Weathering the Storm

We have been coming to our children's house for about three and a half years now.  I never imagined how this place would change me and what a huge part these people would play in our lives.  I kind of expected coming here to be all about Brylee and that to be where it started and stopped. I never would have imagined our time here would have taught me things I needed to know for life with Teagan.  You never know what God is going to use to prepare you for the road ahead.  Mark and I were talking last night about how everything thing we have walked through with Brylee over the last four years set the stage for us to be able to walk this road we are on now.  Would I have picked for it to work that way no, but once again I am thankful I am not in control because nothing could have prepared us better for Teagan than what God had already laid out.

I would be lying if I said this last week had not been a huge mental struggle for both Mark and I.  We have hit the point in this road that the hurricane has passed over, we have been spared, but now in the calm after the storm we can look around and survey the land.  These are the days where at times it feels impossibly hard.  We can look back and see the hand of God leading us through every step along the way the last month and we are so blessed.  What is lying before us is a vast unexplored ocean of possibilities and questions of varying kinds, that I know the Lord will ultimately use for good if we let Him, but some hours and some days the task of sailing forward seems daunting.  

Teagan made it through her surgery beautifully and has been recovering well.  We had a great experience being at Medical City and I am so very thankful for the medical team over there that made us feel so very welcome and at home.  Last Friday we were allowed to return back to Presbyterian Plano, and get settled back into our "normal" NICU routine.  Over the last week Teagan's swelling in her brain has continued to go down and she has seemed very content and comfortable.  The next immediate challenge that lies in front of our sweet little one is working on feeding.  It is very likely that Teagan is going to need a surgically placed feeding tube before we come home just like we got for Brylee.  The goal though is to get her to the point before we leave that she can take some of her feeds on her own through a bottle and we simply supplement the difference with the tube.  We have no idea how long or what obstacles she is going to face in eating or really anything for that matter, what we do know is that she has a huge challenge lying in front of her.  What seems like simple tasks for a typical child is going to take monumentally more work and time for Teagan to be able to accomplish. We don't know what her capabilities or limits are going to be at this point, but what we do know so far is that she has proven she is a fighter.  Our job moving forward is not to make her "normal" it is going to be to equip to be the best she is capable of being whatever that looks like. 

We have a long road to go, you all have already prayed us through some impossibly dark days, rejoiced with us in victories and rallied around us when we didn't even know what we needed.  There are going to be many more roads like this moving forward,  but we know, whether we always feel equipped that the Lord is equipping us for each moment of each day as we have need.  This may not be the road we would have chosen to walk, but I have every confidence that just like he placed Esther in the kings palace to save the Hebrew nation, we have been placed here, "For such a time as this." Esther 4:14. I have no idea what lies ahead of us but I know who is leading us through each moment of each day.  We love you all

The Strattons's

The immediate prayer requests are:

That Teagan could get strong enough that she could coordinate to be able to take some bottles on her own.  She has the skills there but the task of coordinating them together is a huge undertaking for her.

That Mark and I could continue to have wisdom as we make decisions about her care moving forward.  Also that we would not get discouraged as we move forward on what will be a long slow journey.

That the Lord would start preparing the kids and their hearts not only for the new addition to our family once Teagan is able to come home, but also for whatever changes and adjustments will need to be made.