Today L'espoir Miracle, our six-year-old daughter with special needs, stayed home from school.  Woke up with a loose stomach and nausea, so we are keeping her in bed.  If she doesn't feel better by this afternoon, Ray will run her to the pediatrician's office.

L'espoir has something called Cornelia de Lange syndrome; she was born with it.  It caused both mental and physical disabilities, including developmental delays, seizures, problems feeding, GRD, shortened limbs, vision/hearing problems, and not being able to get around well (for longer trips we put her into her wheelchair; it's easier for her).

It has been hard because L'espoir has been in and out of the hospital numerous times, but she is one of the strongest, pluckiest little kids we have ever seen.  Nothing really slows her down; if she wants to do something, L'espoir will find a way to do it, no questions asked.  She is absolutely incredible!

I think it has been hardest on Brent Dylan, our other child.  Brent is perfectly healthy and has always been (thank God!).  Brent is a typical little boy (Brent is eight), and he enjoys life to the full.  He sometimes gets jealous of his younger sister because she gets more attention (and it is not her fault), but we try to spend a lot of "Brent-and-me" time with our son, so he doesn't feel left out.

The weather here in Tennessee has been spectacular: the leaves are near peak, and the children have enjoyed the cooler temps and frolicking around in the piles of leaves lying in our yard.  Every weekend, they are usually outside, playing and having a ball.  I am usually with them, in case something should happen to L'espoir.  When it is colder out, we have to bundle our daughter up, so she doesn't end up in the hospital again.

It seems that every little bug that comes along, L'espoir will, more than likely, catch it, and then we have to do everything under our pawer so she doesn't end up in the hospital.

It's always a scary time whenever L'espoir (or the rest of us) get sick, because we're afraid to pass it on to our daughter, and then things can get really sticky.

Well, I am going to check on L'espoir; hopefully she is still sleeping and getting her rest while she's sick.  I will write in here again soon; until later, this is Brooke Rambo saying so long and God bless!

~Brooke.  :)

~To be continued.~