Allison's Wonderland: 6 months, 12 stones

A quick update on Sam's progress

Samuel turned 6 months old a couple weeks ago. What?? How is he halfway to his first birthday already? The saying "the days are long but the years are short" is oh so true.

He is now rolling over like a champ. He loves sticking out his tongue. He giggles and chatters. He is starting to enjoy his toys now that he can pick them up and hold on to them. He ADORES his big sister. He likes his brothers too, but he has a special connection with sis.

At his 6 month checkup he was measuring 13.14 lbs and 25.5 inches. Still a bit small for his age. Hopefully when we start solids he will put on some weight. I have tried introducing cereal a couple of times, but he wasn't interested. With my older boys I made a lot of my baby food, and I'm hoping to do the same for Samuel. He will have to figure out how to move his food around the open cleft palate with his tongue. He's a pretty smart guy. He'll get the hang of it. I just have to be sure to keep bibs and burb cloths on hand during feedings as the food will come out of his nose and mouth.

Concerning his cleft palate, we will go back to Dallas in September (after his 1st birthday) for checkup with the surgeon. We should be discussing surgery for closing of the cleft palate at this appointment. The surgery will be when Samuel is 14-18 months.

He has healed so well from his cleft lip surgery. The scar is hardly visible.

So for the past 2+ months, we have been enjoying "normal" life. I was reminded in a recent Sunday School lesson in Joshua about the Israelites passing though the Jordan River. God commanded Joshua to tell the people to make a memorial to the Lord with stones...one stone for each of the 12 tribes of Israel. My favorite part of the passage is this right here:

"...that this may be a sign among you. When your children ask in time to come, ‘What do those stones mean to you?’" Joshua 4:6

This is why we will continue to tell our story, to tell of God's faithfulness. It is so easy to forget the place from which God has brought you. Especially when life becomes easy once again. So we think back to those days and ask "what do those stones mean to you?"

We tell our children. We tell our friends. I post here for anyone who wants to know. Our God was faithful and good then. He is faithful and good still. In hard times. In easy times. We give Him all the glory and praise!