. . . Austin! I'm sure at some point along Austin's journey he has been weary. I'm sure that while in the NICU on the vent, 5 different monitors, the feeding tube, and IV's that he was exhausted. Austin came home hooked up to oxygen and his apnea monitor 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and started having physical and other therapies that pushed him to the limits you know he wanted to just be left alone to rest. However, something inside of him prevailed through everything. He just turned 10 months old (adjusted age is 6.5 months), and he is developing normally as he should be. His EI said today, at his biweekly appointment, that this is not at all what they expect from a preemie born as early as Austin. "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future" Jeremiah 29:11. Only God knew and does know what the plan is for Austin. Only He knew that Austin would live and have a life full of smiles and laughter. Austin smiles and laughs so easily especially at his older brother, Bradley, and it’s absolute music to our ears. Only God knew that Austin would develop just as a baby who has had no medical setbacks does. Austin's EI said she has never experienced this in her line of work. How awesome is that? I'm certain, while Austin laid in the isolette for all of those months that God was urging him to try harder. It was God that said, "Austin, you must breathe on your own, so they can wean you from the vent." Austin surely thought that he was too worn out to breath on his own, but God did it. I wonder if Austin heard God saying things like this verse: "Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint" Isaiah 40:28-31. I think he did. Something brought him to where he is today, and what else would do that besides our Heavenly Father? Austin had his 9 month well check last week. His pediatrician has pretty much thrown his adjusted age out the window as far as she is concerned. He has made it on his actual age growth chart and is in the 3rd percentile for his height and weight and almost the 50th for his head. His head is so much bigger, because his brain took all the nutrients from his body while he was in the NICU so it could grow as it should. He is eating as he should, and he even did well on the developmental questionnaire for a 9 month old! We couldn't believe it. His pediatrician said he is doing as well as some of her full-term 9 month olds! How great is our God???!!!!
I hope that every person that reads this can trust in Him fully when they're going through a trial. I pray that God will remind you of Austin, and that you may use him as an inspiration. That baby boy was born 16 weeks too early at only 1lb 7 oz and 12.5 inches long. He is about 17lbs and 27 inches know! He is wearing 12 month clothes and eating 2-3 meals a day of solids. If we don't give him something to eat while we're eating, at the table, then he fusses! Every doctor, nurse, therapist, and etc that meets Austin just doesn't believe that he was born at 24 weeks. And, I just wanted to share this and rejoice with everyone about God's work in our living miracle. May you each be blessed by this entry. Amen.
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