Family photos

My three very handsome men! I am so blessed. (the shirts say Handsome just like daddy)





Ethan loving his little brother. Giving gentle kisses.

JT is home, the end of 2009

Hi everyone,

Well we have had JT home for almost 2 weeks and everyone seems to be adjusting well. Ethan LOVES his baby brother. He is able to say JT and Justin. He hates taking a nap b/c he has to leave him and when he wakes up he is asking for him. This morning he woke up, heard JT and wouldn't stop saying his name until we went to see him and give him a kiss. My sweet little angel! Jake went back to work for a few days, then took a few days off for Christmas, then is working tomorrow and taking the rest of the week off to take care of me and the boys after my surgery. What a great man!! I have to say adjusting to having 2 has been entertaining!! I told my girlfriend that 2 is WAY more than 1. No one ever really seems to tell you that.
Anyway, thank you all for keeping us in your prayers. We have and will continue to just stay home away from germs for as long as we can. If you would, please pray for the next 2 weeks. Tuesday is my knee surgery and then on Thurs we take JT back to the pediatrician for another check up. (the equivalent of his 2 week check up even though he is already 8weeks old). Then the following week we see the neurologist at Children's on Tuesday and the ophthalmologist at Arlington for a follow up on Wed.
Please pray that neither of the boys get too overstimulated. Pray that JT get's glowing reports from all of his doctors! Please continue to keep Jake and I in your prayers. Keep our marriage in your prayers. We are doing well, but needles to say a child is a stress factor on a marriage, this is a bit more. Give thanks to God with us for Jake's work. Jake is able to take all the days off he has and is able to join us for all of JT's doctor's appointments too. They have been so good to us and we are so thankful!
God is good. We are encouraged daily. And, although we are so tired, Jake and I have found moments to just enjoy each other, laugh and make our marriage stronger.
We are so thankful for each and everyone of you. We hope and pray that you all had a very Merry Christmas and that Christ was your reason for celebrating. As I am sure you can imagine, Jake and I are REALLY looking for a more peaceful 2010 :-)

We love you all and are just so very blessed!

I Christ Jesus OUR rock!!
Melissa

Blizzard 2009

Here are some pictures from the nearly 18 inches of snow we got. Ethan LOVES the snow. He would stand at the window saying "no" for snow and "boots". Sadly the snow was so deep he couldn't really play in it. But we all had fun anyway, and yes JT even got to come outside too. (haven't downloaded pics of JT yet, I will post those later)



This was only 3/4 of the way through the snow storm. After it was all over, we tried to take the same picture, but the snow was so deep it was packed down.

Ethan and mommy going for a walk in the snow.


Ethan and daddy were making snowballs and eating them.

JT is HOME!

Hello wonderful family and friends,

If you haven't heard yet... JT IS HOME! I got a call from the NICU on Monday morning asking if I wanted to bring Justin home...um YEAH! I called Jake at work asked if he wanted to take JT home. His reaction to me was the same as mine was to the NICU... "really? what? wait, really???" So yes, really, we went and picked up our boy! I couldn't stop smiling!! We have been home now for a couple days and are adjusting well. Ethan LOVES his little brother! Sometimes I think a little too much. He hates going to take his nap b/c baby isn't with him. (He does say both Justin and JT but still calls him baby most of the time) When JT is napping in the pack n play and Ethan hears him squeek he goes back to check on baby. Ethan gives him gentle hugs and kisses and like any 1.5yr old he tries to poke his eyes out :-) LOL Jake and I are both getting use to (if that's even possible) the lack of sleep once again. Honesty, we are just happy! Thank you! Thank you all for everything! Mostly we want to thank those of you who have prayed for our family without ceasing. God has certainly heard your prayers. Again, we ask that you continue to keep JT in your prayers. Pray for his development in 2010! I will continue to keep you updated as there are things to update. But for now, I am going to gratefully sign off and just enjoy my family!
We love you all dearly and can't express our gratitude for you! Thank you isn't enough.

All our love in Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior!
Jake, Melissa, Ethan and JT

We will shout for joy when you are victorious and will lift up our banners in the name of our God. May the LORD grant all your requests. - Psalm 20:5

Come, let us sing for joy to the LORD; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. - Psalm 95:1

PS if you would keep me in your prayers. I am having knee surgery on the 29th of Dec. The action never stops in this house!

JUSTIN IS COMING HOME!!!!

Praise the Lord!!! Justin has been given the all clear to come home.  We are scrambling right now and getting prepared to pick him up today.  Thank you all for your prayers and support.  More news to come as this story develops. 

PDL Emails

I don't know how many of you subscribe to the Purpose Driven Life devotionals, but I encourage you to sign up HERE.  The one today really sums up what Melissa and I have been attempting to accomplish in this trial with Justin.  Here are some of the verses used that really give us strength during this time.

"Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice!"(Philippians 4:4 NLT)

"Therefore do not worry about tomorrow for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough troubles of its own." (Matthew 6:34)

"And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.." (Philippians 4:7 NLT)

You can read the full devotional HERE.

  

Update on JT

Hey all

So, the good news is that JT has had all of his discharge tests and passed every one! All we are waiting for is for him to eat (by mouth) all of his meals. Right now he is doing an average of 6 a day, he needs to get to 8 in order to come home. He is doing a great job and Jake and I are anxiously awaiting the news that we can bring him home. Should be in the next week... we hope! One of the tests JT had was done by the developmental specialist. I was there when she performed her exam and she told me that if she didn't know he had signs of PVL she would have never guessed it. (PVL is the damage to the brain we have been praying for since the first week). Due to the PVL he also had an MRI this week. It turns out that the damage to JT's brain is "extensive". They have told us that he does have cerebral palsy. With that said, they do not know to what extent the CP will affect him. I know some of you will want to go to the computer and do all kinds of "research" on this, but I would encourage you not to do that. Jake and I although unsure of what will occur in the months and years to come love our son and NOTHING will change that. We know that Justin Richard Foulke is fearfully and wonderfully made. Psalm 139 tells says:
¹³ For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. ¹⁴ I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.
We also know that God has plans to prosper JT and not to harm him or us. God tells us in Jeremiah 29:11
For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Knowing those two things brings peace to us. Justin is a gift to us from God! He is God's child first and God has big plans for him. We don't know what they are and we don't understand, but we will trust in the Lord with all our hearts!! Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. - Proverbs 3:5

We are so thankful for your prayers and encouragement. We are also thankful for the time and space we will need in order to process and adjust to the changes coming our way. At this point in time JT will be seeing a neurologist at Children's Hospital every few months to be evaluated. Obviously, we would greatly appreciate your prayers in this matter for the next several years. Our prayer is that JT is a fully functioning child and that the Cerebral Palsy doesn't hinder JT in any way. We are also praying that God will use JT for His glory! We would also like to encourage you all to remember the great blessings and answered prayers that have been bestowed upon us so far! God has answered SO many prayers throughout this process. He is a good God and He loves us! Our family is facing challenges in the coming year but the Lord is our Shepard and we will not fear!
Thank you again for all your love, patience and understanding.

Many blessings to you all! We will be sure to let you know when JT is able to come home. Then once he is home, we will let you know when we will allow people to see him. Please remember, those of you who are in the area that a cold for JT isn't just an annoying cold. He will have to go back to the NICU if he gets a cold :-(

Love in Christ Jesus our Rock!
Jake and Melissa

PS - remember where JT got his name.... Just in time! Just in God's PERFECT time!!

MORE GOOD NEWS!!!

Hello again,

I know this update is a quick one, but when it's good, no great news we just have to share! The developmental specialist saw JT today and she said that if she didn't know he had PVL (the brain damage) she would have never guessed. His exam was "normal" meaning no signs of anything wrong!! Now, this is still a prayer request b/c as he grows and develops the delays could show themselves later. She did tell me he is a high risk child b/c of the PVL. But, with that, right now, today, he looks fantastic! ALSO, it looks like he could be coming home... this weekend or early next week! He is going to have a ton of "test" this week. He has to have an MRI on his brain, and do other smaller tests. They asked me to bring in his car seat which is another big sign that they are getting ready to send him home. So, with these tests all he needs to do is continue to be a great eater so we can get him off the tube. Looks like we are going to get our early Christmas present :-)
If you would, please first give thanks to our Lord and Savior for ALL of his mercies throughout this process. Then please pray for his MRI. Pray that he is able to stay as still as possible and that they are able to get clear pictures of his brain. Pray that his brian has healed and the PVL is no longer a concern. Pray for his Apnea study, pray that he is able to breath with ease and has no issues. Pray for his brady's, he continues to have some here and there. Pray for his eating, that he continues to do the incredible job he is doing.
Pray for Jake and I. Having JT come home is so overwhelming in so many ways. We couldn't be more excited, yet somewhat nervous and cautious. Pray that we would continue to feel the peace that passes all understanding. Pray that we would continue to put our trust in the Lord. Pray for Ethan. He has been such a fabulous little man through all of this. Pray for the change that is going to occur in his life when JT comes home. Pray that Ethan will love his little brother and care for him. Pray that Jake and I would learn how to make both of our children a priority. Pray that we will be able to spend special time with each of them individually as well as together.
Thank you all for your time in reading our updates, for your love, support, encouragement and prayers. We are so extremely blessed!

We love each and every one of you!
Jake and Melissa

Update on JT

Hi everyone,
WHAT A DAY! Today was such a fantastic day! JT weighs 4lbs 8oz and... is in an open crib! This is a HUGE praise!!! They wait to put babies in an open crib when they are strong enough to maintain their body temp while exerting a lot of energy to eat. He is on 4 feedings a day. Which means that he either nurses or gets a bottle 4 times a day and is still gavage fed the other 4 times. So we are half way home in terms of eating :-) I sent Jake a picture as soon as I could and told him he should see my smile... it was ear to ear! I couldn't stop. I was so happy I almost cried! God is so good!



I know most of you have been waiting for an update on JT's eyes and development. He did see the Optomologist on Wednesday and everything looks like they expected. Basically, his eyes are under developed, but they are "normal" for his age (gestational age 35 weeks) He will have another eye exam in 4 weeks. The funny thing is, the next eye exam will be on his actual due date. As for the developmental specialist, she hasn't been in to see him yet. I think she will see him this Wed. but am not certain. So no news on that.

Again, Jake and I want to thank you all for your prayers. The Lord has sustained us through this ordeal and we know it is because of your prayers and His love for us. We are encouraged daily by people telling us they are praying for us, meals, people watching Ethan, phone calls and emails. The Lord IS our strength and we continue to make it through this because of His gracious mercy. Please join us this evening in giving thanks to our Lord and Savior for His blessings and wonderful news. Oh I am just so happy today!

Oh, one last bit, we still don't know when he is coming home. I believe it is soon but am not getting my hopes up. There is no official word on when they might be sending us home with him, but be sure we will let you know when we do.



May God bless you!
Love in Christ,
Jake, Melissa, Ethan and JT

Praise!

JT weighs..... 4lbs today! YAY! It's a great milestone :-) He is also around 18 inches long. I attached a couple pics so you can see his progress... he is getting chubby cheeks now, just like Ethan :-)

Love you all!
Jake, Melissa Ethan and JT

Prayer for this week

Hey all,
This is a short diddy for you. JT is going to be seen by the optomologist this week as well as a developmental specialist. Please if you would, pray for his vision. Pray that everything would look normal and there wouldn't be any concerns. Also, please pray for his development, but particularly his motor development since that is the area of concern when it comes to the damage to his brain.

We really are so thankful for all your prayers. I know I say it in every email, but I need you to know that God is gracious and good and He is answering our prayers, your prayers, so thank you!!

I will let you know how things go when I get the results :-)

Blessings to you all!!
Jake and Melissa