Thank you all again for your patience.
First the orthopedist: the good news is that the bump on his hand is a fluid filled cyst and should go away on its own. Which means... no surgery! YAY! Jake and I were both relived and excited that as Jake put it "2 bullets have been dodged". So for now, no hand surgery. Instead, like everything else, we will continue to keep an eye on it to make sure it goes down and goes away.
The MRI went well. I have to say I am thankful for the friends I have who have had to put their children to sleep for one reason or another. Their preparation of the event was so helpful to me. I was calm and at peace, knowing what could happen. Jake and I were both there when JT went to sleep and both there when he woke up. The scariest part for me was the fact that he did this gasping for air kinda thing when he was put under. Apparently that is normal. Scary, but normal. After the procedure they came out to get us and took us back to his room. They warned us that they had a had a hard time finding a vein and had to prick him a "few times". They also said we might see some bruises in the areas they tried and some prick marks, but assured us that he was asleep and didn't feel anything. Now, the reason I said a "few times" was simply because I would like to know what the definition of a few times is. We counted 5 pricks on the top of one hand, 4 or the top of the other hand, 2 on one wrist, 1 on the other wrist and finally they got a vein in his foot. His poor little hands were and actually are still bruised. I kept telling myself he didn't feel it and those bruises probably don't hurt but still. A FEW? I don't think so. Maybe quite a few or even a lot would have been a better way to share this information with us.
With all that said we don't have any results. Sadly I don't think we will hear anything until our next appointment in mid January. I am going to attempt to email JT's neurologist to see if she has time to take a look and let us know what she sees.
So for now, please pray for the results of the test. Pray for our hearts that we will continue to feel the peace that passes understanding. Join us in praising God for this incredible season where we get to celebrate the birth of Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior! We are abundantly blessed and happy and overjoyed by the grace and mercy God has shown us.
Merry Christmas!!
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Last week and next week
I am so terrible at updating this blog, sorry friends. Thanks for bearing with us.
So last week JT had a Urology appointment. I believe I shared earlier that it is common for premie boys to have their testicles not descend. This is fixed with surgery. So we went to get him checked out. Right now he does not require surgery. Instead we are going to wait 6 mos to see if they make their way down to where they are suppose to be. Praise God! We can check of one of the potential surgeries without even having it. YAY!
Last week JT also had speech therapy. He is doing incredibly well! We have learned that he really enjoys solid (hard crunchy foods) and has a lot of difficulty with the more liquidy foods. So we have finally moved him to stage 3 baby foods. Most of them tend to have some chunks in them he can chew on. He is learning to close his mouth around the spoon and we continue to help him become more aware of his mouth and tongue through exercises.
Finally, although JT was very sick last week he blessed Jake and I with so much joy! The day after thanksgiving, JT SAT UP! It took a while and some help getting into the right position, but he did it! He sat there without using his hands to support himself. It was absolutely incredible! I was gleaming and so was JT. He was so proud of himself :-)
Next week is another long week. We start off by having PT on Monday morning, then an appointment with the orthopedist on Monday afternoon. He is going to be taking a look at a rather large bump on JT's left hand. This too could potentially result in surgery. We will just have to wait and see. Then on Thrusday he is scheduled to have his MRI. This is a rather large deal because they have to sedate him. According to what I hear from friends it is a very challenging thing to be present for. I will be with him until he is asleep. Then they will take him away for the MRI. This is also a huge prayer request. Probably the biggest one we have had in a very long time. Justin's neurologist and ophthalmologist think they are going to see different things. The MRI is going to tell us more about his brain damage. The bottom line is we are praying the neurologist is correct and the ophthalmologist is wrong! I could explain more but it's really long and crazy. So if you are reading this and you are willing, we would love to have your prayers and support.
Overall, JT is doing so well. We are so thankful for God's provisions and comfort. JT is babbling and smiling and laughing. He certainly knows who mommy and daddy are. He doesn't like anyone except us holding him :-( argh. But that is a good thing too. It means there is brain development and it's actually an appropriate time for him to be going through attachment issues. So for that we are thankful!
We are abundantly blessed and we are so thankful for our Father in Heaven. He gives us strength when we have none left. He gives us peace as our child continues to see more and more doctors. He grants us wisdom and He blessed us with a very loving big brother for Justin. God is good and we are so thankful that we get to praise Him.
Thank you all for your prayers, love and support. I WILL update you before Christmas if not sooner as to how next week goes.
So last week JT had a Urology appointment. I believe I shared earlier that it is common for premie boys to have their testicles not descend. This is fixed with surgery. So we went to get him checked out. Right now he does not require surgery. Instead we are going to wait 6 mos to see if they make their way down to where they are suppose to be. Praise God! We can check of one of the potential surgeries without even having it. YAY!
Last week JT also had speech therapy. He is doing incredibly well! We have learned that he really enjoys solid (hard crunchy foods) and has a lot of difficulty with the more liquidy foods. So we have finally moved him to stage 3 baby foods. Most of them tend to have some chunks in them he can chew on. He is learning to close his mouth around the spoon and we continue to help him become more aware of his mouth and tongue through exercises.
Finally, although JT was very sick last week he blessed Jake and I with so much joy! The day after thanksgiving, JT SAT UP! It took a while and some help getting into the right position, but he did it! He sat there without using his hands to support himself. It was absolutely incredible! I was gleaming and so was JT. He was so proud of himself :-)
Next week is another long week. We start off by having PT on Monday morning, then an appointment with the orthopedist on Monday afternoon. He is going to be taking a look at a rather large bump on JT's left hand. This too could potentially result in surgery. We will just have to wait and see. Then on Thrusday he is scheduled to have his MRI. This is a rather large deal because they have to sedate him. According to what I hear from friends it is a very challenging thing to be present for. I will be with him until he is asleep. Then they will take him away for the MRI. This is also a huge prayer request. Probably the biggest one we have had in a very long time. Justin's neurologist and ophthalmologist think they are going to see different things. The MRI is going to tell us more about his brain damage. The bottom line is we are praying the neurologist is correct and the ophthalmologist is wrong! I could explain more but it's really long and crazy. So if you are reading this and you are willing, we would love to have your prayers and support.
Overall, JT is doing so well. We are so thankful for God's provisions and comfort. JT is babbling and smiling and laughing. He certainly knows who mommy and daddy are. He doesn't like anyone except us holding him :-( argh. But that is a good thing too. It means there is brain development and it's actually an appropriate time for him to be going through attachment issues. So for that we are thankful!
We are abundantly blessed and we are so thankful for our Father in Heaven. He gives us strength when we have none left. He gives us peace as our child continues to see more and more doctors. He grants us wisdom and He blessed us with a very loving big brother for Justin. God is good and we are so thankful that we get to praise Him.
Thank you all for your prayers, love and support. I WILL update you before Christmas if not sooner as to how next week goes.
Learning to share
Ethan brings such incredible joy into our house! Even while teaching him tough lessons it's so hard not to laugh at him. And to be honest, most of the time we do. Oh well, life is too short not to laugh at your kids.
This morning at breakfast Ethan says "mommy, may I have an orange orange please?" (he is telling us the color of the orange, not a typo) I of course say "yes you may, thank you for asking so nicely." I take the orange to him and put it on his plate. Jake then turns and says "Ethan may I have a piece of your orange please?" Ethan of course says "no, this is Ethan's orange." I then step in and say "Ethan we need to share. Please say "daddy, would you like a piece of my orange?" So Ethan being so obedient says.... "daddy, would you like a piece of mommy's orange?" LOL! Jake and I started cracking up! How can you not, really. This kid is just too smart!
So we lost the battle this morning on sharing, however... this afternoon Ethan's true colors shined through. JT was a little fussy this afternoon so Ethan says "mommy, he needs a cheerio." He goes and gets JT 1 cheerio and takes his binki out and feeds it to him. "here you go JT." Justin had the BIGGEST smile at that moment. I then decided to put JT in his special chair on the floor. I told Ethan he could keep giving JT 1 cheerio at a time. I went into the kitchen to do some dishes and get dinner rolling when I look over and hear Ethan "here you go JT. GOOD BOY! YOU DID IT! That's so good!" My heart melted! (you can imagine his tone, it's the way I talk to JT, you know mommy style, all high pitched and excited).
Needless to say friends, when you think you have failed teaching your toddlers the lessons of life take a look when they aren't paying attention. I bet your lessons have gone farther than you think!
This morning at breakfast Ethan says "mommy, may I have an orange orange please?" (he is telling us the color of the orange, not a typo) I of course say "yes you may, thank you for asking so nicely." I take the orange to him and put it on his plate. Jake then turns and says "Ethan may I have a piece of your orange please?" Ethan of course says "no, this is Ethan's orange." I then step in and say "Ethan we need to share. Please say "daddy, would you like a piece of my orange?" So Ethan being so obedient says.... "daddy, would you like a piece of mommy's orange?" LOL! Jake and I started cracking up! How can you not, really. This kid is just too smart!
So we lost the battle this morning on sharing, however... this afternoon Ethan's true colors shined through. JT was a little fussy this afternoon so Ethan says "mommy, he needs a cheerio." He goes and gets JT 1 cheerio and takes his binki out and feeds it to him. "here you go JT." Justin had the BIGGEST smile at that moment. I then decided to put JT in his special chair on the floor. I told Ethan he could keep giving JT 1 cheerio at a time. I went into the kitchen to do some dishes and get dinner rolling when I look over and hear Ethan "here you go JT. GOOD BOY! YOU DID IT! That's so good!" My heart melted! (you can imagine his tone, it's the way I talk to JT, you know mommy style, all high pitched and excited).
Needless to say friends, when you think you have failed teaching your toddlers the lessons of life take a look when they aren't paying attention. I bet your lessons have gone farther than you think!
Friday, November 12, 2010
Joy and laughter
With all we have going on I feel that its important to share and remember the laughter that is in our house. Ethan is such a love and brings us so much joy and laughter. This morning I got Ethan up and we talked for a while. He decided that he needed to give his lally (a lovey) a diaper change. Then he needed to give JT's lally a diaper change. Since we are in the world of pretend play I didn't think much of it. I simply said "oh, ok, that sounds good. They say thank you Ethan" and I went on with heading down stairs to get the day going. Then, from the monitor I heard Ethan say that lally needs lotion. Again, I am thinking it's simply pretend play so I encouraged it. "ok, buddy, put lally's lotion on and then come down for breakfast." then I hear "ok mommy" and a drawer close. Hmmm, so down the stairs Ethan comes. "look mommy, lally has lotion" I take lally and say "oh, that's wonderful", then I take a closer look. "OH! Lally does have lotion, look at that." I run up the stairs to find out what "lotion" Ethan was able to get into. He follows me up and together we search. I checked the lotions that were out and non of them were open, then suddenly I remember hearing a drawer. I open his diaper drawer and YUP! Ethan had grabbed the Vaseline, opened it, put some all over lally, closed it, put it away in the drawer, closed the drawer and came down to breakfast. Needless to say Lally had a bath in the washing machine today!
I love the laughter he brings to my life! I love that the we are so blessed that when I could cry at the mess or the craziness I can laugh. I can love the moment! I can cherish the memory!
Sadly, these stories are daily yet I am so caught up with JT and JT's needs I forget to share these stories. I laugh at them daily but I forget to share them. I am glad to have taken the moment to share the joy that fills our house. Times are hard right now, they are stressful but they are also awesome and full of blessings! We are blessed. I want to remember that! I want to hold onto the funny stories and the smiles in the midst of trials. God is good and we are blessed!
I love the laughter he brings to my life! I love that the we are so blessed that when I could cry at the mess or the craziness I can laugh. I can love the moment! I can cherish the memory!
Sadly, these stories are daily yet I am so caught up with JT and JT's needs I forget to share these stories. I laugh at them daily but I forget to share them. I am glad to have taken the moment to share the joy that fills our house. Times are hard right now, they are stressful but they are also awesome and full of blessings! We are blessed. I want to remember that! I want to hold onto the funny stories and the smiles in the midst of trials. God is good and we are blessed!
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Why me, but not what you think
This past week I found myself humbled in prayer once again. I found myself tempted to ask the infamous "why me God?" in an ever so whiny voice. But instead I found myself asking whole heatedly, "why me God?" Why did you chose me to bear these burdens? I am not worthy of this. I am not sure I can do this. Why didn't you chose someone stronger? Why didn't you chose someone who has more faith? Why did you pick me?" I found his loving answer resounding in my ear "because I Love you! Because through me YOU CAN! Because I am in you and if you lean on me I will do this. You are strong in me sweet Melissa. I Love you and in me, you can!" So, still humbled I am trying to embrace these challenges. The ones of this past week as well as the ones coming in the next few months. Because in Him, I CAN!
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Thankful in the midst of trials
This past week JT had his 1 year check up with the pediatrician as well as his neurology appointment. The pediatrician went well. Sadly we were referred to yet another doctor for Justin. A pediatric surgeon. Apparently in premie boys have all sorts of issues. In this case JT's testicles have not fully descended and he will need surgery to bring them down to where they belong. So in a week we will see the doctor and schedule the first of JT's surgeries. Then at the neurology appointment the neurologist recommended that JT be followed by a physical medicine doctor. He will meet this doctor at his first PBI (pediatric brain injury) clinic. This doctor will follow JT and help us determine what other kinds of special needs equipment he might benefit from. (this is along with his physical therapist) We also were told that his kind of cerebral palsy is the harder of the two to treat. He is low tone and it is simply harder to help low tone children than high tone. His neurologist also got the ball rolling for ordering the MRI of his brain. From there we will be able to see if his vision problems are from his original brain injury (the PVL) or if there is more damage to the brain than originally thought. We will just have to wait and see.
Then today, ah, today. Yesterday I noticed JT favoring his right leg. I decided to just watch him to see what was going on. Then this morning I put on his shoe and heard the loudest most painful cry I have ever heard from either of my children. JT was obviously in extreme pain. Being his mommy and putting him in pain killed me. I immediately took off his shoe as carefully and as quickly as I could and tried to calm him down. I called Jake at work and told him something was wrong and we needed to take JT to the ER. I went and picked Jake up from work and took JT to urgent care. God bless urgent care! They are quick and wonderful :-) While there they took about 4 or 5 x-rays of JT's leg. I had to hold my poor baby still while he screamed in pain. It was HORRIBLE! Jake said he just wanted to cry from the room where he was waiting with Ethan. Finally the doctor came back and told us there was no break they could see. Great news! Then what is going on?? I forgot to mention, his foot is swollen and he seemed to be tender around his tibia as well. So the doctor said the ever famous words that we seem to hear much to often, wait. UGH! ok! wait it is. :-P We are to wait 24 hours to see if there is any change in his condition. If there is no change we will go to a pediatric orthopedist and have a bone scan done to see if there is a hair line fracture or anything of that nature. For now, we just wait. The said try to elevate it. HAHAHA! yea right!! I mean, we will do our best but although he isn't moving, he is a mover and a shaker.
For now if you have a moment please pray for Justin. Pray that his leg would heal and the swelling would go down. Pray for reprieve. Pray he can catch a break, a healing break. Pray for his appointment next week and for his first surgery. Pray for the sustaining grace of our Lord and Savior.
Thankfully Jake and I are doing well through all of this. We are thankful for all God has given us including the struggles. If we didn't have trials and struggles how would we grow stronger. If we didn't have these times how would we learn to lean on Him and trust in Him? God is good! He loves us and is forever calling us to his loving arms. We are so thankful for that. We are at peace and know that He is in control. It's such a peaceful feeling.
Thank you for your prayers, love and support.
Jake and Melissa
Then today, ah, today. Yesterday I noticed JT favoring his right leg. I decided to just watch him to see what was going on. Then this morning I put on his shoe and heard the loudest most painful cry I have ever heard from either of my children. JT was obviously in extreme pain. Being his mommy and putting him in pain killed me. I immediately took off his shoe as carefully and as quickly as I could and tried to calm him down. I called Jake at work and told him something was wrong and we needed to take JT to the ER. I went and picked Jake up from work and took JT to urgent care. God bless urgent care! They are quick and wonderful :-) While there they took about 4 or 5 x-rays of JT's leg. I had to hold my poor baby still while he screamed in pain. It was HORRIBLE! Jake said he just wanted to cry from the room where he was waiting with Ethan. Finally the doctor came back and told us there was no break they could see. Great news! Then what is going on?? I forgot to mention, his foot is swollen and he seemed to be tender around his tibia as well. So the doctor said the ever famous words that we seem to hear much to often, wait. UGH! ok! wait it is. :-P We are to wait 24 hours to see if there is any change in his condition. If there is no change we will go to a pediatric orthopedist and have a bone scan done to see if there is a hair line fracture or anything of that nature. For now, we just wait. The said try to elevate it. HAHAHA! yea right!! I mean, we will do our best but although he isn't moving, he is a mover and a shaker.
For now if you have a moment please pray for Justin. Pray that his leg would heal and the swelling would go down. Pray for reprieve. Pray he can catch a break, a healing break. Pray for his appointment next week and for his first surgery. Pray for the sustaining grace of our Lord and Savior.
Thankfully Jake and I are doing well through all of this. We are thankful for all God has given us including the struggles. If we didn't have trials and struggles how would we grow stronger. If we didn't have these times how would we learn to lean on Him and trust in Him? God is good! He loves us and is forever calling us to his loving arms. We are so thankful for that. We are at peace and know that He is in control. It's such a peaceful feeling.
Thank you for your prayers, love and support.
Jake and Melissa
Monday, October 25, 2010
JT 1 year later!
It has almost been one year since I went to the hospital with contractions and had JT. It has been a year full of blessings, questions, confusion prayers and a year full of God. JT is going to be 1 on Thursday. He is not sitting up or crawling and he is having difficulty eating solid foods. This is all due to his Cerebral Palsy. Even though he is facing these challenges he is a beautiful happy little boy who loves to watch his brother play and who loves to talk! His smile can brighten up a room in an instant.
Recently I had a few swift kicks in the gut. This past week I was talking to JT's physical therapist about things that are going on as we discussed his need for special needs equipment. Next week we will meet with the specialist who will help us pick out and order the equipment JT needs. We will be getting a special stroller and high chair. Today I was sent some links to what the equipment looked like. My breath was taken from me! My heart sank, tears welled in my eyes. Having a special needs child is strange. You think you know things and you come to realize you know nothing! The equipment is overwhelming both physically as well as emotionally. I am sharing this information as well as I would like to b/c I am still dealing with it myself. I am not sure how to approach God on this other than to say "help me Lord!" I am at a loss. I am emotionally drained. I am sad! I had such hopes that he would be just fine! I had hopes that he would shock everyone and he would show them they are wrong. Instead, God continues to use Justin to work on me and on who I am in Him. It is very humbling.
So, that was the first kick. The second was that Justin's physical therapist began to talk to me about braces for his legs. Now that I have seen the equipment I think my mindset has changed. Originally I was thinking, "the doctors say his legs are fine, he won't need them." As we discussed it further, it turns out that over 90% of CP children begin their life in leg braces. That took my breath away as well. Now after seeing the equipment JT needs, instead of thinking, "my poor baby", I am thinking thank God and thinking "they think he will walk!"
In both of these instances my heart has stopped beating, I have lost my breath and I teared up. BUT, in both of these instances God has helped my heart beat again. He has given me my next breath and He has comforted my while my tears have welled. My God is a loving God and while I struggle with this. As Jake and I struggle with this He continues to give us joy in all things. He tells us "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11
JT has a future. We have a future. God is with us. He has blessed JT with Ethan. Ethan is an amazing big brother. He loves JT so much. The other day I smiled with utter joy when Ethan said "JT, you come play cars with me?" Then I sadly had to tell Ethan that JT can watch Ethan play cars. Thankfully Ethan was okay with that, but as JT laid on the floor, Ethan took over a car to him and gave it to him to play with. Mommy was wrong, thankfully wrong, JT COULD play with Ethan and his cars!
If you think of it and have time please keep us in your prayers. Pray that God would guide us. Pray that God would bring us peace and comfort as we learn how to be the parents of a child with growing needs. Pray that God would bless us with a support system that we can lean on. People who know what we are going through. Praise God for our boys, for the love they have for each other. Praise God for being our rock!
Many blessings to you
Melissa
Recently I had a few swift kicks in the gut. This past week I was talking to JT's physical therapist about things that are going on as we discussed his need for special needs equipment. Next week we will meet with the specialist who will help us pick out and order the equipment JT needs. We will be getting a special stroller and high chair. Today I was sent some links to what the equipment looked like. My breath was taken from me! My heart sank, tears welled in my eyes. Having a special needs child is strange. You think you know things and you come to realize you know nothing! The equipment is overwhelming both physically as well as emotionally. I am sharing this information as well as I would like to b/c I am still dealing with it myself. I am not sure how to approach God on this other than to say "help me Lord!" I am at a loss. I am emotionally drained. I am sad! I had such hopes that he would be just fine! I had hopes that he would shock everyone and he would show them they are wrong. Instead, God continues to use Justin to work on me and on who I am in Him. It is very humbling.
So, that was the first kick. The second was that Justin's physical therapist began to talk to me about braces for his legs. Now that I have seen the equipment I think my mindset has changed. Originally I was thinking, "the doctors say his legs are fine, he won't need them." As we discussed it further, it turns out that over 90% of CP children begin their life in leg braces. That took my breath away as well. Now after seeing the equipment JT needs, instead of thinking, "my poor baby", I am thinking thank God and thinking "they think he will walk!"
In both of these instances my heart has stopped beating, I have lost my breath and I teared up. BUT, in both of these instances God has helped my heart beat again. He has given me my next breath and He has comforted my while my tears have welled. My God is a loving God and while I struggle with this. As Jake and I struggle with this He continues to give us joy in all things. He tells us "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11
JT has a future. We have a future. God is with us. He has blessed JT with Ethan. Ethan is an amazing big brother. He loves JT so much. The other day I smiled with utter joy when Ethan said "JT, you come play cars with me?" Then I sadly had to tell Ethan that JT can watch Ethan play cars. Thankfully Ethan was okay with that, but as JT laid on the floor, Ethan took over a car to him and gave it to him to play with. Mommy was wrong, thankfully wrong, JT COULD play with Ethan and his cars!
If you think of it and have time please keep us in your prayers. Pray that God would guide us. Pray that God would bring us peace and comfort as we learn how to be the parents of a child with growing needs. Pray that God would bless us with a support system that we can lean on. People who know what we are going through. Praise God for our boys, for the love they have for each other. Praise God for being our rock!
Many blessings to you
Melissa
Summer 2010
This is much over due but here it goes.
This June we traveled to VA beach for Jake's sisters wedding. A dear friend of ours allowed us to stay at her house a few blocks from the beach. She was in town and stayed with her sister so we could use the house. It was such a blessing to us! We left late at night in the hopes that the boys would simply sleep in the car. On the way down it became very clear that Ethan was sick. He was coughing and crying and just couldn't sleep. It was so sad. He would fall asleep then cough and wake himself up crying. He would ask for a hug. Since we were on the highway a hug wasn't going to happen. So I told him I would hug his hand. I then was stuck "hugging" his hand most of the way down to the beach. Not a comfortable traveling position for one of us. But it helped him sleep a little better.
We got to the beach at about 12:30am. As we were driving trying to find the house, we couldn't! We could not find the house at all! We drove up and down the street, I said I didn't recognize it and I couldn't believe that I would forget what it looked like. Finally we thought we found the house. Problem was, there was a TV on (the house was suppose to be empty) and the key wouldn't work. So what did we do? We knocked. At 1am we are knocking on the door. No answer! By 1:30 JT woke up to eat and Ethan was a disaster. So we called it quits and spent the night in a hotel. The hotel was suppose to get us 2 roll away cribs. We waited, called the front desk, no answer. Waited, called... you get the picture. Finally Jake headed to the car and dug out the pack n plays. At 2am we got the boys in bed and the room was quiet. Then suddenly we hear this extremely loud noise.... I started laughing/crying. It was JT sucking his fingers. REALLY! What else could happen?
In the morning we got up, called my friend and discovered that I had the wrong address! So at 1am we were knocking on some poor persons house. AWESOME!
We got up, checked out, packed the car, and headed to the house that was in fact vacant and ready for us. We then spent part of the day with my friend and her family at the beach. It was a great time to catch up.
Ethan LOVES the beach and the ocean. Keeping him out of the water was a task in and of itself.
That night we to dinner with Jake's family. We ate at a local seafood place where we had a great time seeing everyone and catching up. Jake ended up getting food poisoning (we think) and was beyond ill. Later that night I woke up suddenly. Something wasn't right. I suddenly heard it, JT wasn't breathing well. I listened for a while, not wanting to wake him up. I thought maybe he had a shell fish allergy we didn't know about. Finally, I had Jake go and check on him (if he sees me he thinks food, ya know!) Turns out he got Ethan's cold. Our concern was that if it went to JT's lungs as it often went to Ethan's lungs we would end up in the hospital. Because he is a premie we have to be worried about these things. The next day we went we watched JT carefully as we got ready for Jake's sisters wedding. I called the pediatrician and spent about 45 min on the phone with them trying to determine if we should come home or if we could go on our vacation in NC. Thankfully I packed Ethan's nebulizar so she told me to treat JT with the neb. She then said go on vacation. If it got any worse head home, we had time.
That evening we watched Jake's sister get married in beautiful gardens. She looked stunning! It was a beautiful wedding and I think they really enjoyed the day.
The next day we headed down to Kills Devil Hills where some other friends of ours blessed us by allowing us to stay at their condo. NC was beautiful but a challenge. Jake and I decided no more beach vacations unless we have help. Taking both boys, and beach tents, chairs, toys, beach bag... was a little much for just 2 of us. But, Ethan LOVED the beach and the ocean and JT didn't. I spent most of our beach time under the umbrella holding our little monster. On the way home from the beach the boys fell asleep in the car. I started laughing. Jake asked what was so funny. I said "this is the most peaceful moment we have had and we are on our way home." Oh well. We were thankful for our vacation, but glad to get home.
In July we spent most of the month house hunting and then looking at rentals. In August we moved and celebrated Jake's 30th b-day. Another surprise party for my love! This time we caught his reaction on film.
In late Aug we traveled to NC once again but this time we went with my family. My sister in laws family allowed us to use their family house in Coralla. It was awesome! We had a great time at the beach in the ocean and with my family. It was a true blessing to wrap up the summer. Plus, this time everyone stayed healthy! YES!
So, although we had a very busy summer we had a very blessed summer!
This June we traveled to VA beach for Jake's sisters wedding. A dear friend of ours allowed us to stay at her house a few blocks from the beach. She was in town and stayed with her sister so we could use the house. It was such a blessing to us! We left late at night in the hopes that the boys would simply sleep in the car. On the way down it became very clear that Ethan was sick. He was coughing and crying and just couldn't sleep. It was so sad. He would fall asleep then cough and wake himself up crying. He would ask for a hug. Since we were on the highway a hug wasn't going to happen. So I told him I would hug his hand. I then was stuck "hugging" his hand most of the way down to the beach. Not a comfortable traveling position for one of us. But it helped him sleep a little better.
We got to the beach at about 12:30am. As we were driving trying to find the house, we couldn't! We could not find the house at all! We drove up and down the street, I said I didn't recognize it and I couldn't believe that I would forget what it looked like. Finally we thought we found the house. Problem was, there was a TV on (the house was suppose to be empty) and the key wouldn't work. So what did we do? We knocked. At 1am we are knocking on the door. No answer! By 1:30 JT woke up to eat and Ethan was a disaster. So we called it quits and spent the night in a hotel. The hotel was suppose to get us 2 roll away cribs. We waited, called the front desk, no answer. Waited, called... you get the picture. Finally Jake headed to the car and dug out the pack n plays. At 2am we got the boys in bed and the room was quiet. Then suddenly we hear this extremely loud noise.... I started laughing/crying. It was JT sucking his fingers. REALLY! What else could happen?
In the morning we got up, called my friend and discovered that I had the wrong address! So at 1am we were knocking on some poor persons house. AWESOME!
We got up, checked out, packed the car, and headed to the house that was in fact vacant and ready for us. We then spent part of the day with my friend and her family at the beach. It was a great time to catch up.
Ethan LOVES the beach and the ocean. Keeping him out of the water was a task in and of itself.
That night we to dinner with Jake's family. We ate at a local seafood place where we had a great time seeing everyone and catching up. Jake ended up getting food poisoning (we think) and was beyond ill. Later that night I woke up suddenly. Something wasn't right. I suddenly heard it, JT wasn't breathing well. I listened for a while, not wanting to wake him up. I thought maybe he had a shell fish allergy we didn't know about. Finally, I had Jake go and check on him (if he sees me he thinks food, ya know!) Turns out he got Ethan's cold. Our concern was that if it went to JT's lungs as it often went to Ethan's lungs we would end up in the hospital. Because he is a premie we have to be worried about these things. The next day we went we watched JT carefully as we got ready for Jake's sisters wedding. I called the pediatrician and spent about 45 min on the phone with them trying to determine if we should come home or if we could go on our vacation in NC. Thankfully I packed Ethan's nebulizar so she told me to treat JT with the neb. She then said go on vacation. If it got any worse head home, we had time.
That evening we watched Jake's sister get married in beautiful gardens. She looked stunning! It was a beautiful wedding and I think they really enjoyed the day.
The next day we headed down to Kills Devil Hills where some other friends of ours blessed us by allowing us to stay at their condo. NC was beautiful but a challenge. Jake and I decided no more beach vacations unless we have help. Taking both boys, and beach tents, chairs, toys, beach bag... was a little much for just 2 of us. But, Ethan LOVED the beach and the ocean and JT didn't. I spent most of our beach time under the umbrella holding our little monster. On the way home from the beach the boys fell asleep in the car. I started laughing. Jake asked what was so funny. I said "this is the most peaceful moment we have had and we are on our way home." Oh well. We were thankful for our vacation, but glad to get home.
In July we spent most of the month house hunting and then looking at rentals. In August we moved and celebrated Jake's 30th b-day. Another surprise party for my love! This time we caught his reaction on film.
In late Aug we traveled to NC once again but this time we went with my family. My sister in laws family allowed us to use their family house in Coralla. It was awesome! We had a great time at the beach in the ocean and with my family. It was a true blessing to wrap up the summer. Plus, this time everyone stayed healthy! YES!
So, although we had a very busy summer we had a very blessed summer!
Friday, September 3, 2010
1000 miles per hour
Did you know the earth rotates at a speed of over 1000 miles per hour? It does not feel like it during our day to day lives. But when you look back at pictures, or videos, you really get a sense of this speed. The passing of time revealing itself almost instantaneously in front of you. This may sound a bit philosophical, but this feels so true today. As I look through photos and videos of my boys, I am astounded at how far they have come. Their growth and development is nothing short of amazing. Praise be to God for all He has done in our lives. Enjoy the few examples below of what I am talking about.
September 2008: Ethan at 4 months
September 2009: Ethan at 1 year and 4 months
August 2010: Ethan at 2 years and 3 months / Justin at 10 months
Friday, July 16, 2010
Update on JT
Jake and I just wanted to give you an update on JT. He is now (actually) 8mos old (adjusted age of 6mos). Overall he is doing well. We have begun to see some developmental delays and have been extremely concerned with his vision.
The delays we are seeing are due partially to his vision and partially to the CP. JT still doesn't really reach out for toys or objects yet. The Neurologist believes that yes, part of that is due to his vision problems, but that it also has to do with the fact that when he reaches out for a toy his arms tighten up. That is the CP. We will just continue to do his exercises and stretches. We will also rely heavily on the knowledge of his physical therapist to help us get over this hump and help JT learn and enjoy playing with objects.
As far as JT's vision goes, our Ophthalmologist believes that surgery is in his future but deferred to his neurologist for advice. Today we saw JT's neurologist. She said that premies and especially premies with brain damage often have vision problems beginning around 4mos of age. This is about when JT's eyes began to cross. She then proceeded to tell us how amazing the brain is and that right now his brain is working on correcting his vision all on it's own. Justin's brain knows it isn't seeing correctly so the brain is working on correcting it. She said that by 10mos old to about 14mos his eyes (or brain really) should correct themselves. She also said if they don't then he will need surgery. But the bottom line right now is that we need to do some eye exercises and do what we can to help him and his vision. We are going to begin to see the pediatric ophthalmologist at Children's hospital as soon as possible. Our ophthalmologist, although wonderful and kind, doesn't seem to have the experience that we need for JT.
For those of you who have continued to pray for us we are so thankful! We continue to believe that God is listening to all of your prayers and petitions. Please join us in the following prayers.
Please pray that JT's brain and eyes will work together and the problem will fix itself.
Pray that JT's arm exercises will work and he will begin to reach for toys and objects.
Pray that we can get an appointment to see the Ophthalmologist at Childrens and for his wisdom
Thank God for Dr. Chang, our neurologist. For her wisdom and for her bedside manner. She is truly a blessing to us!
We love you all and are so blessed by you. Thank you for all the love and support you give us. We thank God for you!!
With love and gratitude,
Jake and Melissa
The delays we are seeing are due partially to his vision and partially to the CP. JT still doesn't really reach out for toys or objects yet. The Neurologist believes that yes, part of that is due to his vision problems, but that it also has to do with the fact that when he reaches out for a toy his arms tighten up. That is the CP. We will just continue to do his exercises and stretches. We will also rely heavily on the knowledge of his physical therapist to help us get over this hump and help JT learn and enjoy playing with objects.
As far as JT's vision goes, our Ophthalmologist believes that surgery is in his future but deferred to his neurologist for advice. Today we saw JT's neurologist. She said that premies and especially premies with brain damage often have vision problems beginning around 4mos of age. This is about when JT's eyes began to cross. She then proceeded to tell us how amazing the brain is and that right now his brain is working on correcting his vision all on it's own. Justin's brain knows it isn't seeing correctly so the brain is working on correcting it. She said that by 10mos old to about 14mos his eyes (or brain really) should correct themselves. She also said if they don't then he will need surgery. But the bottom line right now is that we need to do some eye exercises and do what we can to help him and his vision. We are going to begin to see the pediatric ophthalmologist at Children's hospital as soon as possible. Our ophthalmologist, although wonderful and kind, doesn't seem to have the experience that we need for JT.
For those of you who have continued to pray for us we are so thankful! We continue to believe that God is listening to all of your prayers and petitions. Please join us in the following prayers.
Please pray that JT's brain and eyes will work together and the problem will fix itself.
Pray that JT's arm exercises will work and he will begin to reach for toys and objects.
Pray that we can get an appointment to see the Ophthalmologist at Childrens and for his wisdom
Thank God for Dr. Chang, our neurologist. For her wisdom and for her bedside manner. She is truly a blessing to us!
We love you all and are so blessed by you. Thank you for all the love and support you give us. We thank God for you!!
With love and gratitude,
Jake and Melissa
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Prayers for JT vision
Hi all!I know it's been a long time since the last update but here is the latest.
As you may remember JT has had some vision problems. He has been in glasses for the last 10 weeks. Sadly, the glasses have not helped at all :-( The Ophthamologist doesn't know if it's an eye issue or a brain issue. JT sees the Neurologist next Friday. We are hoping that she will be able to give us some insight on what is going on. Their are a few options as far as helping JT. Some of the options are surgeries and others are not. We are asking you to join us in prayer for a miracle! Please pray that this is a fixable eye issue and not a brain issue. JT is not developing appropriately because of the vision problems. This has been a bit of a struggle for me. Since my degree is in early childhood development I am more than aware of developmental milestones. Milestones that JT isn't hit and still hasn't hit. I am trusting God and praying that He will give me the knowledge, love and compassion I need to help JT. I am praying for God to give me peace. The peace only He can give. JT is an amazing happy little boy! He is social and he talks and smiles a beautiful smile! He is a true blessing!! Please pray with us. We love him so much and we want the best for him. We want God's best for him!
Thank you for your love and support. Your prayers for our family have carried us through many challenges and we are so thankful for you.
In Christ alone we put our hope,
Jake and Melissa
Pictures of JT and Ethan (JT is 8mos old, Ethan is 2)
As you may remember JT has had some vision problems. He has been in glasses for the last 10 weeks. Sadly, the glasses have not helped at all :-( The Ophthamologist doesn't know if it's an eye issue or a brain issue. JT sees the Neurologist next Friday. We are hoping that she will be able to give us some insight on what is going on. Their are a few options as far as helping JT. Some of the options are surgeries and others are not. We are asking you to join us in prayer for a miracle! Please pray that this is a fixable eye issue and not a brain issue. JT is not developing appropriately because of the vision problems. This has been a bit of a struggle for me. Since my degree is in early childhood development I am more than aware of developmental milestones. Milestones that JT isn't hit and still hasn't hit. I am trusting God and praying that He will give me the knowledge, love and compassion I need to help JT. I am praying for God to give me peace. The peace only He can give. JT is an amazing happy little boy! He is social and he talks and smiles a beautiful smile! He is a true blessing!! Please pray with us. We love him so much and we want the best for him. We want God's best for him!
Thank you for your love and support. Your prayers for our family have carried us through many challenges and we are so thankful for you.
In Christ alone we put our hope,
Jake and Melissa
Pictures of JT and Ethan (JT is 8mos old, Ethan is 2)
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
May madness
May in our house is always full of craziness, especially in the beginning of the month. This year to add to the birthdays and mothers day I got off crutches and JT got glasses.
On May 1'st we had Ethan's 2nd birthday party. Jake and I worked together to make a cool dump truck cake for Ethan. We had our family over and celebrated our amazing little boy! Ethan is so smart! He knows his ABC's, letter names and sounds. He knows his colors, and he can name almost any kind of truck or car there is! He still loves to read books and dance and sing to his bible music CD. He is so loving and kind, especially to JT. Ethan is the BEST big brother! He brings laughter and joy into our lives every single day! Yes, even on the hard days full of melt downs. His beautiful eyes and deep dimples can melt my heart. Ethan's birthday party was a great day for us! Thankfully I had gotten off crutches 4 days before the party :-) Then Monday we celebrated Ethan's real birthday, Tuesday we had a break, Wednesday we celebrated my birthday.
Then on Sat. we celebrated Mother's day with my mom. I have really been getting into cake making so I made my mom a Mother's day cake. The picture isn't great, the cake fell over in the car on the way to my mom's :-( Oh well, still tasted ok.
Sunday we celebrated my Mother's day. My men took me to Cheesecake Factory! YUM YUM! JT had a beautiful pooplosion at the lunch table which was super! Just the Mother's day gift I was hoping for! Ethan was his usual wonderful self for the majority of the meal. I mean honestly how long can a tired 2 yr old behave at a table? He did great! Then on Monday we had to take JT back to the Ophthamologist at the reccommendation of one of his Developmental Specialists. While there the doctor determined that JT would need glasses and perhaps surgery to correct his vision problems. When I said surgery to Jake I think his heart stopped beating. Our family has seen enough medical bills and enough surgery to last a lifetime! Aside from that no one wants to hear that their child, yet alone their infant needs surgery on their eyes. It was a hard pill to swallow! Thankfully we are beginning with glasses. JT got his glasses yesterday and I am not sure he knows what to think. The doctor advised that we do 30 min on and 30 min off. Apparently new prescriptions can give you a headache. Neither Jake nor I have ever had glasses so this is ALL new to us! Anyway, he will be in glasses for the next 6 weeks, then we go back to see what step is next. If the glasses help at all he will remain in glasses. If they didn't help then its surgery. We are praying for God's mighty hand to work once again in JT's already blessed life! We are praying for a miracle! We are praying that the glasses allow his eyes to fully strengthen! This is a huge issue right now. JT's development has slowed down a great deal. Everyone seems to believe (and we agree) that it's because he can't see correctly. He doesn't do things he should be doing right now. We are praying that his vision is corrected and then that he is able to continue to develop. God has a plan for our little guy and all we can do is lean on Him. We have a loving Father and we know that JT is His beloved child! JT is God's perfect creation!
To continue with the madness of May, I have decided to become a Pampered Chef consultant. I might be crazy, but it's a good way for me to make my own hours and bring in a little extra money for bills. Plus I LOVE Pampered Chef stuff!! I am going to have my "grand Opening" for my business in the next week. I am praying it goes well. At the end of the month we will be preparing to head to VA beach for Jake's sisters wedding. They are getting married the first weekend in June. Thanks to some incredible friends we have a house at the beach for those few days. That is a huge and amazing blessing! We are looking forward to our trip and for the remainder of the summer. Although it will be full of Dr. appointments for JT I am hopeful that we will have a peaceful summer. I am also prayerful that I will be done with PT and walking and maybe even running a little. That would be awesome!
May has been a great month and it's not over yet. I am thankful that things are slowing down a little bit and I am looking forward to the days ahead.
We have a great God, a loving God, a God who hears us when we call. We are calling out to the Lord on behalf of JT and we hope that you will join us.
May God Bless you
Melissa
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
The funniest things
I have decided that I don't want to lose those precious moments. You know the ones you tend to forget over time. So every so often I will post the funniest things. Things done and said by my boys.
This past month so many things have changed. JT has giggled and rolled over. He is also grown SO fast and is already in 6 month clothing.
Ethan has grown too. He is an ECHO! Whatever you say, better be ready to hear it repeated. Sometimes over and over and over and over... again. His vocab is growing and I am amazed at his love for his little brother. He likes to give him his binki and whenever JT cries you can be sure Ethan will start saying "it ok JT" or on occasion he will repeat me with "hey bubba". When anyone sneezes no matter where Ethan is you can be sure that he will say "bless you" along with the name of the person who sneezed. When we pull into church you will hear him in the back saying "Yay church!" over and over again! He has started to sing songs and loves to sing the beginning and end of the ABC song. It goes more like "AB's"...""double x, z" He is very good at using his manners most of the time which is great. Only problem is he thinks please means yes. One of many lessons to come! :-)
There are so many more things to share but I can't think of them right now. That's why I am starting this. I just can't remember longer than a week. Oh well, here's to getting older and losing my mind :-) LOL
Enjoy
This past month so many things have changed. JT has giggled and rolled over. He is also grown SO fast and is already in 6 month clothing.
Ethan has grown too. He is an ECHO! Whatever you say, better be ready to hear it repeated. Sometimes over and over and over and over... again. His vocab is growing and I am amazed at his love for his little brother. He likes to give him his binki and whenever JT cries you can be sure Ethan will start saying "it ok JT" or on occasion he will repeat me with "hey bubba". When anyone sneezes no matter where Ethan is you can be sure that he will say "bless you" along with the name of the person who sneezed. When we pull into church you will hear him in the back saying "Yay church!" over and over again! He has started to sing songs and loves to sing the beginning and end of the ABC song. It goes more like "AB's"...""double x, z" He is very good at using his manners most of the time which is great. Only problem is he thinks please means yes. One of many lessons to come! :-)
There are so many more things to share but I can't think of them right now. That's why I am starting this. I just can't remember longer than a week. Oh well, here's to getting older and losing my mind :-) LOL
Enjoy
JT is 6 months old! Part of our journey and lessons learned.
Today JT is 6 months old! I can't believe it. The last 6 months are a blur!! I realized that the last 6 months went to: 2 months in the NICU, 1 month of me recovering from surgery, 1 month being snowed in with my family (that was awesome), and 2 months on crutches. no wonder it was all a blur. Today I got to hobble up the stairs with my little angel in my arms. It sounds silly but it was so wonderful! It was such a blessing to carry his tired little body upstairs and put him to bed. I don't think I realized when I had the surgery how hard it was going to be. Not just physically but emotionally. I pride myself on having a very high pain tolerance but this was a whole new pain. I also pride myself on being independent and strong emotionally. This was a whole new ball of wax. to be a mom and to feel like you are unable to care for your children is one of the worst feelings ever! To have to ask for help with everything is so extremely humbling. I think God made me have this surgery to humble me. I guess I wasn't humbled enough when JT was in the hospital. I guess I needed some more breaking.
I find it amazing how God knows just what we need. He knew that I needed surgery and to be laid up for 2 months in order to be humbled and lean on others fully. God also knew that I would need my family more than I have in a very long time. I am not talking about my incredible husband! No, Jake is always there for me. He is so strong and so loving. I am amazed by his strength and endurance. I am talking about my mom and my brothers and my sister in law. They have been there for me at every turn. They have taken time off of work to come over here and not just help me with the boys but take care of me as well. Our church has also blown me away with their generosity and care for us. One of the reasons Jake and I decided to join Mclean Presbyterian is because of the care we have received the past 6 months. Through all of this God has shown me more of who I want to be. I am thankful for the lessons God teaches me. I wish I could learn them in a less painful way, but my strong stubborn character tends to get in the way. Maybe in the next year I will be able to learn the lessons God has for me more quickly and more willingly :-)
I find it amazing how God knows just what we need. He knew that I needed surgery and to be laid up for 2 months in order to be humbled and lean on others fully. God also knew that I would need my family more than I have in a very long time. I am not talking about my incredible husband! No, Jake is always there for me. He is so strong and so loving. I am amazed by his strength and endurance. I am talking about my mom and my brothers and my sister in law. They have been there for me at every turn. They have taken time off of work to come over here and not just help me with the boys but take care of me as well. Our church has also blown me away with their generosity and care for us. One of the reasons Jake and I decided to join Mclean Presbyterian is because of the care we have received the past 6 months. Through all of this God has shown me more of who I want to be. I am thankful for the lessons God teaches me. I wish I could learn them in a less painful way, but my strong stubborn character tends to get in the way. Maybe in the next year I will be able to learn the lessons God has for me more quickly and more willingly :-)
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Small blessings are actually huge blessings
Sometimes it amazes me, just when I think I can't take anymore God shows me His love for me in small ways. I have been on crutches now for a month and am on my last straw. Being totally laid up and unable to do anything is more than old. I am thankful for all the help I have received but still, it's so humbling and SO hard to not be able to do anything. Just as I think, I can't take anymore God gives me a small blessing which as HE knew and I am learning is actually a huge blessing! JT giggled for the first time today. Not only was it beautiful it was perfect and rejuvenating. It gives me energy and excitement. I know the two aren't related but it's all apart of life and that sweet giggle just makes my heart happy. God knew what I needed, what we needed and he blessed us with it. Jake has been amazing through these 4 weeks, but doing two full time jobs is more than enough for him. That one little giggle is just what Jake needed to make it one more week and hopefully, Lord willing, we will get more little moments, more small blessings to keep us going until this is all over. I don't know why, but it still amazes me how much God knows that I don't. Silly I know, but I am still awe struck by Him. God is so awesome, so loving. When we think we are at our limit, he gives us something to smile about, something to look up and say Thank You Father!
So, Thank You Lord for loving us more than we deserve!!
So, Thank You Lord for loving us more than we deserve!!
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
been a while
WOW! Time flies when your household is sick and you are having surgery :-) Lets see where to begin. On March 12th I decided to take Jake out on a hot date. I had a big surprise for him too. I got my mom to sit overnight with the boys so we could have a relaxing evening in a nice hotel down the street. The plans were set. I went to the hotel early to drop off a bag of stuff and check in. I took him out to dinner and popped the surprise on him. All was looking good for a night of R and R and a morning of sleeping in :-) Then suddenly, the phone rang... it was my mom. Ethan was vomiting every 30 min. So instead of going to the hotel to spend the night, we went, picked up the bag and headed home. Instead of a relaxing evening we spent the night with E on the bathroom floor teaching our little boy to lean over the toilet to vomit. After doing laundry all night and the entire next day just so the poor boy would have something to wear we finally had some reprieve, if only for a little while. Ethan wasn't eating much or drinking much. He was still vomiting on Sat. Then, on Sunday night, Jake got the bug. My poor husband was up most of the night ill. I did what I could to help him, but I was also getting ready for my surgery and having had surgery before, I know rest is needed for healing. On Monday, Jake sucked it up and took me to surgery, still sick most of the day. (For those of you who don't know, I have been in extreme pain for the last 2 yrs. recently doctors discovered that my knee cap was off to the side of my knee instead of in the center. They decided the best thing to do is to go in, break my leg and move the bone over so my tendons are in the correct place. Then using screws they put the bone in the correct location) I had my surgery, got home and in bed and on Tuesday night, yup, you guessed it... I got the bug. It was HORRIBLE! I was sick for two days as well. Thankfully JT never got the bug. PRAISE GOD! So here I am having just had my leg broken, moved and screwed into place and in extreme pain. I have to say that I am on week 3 of a 6 week recovery. (when I say 6 week recovery I mean I can't walk for 6 weeks, then the real recovery and PT begins) Each day is a little better which I am thankful for.
In the middle of all of our sickness we ended up having a few appointments for JT. He saw his neurologist and the pediatrician. We got good news from both! The Neurologist said that his gross motor skills are fantastic and that he looks more like a 5 month old than a 2.5 month old. She also said if he continues to look good at his next appointment we will get to wait longer for the next one. YAY! The pediatrician said he looks great and that he is on the growth chart of a 5 month old and not a 2.5 month old! He is below the 5% but he is still on the chart! HOORAY! God has blessed us with an amazing little boy. He is smiling and cooing. He is sitting well and holding his head up. JT loves tummy time and we are working on rolling over. That is a goal of the Physical Therapist. She wants him to roll over by next month. All in all, he is doing so well. We are so thankful for the prayers that he continues to receive! God is still listening and JT still has a long way to go.
As for our amazing little Ethan, well, he is just that AMAZING! With all that has gone on this year he is such a trooper! I can't believe my little guy is almost 2yrs old! He is so smart and so funny! He cracks me up daily. His smile brightens the room and his laughter is a cure for anything. His new favorite saying is "whoa dude, awesome!" taught to him by his Uncle Jon. He loves JT and is such an incredible helper. He gives him his binki when he cries and says "it's okay JT."
My heart is overflowing with love and joy! God has blessed me so abundantly and I am so thankful that I can share my joys and trials with you. God is good in all circumstances, good, bad, fun, hard. We have a loving God and I am so thankful!
God Bless friends!!
In the middle of all of our sickness we ended up having a few appointments for JT. He saw his neurologist and the pediatrician. We got good news from both! The Neurologist said that his gross motor skills are fantastic and that he looks more like a 5 month old than a 2.5 month old. She also said if he continues to look good at his next appointment we will get to wait longer for the next one. YAY! The pediatrician said he looks great and that he is on the growth chart of a 5 month old and not a 2.5 month old! He is below the 5% but he is still on the chart! HOORAY! God has blessed us with an amazing little boy. He is smiling and cooing. He is sitting well and holding his head up. JT loves tummy time and we are working on rolling over. That is a goal of the Physical Therapist. She wants him to roll over by next month. All in all, he is doing so well. We are so thankful for the prayers that he continues to receive! God is still listening and JT still has a long way to go.
As for our amazing little Ethan, well, he is just that AMAZING! With all that has gone on this year he is such a trooper! I can't believe my little guy is almost 2yrs old! He is so smart and so funny! He cracks me up daily. His smile brightens the room and his laughter is a cure for anything. His new favorite saying is "whoa dude, awesome!" taught to him by his Uncle Jon. He loves JT and is such an incredible helper. He gives him his binki when he cries and says "it's okay JT."
My heart is overflowing with love and joy! God has blessed me so abundantly and I am so thankful that I can share my joys and trials with you. God is good in all circumstances, good, bad, fun, hard. We have a loving God and I am so thankful!
God Bless friends!!
Friday, March 5, 2010
Quick update on Justin
Here is the latest and greatest!
We were visited last week by the county evaluators once again. This time we had a physical therapist and a developmental specialist. Throughout the evaluation they used words like "Amazing", "Awesome", and "Wonderful!" They were SO impressed with JT's development. Although JT is technically almost 4.5mos old he will actually be 2 mos on Sunday. According to their standards JT is at the developmental level of a 2-3 mos old. (when they did the eval. they said he was 1 mos 12 days) We are so happy and so excited. JT is becoming more alert and wanting to play more. He LOVES Ethan probably as much as Ethan loves him. He will watch Ethan and talk to him. It is so fun to watch. I am so blessed to witness this brotherly bond growing!!
JT also went to the pediatrician this past week. This is big because he got weighed... JT weighs.... are you ready... 10lbs 5.oz!! AWESOME! He is getting so big and fat. He is God's little miracle and Jake and I feel so blessed to be apart of that miracle.
Thank you for keeping him in your prayers. He will be seen again by the physical therapist in 2 weeks and then we will go every other month from there. Right now they are simply going to be observing him but continued prayers for his development are greatly appreciated.
God Bless!!
We were visited last week by the county evaluators once again. This time we had a physical therapist and a developmental specialist. Throughout the evaluation they used words like "Amazing", "Awesome", and "Wonderful!" They were SO impressed with JT's development. Although JT is technically almost 4.5mos old he will actually be 2 mos on Sunday. According to their standards JT is at the developmental level of a 2-3 mos old. (when they did the eval. they said he was 1 mos 12 days) We are so happy and so excited. JT is becoming more alert and wanting to play more. He LOVES Ethan probably as much as Ethan loves him. He will watch Ethan and talk to him. It is so fun to watch. I am so blessed to witness this brotherly bond growing!!
JT also went to the pediatrician this past week. This is big because he got weighed... JT weighs.... are you ready... 10lbs 5.oz!! AWESOME! He is getting so big and fat. He is God's little miracle and Jake and I feel so blessed to be apart of that miracle.
Thank you for keeping him in your prayers. He will be seen again by the physical therapist in 2 weeks and then we will go every other month from there. Right now they are simply going to be observing him but continued prayers for his development are greatly appreciated.
God Bless!!
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Spaghetti noodle socks
As I am in the process of cleaning up our dinner, washing dishes and doing laundry I felt something funny on my feet. I scanned the floor to see what I could have stepped in. Ahhhh yes, what else would it be but the aftermath of Ethan's spaghetti dinner. The funny thing is, instead of being annoyed which I EASILY could have been I just smiled. I smiled at the joy I have in my life. Ethan is a very typical almost 2 year old. Making a mess at every meal and loving every moment of it. Throwing some very serious yet slightly pathetic temper tantrums; just wanting his voice to be heard. Tonight, I listen to JT hum himself to sleep, the washer and dryer running and Jake and Ethan upstairs at bath time. I sit and I wonder, can my life with my spaghetti filled socks get any better? NOPE! With all that we have been through these past few months spaghetti socks is just the joy and laugh I needed tonight. I am thankful for the messes, for the tears, for the smiles. I am thankful for my beloved family, my husband who is such an incredible dad! My life, my spaghetti socks, are just as priceless and wonderful as they can be!
Thanks to God for all the tears and joys of life.
This moment reminds me of a song I sing on the good days and on the bad. It always brings a smile to my face. I usually sing it while both boys are screaming too, helps calm the nerves. But tonight, I sing it and just smile in all it's meaning!
Rejoice and be glad with me, whether you have spaghetti socks or not :-)
This is the day the Lord has made; Let us REJOICE and be GLAD in it. Psalm 118:24
Thanks to God for all the tears and joys of life.
This moment reminds me of a song I sing on the good days and on the bad. It always brings a smile to my face. I usually sing it while both boys are screaming too, helps calm the nerves. But tonight, I sing it and just smile in all it's meaning!
Rejoice and be glad with me, whether you have spaghetti socks or not :-)
This is the day the Lord has made; Let us REJOICE and be GLAD in it. Psalm 118:24
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Time Flies
WOW how time flies!! I looked at the calendar today and realized that JT has been home from the hospital for 2 months and that on Sunday he will be 4 months old! We have been through so much in the last 4 months it's hard to recap.
Our hearts continue to overflow with love and gratitude. Lately JT has been talking up a storm and the smiles are beginning to be a frequent occurrence. All great signs that he is growing and developing! Ethan continues to be an excellent big brother. When anyone sneezes Ethan says "bless you JT". He plays with him on his mat and when JT cries or is sleeping Ethan is the first one to try to give him a binki :-) lol Ethan also comforts JT when he is crying by saying "it's okay". I love to watch these boys together. I know they are going to be a force to recon with as they get older. Thick as thieves!
It has been two weeks since our last round of appointments and we are getting ready to begin another round. This week JT will be evaluated by the county. They are going to "test" his areas of development. To be honest, I am at true peace with all of this. I feel God's loving hand on me telling me not to worry. Our pediatrician tells us that the doctors that have seen him so far are very impressed with his motor development. They are more concerned at this point with his cognitive development. But as I said earlier, JT's talking and smiles are all excellent signs of cognitive development. I am anxious (in a good excited way) to hear what they have to say when they come to visit.
As for prayer requests, if you could pray for JT's evaluation on Wed. afternoon that would be wonderful. I will keep you up to date on how that turns out. Also, my second and FINAL (Lord willing) knee surgery is just a few weeks away. Please pray for our family as my being on crutches is going to be a lot! I will be on crutches for 6-8 weeks and I will have family here to help with the boys. Pray for Jake to have supernatural strength and energy. He is going to have to help take care of me, the boys, and go to work daily. It's a lot and I am so grateful that Jake is so supportive and loving! What a great man I have!!
Thank you for continuing this journey with us. We are so blessed and thankful!
You are awesome, O God, in your sanctuary; the God of Israel gives power and strength to his people. Praise be to God! - Psalm 68:35
Our hearts continue to overflow with love and gratitude. Lately JT has been talking up a storm and the smiles are beginning to be a frequent occurrence. All great signs that he is growing and developing! Ethan continues to be an excellent big brother. When anyone sneezes Ethan says "bless you JT". He plays with him on his mat and when JT cries or is sleeping Ethan is the first one to try to give him a binki :-) lol Ethan also comforts JT when he is crying by saying "it's okay". I love to watch these boys together. I know they are going to be a force to recon with as they get older. Thick as thieves!
It has been two weeks since our last round of appointments and we are getting ready to begin another round. This week JT will be evaluated by the county. They are going to "test" his areas of development. To be honest, I am at true peace with all of this. I feel God's loving hand on me telling me not to worry. Our pediatrician tells us that the doctors that have seen him so far are very impressed with his motor development. They are more concerned at this point with his cognitive development. But as I said earlier, JT's talking and smiles are all excellent signs of cognitive development. I am anxious (in a good excited way) to hear what they have to say when they come to visit.
As for prayer requests, if you could pray for JT's evaluation on Wed. afternoon that would be wonderful. I will keep you up to date on how that turns out. Also, my second and FINAL (Lord willing) knee surgery is just a few weeks away. Please pray for our family as my being on crutches is going to be a lot! I will be on crutches for 6-8 weeks and I will have family here to help with the boys. Pray for Jake to have supernatural strength and energy. He is going to have to help take care of me, the boys, and go to work daily. It's a lot and I am so grateful that Jake is so supportive and loving! What a great man I have!!
Thank you for continuing this journey with us. We are so blessed and thankful!
You are awesome, O God, in your sanctuary; the God of Israel gives power and strength to his people. Praise be to God! - Psalm 68:35
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Big week with Big praises to a BIG GOD!
WOW! What a week!! On Tuesday JT had his weight check. We were praying for 8 lbs. The Lord answered! JT weighs 8lbs 2oz!! What a huge praise and blessing. We are able to keep him off any supplemental formula and feed him on demand as long as we have a scale and monitor his weight gain.
Last night Jake and I were up off and on with Ethan who had a fever of 103. By 2am I was done sleeping. Between being up with Ethan and feeding JT I didn't really get much sleep at all. In fact, I made my first mommy trip to the 24/7 Harris Teeter to buy children's motrin for Ethan, in the snow. It was one of those moments when you think, so this is what being a mom is all about. Loving your child enough to go to the store in a snow storm at 3am to get him motrin so his fever will break. On top of Ethan's 103 fever, Jake started having the chills along with shortness of breath. By 4am I was having shortness of breath and body aches. My prayers of course immediately turned to JT and his health. As of now Ethan, Jake and I all feel better. I continue to pray that JT doesn't get whatever it is that we had. With all that I was slightly worried that I wasn't going to get to JT's eye exam today. I called the office and they were open, so off we went. As I was on my way to the eye exam I spent the morning praying for several sick children. I lifted up my boys along with two of my friends children who are/were in the hospital. Knowing God had so graciously answered our prayer for JT's weight I just knew He was listening. Jake and I also spent the last two weeks praying for JT and his eye development. Our prayer at first was that his eyes weren't worse. Then, I decided to simply pray over my son. I put my hands on his eyes and specifically asked God to give him vision. I asked God to grow his blood vessels, I asked God to perform a miracle! God DID! JT's eyes are fully developed! When the doctor said everything looks good I said really?!? She said yes. I said I am going to cry. Tears welled up and I just thanked God for the gift of JT's vision! What a blessing. What a miracle!
God does listen and He does heal! God is so good to us, to all of us. He is a loving Father and He allows us to pray for specific things. God likes when we pray for specific things. He can work and His glory can shine when He answers our specific prayers. Imagine if Jake and I just prayed that JT gained weight, how would KNOW that God was answering us? No, it's in our specific prayers that God's glory shines through. We prayed for 8lbs and JT weight 8lbs! We prayed for vision and full development of JT's eyes and once again God blessed us by answering our prayers, your prayers.
The rest of this week we are just going to thank God for his glorious riches in our lives! You are some of those glorious riches in our lives. Thank you for walking with us through all of this and thank you for your prayers.
God bless you all!
Last night Jake and I were up off and on with Ethan who had a fever of 103. By 2am I was done sleeping. Between being up with Ethan and feeding JT I didn't really get much sleep at all. In fact, I made my first mommy trip to the 24/7 Harris Teeter to buy children's motrin for Ethan, in the snow. It was one of those moments when you think, so this is what being a mom is all about. Loving your child enough to go to the store in a snow storm at 3am to get him motrin so his fever will break. On top of Ethan's 103 fever, Jake started having the chills along with shortness of breath. By 4am I was having shortness of breath and body aches. My prayers of course immediately turned to JT and his health. As of now Ethan, Jake and I all feel better. I continue to pray that JT doesn't get whatever it is that we had. With all that I was slightly worried that I wasn't going to get to JT's eye exam today. I called the office and they were open, so off we went. As I was on my way to the eye exam I spent the morning praying for several sick children. I lifted up my boys along with two of my friends children who are/were in the hospital. Knowing God had so graciously answered our prayer for JT's weight I just knew He was listening. Jake and I also spent the last two weeks praying for JT and his eye development. Our prayer at first was that his eyes weren't worse. Then, I decided to simply pray over my son. I put my hands on his eyes and specifically asked God to give him vision. I asked God to grow his blood vessels, I asked God to perform a miracle! God DID! JT's eyes are fully developed! When the doctor said everything looks good I said really?!? She said yes. I said I am going to cry. Tears welled up and I just thanked God for the gift of JT's vision! What a blessing. What a miracle!
God does listen and He does heal! God is so good to us, to all of us. He is a loving Father and He allows us to pray for specific things. God likes when we pray for specific things. He can work and His glory can shine when He answers our specific prayers. Imagine if Jake and I just prayed that JT gained weight, how would KNOW that God was answering us? No, it's in our specific prayers that God's glory shines through. We prayed for 8lbs and JT weight 8lbs! We prayed for vision and full development of JT's eyes and once again God blessed us by answering our prayers, your prayers.
The rest of this week we are just going to thank God for his glorious riches in our lives! You are some of those glorious riches in our lives. Thank you for walking with us through all of this and thank you for your prayers.
God bless you all!
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Big week ahead
This week is a big one! On Tuesday JT is going to the pediatrician for a weight check! The pediatrician has already given us permission to stop adding formula to JT's food which is a huge praise! We are praying that he weighs enough continue to not need formula, that we can go to on demand feeding, and that he is just growing appropriately. Jake and I are hoping and praying that he weighs between 8 and 9 lbs! It's a big prayer, but we have a big God!
JT will also be receiving another synagis shot. This is a shot to help prevent RSV. RSV is a lung infection. In older children it is simply a bad cold/cough. If JT gets it, he could die. Sadly RSV is making its way around our church. Please pray with us that Ethan doesn't get it and in turn JT doesn't get it. God has been so amazingly faithful with our health this year, especially Ethan's. So far this winter Ethan has had a runny nose here and there but nothing more. We truly believe that God has a shield of protection around him this winter and we are SO thankful for that! What a huge blessing!
This Wednesday we will also be taking JT for another eye exam. As I am sure many of you remember from my last eye exam post things didn't go well. We know JT can see we just don't know what. We are praying for improvement this time. We are praying that those stubborn blood vessels grow stronger and move forward towards his retina. We are praying that JT isn't going to be blind.
Jake is also visiting a ear nose and throat doctor this week. For the last couple of months he has had something bothering his throat. Please pray for the doctors wisdom. Pray that they are able to determine what is bothering Jake and pray that it is an easy fix.
Lastly on a side note, as you know we got into a fabulous car accident and are now driving a rental :-P Today the rental began to give us problems so we will need to take it back and get another rental. We also learned that it is going to take a month for them to fix the damage done to our car. Pray that the Lord would give me patience. I know its silly to be impatient about a car. I should and am grateful that we even have a rental. It's just frustrating to have so much going on and not be in your own environment. It's just one more thing to worry about. So if you would, pray that our van gets fixed quicker than predicted and that we don't have any more car problems.
Thank you all for joining us on this journey. It is so nice to know that we have people not only praying, but praying specifics. God IS listening! He IS answering! So thank you. Thank you for loving us enough to take time to pray for us, to put for a petition in our name to our loving Father in Heaven.
May God Bless you all!!
JT will also be receiving another synagis shot. This is a shot to help prevent RSV. RSV is a lung infection. In older children it is simply a bad cold/cough. If JT gets it, he could die. Sadly RSV is making its way around our church. Please pray with us that Ethan doesn't get it and in turn JT doesn't get it. God has been so amazingly faithful with our health this year, especially Ethan's. So far this winter Ethan has had a runny nose here and there but nothing more. We truly believe that God has a shield of protection around him this winter and we are SO thankful for that! What a huge blessing!
This Wednesday we will also be taking JT for another eye exam. As I am sure many of you remember from my last eye exam post things didn't go well. We know JT can see we just don't know what. We are praying for improvement this time. We are praying that those stubborn blood vessels grow stronger and move forward towards his retina. We are praying that JT isn't going to be blind.
Jake is also visiting a ear nose and throat doctor this week. For the last couple of months he has had something bothering his throat. Please pray for the doctors wisdom. Pray that they are able to determine what is bothering Jake and pray that it is an easy fix.
Lastly on a side note, as you know we got into a fabulous car accident and are now driving a rental :-P Today the rental began to give us problems so we will need to take it back and get another rental. We also learned that it is going to take a month for them to fix the damage done to our car. Pray that the Lord would give me patience. I know its silly to be impatient about a car. I should and am grateful that we even have a rental. It's just frustrating to have so much going on and not be in your own environment. It's just one more thing to worry about. So if you would, pray that our van gets fixed quicker than predicted and that we don't have any more car problems.
Thank you all for joining us on this journey. It is so nice to know that we have people not only praying, but praying specifics. God IS listening! He IS answering! So thank you. Thank you for loving us enough to take time to pray for us, to put for a petition in our name to our loving Father in Heaven.
May God Bless you all!!
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Good news this time!
Well friends, as many of you know JT had an appointment on Monday at the hospital with the Developmental specialist. Chris is her name. Chris saw JT 2 times while he was in the NICU so it was nice to follow up with her. Chris is very supportive and encouraging which is a nice change! She was SO impressed with JT! She said he is doing "excellent!" She worked with him some on the mat and really just observed. For the most part he looks like a normal 3 week old! We have to keep reminding ourselves that although JT is almost 3 months old he is really only 3 weeks old and should be on track for a 3 week old and not a 3 month old. It's hard to do sometimes.
Anyway, she gave us some things we can do at home to help his brain learn new skills. They are all things you would do with a normal infant.
At the end of our visit she said that if she hadn't seen the MRI and known about the PVL she would never guess that there is anything wrong with him. You might recall that she also said that the day he was evaluated in the hospital. So I take that to mean that he is growing and developing wonderfully!!
This is such blessed news! Last week as I was leaving the ophthamologist I honestly had had enough! God tells us he will give us no more than we can bare and I had all I could handle. I am so thankful to God for this good news and for this reprieve in our lives. It gives me hope and encouragement. It gives me sanity if only for a while :-) (I say this as Ethan is dumping all of his legos on the kitchen floor while JT is sleeping! LOL)
God is so good and just when I have reached my limit and am exhausted with doctors appointments, physical therapy, lack of sleep, a toddler and his 2's, He shows me a light. He guides my steps and gives me strength for the next day, the next trial. I am so thankful that Jake and I lean on the Lord for our strength. Neither of us would be able to handle JT and all of his We hope that this week you will not only keep JT's eyes in your prayers but that this week you will focus your prayers on praising God! Thanking Him for answering our prayers. Thank him for the encouragement and for sustaining us. Thank Him for our marriage and the strength we are finding in each other. Thank Him for Ethan! An amazing big brother who loves and cares for JT! Thank Him for loving us even though we do not deserve it! We too will be thanking God for these things this week. But, we will also be thanking Him for you as we have been doing throughout all of this. God gives us each other to lean on to rely on and we are so thankful that we have to to lean on for strength and encouragement.
Many blessings!
Anyway, she gave us some things we can do at home to help his brain learn new skills. They are all things you would do with a normal infant.
At the end of our visit she said that if she hadn't seen the MRI and known about the PVL she would never guess that there is anything wrong with him. You might recall that she also said that the day he was evaluated in the hospital. So I take that to mean that he is growing and developing wonderfully!!
This is such blessed news! Last week as I was leaving the ophthamologist I honestly had had enough! God tells us he will give us no more than we can bare and I had all I could handle. I am so thankful to God for this good news and for this reprieve in our lives. It gives me hope and encouragement. It gives me sanity if only for a while :-) (I say this as Ethan is dumping all of his legos on the kitchen floor while JT is sleeping! LOL)
God is so good and just when I have reached my limit and am exhausted with doctors appointments, physical therapy, lack of sleep, a toddler and his 2's, He shows me a light. He guides my steps and gives me strength for the next day, the next trial. I am so thankful that Jake and I lean on the Lord for our strength. Neither of us would be able to handle JT and all of his We hope that this week you will not only keep JT's eyes in your prayers but that this week you will focus your prayers on praising God! Thanking Him for answering our prayers. Thank him for the encouragement and for sustaining us. Thank Him for our marriage and the strength we are finding in each other. Thank Him for Ethan! An amazing big brother who loves and cares for JT! Thank Him for loving us even though we do not deserve it! We too will be thanking God for these things this week. But, we will also be thanking Him for you as we have been doing throughout all of this. God gives us each other to lean on to rely on and we are so thankful that we have to to lean on for strength and encouragement.
Many blessings!
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Not the news we hoped for
Today I took JT to the Ophthalmologist. After waiting for over an hour we finally saw the doctor. The exam took a matter of minutes and at the end of it all she said "well, it's not good".
I of course went some what numb upon hearing that, just like the first time I heard JT had brain damage. So what she said next is my version of a recap, about all I can remember. Some of the information might be a little off since I was in somewhat of a daze listening to her.
She went on to explain that there is a ridge or a wall so to speak that has developed. Justin has gone from stage 0 to stage 1... not good. The only question I was able to ask was what are the chances that his eyes will get better. She said they will most likely get better but we really have to watch him. So JT will now have to have an eye exam every 2 weeks and if things continue to look dim we will go every couple of days.
For those of you who worry that I haven't cried, I cried. I called my dearest girl Em and cried on the way home. Knowing that God loves me and my family and knowing that He has a plan in all of this wasn't enough in that moment. My heart broke, my heart sank. But God has sustained me once again. I told Em on the way home that I am done! I can't take anymore! I know God tells us that He will never give us more than we can handle, but I think I am done. After 2 car accidents, brain damage, eye problems, burning my fingers in hot cooking oil, the van completely breaking at the hospital... I have had enough! But as I sit here and right this I can feel God's loving arms around me saying, lean on me! Let ME carry you! So, I sit here and put my trust in Him. I am not happy but I am not depressed either. I have faith, it may be the faith of a mustard seed, but that's all He asks of us anyway.
I told God while I was driving to PT tonight that He needed to give me a song to worship Him with b/c I was angry. Some of the words from the song He gave me "...Here am I, all of me. Take my life, it's all for thee...
He reminded me that I am not my own, but I belong to Him. He made me and He made JT. He made us all! Our purpose in life is to love the Lord our God with all our hearts, no matter the situation or circumstance!
If you want to listen to the song go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rEzbwcMG9Gc
Thank you all for your prayers and support. Sometimes just know that we are being prayed for is enough to make it through a day of bad news, or sad news.
Many blessings to you all!
I of course went some what numb upon hearing that, just like the first time I heard JT had brain damage. So what she said next is my version of a recap, about all I can remember. Some of the information might be a little off since I was in somewhat of a daze listening to her.
She went on to explain that there is a ridge or a wall so to speak that has developed. Justin has gone from stage 0 to stage 1... not good. The only question I was able to ask was what are the chances that his eyes will get better. She said they will most likely get better but we really have to watch him. So JT will now have to have an eye exam every 2 weeks and if things continue to look dim we will go every couple of days.
For those of you who worry that I haven't cried, I cried. I called my dearest girl Em and cried on the way home. Knowing that God loves me and my family and knowing that He has a plan in all of this wasn't enough in that moment. My heart broke, my heart sank. But God has sustained me once again. I told Em on the way home that I am done! I can't take anymore! I know God tells us that He will never give us more than we can handle, but I think I am done. After 2 car accidents, brain damage, eye problems, burning my fingers in hot cooking oil, the van completely breaking at the hospital... I have had enough! But as I sit here and right this I can feel God's loving arms around me saying, lean on me! Let ME carry you! So, I sit here and put my trust in Him. I am not happy but I am not depressed either. I have faith, it may be the faith of a mustard seed, but that's all He asks of us anyway.
I told God while I was driving to PT tonight that He needed to give me a song to worship Him with b/c I was angry. Some of the words from the song He gave me "...Here am I, all of me. Take my life, it's all for thee...
He reminded me that I am not my own, but I belong to Him. He made me and He made JT. He made us all! Our purpose in life is to love the Lord our God with all our hearts, no matter the situation or circumstance!
If you want to listen to the song go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rEzbwcMG9Gc
Thank you all for your prayers and support. Sometimes just know that we are being prayed for is enough to make it through a day of bad news, or sad news.
Many blessings to you all!
New Photos
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Prayers for JT's eyes
Hello once again friends. So I actually wrote this a few days ago and forgot to post it. sorry for the past tense. The appointment is today at 2:15pm.
This Thursday is JT's next eye exam. We are really praying that his blood vessels have developed. If the blood vessels have not reached his retina's then we will begin to go back to the hospital a few times a week. They will then begin to look for abnormalities in his eye development that could cause blindness. So as you can see we are REALLY hoping and praying for a miracle! We are asking God to develop all of his blood vessels so we don't have to have any more appointments with the Ophthalmologist. Thank you for praying with us!
On a side note, if you would, please keep me in your prayers. I am continuing to heal well from knee surgery but am still unable to do many things. I will also find out on Thursday if I will be able to climb stairs, chase after Ethan.... without having another surgery. If not then Jake and I will need to determine the best time (for me to be on crutches for 6-8weeks... is there ever a good time for that??) for the next surgery and rehab. Pray that God will enable this to occur. As I am sure you can imagine the medical bills around here are fierce. We need God's intervention on this. He tells us that He will provide and so far He has! You have heard me say it before but I will say it again, we have been SO blessed! God has certainly taken care of us. We are just putting our hope and our trust in Him and asking him to bless our finances as well.
Thank you all for your love!
Melissa
This Thursday is JT's next eye exam. We are really praying that his blood vessels have developed. If the blood vessels have not reached his retina's then we will begin to go back to the hospital a few times a week. They will then begin to look for abnormalities in his eye development that could cause blindness. So as you can see we are REALLY hoping and praying for a miracle! We are asking God to develop all of his blood vessels so we don't have to have any more appointments with the Ophthalmologist. Thank you for praying with us!
On a side note, if you would, please keep me in your prayers. I am continuing to heal well from knee surgery but am still unable to do many things. I will also find out on Thursday if I will be able to climb stairs, chase after Ethan.... without having another surgery. If not then Jake and I will need to determine the best time (for me to be on crutches for 6-8weeks... is there ever a good time for that??) for the next surgery and rehab. Pray that God will enable this to occur. As I am sure you can imagine the medical bills around here are fierce. We need God's intervention on this. He tells us that He will provide and so far He has! You have heard me say it before but I will say it again, we have been SO blessed! God has certainly taken care of us. We are just putting our hope and our trust in Him and asking him to bless our finances as well.
Thank you all for your love!
Melissa
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
First of the doctors appointments
Hello everyone!
We hope you are doing well! Everyone here is doing really well and adjusting nicely. Since JT has been home we have been busy to say the least. I had my knee surgery on the 29th and am in physical therapy 3x a week all while going to 2-4 doctors appointments for JT. Here is the news on me and my knee, then I will get into news on JT. When the doctor went in to clean my knee they realized that the problem wasn't the broken cartilage in my knee. Instead my knee cap is misaligned. The doctor told me in order for me to walk up stairs, jump, run... I will need to have my knee cap repositioned. So, sometime in the near future (this summer most likely) I will be having another sugery. This time the doctor will fracture my leg in order to move my tendons over to put my knee cap in the correct position. (UGH!) The frustrating part is that the recovery time is 6-8 weeks on crutches. So please pray that Jake and I are able to time the surgery well and that this will be the end of my knee pains!
Okay, enough about me... onto JT. In the past two weeks we have had numerous appointments. When we visited the Ophthalmologist we learned that JT's vision is still underdeveloped. The blood vessels in his eyes are not fully developed so we will be returning every 2 weeks for a while and then every couple of days. (there go my hopes of not returning to the hospital for a while). We also learned that the reason we have to go see them so frequently is b/c if the blood vessels don't fully develop and reach his retina he could be or go blind. So please pray that his blood vessels will develop properly and as soon as possible.
We also went to see the neurologist at Children's hospital. This appointment was a little more of an introductory appointment. We will be seeing this doctor for the next few years. We were able to see JT's brain MRI at the appointment and sadly the brain damage was much more extensive than I ever thought. HOWEVER, the doctor even said that we have great reason to hope. He is so young and the brain is amazing! The functioning parts of his brain are able to learn the skills of the part that is damaged. She said that she believes he will walk and talk it's just a matter of when. Please continue to pray for JT's development. The damage to his brain affects every single area of development. Motor skills, social skills, cognitive skills, vision... I know some of you are just breaking down right now, but don't. We have a big God and a good God. He tells us that He has plans to prosper us and not to harm us. Although this could be a hard road for our family we have faith and strength in God. He can and does carry us in times of need and trouble. When we can't take another step He will carry us. He sustains us, He loves us!! We are so blessed and our faith in God keeps us grounded and strong. We are not upset by this news, instead we are encouraged. God is amazing. We are so excited to see how God is going to use JT for His glory! We are excited to share with you how God uses every situation for His goodness and glory!
We have had two other appointments in the last two weeks. We saw a specialist from the county and JT will be "evaluated" in a few weeks. This again was more of an introduction to the county. The bottom line is, JT is too young for them to really evaluate anything. Although he is over 2mos old his adjusted age is like 1 week. (his due date was Jan. 7) So he is treated like a 1 week old not a 2 mos old.
Our last appointment was with the cardiologist today. JT has two small holes in his heart which are normal for all babies and they should close up. He also has a small murmmer which should cease soon as well. The cardiologist said that he looks good, we have nothing to worry about and we don't need to see him again... YAY!
So our prayers are just for sustaining strength, and energy. Its hard to wake in the night with a newborn but even harder when you have to take 2 little ones to appointments daily. Please pray for Jake as he has been able to take time off of work to come to all of JT's appointments. He has been so strong for us all while continuing to do his job. His boss has been supportive and encouraging and we have been so blessed by him. (his name is Cormak) Pray for my knee that it continues to "heal" as much as possible so that I can have the next surgery.
We have been so blessed by you all and are so thankful for your love, support and prayers. Please continue to pray for us and for our family. We will continue to lean on the Lord and trust in Him. We draw our strength from Him and can't imagine how hard this would be without His love for us.
This is the last update I will be sending out. If you would like to follow JT's progress please check out our blog. If you want an update when we make a new post you just have to subscribe to the blog. You won't get any junk mail, just an email from our blog letting you know we have a new post. We are also able to post pictures to it as well.
We truly pray that God blesses each of you.
Love in Christ Jesus our Rock
Jake and Melissa
We hope you are doing well! Everyone here is doing really well and adjusting nicely. Since JT has been home we have been busy to say the least. I had my knee surgery on the 29th and am in physical therapy 3x a week all while going to 2-4 doctors appointments for JT. Here is the news on me and my knee, then I will get into news on JT. When the doctor went in to clean my knee they realized that the problem wasn't the broken cartilage in my knee. Instead my knee cap is misaligned. The doctor told me in order for me to walk up stairs, jump, run... I will need to have my knee cap repositioned. So, sometime in the near future (this summer most likely) I will be having another sugery. This time the doctor will fracture my leg in order to move my tendons over to put my knee cap in the correct position. (UGH!) The frustrating part is that the recovery time is 6-8 weeks on crutches. So please pray that Jake and I are able to time the surgery well and that this will be the end of my knee pains!
Okay, enough about me... onto JT. In the past two weeks we have had numerous appointments. When we visited the Ophthalmologist we learned that JT's vision is still underdeveloped. The blood vessels in his eyes are not fully developed so we will be returning every 2 weeks for a while and then every couple of days. (there go my hopes of not returning to the hospital for a while). We also learned that the reason we have to go see them so frequently is b/c if the blood vessels don't fully develop and reach his retina he could be or go blind. So please pray that his blood vessels will develop properly and as soon as possible.
We also went to see the neurologist at Children's hospital. This appointment was a little more of an introductory appointment. We will be seeing this doctor for the next few years. We were able to see JT's brain MRI at the appointment and sadly the brain damage was much more extensive than I ever thought. HOWEVER, the doctor even said that we have great reason to hope. He is so young and the brain is amazing! The functioning parts of his brain are able to learn the skills of the part that is damaged. She said that she believes he will walk and talk it's just a matter of when. Please continue to pray for JT's development. The damage to his brain affects every single area of development. Motor skills, social skills, cognitive skills, vision... I know some of you are just breaking down right now, but don't. We have a big God and a good God. He tells us that He has plans to prosper us and not to harm us. Although this could be a hard road for our family we have faith and strength in God. He can and does carry us in times of need and trouble. When we can't take another step He will carry us. He sustains us, He loves us!! We are so blessed and our faith in God keeps us grounded and strong. We are not upset by this news, instead we are encouraged. God is amazing. We are so excited to see how God is going to use JT for His glory! We are excited to share with you how God uses every situation for His goodness and glory!
We have had two other appointments in the last two weeks. We saw a specialist from the county and JT will be "evaluated" in a few weeks. This again was more of an introduction to the county. The bottom line is, JT is too young for them to really evaluate anything. Although he is over 2mos old his adjusted age is like 1 week. (his due date was Jan. 7) So he is treated like a 1 week old not a 2 mos old.
Our last appointment was with the cardiologist today. JT has two small holes in his heart which are normal for all babies and they should close up. He also has a small murmmer which should cease soon as well. The cardiologist said that he looks good, we have nothing to worry about and we don't need to see him again... YAY!
So our prayers are just for sustaining strength, and energy. Its hard to wake in the night with a newborn but even harder when you have to take 2 little ones to appointments daily. Please pray for Jake as he has been able to take time off of work to come to all of JT's appointments. He has been so strong for us all while continuing to do his job. His boss has been supportive and encouraging and we have been so blessed by him. (his name is Cormak) Pray for my knee that it continues to "heal" as much as possible so that I can have the next surgery.
We have been so blessed by you all and are so thankful for your love, support and prayers. Please continue to pray for us and for our family. We will continue to lean on the Lord and trust in Him. We draw our strength from Him and can't imagine how hard this would be without His love for us.
This is the last update I will be sending out. If you would like to follow JT's progress please check out our blog. If you want an update when we make a new post you just have to subscribe to the blog. You won't get any junk mail, just an email from our blog letting you know we have a new post. We are also able to post pictures to it as well.
We truly pray that God blesses each of you.
Love in Christ Jesus our Rock
Jake and Melissa
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