8-25-01

We have so much to be thankful for,Natalia will be turning 1 year old, Saturday, August 25th. Praise God! He has answered our prayers, Alleluia, Alleluia.

Reaching her first birthday, she has already beat the odds and is one of the ten percent of Trisomy 13 babies to survive their first birthday. It is through the prayers of family, friends and strangers (new friends) that she has been blessed with a longer life. Thank you all for joining us in prayer for this sweet child. I thank and praise God for allowing me to be her mother and giving me a husband who is helpful with the many demands a special need child brings into a marriage. I thank him for my other three loving children who have not only helped me but also have given Natalia endless amounts of kisses and love. Most important, I thank God for allowing me to see and be a part of so many people who have given unselfishly of their time with help, prayers and spiritual support for this sweet little angel. The power of prayer has transformed this little broken child into a lovable bundle of pure joy. Natalia has two bottom teeth, enjoys sucking her thumb and fingers, and uses a bit of sign language to tell us she wants to drink. She likes to suck on my hair, stand in the bouncer and giggles with happiness when tickled. She rolls a bit from side to side, and enjoys some time on her tummy. She is reaching for toys and is making small strides with all of the medication that keeps her in a relaxed state. She has been diagnosed with the onset of Cerebral Palsy, Spastic Diplegia. She continues to have seizure activity and we are presently trying a new medication to control them. September 4th she will go in for surgery to correct her reflux problem. They also will look at the earlier malrotation site for adhesions which may be the cause of her abdominal pain during her physical therapy sessions.

I thank and praise God again for all of you, helping my family through this past year. Your prayers of love and support have given us tremendous strength. With all the prayers coming our way, it has been an interesting year of many small but annoying problems, (These little annoyances/distractions in life seem to swallow up weeks of our time. ie: Over this past year, we have been hit three times in automobile accidents.) God has protected us in many areas of our life as we have been repeatedly bombarded with what I would call spiritual warfare, as always, God gathers us in and has protected us from serious harm. Jesus has been by my side during some of our darkest days and the Holy Spirit continues to surround us with love, guidance and protection. We have so much to be thankful for. I am thankful for my faith and the strength it provides me, and I am thankful for your prayers. Praise God! Praise Him! We thank him for our health, and the strength he give us daily.

I also want to thank God for my loving and helpful parents. My father and mother are helping with the editing of prayers on the prayer site. Their help gives me extra time with my husband and children.
I thank God for my special friend Robbin, she has given endless hours of her time, calling and helping me weekly with whatever challenge we are facing. She is truly a gift from God for me.
My sister Marque has also been a tremendous support this past year with her own six children, she's quite remarkable.

Natalia and I continue to pray each day for the prayer requests on the site. This simple ministry has blessed us in countless ways. Praise God for Ginny Apke and her talent in beginning this prayer site. We have a place where we can all join together and pray for each other.

Thank You God. We love You.! God Bless You All,

ThereseAnn