Lily's Surgery and Happy Thanksgiving!

Okay, where do I begin. Well..here was our sweet little girl right before her surgery..obviously she had no idea what was coming. :(Here she is making her sad face with her Daddy. Right before her surgery...Too funny.
The day of her surgery was one of the toughest days for me as her Momma. Doug and I felt so helpless as we tried to comfort and console this little one. It was obvious that she was in so much discomfort. She as also mad at the world over the arm splints and wanted her thumb!! The next day started to perk up a bit and wanted to do something other than look at us in that room. (We requested a larger bed...the bed they provided looked a bit like an orphanage bed and Lily SCREAMED when she saw it. ) We were able to sleep with her to comfort her. As far as eating went, she would eat a little bit of jell-o but really didn't want to drink. We really had to work at it to get her to eat and to drink.


She was doing pretty well and came home rather quickly. She blew us away at how she adapted to using her hands even though she couldn't bend her arms. (And she was able to take the arm splints off very easily..and they come off throughout the night as well...ugh!!!) Then, the rough part started. She became very clingy and lethargic. She had a fever and wouldn't eat anything..but would only drink. I was worried she had gotten strep throat..from Doug. We kept calling the hospital and they assured us that as long as she was drinking, she'd be fine. Well, this went on for days and I couldn't take it any longer. We took her to the dr. on Monday and discovered that she, in fact, had strep. We later found out that same day that Lola, Bryson and I all had it as well!!!! NO WAY! Needless to say, it has been MISERABLE this week!!! Lily has NOT SLEPT hardly at all and when she sleeps she is laying on our chest. Doug and I take shifts..one of us sleeps with her, then we switch half way through the night. WOW...it's been in sane! Throughout the days, we've had a team of family to come and help me with the kiddos...and we've had some really sweet friends and family make us some meals which we cannot say thank- you enough to.

Here's my Mom trying to occupy the girls to give me some time to get well myself!


Mamaw Jean has been here to the rescue as well!

Doug's Mom has been over to help with the girls, but I didn't get a pic of her:(...thanks to you Momaw Donna. And Doug's sister, Deana came over to help out. I couldn't have made it without these amazing women to help us through this. Lily is finally beginning to get better, although she is not back to her old self yet. We did take her arm splints off today, but she is still not sleeping without laying on us and she wakes up all throughout the night. More than that though, we discovered on Monday that she has developed a hole in her palate again. :((( The dr. told us after the surgery that there was a chance that she might develop a hole due to an underdeveloped artery in her palate. Our hearts sunk when he told us and they TOTALLY SUNK when we saw the hole. We got in the car and just sobbed, actually. We were devastated that she will have to endure another surgery in 6-12 months. We were simply broken hearted for our little girl. Hasn't she endured enough? This really got us down and just made us look up and ask "WHY, God?" Then we were reminded that He loves her more than we do. That it could be a lot worse. That when we suffer, we rely on Him more.That God is a healing God.(thx aunt janie) And that He will never leave us or forsake us..and that He chose US to be Lily's parents..NO MATTER WHAT...so... We're not exactly sure what this means for Lily, we will see the plastic surgeon on Dec. 3rd, I believe. So, please, please pray for Lily Hope. Pray that the dr's will be able to help her and that the "Great Physician", our God will heal our little girl. We will keep you posted...



And as for THANKSGIVING...

Tonight, I am reflecting on all I have to be thankful for.

I am thankful to have my sweet hubby to walk alongside of me on this wild ride called life.

I'm thankful for my FOUR beautiful children that the Lord has loaned to us and blessed us with. So thankful that Lily Hope was able to be with us this Thanksgiving. Thankful that we were able to be there for her through this surgery to comfort her, as we cannot imagine what her last surgery might have been like .alone. Thankful that God has opened our eyes to see beyond ourselves, but overwhelmed at the task ahead of us to do something about what He has revealed to us. Thankful for our family who showed up for us in a real way during this rough week. Thankful for Best and TRUE friends to walk through life with. And most of all...thankful for God. A loving God. Who loves me. Cares for me. Comforts me. Rocks me. Heals me. Even though I know I don't deserve it.
Wishing you and your family and BLESSED Thanksgiving!
BE THE HOPE 4 ORPHANS!

Julie

ps. If you're feeling super blessed this year as well...
do you have room in your heart for an orphan who

needs a family?

"If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?" 1 John 3:17