Miracles Happen Everyday

Sawyer is special - there is no doubt about that. But, just like his brother, God has used to him to remind me how powerful prayer is and that God is still in the business of doing miracles. This past year Sawyer was diagnosed with a very mild case of Mobias syndrome. I had never heard of it either. It has always been cute and unique to us since his birth how Sawyer would laugh and cry. He would never open his mouth all the way. It really just made him all the more cuter if you ask me. And it never took a genius to figure out which one he was doing. He also never smiled really big, but it really just fit with his (at the time) quiet, laid back nature. And once again, I never had a hard time figuring out if he was happy or sad. But it still bothered us a little that when he yawned he couldn't open his mouth very wide, he didn't ever show his teeth when he smiled, and he didn't open his mouth to laugh or cry. Well, our wonderful pediatrician, Brent, suggested we go to a neurologist just to have him looked at. The neurologist was wonderful and worked with Sawyer for over an hour. Her diagnosis was Mobias syndrome. It means that he is missing a nerve in his face or that nerve is damaged. It is the nerve that controls the sides of your mouth, blinking of eyes, and raising of eyebrows. In severe cases the children can't close their eyes, have trouble with speech, etc. The doctor believed it was the mildest case she had ever seen. Sawyer can close his eyes when he sleeps and if you have been around him for 5 minutes you know he has no trouble speaking. But he doesn't blink munch at all and he can't close his eyes on command. The neurologist wanted us to meet with a geneticist for a few more tests later but we didn't have to see her for another year to determine if speech therapy was needed. I walked out of the office defeated. The thing that stuck out in my mind was when she said "He just may never have a smile." It broke my heart - smiling is what I do best and I hurt to think that my sweet boy wouldn't get to do that. Also, you don't want your child to have to endue anything that makes him different from otheres or makes life harder for him. Feeling sorry for my sweet baby, I went back to my KDO job and there waiting for me was the Spring pictures of my boys I had ordered. When I looked at those two faces I was filled with joy. God spoke to my heart and reminded me that he had given me two very precious gifts in Carter Wayne and Sawyer. He knit them together in my womb and they were made perfectly in His image. I also remembered all the other precious children I saw in that waiting room with their challenges and the precious moms and dads that were loving on them. They probably would have taken Sawyer's diagnosis over theirs any day. The sweet girl that took those pictures of the boys mentioned that she would pray that God would heal Sawyer's smile "stitch by stitch". I loved that. It has been my prayer ever since. Rodney even teases me when I say, "Look, I think his smile is getting bigger." Rodney will say "stitch by stitch" :). But that weekend in Mt.View was the first time we were able to capture it on film. It really is a much bigger smile! I think it is one of the most beautiful smiles I have ever seen and it gets bigger every day. Thank you Lord for answering our prayers, big and small. Some day I pray to see the love of Christ in Sawyer and I believe it will be shown in that sweet smile - the one he received - "stitch by stitch".