St. Louis

Avery had her first experience of St. Louis this week. From the pictures, you would think the trip was all fun and games, but it was actually to visit the Cardinal Glennon Medical Center to visit a team of craniofacial experts to look at Avery's lip and gum line. We stayed in the heart of downtown St. Louis and were able to take these great shots of the Arch from our hotel room. Just around the corner is the new Busch Stadium...too bad it isn't baseball season!

The team of specialists at Cardinal Glennon are fantastic, and we are very glad that we received information about their level of expertise and care for cleft issues. Avery spent most of one day with the doctors, and now we are waiting to hear their formal recommendation for care to address her remaining cleft issues in her gum line. She will most likely have surgery in the next 2-4 months to address her gum line, and possibly reconstruct her lip to achieve sustainable positive long term results. The surgeon was positive about her surgery in China, but also mentioned that they only addressed the cosmetic aspect and did not take care of any long term concerns.

Overall, Avery is in fantastic condition, mentally and physically, she just needs a little more work on her lip and gum. From what we have been told, one surgery should take care of her remaining cleft issues, which was very good to hear.

Avery still shows us more and more of her personality each and every day. For 18 pounds, she sure does hold lots of personality, and has been a true blessing to our family. We thank God every day for what he had done in our lives with this miracle. It just amazes us that God can take a little girl from Dianbai, China and bring her all the way to a family in Branson West, MO that loves her more than you will ever know...and we now wonder what life was like in the Sadler house before we had her. God is Good!