out of the woods (or dryer)

at caroline's appointment we received wonderful and unexpected news.

basically, she will not need treatment until she is 4 or 5 years old and it will likely be a non-surgical procedure.  her neck will remain swollen and the mass will grow with her until it is time to treat it.  we will watch for infections but hopefully we will be able to wait until she is older to proceed.

it is amazing to look back at this little trial and see how god's hand was on it the entire time.  after FOUR specialists pointed us toward surgery it took the wisdom of another to change the diagnosis and get us a clear diagnosis and on the right path.   we could have been rushed to surgery had this particular doctor not taken the time for a deeper look and analysis.   god is so good!

needless to say, we are thankful.

ps: ben was horrified when he just saw this picture.  disclaimer:  she climbed in as i was loading it...the door was never closed.  she was never alone.  it was not hot inside....she climbed in atop damp clothes.  she was in no danger, ben.  no danger.

catching up

we have had a good couple weeks with a steady stream of visitors.  it has been so refreshing.  

caroline is still doing great.  we had a week with no appointments as we waited for a doctor to review her charts.   

i tend to jump ahead and worry so i've been reminding myself of the truth:

who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?   luke 12:25  

be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 thessalonians 5:16

we have an appointment on monday to {hopefully} find out exactly what the next steps will be.  

in a nutshell, caroline has a cyst.  it presents itself differently than most and the cause has been uncertain. carolines is especially complicated because her cyst has "fingers" which have snaked around her jugular , carotid artery, and many important nerves.  ~sigh~

the specialist we meet with monday will determine if caroline is a candidate for a non-surgical procedure which is basically an injection to shrivel it up.  this would obviously be an answered prayer and i am hoping this will be a successful alternative to surgery.   however, it does not have a high success rate so surgery would still be a possibility.  we have many questions and look forward to some answers soon.    

 as of now, we have no idea what direction this will take.   thanks so much for checking in...it means so much to us.  

most of these pics date back about a month.

valentine's day...yes, they were pretty smitten over the roses.  

these next pics just make me laugh.   immediately after i dressed caroline in an outfit i wore as a baby she made it quite clear she wasn't a fan.  she ran to the corner to pout and was there long enough for me to grab the camera and {lovingly} laugh at her.  

also....it pains me to admit this but she is a biter.  she bites.  she bites me.  her sisters.  the couch.  the wall ....whatever is near when she loses it.

if anyone has any success stories of how to break the habit, please share.  

once she got on her beloved rocking horse she was happy.

 

 then mad....

 then happy....

 then mad again.....

 then happy....

loveable and charming hallie.

then a visit we had been anxiously waiting for!!  anne and makena flew out which was nothing short of amazing.  the girls had the best time together and i LOVED having sister time.   we stayed at the great wolf lodge in charlotte just for the heck of it.  we highly recommend it...so fun!

our hotel room was a wolf den and a mess of swimming suits and cookie crumbs.

 wave pool.

 this is kinsley before the water bucket dropped...

 after.

I was so proud of makena for her fearlessness at crossing a wobbly path!  her skinny long legs didn't hurt either.

 i will MISS seeing these 3 together.   they have such big love for each other.

and...makena's "blanket" cracks me up.  any creative ideas on preserving the thing?