Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

Happy New Year and God's blessings Team Ariella. What a wonderful holiday season it has been for the Botts Family. Though our house seems to have been under constant attack with various individuals in the house being sick at some point over the last several weeks, to God be the glory we are all doing better and getting healthier. Our specail little warrior in particular has had a rough holiday season. Ella came down with an infection of some sort early in the month of December. She was experiencing symptoms that we thought were the result of teething, however, after two visits with her doctor it was decided to put her on anitbiotics. Well after less than 48 hours on the antibiotics Ella started to do much better. Less coughing, no running nose and she was sleeping better. We competed the 10 day regime of antibiotic and baby girl was doing great. Less than two weeks later Ella got sick again, her fever was less severe, but she was coughing a lot and had a constant runny nose. Becuase her fever was low grade the doctors were of the opinion that it was not bacterial this time, but viral and we would simply have to let it run its course. Well with a child with a compromised respiratory system letting anything run its course can be a challenge. However, the family pulled together, we increased her breathing treatments, as we do everytime she is ill, and to God be the glory after about 10 days once again our warrior has battled back. She is such inspiration and an amazing testimony to what an unrelenting spirit can accomplish through God's grace. She is MILAGROS!

Ella eating daddy's cake

This holiday season brought us many gifts including some special milestones. Ariella is beginning to walk with less assistance and even came very close to taking her first steps on her own. She still is unable to transition by herself. That is to say she is still not getting up on her own, she cannot sit-up or stand-up yet, but the therapist continue to come to the house weekly and give us new and different exercises to try. However, with all of the different exercises and support we have been providing her Ella achieved yet another mile stone during the holidays, she stood on her own without any support - for more than a minute! Praise God, the girl who was supposed to be bound to a wheel chair, stood up on her own. God is great, folks I can't tell you how moved and excited we were to see her accomplish this incredible feat.

Ella standing for more than a minute unassisted

Ella close to taking her first steps