Wow! It takes a lot to get a blog started! I guess we didn't know what exactly we were getting into, but thankfully, we're up and going and looking forward to keeping you informed about the "goings on" in our family life as well as using this to keep track of all of the precious things our children do that we find we so quickly forget.
I have always known how quickly time flies, but seeing how quickly our children change and the stages that they fly through so quickly makes me so nostalgic and makes me want to hang on to these sweet days of their childhood. This past Saturday, I went to see the movie "Mama Mia" with my sister-in-law, Hannah, and the song, "Slipping Through My Fingers" by ABBA came on. Having already seen "Mama Mia" at the Koger Center, I remembered the song, and was already teary by the first words, "School bag in hand, she leaves home in the early morning..." (It's on the playlist at the bottom of the page). It already brings me to tears thinking of my little girl leaving home to go to school and it's NOT even time for that!
The underlying emotion that the song "Slipping Through My Fingers" evoked was the deeper feeling of knowing how out of control I truly am when it comes to taking care of the needs of Rivers and Jackson. As most of you know, Rivers has had multiple surgeries (2 left hip, 1 left knee, 1 right hip) due to the condition that she was born with (Arthrogryposis). It is an incredible BLESSING FROM GOD that she is able to walk, and we are so thankful for how God has brought about healing in her little body! However, she does need another left hip surgery, and we (my mother [Mimi], Rivers, and I) will be going to Boston Children's Hospital next Wednesday through Friday, August 13th through the 15th. Please keep us in your prayers as we travel and consult with Dr. Young Jo Kim. Rivers will have an arthrogram (where they shoot dye into her hip to make sure that she still has good blood flow in that area) on Friday the 15th, and she will be "lightly" put to sleep for the procedure. We truly believe in the power of prayer as SO MANY prayers have been answered in the lives of both of our children already.
Also, please keep Jackson in your prayers. He was born with droopy eyelids, and we recently went to a plastic surgeon to discuss fixing them since they have begun to impair his vision. The surgeon began by letting us know that Jackson also needs craniofacial surgery. The shape of his head looks somewhat triangular from the top looking down. In talking with our pediatrician the other day, Dr. Cope said that it is more than fixing it for the sake of aesthetics; it is necessary for proper brain growth and development. Needless to say, we are feeling a bit overwhelmed since we were initially discussing eyelid surgery! Please pray for us as we juggle doctors appointments and make decisions regarding who will perform the surgeries and when. Jackson will be getting a CT scan of his head in 2 weeks and then we'll meet Dr. LeFaivre in Charlotte on September 4th for another plastic surgery consultation.
We will keep this blog updated so that you will know how to pray specifically for the needs of our family. It will be easier than sending out update e-mails. Thank you for lifting us up in prayer! It's awesome to know that when I feel like things are slipping through my fingers, God has us all in His firm grip! I guess life is a lesson in learning to let go and let God!
