Blessed be the name of the LORD!

One year ago today our beautiful Lyric Elise had open heart surgery to save her life... wow... God has been so faithful & His mercy is new everyday! As I look back over the past year I can only feel overwhelmed by God's goodness & grace! Lyric is truly the light of our lives... I don't have much to write, 1. I have never been good at expressing/sharing emotions & 2. My eyes keep filling up with tears... remembrance of this day one year ago, complete awe of what an AWESOME GOD we serve, & a heart that is so thankful it hurts! Thank you... to all of you that have brought us before the throne of God in prayer!
Thank you Lord for all that You have done and all that you are going to do in our little girls life!

Lyric Elise... you amaze me!

Little Light by Matt Hammitt & Audrey Assad

"Look at all the angels watching you
They're singing songs that we have never heard
And their voices ring like bells over the mountains
Oh, if only we could hear their words

God is near, little girl
God is near, little girl

Your eyes are brilliant, deep sky blue
Their quiet wisdom is an evening song
And the angels must be breathless at your beauty
Like the world catches its breath before the dawn

God is near, little one
God is near, little one

Jesus bends to hear you breathe
His tender hands are holding you tonight
His heart is ravished when you look at Him,
And oh, the endless mercy in His eyes

God is here, little light
God is here, little light."

One year ago today!

Lyric at her first doctors appointment...the first of many!

One year ago today we took our little girl into the doctor for a cough and lack of interest in eating, little did we know what that day held for us!

I can still go back to that day like it was yesterday, the emotions, fear, and uncertainty! We have come a long way from September 14Th 2010, the day we found out that Lyric's heart was not "normal" as the doctor put it... looking back at the past year I can only say, GOD IS GOOD! He never left us & always brought encouragement just when we thought we would break.

Thank you to everyone who has walked along side us through this past 365 days!

I posted the lyrics to "Trust" by Matt Hammitt 3 days after finding out about Lyric's heart and the words are still so true today!

Lest I’m tempted to forget
I’ll tie Your love around my neck
I’ll write Your words upon my heart
Lord, I won’t forget how good You are

I’ll dwell upon Your faithfulness
I’ll rest within Your promises
And when I’m walking through the dark
Lord, I won’t forget how good You are

I will trust, I will trust You
I will trust You Lord with all my heart
And I won’t forget how good You are
No, I won’t forget how good You are

You gave me everything I have
My whole life is in Your hands
When what I fear is closing in
Lord, Your faithfulness will never end

I will trust, I will trust You
I will trust You Lord with all my heart
And I won’t forget how good You are
No, I won’t forget how good You are

Even in the darkness, even in the questions
Even when the hardest times of life are at hand
Even in darkness, even in questions
Even in the times that I’m not meant to understand

I will trust

She's 1!!!!

Our Lyric Elise is officially ONE!

Wow is a total understatement on how fast it truly goes by! Just yesterday we were bringing our baby girl home from the hospital!

Here is a look into the first year of Lyric's life!! What an amazing little girl and what a huge blessing she is to us!!

~July~One of my favorites taken at the hospitalLyric at 10 days old!!

~August~1st family photo :-)

~September~

Can you say ornery?!?!

~October~

Looking like her DADDY!!

~November~

Our family of three shortly before Lyric had surgery!All smiles as always!The morning of Lyric surgery, just us 3.My sweet baby girl just hours after her surgery, GOD IS GREAT!
On the road to recovery!
Holding our sweet little Lyric for the first time post surgery!
Looking up to her daddy! He is an amazing father and husband! Thanksgiving morning with so much to be thankful for!!!

~December~
Getting the last of her stitches out!!!!
Telling me stories :-) She sure loves her froggy!!

Post surgery... getting the all clear to go home!!!

"Ok, Mom I'm ready to get outta here"So happy to be going home!!! FIRST CHRISTMAS!! SO SO SO very special!!

Christmas morning!!

All dressed up for CHRISTMAS DAY!!!
"Yay... GIFTS for me?!?!?"

~January~

Tummy time for the first time since surgery!!

~February~

CHD awareness!! Love her faces!!!

~March~

Clapping and dancing while daddy plays guitar

~April~

1st Easter... CHEESE!!

~May~

She is going to be a BIG SISTER

Playing with daddy!

Learning to hold on to everything and walk!

A picture is worth a thousand words! MIRACLE INDEED!!

~June~

Becoming so independent!

~July 2012~

WOW one whole year! God is truly amazing to bless us with such a blessing! Lyric you are so special to us and we love you with all our hearts!! Thank you Lord for this year with our Lyric!!

Asthma or Reflux?!?!?

Lyric has been battling a cough since the middle of January and we have seen her Pediatrician, her Cardiologist, and last but not least a Pulmonary Specialist! We received a wonderful report from the Cardiologist, her heart looks great... beautiful I believe were his words :) So he recommended that we see a Pulmonary specialist concerning her cough, which we did! She said that had her vocal chord not been paralyzed it would be an easy diagnosis of asthma but considering it was paralyzed and still may be paralyzed she wants us to do a repeat swallow study (our first study in Oklahoma, her last study was done in Dallas) they hope to rule out anything before just labeling it as asthma. The doctor seems to think that she has asthma coupled with vocal chord paralysis causing silent aspiration and possible reflux! She started Lyric on a "trial treatment" to see if treating her for asthma (inhaler), prevacid (reflux), and also we are back to thickening her feeds hoping to give her airway time to completely close off! She is not coughing through the night and is sleeping good again... YAY... but she is still coughing when she is awake and you can hear her breathe from across the room! This is not what we were hoping for considering they are treating 3 different issues but we are taking one day at a time! We go in for her swallow study on June 30Th (far out I know but OU Children's... lets just say they take FOREVER to do anything) Pray that we have wisdom as we move forward! Thank you for all the prayers so far!

Lyric's 1st Easter!!

Today was Lyric's very first Easter and what a wonderful day it was!! God has been so gracious to us and we feel so honored to have Lyric in our lives! Having a child is like seeing & celebrating everything for the first time! Here are a few pictures from today!

Lyric makes this face all the time :) I love it!