When They Are Really With You..Oh the Joy!

Sitting on the floor today in the small speech room that has become our home on Wednesdays for the thirty minutes we work at the clinic, I was overcome with emotion.  When you parent a babe with special needs from hard places with spectrum tendencies, you regularly face challenges, expect to have to work to connect to them, and fight for their heart.  You, as a parent, get it, and come to cherish the moments that you get when your babe is fully engaged and enjoying their time with you.  There are really no words to describe what it is like to have your daughter looking in your eyes and being present in the moment with you.   Today was one of those days, and our dear therapist said it.... "What a JOY to have you here with me today."  And...it got me thinking that most people live their entire lives and they don't get it. 

They don't get the JOY in the pursuit of these precious, special needs little ones.  They don't see the value, the wonder, or the purpose in the lives of these dear, atypical children. We have been so blessed to find so many like minded, wonderful professionals, who like us, get it.  They pursue our babes, enjoy being with them, cherish them, and love them every moment, but today was the moment you live for.  My dear girl played with her sweet therapist for thirty minutes today, and her therapist ate her up.  There are those who would say that we should genetically test all fetus, and end the lives of those whose genes are not perfect.  There are those who would shutter to think about being given a daughter with the challenges that most of mine have, but then there are those precious, amazing people who know just how fearfully and wonderfully made my babes are and who are willing to do anything to make them smile. 

Today, we saw the smiles, and, while tomorrow she may once again be more interested in her hands than the bubbles and play, we will cherish these things in our heart.  Today, we saw the haze lifted from her eyes, and we just loved it!

Nothing This Side of Heaven...

Nothing this side of heaven....
like holding a swaddled, sleeping baby.  My girl may be nearing four years old, but the only way she will nap is being swaddled while rocking with her Momma.  I am happy to oblige as she missed out on many afternoons rocking with me since I didn't welcome her home until she was 2 1/2.  Precious Girl..What a blessing to hold this dear one!

The Hospital and Some Results

Since coming home, our sweet treasure has really struggled with gut and digestive issues.  In China, this girl was never fed any solids, and given only milk based formula.  She was 2 1/2 when she cam home to me, and always has had very runny stools, gas, and pain.  These issues have kept her from eating normally, caused her great pain and discomfort, and made acclimating to a new life a challenge for her.  Poor sweet girl has been through so much.  Daddy and I pray daily that we will find some way to help her with this as it is the most difficult thing to watch her go through.

We recently did an overnight at the University Children's Hospital, and went through lots of tests.  It was hard on our baby girl, but so much more manageable than I had dreamed as I was waiting for the days to come.  She is such a good baby girl, and was a stellar patient.  There is nothing that bonds a baby to her momma like a hospital stay that is for sure.  How I love, love caring for this amazing, wonderfully made little one.

The test didn't show much of anything to help her which is good on one hand.  Having normal looking insides is a blessing, but it also left us with no real way to help her.  Recently, though there is no explanation, she has been incredibly stable which is reason to PRAISE!  Her pain has lessened significantly.  Her bowel movements are not painful and are much more normal.  When she isn't experiencing pain all day, she is able to make so many gains as well..socially, developmentally, and otherwise. 

My God is so good and so many prayers were answered, and His peace was felt during our hospital stay.  I am so thankful we have access to such great care.  It is such a privilege to be able to care for this sweet, sweet one, and we pray for wisdom daily concerning her GI issues.  For now, we are thankful for stable and praying that her health will continue to improve.

A Sleeping Baby

There is nothing this side of heaven that is more satisfying than holding a sleeping baby.

Since my baby girl has been sick, I have gotten to hold her so much.  She slept six hours in my arms on her sickest day, and it certainly gave me plenty of time to ponder the privilege it is that I get to be her momma.  Oh that she would stay this size forever!  Such a precious, precious gift that God would allow me to have this girl to raise up for Him.

Sister Love

My sweet six year old loves, loves her some babies.  She wants nothing more in this whole world than to be a momma!

She is such a natural big sister to this baby girl.

She is constantly kissing, feeding, and hugging this baby of ours.

What a healing blessing caring for this little one has been to her big sister. 

Ellie’s Glasses

So adorable..Now if I can just get her to keep them on.

Christmas in the Barn

We headed to the country last weekend for an autism event called Christmas in the Barn.

It was held at Miracles in Motion where many children have therapeutic riding sessions.

We enjoyed crafts, homemade cookies, the horses dressed in their holiday best, and a visit with..

Santa Claus. 

You can't avoid this guy this time of year,

and, while my girls know the truth about this guy,

sometimes it is fun just to play along.

Her First Tree

It is always such a privilege to celebrate the wonder of this glorious season with a new baby home!

To watch her eyes light up as she sees the sparkling lights,

to hear her giggle as I squish her little hands in the salt dough to make an ornament,

and to feel the thrill as her little hands dig through the bow and wrapping paper sensory bin..

makes my heart overflow with a JOY so big that I can't help, but praise Jesus with everything in me that He would bless me so with this sweet, sweet child!

Our Tornado Still At It

This girl has recently discovered how to open the cabinets.

I am thrilled that she is learning of course, but sweet girl can destroy the kitchen.

Dragging out every single everything is a favorite past time these days.

It does take a bit of time to clean up each day..ok a lot of time, but

she is so adorable discovering all these new things that we don't mind too much.

Six Glorious Months with our Sweet Baby

Six months home for this incredible girl has come and gone.  These last six months have flown by.  Six months is so short, but at the same time it seems like forever, as I can't remember myself without her. I was snuggling her frame in my arms a few days ago, and I was overcome with grief that this sweet, precious gift had to wait two and a half years to know what it was like to be rocked by a momma.  Such a devastating loss my dear girl was handed shortly after her birth.  Yet from this loss has come such a beautiful family that is full to the brim with love, chaos, and crazy because of my girl's presence.

How I love this little one more than I could have dreamed when waiting for her.  When this girl was given to me six months ago, I had no idea that she loved avocados, music toys, or tickling.

I didn't know that she would crawl to the bathroom like a mad munchkin when she heard the bath running.

And I couldn't have dreamed that she would so perfectly compliment our family.  Good!  It is so good to love this girl as mine!  Happy six months home my treasure!

Let Her Eat Cake

What a JOY to celebrate our little pumpkin's first birthday in a family!
She is now three years old.

She wasn't sure what to make of all of this.

This is her first time eating cake.

At first, she wasn't a fan, but slowly...

she squished,

explored,

and self fed.

Forty five minutes of eating later,

every morsel of cake was devoured.

She was quite pleased at consuming so much sugary goodness!

And she was adorable covered in dairy free orange frosting!

Happy Third Birthday

For six months, you have known the love of a family.

Today, we celebrate you!

Today is your very first birthday!

This evening you will sit in front of a dairy free pumpkin cake, hear us sing to you, and we will celebrate who you are because we love you so much!

We just can't get enough of your chubbiness..

or the way your eyes disappear when you smile.

Happy Birthday, dear baby girl!

You will never again have another birthday that you are not celebrated by your family!  We are absolutely grateful to God to have you in ours.