Winter's Here!

We had our first taste of winter last week as well as a day off of school. 

Personally, I think it was a weak snow day, but it was fun to stay home with my babies all the same. 

During the girl's nap Eli and I had some fun!

 

 

The snow makes a beautiful backdrop for pictures. And I think Eli is SOOO photogenic. 

 

It was a nice taste of snow. And personally I'd be fine if that's all we had, but I know a little guy who can't wait for the next snowfall. 

 

It's fun to live in a place with all 4 seasons. 

 

 

Here's a last pic of my little love bug. 

She's so beautiful! 😍

That darn cast

It's baaack!!

The night before we had it put back on I seriously couldn't sleep. I just knew Hannah would take it badly, meltdown in the doctors office and be very frustrated. 

The casting went surprisingly well. Hannah sat patiently and curiously as the nurse put it on only to discover she had done it wrong and had to take it off and start again. At this point I was getting nervous, but the second attempt was successful with both attitude and action.

 

You see last week she had her first occupational therapy appointment since before Christmas. During OT her therapist really pushes Hannah and doesn't let her use her right hand. This is to strengthen and help her hand work correctly. Well, during this appointment Hannah would do nothing and got very upset. The only thing she ended up doing with her left hand was eat cheese (her favorite food) so this was discouraging for me. But it also showed us that the cast needed to go back on. 

She is adapting and usually with a smile so that is a blessing. The Lord has been gracious to her through all the tests the past few months. 

She'll have the cast on 4 weeks this time and then hopefully we can take a break...hopefully. 

We have more decisions to make about Hannah's continued therapy and other strategies to try with her left hand specifically. Please pray we would have wisdom. 

I'm coming to the realization that CMV will never leave our lives. Hannah will never "arrive" and be rid of the effects of this virus. 

That's hard to except. 

It's actually gotten me down lately, but I do have to remember the Lord's faithfulness to Hannah and us in the past and remember he never lets us go. 

Break!

Aren't breaks nice? Well received?

When I think of my favorite breaks I think of fun vacations, warm weather so that fun can be enjoyed outside, time with friends and family.

Of course now my breaks look different than they did before kids and I don't always get to spend those breaks with Keith at home, but it is still nice to take some time out.

 

Time out from the normal routine.  No schedule.  Nowhere I have to be.

This past week we have had a break and it's been nice.  I've been home since Christmas Day and haven't left the house since Monday--doesn't that sound like a Mama's break?

yes!

Since being on break one child has a runny nose, one has a cough (that seems to be getting worse) and one is threatening to get sick.  'Tis the season!

 
Five years ago this would have frustrated me.  I mean, come on' kiddos don't you know this is a break and you getting sick does not make it restful for me??

But now I realize kids get sick, a break is an excellent time to get sick (if you have to) because there's nowhere we have to be, and I am still realizing that I'm a mom of 3 kids--sleep will come when it comes. 

 

So this break has been nice because of the one-on-one time I've gotten with each kiddo.  Whether that's watching a new movie with my oldest, cuddling with the girls because they don't feel well, making cookies, playing with new toys, etc, etc.

I'm thankful!

 
I know in just a few short days the schedule will ramp up again.

2017 will bring many more things into our lives.
*more doctors and therapy appointments
*another cast {sigh}
*possible surgery
*talking {YAY!}
*walking
*kindergarten
*preschool

and the list goes on and on, with things I don't even know about yet!

So today I am sitting in my messy house, with loads of laundry needing to be washed and kids who probably need baths and think back to the reason for this break.

The birth of our King who chose to leave Heaven and join this mess.

Yes, I'm thankful for a break but even more thankful He entered into our world and wants to be part of our lives.  2017 will have many surprises, good and bad.  Thank God that he walks through them with us!

Happy New Year Everyone!

"The Lord bless you, and keep you;
The Lord make His face shine on you, And be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up His countenance on you, And give you peace..."
John 6:26-28

Merry Christmas!

For all of you near and far who didn't receive our Christmas card. 🎄

 

Merry Christmas from the Richards Family!

Christmas 2016

The Christmas season is upon us!  New this year: A Richards family update letter!  We know many of you keep up with us and pray for our family so we want to give you a few more details about our life!  We are grateful for all the Lord has given us and for this time of year to reflect on Jesus’ coming.  

“For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do.

By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin,

he condemned sin in the flesh.”

Romans 8:3

 

Keith and Ellie have now been out-numbered and are still figuring out zone defense with 3 kiddos in the house.  Most of our days and nights are spent parenting, loving and helping these three.  Yes, our hands are full, but full with good things.  In May we officially joined a new church and have gotten involved in a community group near our house.  This group has blessed us immensely since we started attending.  It is fun to see them love our kids and serve us when we need it.  

Keith has now been at his company here in Louisville for 3+ years.  He continues to work hard and is a well thought of, great, manager of product.  He works long days to provide for all of us, we are so grateful for him!

Ellie spends a lot of time with the kiddos, which is how it should be.  Hannah still has many therapy and doctor appointments and now Suzi gets to tag along too!  She is blessed with other mom friends who have kids of similar ages to get together with occasionally and have some grownup time as well as a women’s bible study.

 

Eli is on his last year of 3-day preschool and by the end of next year he will be a Kindergartener!  It’s bittersweet to watch our sweet boy grow up and decide he no longer wants to be called “sweet boy”.  He participated in gymnastics until mid-summer, which he loved, but now we are searching for another activity to get some energy out.  

 
 

Hannah continues to amaze us with all she does good and bad.  She turned 2 this year, and it shows!  She also began walking which actually happened before Suzi was born—a sweet gift from the Lord.  She is now a busy toddler who messes with everything and one you can’t take your eyes off of for a second.  Her sweet disposition makes up for it most of the time!  Hannah also had surgery to receive her first Cochlear Implant in November.  She is adapting to it very well, we are hopeful to see more and more progress with speech therapy in the New Year!  Please continue to pray for her left hand. It is getting stronger through restraint therapy but still has a long way to go.

 

 

And Suzi.  She’s really a great baby.  Except for the lack of sleep she joined our family seamlessly and we all fall more in love with her every day.  She is a baby who spends lots of time in the car, smiles a lot, sleeps well and loves to be talked to.  Eli usually gets put on “talk to Suzi duty” and he is great at it.  She will be 6 months 2 days after Christmas, so yes in the busyness of life with little kids, time flies!

 

We know that in the ups and downs of life “we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses” but one who chose to come to earth and take away our sins!  Let us remember that gift during this Christmas season.

 

From our family to yours, Merry Christmas!

Keith, Ellie, Eli, Hannah and Suzi Richards

 

 

 

Activated!

Since Tuesday Hannah has been hearing the world a bit differently. 

 

She's hearing music from some of her favorite toys. 

 

She's hearing Mawmaw and Poppy's voice differently for the first time. 

 

And she's also talking with her baby sister on her first holiday hearing the world better. 

We are thankful for the technology to increase her sound and enable her to hopefully listen and communicate normally. 

She did a great job on Tuesday getting her CI turned on. When it was first activated she kind of wrinkled her brow and eventually smiled letting us know she was hearing sound in a new way. 

Over the course of the last few days it has been fun to see how she is adapting to her CI and hearing more and more. We still have a long way to go with speech therapy and helping her recognize sound, but she is off to a great start!

Thanks to everyone who have prayed us through this whole journey. I am glad to be on the other side of the surgery and recovery and I'm ready to press forward helping her learn more and more. 

Hannah is doing well for the most part. Sleep is still off and on since surgery, it is usually the first thing to get messed up when her schedule is interrupted, or when she gets sick or something. We are praying she goes back to sleeping well at night soon, for everyone's sake!

I look forward to the days, weeks, months and years ahead as cochlear implants become our new normal and we are amazed by a good God who continues to give good gifts to his children. 

In All Things Give Thanks

It's that time of year again.

Thanksgiving. 

When we stop and gather with family and friends and give thanks to God for all we have, where we live and what we are able to do. 

Since I was a little girl I've always loved Thanksgiving. It's nestled nicely between my birthday and Christmas. Included with it are chances to see people I haven't for sometime and the menu is delicious!

When I lived overseas Thanksgiving became an even greater event.  Since we were all far from home, everyone on my team would make their favorite foods and a lot of them.  We would feast and watch Christmas movies for a few days and forget we lived in a foreign country. Haha..

Since Keith and I got married we always make sure we invite others over for the holiday and invite family to come whenever possible. 

Most of you know from reading this post and this post that in 2014 Thanksgiving changed in our family. I still love this time of year but let's just say it now brings up a lot of emotions in me that may stay dormant most of the year. 

It is interesting the Lord caused Hannah's diagnosis of hearing loss and CMV and her cochlear implant surgery to both happen around Thanksgiving. Really within days of each other. 

From two years ago, with an itty bitty baby in my arms, not knowing what she would be able to do, or say. To today, watching my sweet, determined little girl continuing to amaze us at all she has accomplished and can do. 

So, as I sit here days after Hannah's surgery and days before her activation I thank the Lord for redeeming this time of year for our family. 

I thank Him for giving us hope and continuing to amaze us at His love for us, His children. 

During this time of year this sits on my mantle. 

 

But I think I may need to keep it up all year. It reminds me of how good the Lord is to us and how many times I forget to say thanks.

In the spirit of Thanksgiving I again want to take the opportunity to thank all of you for your service and prayers for our family.  For loving us in more ways than I can even think through right now and lifting us up in prayer when we didn't know what to pray.  Hannah is a product of those prayers and as her mother I am forever thankful for people like you who intercede for our family.

"Give thanks 

in all circumstances; 

for this is God’s will 

for you in 

Christ Jesus."

1 Thessalonians 5:18

Hannah's New Ear 👂!

On Monday we woke up incredibly early, loaded up 2 adults, two little girls and all their stuff and headed up to Cincinnati for Hannah's implant surgery. 

Thankfully everyone was healthy and the surgery went off without a hiccup!

Her surgery was at 8am, so we arrived at 7 where the nurse took us to a private room, we answered lots of questions and watched Curious George (because, what else would you watch at 7am to distract a toddler?) The surgeon came in and signed off on Hannah's CI surgery and 2 ear tubes instead of one, like we originally thought because fluid was present, and we got down to business. 

Hannah was pretty clingy and I think she knew something was up. 

 

At about 8:15 we walked Hannah back to the OR where she received some sleepy gas and they whisked her away. 

 

After that Mom and Dad got some breakfast and we waited. It was a long wait, probably 3+ hours, which may not sound that long, but it is when it's your child. 

Before we saw Hannah we met with Dr. Choo, her doctor. He showed us pictures of Hannah's surgery, something I had been told about, but wasn't quite ready to see. He showed us how the implant was placed, the coils and where her scar is. The coils are longer than needed so as her head grows they grow with her so no additional surgery is needed when she is an adult. He also encouraged us when he told us the surgery was very "textbook" and the CI worked really well when tested. He had a rep from Cochlear in the surgery who asked if the implant was in demo mode because it seemed to work too perfect. That's really good news!

After another 10 minutes the nurse came back out and told us we could come and see Hannah. 

 

 Such a sweet little patient. 

Since we were out of town and Hannah has additional issues besides hearing loss the doctor decided to admit us for one night. Being our first time doing this it was probably a wise move, but next time I vote for just heading back to Louisville!

So we were wheeled upstairs (Keith got the royal treatment, haha). 

Hannah went through periods of happiness and periods of pain. There was probably more pain the first day than happy, but we are seeing her improve. I think she was, and still is, confused about the pain and this enormous thing on her head. 

Thankfully the head wrap comes off tomorrow and we've heard, from other parents of CI recipients, that by the 3rd day post-surgery their kiddo was back to normal. 

 

As you can see, Hannah's already getting her spunk back. 

She is happy to be back home with her brother and grandparents (Keith's parents are here lending much needed helping hands) and playing with her toys. 

Now we wait two weeks for the incision to heal and then she gets "activated". So that ear should be a hearing ear by Thanksgiving. Thank you God!

Keith was really the champ over the last few days. Since I'm still nursing Suzi, she and I went to a hotel while Keith stayed with Hannah at the hospital. I guess he did deserve the royal treatment after all. ❤️

"The LORD himself will fight for you. Just stay calm."

            Exodus 14:14