Grandparents and Doctors

July 11, 2012 - We have had a busy few weeks. Some activities of interest, for those that care about this continued journey, are my parents visit and a trip to Sioux Falls to see the ENT/cleft specialist. First my parents.....they came on Saturday afternoon and stayed until early Tuesday morning, so it was not a long visit. They were able to experience first hand the chaos of the Penner home. Not that they aren't used to 4 kids kind of chaos, but when you are the mother of the kids that cause the chaos it seems to be extra noticeable. Anyway, they came bearing gifts for the kids to enjoy and games to play with the kids. Lucy gave them lots of smiles, blew them kisses, and gave them plenty of hugs. We allowed them to hold her, which for some may seem silly, but up to this point we have not allowed anyone else to hold her except us. She handled it all well. We did not see any signs of attachment issues with us. My mom and I got away to Mankato one afternoon to shop and Jason took my dad golfing on a different afternoon. So Lucy has met her Indiana Grandparents now. : )

The kids enjoying their new water table

Perfect gift for Lucy

Coloring with Grandpa

Great picture of the newest Herman grandchild

We spent some time at Lawcon park while the boys had piano lessons

One last picture before it was time to go

 Once my parents left I had some sad kids. They enjoyed seeing their Indiana Grandparents.

The same morning that my parents left, Lucy and I traveled to Sioux Falls for her doctor's appointment. I asked my two good friends/sisters in Christ/accountability and prayer partners if they wanted to take a trip with me promising shopping and lunch. As always, it is such a refreshing time being with these encouraging and wise ladies who are in the same depths of life as myself. We go deep in our conversations and are real with one another. These women are true treasures in my life and I was so glad they made the trip with me. Anyway, back to Lucy.....she was a champ at traveling nearly 2 hours in the van (her longest car ride thus far). She saw an ENT doctor who also specializes in cleft lip/palate repairs. He is the first doctor all new patients see and he makes the decision on what issue needs to be worked on first. We were with his nurse for about 5 minutes. She left and 2 minutes later he walked in. He asked a few questions looked in Lucy's mouth (yes, that is not a fun thing to watch. He had to gag her a few times to get a good look at her palate. I also had to hold her upside down on my lap so he could see her gum line), and ears. He then told me whoever did her surgeries in China did a great job. He is most concerned about her hearing because she has fluid in her ears. He typically puts tubes is his surgical patients' ears at the time of their palate repair. Lucy does not have tubes. So, before starting any kind of speech therapy he first wants to make sure she is hearing correctly.....makes sense. We go back in 6 weeks to see if the fluid in her ears has gone away and Lucy will need a hearing test at that time. If the fluid has not gone away or diminished she will need tubes in her ears. Then, since she is just learning the English language, he wants to wait 6 -9 months before starting speech therapy. Her teeth and flattened nostril will not need anything done until she is about 5 or 6 years old. We will be followed by the cleft team now and a coordinator will keep me in the loop on what the plan of action is each step of the way. This doctor answered all my questions before I even had a chance to ask them. : ) We headed back to the mall for some shopping, dinner, and traveled home. On the way home Lucy did o.k. until the last 45 mins. She was done! She was tired and wanted to be out of her car seat. So, we switched drivers and I sat in the back with her. She fell asleep while I held her. Shhhhh! I know that is totally against the law, but she needed some mama time. : )

Also, Lucy's lab results from her first appointment with the family doctor came back and everything is either negative or normal. Praise the Lord! We are thankful for the wonderful job that whoever did on her mouth in China. We are thankful for and rejoicing for a great first visit with the specialist and we are thankful for Lucy's health which we had been praying for before we even met her.

Soli Deo Gloria!