K Update

Just wanted to give you all an update on K's condition. We will be going to a Shriner's hospital in March for a second opinion. Please pray that everything will go well. Also, an interesting note, K slept through the night last night! I am not getting too excited because I know that she probably will not do that again, but I woke up at 4:30 this morning and freaked out. I lay there praying she would make a noise so I would know she was still breathing. It makes us feel better knowing that she is capable of sleeping all night. I know that sometimes that is hard for a baby to get used to. Just pray that she will continue to gain weight and grow. She is already out of some of the premie clothes and she is just growing like crazy. We can't believe how big she has gotten already. I don't know if I will want to go to work. I am getting used to this mommy thing and I have to say that I am doing a pretty good job. Thank you again for all of the prayers and encouraging words. God has blessed us with family and friends (some that we have never even met).

Enjoy Our Angel

K enjoys talking to daddy about the basics of life. As you can see, she has his undivided attention. That is exactly how she likes it.
You really can't tell, but the outfit says "Little Princess." How appropriate is that? She is very photogenic. She must get that from her daddy.

K is pondering the mysteries of life. I don't think she has it figured out yet, but she is working on it.

God's Faithfulness (corrected)

Today I was doing my devotions and I have been reading from the book of James. Nate suggested I do that and I wasn't sure why, but today's verse just clinched it for me. James 4:8 says, "Come near to God and He will come near to you." It has been hard to deal with K's problems and I have had moments when I cry out to God for a reason why. Many of you out there know exactly what I mean and if you haven't hit that point in your life, you will. My life up until K was very mediocre. My walk with God had its ups and downs, but mostly I did not understand the struggles Christians face. The minute K was born I faced something I never had to face before, the helplessness that comes from being unable to fix something. I looked forward throughout my entire pregnancy to playing duets at the piano with my daughter. I looked forward to watching her fingers gently glide over the piano keys. God had given me a gift and I had hoped that He would do the same for her. This is hard to write because my little girl will struggle with simple things, let alone learning to play the piano. I had even thought about never playing again because I would hate for her to feel badly about not being able to do it just like mommy. Valentine's Day was the first day I sat down and played the piano. It was hard, but I know that God wants this gift to be used. I don't know why He allowed K to have these problems and I know that it will be a struggle for us, but He does have a purpose for this beautiful little girl. We have had overwhelming support from friends, family, and people we have never met. God says to come near to Him and He will come near to us. What a beautiful promise! K doesn't have fingers, but what gifts she has are going to blow us away. I can't wait to see what her life will be like. God is truly good.

Our First Family Walk

So we all went out for a walk yesterday because it was so nice. It was great! We walked around and saw the neighbors while enjoying the weather. I know Christa enjoyed the time out as an entire family. Twinkie also enjoyed the time which was noticeable to us because she was so hyper. She has not been walked by Christa and I for around two months now and it used to be our daily routine. Here are a few pics of K in her first stroller ride.

Grandmom's Angel

K is modeling a beautiful Pooh outfit given to her by her grandmom and grandaddy. As you can see, she is very energetic! She sleeps, eats, and sleeps some more. She is becoming more alert and she has even begun to talk to us. They aren't quite coos, but I thinks she feels she is carrying on a conversation. Of course, we play right into it. We don't want to rush it in any way, but I do look forward to the day when she will smile at her mommy. We love our little baby and we look forward to showing her off in the future. The doctor wants her to stay out for a couple more weeks and I think that is best. We don't want her to get sick and I have a feeling when we make our big debut it will be hard to keep the hands from touching. She is just so cute who can help themselves? I go back to work on March 20 and there is a part of me that is wondering how I will ever focus on my job. She is just too much of an angel for me to want to leave her. God has given us an amazing responsibility: loving this precious angel with all our heart. Talk about a difficult task.

Daddy and daughter time

She is so precious, especially when she is sleeping. For those of you that don't know, K has daddy wrapped around her little finger. I don't think he minds too much though:)

Just Too Cute

K enjoys just being adorable. She does it so well.

Snuggle Time

I know I have to take advantage of these moments while I have them. When K hits 16 I am sure she won't be as willing to snuggle with her momma. If you notice, I actually have make-up on! Mom you would be proud. Of course, that only happens once a week, but I am making progress. Thank you for the prayers and as you can see God has blessed us with a baby that is sadly growing very fast:(

Medical Update

K had her doctor's appointment today and things are going great! She has gone up to 7 lbs. 12 oz. She is quite the porker now. The doctor was very impressed and I might add that she is not on formula, so it is all momma!! Needless to say, he was very positive during the checkup. Her neck is doing better, but we will need to continue to stretch the muscle to make sure that she has that movement. She is also aware of her arms and legs and she even grabbed the doctor's hand while he was checking her heart.
We couldn't be prouder of K. The picture above gives you an idea how she is fattening up. She is sleeping great at night and she is definitely more alert during the day. Sometimes too alert for mommy (I would like a nap some time). She also loves classical music, which must be an indication that she is her mother's child. Baby Einstein is the coolest. Thanks again for all of the prayers and keep them coming. We know God is going to do something great with this little angel of ours.

Pictures of the Cuteness

Could we get any cuter? Mom, K misses you lots and so do I!!!

Embarrassing But Cute Pics

K with Momma G at a time when she thought we all needed to be awake even though we disagreed.
This is PERFECT blackmail material for when she starts bringing boys home.

Christa shortly after giving birth. I think it is beautiful, but she would disagree.

This was another early morning bonding experience. She is so cute even if she does interrupt sleep.

Bonding Time

T and K are snoozing. We are so glad that T loves her little sister. K tried and enjoyed her first bottle last night. Nate got to finally feed her and I got to have a break. Talk about enjoyable for both of us! K really took to the bottle and that was a huge relief for all of us. Nate made me leave the house, however, to make sure that I didn't hover. I have that tendency for those of you that know me well. I tend to worry about everything. I drive Nate crazy, which isn't that hard to do:)

Snug As A Bug

K really enjoys her sling. It works perfectly to get her quiet when she is a little fussy. It also helps mommy to get some things done around the house. What's especially nice is that it fits nicely on the couch and I don't have to hold it all of the time. She rides around with me for a few minutes and then she is out for a while. She is doing very well and I look forward to the day when she smiles. I think that she is really trying. Trust me, I will let everyone know when that day comes:)

More Daddy Times

Nate is enjoying his time as a father as you can plainly see. K has an enduring way of sucking on everything that touches her mouth. Bathtime is perfect for this because she knows dinner is on the way afterwards. We are adjusting to this crazy new world and I think K is enjoying herself. She is definitely growing and it is hard to believe how different she looks. God has blessed us and we are excited for what is ahead.

Some New Pics

More Medical Info

Thought I would plug in some more info that was not put in the earlier post from Christa. We spoke with K's Doc about a second opinion on her forearm/hand and he is going to see about us meeting with some doctors in Greenville. He has another patient who has suffered from Amniotic Band Syndrome and they have been very pleased with their doctors/surgeons at Greenville. Unless we are blown away by whomever we meet with, I anticipate we will probably stay with the group at Northside. I am praying and hoping that there are more options than ultimately amputation. That is a tough one to swallow even if it is below the elbow.

During the visit this afternoon the Doc noticed that K always has her head tilted toward her right arm. It appears that she has a VERY tight muscle on the right side of her neck and to avoid pain from that muscle she tilts her head that way. Christa and I have to try to stretch that muscle a few times a day and if that does not work we will probably have to go to a physical therapist and see what he can do. K also had some x-rays taken today because she appears to possibly have a maldeformed rib. We were unable to tell much about it through the x-rays so we will have to wait and see what will happen. The Doc assured me that there is nothing to worry about in regard to this.

We have handled all the medical info alright. With her forearm/hand and now these other things it is sometimes hard to understand God's plan. It is not ever easy to understand God's plan when it comes to things like K's situation. We do know that He is in control. We do know that He will take care of us. We also know that He will take care of K no matter what. While we know these things it still does not make stomaching all of the stuff easy. We felt like we were getting a decent handle on the situation and then these other things come into the situation. As parents we find ourselves asking what else is going to happen. We both know that the situation could be much worse and are thankful that it is not worse. We are so blessed in K and we are constantly reminded of this fact. Please keep us in your prayers as we continue to walk the never uneventful life of parenthood.

Mommy's Little Angel

Words cannot express how beautiful K is. She is just a gift from God and we are just so blessed to have her on loan from Him.

K's Medical Update

We have just come back from the pediatrician and things are going well with K. She is up to 6 pounds and 10 ounces. She has also grown to 20 inches. The doctor was very positive and we are thankful that K is doing so well. We are looking at helping her gain even more weight, but that was the only thing the doctor talked about. K has been doing great at sleep (knock on wood) and I am enjoying my time with her. Sometimes I do get stir-crazy, but if you know me that is not unnatural. It is hard not jumping in the car and heading to the store. I am not used to that limitation and it has been an adjustment for me. Nate is doing great with K and I can't sing his praises enough. He is a great help and it is a comfort to me whenever I realize how blessed I am to have a man who is so willing to be a true father to his daughter. Who knew he had it in him?:) Please continue to left us up in your prayers. We are overwhelmed by the response this blog has gotten and we know that God is going to use our lives to impact others. Praise God from whom ALL blessings flow. Always remember that God is in control. That's definitely a comfort when things get rough. And they do. Turn to Him when you have troubles and He will be your rock.

Our Little Baby Bird

K has the cutest baby bird faces that she makes when she is hungry. She certainly lets us know if we do not notice her mouth motions by implementing her vocal cords into the mix. She is truly a fun little kid. We do have a lot of fun with her and we also enjoy all of the funny faces she makes. We cannot wait for her to be ready to go out in public but that will still be some time from now. Our doctor advised us because of all the virus junk going around we are best to keep her in for at least eight weeks. We are certainly not going to take any chances and will listen to the doc. One of our greatest concerns is that K would come down with something and be affected by it in such a way that we would have to postpone surgeries on her forearm and hand. We certainly do not want that to happen.

Tomorrow, we will be taking K to the Doc for her second checkup. We will find out more about her weight and our poor Doc will be peppered with questions. Christa has been compiling a list of all the questions that we want to remember to ask Doc. I guess having a million questions goes with being new parents. Well, I have to catch some sleep so I can function tomorrow. We will put an update on her weight and hopefully some new pics.

Daddy Bath Time

Nate has become quite the bather over the past few weeks. I think he probably enjoys his bath time more than K. It is quite touching to see a grown man melt into mush whenever a 6 pound little girl smiles (sure it's gas, but that doesn't really matter). He has informed me that he is in love with another woman and I think I am definitely okay with that. We are adjusting, but it is a roller coaster ride to say the least. Parenthood is not for the faint of heart. I don't know what I would do without such a wonderful man to help me. God has blessed both of us with K, but I know He has greatly blessed me with Nate. I never have to wonder if he will be there. K is a wonderful little girl and she couldn't ask for a better father. He is wrapped around her finger and I don't think that that is going to change any time soon. I pity the young man that comes to date my daughter. He is in for a very hard time.

Kisses for mommy

Sure it isn't a real kiss, but I take what I can get. K enjoys gumming my cheek to let me know when dinner time is around. She is pretty clear when food time comes. Mighty slobbery, but absolutely lovable. I can't wait until the kisses are legitimate.

Wide Awake

As you can see, K has her moments of awake time. She loves posing for the camera. And I might add that she is rather photogenic.

Baby Time

K finally meets a friend closer to her own age. C checks out the new kid in town. She wanted to touch K and it was so funny watching her trying to figure out why this little baby doll moves and cries all of the time.