Vacation Time...

Here I sit in beautiful Hawaii. We are taking a couple of weeks on Maui to relax. Well, to a degree. Tim has been working here for 3 weeks, and is basically ready to go home. He will finish his pool remodel today though, and hopefully be willing to relax for a few days before he heads back. Myself, I'm staying the full 2 weeks I scheduled, along with Linda, Seth, Ethan and Madison. As hard as it is to leave young ones, I left Hannah and Abigail with Kirsten and my sister Karen. I'm so grateful they were willing to take on the task. It isn't an easy one to watch 2 toddlers that are 3 and 21 months. They are beyond busy, and quite a handful. :) But they are sweet and wonderful, and a joy at the same time. I left home 2 days ago, and I miss them, but....

Anyway, I had a few minutes while Linda is swimming in the pool with the boys, Tim is working, and Madison is laying quietly on my bed, so I thought I would update this blog, which is way past due.

Madison is doing great, and I will try and get a few new pictures up on the site. I'm not terribly computer savvy, so it's a chore to do those things. She is growing fast, and smiles and coo's and giggles a bit. At her last clinic appt (where we see the physical therapist and pediatrician that coordinates her overall care), they said she was pretty much on track with her typical milestones. But, she needs more tummy time, and I've been working on that. She does pick her head up and look around well when she's on her tummy, but she's not pushing up yet with her arms. Her range of movement is good with her feet and hips, but I need to continue to do the stretching exercises that were recommended. That will be a forever thing I'm sure.

She's very sweet and smiley, and so chubby! It looks like a chore to push her cheeks aside to smile at me.

We are scheduled to see the clinic practitioners when we get back, then get a kidney ultrasound to check on the swelling she had in one kidney when she was born. Then we head to Portland for another MRI and follow-up with the neurosurgeon. As this approaches, I worry. Her soft-spot seems to bulge some days, I notice her scalp veins more, and every cry makes me wonder if she's in pain. (all the signs of hydrocephalus) Overall, she seems perfectly normal, but I still anticipate needing a shunt at some point. Whether that happens or not is in the Lord's hands, but I still worry.

So, once again, I thank all of you who are following our progress and praying for this precious little girl. She is a joy, even with the challenges and unknown's.