Rainbows, Restoration, and Answered Prayers

I think I actually got to the point Thursday when I screamed said, 

"God I know you promise not to give us more than we can handle, 

and just in case you are wondering, I think I'm there. 

Load's full. I have no more hands. 

I cannot function on any less sleep. 

And I am sick and tired of seeing Baker sick and tired."

I know you have all been there, here, before. 

Somehow, when it gets to this, I always see the goodness of people and the faithfulness of Christ evidenced more clearly than when everything is hunky dory.

So, today, as Baker is finally sleeping soundly, and I'm feeling rested and restored, and friends and family

have loved on us and been the hands and feet of Christ,

I can look back and say maybe it wasn't so bad.
I am so thankful for rainbows and sunshine after thunderstorms
and winds that threaten to topple you right over.

Thursday night, we drove to Tuscaloosa to spend the night with my mom and JD 

to put us closer to Children's Hospital for Baker's procedure Friday morning.

It was a very low key evening with good ole' home cooking.
Just what we needed.

Look at that smile.
I think he'll be spending many hours on these shoulders.

We arrived in Birmingham at 6:00, Baker clad in his favorite pajamas, 

and enjoyed visiting with other children and their parents in the waiting room. 

That place is incredible. 

Everything and everyone has a purpose and worked together to make our visit special.

We met with doctors, nurses, anesthesiologists and asked and answered questions galore.

And tried to distract Baker since he hadn't eaten since the night before. 

I'm a poet and didn't know it! 

Ahem.

That was difficult. 

There is no rationalizing with an eleven month old who is voraciously signing 

"Hungry, Mama, Hungry!!"

We walked Baker up and down the hallway, looked at paintings, sang, waved at the little girls and boys in their wagons, napped and he was finally taken to the Operating Room at 9:00.

I'll say it again. That was difficult.

Watching your baby taken from you for surgery.

Brian and I got back to our room, prayed, and busied ourselves until we heard from the doctors.

Finally, about an hour later, Baker's ENT came to visit.

He said the surgery went beautifully. 

That Baker had a lot of gunk and nasty fluid built up.

They put tubes in and took his adenoids out and flushed and irrigated and prepped for the audiologist to conduct the brain stem hearing test.

We waited close to another hour, and then she came to see us.

She said she liked what she saw.

Baker has at least one hearing nerve that functions at borderline normal range. 

That means, with all of the fluid gone, we know he has the capability to hear!

ANSWERED PRAYER, ANSWERED PRAYER, ANSWERED PRAYER!!

We will follow up with a participatory hearing test in June to confirm that he is responsive to auditory stimulus. 

This one will be just like the previous one in which we noted deficits.

We waited another eternity for Baker to return from recovery for me to get my hands on my juicy little almost one year old. 

Everyone said he would be back to normal by noon on the day of surgery. 

Their toesies were likely burning because their pants were on fire!

Coming out of anesthesia was rough tough stuff.

He was fussy and grouchy and pitiful and had stuff oozing from his nose and ears all day.

Today, he is finally getting back to his spunky self.

His appetite is returning, and he's melting my heart like never before.

Thank you seems inadequate. 

But, thank you for joining alongside us in prayer for Baker's surgery and hearing.

Our God is a faithful God.

Who is still in the business of answering prayers and making miracles.