Molly is 7 months old!

Month 7 has held lots of big changes!  Molly Alice is now 13 lbs, 3 oz.  She's continued her trend of gaining a pound a month, which has brought her closer and closer to a growth curve on the chart.  She's now almost touching the 3% curve, so her doctors are happy.  (I know weight gain is important for babies, but doctors seem to harp on weight, weight, weight, like it's ALL that matters!  If she's "not gaining well", then they are dissatisfied, no matter what else she is doing well.  If she's "gaining well", then they are satisfied, no matter what else is going poorly.  It is a predictable downer, given the complexity of her condition, far beyond weight.)

She's made big strides with her physical milestones this month, as she has learned to hold her head up well when sitting with support.  This makes picking her up and holding her much easier, as she's gotten past the limp noodle stage.  This also means that she will soon be able to be carried in a front pack, once her trunk muscles can keep up.  I modified a yard sale find (thanks, Verna!) to accommodate her O, and can't wait to finally be able to carry her around with me and be hands free!  I've always wanted to "wear" her, but she's never been able to be in a carrier until now.

She is rolling from her back to her sides easily now, which makes diaper changes more of a challenge!  I love the rolling, especially because it allows me to see her sweet little back, which was a sight I could not easily see before, since she is never on her tummy.

She has also JUST learned to push herself up and hold her head up while on her tummy time mat!  (When I took this picture I was squealing and laughing, so excited that she was holding herself up.  She  was not amused by my antics.)

We got to spend a lot of good quality time with Daddy while he was home on his pre-deployment leave...

We have some lofty goals for month 8.  1) improve her reflux, and 2) get some skin growing!!!!  

The worst day of our lives, and one year later

A year ago today, at 8:15 a.m., we walked into the doctor's office for a routine 13-week ultrasound.
A year ago today, a sense of real fear set in when the ultrasound tech gravely told us she saw something abnormal, that she needed to get the doctor.  
A year ago today, we learned a new word that would become part of our daily vocabulary. "Omphalocele."
A year ago today, we watched our tiny baby flickering on the monitor for over an hour, as we were told that he or she had a very serious, often fatal, birth defect.
A year ago today, we were informed that there was a strong chance that our baby would have multiple accompanying serious defects, and that omphalocele was highly correlated with syndromes that would make her "incompatible with life", if she was even born alive. 
A year ago today, we were counseled on termination.
...
A year ago today, we knew we would carry, hold on to, care for, and cherish our precious baby for as long as Lord would allow us steward this gift.  Whatever that meant, whatever it took, whatever it cost.  
...
This morning, at 5:30 a.m., I woke up to my smiling baby girl, cooing softly at me from her cradle.
This morning, we brought her into bed and watched her bat her perfect eyes, point her perfect toes, and touch my grateful-tears-streaked face with her perfect fingers.
This morning, our little Molly is 6 months and one week old, and is healthy and happy, and she is HERE.
This morning, and all the live-long day, I WILL PRAISE THE LORD that He is a God of Miracles, and that he granted one of those to us.

(Yes, she still has her feeding tube, but a Mama knows to get the camera when she pulls it out...)