 |
| Japanese Birthday Celebration |
 |
| Birthday Party with the kids |
 |
| Biggest kids and little kids | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
|
|
 |
| Britt made the cake |
|
 |
| Isaac comforting Lydia |
 |
| Steven Bush photographed Troy in a tap-tap that sits outside of our Haiti house |
In early July we took photos of Phoebe to get photo proof of her weak eye muscles. We've noticed an increasing problem along with a lot of depth perception issues. Both of her eyes shoot all directions throughout the day. She sometimes bangs her head into things due to the poor depth perception. She will be having surgery the second week of September on both eyes. I think we are far more nervous than she will ever be. Every time a kid of mine goes under anesthesia, I get a lot freaky. The specialist says she will experience
amazing improvement and that it is a low risk surgery.
 |
| Hope and Phoebe |
In late July I celebrated my birthday with all of my kids. It was a fabulous day. It started with meeting Britt and Chris at the YMCA to join a bunch of college kids to play water polo. The highlight of my morning and possibly the best birthday gift was when one of Chris's lifeguards said during the game, "Chris, your mother-in-law is persistent!" He could have said, "Your mother in law is
old slow weak fragile!" I love that kid. After water polo Britt took me to coffee at Starbucks. Later in the day she took me for a pedicure. At dinner time we all met at a Japanese restaurant. Isaac was hilarious and totally impressed with the hibachi grill. He told the chef preparing our dinner how fabulous he was at his job. Over and over. and. over. It was one of my happiest birthdays ever. Thanks to my sweet kids and their fabulous daddy.
 |
| 3 months shy of 3 years old ~ Lydie Beth |
|
|
We are missing home a lot this week. There was a hope that we could start school on the 17th with QCS and be settled in and ready to roll without bothering with a Texas school. I recognize my plans are only that - mine. Oddly enough when word of the passport problems came to us I did not shed a single tear. None of the hassles with government bureaucracy or the challenges of adoption surprise me anymore. It would be weirder if it was easy.
While we were in Iowa there was one speaking gig that was much more relaxed. Of all the times we've shared it was my favorite one. We sat sharing a bit about the things God has done in the 14 years Troy and I have been together and when Troy came to the spot in the story about the things he feels when he steps off of the airplane in the beautiful paradoxical heartache called Haiti - and how deep those feelings run - and how they don't make sense in some ways - he started crying. From that moment in the morning and for the rest of the time, it was basically a cry fest. There is no true point in my telling you any of that, other than to say what I already said. We are ready to go back.
![Livesay [Haiti] Weblog](http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WImkelA85fQ/T774B_tbjMI/AAAAAAAANjM/Zup5rYTxdWs/s810/blog%2Bheader%2BTRL2011-07-07_%2B%25281%2529.jpeg)
9 comments:
Hi Tara, I've been reading your blog since January. I have been very much inspired by your stories and those of the other folks at Heartline. I wanted to let you know that my daughter had the exact same surgery on her eyes last September (for strabismus). She has had an amazing recovery. Her eyes, which were very crossed, are now perfectly straight, and her 3-D vision is back to normal. I'll be praying for Phoebe to have a great outcome from her surgery.
thanks so much for the great up date and photos! its a small world - I went to high school with steven bush.
Our son had the same surgery...we'll be praying for you guys. This mommy's heart hates when her kids have anesthesia too.
We still have Ri's arm braces from his similar eye surgery last year (Velcro-closure, to keep them from bending their elbows & touching their eyes the first day/night after surgery). You are welcome to have them, if you like.
We LOVE your blog and enjoy reading of your family. Great photos!!!! My nephew had Strabismus surgery and has had no trouble since then. Still scary though. Let us know what day to pray for Phoebe.
The Burtons
Our son adopted from Guatemala in 2000 had the same surgery, I suspect. He'd been home about six months or so, in order to let him learn a little language before we had him go through it. It was outpatient surgery. They do both eyes, in order to "tweak" them in line the way they should be, though he only had one wandering eye. The wandering would get worse when he was tired. One of our older daughters would hop in the car after school and know whether he'd had a nap that day by whether or not he was looking at her "sideways".
He did great with the surgery and has great vision today. He was four when he came home, and if his adoption had taken any longer, his brain might have shut off that eye. We first patched his good eye, then tried drops in the good eye, but it was determined he also needed this surgery. We were thankful it could be corrected when it was.
He did see double for a few days (a week?), as the doctor had said would happen. That lead to some pretty hilarious events. I discovered one day that someone had wet on the floor around the toilet. It was this son, as he said he saw two toilets and didn't know which one to shoot at. He has 20/so vision now with contacts, and 20/40 when he doesn't bother to put them in. His football coach would like him to wear his contacts all the time, so the ball doesn't hit him in the numbers. He's fast, but sometimes runs past the ball! I'm not sure if this goes deeper with eye-hand coordiation or just has to do with him not remembering to wear his contacts.
Phoebe should also do just fine, though I know it's certainly something to make a mom anxious. I pray that she has a wonderful outcome, too.
Nancy in the Midwest
Thank you Gail - Christy - The Burtons and Nancy for your sweet words to calm our nerves - it helps to hear that you had good experiences with your kids.
Appreciative that you took the time to tell us,
T and T
Hey guys,
I had this surgery 33 years ago (for strabismus and ambliopia)! I see just fine (aside from being really near-sighted; this is genetic, not from the surgery). If they could do what they did then, imagine what they can do now!
I have two friends whose kids have had this surgery recently, too, and it's been ok. One child wears glasses as a result (I never did - didn't get them until 8 years later), but the other does not.
Anyway, good luck and hang in there!
Janae
Tara, Just wanting to let you know that your family continues to be in my prayers. I know the frustration and pain of waiting for something to happen. Not for the same circumstance, of course. I remind myself all the time that God knows best and that His timing is better than mine. But, that truth does not stop it from hurting. Lori
Post a Comment