This little piggy went to . . . WHOA! Did you see that?!

Yesterday after work I ran to the book store and picked up Annie's first Bible:

When I got to the hospital, i went straight to the NICU on the first floor. Turns out everyone was up in Holly's room on the 6th floor. A nurse had just finished feeding Annie and she asked me if I wanted to hold her. OF COURSE I want to hold her but . . . In her condition, I figure that there must be a certain degree of risk every time you pick her up and if we are going to risk it, I would rather the wife get the chance to hold her.

I told the nurse that I was ok with not holding her.

"Nonsense. Sit down", she said while pointing at the recliner near Annabelle's bed.

I sat down and leaned back. The nurse gently cradled little Annie and laid her on my chest and then covered her with a blanket. Annabelle laid there perfectly content, looking around and alternately grasping and letting go of my fingers.

I read to her out of the new Bible I had bought and it was absolute bliss. I pictured us spending an entire Saturday like that - both of us sprawled out on the couch . . . Man o man.

As I have mentioned before, Bella is gulping down her feedings and doing great. It turns out that as a general rule, once an infant in the critical area of the NICU is off all the wires and tubes, is stabilized and eating well, she is "graduated" to the less-critical side of the NICU. We aren't sure when Annie will "graduate" but it seems like it might be soon.

The doctor in charge of the NICU talked with Holly this morning and said that we may be able to take Annie home this weekend. Which just seems too good to be true.

So, just to recap:

1) The doctors did not expect Annabelle to survive very long after birth - we are now going strong on day 6

2) The doctors said if she did survive she would not be able to breathe on her own - she needed a little encouragement to get started but, once she got going she has been doing great

3) The doctors said that if she survived and if she breathed, that she would not be able to swallow - she is powering through the bottles at every feeding

4) The doctors said that even if she did survive, breathe and swallow, she would be paralyzed from her upper back on down . . . .

This morning we met with the physical therapist who came in to assess Annie Lu. I stood there holding my breath as she poked and stretched and flexed and prodded our little miracle. As I understand it, it is hard to assess newborns in terms of their quads and hamstrings and the PT said she was not seeing a lot of action there.

Annabelle's feet are both clubbed which means they are turned inward and upward so that the arches of her feet are touching the inside of her calves. The PT explained that even if Annie does not ultimately use her legs for mobility, it would still be important for her to do weight-bearing exercises in order to develop her leg bones and muscles etc. In order to do that, her feet need to be fixed.

After checking Annabelle out, the PT remarked that she thought much of the straightening process could be accomplished just by taping her ankles with athletic tape and she said she would come back this afternoon to tape her up.

Then she said something interesting. She said that it appeared that Annie's feet were turned in part due to her muscles contacting and pulling her feet inward - which means at least some neurological signals are being received in her lower legs.

Then she ran her finger along the outside of Annie's right foot and the wife and I stood in wonder as we watched Bella wiggle all five of her toes. The PT did the same on Annie's left foot and two of her toes flexed.

The PT also went on to explain that the swelling along Annabelle's spine due to the surgery might be suppressing some of her nervous system and that we might see even more "action" once the swelling has gone down.

It was just amazing. We aren't going out and buying her first set of track shoes just yet but it was so encouraging to hear that they were going to work on straightening her feet today and I just can't explain what it was like to see those little piggies flex.

Just before the PT left, she asked if anyone had checked to see if Annie could hold her head erect. We said no one had checked yet and the PT gently sat her up and let go of her neck. "Whoa!", the PT exclaimed. "That's really good - this baby is really strong!"

That's my girl.

So that is the latest - every day brings new hope and even more fervant prayers. She is our miracle baby and when I say "our" I mean all of ours - all those who have been hoping and wishing and praying and crying and checking in for the past few months.

I can't tell you why God answers some prayers the way we want and not others - I am just so grateful for the joy and relief he has graciously given us these past few days. I joked with a friend that we had so many little children praying for Annabelle that God's didn't dare take her from us - he was at risk of losing too many disappointed future congregants.

Please keep praying - there is healing left to do and miracles yet to be realized.

And GO ANNABELLE!