introducing.... 2011!

Hi Friends!


Before I get to the start of 2011... I wanted to note a few of Evie's accomplishments in the past few days, the remaining days of 2010:

1. She got her 5th TOOTH! WOO HOO! Kids with hypophosphatasia have teeth problems, specifically with their teeth falling out, but as of now Evie has 5 big bright ones that seems to be sitting in there pretty good!

2. She is starting to put WEIGHT on her legs!!! This is a huge deal. Usually babies start putting weight on their legs as early as 3 months... well, Evie never has. Partly because her bones are bent and short, and also because she has severe Rickets.... so her joints just plain hurt. Maybe also because she spent so much time being "sick" the first year. Regardless... this past week Evie has started to play in a new jumper, and has also been putting some weight down when we hold her on our laps. BIG HORRAY!


3. Here is a pic of Evie's improvment in her fine motor skills:
AMAZING!

4. Evie is soooooooooo close to getting off Oxygen. I noticed that when I took her O2 off to admire her face she doesn't change color like she used to, so I put her on her monitor to check, and she is sitting easily in the low to mid 90s. AWESOME!

---
After two weeks of no preschool... no gymnastics... no appointments... and really no schedule at all, we are hitting 2011 with a packed week. I am actually really looking forward to it, we have some good things scheduled! Here is the rundown:

1. We see the orthopedic surgeon. Since Evie is putting weight on her legs, we are going to meet with him about straightening out her feet. As you can see from the pic, her feet curve in and don't flex much. This is partly from the bent bones in her lower legs, but also because the tendons in the back of her feet are tight. We will talk to the doc about what we can do about it.

2. We see Evie's eye doc. I have been concerned about Evie's soft spot possibly bulging a little more, and the eye doc can tell us if there is pressure behind her eyes (brain pressure).

3. We see the pediatrician. It's kind of weird to LOVE going to a doctor, but Dr. Pat is someone we truly look forward to seeing. He has been Evie's primary doc since day 1, and seen her through every single up and down. I can't wait to take her in to show off her improvement. Eating, weight gain, growth, teeth, from my perspective it's all been good the past 3 months since we saw him! (:

4. I'm going to call Evie's pulmonologist to see if we can do another overnight "trend oximetry" a fancy name for a test that decides if we can take Evie off oxygen! From how well things have been going I would be really surprised if she didn't pass. (:

---
So we enter into 2011. I have never really thought about "resolutions" as new years approach, but this year I feel like God has really been laying some things heavy on my heart. I'm actually a little intimidated about sharing these but sharing them will only hold me more accountable!

1. Love God more. The sermon this morning at church was about "loving God" and in all actuality that is kind of a loaded phrase. How do we love God... by telling him we love him? Saying we love him? The point that I thought was the most impactful for me was "We show our love for God by our commitment to doing what is right." When we love others, we are loving God. When we tell the truth, we are loving God. When we are humble, we are loving God. When we study God's word, we are loving God. What a good reminder starting a new year!

2. Save $10,000. Okay, for obvious reasons, this is the goal I was hesitant to share mostly because it's measurable and that's a lot of money! But if there is one thing I have learned this year it's that when God has something in mind for your life, he will provide! I'll elaborate. The past few years God has laid adoption on my heart. It started with gentle whispers, but in the past year or so it has become a deep desire. We are still considering the option of biological children, so adopting may be a few years down the road, but international adoption ranges from $25,000 - $60,000+ so it seems appropriate to start saving now. Why $10,000? I'm actually not sure. I don't even remember the exact moment I thought that was a good goal, but I again think it's God's leading. We are still in the "praying" phase of the adoption process, and know God may close that door, but there's my goal.

3. Pray, pray, pray. Prayer is powerful! and God is so good. And where in the heck is $10,000 going to come from!? (: I know I haven't said this in a while, but please let me know if I can pray for you. I absolutely love praying, because I know beyond a doubt that God answers, and he loves us.

Thanks for loving us and letting me share our lives with you, friends! I am truly looking forward to 2011 and the wonderful things God has in store.

Lindsey