New Year... New Beginnings!

Happy 2014! It's been a while since I've updated my blog. I guess a lot of it is because I feel like I don't have a lot to update on for Harper. But here is the latest.... Our sweet little angel is so happy and loves life and loves the outdoors. She is still progressing, which is a blessing in itself! Learning new things like kicking a ball, blowing, climbing into her car seat, listening and following directions better, and babbling SOOOOOOOOOO much more! We have so much to be thankful for that we are seeing this progress. Harper is continuing to get speech and OT therapy every Monday, communication/ cognitive therapy every Tuesday, and physical therapy every Wednesday. She is also taking "gymnastics" every Wednesday and Saturday, so needless to say she is a busy girl and I am a busy momma! I truly do believe that all of these interventions help! I'm still learning every day different skills to help teach my daughter, and I think this will be a lifetime of learning. I have a little story from the Christmas Eve service, at Fellowship of The Woodlands that really touched my heart and I would like to share. The whole service was beautiful, the music, the message (finding the "light",) and especially the last message. At the end of the Christmas Eve service they showed a video of a husband and wife sharing their story about their beautiful daughter, Jamie Faith. Jamie Faith was a precious, smiling, sweet little girl, but at 4 months they noticed she was behind on some of her milestones. So their pediatrician recommended them to see a neurologist and a geneticist. The mom of course blamed herself and wondered what she did during her pregnancy to have "caused" this. But it was then when she was in Jamie Faith's nursery and there on the wall was picture that said.. Psalm 139:14 (NIV) 14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. And the mom knew right then and there is wasn't her fault and Jamie was made purposefully from God for her and His works are wonderful! That message really hit home to me! Well they found out that Jamie Faith's brain was underdeveloped. When Jamie Faith was "supposed" to be walking, she wasn't and it was near Christmas time so the family vowed to not take down their Christmas tree until Jamie Faith learned to walk. Well around that same time Jamie Faith got sick and had to go to the hospital and her brain was shutting down. The doctors told the family that they didn't have long so the mom and family and friends created a bucket list for Jamie Faith. Some things on her bucket list was to take a picture in bluebonnets, have her nails painted, put her feet in the sand, have a tea party, etc. So they showed pictures up on the big screen at church of the family and friends doing all of these things with Jamie Faith in the hospital bed. *** I WAS A MESS*** Shortly after, sweet Jamie Faith passed away and they had a funeral for her and had the Chinese lanterns go up into the sky for Jamie Faith to find the light in God. As you can probably imagine I was a a crying MESS! Every time I leave Church I feel as if Pastor Kerry is talking to ME, and after that service my family said "Amber, that message was truly to YOU!" I sympathize with Jamie Faith's family, but I can't even imagine what they have been through to see their baby girl pass away. I thank God every day for my little blessing running around, being silly, and babbling with stories! To see this video, http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=cc2mNvKl52s

 Onto ANOTHER note.... we had a very scary experience happen to us this weekend. Brian, Harper, my mother-in-law, and I went to eat in the Heights at Ruggles on The Green. Brian had gone to get water to put in our drinks and my mother-in-law and I were chatting. Harper was standing next to me in the booth and started slapping my face. I told her to stop and preceded to talk to my mother-in-law. Harper started to slap me again so I turned to look at her and she was CHOKING!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I literally freaked out and jumped up and yelled in the restaurant "My daughter is choking!" I thought it would be like out of a movie and someone would jump up and say "I'm a doctor" and run over to us and save the day, but I was wrong... It was NOT! I started by trying to clear her mouth, nothing was in there, then a waiter ran over and tried to do the heimlich, which I knew was wrong, (you don't do an adult like heimlich with a toddler.) By that time Brian had run over, Harper's lips were turning blue, he turned her over and started hitting her back, he'd clear her throat, then hit her back again. In the meanwhile EVERYONE was standing up watching us, a man was calling 911, and no one was helping. Finally, my super hero husband saved the day and a cube of cantelope came out of her mouth and she started crying. Right away, I picked her up and ran outside with her to hold her and just cry together. I felt like such a horrible mom for ignoring her when she was trying to tell me she was choking. Ugh... breaks my heart just thinking about it all over again. MORAL of the story is to BE CERTIFIED AND AWARE OF WHAT TO DO IN THAT SITUATION. and to be CALM! I am certified, but because I was in shock and in a panic, my mind literally went blank and I didn't know what to do. I can't say this enough, but we are so BLESSED that everything turned out to be okay. SO BLESSED!!!!! Please check out the American Red Cross and see where you can be certified. Please continue to keep us in your thoughts and prayers that Harper continues to progress and we find out a diagnosis for her! Much Love from The Reynolds family! XOXO