Want to know why I LOVE Lilah's PT...

Because she pushes her with LOVE!

She treats Lilah like a person...an individual..not a thing.

Laura loves Lilah and wants to see her succeed.

Laura has taught Lilah and I both.

Laura on the left and Catherine, her trainee, on the right

Laura,
I cannot thank you enough!
You are fabulous!
You help the Mamas and the babies.
We just LOVE you!
Thank you for encouraging Lilah (and me) every step of the way.
YOU ROCK!

Praising HIM!

LOOK at her eyes?

Just look!

I just took this picture and I almost fainted!

Look at how clear.

How happy and FULL of life she is.

No surgery.

How can we explain this?

It is ALL God!

God is so AWESOME!

She likes to move it, move it!

WATCH THIS:

GO LILAH GO!

A happy day :)

This morning at PT Lilah was on all fours and smacked the mat and moved forward to a toy. No, not crawling yet, but oh so close.

She is sitting up on her own. She moves from her belly, rolls to her side, pushes her arms up and moves herself to a sitting position. What took weeks...weeks to master...she is doing so effortlessly.

This morning she did so many beautiful things at PT. I am so proud of her for her accomplishments. She works so hard to meet each milestone.

So...we have to practice. We have some work to do, but I welcome it. The work is hard for her. It is hard to watch her cry and want to stop, but I lay down on my belly and cheer her on as she pushes herself to hold the position longer. The moments that she looks up and smiles at me ...it just takes my breath away. Lilah works so hard, and she still makes room to love as she works.

Good news today, and everyday!

God is and always will be...GREAT!

HONORING GOD

Let me begin by saying this: I love Lilah. I do NOT want to change her. NEVER! I want her and no one else. Read that again please. I will never ask God to change the GIFT He has given us. I am MORE Grateful for Lilah than I could ever express. JUST the way she is!

I began this blog as a way to keep people updated on Lilah's condition and progress. I began this blog at a time when I did not understand what was going on and why.

Each time I type, I pray and ask God to lead me with HIS words. I ask God to show me HIS truth. I pray that this blog is honoring the Lord. I pray that my words are a source of HOPE, encouragement, and help. All at the same time I will tell the truth. Never lying about the day to day feats, struggles, and JOYS!

This blog is about Lilah. It is also about me...for I am the one writing. It is about our journey together. On this journey we will have amazingly great days. We will also have days that are not so great. If I wrote each day about how perfect things are...I would not be honoring God. I would be lying.

Remember Job. He loved the Lord SO much that Satan was angry. Satan asked the Lord if he could tempt Job. He told God that Job wouldn't love HIM anymore if things were tough. God knew Job's heart and strength and HE knew Job would never falter. The Lord agreed to let Satan tempt Job. Satan took away Job's money, home, stuff, family, power...everything...and Job never stopped loving the Lord with all of his heart. Job asked, questioned, and didn't understand....but he never stopped trusting and believing in the Lord and HIS promises.

I pray that I will continue to honor the Lord with everything I think, do, feel, act, say, AND type!

For those of you who read, follow, and love this blog for what is meant for...thank you.

For those of you who do not agree with me, think horribly of me, persecute me, etc. I pray for you. I pray for your peace.

I will not second guess myself. I will pray, read, and trust in the LORD.

Lilah is my GIFT from the Lord. She has taught me SO much. About life. About LOVE. About my faith. About how AWESOME God is. 13 months ago I would've never had the courage to do what I do today.

Saturday morning I told a woman of Lilah's story. I told of her miracle. I told of the Lord's goodness. I told this woman about the struggles and triumphs of the past year and how God has changed me and my family through Lilah. I invited the woman to meet me at church that very night. I prayed the Lord would open the doors and path to allow this woman to hear the word of God that night. To my joy...she came to church. She sat next to me. As Cam, our pastor, spoke this woman grabbed my hand and looked and me and thanked me for the invitation. She told me it was JUST what she needed. She later sent me a text and said, "thank you. this is going to change my life."

I did not tell that story to boast. I told that story because I know I am honoring the Lord by what I write here.

If I can help lead others to Christ by this blog...then I am honoring God. That is my goal. That is my number one priority. Next comes honoring my family...meaning the 6 people in my home.

For those who persecute me for what I have written, said, done, etc. I will pray for you.

I will always write honestly here. I pray you will read it with an open mind and heart. If you do not agree with what I have written, you have the right to click away from this page.

OT Evaluation

This morning Lilah had her 2nd OT evaluation.

After the therapist played with her and watched her, she told me what level Lilah is on.

Lilah is at a 10-11 month level for Occupational Therapy.(pincer grasp, fine motor, etc)

Lilah is almost 14 months old.

Tara, the OT, said that this isn't "that far behind."

Which is reassuring...

BUT...

When your 13 month old is in the same room as another child younger than her, doing MORE than her...I will, as always, be honest...it stings. I get SO tired of the constant comparisons. OR people that say..."I thought it was JUST her eyes."

If ...IF you ONLY knew.

HOW hard.

HOW MUCH..

we work to meet each milestone.

It does NOT just "come."

But.

but.

BUT!

I LOVE Lilah. LILAH. I don't want another baby. I want Lilah. I don't want her to be anything more than what she is!

AND

THAT is good enough.

I don't want her to "see more, be more, think more, act more."

I want her to be all she can

BUT

I will NEVER change her.

Now...

I am going to go read the poem below

AGAIN

and cry

and KNOW that

no matter what anyone says or thinks...

She is my gift from the Lord and I love her!

Heaven's Special Child

Yesterday I received a be-lated Christmas present...

Heaven's Special Child

A meeting was held far from Earth,

It was time for another Birth.

Said the Angels to the Lord above-

"This Special Child will need much love.

"Her progress may be slow,

"Accomplishment she may not show.

"And she'll need extra care

"From folks she meets down there.

"So many times she will be labeled,

"Different, helpless, and disabled.

"So let's be careful where she's sent,

"We want her to be content.

"Please Lord, find the parents who

"Will do this special job for you.

"They will not realize right away,

"The leading role they are asked to play.

"But with this child sent from above,

"Comes stronger faith and richer love.

"And soon they will know the privilege given

"In caring for their gift from heaven.

"Their precious charge, so meek and mild

"Is Heaven's Special Child"

I cry each time I read it.

Lilah is my gift.

Scroll up and read it again.

Now...for those of you who have followed from the beginning...you know this journey has taken me through so many valleys.

You know that it has not been without bumps and bruises.

HOWEVER...

I am SO, very very very...

GRATEFUL for those bumps, pains, bruises, hurts, tears, loneliness....

I am walking closer with Christ today than I was a year ago.

Thank you God for MY Special Child...

Lilah is the BEST gift...EVER!

To Geri,

You hit the nail on the head. Thank you for finding this poem and knowing what my heart needed to feel, hear, and see. Many, many thanks!