Selah update------Easter Play at Institution 2012

Selah is the same.  Jon got home late last night and I've been on the phone with several doctors this morning.  They are very checking her out.  Cardiology was brought in and they cleared her.  Her high heart rates and blood pressures are from her neurological damage, not from her heart.   In fact, the doctor feels it is getting better, meaning her body is dealing with it and keeping her BP and heart rate more in check (when she is not sick)  He was very kind and related to me that he had had a situation where his child's stroller got away from him and went into a lake.  The child wasn't not hurt, as he had just taken the baby out BUT just the stroller getting away from him like it did, scared him!  He was very kind. 

So we are hoping for Selah to come home tomorrow either on an IV or on a new antibiotic nasal spray.  It depends what she tests out with first.  We just hope she comes home tomorrow!

It's hard not to be with her all the time but I have to say I am so impressed with the care she gets at St Joe's and the updates I get.  Jon obviously has to be at work after missing 5 months of work and I'm not comfortable taking the kids into the hospital.  Steve, Sam and Sarah are all on antibiotics themselves.  Nor do I feel comfortable leaving the kids with Steve to be that far out of town.  It's very hard emotionally on us to be apart from Selah, even it it's only a day.  She is being well cared for and we are very confident of that but it is still hard. 

Our wonderful PT still came and worked with Sarah.  Sarah has been progressing at an amazing rate according to the PT.  She started Sarah with a gait trainer, which is the easiest kind of walker, that even has a seat.  Then she progressed to the push walker.  Now she has progressed to even more of a "harder" walker.  She is now wearing weights on her legs and that also seems to help her know where to put her feet.  Our PT is very encouraged with Sarah's progress.  When we got home, Sarah was like a 6 month old baby.  She has now progressed to a 12 month level, that is amazing in just 11 months with no therapy until February!  Our PT feels she will progress much more:)

 

Sarah was getting a bit tired after walking through the house and then going along all our sidewalks:)

 

Sarah and Brownie

 

 

 

I'm so proud of my little girl.  Even tho she got tired today and got a little grumpy she still made it all the way around on the sidewalks:)  She is greatest little girl!!!

 

After therapy I worked on my garden some.  I had to cut the collards back some and cut some before they went to waste.

 

 

If you grew up Southern you know what a "mess of collards" are...NOW I know why they call them a "mess of collards"  LOL  they are such a mess....

 

first you plant them, water them, harvest them, cull out the leaves, then wash them 2x outside.  My aunt had a garden sink...I wish I had one!  then you bring them in , check out each leaf, wash them again and cut them up.  (i just tear them up) and then simmer them for hours!  It is a lot of work1

 

This time I tried a new recipe with a little olive oil and garlic.  I think my husband will love it.

 

For my friends who are not acquainted with collards, they cook down like spinach.

 

 

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A year ago today, the children of the mental institution put on an Easter play for us.....

 

 

See Selah off to the left standing by daddy?  That was the first time she'd done something like that, it was like she was showing all the children that was HER daddy.

 

some of the children

 

Selah's angel was an angel that day

 

 

 

 

 

This little guy's family JUST passed court, soon he will be home in America!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

this little girl is home now!!!

 

 

 

Selah and her angel

 

this little girl's family is picking her up in the next few days!!!!

 

Her is Max again, see how deformed his legs are?  He has suffered for years, but now he has a Mama and Papa!

 

Sarah!

 

Selah

 

 

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i think the staff were praying

 

 

It was beautiful and moving to hear the children sing.  I wish I could get the video to load up but I think it is too long, It's messed up 2x. 

 

 

Some more pictures our facilitator took of the area....

 

 

 

 

 

grocery store down from us

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

gas prices

 

 

I think this is a school near the orphanage

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

the roads

 

this is a statue near the orphanage of a mother and child...it has nothing to do with the orphanage

 

the fence around the front of the orphanage

 

this is the gate (the blue part) of the orphanage

 

some of the fence further down

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

typical houses out by the orphanage

i think this is where our driver lived

 

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these pictures bring everything back to me.  I'm missing Selah so much today...

 

I was talking to my friend today and going over all the things in my head.  ( my poor friend!)  and I just come back to the "lady at the mall" who came up last summer and spoke a very prophetic word to me to tell me 'Do NOT be Afraid" and that something big was coming for our family and many would see...

 

I'm trying so hard NOT to be afraid...the future is so scary to me.  the present is scary too....the past is a bittersweet memory...

 

So I can't help but wonder why God sent that lady to me.....am I holding my end of the bargain up?  I'm trying so hard not to be afraid, but I am sad, some days more than others, I just want my little funny Selah restored to us. 

 

I carry on in life, do all the things a mom of 4 other kids, a wife, a pastor's wife, a friend, has to do....but in my heart, in my head, IF you could hear my thoughts...Selah is forever on my mind.  I plead with God throughout the day.  I beg for him to restore Selah to us, I promise to be a better mom...

 

I don't know what is going to happen.  I look at how God gave us the girls, and how wonderful those 14 week with them were...all the BIG miracles that happened to get them ....I even look at the woman coming up to me in the mall and sharing with me, doesn't that mean something? 

 

Please continue to pray for Selah, not just for what she is sick with right now, but that God will restore her to be the same little girl she was.  I miss my La La.