November 14, 2007

  • More Good News! (etc)

    My Mom and my niece Mariah both came home from the hospital yesterday! Mariah beat her Grammy by a few hours even! Let's pray they both stay strong enough to stay out of the hospital for the holidays! Thanksgiving is going to be great! We are all so grateful at the
    thought of having our family all together again after such hard trials
    since September.

    I'm assuming that since I did not hear from my adoption agency by now that our documents were great to go. See there is such a thing as no news is good news! The dossiers should be off to Ukraine again to be translated and then resubmitted to the adoption center in Kyiv. I really hope for some good news of acceptance in the next couple of months.

    Btw, if anyone tried to watch the adoption shows on the hallmark channel and could not get many minutes to play at a time you are not the only one. I thought it was us as we had to go replace our modem but it wasn't. I had our techy check it out and he says it's on hallmark's side. I'm going to email them and see if I can get a copy of the shows some other way. I love watching other people's stories!

    On the holiday side of things I still have a lot to do but I am sure we will be fine. The biggest thing I am behind on right now is getting our ministry Christmas letter ready to send out after Thanksgiving. I will probably have to do that late at night this week so I can get it behind me in order to enjoy the holiday events to come. I'm mostly done my shopping with the exception of some things I need to order online.

    Jared has been practicing his piano for his Christmas recital in Dec. I LOVE his Christmas recitals! He plays so well and it's always such a festive time for us. On one of our adoption paper chase trips, while waiting a couple of hours for our apostilles, we were able to go shopping for his suit. Oh my! Does he look handsome!! I will save pics until the day of his recital though. Now I need to get everyone else looking nice for the event.

    In my eclectic mode at the moment, here is a pic of where Caleb spends a lot of his time during the day. The explanation... there are just not enough dinosaur coloring books out there so he reproduces his own to color again or share with his sisters! lol

November 13, 2007

  • Mariah is Getting Stronger!

    My niece Mariah is no longer hooked up to tubes or monitors. YAY!!!! She now drinks fully from a bottle and had her first overnight away from the nursery last night. My Sister and Mark were able to sleep over night at the hospital in a private room to see how Mariah would do on her own. I haven't heard word yet as to how the night went but as of late last night Mariah was doing great! The word on the street is that Mariah may be home for Thanksgiving. (!!!)

    Look how tiny she is as she doesn't even fit in clothes yet. Her head literally completely sits in the palm of my hand and I have tiny hands. Mariah keeps growing though as she is up to 4 pounds and 11 ounces.  Have I mentioned how adorable Mariah is?!

    Big Cousins get to meet their newest little cousin for the very first time! Very Exciting!!

    "Look at her tiny feet!" "Look she is moving!" "Look at her fingers!" "Why isn't she holding one of her stuffed animals?" "Can she open her eyes?"

    Only Mariah's feet sticking up in the air as she stretched made it into this picture but I wanted to show you the expression on Caleb's face especially. Both boys grinned from ear to ear as they have been anticipating this moment for so long. Chloe latched right on to me but she seemed pleasantly curious.

    You can see Jared with a big smile checking out his baby cousin. Phoebe, being held by Uncle Mark, is not quite sure what to think of that baby doll moving. lol

    Then Aunty Alyssa took Mariah out of the bassinet and held her. Look at those big cousins swarming over Mariah! She is one loved baby that is for sure!

    Here you can see Phoebe and Chloe starting to really warm up to the idea of this tiny baby now in their lives. Jared is still beaming from ear to ear! It's amazing how children even understand the awesomeness of a new life that God has created.

    Phoebe much less serious and snuggles right up to Aunty Alyssa to get a better look.

    I can't believe my baby sister is now a mother! Alyssa is just so natural with Mariah and loves her up with everything she's got. Mariah is definitely another wonderful little miracle in our lives.

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    Good News on Mom: Last night the nurses allowed me to take my Mom down to Mariah's floor via wheel chair so that she could see the baby. I really think it brightened her mood a LOT! We took lots of pics of "Grammy" and Mariah in the hospital together for Mariah's baby book. I won't show them here due to the type of surgery my Mom had unless she tells me otherwise. She did wear a bandana but it's still quite emotional especially now that she is missing a large round area of her skull. Anyway, I think it was very healing to my sister, my Mom and I to finally be together in one room. It just felt like one step closer to everyone going home. Which btw I just got off the phone with my stepdad and it appears they may be sending Mom home today.  She will be on antibiotics via her PICC line for four weeks.

    I hope the next family pictures I will be showing you is Mariah and Mom at home for Thanksgiving!!

November 12, 2007

  • Mom Update

    Update on Mom:  Right now the biggest frustration is that the PIC line in her arm is extremely painful. They are going to try to work on it today to see if they can get that situated before she is able to go home. The PIC line is so that they can give her antibiotics straight to the blood flow in her heart. She asked if we could pray for her arm not to hurt. Mom keeps expressing how overwhelming all of this is so she needs prayers for peace along with healing.

    It's amazing how God is sending people to her even when family is unable to be there! Last night one of the nurses prayed with her after his shift was over. The nurse happens to go to my brother's church. How awesome is that?!
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November 10, 2007

  • Chloe Talk

     

    lambs camp = len's cap (on a camera)
    commercials = devotions (as in family Bible & Prayer time)
    sooweal= cereal
    bug flapper = fly swatter
    pea loof = rice pilaf
    snibble it = clip it or cut it

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    Update on Mom: She was transferred out of ICU to a regular room this afternoon. The infection is not the dangerous kind like the Staph we have all been hearing on the news. This is another praise!!! They did put in some sort of port that will stay in her for six weeks while they give her antibiotics/medications. Mom currently still has a drain from her skull and will not be able to have her own bone placed back. She will be sent home eventually for the six weeks of antibiotics with a hole where the piece of skull was. Afterwards, they will have to operate again and put in some other replacement so she doesn't have a hole in her head. The surgeon said this was only the second one to happen like this in 18 years and the last one was the exact type of tumor my Mom had. Kind of makes them step back and wonder.... Anyway, Mom needs continued prayers for healing as well as for peace. She is much more anxious this time around. Who can blame her?!

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November 9, 2007

  • Mom's Update From Surgery (warning: may not be for squeemish)

    They basically had to redo the entire surgery minus taking out the tumor as that is gone from the last surgery. However, they had to go through the entire very same incision as before, take out the piece of bone (skull) that they had previously taken out to enter the area of the tumor and clean out the infection as well as make sure the infection did not damage her brain in any way. Fortunately, the report from the surgeon is that the infection did not effect the brain. We praise God for that!! My understanding is that it is the bone that got infected. At this time she has a drainage tube and is being taken care of in ICU. To say the least she is in a lot of pain. They will be trying tonight to make her as comfortable as possible with morphine and everyone is hoping she will sleep.

    Please keep praying for her healing and that the Lord would protect her from further complications! Thank you.

  • Two Family Prayer Requests

    1) I have yet to mention that I became an Aunty again from SIL & BIL in all the chaos of everything else going on. I was waiting for the opportune time to ask baby Vivian's Mommy and Daddy if it would be OK to post a pic of my little niece. I still need to ask before I put her picture on here to give an official announcement but I wanted you all to know that little Vivian needs your prayers as she has a medium size hole in her heart. No immediate surgery will be done at this time. Let's pray for that hole to heal up!! If the Lord chooses to use the doctors and surgery to help it along we want to pray for wisdom on the timing and so on.

    2) My Mom is back in surgery as I write this.... Remember she had the brain tumor and was operated on in September? She started fighting a terrible infection a couple of weeks ago in the incision and was put on a good dose of antibiotics. The surgeon decided today he needed to go back in to see what is going on. Pray for my Mom's safety and God to guide the doctor's wisdom on how to successfully deal with this complication.

    I hoped today to have a whole hodge podge of a post with all our latest adventures with the kids but that will have to wait for now.

November 6, 2007

  • LOOK WHAT CAME FOR MY GIRLS!!!!

    Thank you Sarah for making them such sweet hats!!! Phoebe and Chloe loved them! Literally, they played in them all day yesterday after they arrived. The colors go perfect with their winter coats too! I will try to get a pic of them with their coats and hats together.

November 3, 2007

  • Mariah Says...

    Thank you for praying for me! I made the hour and a half trek via ambulance to my new hospital that is closer to my Mommy and Daddy. Look how happy I am in my new nursery! It's so cozy and private. Mommy especially loves it because my room is all for me and it's PURPLE! lol

    Last night, as you can see, we went to check out how Mariah settled in after her transition. Mariah welcomed her Aunty with this big grin on her face. OK, so ya it was probably gas like all babies smile at but I like to think she was happy to hear my voice. I got to see her eyes opened just a wee bit tonight too!!! She is so adorable. I know I am biased as her Aunty but seriously I could just look at her forever. As you can see Mariah is no longer in an incubator. She now gets to have her own little bassinet.

    My Sister looks and sounds WONDERFUL!!!!!!  She was able to kangaroo hold Mariah for two hours today for the very first time. We are all hoping and praying the potassium problems end up being just a pregnancy related mystery. Right now she is so happy to be back home and at the same time so close to the baby.

    We are all Praising the Lord for answering our prayers for watching over little Mariah's life as well as my sister's!

November 2, 2007

  • Reading Chair

    Earlier this week I came into the living room to this sight...


    The kids have named this specific chair "the reading chair." So, I guess this is what happens when there is more than one person who wants to read!

November 1, 2007

  • Seasonal Confusion?!

    We don't celebrate halloween for many reasons so nothing there to show you. I did, however, find it funny today how overnight Walmart transformed from horrorville into a Christmas celebration! Obviously, I like the atmosphere better now that it's more pleasing for my children's eyes but for goodness sakes we haven't even had Thanksgiving yet!!!

    At the same time here's what I am seeing in my front yard...

    My Spring Forthsythia's are blooming because it has been so warm this Fall!!! I am starting to feel really confused as to what season/holiday we are supposed to be celebrating!

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    Quick update on my Sister and her baby Mariah... If Mariah does well tonight they will be transporting her via ambulance to a more local hospital near my Sister's home tomorrow morning. This is wonderful news because my Sister will be able to be back with her family and close to the baby at the same time. (!!!) Mariah's jaundice is pretty much gone now. Alyssa has been able to feed her with a bottle for many of her feedings and stays with her for most of the time in the NICU. At times Mariah won't take a bottle from the nurses during middle of the night feedings so they do still feed her with the tube in her nose. Regardless, Mariah is doing exceptionally well for being born so early! Hope to have some more good news tomorrow....