If the path I travel

Look who's happy here! The culture test last week revealed that the bacteria did not return. Praise the Lord! But, even though she started out looking better right after that, there are still some signs that there might be deeper problems. But even the Dr noticed positive improvements so we are still hopeful. Hopeful like we have been from the start!

 Her passport is ready this week, so we are planning to go to Guatemala city next week IF she does not improve with all symptoms. We hope desperately that it will not be necessary but we are ready if needed. She has so many good signs. She started giggling last week! Nothing sounds sweeter!

If this whole experience with our precious baby draws me closer to God, it will not have been in vain. That is my prayer.

Bad news

I am longing for the day when things will change, but until then, we will take things one day at a time. I want to thank you all for standing with us! All encouragement is welcome. I love your comments, so please leave me some at the end of the article! Thanks!

Marianne has come to a standstill with her weight at this point. this is the first time a week has passed that the scale showed 0 oz gain. I took her back to the Dr today, and we are doing another culture test to determine if her bacteria is still present. 

Whatever the situation, it is apparent that she will need help and need it soon! We are praying for the Lord to lead us.

We will not be able to do much more in this country, so we will need to know where to go, whom to go to, when to go, and all the other details that will need working out. 

I know you are praying. Thank you!

(At this point, if anyone out there happens to know of a great pediatrician in Guatemala City, please share! We are not sure how to go about finding a good Dr. Right now we think we would likely go to  Guatemala city for further treatments, but we have yet to see where the Lord leads.)

Baby Update

Dear friends. Last week we took our Marianne to another Dr who performed some more tests, and he found a bacteria in her urine. This could be enough to cause a bunch of the symptoms she has had. She is now on antibiotic treatment which ends next week. 

There have been some improvements, so we are hopeful that this might heal her and finally allow her to become that strong and healthy child she was when she was born.

Thank you for praying! I will keep updating here.

Marianne and Victoria

Here is our tiny little girlie at over 11 weeks. Something is wrong with her but we can't find out yet what it is. She is getting lower on the growth chart as we continue to pray and do the tests available in this country. What is in store for us we don't know at this point, but we are waiting to see what the next few weeks will bring. If you are burdened to do so, please pray for us as we seek the Lord in  this!

Victoria celebrated her second birthday last month. At least we have one chubby healthy little girlie!

Marianne 6 weeks

 Big sister is a big help and she enjoys these moments. I enjoy seeing them!

We are still trying hard to get her weight gain to go up. At 7 weeks she has gained almost 1 lb after she reached her birth weight at one month. That is too little, but at least we are going up and not down! We have had her seen by a pediatrician but nothing is wrong with her that is obvious to us at this point.

We are just thankful that she is all right and that we don't need to worry anymore. We might never have an answer as to why she can't nurse enough on her own to gain, but there are other ways to feed her so that's what we do. And we do know that she is getting stronger so there is hope that all will be well soon!

the first picnic after baby!

 

 two weeks ago I could have only dreamed of something like this. thankfully, things change, get better, and slowly return to a more normal here. Marianne is still not quite where she should be with weight and nursing, but definitely better. 

I decided it was time for a picnic! After baking a casserole out of the freezer and making sweet iced tea and a few more dishes, we packed up and headed out, which was only about 8 minutes from home!

 It was fun just watching the kids be their young innocent selves, enjoying childhood at its best.

 Climbing trees...

 running around barefoot in that hot sun, getting red cheeks...

Jessica comes back from hunting for rocks.

 Building boats out of foam plates, looking for life in the water...

 relaxing...

It has been a great day. 

Timothy adores his little sister and can't get enough of her.

 And Victoria gets as close as possible whenever she can. 

 

 Grandparents meet grandchild number 25!