Bittersweet

Seven days to Christmas and about four weeks until the three of us become four. We have not panicked about Christmas at all this year, we are too busy panicking about our soon to be expanded family. Carpet has finally been laid in the bedrooms, Summer crawled over it and shouted in delight, poor depraved child!

I have been wanting to write about the bittersweet emotions that seem to catch up with me, but its hard to put down in words. Every scan we have been for indicates that this baby is perfectly fine, something worth rejoicing for and yet it does tug at me that this is what scans for Summer should have been like. I feel this baby kick and I know I will be able to kiss its feet and they will move. I watch summer sitting and dancing to music and see how much she loves it and again it tugs at your heart to know that ballet classes are not going to be where I will be sending her.

I know that these things are so small though. We have so many things to be thankful for and so many things Summer has already achieved and will do in the future. We eagerly await this new ones arrival (although not before the New Year thank you very much!)

Trust in the lord with all your heart,
do not lean on your own understanding,
acknowledge him in all that you do
and he will give you straight paths

Meeting Eli

I have been waiting to write on the blog as I wanted to upload some photos, but never seem to get them time.
Summer seems to be over the infections etc, although we have brought forward an appointment for Nottingham just to be on the safe side.
We went to Newcastle last weekend to stay with a good friend and to meet Eli and his mum and dad. Eli has Spina Bifida as well, he is a very cute 13 week old and God is doing amazing things with him as well. It was lovely to meet the family. There are not that many children out there with this condition, so it is good to have contacts.
Its not long until baby two arrives, I am finding carrying Summer a bit of an issue at present due to my ever expanding size. We are not ready, but are you ever?
Summer is growing up, getting lots of words and making her wishes known. Slightly confusingly she uses the word "up" if she wants to go up and down, so we have to guess which it is!

Will try and put picture of Summer and Eli on soon.

THE END OF A LONG WEEK!

Summer is tucked up fast asleep in bed, no temperature and seems to be back to her normal self, which is great.
We spent the week in and out of hospital mainly trying to get the right antibiotic to treat her infection. She also has managed to get a nasty cold which I now have and Nic had a stomach bug...! So we are a little tired, but life returning back to normal.

One positive of this week is that we are now plug free! ( thats a dummy, or pacifier to normal folk) We are having a few broken nights, but it seems to have worked.

Summer and I are off to see some friends in Newcastle in a few weeks including a little baby who also has Spina Bifida. His mum has just told be he has started to smile, which is so exciting, it reminded me of just how far we have come. I remember praying so hard for Summer to smile and God answered that and so much more than we could ever have imagined.

Prayer request

We have had a slightly hospital based weekend and week. We rushed summer into A&E on friday night as she was being really sick and then very lethargic. Once again cannot fault the NHS on its emergancy care for kids.
After staying a night it seems like she still has a urine infection that has not been cleared up despite lots of antibiotics, so at the moment she is back at home with us on yet another one with a high temperature. I have to take her back to the hospital tomorrow.
So request is firstly that Summer will take her medicine( i have tried putting it in yogurt, but she knows!) as if she does not they will have to give them through her veins.
Secondly that it would not indicate a more serious problem with her bladder and kidney functions.

Thank you.

Gifts from God

I have a second to reflect this morning as Summer got up too early and has gone back to bed ( for how long I do not know).
I have been happily plodding through the week, giving little thought to the things that have been provided the last few weeks, some seem really small, but all I believe are answers to prayer.

1) Summers Physio. We are getting a new one in Jan and I am getting weekly sessions for a while, both of which I really wanted but did not think we would get!
2)Our Drs surgery which we had some issues with including access has now got sliding doors and the really nice christian docter has returned to work.
3) We really needed a new car to fit a double buggy in but could not really afford to replace ours. At church one was advertised which should be perfect for us!
4) With the car, we now have an off road double buggy, which is HUGE, but should make pushing Summer when she is bigger so much easier.

All little things, i know, but all of them we had prayed about and have been provided.

"Ask and you shall recieve"

Summer in Greece

We have returned from a fantastic week on the island of Paxos. Great location, weather and food. Summer had a fantastic time in the sea, learning to throw pebbles and expanding her volcabulary, Ello being the latest word, I am hoping to change this to Hello, but I might have to work hard at this.

This holiday was timed very well, the island is really steep and Nic carried Summer in a back pack, whilst I waddled up the hills. I cannot see us going back there in the near future, as friendly as it was, the north pole is probably more wheelchair accessable! I am really greatful that we got to go when we did.

Throwing stones with Daddy

Its Another Girl

At least that's what we are told. Its easier to be sure when it is a boy of course.

This morning was our final detailed scan for baby number 2 and everything is absolutely normal. they were measuring away, what seemed like random bits of grey on a screen apparently represent crucial signs of life and well being. I just have to let them get on with it and resist the urge to ask a question every 2 seconds about just what we are meant to be looking at. No wonder it takes doctors so long to train if they have to learn how to interpret those pictures!

And it will be a girl, a baby sis for Summer. We are about to buy a new vacuum cleaner. We are now going for the regular Henry and not the Hetty as previously intended. I cant be the only boy in this house!

It is not lost on us that this was the same scan which 18 months ago had a much bigger impact on us. So what is the result of that impact? Firstly we have a daughter that each time we look at her we are giddy that we are the ones who get to be her parents. And secondly, we know we have a good God who can do miracles in our lives if we let him.