Saturday, October 4, 2014

Jane Maddy is 2!

Happy 2nd Birthday, Jane Madelynn!

It is so hard to believe that Jane Maddy is 2!  It seems like just yesterday we were heading to the hospital to have her.  So many of you have prayed for her and rejoiced in her victories over the last two years.  We are so thankful for your love and support.  I realize I am not very good at giving updates so I thought I would take this time to give a quick one!
For those of you who don’t know Jane Maddy’s back story, here is a quick summary. 
The day after Jane Maddy was born, the doctor’s told us that she had a life threatening condition.  Most kids with her diagnosis live only 1 week to 1 year.  We should just take her home and love on her. There was nothing they could do.  When we left the hospital with her 2 days old, she had not eaten.  With the help of our wonderful pediatrician, we learned to feed her with a syringe.  He agreed that she had the signs of Edward’s Syndrome. With the test sent off, we were forced to just watch her and wait.  When she was 6 days old, we took her to our church where our pastor and the entire church prayed over her.  The next day we received the unbelievable news that her test was negative.  Since that day, she has continued to baffle the medical world.  She still has all the outward signs of a genetic syndrome. However, the tests all come back negative.  We firmly believe that God healed her and just left some of the outward signs to remind us of His amazing grace. 
Over the past two years, we have watched her grow and develop and amaze her doctors.  They told us she might not ever walk or talk. Now, she runs and never stops talking!!!  She is a little miracle. 
Right now, we are just monitoring her growth. We did get a new diagnosis from the geneticist but it is a syndrome with only like 100 known cases in the world.  Mark has banned me from looking it up and reminds me that at this point it is a guessing game. Even if the geneticist is right, there is a wide spectrum of cases. In other words, no more googling it!  Lol   She has been released by a lot of her other doctors. They simply can’t explain it!   She still has her gtube but if we can keep her weight increasing and make it through the winter without using it, they will remove it in the spring.
A few specific prayer requests include her foot and her speech.  Although she is walking, she has a flat foot and it turns out.  It is possible that by spring they will have to do surgery to help correct it.  Her speech amazes me every day. However at some point, she will probably need speech therapy and possible correction of the cleft palate.  
To be completely honest although things look really good for Jane Maddy right now, I still often times wonder “why?”  “Did I do something wrong? Was it the diet coke? Were the baths I take too hot?”  and on and on. During these 2 years, God has taught me so much.  Just today, I was reading John 9 and the story of Jesus healing the blind man.  It says,
John 9 As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”
“Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him.
Wow!  God showed me the why?  God chose our family and our little Jane Maddy to disply His mighty works.  I don’t need to ask “Why?” anymore!




































Monday, March 17, 2014

2013-14 Yearbook: October

 

 

A Look at October 2013 - Part 1

October was a BIG month for us so I don't think I will be able to put it all in one post.  With 3 birthdays, a Christ birthday, 3 photo shoots, the TX state fair, the pumpkin patch, an overnight field trip, and more, we really packed in a lot this October.  Here's a start at a look at our October 2013. 

Ok, I wasn't going to include any birthday stuff in the post but these were too cute,  Jane Maddy loves balls!  Unfortunately, the ball pit did not survive very long at our house! But it was fun while it lasted!

 

The Pumpkin Patch

 

Probably my favorite part of fall is visiting a pumpkin patch. This fall, we got to go to the one at the Dallas Arboretum with our good friends - Mrs. Diane and Lola.  It was so much fun.  Get ready cause I took  A LOT of pics!


 John Mark showing off!




 Johnna Katherine loves to pose for the camera!


Unfortunately, Jane Madelynn does NOT!


 But I did finally get her to smile!


Jennaleigh wanted a turn too!



 Johnna Katherine again!
Having fun in the pumpkin house!




John Mark loves to take care of the littles!


This bunch thought I was going to push them like this all day!  It didn't happen!





OF course, the water attracted everyone!

Pretty girls!





Love this Pic!  No one fell in!


Julianna -Marie has officially outgrown the stroller

Beautiful girls - inside and out!

She tried so hard for me but the sun was too bright!



Our many attempts at getting a good picture of all 5 looking!






 And I finally give up! 

Jennaleigh continued to pout but Jane Maddy smiled!


John Mark makes it easy on mom!



Luckily, Julianna-Marie was in the right mood too!




 

Jennaleigh Monroe

AND she finally gave it up and posed for me!

John Mark and Julianna- Marie even went twice!



And then came Johnna Katherine!  She is very bashful!




Lola even wanted in the action!






And finally the tiniest pumpkin of them all - Jane Madelynn!





 

Ordinary Days in October!

One thing that has been very difficult now that I have 3 kids that I am homeschooling is finding time for just fun stuff.  I feel like we always have something else that has to be done. I am trying to get better at it.  On  this day, the kids made a pumpkin craft!  They had a lot of fun and it didn't take long!  Gotta do more fun stuff!!!


 

Awana Super Hero Night

Our Awana's Club at church had a Super Heroes dress up night.  My kids had a blast planning their own costumes. I tried to not comment and let them do whatever they liked!


Julianna Marie wanted Elsa hair.  This was not an easy feat!



Johnna Katherine as "Super Sketchers Girl" She makes everyone jump and love Jesus! (and buy sketchers?!)

Jennaleigh Monroe as " Super Indian Girl" ("NO, Mom! Me dora!")  Her super power is being a friend to all God's Creation!


Julianna-Marie as "Super Fancy Girl!" She is able to look into people's hearts and find Jesus!




John Mark as "Black Bible Man" He can blend in with sin and destroy it! BAM!

They had a great night! We love our Awanas leaders! What a great year!



 

The State Fair of Texas

We almost didn't make it there this year but we finally pulled a trip together along with 1 million other Texans!

Waiting for tickets!

All the kids like to help feed Jane Maddy!

Mark only goes for the food!

 Wish Jane Maddy wasn't blocking her face!



The best part of the fair was atleast four times Mark had to answer a page and I was left alone with the kids.  No lie! eEvery time, someone would walk up to me and give me tons of tickets!!!!  I think they felt sorry for me.  After about the 3rd time, I told Mark to walk by himself.  LOL


 We even ran into cousins. I think it was like their 10th time to the fair this year!

Jane Maddy had a wonderful time at her first State Fair!


We spent a lot of time at this exhibit and even ran into church friends!



















The kids also like petting and feeding all the animals.







I loved getting to hold baby girl!






 

Random Pics!

 The girls got a special pedicure as a birthday surprise!  The ladies at this place love my girls!  


Jane Maddy started mastering a bottle too!  We still were using her gtube quite a bit but it was nice to have her take some by mouth.


She liked to hold her bottle with her feet!



She found my old glasses!

Jr preaching!

Not sure why Julianna Marie was shooting him?

Our beautiful church fountain!






Classical Conversations Field Trip to the UTA Planetarium.  They also provided a really great science demo for the kids!













After the field trip, the kids and I went to Mellow Mushroom! A rare treat because there is not one any where near us!







I think this was the week before Halloween.



Sometimes I have a love hate relationship with my embroidery machine!


OK! This is gross but this month we had a lot of trouble keeping her gtube from getting infected!

 You would never know it though!  She is all smiles now!



 Jane Maddy, Aunt JuJu and I got to go to the Art of Homemaking Conference - all by ourselves!  It was great!!!!



BUT THE BEST PART was......

MEETING THE DUGGARS!!!!!



We had a big surprise when the Duggars showed up the next day at our church.  My whole clan wanted to meet them!





I was shocked when Mrs. Duggar remembered meeting Jane Maddy at the conference.  She asked to hold her! She held her for a long while and even started heading to her bus with Jane Maddy!





But in the end, Jane Maddy stayed with us!!!

My kids love to ask what color their tongues are?????



I love this pic!  This was one of my favorite outfits of Jane Maddy!


Believe it or not, I think John Mark did this do!

What a great Big Brother!


 

Halloween 

We don't really celebrate halloween. However, we do usually go to a pumpkin patch or a fall festival.  This year we didn't get to but Julia let the kids dress up and made them a little treat! There costumes choices really fit their personalities!

Julianna Marie



 Johnna Katherine

 Jennaleigh







 Jane Maddy!


A little something Aunt JuJu whipped together!






 

 More Random Pics!


Jr asked for this journal for weeks!



 Matchy Matchy!



 This hand brace did not last long.  She took it off every night.  

 

A Very Special Birthday Celebration

On 10-10-11, John Mark prayed and received Christ as his personal Savior!  Each year, we celebrate his Christ Birthday!!!







 Cousin and Cookies!

 Aunt JuJu bought cookies for everyone to decorate!








































Oh yes! October was when she discovered the stairs!


 And finally, a sweet note from Jr to his sister.  I am saving this as a reminder!




Oh wait.... there was the Target trip and the backwards leotard!



 And that wraps up our October..... Oh wait I still have 3 birthdays, 2 photoshoots, and a field trip to post!!! Stay Tuned!