Our little guy turns 1!

Happy Birthday, Cole!

He turned 1 in February, and though I'm late posting, I'm so proud of our little guy!

This year has been a bit of a whirlwind, as the busier we get the faster our time flies.  

Cole has experienced more than many babies his age.  

2 trips to the zoo

1 trip to the aquarium

1 trip to the World of Coke

2 trips to the beach (one on each coast)

Cole with his Daddy at Tybee Island, east coast

Cole in San Diego

several trips to special doctors

Cole with his brachial plexus specialist, Dr. Ratner

lots of therapy sessions

flying across the country (and back) in an airplane

Cole is on the airplane with Calla.  He is wearing a shirt exactly like the shirt his Daddy wore to work  when we were first married

meeting his Grandad and Great Grandparents in the same weekend

getting sick almost every other week (pneumonia on his birthday)

going from having a completely paralyzed arm to being able to lift it, bend it, reach over his head, feed himself, crawl, pull up, and cruise (all developmentally on time) -- all in just one year!!

How Cole held his right arm most of the time in the beginning

He also learned to say many words: hi, bye bye, up, all done, e i e i o, piggy sound, monkey sound, doggy sound, car sound, milk, uh oh...

He learned that he loves black beans and anything with fruit in it to cover up the taste of yucky veggies

He learned how to play with matchbox cars 

He learned how to be a champion sleeper

He learned how much he loves his blankie

He learned that big sisters are lots of fun

Little Cole, the Lord has taught this Mommy so much through you!  It was hard transitioning from a family of 3 to a family of 4.  Mommy's heart had been so full loving Calla, and when I first found out I was pregnant with you, I didn't know if I had any more room in my heart to love like I loved her.  Silly Mommy!  I guess I still had to learn what every Mommy-of-more-than-one has to learn, that something almost magical happens, and it's like your heart doubles, and there it is, the same amount of head-over-heels love and devotion as you had for your first.  I suppose this happens each time you have more babies?    I was also a little worried that I wouldn't know what to do with a little boy.  No bows?  Boy clothes?!?  But you have brought so much energy, life, fun, and happiness to our family! 

I love dressing you in clothes that remind me of your handsome Daddy, and we love just tossing you around, making you laugh, being silly with you.  You are so much fun!!  Being a parent really is an incredible thing.  It can be scary that we are the ones the Lord has entrusted to raise you, and there is tremendous responsibility that goes along with our commitment to you.  One of these responsibilities is in the managing of your health.  With your injury, we had some pretty rough times not knowing what to do, where to go, who to listen to for guidance.  But the Lord taught us to depend on His goodness and His sovereignty, doing our research and making the best possible choices given the information we had.  Looking back over this year, we see clearly the Lord's help every step of the way.  You will learn in your life that Christians call God the "Great Physician."  He knows every single thing about your nerves and your muscles and your injury.  And the Bible promises us that He is good.  We can trust Him!  We learned to really trust Him this year, as it is so much harder to let go of your child into His safe guidance than to let go of anything else!  Our hope for you is that if you ever get sad about your arm or anything else, you will run to God and learn to trust Him.  He is also called a Great Physician for a more important reason.  Our hearts are sick, lost, unclean, and He has made a way for them to be healed, brought back, cleaned.  Through Jesus and His life, death, and resurrection, we can know God!!  We pray that you have a wonderful, happy, long life, and that your arm will never slow you down too much.  But above all else, we pray that your heart would be healed, brought back to God, cleaned, that you would know and trust the God who has taught us so much through you!  Your Daddy and I love you so much, little guy, and we look forward to seeing what He will bring your way in the years to come!

Pictures of the party to come...

Good Morning, Mommy.  Just looking out the window.  It's a beautiful day!

Mommy: do you know who else eats apples?
Calla: I don't know.
M: horsies
C: And Adam and eve ate apple.  No obey God!
M: it wasn't an apple, it was a forbidden fruit.
C: and they were nakey and the snake was colors. And they ate apple.

Praise to God for Recent Milestones Met!!!

Cole is crawling and pulling to stand!  At 9 months!  On time! Praise the Lord that our son has overcome his birth injury in many ways.  Praise the Lord for making our son so motor-coordinated and motivated.  Cole started crawling last week for family in California (Calla first crawled in CA and later first walked in CA one year ago, last Thanksgiving).  The last video is him pulling up this evening.  We are so proud of our little guy!

'Tis the Season

We just bought our Christmas tree last night!  The Georgia weather urged that we must do this to make the cold weather a little more bearable.  I don't know that we have ever bought a tree so soon after Thanksgiving.  Besides the weather, having an excited toddler shout "It's Christmas!!!" upon seeing the city lights from the airplane as we descended into Los Angeles last week made us realize how much fun this Christmas season would be, urging us to start quickly.
I'm extra excited about starting to celebrate Advent with Calla.  We are actually a little late starting, but some friends posted this Advent resource: Free Jesse Tree Advent Devotional Book and it looks fun.  Check out my friend Ashley Turner's blog about her advent tree: My Owlet
I'm also extra excited about our Christmas cards this year.  Partly because my friend Ashley Lee from  LoveLee Imagery took our first family photos since Cole was born.  Also, there are so many deals going around the web for free photo cards, that we can have something nice without breaking the bank!  I have always been an avid Shutterfly user, but just discovered Tiny Prints and their Rainbow card collection!  Rainbow Christmas cards?  Sounds funny, but I love bright colors.  Just ask Calla.
I found a good tip on Pinterest for how to take a picture of your child in front of the tree, it's from the  Ashley Ann Photography blog.  The big thing - take the picture in the day time!  Click on her link to see the differences.  I'll let you know how mine turns out.
Can't wait to blog about the fun Christmas season!  I'll also have a post up soon about our trip to California.  In short, it was a great time with family and friends, with answered prayers along the way.  Love to you all!

Happy November!

Some recent pictures for your viewing pleasure...

Right before our family pictures, we are practicing her smile.

Hanging out on the porch watching Daddy do yard work.

The only "pumpkin patch" we went to this year, this is in front of Kroger!  

Took Calla to a pet store for the first time.  If you didn't know, my Mom owned a pet store all while I was growing up, so it was fun to introduce the kids to the family business!  They loved the animals, of course.

Cole is enthralled with the fish tanks.  

We are proud of Calla for her Scripture memory this year.  

At the park, Calla is driving the train.  This is probably her favorite thing to do at the park, because it doesn't involve any risk taking!  She told me that she is driving the train to church, then to California.

What a big girl, she can do the slide all by herself now.  She  loves it and will do it over and over.

 
 

Terrified of swinging. :(  Poor thing didn't even want to be bribed with M&Ms.

Cole, on the other hand loves to swing!

God's Design for Parents

I'm so thankful for our church and our pastor.  I just wanted to pass on a link to the sermon we heard on Sunday, God's Design for Parents.  It's one of those messages I want to listen to a few times, and then again in a year or so.  Pastor Koehler is preaching through Ephesians, and is in Ephesians 6.  We are praying that the Lord would help us to be the parents He has called us to be!

Minnie Mouse and the Fussy-Breathing Dragon

Calla and Cole got all costumed up for our church's Reformation Day celebration.  Calla wanted to be Minnie Mouse, and Cole wanted to be something fussy.  :)  

Calla with her friend Laney, who is the world's cutest Little Red Riding Hood

 

Photo Fun

Got my hands on a nice camera and took these pictures at a park outside of our subdivision.  It was almost a month ago, but I haven't made myself just sit down and share them!  There are more that haven't been edited, but this is a lengthy "sneak peak!"  

On Passing the Cookie Test

"...everyone

would pass more tests

if they involved cookies."

~Scott Lang, deep thinker and beloved Uncle

Today was a critical 7-month appointment with Dr. Ratner, Cole's Brachial Plexus Specialist. Would he pass the Cookie Test? Or would he need surgery to repair his nerves?  As his parents, we hovered around the tension of really wanting surgery if it would help his prognosis, but not wanting our fussy sweet baby to have to go through all that is involved with nerve surgery.  Our prayers leading up to today involved placing the situation in the all-wise hands of our faithful, sovereign, loving God.  We especially prayed for Dr.  Ratner, that the Lord would direct his mind to recommend the exact course that Cole would need.  At this point, only God knows the exact nerve damage.  Dr. Ratner makes his recommendations based on observation of Cole's progress throughout the months. 

In the end, it all comes down to...

                     The Cookie Test...

                             It beat him last time, but he won't let it beat him again...

                                       

Cole is in the zone, he has his eye on the prize, he is staring down that cookie test.... 

                ... he is taken aback... a moment of doubt... I have to do what?  Are you serious?  You do realize that I don't actually eat cookies yet...

BAM!!  Take THAT, Cookie Test!!!

Based on Cole putting that cookie in his mouth, Dr. Ratner sees no need for nerve intervention, and does not need to see him back until he turns one.  There are still some things Cole needs to do, like supinate and externally rotate his arm, but those are the last things to usually come.  There is always the possibility that Cole could need surgery down the road, but for now, he is in the clear. 

Thank you, God!  He has heard the many prayers given on Cole's behalf and spared our baby a lot of pain! 

But let us just add this.  God is good.  Always.  God's goodness is not dependent on Cole passing or not passing the Cookie Test.  Though there are sufferings and trials in this world, God's goodness has never been in question for us, because we believe the Bible, which tells us that "God works all things together for good, for those who love Him," and "goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life." 

"He who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all, how will He not with Him graciously give us all things?"

Rom 8:32

God is good! 

6 Months, Much Anticipated

6 Months

~

26.75 inches

16 pounds, 4 ounces

~

Rolling and Rolling

Cooing

Tripod Sitting Sitting Up

Hungry, but Not On Solids (Yet)

Sleeping through the Night (Yay)

~

Bending Arm

Reaching for Toys

Still Trying to Pass the Cookie Test

~

Little Guy

Fussy

Bay-Cole  Be-Cole (changed due to family protest of the husbandly kind)

Happy Half-Birthday to sweet little Baby Cole!  We have anticipated Cole turning 6-months since about 6 weeks after he was born.  His doctor told us that would be the age by which we would see if he passed the Cookie Test, which is the test typically used to indicate a need (or lack of need) for surgery.  For babies with Upper Brachial Plexus Palsy, the doctors tend to wait 6 months for elbow bending, and if they can bring something (like a cookie) to their mouths in a natural way, they probably won't need surgery right now.  You can check out our last post to read our prayer and hopes for that visit.  Many of you have asked us for an update, sorry to make you wait so long!  

So no, Cole did not pass the Cookie Test.  Though he can sort of bring his hand to his mouth when sitting up, he does it in an unnatural and probably compensatory way (using the shoulder too much).  Cole's doctor earned our trust yet again, in that without us even saying what our hopes were, he vocalized them as his recommended course of action.

 ~Wait~

More waiting.  This has been what we have been doing for the past 6 months and are thankful to continue to do!  The doctor agrees with us that since Cole is continuing to make progress on his own and with therapy, let's wait a couple more months to see if he can pass that Cookie Test.  If he starts plateauing, or isn't passing that test, then we will have a conversation about surgical options.  

Thank you so much for praying and thinking about our Little Guy.  He is a gift from God, and so is the extra time we can wait!

Time to Pray!

Please say a prayer for our appointment at the Brachial Plexus Clinic tomorrow (Friday) afternoon.  Cole is a week away from turning 6 months, so this might be a big surgery-determining appointment for him.  Then again, they might give him until one more appointment to pass the Cookie Test.  That's what I'm hoping for, because as of today, he is not able to bring something (such as a big yummy chocolate chip cookie) to his mouth from the sitting position.  But, he is making progress all the time!  So, maybe if they give him a couple more weeks?  Either way, we are so thankful for each and every prayer lifted up to God for Cole.  Cole bends his arm regularly now, plays with toys, puts his hand in his mouth when reclined.  He can touch his eyes and reach straight out for toys (when reclined).  I just pray for Dr. Ratner (and us) to have wisdom to make the best decision for Cole's little (chubby) body.  Only God knows exactly what kind of damage is there and what Cole needs, and if he needs surgery then I want him to get it!  Thanks everyone!

For those of you dying to see new pictures of my kids, here are a few:

 

And if you made it to the end, a fun video of my kids playing together!