Merry Christmas

Sara is doing great. We are in South La for almost a week with Jennifer's family for Christmas. After the new year I'll give another update, thanks for your prayers.

We hope everyone is having a fantastic Christmas and remembers to worship our Lord for His incredible gift to us - His Son to die for our sins and rise from the dead. And of course we hope you have received this gift of life and forgiveness. If you want to know more about that, click here.

Videos of Sara

Eating rice cereal for the first time. This has led to some clogification this week followed by alot of fussification and no sleepification, but it is getting better.

We are showing her these black and white pictures to help her focus and follow better. She is improving each week. Apparently she enjoyed this, although it was getting close to - leave me alone!

Amazing Improvement!!

Christmas card pics - thanks Uncle Buck

Sara continues to amaze us at how God is working in her little life. Even more so, she has amazed one of her therapist. I mentioned recently some things to pray about - namely Sara responding to therapy. On Dec 1st, the therapist gave us the exercises to do to work with Sara, mainly on moving her head to one side, her left. She favored turning to the right. If this would have continued it could have become much more serious. So we did the exercises.

Well, Jennifer and I thought we could see improvement, but when the therapist came one week later (this past Tuesday) she said - This is not the same baby I saw last week. I wasn't there, but Jennifer said she remarked over and over - this is amazing, I can't believe she improved this much in one week. How cool!! In fact, we are no longer doing those exercises and have moved on to some that help her focus and follow objects, reach and grab, and loosen up her midsection (maybe I should get Sara to do what I do to loosen my midsection - fudge and eggnog!).

The new formula did not work out, she only had 3 bottles and reacted to it immediately - very fussy, which is unusual. We immediately switched back and now we are back to normal. Sara did get to try rice cereal for the first time yesterday. The video below shows that experience. But today, she loved it! She ate the whole portion and seemed to like it alot, lots of squeals.

Sara continues to be healthy and doing well. Enjoy the pics and video of her. More so, enjoy our great Savior and King whose name is Jesus!

Ok, they've put me in this new contraption, I don't know what it is, but I know dad couldn't find the real cushiony seat for it so they stuck some ole bath towel down instead. I don't know what they have planned, but I don't think I like it.

What's this?? What is she holding? and what is she doing with it?!?!? she trying to stick it in my mouth, wait there is some kind of substance laying in the concave bowl on this object. It appears she wants to put that substance in my mouth, should I??

What is this?!?!? No one asked me about this, eh, uh, ... I don't know what it is. It's a cross between uh, well, I don't know I've never had anything else. What is the universal baby sign for disgusting, umm, oh yeah I spit it out!

Oh well, maybe it wasn't so bad. Maybe if I smile real cute they won't do it again.

Emma Grace at her bday tea party

I tried all day to upload some videos, they're coming, just not today.

Good Doctor Visits

Sara had a checkup this past Monday with her pediatrician, and he was tickled with how well she was doing. She was 12 1/2 lbs. She is getting a change in her formula to a kind that will sustain her a little bit longer. Her stomach is digesting everything great and is getting hungrier sooner. So the predigestive formula is not filling her up. If the new formula sits well with her, then we will also begin to introduce rice cereal. I actually have to get the high chair out of the attic and get it cleaned up!

Sara is also full time into therapy. There are several exercises the therapist showed us to do with her. Sara favors turning her head to one side over the other. If this were to persist it could cause some real problems. So we do some exercises several times a day to turn her head the other way to get the stiffness out. The OT (occupational therapist) said it is like a crick in the neck. She doesn't want to turn it because it is stuff and hurts. So we have to loosen it up.

We also are going some exercises in helping her focus and track objects. We actually have an appointment with an eye doc in January to make sure everything is working right. Our doc thinks it is, just precautionary. It's hard to say if these issues are caused just by prematurity or the damage from the brain bleeds and infarction.

Sara is still sleeping great, smiling alot, and we are getting more and more attached to her each day. Our other girls are especially growing more and more fond of her.

You can pray for the therapy to accomplish what it needs to accomplish in her little body. Also pray we would be diligent with her exercises. Pray for her continued health through the winter. Thanks for caring and praying!!