A few photos & prayer requests

Hi Friends,

I just wanted to share some photos with you.  I've been trying to take more of them - and missing my camera that is in the shop!  I do hope to have it fixed soon.

Eliana has been working on rolling over each day.  She sometimes gets "stuck" on her stomach and has a hard time getting her arms out to where they need to be.  She also likes to roll onto her side and play with whatever - or whoever is nearby.



She also loves to stick her feet into the air.  This just makes me laugh.  She started doing this after surgery and does it a lot.  It's funny sometimes to see her feet in the air when I wake up and look over at her in the crib. 



She is laughing more and more!  Sometimes now I can tell when something has tickled her funny bone.  Christopher had her giggling today by moving her up and down.  It looked a little rough to me - but she loved it!  I have a short video clip, but can't figure out how to share that.  Will post if I can figure it out.

Eliana is also continuing to pull out her tube.  Today when she pulled it off her face was VERY irritated.  It's probably the worst it has looked since surgery.  (It also smelled badly which I'm wondering if it was from water getting under it when I bathed her?)  She also scratched it when she was moving her hands near her face and made her cry. 



I'm not really sure what to do to help her skin.  I'm putting duoderm on her skin - and it does help!  You can see the clear place on her cheek where this bandage was placed.  I thought perhaps if I just put the clear tape on that and not on her skin that it might be the answer.  Well, it might - but she pulled it out within 30 minutes of it being put on.  I'm putting aquafor on her skin to help with the dryness.

There's the first prayer request - healing for her skin and answers if there is something more we can do to help her.

Second continues to be feeding.  She has actually had a couple of good feeds today and yesterday where she took 2 ounces several times.  I'm hoping and praying that this trend would continue.  She also still sleeps through at least 3 feedings per day.  We still have a ways to go before we are saying good-bye to the feeding tube.

We have an appointment with the pediatrician on Tuesday.  We are hoping to see one of the feeding specialists this week as well.  I called on that had been recommended - and that had agreed to see me - but the appointment time they had for me was late June!  That's obviously too long to wait.  Please pray that we would be able to see the person/s that would be most helpful for Eliana. 

Outings.  We've (Eliana and I) made a couple.  Yesterday we went out briefly to watch the boys launch rockets that they had built as part of the Contenders of the Faith club.  It was really neat - except for Christopher's being caught in the top of a very tall pine tree.  We are hoping a friend can shoot it down with a crossbow.

We also went out to the bookstore last night with a friend.  It was really odd being out with a baby and being ignored or not hearing nice comments.   Except for one very nice lady that just went on about how cute Eliana is.  She asked about her feeding tube - what it was and why she had it.  She was just sweet and encouraging.

We are planning to attend/work as vendors at our upcoming state conference.  My sweet Mom has given up already purchaed tickets to hear Beth Moore speak so that she can come and stay with my children.  I had told her that it was fine that she had plans - and that we would work it out.  She called me back soon after our conversation though knowing that she could give the tickets to someone else because she wanted to come and help us out.  I'm blessed with wonderful parents!

This has gotten long - and it's late - so I'm going to close.  Remember to laugh today - love on your family - and praise God for He is good!

With love,

Leslie