I LOVE our Pediatrician!!!

I took Lilah to Dr.Cossio's office(pediatrician) this morning because she is very congested. After he examined her I told him about the nurse from Children First saying she was "developmentally delayed."
He got very frustrated. He said he "hates when people put labels on kids because we aren't God and we don't know what she's going to do."

I LOVE my Pediatrician!!!

He not only encourages me, but he also supports, protects, and defends my kids. Dr. Cossio said she was just fine. He said her motor function is good and she is starting to smile. He said all kids develop differently and the "norm" can be off by 2 weeks or more. I asked him if there were more exercises I could do to stimulate her eyes and he gave me some suggestions.

He asked me when we go back to Atlanta and I told him next Friday. He said, "I think her left eye looks great." He also said, "the news can't be worse." meaning- we only go up from here.

I thank God for the great doctors Lilah has. I cannot begin to tell you how awesome positivity, encouragement, and HOPE are; no to mention having physicians who believe in the power of prayer!

I have a hard time "seeing" the changes in Lilah's eyes because I "stare" at her all day and night. Every time I nurse her I look at her eyes. Each time I talk to her I wonder if they are getting better.

I pray that Friday we will get some great answers! Lilah is a blessing and a miracle. I am so grateful!

Oh, by the way, she's on breathing treatments for her chest congestion.


Luke 7:22 So he replied to the messengers, "Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor.

"I will put my trust in HIM."Hebrews 2:13

Evaluation 2/26/09

Today, 2/26/09, Lilah was evaluated by Children First/Children's Medical Services.(They help kids with chronic medical conditions in the state of Ga)
The nurse who came to the house evaluated her health and development.
Lilah weighs 13lbs.13oz and is 23.5 inches long. (she gained 2 lbs in 22days) :)

Lilah has been referred to Babies Can't Wait. Because of her vision problems, Lilah is developmentally delayed. Those words "developmentally delayed" were VERY hard to hear. I knew this information. I am with her all the time. I see how different she is compared to other babies.Hearing those words and saying those words...WOW....so difficult. I know children develop at different levels,and she could jump back on track later on.

We go back to Atlanta to see Dr. Lee next Friday, 3/06/09. Originally Dr. Lee gave us until Lilah was 3 months old to make a decision about surgery,etc. Lilah turned 3 months yesterday. I am asking for some VERY specific, intercessory, constant prayers for Lilah.

Heavenly Father,
You know what lies in my heart. You have heard my many cries. I come, again, to ask for you to heal Lilah. I pray for Lilah to be completely healed. I ask for the miracle of sight. Please give Lilah vision in both eyes. Please Lord, please help Lilah to be able to use her eyes to work for you. I ask that you please help Lilah to develop normally. I ask that you please keep Lilah from pain.Lord, I ask you to please hear the prayers of all of the people praying to you right now. I am so humbled and grateful for the miracles you have created within my precious baby. I thank you for those rare moments when I sing to her and she smiles. I thank you for her. I love her with all of my heart and wouldn't change any moment I have had with her. I ask you to be with Dr. Lee. Please continue to guide him and give him the wisdom to heal our baby. Please Lord, please give us your peace. Please give us your strength, courage, wisdom, and guidance. Please Lord help calm my fears. Please Lord help me to feel your presence during this time of uncertainty. Please help me to trust fully in your plan for Lilah. Please keep Lilah still during testing. Please keep Lilah free from pain. I ask that the FML drops continue to clear and thin her corneas.I ask that her pressures are low. I ask that her pupils are more visible. I ask that her corneas have thinned even more. I ask that Lilah begins to see more each minute, each hour, each day.Please give us a miracle. You, oh mercifully Lord, are the ultimate healer. Through You the blind will see. Through you we are free. Please Lord, please place your hands all over us and give us your strength to endure. Thank you for the faithful people interceding right now. Thank you for giving me amazing friends and family who will not leave us during these times. Thank you for those people who have reached out, helped us, prayed for us, and followed the Holy Spirit. Thank you for those people who don't know what to say. Lord, give them courage to call and wisdom to know that we need them. We need to feel your presence through them. We need to know that you are there and will "never let go, through the calm and through the storm." Lord, I thank you for what you have done in Lilah and through her. Thank you for the miracles that we have yet to see. Thank you for knowing how scared I am , and for giving me peace and comfort to know that it is OK to be scared. Thank you for giving me peace to know you have this in your hands and Lilah will be just fine. Lord, thank you!
Amen

Thank you for praying, asking for prayers, interceding, remaining faithful and trusting. The power of prayer is really amazing. Please don't give up HOPE! Thanks so much!

Alex's praise

The other night we sat down to dinner. We all put our hands together and Sammie prayed. Then Alex said, "Mommy, you're going to like this...And Lord, thank you for the awesome power you put in the drops to heal Lilah's eyes."

Did I mention that Alex is six?

Alex and Freddie (her 6 month old Bearded Dragon)

Mommy's heart just swelled with pride. My little girl is building a relationship with the Lord. What a mature thing for Alex to say, think, and feel. I am overwhelmed at how Lilah has helped us all grow in faith.

Test Results

Friday the 13th. This day is suppose to be a bad day. This day bad things are suppose to happen. On Friday the 13th, everyone lives in fear, right?!

NOT FOR LILAH!

On Friday the 13th we got another answered prayer. I knew in my gut. I knew because I have the peace of the Lord. I knew, but we got answers. Her blood test revealed....

Lilah has 100% normal chromosomes. Meaning....NO chromosomal abnormalities. NO syndromes of ANY kind.

I thanked the Lord immediately.

A small, human part of me wanted to write a sign on her carrier that says "She's fine. We have proof. Please stop asking if there is more than JUST her eyes." No, I did not do it!!

I am GRATEFUL for Lilah. I thank God for her; and Alex, and Sammie, and Eli..ALWAYS!

Lilah has a purpose. Lilah is a miracle. Last night after dinner, Lilah was in her carrier. I walked over to her and gently laid my head on her lap. Her eyes caught my face, and she smiled!

Amazed

Well, there you have it! Lilah did it, and I got it!!!!

I tried and tried for many days to capture this. Bubbles and all!!!
Her smile is just what I need. It takes some time to "talk "to her and get her excited, but she does it. Awesome Answered Prayer!

And....if I sing and talk and coo enough


SHE COOS BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thank the Lord, our God, she CAN see me! She knows who I am!

MIRACLES!!!!! I love them so much!

ANSWERED PRAYERS!

"UNBELIEVABLE" "AMAZING"

These are the words Dr. Lee used over and over again.

We serve an amazingly awesome God! We had many, many answered prayers today
-Lilah stayed almost completely still during the procedures
-She did not cry
-Both of Lilah's Iris' are visible(even though the right is still cloudy)
-Both of Lilah's eyes are almost 100% clearly outlined
-Lilah's Corneal Thickness has lessened 200-300 points in each eye
-Lilah is beginning to focus
-Lilah is following light
-Lilah's pressures are still normal (they registered high normal (27/33), but we will begin the Trusopt (pressure) drops again)
Dr. Lee isn't worried that the pressures have risen. He said that the FML drops can increase pressures, the testing can increase pressures, and infants eyes are very resilient
-Lilah's left eye is almost completely clear. Almost all the pupil is visible. Dr. Lee said, "I will probably never touch(do surgery on) the left eye."
-Dr. Lee said "We would be crazy to do surgery right now"
-Dr. Lee said that Lilah may be healing from a combination of the FML drops and the fact that she is getting older

**2 days ago....LILAH smiled! She smiled again this morning in Dr. Lee's office before he came in.**

Dr. Lee was so happy. Dr. Lee is a gift from God. He is an answer to my prayer that God would use him to heal Lilah.
Dr. Lee wants to "see what she will do." We go back to see Dr. Lee on March 6.

I am BEYOND grateful. We have a GREAT GOD!!! So many prayers were answered today. So many are in the works. Lilah is our little, unexplained, unplanned, GOD given miracle. Lilah has changed our lives. She has repaired relationships, given patience, and helped people grow in their faith.

Thank you for your prayers. Thank you for your faithfulness. Thank you for interceding for Lilah. Thank you for TRUSTING our heavenly Father. Thank you for partnering with me in the amazing power of prayer. How awesome is this? We are all witnessing a miracle in Lilah. Thank you for not giving up. Your prayers are working. Please continue to pray for complete healing. THANK YOU!

"Through you the blind WILL see. Through YOU our hearts sing...I AM FREE!!!!!!!!"

Next Atlanta trip this Friday 2/6/09

Aaron and I will be leaving early Friday morning for Lilah's appointment with Dr. Lee. We are anxious about this visit. Lilah's pressures must be low and normal. Her cornea thickness needs to be lower than before also. (Her original measurement was around 1000-double the normal level) Dr. Lee will be looking to see if the FML steroid drops are continuing to improve the cloudiness of her corneas.

We pray specifically that her pressures are low. We pray that Lilah's corneas have thinned. We pray that the cloudiness has continued to clear. We pray that she will not need to have surgery. We pray that the drops continue to be the method the Lord has planned to clear Lilah's eyes. We pray for sight. We pray for vision in both eyes. We pray that Lilah will be fully and completely healed. We ask you, oh mercifully Lord, to hear our calls and bring Lilah the miracle of sight.

Thank you Lord!

"Through YOU the blind will see, ....through YOU our hearts sing...I AM FREE!"

For Gene Appleton

Today a very great man has gone home. Today Aaron and I, along with many others, mourn the loss of an exceptionally great man. Today, the angels are singing. Today Gene may rest at peace for his work here on earth is done.

Gene Appleton is the reason that Aaron, my husband, is a christian. Yes, many people planted seeds in Aaron. But Gene was inspirational. Gene just KNEW Aaron would be a great christian.

I met Gene and Jenny Appleton at one of the lowest points in my marriage. Gene heard me speak and knew the pain I was in, and he was determined to help. He was determined to meet Aaron. His determination lead to talks, breakfasts, car rides, and Aaron meeting other christian men. Aaron found out that we, as Christians, are in no way perfect. We as Christians are flawed. But, through Christ alone, we are made new. Our sins are washed as white as snow. Gene was there for Aaron when he reached his bottom. Gene was there to show Aaron that he is forgiven. All Aaron had to do was ask the Lord to free him. Gene gave Aaron the tools to make a change. Gene was able to introduce Aaron to other men who were not perfect, but wanted to be better. Aaron met many great men who helped him make a decision. On September 9, 2007 Aaron accepted Christ as his savior. Aaron was baptized on September 16, 2007.

Gene said one time that he lived by the motto that as long as he was working for Jesus he was doing his job. Gene said after Aaron was baptized, "That's one more for Jesus." Gene knew that his purpose was to spread the word. Gene had done his job. "Til the whole world knows....God we will go."

Aaron and I would not be able to make it through this difficult time without the Lord. As we are now walking together with the Lord, in every high and every low.We rely very heavily on our faith in the Lord to see us through. We know that the Lord will guide us, strengthen us, and provide us HOPE. Gene, we thank you. Our marriage is stronger today because of you. Thank you Gene Appleton!

We know that Christ is always there."Through the calm and through the storm."

We face many unknowns with Lilah. We know that the Lord holds her in HIS hands. We know, we trust, that Lilah will be healed. Our faith is what keeps us strong. We are able to rely on HIM. We are able to rely on each other. We are able to be strong for our kids.

We will miss you, Gene. We know that someday we will see you when we go home. Until that time we will hold fast to the word that you have helped teach!