Our Little Family

These pictures are some of the more embarrassing since they were taken so late at night when we wanted nothing more than to get some sleep. The top one is K in the middle of changing. You can see her brace and how cumbersome it can make things for Aunt Amy, Christa, and I. Right now we are almost three weeks into the wearing of the brace and we probably have three more to go. We go back to the hospital Tuesday to get the progress of K's hip checked. Please pray it goes well and that we can get K out of the brace earlier. While I desire and pray for this, I prepare myself for her to be in the brace longer than we hope.

The second picture is Christa at a less than flattering time from her perspective. Let me just say that as a woman who has in the past four months been a miserable pregnant woman, given birth, had some tough surprises, and has returned to the front lines of our educational system in GA to teach senior English, she looks great! She is the most beautiful woman I know and she grows more so each day. She is a wonderful mom and my best friend. Even in a picture that would be considered embarrassing by most, I find her beautiful even if her outfit doesn't match. She likes to have fun too as can be seen in the picture below. K has been changed into an elf momentarily as her and Christa play. It was kinda freaky about how much like one she looks if you hold her ears out.


Through this situation we have found ourselves challenged spiritually. It is one thing to walk with people through a tough situation on the outside, but when the people going through the hardship are you it gives you a whole new perspective. God's grace has been evident to us in many ways through this situation and He has answered many prayers. Some times it is very tough to trust Him because we are human, but all in all He is the only one we do trust. He is the only one who can help. He is the one who gives doctors the ability to do what they do. He is the one who gives us the strength to press on when we see our little girls and our minds are flooded with questions about the future and the reality of some of our preconceived hopes for K being dead. It is not that we have no hopes for K, but that our hopes have changed and as parents it is hard to deal with the difference of reality vs. expectation. However, this does not mean that K is any sort of letdown, just a different and even greater blessing than we anticipated. She has taught us many things and we could not love her any more than we do. As daddy, I cannot help but melt when she cuddles up and goes to sleep on me.


The greatest answered prayer through this whole situation is a healthy, beautiful baby girl. K is healthy and has a few physical problems that are not health related. We are so thankful to God for this. She is soooooooo beautiful. As I was on the phone this morning talking to Pappa G, K and I were wandering around the yard and looking at flowers because she was not happy doing anything else. She was also talking a bit to me, to the wicker bench, and to Pappa G. She is a little girl full of personality already. She has even started to manipulate us, but has not realized the fact that her fake cry is different than her real cry. God has truly blessed us in her. She brings smiles to our faces constantly. She leaves us laughing more times than we can count. I have to go for now, but one more picture worth seeing is the one where she was still molded to being on my shoulder after I laid her down in her Pack-n'-Play last night. She slept like that for a little bit longer. So adorable! I pity any guy who messes daddy's little girl!