Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Sadie's first hair cut...

Last week, my Sadie-Bug got her first hair cut! With Maggie, I waited until she was 2.5 (see that past post HERE) to get her hair cut. I am such a sentimental schmuck...that I just couldn't bear to cut her "baby" hair any earlier. But with Sadie I was ready earlier. She is 14 months old, and her wispy hair was looking a touch shaggy.

We were super excited to let our favorite stylist...a.k.a my sister in law, Lindsay...do the cutting. Sadie was a perfect little doll and sat still savouring her first sucker in her Gigi's lap. Sucker and a grandmother...it doesn't get much better than that in toddler-land, huh? We loved her new look. Her hair instantly looked thicker and shaped. Her already precious face was even more beautiful framed by her new do! 

Love all these little "life" milestones with my kiddos!

Love to all,
Leah 
Her before front picture...
Her before back picture...
First snip...
Sweet little baby hair, been on her precious head from day 1...sniffle, sniffle!
Loving her sucker...
Her "beauty buddies"...Aunt Lulu & Gigi!
First little styling...
Loving Aunt Lulu! Thanks for the best cut in town...and making a fun memory out of one of her "firsts".
Sadie loves her Gigi! Thanks Mom for all your help that day, and everyday! Love you!

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

A first for my Sadie Rose!

Had to share pictures of a major milestone...in the life of my sweet Sadie Rose!
Her FIRST pig-tails! HA!!!
Her precious little face just makes me smile!
Such a little doll (and poser)...her piggies where so thin and tiny...but we made it work.
Many more pig-tail days ahead...for sure!!!

P.S Sadie just had her first little hair cut, yesterday. Gonna upload pictures soon and share.

Love to all,
Leah

Saturday, September 10, 2011

Like father, like daughter...

Today, Todd came home from Academy with something....pink! Not usually the store where you buy pink things, right? He told me it was a surprise for Mags....and look at what it was!

The cutest little softball glove you ever did see!

Todd has been playing in a church softball league for the last year and a half. We love to go watch him play. We cheer for him from the bleachers. Now Maggie can take her pink glove and be ready for any foul balls that come our way.

I love that both my girls are crazy about their Daddy. He is a wonderful man! And we are blessed that he is ours.

Now Maggie can have something for only her and Todd to share....softball!

Fun times for her. And the weather right now is so nice to be out in. As I type, Mags and Todd are out "playing" catch. 
Like father, like daughter!

So proud of her new gear! 

Next to her Daddy...I'd say she is the cutest little softball player, I ever saw! Ha!

Love to all & hope everyone is having a good weekend,
Leah

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

My Maggie Caroline...

Once again claiming...Ephesians 3:20...Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than we ask or imagine. Todd and I are proclaiming that our God has done just that. Immeasurably more in the last 6 weeks, than we could have asked or imagined. Our sweet Maggie Caroline has been in a full remission from her nephrotic syndrome, and steroid free for exactly 6 whole weeks. This is by far, the longest she has been in remission and off her meds in the last year, since diagnosis.

Praise be to God alone!

We have been purely overjoyed to have our healthy, strong and sweet girl back. Those steroids just change her. They change her behavior, her moods, her spirit, her sleep, her appetite...everything. It has been such a wonderful 6 weeks, without them.

We started seeing a nutrionist (Dr. Kelli) about 8 weeks ago. She is a chiropractor and nutritionist that my brother and sis in law have been seeing and had excellent results with. We will be forever in debt to Justin & Melissa for their encouragement to see Dr. Kelli. 

On our first visit she shared with me that she has had one other adult patient with Mag's same diagnosis, and she was able to get him into remission as well. I was encouraged. She asked that we give her 8 weeks, pray fervently, and see what happens. This was a great plan to us, because at that point in time, our only other option from Mags nephrologist was going to be a course of a chemo drug for 8-12 weeks. Dr. Kelli asked that we make a few dietary adjustments, keep a food journal, keep track of her urine Ph as well as her urine protein and start Mags on 3 supplements (Catalyn, Cataplex A-C-P, DHA) and an enzyme called Arginex.

Within 2 weeks of starting this regime, Mags urine protein levels (which are what we measure at home, to gauge her kidney function) were down to a trace, and she came off her steroids completely. And then at 3 weeks her protein level went completely negative. We evaluated her kidney lab work, and everything was normal. For the first time in a year, a treatment was working...and working really well! We saw Maggie's nephrologist and he was supportive of our new treatment and excited to see if it would work. We saw Dr. Kelli again at 4 weeks into treatment and she was so excited and Praising God with us. She is a delightful, Christian woman. We go back next week for our 8 week into treatment visit.

We celebrated our 6 week mark on Monday. You simply can't imagine how wonderful this is for Maggie and for the rest of our family. We know, and are realistic that a relapse may happen, but we are also prayerful and hopeful that she could be HEALED! Healed for now, indeed.

It has been one roller coaster of a year for our girl between the meds, the pokes (lab draw's), the doctor visits, the isolation, the discomfort, the emotions and insomnia....but she has handled it so very well. She is strong and resilient and such an inspiration to her Momma and Daddy.

Todd and I are so thankful that we have had a loving, omniscient and ever present heavenly Father to trust in. He is faithful, His promises are true and His care for us is never ending. His scriptures have encouraged us daily and he has revealed himself more clearly through them. We are thankful for this journey, because it drew us closer to Him.

Please say a word of Praise to God on our behalf for His wonderful work of healing in Maggie right now, and would you pray with us...that the healing is complete and that Maggie is rid of her nephrotic syndrome for good.

Love to all & thanks for caring about our sweet Maggie Caroline!
Leah


Isn't her face the sweetest???
Love my baby girl so much!
Hebrews 11:1 
Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.