Thursday, February 28, 2008

Allie's latest trip to SFO

We just took our quarterly trip to San Francisco to see Allie's neurologist. The first bit of good news is that he's so happy with Allie's progress that he switched our visits from quarterly to once every six months which is really excellent news because Allie doesn't like to be in the car for longer than a half hour and we're talkin' about six hours in the car when we go down to the big city. So, yeeeeaaaaah!

The next bit of good news is that Allie's been taken off her seizure medicine. She's never had any seizures so no need is what the doc is thinking. When Allie left the hospital, she was taking eight meds through her g-tube. Now, she's down to one, and that's just a muscle relaxer.

These trips down to the bat area are alway tough on us. This time we had to meet with the district attorney which sucks because that just dredged up all the emotion over the horror Allie went through so many months ago - almost a year.

We also met with Allie's social worker and everything having to do with the adoption is coming along smoothly. Pray for us that it continues to roll along without any major hitches.

Friday, February 22, 2008

Rock-a-bye

Sleep time is a busy time in our little household. Allie is going through a phase where she is up every couple of hours during the night. This keeps the charming and beautiful Susan hopping. This morning, I took over the watch at around 2 a.m. and fed Allie a bottle and bounced her on the ball (we use a fitness orb as a rocking chair - it's the only thing that works for me...). I usually put Allie down for a couple of naps during the day and she goes right out, but her night time sleep pattern is different and it takes a little more patience.

This routine, while rough on the charming and beautiful Susan and me, is a good thing for Allie. She has so much more flexibility and range of movement than she used to so she's a little wiggle worm these days; day and night. But she doesn't have all the movement that she needs. So, she has enough movement to flip over on her back while sleeping or to lose her pacifier, but she doesn't have the vision or ability to move well enough to find her lost binky and put it back in her mouth. So she wakes up.

But even while she's moving, when we pick her up, she relaxes in our arms and falls back to sleep in them. But in order for her to stay asleep in her crib, we have to rock with her for about an hour. Tonight, for me, this was a sacred time. I just watch over her and pray. I wonder why it's taking so long for my prayers to be answered, but maybe these kind of prayers take longer.

We're coming up on a year since this happened. I arrived in California on May 1, I think it was. I was full of despair, but I made positive confessions hoping somehow this would prompt God to bring me back the baby we had living at our house before horrible things happened to her. Why did God let this happen?

I asked that then and I'm still asking it because I haven't heard the answer yet.

But God decided to answer a questions I never asked. I never asked Him if I could love a baby so much. He's shown me that I can love more than I ever thought I could.

And I never asked Him if I had a strong marriage. Though rocky at times, He's shown me that I'm married to an amazing woman and that our marriage can survive the worse tragedy imaginable.

God showing us these things in the here and now gives us faith for the future. When Jesus' disciples prayed, "Lord, increase our faith..." I think this is how He does it. What do you think?

Sunday, February 17, 2008

Sequoia Park


The weather here has been gorgeous. The sun shines brightly in February even though it's the middle of winter. Over Allie's shoulder is my sister, Jennifer.


This slide extends from the middle of a clump of redwoods. A platform is constructed on a stump.


The charming and beautiful Susan may be having more fun on the slide than Allie. The slide doesn't impress this little girl.


Swings. Now swings are cool. You can feel a breeze and pop-pop get some serious air.


Allie is able to swing in this little seat all by herself. That's the charming and beautiful Susan over Allie's shoulder helping Allie launch herself as high as possible.


Susan mugging with Allie.


Bryon's turn.

Friday, February 08, 2008

Home Again


I love to travel. I hate to travel. I miss home. Home is defined differently for me these days.


Home is not where. Home is who. Home is the charming and beautiful Susan and Allie.


I played hookie from work yesterday and just hung out with the girls all day.