Magic Time Machine

We had a great time celebrating Arron and Shayle's birthdays at Magic Time Machine. Woody was our waiter and the kids had fun eating in the library. We went the night before Shayle had surgery.

Getting Back To Herself

Shayle is doing well at home. She has been able to eat soft foods and she is talking. Some kids do not talk for a little while afterwards because they have to get used to the way their mouth feels. We will have to wait 6 weeks before starting speech therapy. The surgeon wants us to wait until all the swelling goes down. She has lost 3 lbs over the past 4 days, which she should put back on once the soreness goes away.

I took some pictures of the kids in the blue bonnets, however Shayle wasn't feeling that great. These were outside my in-laws house. I used to take these pictures every spring of Arron and Myranda until we moved away from Texas.

We Are Home!!!!

Shayle was able to go home from the hospital today!! We have had a better day today than yesterday and last night. She slept decently last night, waking 3 or 4 times crying out, but no more vomiting. Her IV was in her foot and began getting uncomfortable around midnight. She kept acting like that was bothering her more than her mouth. Finally at 6 this morning she began crying out for "daddy", of course he was at the hotel. I think she thought since he is a doctor, he would take the IV out for her. The nurse decided to turn it off and see if this would help her and also make her begin to want to drink. I ended up climbing up in the bed with her and fell asleep until 8. Those were the best 2 hours of sleep either of us had all night, I should have gotten in bed with her from the beginning.

She finally drank a little gatorade this morning for me and then again for the doctor when he came in to see her. He told her she could go home if she would take a drink for him. She was definitely all into that. She took a couple drinks for him and then once the nurse came in, she took another drink for her. I think she wanted to make sure she was really going to get to go home. She kept saying she wanted to go home to her sissy's and bubba's. She missed them and once we picked them up and got home, she began to finally want food.

Tonight she had some Dora soup and yogurt. I am glad she finally ate something. She can only have soft foods for a few days and no big spoons or forks. I am pulling out the soft baby spoons. This will keep her from hitting the top of her mouth and damaging it.

The surgeon said she was one of his tougher cases. The majority of cleft palate kids have a hole in the roof of their mouth towards their teeth. In Shayle's case, she was missing the entire soft palate at the back of her mouth, along with her nasal cavity floor. Our surgeon did an excellent job with this repair. He had to cut tissue from the sides of her mouth and stretch and pull it together and then stitch it down the middle to close it up. Where he took tissue, all of that will fill in as she heals. Since her palate was so deep and shaped like a horse shoe, their is a possibility for a fistula to develop where she is stitched together. If this should happen, and it is larger than a pinhole, a second surgery will have to take place in about 6 months. We are praying this does not happen and that she is through having surgery in her little mouth.

I appreciate the ongoing prayers for her and us. They were definitely felt all day yesterday, we had complete peace that only could come from God. I will post some pictures tomorrow. We are exhausted and needing some sleep.

Surgery Update

Shayle before surgery and after her goofy juice

Balloons Payton brought

Ready to go back to sleep with all of her animals brought by family and friends.

Shayle did very well during her surgery, she handled the anesthesia and woke up sooner than last time with the same drug. Praise The Lord!! She is maintaining her oxygen much better than last time, staying in the 90s. Her surgery was about 2 hours long and of course she was in pain most of today. She has also had quite a bit of vomiting with all of the blood that went into her tummy during and after surgery. She has swallowed a little water, so I think we will get to go home tomorrow. I know she is ready to go home.

This morning went much better than last time when we had to be separated. She did say "mama", but only one time. Once I told her that I would be waiting for her and I wasn't going anywhere, she seemed o.k. As soon as she was in recovery, we were right in. She hadn't woke up, which was an answered prayer. I was able to be there right when she woke up. In fact, I ended up in the bed with her to help calm her down. Mama turned out being the best medicine for her. Thank you for your prayers today. Please continue to pray for healing and for her to be able to eat soon.

Pray For Me

Shayle is enjoying playing doctor with her older sister and her baby being the patients. This Friday, Shayle will have her palate repaired. Please lift her up in prayer to have a successful surgery and a quick recovery period. Hopefully this surgery will be her last. Tomorrow we have pre-op appointments and will be taking the kids to Magic Time Machine for dinner to celebrate Arron and Shayle's birthdays this week. Thank you for praying for this sweet daughter of ours. I will post again after she has surgery.

My Sweet Girls

Myranda

Payton

Shayle

My Sweet Boy

Jacob loves this little girl so much and he decided he would pick some flowers for her. My soon to be 12 year old took all of these pictures. Maybe she will be a photographer when she grows up.

Arron Lighting Candles

Arron celebrated his birthday last night with his friends. They all came over and stayed the night. These candles were sparkler candles. All of his friends have outgrown me, and seem to be getting so big. Still can't believe my baby is 15!

Making Birthday Pizza

Shayle enjoyed making her first pizzas with her brothers. This was their birthday dinner after church Sunday night.

Happy Birthday Arron & Shayle!!!!

Happy Birthday! Today we celebrated my oldest son and my youngest daughter's birthday's, 15 & 6 years old. They have been talking about sharing this big day for a few weeks now. We began our morning bringing out their gifts into the living room and waking them up singing to them as they came downstairs together, almost like Christmas morning. Anyway, Shayle and I had gone shopping a couple of weeks ago to look at a new bike for her big bubba, Arron. While we were looking for him a bike, she found herself a Dora bike. I asked her if she would like to have it for her birthday and she said yes. We got it down off of the bike rack and she hopped on. She began riding and decided she did want it. She got off of the bike and pointed to it and then pointed to the basket. She wanted me to put the Dora bike into the basket, that day. I had to explain that she would have to wait until her birthday and that we were needing to look for bubba a bike. She was a little upset but got over it pretty quickly. Since it has been a week since her party, I think she was surprised to see the bike this morning.

They both decided they wanted mom to make cupcakes.

She loves her big bubba, Arron!

Her own recorder, she loves her sister's flute so much that I bought this for her to play with. She loves music and just about any instrument.

She also loves this big bubba, Jacob.

About to go to church.

Arron's new bike, next year he will be wanting a car, when he turns 16. Where does the time go? It goes by way too fast. I still can't believe he is now 15 and will be taking driver's ed. soon. This is my firstborn and I love him so much. He is growing into a fine young man who I am so proud of. He has been with us through some of our toughest times as a family. He was only 5 months old when his dad started medical school. He then endured changing schools 4 times when we moved for our final time, at the beginning of his 6th grade year. During the time that his dad was in the Air Force, he had to adapt to a lot of changes. He always hung in there, though it wasn't easy at times. Each move, every three years consisted of not only a new school but a new church and new coaches for soccer. He really likes where we are now and knows he will get to finish out and graduate with the friends he has made here. He is a hard worker who always puts forth his best effort. He definitely has learned how to make new friends, adjust to change, to be accepting of others, and most importantly how to always trust in God to meet his needs.

He absolutely loves and adores Shayle and it has been a blessing to watch him with her. He is so good with her, he will make a great dad one day. He will be a sibling she will always look up to. Having the same birthday will also give them a special bond.

Here I am riding my new bike with my bubba's help.

Thank you for my flowers and balloon daddy.

Spring Flowers

Shayle brought me these flowers in the other day. So sweeeet!! I love spring, everything is blooming and animals all around us are having their babies. Shayle has learned the difference between a horse and a cow, as we have many living around us. We see them everyday while driving into town. She also knows what sound they make. I point out when I see a baby cow or horse next to its mama. She loves the outdoors and will play outside for hours at a time.

Shayle's Birthday Party

Last Saturday we had a party for Shayle's birthday. The princess castle bounce house was a big hit, along with hitting the pinata and seeing the candy come out when it fell apart. Several friends and family came to help us in celebrating her 1st birthday with us. When she was waiting for us to light her candles, she came very close to taking a big bite out of the side of the cake. She will turn 6 on this Sunday, March 15th along with my oldest who is turning 15. Where does the time go? It seems like yesterday we were celebrating Arron's 6th birthday. He is growing into a young man whom I am very proud of.

When the bounce house arrived on Friday evening, Shayle was so excited as it was being inflated. I think she thought it was our gift to her. She along with her sisters and brother, Jacob, all jumped for over 3 hours. The next morning they were back out jumping again before the party began. I had to explain to her that the bounce house was not ours to keep and that it would have to go back with the man we had rented it from. She began to ask "why"? Well, thankfully he came back to pack it up while we were at church on Sunday.

Her party theme was Dora. Almost every gift she opened was a Dora gift, luckily without any duplicates. She has enjoyed playing with each of them this week. She had a really cute Dora cake, brought to the party by one of my out of town friends. Thank you, Kim.

This week has been spent thanking God for this sweet girl and for carrying her through so much to get her to where she is now. I have also been thinking and praying for her foster parents and her birth parents, wondering if they are thinking about her having another birthday and the void they must fill in their hearts. I can't imagine having to make the choice to give up my child in order that she may live, but I am grateful that God has placed her in my care to raise and bring her up in a home filled with the love of Jesus.