A very quick update!

I am sorry this is so brief, but there is no internet access in the room and I literally had to go outside to a courtyard to pick up a signal. Scott is with our sweetie as I quickly type this.

The surgery was successful! Poor baby has thrown up 3 times and is still in quite a bit of pain. Please continue to pray for Anna Grace as she really is feeling miserable. But I am praising God that all went very well. I do have a HUGE praise report. Are you ready? When we got into the recovery room (they allowed us to be the ones to wake her), the nurse asked her if she wanted to stay in the bed, have Daddy carry her or Mommy. She looked at me then looked back at the nurse and said, "Mommy!" I of course tried to fight back tears! It was heaven holding her and letting her know that I loved her and that I would not leave her side.

I, unfortunately, brought the wrong camera cable, so I can't download pictures, not that I could anyways because of the internet.

Thank you again for your prayers, email, scriptures and comments!!

Much love and I will post from home tomorrow.

PS No TV in the room....so no clue on what is happening with the elections!!! UGH! I know it's in His plans.

UPDATE 7:05 P.M.: My techie guru (sweet hubby) was able to get me a signal on my laptop if I sit very still in the far corner of the room by the window, with the laptop a little elevated! Hey! I'm not complaining. Also, the wonderful nurses here at Shriners brought me a small TV that gets local channels, so I may not watch a play-by-play of the elections, but I'll at least be able to watch the 11 pm news! Wooohoo!

My beautiful princess is still throwing up, but her pain level has gone down a lot! She's really doing well and I absolutely know that it's because of all the prayers. Thank you Jesus for your faithful prayer warriors and for answering those prayers. I'm off to get some more snuggles in before she is out for the night.

Blessed!

First, I have to say that I am humbled and so incredibly blessed to have so many people praying for my baby girl. Wow! You guys amaze me!

We arrived at the hotel room at about 9 pm tonight. I gave Anna Grace a quick bath and we took some pictures as we scrubbed her hand and arm with the little brush filled with Betadine that the hospital had given me on our last visit. I then put her in new PJs and handed her a sweet little stuffed cow that her Grandma up north had sent her as a buddy to be with her during her stay here.

After tucking her in, I turned on the computer to see if I had any mail and there were 29 emails! All of them filled with prayers and well wishes for my baby girl. I sat here bawling as I read each one. God is so good! He sends you what you need, exactly when you need it.

You see, driving here with Anna Grace asleep in her carseat (Scott followed in a separate car behind us since he's leaving tomorrow night), I kept thinking about the elections tomorrow and all of the Obama hype going on. I began to get so depressed and truly sad. It wasn't because of our country. It wasn't because of our future. It wasn't because of all that is at stake with these elections. This time it was because I realized how much the world has rejected our God, and how evident it has become during these elections. My heart ached with every thought of Him nailed to that cross, being humiliated, spat on, in pain and suffering. And when I think about why He was on that cross in the first place, it breaks my heart. He did it for us. For you and for me. And His people, His world that He created, is truly falling apart with immorality, selfishness, power, greed, and people actually mocking the one, true God. I don't understand it. Yet, the words that kept coming to mind were "Forgive them Father, for they know not what they do."

I read a couple of days ago about the boy who dressed as Jesus Christ for his Halloween parade at school and was sent home because it was too offensive to other students. WHAT?!! Offensive? Jesus is the image of pure love, humility and kindness. Kids could go to school dressed as Bin Laden and that's OK? But Jesus is offensive? Again, I don't understand. What kind of world are we living in? What are we teaching our children?

I have totally run off course here (as usual) and I apologize. What I was initially setting off to say was that as I drove and my thoughts wandered to all of the above, I felt deflated. I felt I had lost a battle. That was until I opened up my email a few minutes ago and saw how many people are praying for my sweet girl. You've brought tears to my eyes and I truly love the Jesus in each and every one of you. You ARE God's hands. You have His heart and His light and it shines. It shines bright as the sun! Thank you. You have renewed my faith in what seems to be a very dark world. You have shown me that God lives in each and every one of us and when we reach out to others, even if we think we're just doing a simple "nice gesture", we don't know what a difference we are making in someone's day. YOU have made a huge difference. You have reminded me that I am here to serve Him and that He is in control. Thank you!

My baby girl is now curled up next to me as I type. I love to hear her breathing softly. Oh, how I pray that this is the beginning of the end of her attachment issues. My heart is telling me that we are almost there. I will spend the next two days alone with her, catering to her and giving her as much Mama love as I can muster. Thank you, Lord for my little blessing.

I will post from the hospital after the surgery tomorrow. Hopefully we will have internet access and it will be a lot faster than here, hence the reason for no pictures.

Thank you all for blessing me so much tonight.

Please...pray!

Tonight we are leaving to Tampa for Anna Grace's surgery that will be tomorrow morning at 7:00 a.m. The doctors at Shriner's Hospital will be correcting her syndactyly of her right hand. She will be then put in a cast that she will be wearing 4-6 weeks.

I ask you to please join me in prayer as I lift up our little girl to our Savior. May He guide the surgeons hands so that every vein, every vessel, every piece of tissue that needs to be moved will be done so with guidance and wisdom from our Lord. May our Blessed Mother hold her and allow her to feel the warmth of a mother as I continue to pray that this be the last step towards our bonding. May my beautiful daughter see my love for her and know in her heart that she will never be abandoned again. May her heart be filled with peace knowing that she has a family forever and her fears of losing us will cease. We also pray that her physical pain be minimal and that she will soon be laughing and playing with her siblings. Lastly, we pray that the surgery be completely successful allowing her to have full and complete use of her little hand.

I will be taking my laptop and posting from the hotel tonight and hopefully after surgery tomorrow if I can get internet access at the hospital. Although I feel a huge sense of peace in my heart that all will be well, your prayers are so very appreciated.

Also, please continue to pray for our country, for the unborn and mostly for whatever the outcome of this election is, that it may be used to glorify our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. We pray that the hearts of those entering the voting booths tomorrow be filled with His mighty Spirit and be reminded of the sacrifice He made for us on that cross. Let us honor Him in all we do and say, but mostly in our actions by continuing to unite in His precious name as we protect his unborn children.

May God bless you for keeping our family in your prayers during Anna Grace's surgery and recovery and may American bless God, always!