A Perfect Match: My Oh My... How you've grown!

Wow. It's been a while since I've blogged. So much has happened since our six week mark! You'll soon see why my time has been limited...

A couple of days after I posted last, Claire was put in the hospital with a through-the-roof fever and we were there for four days. I think I only showered once - gross I know! It was the hardest thing Travis and I have ever had to go through. Come to think of it, these past 3 months have been a little on the bumpy side. Seeing our sweet baby have to endure what she did, was enough to bring us to our knees. Thankfully, our prayers were answered, and we got some answers. If you want a more in-depth understanding of what exactly it is that she's been diagnosed with... let me know and I'll definitely fill you in.

Long story short - she has some kidney issues and it's just something she was born with. After many not-so-fun tests they discovered she had a kidney infection which was causing the high fever. They had her on an IV and were able to get rid of the infection after a few days. There is an anatomical issue and the kidney infections are going to keep reoccurring due to the severe reflux she has on her left kidney. We had some painful tests done after leaving the hospital and now they've referred us to a urologist. We have heard great things about him and our appointment is on March 25th. We will know so much more then, but from what we've heard, this is probably going to require some form of surgery to correct. Pray that the Lord's healing power will rain down over our sweet Claire. So we are currently on a long term antibiotic and have been since we left the hospital in Jan.

It hasn't been the easiest of roads to travel on. And it's hard for others to find the words to say to us. We've not had any close friends or family have to put their six week old in the hospital, or get a diagnosis that may require a long road ahead. BUT the Lord has been with us every step of the way. And His Word is plenty comforting as we approach this holy Easter season. We know our troubles pale in comparison to the insurmountable suffering Jesus Christ endured for each of us. In this season of our lives, I'm reminded of the Ginny Owens song "If you want me to". I have it playing on our blog right now. If you are ever going through a bumpy time, it's a great one to listen to. The exact verse that comes to mind says:

"It may not be the way I would have chosen
When you lead me through a world that's not my home
But You never said it would be easy
You only said I'd never go alone"

Pretty neat, huh...

In spite of the few bumps along the way... things are getting so much better and we are fast recovering from our exhaustion! At our last check-up she weighed 12 lbs and was in the 50th percentile in everything. Pretty perfect! When she feels good, she is such a fun baby! She is absolutely perfect in every way and is just beautiful. I could just look at her for hours!

At 3 months she is:
still sporting all her beautiful brown, curly/wavy hair
giving us BIG smiles
a mighty demanding eater
sleeping so much better - but not through the night :)
enjoying chewing on her hands
insistent upon sitting up like a big girl
fascinated with her baby Einstein play gym
still loving being held
fascinated with the TV
wearing 3-6 month clothing!
ready for the warm weather to go the pool and play outside with mommy

Here are a few pictures from the last several weeks. We are falling more in love with her every day and are amazed at God's masterpiece that is our daughter. My oh my, how you've grown little Claire!!