Baby and Dog Love

The last couple of posts have been quite serious. This will lighten things up a bit! Graham is starting to really notice Jet and enjoy interacting with him.

Health Update

One Year Pediatrician Appointment
Last Tuesday Graham had his one year pediatrician appointment. He got four shots, including the flu shot, and a finger prick. They always do the shots last but the nurse wanted to do the finger prick before the doctor came in so they could be running the iron test and I just knew Graham would lose his mind. He did not wince nor whimper for the finger prick! I couldn't believe it. he just sat there and stared at the nurse while she squeezed his finger to get a few drops of blood. Then when the doctor came in he screamed while he listened to his heart and looked in his ears. Go figure. He weighed 17lbs 10oz (4%), was 28.6 inches long (10%), and his head circumference was 48cm (93%). He has barely gained weight since his 9 month appointment and his head is huge, but the doctor wasn't concerned about either. The cardiologist decided Graham doesn't need the synagis shots to protect against RSV this year, so that is a relief. Last year he had them monthly October - February and they are expensive.

The pediatrician finally referred us to Child Development Services Agency for evaluation and possible therapy. Graham has global developmental delays and possible speech delays. He probably should have been therapy for months now, but none of his doctors have really been able to determine why he is behind and if he needed it. I am glad to finally be going down this route because I want to see Graham improve.

MRI
Graham had a sedated MRI last Thursday. Matt was out of town for work so my mom came up to be there with us. It was a long day which started with a phone call informing me that we were supposed to be at the hospital at 6am and not 8am and then crazy traffic because of the rain. Graham did great. Even though we got bumped Graham remained content without eating and we still made the neurosurgeon appointment. The MRI looked about the same as the one done in May but the doctor wants to go ahead with surgery. She was stressing how vulnerable Graham is to trauma in his current state. If he were to experience serious whip lash his spinal cord could be severely injured. So Graham will have surgery on his spine on November 15. 

Cardiologist Appointment
Today Graham went to the cardiologist for the first time since April. They did an echo while Graham screamed in my lap. We both had ultrasound gel all over us! His heart looks fine and we don't have to go back for a year! Praise the Lord.

My poor guy has been a trooper this past week! He has bruised thighs from the shots and bruised hand and foot from IVs for the MRI but he is doing well. I am watching him sleep on the monitor as I write this and I am just so thankful for him and love him so much!

Delight in hardships?

I am excited to see our baby boy turn one and yet I am also burdened about his delayed development and the health issues he still has to face. Turning one is quite a milestone, but most babies are sitting up, crawling, pulling up and talking by their first birthday. Most days I do not stress over these things, but as time goes on and Graham continues to make little progress, and when milestones like first birthdays roll around, I cannot help but ponder these things. 

I know and believe all the verses in the Bible about suffering. Romans 8:28 says that God works all things for the good of those who love him. I know that God is sovereign and nothing happens in this life that He doesn’t cause or allow (1 Chron. 29:11, Is. 44:6-8). I know that suffering is a direct result of sin, a fallen broken world. That suffering points us to Christ and makes our hearts long for His return. That people face trials so God’s glory may be seen (John 9:3). I know that suffering builds my faith (1 Peter 1:6-7). The one scripture on suffering and trials that I am wrestling with is 2 Corinthians 12:9-10. 

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

I believe that God’s grace is sufficient for me. My issue here is “more gladly” and “delight”.  Delight? Are you serious, Paul? Paul knew suffering well so it is no small thing for him to say this. I can accept hardship from God (Job 2:10, Ecc. 7:13-14) and I can recognize it will turn out for my “good,” even God’s definition of good… but I am having trouble delighting in it. 

There is a wonderful, faithful woman that I know from church that has gone through a separation and divorce while pregnant with their second child. Now her husband has returned to the Lord and they are dating again. To God be the Glory. She has said that she is glad that she went through that because of the strengthening of her relationship with the Lord. Wow.

Well, I guess the Lord still has some things to teach me because I struggle with being glad that Graham was born with a heart condition, that we almost lost him at 7 weeks old, that had surgery at 5.5 months, that he also has a spine issue requiring surgery, and that he is so behind developmentally. Perhaps I get a bye because it is actually my child who is enduring the suffering and it feels wrong to delight in another’s suffering? Or perhaps it is difficult to delight in the midst of the trial, and on the other side I will be able to look back and be glad? I once read an incredible word by John Piper titled "Don't waste your cancer". I pray that I will not waste these hardships. Would you join me in praying that Matt and I would pursue the Lord and His Word and opportunities to glorify Him during this hardship, so that one day I might learn to delight in hardship?

I do know that the Lord has been very near to us since Graham’s birth, that I pray now more than ever before, that God’s Word is precious to me, that I tear up every Sunday during praise and worship because the words seem so much more real. I do delight in those things. I pray that I will learn whatever the Lord is trying to teach me. I pray that one day Graham will look back on all that the Lord has done for him and he will give his life to the Lord. I pray for others who know much worse suffering than I. I pray for the Lord’s return so that there will be no more tears and no more pain. Come Lord Jesus, come.

Happy First Birthday!

We celebrated Graham's first birthday last week. We had a party on Saturday with lots of friends and family.  Thanks everybody for helping to make Graham's birthday special! Thank you, Lord, for the gift of our son and getting us through his first year. What a year it has been!

 Here is the party invitation. I enjoyed creating something that wasn't for work!

The cake and cupcake for Graham, from Lowe's.

Graham wasn't too into the cake idea. He skipped his morning nap so he wasn't really into anything except mommy holding him. Oh well.

 This balloon wreathe took 2 trips back to walmart for more balloons. I really should limit my creative ventures to the computer, but I did manage to finish the wreathe and make a few banners and swirly ceiling decorations (but of course I printed outlines that I made on the computer and then cut, no free handing here).

All 12 months. I may repost these pics individually so we can all reminisce. 

I didn't get many pictures of the party guests. But you know who you are... thanks for coming! I did get this pick of Matt's long time friend, Chris and his son Wilson (which is Graham's middle name) who drove up from Shelby.

Mommy and daddy got him a walker for his birthday! He likes the toys on it but hasn't really figured out its true purpose yet.

The gifts. Wowzer!