Hannah is now 3 1/2 months old!  I can't believe how big she has gotten and all the little things that she can do now. 

 Here's a cool story: 

Hannah was born with hip dsyplasia. When babies are born, there hips are still made of cartilage and they are still not competely formed like an adult hip.  In Hannah's case the ball and socket part of her hip, the ball would slip completely out of the socket.  Not good!  She got it from Nick's side of the family (all girls are born with some form of hip problems).  We told the pediatrician about the family history of hip problems and she said that Hannah didn't seem to have any problems, but because we persisted and the odds were against us, she sent Hannah in for an ultrasound and sure enough Hannah had some major problems.

  We went from there to a pediactric orthopedist. At first she wasn't going to do anything about it until Hannah was at least 6 weeks old (she was only 3 weeks at the time) but when she took a good look at her right hip she instantly stopped and asked Nick if anyone in his family had ever had surgery on their hips.  There was a big yes from Nick and the doctor decided to go ahead and place Hannah in a harness right then and there. The harness keeps legs held at a certain angle so that her hips can form properly. She had to be in the harness 23 hours a day.  We could take her out to bath her and wash the harness. We call it her magic shoes!!! 

Our neice was in her harness for a year so we were ready for the long haul.  It was sad to see her in the harness but we knew it would help save her from hip trouble in the future. Plus; she is not going to remember this part of life anyway. 

 So...we have had many more ultrasounds since then and there was gradual improvement each time but the doctors were beginning to talk surgery if the next ultrasound didn't show any more improvement.  Around that same time, we went to our favorite christian bookstore in town (they are closing the store because of the economy...what am I to do now?) and one of the employees stopped us and asked us if she could pray from Hannah's hips.  She took Hannah from my arms and held her while she prayed and she also layed hands on her hips. It was very moving.

 We went back for yet another ultrasound about a week later and then went to see her orthopedic doctor the next day.  God is still in the miracle business!  Hannah's hips were almost perfect.  No surgery needed and now we only have 2 1/2 more weeks of the harness.  She has to wear it 12 hours a day for the next week and then we will wean her off it the last week and by Jan. 9th no more magic shoes!!!!

Thanks for all of you who have been praying for my little Hannah and her hips.  Merry Christmas everybody!