Beaudrick Update

Last Wednesday we took Beaudrick to his cleft lip/palate meeting with a panel of doctors. We met with an Orthodontist, an ENT, Three Plastic Surgeons, a Dietitian, a RN, a Speech Therapist, and a Periodontist. We were disappointed to find out that Beaudrick will not have his first surgery until he is 3-6 months gestationally corrected, which is 4-7 months old. We were originally told he would have the surgery once he reached 10 lbs. His plastic surgeon said that with recent studies, it is better to wait until the baby is a tad bit older since their skin is so thin and soft. There is a "window of opportunity" in newborns between 3-6 months old where the scaring is almost null. He said if you do the surgery too early, the skin is fragile, it could pull apart and leave a bigger scar. If you do the surgery too late, the scaring tends to become darker and more noticeable. If the surgery is done between 3-6 months, it is possible the scar wont even be noticeable. The surgeon is the best in this field, and came highly recommended by a few doctor and dental friends. He was also highly recommended by a woman who works daily with parents of cleft palate/lip children. She has seen hundreds of lip repairs and said none comes close to the work of our surgeon. She said "he is the best". Because of this, I truly trust his judgment and will patiently wait until the Fall for the surgery.
Every time I go to church, I miss my baby. I will begin taking him to church in June once the RSV and flu season has passed and after he has had his first set of immunizations. Once he gets closer to his big surgery date, we will keep him home again to make double sure he does not get sick.
Beaudrick now weighs 7lbs 15oz. He is still such a tiny little guy. We all LOVE to hold him. Seylum didn't learn to walk until she was 14 months old. This had to do with being held all the time. I wouldn't be surprised if Beaudrick doesn't walk until he is 2. The princesses are so good with him. Seylum loves to rub and kiss his head. She is very gentle with him. But she is sure to get tons of attention herself. She makes sure of it, one way or another. She keeps us in stitches. Her personality has really came out since Beaudrick came home. She will always be our baby girl. I cant wait to watch Beaudrick grow up with these girly girls. :) I will have to post pictures of what happens when daddy falls asleep and the girls want to play "hair salon" LOL. Poor Beaudrick, his baby scar will soon be the least of his worries :)

My Dear Mother

This Mother's Day, I want to take the time to talk about my Mother (She is Mema to our kids). She is the kind of Mother I hope to be to my children. She has been there for me in my times of sorrow and joy. She was the first person we told, when we found out we were pregnant. As I have stated before, Beaudrick was a complete surprise to us. She was there to encourage us and tell us that everything will be ok. She helped us through our time of disappointment when we found out we had to leave our home and everything in it. At times when I thought no one would see me crying in the trailer, I would hear a knock at my door and it would be her. She would come to just give me a hug. Sometimes she wouldn't say a word, but she would just hold me. When she did say something to encourage me, it was always what I needed to hear. When I found out about Beaudrick, I went to her home where once again she let me cry on her shoulder. She always looks at the brighter side of life. She continued to tell me just how perfect my baby was. When Beaudrick was placed in my arms, it was her and a very dear friend who held me both physically and emotionally. Thanks Mom for being there for me!
When I think of my Mom, I think
1. CLASSY- WOW!!! does this women have class. I have never been embarrassed of her actions or her dress. She carries herself and her age so well. I hope I get her genes. She is so beautiful not only on the outside, but also on the inside. Even my girls comment on what a classy lady she is.
2. Dependable- She will always be there for you. No matter what I have done in life, she has always been there to pick me up. Yes, I have made some blunders in life, but she never put me down, even though I knew she was disappointed, she loved me unconditionally and stood by my side.
3. Trustworthy- I can trust my Mom with my life. She knows how to keep a secret. If there is something I need to tell her, I know it will not get passed her. When I need prayer or just someone to confide in. It is her I call. Even the King has a relationship with her, where he has learned to confide in her. There has been several times in our marriage, where my hubby (with tears in his eyes) will say "I just need to talk to your mom"
4. Prayer Warrior- When our family started going through trials, (I'm talking our whole family) it was my Mom who said "we are going to pray our way through this". She opened her home every Monday night and she fed us food for the body and soul. To this day, my girls still ask to go to Memas to pray. My older daughters still look forward to the phone calls when Mema lets them know she is praying for them. Going back to trust, our teenagers trust her too. There are not many people I trust with my girls, but my Mom is one I will always trust. So many times I have called my Mom to pray about something, and God had already laid it on her heart, she had already prayed.
These are a few of the reasons I hope to be to my children as she has been to me. I Love You Mom! Happy Mother's Day