It’s been awhile since I’ve journaled about Joy Belle’s clubfoot progress, and since this week brought another answer from above, I thought it was time.

Since my last post, we’ve had two appointments with our surgeon (Dr. Bruce) and two appointments with our orthotist. Joy Belle has received two positive progress reports and we won’t go back for a check-up until June. This is huge! We went from seeing Dr. Bruce and Denise once (or twice) a week, to once a month, to once every three months, and now once every six months. It seems like yesterday that we were driving to Atlanta multiple times week and I thought this day would never come.

She’s also outgrown her corrective shoes and bar, so she’s recently upgraded to a new pair of kicks (see below). She is still wearing these shoes and bar at night, while she sleeps.

We are so thankful for the doctors, nurse practitioner, orthotist, and physical therapist that the Lord has put in our lives. I truly believe they’ve each been sent from God.

It’s so hard to believe she’s progressed so tremendously in the past 20 months. In fact, if you’d told me just 6 months ago that we’d be here, I’m not sure I would have believed you. I imagine, when Joy Belle is 18, that I’ll look back at these last 18 months and it’ll seem like such a short and faraway memory. A short and faraway memory that shaped motherhood for me.

In the weeks after learning Joy Belle would be born with bilateral club, I remember being an emotional train wreck. I was about to be a new mother, like that wasn’t scary enough, and now I had no idea how I was going to raise a baby with a disability. I remember crying over everything… Would she ever walk? Would she run? Would she run like Forrest Gump? (Yes, I asked my husband that.) Would her feet look normal eventually? Would I ever paint her toenails? Would she wear high heels? Would she ever wear sandals? Would other kids make fun of her? Would she be teased for this?

One day specifically, I remember walking into our living room, crying to Justin, and saying, “Will my baby girl will ever be able to wear cute, little Sun San Sandals? Probably not!” Justin calmly (and patiently) said, “Maybe not, but she will be ok.” Of course, that didn’t suffice a very pregnant and emotional me. To which he calmly responded, “Well I don’t know. And I’m not just going to tell you yes; but I do know, she will be ok.”

This past week, me and Joy Belle made a quick stop by a local, kids shoe store and purchased her very first Sun San Sandals. Her straight, beautiful feet in cute sandals was enough to make this pregnant and very emotional me stand in the parking lot and cry tears of joy and thanksgiving, while taking the photo above. On Thursday, March 3rd – my God answered a prayer that only He knew my heart needed. My mind raced back to that day filled with seemingly superficial thoughts – thoughts that crushed my heart – and God turned my fears into a beautiful miracle. I am so thankful that we have a God of Healing, a God that knows our hearts, and a God that cares enough to make my little girl’s feet straight, allow her to walk, and now to wear cute sandals.

What has God done in your life to answer a prayer that you may have thought impossible? As you go through your day, it is my prayer that you trust Him for miracles no matter the size.