into something altogether different and very hard to explain. I might liken it to the crawl of a monkey moving around on his nuckles but it's a little different than that. I'll have to post a pic of it.
Hunter's leg, on the other hand, has a mind of it's own! This was the first time Ms. Jennifer really got to see Hunter walk. She weighed down a push toy and watched him as he tottled along...he is pushing his right foot out kind of like a fin pushing water away. It's very odd and I've never seen it before. It seems to be coming from the knee and concerns her enough to refer us to the orthopedic surgeon for an evaluation. We don't know if this will be another "let's watch it and see" kinda thing or a "let's do something about this now" situation. Either way, pray for God's will and wisdom as we make any decisions necessary. The earliest available appt was for April 24th...lots of time to hit our knees on this one!
The b-day party was great! He took to the cake like a natural born sweet tooth! lol. I've posted pictures below for you to enjoy. I'm sure you've figured out that the goofy people at the end are Dad, Me & big brother Kowen.
I'm going to close now...thank you all for you prayers and continued encouragement! It does mean more than you know...even when the sun is shining on the situation.
Blessings on a beautiful Easter holiday! HE LIVES! :)
This will be a very short and to the point post tonight. I'm very tired and we have our big Easter service in just a few hours!
Therapy has been going well the last couple of weeks. Great progress is being made with Hunter's arm. He is FINALLY bearing a bit of weight on it...yay! Although it is close fisted rather than open handed we'll take anything we can get right now. His "commando crawl" has turned into something altogether different and very hard to explain. I might liken it to the crawl of a monkey moving around on his nuckles but it's a little different than that. I'll have to post a pic of it.
Hunter's leg, on the other hand, has a mind of it's own! This was the first time Ms. Jennifer really got to see Hunter walk. She weighed down a push toy and watched him as he tottled along...he is pushing his right foot out kind of like a fin pushing water away. It's very odd and I've never seen it before. It seems to be coming from the knee and concerns her enough to refer us to the orthopedic surgeon for an evaluation. We don't know if this will be another "let's watch it and see" kinda thing or a "let's do something about this now" situation. Either way, pray for God's will and wisdom as we make any decisions necessary. The earliest available appt was for April 24th...lots of time to hit our knees on this one!
The b-day party was great! He took to the cake like a natural born sweet tooth! lol. I've posted pictures below for you to enjoy. I'm sure you've figured out that the goofy people at the end are Dad, Me & big brother Kowen.
I'm going to close now...thank you all for you prayers and continued encouragement! It does mean more than you know...even when the sun is shining on the situation.
Blessings on a beautiful Easter holiday! HE LIVES! :)
Saturday, March 8, 2008
A Year Already???
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU
HAPPY BIRTHDAY PRECIOUS HUNTER
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!
The 1 year mark of our son's birth has come and gone...about an hour ago. Today we will face the daunting task of a Birthday Party. We all know that first birthdays are not as much for the kiddos, but for the parents who have survived! We will be joined by many of you who have chosen to come and celebrate Hunter's life and healing with us. :) We want this time to be blessed and a testiment to what God has done in Hunter's life over the past year. We are just praying that the weather cooperates for our picnic in the park!
Therapy has continued on it's course. So many times this year we have just had to wait...and be patient. For those that know me you are probably chuckling right now....patient??? Does she even know the meaning of the word?? Well, I must say that it's a lesson God has been teaching me for 12 months now!
"Slow is steady and steady is sweet."
That's something I've heard my Pastor say more than a million times. God taught him how to build a ministry on that principle and God is now teaching me how to build my faith on it. It's funny how God works sometimes. When Hunter was born and his little arm just hung limp at his side I would look at him and see an impossible situation. I couldn't fix it...my family couldn't fix it and at that point I sure didn't want the doctors to fix it b/c that would have meant surgery! So I turned to the only one I knew could.
At first it was like I was holding my breath, waiting for the next moment to see if that little arm would move. After a while I realized it wasn't happening any time soon and I had to just...wait. Ms. Marty had us doing all of these rotation exercises to keep the muscles supple and ready for the day those nerves started firing again. So it was the same thing every day, every diaper change, every morning when we woke and every night before we went to bed. We spent 45 minutes every thursday doing those stupid things. I began to wonder, "God, what are you doing? Where are you? Why is this taking so long? You ARE going to fix it, right?" Praise God that doubt never set in...I just had a major case of the "impatients".
See, in the midst of all that, one could have wondered if God was working at all. We never saw it move. There were no little progressions of movement that gave us any hope. Nothing. Not a lift or a bend or a stretch or anything. Then one day it happened, after an adjustment we went to therapy and he lifted his arm up. Not alot...nothing you probably would have even noticed right off. But we were watching...and we saw it. And then he did it again! And again!! 20% that time! As I've explained in an earlier blog...the excitement in the room was contagious. We were laughing and crying at the same time. It wasn't until quite a few weeks later that it hit me. God WAS doing something in that little arm of his all that time...we couldn't see it happening until it became evident when he lifted it up. Had we given up and had surgery to "fix it faster" we would have completely blown what God was doing in HIS timing. I'm telling ya...I'm bad at the world's math, but I'm even worse at God's...I can never figure his timing out!
See, there are times when we feel like God is not there. That he's not moving or working in our lives. So many times we run out and try to "fix it" by filling that spot with other things. But all God wants us to do is wait and be patient. Wait for Him to complete the work he's started in our situation and for the evidence of his presence to be made known. Just like Hunter's little arm...He's working in us ALL the time. And one day, if we've waited on Him, the evidence of that work will be right there for all to see.
I encourage you to wait on the Lord today. Seek His timing and His peace. Remember that slow is steady and steady is oh so sweet. And in time the evidence of His hand on your life will show. And everyone will laugh and cry and praise the Lord for what He has done...in you!!
"But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint." Isaiah 40:31
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU
HAPPY BIRTHDAY PRECIOUS HUNTER
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!
The 1 year mark of our son's birth has come and gone...about an hour ago. Today we will face the daunting task of a Birthday Party. We all know that first birthdays are not as much for the kiddos, but for the parents who have survived! We will be joined by many of you who have chosen to come and celebrate Hunter's life and healing with us. :) We want this time to be blessed and a testiment to what God has done in Hunter's life over the past year. We are just praying that the weather cooperates for our picnic in the park!
Therapy has continued on it's course. So many times this year we have just had to wait...and be patient. For those that know me you are probably chuckling right now....patient??? Does she even know the meaning of the word?? Well, I must say that it's a lesson God has been teaching me for 12 months now!
"Slow is steady and steady is sweet."
That's something I've heard my Pastor say more than a million times. God taught him how to build a ministry on that principle and God is now teaching me how to build my faith on it. It's funny how God works sometimes. When Hunter was born and his little arm just hung limp at his side I would look at him and see an impossible situation. I couldn't fix it...my family couldn't fix it and at that point I sure didn't want the doctors to fix it b/c that would have meant surgery! So I turned to the only one I knew could.
At first it was like I was holding my breath, waiting for the next moment to see if that little arm would move. After a while I realized it wasn't happening any time soon and I had to just...wait. Ms. Marty had us doing all of these rotation exercises to keep the muscles supple and ready for the day those nerves started firing again. So it was the same thing every day, every diaper change, every morning when we woke and every night before we went to bed. We spent 45 minutes every thursday doing those stupid things. I began to wonder, "God, what are you doing? Where are you? Why is this taking so long? You ARE going to fix it, right?" Praise God that doubt never set in...I just had a major case of the "impatients".
See, in the midst of all that, one could have wondered if God was working at all. We never saw it move. There were no little progressions of movement that gave us any hope. Nothing. Not a lift or a bend or a stretch or anything. Then one day it happened, after an adjustment we went to therapy and he lifted his arm up. Not alot...nothing you probably would have even noticed right off. But we were watching...and we saw it. And then he did it again! And again!! 20% that time! As I've explained in an earlier blog...the excitement in the room was contagious. We were laughing and crying at the same time. It wasn't until quite a few weeks later that it hit me. God WAS doing something in that little arm of his all that time...we couldn't see it happening until it became evident when he lifted it up. Had we given up and had surgery to "fix it faster" we would have completely blown what God was doing in HIS timing. I'm telling ya...I'm bad at the world's math, but I'm even worse at God's...I can never figure his timing out!
See, there are times when we feel like God is not there. That he's not moving or working in our lives. So many times we run out and try to "fix it" by filling that spot with other things. But all God wants us to do is wait and be patient. Wait for Him to complete the work he's started in our situation and for the evidence of his presence to be made known. Just like Hunter's little arm...He's working in us ALL the time. And one day, if we've waited on Him, the evidence of that work will be right there for all to see.
I encourage you to wait on the Lord today. Seek His timing and His peace. Remember that slow is steady and steady is oh so sweet. And in time the evidence of His hand on your life will show. And everyone will laugh and cry and praise the Lord for what He has done...in you!!
"But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint." Isaiah 40:31
Saturday, February 23, 2008
This is risky...
We all know how these posts tend to be when it's late (2:33am)....at least I'm not frazzled this time!
Thursdays therapy appts went very well. My grandparents joined us and we had such a wonderful day! Ms. Marty loved explaining all that Hunter was improving upon to Grandma & Grandpa and they loved listening just as much. It was really neat to hear her talk about all that she wanted him to accomplish and that he had exceeded her expectations. Can't get better than that, right?
After that we went down to the cafeteria and had lunch. I can't believe that I like hospital food as much as I do. Maybe our area is just blessed with the most awesome cuisine but it's one of the things I look forward to when having my babies...I'll get hospital food brought to me 3 times a day...YAY! lol.
Ms. Jennifer eased my concerns regarding the X-Rays. We won't be kicked out of PT just b/c they said they came out fine. She suspects that the radiologist was looking at Bone Health and not positioning and has recommended that I have the films sent to Hunter's pediatrician so she can discuss them with the radiologist personally. So, I feel a little better. Jen agreed that we saw what we saw and she has the notes to prove what she's seeing in therapy so that will be enough to keep him on the schedule. Whew!
We then went for one of my grandparents infamous drives. They will be moving this month so I got to see their new place and was quite impressed. We then drove through some of their favorite subdivisions and had a really neat time. I so enjoy spending time with them!
Well, I guess I should head to bed so that I can be somewhat coherent for the boys tomorrow!
Blessings :)
Thursdays therapy appts went very well. My grandparents joined us and we had such a wonderful day! Ms. Marty loved explaining all that Hunter was improving upon to Grandma & Grandpa and they loved listening just as much. It was really neat to hear her talk about all that she wanted him to accomplish and that he had exceeded her expectations. Can't get better than that, right?
After that we went down to the cafeteria and had lunch. I can't believe that I like hospital food as much as I do. Maybe our area is just blessed with the most awesome cuisine but it's one of the things I look forward to when having my babies...I'll get hospital food brought to me 3 times a day...YAY! lol.
Ms. Jennifer eased my concerns regarding the X-Rays. We won't be kicked out of PT just b/c they said they came out fine. She suspects that the radiologist was looking at Bone Health and not positioning and has recommended that I have the films sent to Hunter's pediatrician so she can discuss them with the radiologist personally. So, I feel a little better. Jen agreed that we saw what we saw and she has the notes to prove what she's seeing in therapy so that will be enough to keep him on the schedule. Whew!
We then went for one of my grandparents infamous drives. They will be moving this month so I got to see their new place and was quite impressed. We then drove through some of their favorite subdivisions and had a really neat time. I so enjoy spending time with them!
Well, I guess I should head to bed so that I can be somewhat coherent for the boys tomorrow!
Blessings :)
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Just a laugh...
As I read back over my post from yesterday I had to laugh a little. I'm normally a bit more "composed" in my writing than I was in that post. That just shows one of two things...either I was really frazzled by the topic or it was really too late for me to be writing about a topic that had me so frazzled! LOL...I guess it was a bit of both.
Today I was tired. The hubby and I had "date night" last night and grandma came to watch the boys. We saw "Fool's Gold" and it was definitely the laugh I needed to take my mind off the craziness of late. No one died, at least no one good or that you were attached too....no one was really mean, except for Tess hitting Fin upside the head (but he deserved it)...and the dynamic between the two main characters just made you think that everything bad would eventually have the "happily ever after" ending. It was perfect timing for my soul and it got me to pondering...our lives DO have that kind of ending. Thank goodness that the end of this earthly life isn't it!
Our "happily ever afters" come when we meet our Father face to face and hear those precious words..."well done, my good and faithful servant." I can only imagine that anyone who cares for the most precious of us...being children...will have a special place in Heaven. My grandpa, who I spoke with for a while tonight, also believes that anyone who harms those precious little ones has a special place too...but I don't think he meant it's of the heavenly kind!
At church, the first Sunday School lesson of this month that I taught the kids was based on Matthew 19:14 "Let the little children come unto me." We talked about how the children were kept away from Jesus and how he wanted them to come to him. He rebuked the disciples for holding them back. If you continue reading in that passage Jesus says, "...and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." He didn't say that the kingdom belongs to the grown ups who work so hard every day, or to the scholar who spends his time in books, or to the artist who paints God's beautiful creation. He said that it belongs to the most innocent and pure of the human race. Children. How often we get so consumed in our desire to be complicated. Busy lives, lots of activities...how much can I cram into one day? Have we ever just stopped and remembered that God wants us to love and have faith just like a child? A love that doesn't question or doubt. A faith that simply believes...just as little girls believe that life is like a fairy tale and boys believe in Super Heroes. Have you ever stopped and listened to the concerns of a little one? Their whole world revolves around whether they got to go outside and play swords or Barbie got to ride in her convertable. They are so simple in their thoughts and feelings. Sometimes I take that for granted.
What must our concerns sound like to God? Are we missing the point? I know there is more to this life than what we try and make of it. We become complicated and try to take control. Partly because we just don't know how to BE STILL AND LISTEN....and let God give the direction. It is my desire to learn how to do that so well that I become a pro. To calm life down a bit...become a little more "simplistic".
To love without question or doubt and have a faith that simply believes.
Just like a child...because my Father said it should be so.
"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love." 1 Corinthians 13
Today I was tired. The hubby and I had "date night" last night and grandma came to watch the boys. We saw "Fool's Gold" and it was definitely the laugh I needed to take my mind off the craziness of late. No one died, at least no one good or that you were attached too....no one was really mean, except for Tess hitting Fin upside the head (but he deserved it)...and the dynamic between the two main characters just made you think that everything bad would eventually have the "happily ever after" ending. It was perfect timing for my soul and it got me to pondering...our lives DO have that kind of ending. Thank goodness that the end of this earthly life isn't it!
Our "happily ever afters" come when we meet our Father face to face and hear those precious words..."well done, my good and faithful servant." I can only imagine that anyone who cares for the most precious of us...being children...will have a special place in Heaven. My grandpa, who I spoke with for a while tonight, also believes that anyone who harms those precious little ones has a special place too...but I don't think he meant it's of the heavenly kind!
At church, the first Sunday School lesson of this month that I taught the kids was based on Matthew 19:14 "Let the little children come unto me." We talked about how the children were kept away from Jesus and how he wanted them to come to him. He rebuked the disciples for holding them back. If you continue reading in that passage Jesus says, "...and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." He didn't say that the kingdom belongs to the grown ups who work so hard every day, or to the scholar who spends his time in books, or to the artist who paints God's beautiful creation. He said that it belongs to the most innocent and pure of the human race. Children. How often we get so consumed in our desire to be complicated. Busy lives, lots of activities...how much can I cram into one day? Have we ever just stopped and remembered that God wants us to love and have faith just like a child? A love that doesn't question or doubt. A faith that simply believes...just as little girls believe that life is like a fairy tale and boys believe in Super Heroes. Have you ever stopped and listened to the concerns of a little one? Their whole world revolves around whether they got to go outside and play swords or Barbie got to ride in her convertable. They are so simple in their thoughts and feelings. Sometimes I take that for granted.
What must our concerns sound like to God? Are we missing the point? I know there is more to this life than what we try and make of it. We become complicated and try to take control. Partly because we just don't know how to BE STILL AND LISTEN....and let God give the direction. It is my desire to learn how to do that so well that I become a pro. To calm life down a bit...become a little more "simplistic".
To love without question or doubt and have a faith that simply believes.
Just like a child...because my Father said it should be so.
"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love." 1 Corinthians 13
Saturday, February 16, 2008
The Plot Thickens...
Upon entering the hospital on Thursday, I was a bit apprehensive. That's a bit odd for me lately b/c other than an overwhelmingly positive attitude and a tad bit of grief, I haven't felt much else regarding this new info. I guess maybe I'm just waiting to see what God's going to do. We'd had a wonderful prayer meeting at church that morning so I felt God walking right beside me as we went through those glass double doors.
Once we got upstairs for therapy with Ms. Marty, Hunter was a bit fussy. He was just not up for the rig-a-ma-roll we were facing that day, I guess. He didn't do anything amazingly new...but little things are amazing sometimes. I remember the first time he actually moved his arm...it was a slight raising of the lower arm but you would have thought he had just done a cartwheel with the way Ms. Marty and I were screaming and laughing!! Tears were rolling down my cheeks. In that very moment HOPE sprang eternal. If he could do that...well, at that moment the possibilities were endless!
Sorry for the rabbit trail...
We finished our first session and then went to wait for the X-Rays to be done. That's when those stinking butterflies hit my stomach. Why was I worried? Nothing major was going to show up. Nothing we weren't already expecting. Our minds do funny things sometimes. It took 5 minutes to take the pelvic X-Rays and b/c I'm so nosy I got to look at them right there. The tech called both of his therapists in and we got two great visuals.
Now for the good stuff...
We could clearly see that his right hip is positioned higher than the left (tilted pelvis) and that there a slight bit of inward rotation (rotated pelvis). Again, this wasn't surprising as Ms. Jen had already determined this just by watching him sit and stand. It was confirmed and plainly visible. I mean, I watched the tech hold Hunter perfectly semetrical during the taking of the X-Ray and then I watched the X-Ray show a tilt and rotation at the viewing. All four of us were agreed at what we saw. We went to therapy with Ms. Jen and continually saw the evidence, in his compensation techniques, of what we saw in the X-Rays.
Wanna know the kicker??
Hunter's pediatricians office left a message stating that they had received the radiologists report and his little hips and pelvis look fine. I wish you could have seen my face. How could 4 of us see something that the radiologist did not?? Was it slight enough that it didn't matter to him? Would he have agreed if he'd seen the evidence in Hunter's movements as we have? I really struggle with this b/c I have this undying belief that medical professionals know what they are doing. This incident makes me feel otherwise and I'm a bit confused by that.
Please don't get me wrong, I don't want Hunter to be diagnosed with something he doesn't have. But, I'm realistic enough to know that if he doesn't get diagnosed properly for something he DOES have then we can't get the proper treatment for it. So, I'm going to demand a recount...I mean, another X-Ray.
We won't know about the Tethered Cord until we have an MRI...but we've got to get through this first. I am tired and it is almost 2am....why I can't sleep lately...oh, I don't know. But, I will end for now and continue to keep you posted!
Thank you again for all of your love, support and prayers!
Once we got upstairs for therapy with Ms. Marty, Hunter was a bit fussy. He was just not up for the rig-a-ma-roll we were facing that day, I guess. He didn't do anything amazingly new...but little things are amazing sometimes. I remember the first time he actually moved his arm...it was a slight raising of the lower arm but you would have thought he had just done a cartwheel with the way Ms. Marty and I were screaming and laughing!! Tears were rolling down my cheeks. In that very moment HOPE sprang eternal. If he could do that...well, at that moment the possibilities were endless!
Sorry for the rabbit trail...
We finished our first session and then went to wait for the X-Rays to be done. That's when those stinking butterflies hit my stomach. Why was I worried? Nothing major was going to show up. Nothing we weren't already expecting. Our minds do funny things sometimes. It took 5 minutes to take the pelvic X-Rays and b/c I'm so nosy I got to look at them right there. The tech called both of his therapists in and we got two great visuals.
Now for the good stuff...
We could clearly see that his right hip is positioned higher than the left (tilted pelvis) and that there a slight bit of inward rotation (rotated pelvis). Again, this wasn't surprising as Ms. Jen had already determined this just by watching him sit and stand. It was confirmed and plainly visible. I mean, I watched the tech hold Hunter perfectly semetrical during the taking of the X-Ray and then I watched the X-Ray show a tilt and rotation at the viewing. All four of us were agreed at what we saw. We went to therapy with Ms. Jen and continually saw the evidence, in his compensation techniques, of what we saw in the X-Rays.
Wanna know the kicker??
Hunter's pediatricians office left a message stating that they had received the radiologists report and his little hips and pelvis look fine. I wish you could have seen my face. How could 4 of us see something that the radiologist did not?? Was it slight enough that it didn't matter to him? Would he have agreed if he'd seen the evidence in Hunter's movements as we have? I really struggle with this b/c I have this undying belief that medical professionals know what they are doing. This incident makes me feel otherwise and I'm a bit confused by that.
Please don't get me wrong, I don't want Hunter to be diagnosed with something he doesn't have. But, I'm realistic enough to know that if he doesn't get diagnosed properly for something he DOES have then we can't get the proper treatment for it. So, I'm going to demand a recount...I mean, another X-Ray.
We won't know about the Tethered Cord until we have an MRI...but we've got to get through this first. I am tired and it is almost 2am....why I can't sleep lately...oh, I don't know. But, I will end for now and continue to keep you posted!
Thank you again for all of your love, support and prayers!
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