Homecoming!

Judah was discharged today around dinner time. What a blessing to all be home together again. There has been so much upheaval in our lives in the last two weeks, and we're looking forward to laying low this weekend, watching Judah closely and just enjoy being together again.

Judah's appetite has returned, but his body doesn't quite seem ready for him to eat a lot. He's thrown up twice today, once this morning and once on our way home from the hospital tonight. We are trying to discern if he's throwing up from eating or from the pain medication he's been on. I'm going to try giving him only Tylenol to get him through the night tonight, and hopefully he'll do well. Hopefully, that will help me determine why he might be throwing up.

I think the boys enjoyed seeing each other again, and they both definitely seemed to enjoy being back in their own home again. Tucker was intrigued by the bandages on Judah's head, and he adopted a new word into his vocabulary tonight: "boo boo". Hopefully, we'll be able to teach him to keep his hands off Judah's boo boo's.

Surgically, there were three cuts total: 2 on his skull and 1 on his belly. Judah seemed to be a bit more bothered tonight than he has been yet by the wound on his belly. And, he was still a bit unsteady when he tried to walk and play around on the floor tonight, I am guessing from the narcotic he's been on. I could tell he wanted to eat, but I was hesitant to give him much. I think he would have really loved a sippy of warm milk, but I held off for one more night.

Please pray that:

• I will be able to discern when/if I need to call the neuro. team at Hopkins re: any potential complications. As if I am not a bit neurotic already about observing him, I was given a new list of things to watch for that might indicate an infection w/ the shunt or shunt failure of some kind.
• I will be able to manage Judah's pain well with just Tylenol and not have to bother with the prescribed narcotic.
• Judah's stomach will tolerate a normal diet soon, and that my little man will get the nourishment he so desperately needs right now.
• Tucker and Judah will leave Judah's "boo boo's" alone and that Judah won't fall on his belly or head.
• There will be no complications with Judah's healing and his body's acceptance of this foreign object in his body.
• The shunt will function properly and keep Judah's ICP (intracranial pressure) normal.
• We will wisely, diligently and with compassion shepherd our boys' hearts through the lot God has assigned to us.
• We will all continue to rest well, nourish our bodies as well as our souls through God's Word to sort of "recover" from the recent upheaval in our life.

Thanks so much for continuing to pray and to leave comments. It means a great deal to us, and we are able to pass on to the boys how much they are loved by God's people. Thank you.

Special thanks today:

• Heather Griger: again for keeping Tucker, for talking through some of the medical end of things with Judah's situation. Boy, am I grateful that neuro. is your specialty. How kind of God to provide you for a friend. And, thanks for that awesome dinner. What a treat!
• Benjamin Kim: for the sweet card and stickers. I can't wait to let Judah play with them.
• Jo Powell and our buddies, Kyle and Liam: for reminding me it was story day at the library and going out for a treat together afterwards. We had a great time as usual with ya'll, and it was nice to do something we normally would do on a Friday (only Judah wasn't with us).
• Kara Beth: It was nice to get your call and to hear about your job. Thanks for making me laugh. It really is the best medicine. :)

I may not post so much this weekend unless there is something that comes up that we might need prayer for. But, thanks for keeping us in your prayers anyway. Having Judah recover at home may prove to be the more challenging part of all of this, but we will have to wait and see how he does.