A Very Rare Occurence

All the people in my house are asleep all at once, except for me. And, actually Bella has yet to fall asleep, but she's on her way. I should be taking advantage of such an opportunity by catching a few winks myself, but I'm going to blog instead. My friend, Lydia, sent this to me via email and I thought I'd post my responses here on the blog. If you think it's fun, copy and paste the questions and post it on your blog or shoot me an email with your answers. I don't normally do these, but I have a second and don't feel like folding laundry. :)

1. Where do you work? From home as a wife, mommy and homemaker.

2. What color are your socks right now? Barefoot.

3.What are you listening to right now? The noisy breathing of my beautiful baby girl along with the peaceful inhale/exhales of my gorgeous husband.

4. What was the last thing that you ate? Does a cold eeze count? Otherwise, a pita pizza.

5. Can you drive a stick shift? Love to.

6. If you were a crayon, what color would you be? Some kind of earthy green.

7. Last person you spoke to on the phone? My father-in-law.

8. Do you like the person who sent this to you? Yes and I wasn’t expecting her to email this to me, so now I’m hoping she’ll read this blog.

9. How old are you today? 30

10. Favorite drink? I have a few: diet caffeine free coke, herbal teas, iced coffees from Dunkin Donuts and good ol' fashioned water!

11. What is your favorite sport to watch? Football--Pro. and Highschool.

12. Have you ever dyed your hair? Yes and have many bad hair stories to share sometime.

13. Any pets? Nope and don't want any...ever.

14. Favorite food? chocolate if that counts as a food.

15. What was the last movie you watched? Chariots of Fire

16. Favorite day of the year? Easter Sunday

17. What do you do to vent anger? Oh, not anything productive or God-glorifying most of the time: throw things, hit things, slam dishes, doors, yell. Occasionally, I'll clean like a crazy woman or run.

18. Favorite childhood toy? Water babies (something my sister and I created ourselves).

19. Cherries or Blueberries? Bing Cherries love 'em; Bluberries, in milk with sugar or frozen with lemon yogurt.

20. Do you want your friends to post this? Pretty please?

21. Who is most likely to respond? Zoanna if she hasn't already and if she's feeling better (hope
so).

22. Who is least likely to respond? Amanda Kim--but I love ya nonetheless. :)

23. Living arrangements? Town home

24. When was the last time you cried? teared up over the V.Tech coverage.

25. What is on the floor of your closet? shoes and clothing I need to send to Beth Chase.

26. Who is the friend you have had the longest that you are sending this to? Well, if my friend, Shannon Fisher is still reading this..it's her. We've known each other from birth and ended up as roommates our freshman year of college. Are you out there?

27. What did you do last night? Inputted receipts into Quicken, sitting next to my hubby who was also working, both watching a very stupid show, "Swapping Spouses" (or whatever it's called)

28. Favorite smells: my babies' breaths, fresh spring air.

29. What do you regret the most in life? that I gave my parents such a hard time as a teenager.

30. What are you most afraid of? My hubby dying on me.

31. What are your favorite types of hamburgers? Veggie

32. Favorite breed of dog? Not a dog person.

33. Number of keys on your key ring? 3

34. How many years at your current job? 3

35. Favorite day of the week? Sunday

36. Which states have you lived in? Maryland and Pennsylvania.

37. Favorite Holiday? Easter

38. Ever driven a Motorcycle or heavy machinery? No

Other Recipes

Shrimp Salad:

If buying frozen shrimp (not cooked), thaw in water; clean by splitting the backs.

Put together a marinade of beer or wine (a pink blush), Old Bay, white pepper, 1t. italian seasoning. Marinade in sealed container for at least 1/2 hour.

Drain marinade into saucepan and boil with a little water added to it if needed. When water is boiled, throw in shrimp and 'steam' for not very long...just until it turns pink. Drain, cut up shrimp and add mayo to taste. Serve on Kaiser rolls.

Creamy Tomato Soup:

1 medium onion, chopped
2 T. butter
2 cans (10 3/4 oz each) condensed tomato soup
1 can (14 oz.) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 1/2 cups milk
1 t. sugar
1/2-1 t. dried basil
1/2-1 t. paprika
1/8-1/4 t. garlic powder
1 pkg. (8 oz) cream cheese, at room temp. & cubed (I usually use only half or less)

In a saucepan, saute onion in butter until tender. Stir in tomato soups and tomatoes, milk, sugar, basil, paprika and garlic powder. Bring to boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in cream cheese until melted. Great to enjoy with grilled cheese sandwiches. YUMMY!!

Quesadillas con huevos, frijoles y avocados (don't know the word for avocado in spanish) :)

Simply make cheese quesadillas, fry an egg, and heat up black beans in your microwave. I like to drain the beans and rinse them to minimize the sodium. Peel and slice avocado.
To assemble:
quesadillas cut in triangles go on the bottom, followed by a bed of black beans, fried egg on top of that and then sliced avocado. I like to sprinkle a little paprika on top for extra color to an already very colorful dish. Enjoy!

If you want me to post any other recipes from my summer meal list, let me know in the comments. Otherwise, I'm hoping to move on to other topics real soon. :)

Excellent and Easy

I tried a new recipe from Real Simple, and loved it. It was really simple to make, no oven required and tasted great! I will say the original recipe is not the healthiest, but there are ways to make it healthier. So, here it is along with my healthier substitutions.

Tortellini with bacon, greens, and brown butter (don't ya think this needs a different name?!)
1 pound cheese or meat tortellini (I use cheese)
4 ounces sliced bacon (I used turkey bacon)
6 T. unsalted butter (I used only 4 and will try Smart Balance or Olive Oil next time I make it)
2 cups arugula, about 1 bunch (I used fresh baby spinach)
1/4 t. kosher salt (I didn't use any)
1/4 t. black pepper (I didn't use any)

Cook the tortellini according to package directions. Meanwhile, cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crisp, 7 to 9 minutes. Reserve bacon and discard the drippings. Wipe out skillet and return to medium heat. Add the butter and brown. Remove from heat. Break bacon into small pieces and add to skillet with the arugula (spinach), salt, pepper and cooked tortellini. Toss well and divide among individual bowls. Serves 4.

I will try to post some of my other summer recipes sometime this week.

A Great Parenting Resource

If you are a parent and trying to raise your children in a way that glorifies God, then you need encouragement on a daily basis. It is no small task to raise our children to love the Lord with all their heart, mind, soul and strength. May I recommend an excellent parenting series I have listened to that you may listen to free of charge, right online?! It is taught by Kenneth Maresco, a pastor on staff at Covenant Life Church in Gaithersburg, a church that is a part of our larger body of churches that belong to Sovereign Grace Ministries.

Here is the link for your listening pleasure and encouragement:

http://www.covlife.org/sermons/moremessages/parenttraining.php

My Summer Meals List...

...so far.
I'm up to 17 different meal ideas and would like to get to about 25 to circulate through for the rest of the spring season and throughout the summer. Here's my list, and at the end of it, I'll post one of our favorite recipes. Let me know if you want recipes for any of the other things on this list. You will see, though, that my list is rather simple. Most of these things do not require a recipe; they're intuitive. It's almost embarrassing to post my list, but for any other mommas out there of young kiddos, you may appreciate seeing the reality of our very meager dinner options over here.

1. Pizza Bagels
2. Tomato Soup with grilled cheese--I have a special recipe for the tomato soup
3. Zuchinni Chowder
4. Taco Salad
5. Grilled Chicken Salad
6. Shrimp Salad Sandwiches--I have a great recipe from Doug Shriner
7. Spaghetti with meatballs
8. Pork BBQ sandwiches
9. Grilled meat with fresh fruit and veggies
10. Chicken Pot pie--I have a yummy new recipe I got from Allrecipes.com
11. Tortellini--I usually put it with spaghetti sauce, but I'm going to try a new recipe I found in Real Simple
12. Tuna melts
13. Egg salad pitas
14. White Chili--I have several recipes, but am still trying to find the best all around.
15. BLT’s
16. Quesadillas with egg, beans and avocado--This might sound like an odd combination, but I had it on a get away with my husband down at a little cafe in Solomon's Island, and it was amazing. Now, I make my own version of their dish.
17. Tortilla soup: recipe on Allrecipes.com

I can't remember if I've posted this recipe already or not, but it's for Zuchinni Chowder. It's a recipe my mom gave to me, and it is one of our all time favorite meals.

2 medium zuchini, chopped (I like larger chunks)
2 T. minced fresh parsley (or 1T. dried)
1t. dried basil
1/3 cup margarine or butter
1/3 cup flour
1t.salt
1/4 t. pepper
3 cups water
3 chicken bouillon cubes
1 t. lemon juice
1 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 (12 oz) can evaporated milk
1 pkg (10 oz) frozen corn
1/4 cup grated Parm. cheese
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (I NEVER add this b/c the soup is thick and rich enough without it, but it's in the original recipe, so I made sure to put it here).
pinch of sugar, optional

In a dutch oven or soup kettle, over medium heat, saute the zuchinni, parsley and basil in butter until veggies are tender. Stir in flour, salt, pepper. Gradually stir in water. Add bouillon and lemon juice; mix well. Bring to boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes. Add tomatoes, milk, corn; bring to boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 5 minutes or until corn is tender. Just before serving, stir in cheeses until melted. Add sugar and garnish with parsley if desired.
Yields about 2 1/2 quarts.

Enjoy!

Several Things

1st: Ben and Jerry's is having a free icecream cone day. Go here to get more information and find a participating store nearest you.

2nd: Yesterday, I ventured down to Hopkins with Judah, Bella and my dear friend, De who was a great help and wonderful company. Judah had an EUA (evaluation under anesthesia) for his eyes, and things went much better than I anticipated them to go in my faithless heart. Before we took off for Hopkins very early in the morning, the Lord led me to Psalm 91 where I read some things that helped to bolster my faith for the day.

If you make the Most High your dwelling—even the LORD, who is my refuge-
then no harm will befall you, no disaster will come near your tent.
For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways

"Because he loves me," says the LORD, "I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.
He will call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him.
With long life will I satisfy him and show him my salvation.
Ps. 91:9-11, 14-16

Judah's eyes looked good, glaucoma-wise--no need for surgery. Thank you, Lord!! There is something the surgeon continues to see in Judah's right optic nerve that is of concern to him, but not anything that seems emergent. It could just be the way Judah's nerve looks given all the vasculature in his head. We will follow up about this concern with Judah's neurologist probably sometime next month.

Having Bella along was not a problem. She slept almost the entire time and was ready to nurse at just the opportune moment. De had some one on one time with her while I cared for Judah in the post-op. room and then, she fell asleep again for our ride home.

Judah did great with the anesthesia; although still a bit groggy when we returned home. By evening, you would never have known he had been put under that morning; he was back to his rowdy self, enjoying rough-housing with his brother.

Finally, I'm sure by now you have read or heard about the horrific shooting incident at Virginia Tech yesterday. We have prayed several times in our home over the last several hours, and our thoughts are turned toward the relative insecurity of this life here on earth. This morning I read from Ephesians 1, and there is provided a wonderful promise in light of the many wrongs committed yesterday down in Blacksburg.

And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment—to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ.
Ephesians 1:9,10

The commentary provided in my NIV Study Bible stated the following in regards to verse 10:

Paul uses a significant term here that not only has the idea of leadership but also was often used of adding up a column of figures. A contemporary way of putting it might be to say that in a world of confusion, where things do not "add up" or make sense, we look forward to the time when everything will be brought into meaningful relationship under the headship of Christ.

What a wonderful thing to set our minds upon as we think about and pray for the many people affected by yesterday's shootings. One day, Christ will right all the wrongs done here on earth. Thank you, Lord.

Our Doctor Day

We had a busy day yesterday, but God's grace saw us through. I took Bella to the pulmonologist for a follow up visit in the morning and after sharing my observations of Bella over the last month, we decided to try yet another medication. So, Bella is now on three reflux medications. I'm never excited about giving my children prescription medications, but when it's needed I'm grateful they're so readily available to us. And, while our medical costs add up quickly, again I have to give thanks that God has always provided for us!

I rushed home to nurse Bella and then headed out again with the boys to pick up the prescriptions at Target, leaving Bella with my mother-in-law. That evening, we had another appointment with our pediatrician. It was Bella's 2 month check up, and Judah needed a pre-op. physical in order to go under anesthesia on Monday.

Bella is doing very well with her growth despite her breathing and reflux issues. She is in the 95th percentile for both height and weight!! This was so reassuring to me, and I give thanks for God sustaining and growing her. She also received her first round of immunizations which I never find easy to put my children through. But, I know it's for their best and for the good of others, so we do it. Today, however, she is having diarrhea. It could be a reaction to the shots, but I'm guessing that she, just like everyone else in our family but me so far, has fallen prey to this awful stomach virus. Please pray she'll be spared of the vomiting and high fever part of this virus and that she'll eat sufficiently to stay hydrated and out of the hospital.

While all the members of my family have been sick with the stomach virus, it's only been one at a time which has made it manageable. Thank you, Lord! I'm praying that if I do get it (and pray that I don't, please) that I'll get it on a weekend so that Lawrence can be home to care for the kids.

Judah will have an EUA (evaluation under anesthesia) on Monday morning at the early hour of 6 a.m. Please pray he will remain healthy for this procedure and that there will not be any significant signs of glaucoma which would require surgery. Thanks so much!

Summer Meal Ideas

It seems at some point, everyone has a post like this. So, now it's my turn. I'm posting to ask for summer meal ideas. I would like to come up with a list of 20-30 meal ideas to rotate throughout the spring/summer seasons. To be considered a summer meal, it has to be cooked on the stovetop, in the microwave, slow cooker or on the grill...no oven made meals. If you have the time to spare, please post your favorite summer meal in my comment box or on your own blog and let me know it's there. After a week, I'll post my favorite summer meal for ya'll to enjoy.

My Little Trooper

We didn't make it to church yesterday but celebrated at home with our resurrection eggs and lunch with Lawrence's family. Judah did end up getting a little touch of the stomach bug, but never threw up and never really appeared too sick, just a little diarrhea. So, we stayed home hoping to minimize the spread of this awful virus.

Today, I had to take Judah back to the dentist as she was unable to examine him upon our most recent visit. He was an amazing little man, sitting perfectly still while Dr. Diana examined his mouth. She pinched his cheeks, pressed on his gums and scraped some of his front teeth that had some superficial staining on them. He sat still the entire time, chatting her ear off. They wear grape flavored examining gloves. Judah must have tasted them because at one point, he exclaimed, "Tasty!" as she felt inside his mouth. After so many tortorous dr's appointments, it's so refreshing to have my little man cooperate and not be afraid. Thank you, Lord!

This week, I'll take Bella back to the pulmonologist for a follow up. She also has her 2 month check up where I imagine she'll begin to get her immunizations. :( Judah will also be going in to our pediatrician for a pre-op. physical as he will have an EUA (evaluation under anasthesia) next Monday for which a physical is required.

Passed Over...or so we thought!

For months, a nasty stomach virus has been making its way through the homes of many of the friends around us while we've gone untouched...until last night! Tucker threw up twice which wasn't all that bad compared to some of the stories I've heard from others. I don't know that he's in the clear yet as he's complaining that his belly hurts this morning and did not want to eat breakfast. So, I have the little buddy watching videos, carrying a Glad container around with him which he has since learned he needs to aim for if he thinks he's going to "spit out" (as he calls it).

The rest of us are waiting and praying that the "angel of stomach virus" will pass over us if he sees our doorposts sprinkled with bleach. (Forgive me if that's sacreligious; it's just my husband's sense of humor.)

We had a laser treatment scheduled for Judah for tomorrow, but I have cancelled that given the circumstances and potential for him or me to get it. I was really wanting to get him back into a consistent schedule with the treatments as I think they make a big difference when we're able to take him regularly. I am having to trust God's wisdom and timing is best even though I would choose otherwise. I have only to consider the cross, considered foolishness to those who are perishing but to those of us who are being saved, the power of God (I Corinthians 1:18). Here is the very truth we are seeking to celebrate this very weekend (which we will most likely be doing from home this year).

Obviously, we'd appreciate your prayers for our family. It would be great if Tucker was the only one who ends up getting it, but I'm not counting on that. My greatest concern is for the baby. Please pray Bella remains healthy.

We have several doctor's appointments coming up in the next two-three weeks for Judah and Bella. Please pray they are healthy enough to make these appointments (seems funny to ask for health to go to the doctor) :) It can be difficult to re-schedule for some of the specialists we need to see.

Thanks so much for your prayers. Have a great weekend celebrating our Savior's death and resurrection!!

Sustaining Grace

Here's a quote I've heard many times and have written down on a little piece of paper, occasionally placing it on my counter or kitchen cabinets to remind me just what sustaining grace is and looks like in the midst of trying circumstances. Perhaps it will encourage your heart today, too.

"Sustaining Grace:
Not grace to bar what is not bliss
Nor banish all sorrow, but this:
Grace that orders all our pain
Then in the dark is there to sustain."
John Piper

Many times I wish God's grace would bar what is not bliss and banish all my sorrow, but I am grateful that while this is not true, He does provide the reassurance that all our pain is ordained by His loving Hand and will not remain any longer than He, in His perfect wisdom, determines is best. Admittedly, I have faltered in my faith and trust of God's loving hand in the past week. I have grown weary and at times, dropped my shield of faith and the flaming arrows of the Enemy have pierced my faint heart. Nevertheless, God remains faithful and is amazingly patient with me, consistently providing aid and restoring me when I have fallen. Thank you, Lord.

Bella has improved somewhat with her reflux, but not to the place that I would prefer. Feeding can still be a bit of a challenge with her gagging and arching and still just not eating as much as I think she should be eating. But, after borrowing a friend's baby scale, I saw that Bella seems to be gaining the weight she should be at this stage of her life. So, I'm giving thanks and trying not to worry too much about how little I think she eats.

This week I am taking the boys to their dentist appointment with the help of my Mother-in-law. I have not yet figured out, nor want to try to figure it out at this point, how to handle three children under three at a doctor's appointment. So, I'm grateful my mother-in-law is available to help. I am concerned about Judah's teeth. There is some staining on his teeth that I'm unsure what it is or why it's there. Tucker has no staining and the two of them are on the same medicines, eat the same food, keep the same dental hygeine. So, I'm eager to hear what the dentist has to say about this. Also, the dentist will be assessing again any potential drastic discrepancy in Judah's jaw bone growth as the one side of his face swells up and seems to grow at a faster rate than the other.

Please pray that:

• Judah's teeth staining will be a non-issue, and we'll be able to simply get them scraped or something like that to remove the stains.
• Judah's right jaw bone will not have grown disproportionately to his left.
• Bella's reflux will improve even more on her prescribed medicines and that she will begin to eat better.
• God would help me guard my heart against unbelief in His goodness
• Our family would know God's sustaining grace in an experiential way as we continue to make this transition to having three kiddos.

God's Many Mercies

Bella had some tests done at the Univ. of MD hospital yesterday: a sleep study and an Upper GI/Airway Fluoroscopy. The sleep study entailed many electrodes, 2 belts hooked around her chest and abdomen, and gauze wrapped around her head. We nursed (or tried to) while hooked up to all that, and she was supposed to sleep and be awake for a little bit, too. She did all of this for the technicians, and they were able to make some definitive observations.

Mostly what came of that was a clear indication that Bella has some really bad acid reflux. The two women who administered the test said that it was some of the most significant demonstrations of reflux they had ever seen: lots of arching, gulping, gagging, and very irritable. Even as an "experienced" mom, I did not necessarily see all the signs pointing to reflux. I was noting over the last couple days that she wasn't eating as consistently or very much at a feeding, but I never thought it could be a result of the pain and discomfort she was experiencing from reflux. It didn't occur to me because the way reflux showed up in the boys was through lots of spit up, vomiting, etc. Bella wasn't really spitting up all that much.

Because Bella's reflux is so bad, she was put on another reflux medicine to work in conjunction with the Zantac she's already taking. The doctor told me to watch for signs of dehydration over the next day or several days in case she decides to stop eating because she's in so much pain, and the new medicines may take a couple days to have an impact on her. Last night's feeding was very difficult; it took over an hour to get a 4 oz. bottle down her, and that while gagging, gulping, arching, and just generally not interested in eating. Lawrence and I prayed (several times), and the subsequent feedings have gone much better. I wondered if a bottle might be easier for her to take rather than dealing with my fast let down, but she's actually done better with me *reastfeeding her.

Even with this additional challenge, we have experienced much of God's mercy in the last 24 hours:

• Bella did relatively well with the testing yesterday.
• She does not have a rare defect called a vascular ring, something they were looking for in their testing yesterday that would have required surgery.
• She does have both tracheomalacia and laryngomalacia (if you want to know the difference between the two, let me know and I'll gladly share)...both defects within her airway that she will, God willing, grow out of. Despite the "double whammy", she is protecting her airway sufficiently and her oxygen levels are fine per the testing yesterday. This in itself is an amazing display to me of Ps. 139:14 and God's power to sustain.
• The Pharmacist was able to make the medicine Bella needed as it comes in tablet form and at an adult dose. Upon first calling in the prescription, the pharmacist was unsure whether or not she'd be able to get it made for us last night. She was, and we see God's mercy in this.
• Bella began to nurse better this morning and is having wet diapers again. Thank you, Lord!

Please continue to pray for us as Lawrence's work is piled high which means long days for both of us, Judah started with a cold last night and was up ??? times (I lost count) throughout the night, and Bella needs to keep eating well. Please pray her reflux will be well managed with the medicines she's on and that her yeast infection in her mouth will go away. Please pray that God will continue to show us His many mercies and keep us from falling prey to anxiety and mistrust of His goodness.

Thanks so much.

Not What We Expected

We took Bella to the pulmonologist today who is the same doctor the boys saw when they were babies. I expected that, given our history with the boys, the doctor would comfortably be able to diagnose Bella with the same thing, perhaps have to do the Barium swallow, perhaps not, give Bella a couple months and trust that she'd grow out of the tracheomalacia. It seemed the doctor was leaning that way at the beginning of the appointment, even giving us a couple months before we had to schedule the barium swallow.

However, as the appointment went on and the doctor continued to hear Bella breathe, counted her breaths, and noted some other observations we've made at home, Dr. Blaisedell felt it would be a good idea to have Bella undergo a sleep study as well as the barium swallow a.s.a.p. In fact, once we agreed to this course of action, she hopped on the phone and made arrangements for Bella to have these things done at the University of MD hospital on Monday!

And, as a "no charge" assessment, the doctor also noted that Bella looked like she had a yeast infection in her mouth. So, on the way home, I called the pediatrician and was able to get presciptions called in for both Bella and me to try to take care of the yeast. I had a chronic yeast infection while breastfeeding the boys, a chronic yeast infection while pregnant with Bella, both times it being very resistant to treatment. So, I am tempted to be anxious about this, but am seeking to continually cast my cares on the Lord, knowing that He cares for me and for Bella.

Lawrence and I are feeling a little "hammered" right now. Circumstances are ripe for mistrusting God's goodness, tension between Lawrence and me, short tempers and inconsistent discipline with the boys, self absorption, self pity, grumbling, and the list could go on. But, as I read from Morning and Evening today, "good people must never expect to escape troubles...".

I also read this in that same devotional and am seeking to find hope and comfort in its truth:

"It is ordained of old that the cross of trouble should be engraved on every vessel of mercy, as the royal mark whereby the King's vessels of honor are distinguished. But although hardship is thus the path of God's children, they have the comfort of knowing that their Master has traversed it before them; they have His presence and sympathy to cheer them, His grace to support them, and His example to teach them how to endure; and when they reach "the kingdom", it will more than make amends for the "many hardships" through which they passed to enter it."

Please pray that:

• God will continue to strengthen me in my physical body, enabling me to carry out my responsibilities as a wife and mother.
• God would continue to protect our family from the illnesses that are currently "going around", colds/sinus infections and the dreaded stomach virus.
• God would provide all that's need for Bella to undergo the tests on Monday: a sitter for the boys, company for me at the hospital, a cooperative baby for the testing, and stamina for me to keep up with the pace.

Thanks.

Cute Things

Nursing a newborn infront of toddler boys is bound to provide some comic relief, and it has. So, I'm passing onto you some of the cute interpretations my boys have had regarding nursing and all things related.

Judah picked up my nursing pad and tried to put it on Bella's head, calling it her "hat".

Tucker looked at me nursing Bella and said, "Bella's eating an orange". :)

They both refer to my *reasts (spelled like that for spamming purposes) as my belly. Not sure whether to correct them on that and if I do, what do I tell them?!

Here's My Girlie!

Her hair is all nice and fuzzy from having just been given a bath.

The Week Behind and Ahead

Well, I made it an entire week on my own, sort of. I did have some friends pick up groceries for me, one who came a morning to watch the boys while Bella and I went to Target, and meals were provided for us all week, too. Other than that, I was here at home with three kids under three. And, we all survived to tell about it. :)

Good news: I can put off Bella's hearing test until I'm through some of the more urgent dr's appointments (per our pediatrician's office), and they gave us their recommendation for another hearing assessment place so that I won't have to go back to the first place we tried. Thank you, Lord. Have I said how much I love our pediatrician's office?

Bella seems to be doing well; although she drives me to my knees often. She is still taking the Zantac well and seems to be eating well, sleeping well, etc. But, she's had eye crusties/boogies for the last week or so which her ped. thought might just be a blocked tear duct. I'd be satisfied with that assessment, too, except that the boys have both had a little bit of the same thing, and Bella has had some nose boogies in the last couple days as well. I don't want to make too much of it unnecessarily, but can't remember the boys having boogies this young. I haven't yet called the pediatrician; I'm trying to give it time to see if it goes away on its own. And, I'm praying if it is any kind of virus/cold, that it will stay up in her head and not slide down into her chest where it really could cause her some serious trouble. Would you please pray with me that it would all clear up in the next day or so?

We will take Bella to see a pulmonologist this Thursday at 3:30. Dr. Blaisedell saw the boys in their first year and so, we have some history with her. We're confident she'll do what's best for Bella, but want to be sure to make helpful and accurate observations here at home in order to help Dr. Blaisedell make the most informed decisions re: Bella's care. Would you please pray that God will make me and Lawrence observe what we need to with Bella?

I am daily gaining strength and trying to add in more of my usual responsibilities. I seem to be able to keep up (sort of) with our laundry and dishes, but am still running out of energy quickly when we try to go out or have company in for more than a couple hours at a time. I'm prayerful every day that God would help me to be humble about my limitations but discerning about what I can and should be trying to do again to serve my family and our home.

I am going to try to post again either today or soon with some cute things the boys have said/done regarding Bella along with some pictures of the girlie! Stay tuned. :)

Our Monday

I wanted to provide a little update on Bella. Her breathing continues to be faster than is normal, but she seems to be fine with that. She sleeps well, eats well, poops, etc...all the things a newborn is supposed to do. And, she's so stinkin' beautiful while doing it all, except maybe the pooping part. :)

Our pediatrician called today after consulting with the pulminologist who wants Bella to have a Barrium (sp?) swallow. The boys both had this test done, and it is not fun at all. There is a pediatric radiologist in Harford County who hopefully is comfortable and experienced doing this test on such a little baby. If not, we'll have to go to the city, to the Univ. of MD hospital in order to have it done. This test, apparently will show things that the other tests Bella's had done did not show. What they're looking for exactly, I don't know. But, the pulminologist expressed to our pediatrician that she doesn't want to put Bella through anything more invasive than necessary. Since we've dealt with this specialist before, I feel pretty comfortable with her recommendations even though it is exhausting me mentally just thinking about all the dr.'s appointments coming up.

Today, I had to take Bella for her hearing assessment since it wasn't given to her while she was in the hospital. We ended up waiting for 45 minutes only to be seen and told after another 40 minutes that the testing instruments they had in their office were not going to work on Bella. The first testing instrument the Dr. used requires the baby to be quiet. When you meet Bella, you will realize it's impossible for her to be quiet as her tracheomalacia causes her to have rather noisy breathing. The second instrument the Dr. tried to use on Bella was picking up to much 'static' (my own word, not the technical word) to get a reading. The one instrument that may work for Bella was not in the office today. So, we were given the choice to come back another day when that would be available. I am not terribly thrilled about having to make another appointment, and may try to find a way to put this assessment off as long as I can.

We are not scheduled for another dr's appointment this week, but may end up having to squeeze one in if the Barrium swallow is something that needs to be done promptly. Bella continues to take her Zantac well, and I give thanks each time remembering how awful it was with the boys.

I am still trying to recover from delivery, but feel better with each day as long as I pace myself and try not to do too much. With that, I'm heading off to bed.

Our Pets' Heads Are Falling Off

No, we do not have pets, and their heads are not falling off.
This is a phrase we have adopted into our language here at home from the movie, "Dumb and Dumber". We say it when it seems one unpreferable thing happens after another. It can be as silly as getting behind a slow car when we're already running late and we've forgotten something we needed at home. Or, it can be as serious as what we're going through now. My husband is always the one who says it, and typically it can put a smile on my face.

Today was one of those days. It started last night. I began to grow increasingly concerned with the rate of Bella's respirations. We counted, waited, counted again, burped her, fed her, counted again, let her sleep, counted, and finally called the pediatrician. We belabored the decision to call because in the past with the boys, typically those calls also accompany a trip the ER in the middle of the night. And, of course, we did not want to unecessarily take our baby girl,who we just got home days ago, back to the hospital.

Thankfully, we did not have to go to the ER, but her respirations remained rapid into this morning. We called our pediatrician again who happened to be having Saturday hours. We were surprised and gave thanks to God for this provision, making a trip to the hospital much less likely. I took Bella in to see the head of the practice we go to, and he took our observations very seriously. He spent a lot of time with us and was very patient, having to wait so that I could nurse Bella (she wouldn't take a bottle) and change her diaper so that she would calm down enough for him to get a good listen of her lungs.

He said her lungs sounded good. Thank you, Lord! But, he was nevertheless concerned about her respiration rate. He suspects she may be what he refers to as a "closet refluxer" since I haven't noticed the typical signs of reflux yet. He put her on Zantac and said that if she didn't improve by early next week, we would need to see the Pulmonologist a.s.a.p. He told me to watch for signs of infection as well: fever, not eating well, goobly gop coming out of her nose or throat, etc. If it turns out to be a cold or something along those lines, he said she'd have to be hospitalized again.

So, I left with prescription in hand, very overwhelmed by this turn of events. We had been down this road with the boys, and they did not do well with the Zantac at all. It's a medicine the baby is to receive a half hour before she eats. I remember this being a difficult way to administer with the boys as they would want to eat as soon as they woke up from their sleep. I could never let the medicine sit in their system for a half hour, let alone 10 minutes because they were so eager to eat. So, I'd feed them and they'd throw everything up. I feared going through the same routine with Bella.

And, admittedly I was faithless for how I would make time to give Bella this medicine three times a day, have her wait to eat and then, potentially be cleaning up throw up to boot. I was pretty discouraged as I headed to the Pharmacy. And, I remained so for most of the afternoon.
I got home with Bella just in time for Lawrence to head off to the office to put in some much needed time there and was left having to get the boys down for a nap and give Bella her first dose of the Zantac.

She did much better than I expected with the Zantac and even went back to sleep for a half hour! She nursed and did well. Her breathing seemed to be improved today, but tonight is up again. She took her 2nd dose of Zantac well, too, and I am grateful that it seems it will work for her.

Lawrence and I will be waiting and watching over the next couple days. Our pediatrician called tonight to see how she was doing and will check in with us again tomorrow. He even gave us his cell phone number so that we could get right in touch with him should anything change with her status. We see this as God's kindness to us and are grateful our baby is receiving such good care!

Please pray that Bella will continue to take the Zantac well, and that it will help improve her respirations to a more normal pace. Please pray that we will continue to be anxious for nothing. With sleep deprivation, this is becoming increasingly more difficult. Please pray that God will renew our strength with each day and throughout our days. They feel long and hard right now, but we have seen God be faithful to us through times like this time and time again.

We know that each morning brings new mercies. And, we know that we can approach the throne of grace to find mercy and help in our time of need. We know God will provide for our every need according to His riches in Christ. We do believe these things; we're just really tired and face the temptation to grow weary rather easily in the last couple days.

Thanks for your continued prayers. We will be sure to let you know how things go for Bella over the next couple days.

Our First Outing

I did it...but barely and with help.
I ventured out of the house with all three of the kiddos. Granted, it was only to the pediatrician, and it was necessary for me to take all three of them with me, but I did it. My mom was here to help, and good thing because I'm sure at 9 p.m. tonight (as I am writing this), I would still be trying to get out of the house. I will take any advice from any of you who have or had three or more under three on how to get them all out of the house on time for appointments.

We met our new pediatrician today, Dr. Hartwig. She interacted great with the boys. They loved being able to touch all her instruments. Everything seems to be going well with Bella. She's back up to her birth weight minus an ounce, which I think is rather impressive given she didn't eat the first four days of her life! She hasn't shown any signs of reflux yet which is such a blessing. She seems fine in every other regard and is proving to be quite a good baby. She and I are on track with the nursing (thank you, Lord); I feel more regulated with my supply than I ever got in the six months I nursed the boys. I have to guard my heart and watch my thoughts as I can be tempted to wonder when everything is going to start going poorly, as it did with the boys. Instead, I want to be able to receive this blessing from the Lord and not have expectations or demands for tomorrow.

Judah was also examined today for his growth. He jumped up on his weight curve but sank on his height curve, the opposite from just a month ago. Because we're dealing with a new pediatrician who is unfamiliar both with Judah's personal history and with Sturge Weber Syndrome, this may take some time for her to figure out how she wants to advise us. For now, she will contact Judah's neurologist to consult with her about what might be called for as far as follow up with this growth issue.

We'd appreciate your continued prayers for Judah's growth. The pediatrician didn't feel it was an urgent matter that needed immediate attention, and I'm grateful for that. From the last two weeks in March until the end of April, we will be averaging 1-2 dr's appointments a week.

Thank you for your ongoing prayers for our family. It is a time of transition for sure, and we feel the stress of our season daily. Lawrence is beginning to get what we have learned is a "stress" cold; we are both tired and feel stretched to our limits. But, we are also both aware of how much God is sustaining us, our kids and providing for all our needs. We know we are abundantly blessed with constant offers for help of all kinds.

If you have called in the last couple days and I haven't gotten your call or called you back, please know we appreciate your call, your persistance in expressing your care for us and your understanding when we don't get back to you promptly. The boys are requiring a lot of my attention in regards to discipline, and I am trying to rest as much as possible during the day, too, making phone calls difficult to get to. Soon enough, I imagine, we will figure this all out and have a bit more of a routine. But, for now, it's about daily survival.

And, to survive tomorrow, I must now go to bed. :)

Bella is Home!!

I'm sorry I haven't been able to give the "play by play" over the last 2 days and have left some of you hanging. Thank you to my good friend, Laurie, who has been a bit more on top of providing updates for some of you. For those of you who have not yet heard, we did bring Bella home tonight. The blood in her spit up the other night was most likely due to the trama from the bronchoscopy and other tubing threaded down her throat over the course of time she spent in the hospital. It took her a while, but she eventually began to eat sufficient amounts to satisfy the doctors, and they decided to discharge her today.

We will need to take her for some follow up visits with our pediatrician and the ENT docs just to make sure the tracheomalacia is improving as is expected with time. She is expected to have reflux, a condition that seems to go hand in hand with the tracheomalacia, but we are going to pray and ask God to spare us all of that. The boys did have it and were treated medicinally until they were about 9 months old. It does make for very messy eating, clothing and carpets, but we'll do what we have to do in order to get the girl fed.

Please pray for wisdom, patience and much grace re: breastfeeding Bella. I had a nightmare experience with the boys, and I'm hoping not to repeat that with Bella. I want to be able to throw my anxieties on the Lord and look to Him in faith that He will supply all that I need to both serve Bella and help her fit into the dynamics of our family.

With Hopkins NICU behind us, I get to now rely on the Lord for strength and grace for the more "normal" transitions to mothering a newborn, which at times can test me even more sorely than the "big" stuff. Thank you for all the prayers you've prayed on behalf of me and my family. We are most definitely experiencing God's grace through them. We will continue to need your prayers as Lawrence goes back to a very demanding work schedule and I figure out how to do life all over again with three kiddos under three.

I will try to post some new pictures of my beautiful baby girl soon!!

Emotional Roller Coaster

I was all over the map emotionally today as was Bella's condition.
We made it into the hospital today around 2, walked into the NICU to see Bella laying in her bed without the CPAP and very contented. Her nurse approached us and told me I could breastfeed her whenever I was ready. We were in disbelief. In fact, I was sure the nurse had the wrong baby or the wrong parents. After questioning her, she informed us that indeed the doctor wanted Bella to try to eat on her own and that I could nurse her. I was thrilled!!

The doctor came in to see us just before I set up to nurse in order to explain the change of course. She showed us Bella's x-rays and talked with us about the bronchoscopy (endoscopy) that was performed earlier today, which was done right at her bedside without any anesthesia!!! The bronchoscopy showed that Bella does indeed have the Tracheomalatia (sp?) which is what the boys and I were all born with as well. It's a flap in one's airway that is "floppy" and can cause noisy breathing known as strider as well as eating/breathing difficulty.

There was one other very rare syndrome the doctor wanted to rule out, the spelling and explanation of which I am not even going to attempt at this late hour. The first step in doing that was to feed Bella and see how she handled the food. So, on that note, I went back into Bella to feed her. She did rather well for not having nursed thus far. Lawrence and I and her nurse were all very encouraged by what we saw.

However, later in the evening when we came back from dinner, we sat down again to feed her, this time from a bottle so that the volume could be measured. Bella had one other feeding in between this one and me nursing her but it was very little volume. Because she handled it well, though (meaning she did not choke on the food), the nurse was able to take her IV out which was supplying fluids. Lawrence and I sat down and took turns feeding her, trying to get into her the volume that was needed to show true progress. She was taking a long time, but got really close to finishing the bottle and then threw up a good bit. The spitting up was not alarming, but the blood that came with it was. It was scant, but nevertheless present and this was discouraging. After the doctor was informed, it was decided Bella would have to go back on the IV for the night and have no more feedings until they could figure out why she threw up the blood. The nurse suspects that it could be irritation in her throat from the bronchoscopy earlier today along with several other tubes that have been threaded down her throat. But, the doctor ordered an x-ray of her stomach to check if there's anything concerning there along with some more bloodwork.

SO, Lawrence and I anxiously waited outside the NICU while they stuck my poor baby again for the IV and bloodwork. It took an eternity, but they eventually found a vein that wasn't blown. When we came back in, the nurse who put the IV in mentioned something about her veins being blown from so many lines having gone in the past several days and that if she had to find another spot for an IV, she may have to shave her hair to place one in her head! NOT really the most sensitive thing to say, but we're trying to get used to the fact that some medical staff have just been in that environment way too long and have forgotten what it must be like to be on the other side of their care. (No offense to the good ones out there...because there are many good nurses and doctors, and we have been well cared for by these amazing people!)

We left tonight realizing how much we need to continue to throw ourselves upon God's mercy no matter what news we hear. We are both very tired tonight and our emotions have not always served us well today. But, we are continuing to pray and wait on the Lord, seeking to cooperate with His plan and His timing for all of us in this. Please pray for grace to persevere and flexibility as we bend with whatever twists and turns God throws our way.

Update on Bella

Since her move to Hopkins, Bella seems to be resting a lot more comfortably, at least the two times we've been able to see her. She did need to have the CPAP (Continual Positive Air Pressure) placed again in order to keep her respirations normal, but we are just grateful that she is able to rest and not have to labor so hard to breathe.

She still has not been able to receive food nourishment via IV and is scheduled to have a bronchoscopy (a scope placed down her throat to check things out there) tomorrow sometime. The boys both had this procedure done when they were 4 1/2 months old. It was very hard to see them go through this, and it is proving to be as difficult if not moreso to think about putting my brand new baby girl through this, too.

She will be put under anasthesia and intubated for the procedure. She may come out of the procedure with a ventilator still in place if she needs it. This news hit me a bit hard tonight along with the clarification of what our expectations should be re: her stay in the NICU. After speaking with Bella's nurse tonight, she led us to believe Bella could be in the NICU for at least another week if not longer.

If you want more of the medical side of things, let me know and I'll try to explain what I know. Otherwise, here are the ways you can be praying for our family:

• Bella will fare well with anasthesia and no complications will arise before, during or after the bronchoscopy.
• the bronchoscopy will prove helpful in diagnosing and treating Bella for her respiratory distress, taking us one step closer to bringing her home.
• continued strength for Lawrence and me to respond to all the competing demands and needs of our family right now.
• continued restoration of health for me (I am still healing from my delivery with Bella as well as trying to fight either a cold or allergies/sinus stuffiness).
• Pumping my milk for Bella will continue to go well and my supply will be regulated soon.
• the boys will continue to receive much grace to remain flexible during this time of upset in their schedule, absense of mommy and daddy and being passed around from one sitter/play buddy to another.

We have been experiencing God's grace and mercy in abundance, and God willing, I will get an opportunity soon to post some of the specific ways this has been true. Your prayers are in no small measure playing a major role in the way Lawrence and I and the boys have been able to respond to this trial in a way that glorifies God. Thank you so much and please keep praying!

A Longing Fulfilled

Our longing to see our baby has been fulfilled!!
SHE was born Monday, February 12 at 12:23 p.m. after a long but highly satisfying labor and delivery. Her name is Isabela Claire Almengor, and she weighed 8 lbs. 5 oz. at birth, and is 20 inches long. She has a full head of black hair and is absolutely beautiful. We can't wait to show her off.

I know this is so strange to some, but I longed for a natural/vaginal birth with Bella. I desired this for my labor/delivery with the boys as well, but God had other plans, and they were for my ultimate good. It was the Lord's kindness to allow me to have the labor and delivery that I desired this time. Not that labor is desirable really, but it was such an amazing experience that I have already and will continue to draw upon for other difficult trials and temptations life brings my way.

I saw the first signs of labor Sunday morning before church, but having been induced with the boys was uncertain whether I was really beginning the labor process or not. After confirming with a couple of the girlfriends and my mom, I was sure that the baby would most likely be arriving some time this past week. As Lawrence and I settled down for the night around 10 p.m., it quickly became obvious I would not be settling down for the night as contractions heightened, and I became a bit consumed and even anxious at times about going through labor and delivery. Around 2 a.m., we called our dear friend and labor coach, Karen Coleman, to come and help me labor at home. By 3 a.m., I was convinced I needed to go to the hospital. It was 5 a.m. by the time we arrived there.

I was convinced that I did not want to continue without the help of some pain medication, but my coach, who knows me well, kept giving me opportunities and motivation to put it off for just one more contraction. One contraction at a time took me to 10 a.m. when I was checked for the first time. I had made it to 8 cm and was thrilled to be that far. Within a half hour, I began to feel the urge to push even though I was completely dilated. My midwife and nurse were amazing, encouraging me to cooperate with what my body was telling me to do yet not push too hard as I needed a little bit more dilation yet.

I pushed for close to two hours, but it only took one push, the last one, to see Bella fully emerge into our world...head and body all at once!! She was plopped onto my belly, and I couldn't believe I had gotten her out in one push after all that time trying. As a result, however, Bella most likely swallowed some of the amniotic fluid that came behind her in that rush out of my body. Soon after delivery, it was determined by the nurses and pediatrician assessing her that she was experiencing respiratory distress. After a brief time holding her, she was whisked away to the nursery where she has been ever since.

My good friend, Laurie, offered to post some pictures and details about Bella's situation on her blog since I was having a difficult time getting to updating my blog. Please click on her name to go to her blog for further details and pictures of my beautiful baby girl.

I have been able to hold Bella only once and have not been able to nurse her at all yet. It is for her best that I not nurse her right now as that would most likely exasperate her already very difficult breathing. Lawrence and I are soon heading out to the hospital to see her and get some update on her condition. I will try to post updates on our little girl as often as I can as we are very desirious to receive your prayers on her behalf.

Straightened Out

Since the last post, God, in a most gracious way, brought heartfelt conviction over my complaining and impatient, irritable spirit regarding the "delayed" arrival of Baby Almengor #3. He reminded me that it is a privilege and a gift from Him that I am even able to bear children and then, also to carry them to term (and past if necessary). He reminded me that His timing is perfect timing, and when I complain about going past my due date, I am really being foolish, thinking that I know better than Him regarding what's best for me and my family.

I read this excerpt from a book we have entitled "On This Day" by Robert J. Morgan. It is a book of 365 stories about saints, martyrs, and heroes, one story for each day of the calendar year. This was the story on Feb. 8th, my "official" due date:

Squalls and Stalls
Just when the apostle Paul intended a Spain-ward thrust of the gospel to evangelize Western Europe, he was detained in Jerusalem, then imprisoned two years in Caesarea. Finally appealing to the imperial court, he was hustled aboard ship for Rome. But a typhoon besieged the vessel; it sunk and Paul swam ashore--only to be bitten by a viper. Thus he found himself stranded on the island of Malta for three months.

But careful readers of Acts 27 and 28 are always impressed with Paul's self-possession. He kept his head above water even when his ship was going down. He knew how to remain even-tempered, though all the elements of frustration were at hand. Paul's missionary dreams were thwarted. He was imprisoned when he craved freedom and forced into inactivity when he desired action. He was eager to reach Rome, but the winds blew against him. He was a man of progress, making no headway. Wanting to redeem the time, he was beached on an obscure island.

He was stalled.

In due time the sea lanes reopened for the spring, and on February 8, 60, Paul boarded ship for the remainder of the trip to Rome. As for being frustrated, there's no sign of it. Paul's life and ministry were so entrusted to the Lord that he took everything that befell him, both squalls and stalls, as from God. Experience had taught him to trust in the Lord's providence and to lean on the Lord's promises. During the height of the earlier tempests, he had summarized his philosophy for the terrified sailors: "I belong to God, and I worship him...Cheer up ! I am sure that God will do exactly what he proimsed" (Acts 27:23-25).

It was not in due time--but in divine time--that Paul reached Rome. His nerves held steady in the storm. His spirit remained patient in delay.
He knew how to wait on his God.

And so is my prayer..that I would learn to hold steady in the storm, remain patient in delay and learn how to wait upon an all-wise, gracious God whose timing is always perfect.

Thank you all, as always, for your gracious, encouraging words and even moreso, your prayers on our behalf!!

Change the Date

I learned at last night's OB appointment that the due date they have for me is not until tomorrow, Feb. 8th. So, here's the new ticker:


While that might seem like it should help my psyche in this waiting game, it hasn't. In fact, last night's appointment particularly discouraged me as the baby's head is not close to being engaged, nor is my cervix doing squat. Now, logically, I know all that can change in a very short amount of time. But, today I'm not wanting to be all that logical. I'm a bit tired of wrestling with my emotions over the arrival of this little one and all the factors that play into that. I would like to forget I'm pregnant for a little while, but that's a bit difficult to do with my daily increasing weight and waist line.

My midwife's best suggestion was to try to forget about the due date and immerse myself in some activity. The one I would like to immerse myself in today is self pity. Not to sound too boastful, but I'm pretty good at this activity.

There's a beautiful coat of snow on the ground this morning, but we will most likely opt to stay inside. The boys can really have a hard time with asthma, and I'm fearful of the cold air precipitating an attack. Plus, the last time we had to walk outside on snow, Judah freaked out for some reason, not liking the feel of it beneath his feet. (Sometimes my geniuses are also a bit odd, but I guess geniuses are known to be odd, aren't they?) :)

That leaves us rather cooped up for several days now. You all know how cabin fever can really mess with one's mind, let alone one who is 9 months pregnant. Have I won the award for today's biggest whiner yet?

Feel no need to encourage me with your words, but your prayers would be much appreciated. I'm not even going to ask for you to pray that the baby comes any day in particular. I'm hanging up those prayers. I just would like to get through the day without complaining my way through it. I know I need a change of perspective and a change of attitude. I'm trusting God to be faithful once again.

Just Catching You Up

The boys amaze me with what might seem the simplest things. Perhaps, it's because they're my children or perhaps it's because I'm easily amazed. Who knows?! But, this morning, Judah was looking through some of his puzzle alphabet letters and came across the "Y". He said, "Y for Yuck" twice before I realized what he was saying. What a smart, little buddy!

Here's the ticker for the baby's arrival:



As you can see, I'm "overdue", whatever that means. Of course, it means a whole lot when you are the one who's overdue. It's so easy to say the due date is relative and not exact until you become the one who is past that nebulous due date!! I am having to confess everyday that goes by my lack of patience and my struggle to lean on my own understanding. And, I am having to reaffirm everyday that goes by my dependence and ultimate trust in God's perfect timing and wisdom for both how and when this baby will emerge into our world.

I have an OB appointment tomorrow evening and will post if there's anything post-worthy. Otherwise, just assume that we're still at home waiting, trying to get and maintain an orderly, clean home and continuing to make plans for bringing this baby home with us.

Still to be done:

• strap infant seat into van.
• pack a bag for baby and me for our time in the hospital.
• buy italian ices for the potential of laboring at home.

In our human wisdom, Lawrence and I would say this week, preferably the earlier part of this week, would be best for the baby to come in regards to his work schedule. This week, Lawrence is in the office either tying up loose ends of jobs he's almost finished or preparing for jobs he has yet to begin audits for. From next week until the end of March, he is scheduled to be out in the field on actual engagments which means much less flexibility for him in terms of taking off time for the baby. So, we would pray that the baby would come this week: like today or tomorrow would be GREAT!

My Son's a Genius!

This blog is slowly evolving to more of a "family" blog, which is why I'll be posting all kinds of thoughts I have and events we enjoy as a family. I'll let you know when/if I decide to change domains as it seems a little inappropriate to keep "Judah's News" the title and "Judah update" as the domain.

Anyway, yesterday, the boys were eating their pancakes for dinner. Tucker noticed that one was cut in the shape of a triangle and proceeded to look at it, look at me and say, "Triangle, three corners." I did not teach this to him; he is simply a genius, I'm convinced.

Smells Amazing!!

In my house, that is!
My house was just invaded, in a good way, by the Plack family! They came bearing enough food to feed us for a week (not kidding), cleaning supplies and willing, servant's hearts to clean my home from top to bottom, all while the two youngest Plack children played with my boys, leaving pretty much nothing for me to do but receive and be blessed!

I really can't figure out why I am the recipient of such exemplary care from others, but I have some theories. 1. I either look really pathetic on Sunday mornings and in need of help OR 2. I am so vocal (whiny) about how hard my poor life is (not really) that people feel the need to come to my rescue. Actually, I sincerely believe it is moreso that there are amazing servants who are a part of our local church, Chesapeake Community Church, of which I am so grateful to be a part!!

When I think about the various and countless ways my family and I have been served by members of our church, who really are not just co-members of the church we attend but also dear, dear friends, I think of this verse in Psalm 8:4:
What is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?

When I am served, I become more mindful of God and His attentiveness to my life. This thought spurs me on to, in turn, grow in serving others and to do so with excellence. Isn't it amazing that we can be a part of making someone else more mindful of God just by serving them in some practical way? I would love to hear how you have become mindful of God through someone else serving you in some way. Please feel free to comment.

A Place to Eat

This is not a typical post for Judah's update, but I'm going to try to 1. start writing more often here and 2. write about our entire family rather than just Judah. I haven't decided if I'm going to start an entire new blog for that purpose and 'ditch' this one or just continue to use this domain since everyone who reads it already has its address.

Anyway...I was hoping to take a little poll for my MD resident readers. Lawrence and I are going to be celebrating our Valentine's Day this Saturday as we figured if we didn't celebrate early, we probably wouldn't get to it with a new baby and his busy season at work.
I'm taking on the arrangements this year and asked what Lawrence would prefer for our dinner out. He just wants to try some place new (to us), preferably in Harford County. We have done many of the chains and some of the restaurants in Havre de Grace. I'm hoping I can get some recommendations from you. It doesn't have to be especially romantic, but I am also not all that interested in a sports bar either. We don't want to pay a lot of money UNLESS the food, service and atmosphere (probably in that order of importance to us) is worth it.

SO, any suggestions?

Pray for Livi

For today's post, I'm asking if you could hop on over to this blog: http://aliviarachelhaughery32005.blogspot.com/ to see one of the sweetest faces ever and to pray for this little girl, Alivia. She is daughter to my dear friend, Emily Haughery, and her husband, James. They have been walking through a very difficult season for almost a year with their daugther's health. They have done so with nothing less than amazing grace and strength.

Today, Livi will have her spleen removed which will be a 3-4 hour long surgery along with nearly a week's stay in the hospital if not longer. This will be followed by a bone marrow transplant sometime in the near future. Please pray for my friends, James, Emily and Livi, today, and also for their families: the Haughery's and the Allen's.

Thanks!

Back to the Patch

Just a mid-week update as I am too tired and in too much pain to do any housework right now! :) The pain is in my back, not my sinuses for now. I have still been getting a sinus headache everyday at some point, but it goes away and is very tolerable. So, I'm giving thanks for healing of my sinuses albeit it not complete just yet.

Judah and Tucker did so well at Judah's eye appointment on Tuesday morning. They both sat so patiently in the waiting room while I read them a book, and Tucker was so cooperative to sit in the stroller once we made it to the exam room, watching his brother get his exam. Judah did so well for his exam that Dr. Abrams and Jana, her assistant, were able to try out a few new tests on him. He let them put two different kinds of glasses on his eyes (not at the same time, of course) in addition to reading the letter chart twice, once for each doctor. He allowed them to put tape over his lenses to test out his vision in each eye individually and even let the doctor put on her funny head mask/lamp, holding up a thick lens to Judah's eye to see way into the back of his eye to his optic nerve. He was a champ even with her manually lifting his eye lids and taking a while to see what she needed to see. We were both grateful for the good look he gave her as it indicated that his optic nerves are both in great condition, looking healthier than they had the last two visits! Praise God!

It was obvious throughout different parts of the exam, however, that Judah's weak eye is only growing moreso. It was pretty sad to see him try to look around the tape covering his strong eye at the letter chart when it came time to see the letters with only his weak eye. And, he got most of the letters wrong with that eye, too. So, Dr. Abrams once again prescribed using an eye patch for 2 hours a day until further notice to try to strengthen Judah's weak eye.

The first day I put the patch on his eye, Judah cried for at least 20 minutes until the Holy Spirit reminded me I could pray. We prayed together, and Judah seemed to calm down after that. Putting him infront of a video probably helped a bit as well. The second day, it looked like it was going to be the same routine. Tucker helped me pray for Judah this time, and we once again marched down to our basement to watch a video. So, this may be our new after nap routine: Judah gets his eye patch (sticker or bandaid as the boys like to call it); we pray, and they go downstairs to watch a video.

Judah is incredibly resilient, and I am constantly amazed by my little man's ability and resolve to cooperate with all that he's put through. I truly believe it is already an evidence of God's grace and mercy on his life. It can be difficult as his momma to put him through so much, but I'm learning right along with him that God is good and has our best in mind even in the most trying circumstances. There are many days, though, that it is about choosing this mindset as it most certainly does not come naturally to our flesh to think that way.

With that said, let me invite you into the latest with Judah and that involves his growth. I've mentioned his growth before in these posts, but I'm bringing it up again because we recently had him measured again and saw that he is still dropping off his growth curve. It was discouraging at best, but again an opportunity to pray, to ask others to pray and to trust God. That may sound so cliche, but it really is how we are being graciously led by the Lord through Judah's circumstances.

We are going to be following up with Judah's neurologist about this who will most likely recommend we begin testing him for growth hormone deficiency. This seems to be a trend that researchers are finding among Sturge Weber patients and so, Judah's risks are higher. To my knowledge the tests involve some bloodwork, an x-ray of his hand and then a more invasive test where they try to artificially stimulate the pituitary gland to release growth hormone and watch to see what it does. How they do this exactly, I am not sure. I just know that it means more appointments, needles, time spent with "white coats", waiting for results and potentially, a daily shot of growth hormone for Judah if the tests prove that he does indeed have a deficiency.

Please be praying that Judah will grow on his own, that there may not even be a need to begin testing at all. Pray that God will move circumstantially on behalf of my little man (no pun intended!). Pray that if God knows it to be better for Judah to undergo testing and even receive those daily shots of growth hormone, that He will also provide grace to Judah and to us as we adjust our expectations again regarding all that Judah's SWS will mean in our daily lives.

This issue of his growth will be an ongoing prayer request for the next couple months as I imagine it will take a good while before we can pursue testing and/or treatment given all the changes that are about to occur in our lives (a.k.a. BABY #3). I will be sure to keep you informed to any appointments or developments regarding his growth.

Finally, I have my next OB appointment tomorrow. I will let you know how that turns out, but I'm expecting everything to be fine as there has not been any less movement on the baby's part and no impressive contractions to speak of.

On The Mend

Given I've tried all man made forms of treatment available to me at this point in my pregnancy to clear up this sinus infection, I'm left to a supernatural healing from God to fully clear it up. Of course, I know that ultimately God is my Healer, and I'm learning to trust His wisdom in the timing of prolonged suffering, no matter how small or great.

Symptomatically, I am feeling a little better and definitely functioning more than I had been for a couple weeks. Now, however, I am fighting against the exhaustion late term pregnancy brings along with caring for twin 2 yr. olds and a husband entering into the busiest season of the year at work. Consequently, I am learning to move at a much slower pace these days, to not put as much on my to do list and to know at the beginning of the day that the end of the day will not have brought as much productivity as I probably would have liked. It's humbling to be certain, but it is teaching me in even more practical ways how to rely upon God's sufficiency and what is really important, worthy of my time, energy and thoughtfulness.

One of the things I am finally trying to turn my attention to is the arrival of our new baby. I'm hoping to at least think through this week what needs to be done before the little one comes and maybe by next week, I'll be ready and motivated to begin knocking off items from that to do list.

For this week, I am taking Judah to his opthamologist for a routine eye exam. Judah did really well with the last visit; I'm hoping to see a repeat of that. Also, my husband continues to be concerned that Judah is not using his one eye as well as the other, and so I will be raising this concern with Dr. Abrams tomorrow. Additionally, we haven't been giving Judah his eye drop for several weeks now, and I'm wondering if it's having any kind of impact on his glaucoma status. It would be great if Dr. Abrams was able to check his pressures tomorrow with the tonopen. You can pray for that; although, I'm not expecting it to happen. Also, I'm going to be taking Tucker with us to the appointment as well. Please pray that the boys are well behaved and that I'm able to gracefully handle the both of them in the waiting room as well as the exam room. **I will be taking lots of their favorite snacks to be sure!

Friday, I'll go for another visit with my midwives. My visit last week confirmed the baby's head is down, ready to go and that I'm 50% effaced and 1 cm dilated (which any of us who have had babies know that means nothing about when I'll go into labor).

Thanks for all your prayers for us.

Sick Momma

Thanks to all of you who have been praying for me and my family over the last week or so. It seems all the men in my home are doing much better with the cold symptoms. The boys still have a bit of a cough when exposed to the cold air, but overall are doing rather well. And, Lawrence reported to me yesterday that he's pretty certain he's over the cold, too. I, however, am still battling a nasty sinus infection. Today, I'm on my 7th day of a 10 day dose of antibiotic and am not feeling all that much better; although, I can breathe through both nostrils, something I'm giving thanks for often throughout my day! I did call my doctor today to see what she wants me to do at this point. I would appreciate your continued prayers for health, especially that I could recover some strength before I'm called to push this baby out! :)

The boys have been doing some really cute stuff lately, some really naughty, exasperating things as well, but I won't concentrate on all of that.

Today, while at Target, Judah pretended to lay his head down and said, "night night. Sweet dreams." I have no idea where he picked that up from. Perhaps I've said it and just forgot that I said it, but it certainly is not a routine thing that I say when putting them down to sleep.

And then, as we were checking out with the cashier, Judah looked at her and said, "bye bye. See ya later alligator." Obviously, this is something many little ones learn to say, but I have never taught them this phrase. Their little minds are sponges, and they must be picking things up quickly from the few videos or TV programs we allow them to watch. Maybe they're getting it from Sunday school, too. I don't know. But, it signifies to me that my little babies are growing up, already being influenced by people and things other than Lawrence and me.

I had a laser treatment scheduled for Judah this week but am trying to re-schedule for another time this month as Lawrence's employer changed insurance companies as of the first of the year and our information was not yet processed. I finally called the insurance broker today and was able to obtain our ID# so that I can hand that over to my OB's receptionist at tonight's visit.

I'm 36 weeks and counting. I imagine my midwives will want to see me every week now, but I'm hoping I can spread it out a little bit longer than that. I'm anticipating this baby will come later given I went to 40 weeks and 2 days with the twins and still had to be induced! I'm almost hoping the baby comes late as I am convinced of something a friend told me while I carried the boys, "Easier in than out". I didn't agree with her at the time because all I knew was the discomforts and hard work of being pregnant. And, then the boys came out, and I understood exactly what she was talking about.

So, with that sentiment, I'm praying the baby is comfortable and will wait as long as is good for her and me to come out. :) Additionally, I am still nowhere ready in any way to receive this little one into our world. Please pray that God would make a way for us to prepare for this baby's arrival: the physical aspects of laboring, delivering and receiving a baby into our home as well as the emotional and spiritual component of receiving this gift from God.

Thanks for your prayers and I'll keep you up to date as much as I'm able to sit down and type it all out.

'Tis the Season to be...

SICK!

It seems many are sick right now, including our entire household. Is there ever a 'good' time to be sick? Of course, we would all say "NO!" But, there certainly are bad times to be sick, aren't there? I was folding laundry on my bed today with some random thoughts running through my mind that I'm going to seek to redeem right here in this blog entry.

I was thinking through a few of the untimely illnesses our family has experienced in the past couple of years. Here's a brief chronicle of them:

1. Christmas, 2003: I was about 2 months pregnant with the twins. We were scheduled to have 30 of Lawrence's extended family to our home for the first time for their annual family Christmas gathering. I came down with a nasty stomach virus, the kind that comes out both ends! I was miserably stuck in bed, with barely enough energy to get to our bathroom only 3 feet away let alone entertain Lawrence's entire family!

2. Boys' first birthday: We found ourselves in the ER with Judah having his 2nd asthma attack within 3 months. Only three days later, August 6th, 2005, was my brother's wedding in Pennsylvania. Wonderful friends of ours who have had more than their fair share of untimely illnesses (thank you for being our constant inspiration, Jason and Laurie!) courageously volunteered to do nebulizer treatments and count the boys' respirations for the several hours we would be up in PA for my brother's wedding. They really didn't want us to miss it. So, as nervous a mother I was (am), I left the boys, and we headed for the PA border. I think we made it about 5 minutes from home when I called to check in only to hear that Tucker was now the one hysterical and breathing way too fast. We rushed back to the Reyes' to determine that Tucker was having his first asthma attack. Needless to say, we missed my brother's wedding that day!

3. Probably the one that takes the cake happened this past May, 2006. We found ourselves at Hopkins' Emergency Department to follow up on some concerns Judah's neurologist had regarding potential elevated Intracranial pressure. Judah had to be seen at the ER in order to have a CT Scan and lumbar puncture done promptly to determine whether or not he indeed had elevated ICP. Judah hadn't eaten all day because of all the tests, and so when we got home, we gave him as much food as he would eat, knowing that he'd have to fast for the next day's MRI. Over night, Tucker and Judah both began to throw up within hours of each other. Around 4 a.m, I started to not feel so well. It wasn't very long after that, we determined a stomach virus had found its way to our home. Lawrence was the only one left standing (that day anyway!)
We weren't sure that Judah would be allowed to undergo the anasthesia needed for his MRI given he had been throwing up and was sick. But, under these circumstances, the docs told us to bring him in for the MRI anyway.

Lawrence would have had to take Judah by himself to Hopkins apart from his brother, Sam, volunteering to go with him. Somehow, Judah got through the MRI but threw up a couple times in the car on the way there and home again. Meanwhile, I was sick at home in bed with no ability to take care of the "other one". So, yet another dear friend, De Neumann, came to our rescue (as she has so many other times). She came to care for me and my son, Tucker, that day with no thought of her own health being put at risk.

I recovered from the stomach virus along with the boys just in time for Lawrence to get it! A couple days later, we were in the hospital for Judah's brain surgery.

These are just three vivid recollections I have of untimely illnesses going through our home, but there have been many others. It seems every time Lawrence and I have planned to go out of town, the boys have gotten sick, usually with asthma complications which makes it so difficult to leave them with anyone as asthma can be so touchy if not treated right.

In my flesh, I have usually come upon these incidents and questioned God's timing or at least grumbled about it. But, today as I considered these untimely illnesses with redemption and God's faithfulness in mind, I realized just how timely they were. Had these illnesses come at a "better" time, I would not have known how well loved and cared for we are by so many of our friends and members of our church body. I would not have been able to see God's power rest on us, being made perfect in our very obvious weakness. I would not have been able to see God mercifully sustain my family members when I was incapable of doing so on my own. There would not have been opportunities for others to pray on our behalf and see God come through for us with tangible provision when it looked like there would be none. I would not have had the opportunity to be humbled by the awareness and experience of how finite and weak I am and how infinite and strong God is. I would not have had my grip on the pleasures of this world and our temporal life loosened had it not been for these untimely illnesses.

So, today, as I am sitting in my "sickbed" once again, I am giving thanks for God's perfect wisdom and timing in granting us seasons of sickness. Thank you, Lord, that truly You do work all things together for our good and your glory. Help me to remember this if I don't experience relief soon from this current illness or for the next time illness or trial hits our home in an "untimely" fashion. Help me to have faith in Your faithfulness, God.

Happy New Year!

Update:

Our appointment with Dr. Tufaro was uneventful. He looked over Judah's MRI's from last May, inquired about Judah's medical history and took a brief look into Judah's mouth. Apart from the purple exam gloves, which Judah hates and the doctor kindly decided not to wear, Judah did great with the visit. Dr. Tufaro requested that when Judah has his annual CT Scan for his brain shunt done, I ask to have the technicians take a few scans of his entire face to include Judah's jaw so that Dr. Tufaro can better assess when/if surgical intervention is needed. It's not possible to predict how the Port Wine Stain will affect Judah's bone growth, so it's a wait and see and pray that God will mercifully spare Judah of any more surgeries.

Christmas:

We traveled to Pennsylvania to spend Christmas with my family this year. Once again, my parents put out a lavish spread of food, no small feat with as large of a family as I have (7 children, 5 in-law spouses, 7 grandchildren and always a handful of friends). It is such a labor of love on my parents' part as they typically have a full breakfast, lunch and dinner all planned out for as many days as all of the kids are home. We go from one meal to the next, resting in between to either sleep or play games.

The boys definitely understood the opening presents thing this year, particularly Judah who thought anything wrapped was intended for him to rip open. They are now enjoying their many new toys, and I am trying to figure out where to put all the new stuff!

Unfortunately, we all got sick with head/chest congestion over Christmas and this past week. The boys seem to be faring better than Lawrence and me. They have run some low grade fevers throughout the week and have had a few bad nights/naptimes of sleep, but now seem to be doing better. I, however, cannot remember experiencing a cold this miserably. Sparing you the detailed sketch of all my symptoms, I think after 7 days of enduring it and trying every home remedy including sitting over a steaming pot of hot water, I will be going to the doctor tomorrow, God willing, to find out if my symptoms may be an indication of something more serious than a cold that requires more intervention than I've already tried. Lawrence was the last to get it and is trying to fight it off with major doses of zinc. We'll see how it works for him.

Lawrence took vacation days this last week of the year, and while we had quite a different agenda for his time spent at home, we are both grateful that he has been available to help me care for the boys and keep our home running as smoothly as possible. He has been quite amazing, running errands for me, staying on top of caring for and disciplining the boys, fending for himself for meals and his needs as well as ensuring that I have all I need to be as comfortable as possible while I get through this cold. I don't know that I would be as willing or able to take over his responsibilities in his domain, the workplace, if ever required to do that, as he has been in mine this past week!

He has been wonderfully aided by his parents who are always ready and willing to step in and help us whenever the need presents itself, which in this season of having young children has been quite often! Lawrence's parents have prepared and dropped off a box of food for the last two days for us, and graciously put off celebrating Christmas with us until we are feeling better.

Baby Update:

Last but certainly not least, baby #3 is soon to arrive. Only 5 weeks to my due date! This baby rolls and kicks like crazy which is so reassuring, especially in the last several days when I've been eating very little. We are not mentally or physically prepared to receive this baby yet, but trust that when the time comes, he/she will find his/her way into our home and hearts quickly.

We have decided to try for a VBAC and would greatly appreciate your prayers for this. I desire to proceed with "faith in God's faithfulness"(as my friend, Karen, put it the other day) rather than run to fear over all the things that could possibly go wrong or be difficult as I am too prone to do. Please pray that I would spend the next couple weeks filling my mind's meditations with remembrances of how faithful God has been to me and my family thus far, anticipating that he will again be good to us.

Thank you for all your prayers on our behalf! We pray that in this next year, you will come to know God's goodness and care for you in greater measure through His Word, His Abiding Spirit and your circumstances, too!

"Happy To You"

That is a sweet little phrase my boys say whenever they see a candle of any kind. For the longest time, they couldn't get the "birthday" into the phrase and would instead just say, "Happy to you; happy to you". (They do not know how to say anything just one time either; everything comes out at least twice, usually many more times than that before I acknowledge that they said something.)

Amazingly they began to say the entire phrase this week, "Happy Birthday to You!!" So, yesterday after they brought home their homemade Christmas tree ornament that was a little baby Jesus wrapped in swaddling clothes, otherwise known as paper plates, I decided I would begin to raise their anticipation for whose birthday we celebrate during Christmas. After a little instruction, I asked them repeatedly today, "Whose birthday do we celebrate for Christmas, boys?" After stating the question a variety of ways, one and eventually both of them would say, "Happy Birthday Jesus". After putting them to bed tonight, we could hear them "singing" through the monitor, "Happy Birthday Jesus; Happy Birthday Jesus."

Gearing up for Christmas has been thorougly enjoyable with the boys this year. We see that they can grasp so much more of the true meaning of Christmas, a little baby come to earth from Heaven to save mankind from their sins. We give thanks daily that God has placed our boys in a gospel-centered home and a gospel-centered church.

Today we enjoyed a long visit to the park. It was so beautiful outside, I couldn't resist taking the boys outside for some fresh air even with all there is to do at home right now. It was like a spring day, and while many may not like these tricks "Mother Nature" plays on us sometimes, giving us spring when it's winter, I really appreciate it, and the boys loved their time at the park as well.

This Friday, I will be taking Judah to Hopkins to invite yet another specialist into his care. We will be having an initial consultation with a plastic surgeon to discuss Judah's jaw bone growth and facial assymetry. It seems that since his dentist said something about the more pronounced assymetry on his face, I think the hypertrophy (swelling) on the one side of his face is worsening. But, this could be my imagination, having my perspective a bit more influenced by the dentist's comment and recommendation to see an oral surgeon. So, we'll see. I don't know much what to expect from this consultation and therefore know little how to ask you to pray.

I would say, pray that:

• we are seen promptly by the doctor, Dr. Tufaro.
• I ask good questions and guard my heart from fear regarding the answers or lack of answers we receive from the doctor.
• Judah cooperates with any potential evaluation the doctor may want to do at the visit.
• Tucker does well for his sitter.
• Lawrence and I will continue to receive wisdom on how to best manage Judah's care, i.e. what specialist to see next, what treatments to pursue and what ones to wait on, what potential studies to participate in, etc.

Thanks so much and MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

Update from last week's appointments

The boys did great with their flu shots. My mother in law went with us, and it is always helpful to have a second pair of comforting arms for shots. Their injection sites got a bit red and swollen, but that was the only noticeable side effect.

My OB appointment was rather uneventful. The doctor who delivered the boys via C-section spoke with me about having a VBAC. He didn't feel strongly one way or the other as to what would be best in my case. Because I feel somewhat ambivalent about the decision (very unlike me to be ambivalent about anything), he recommended I take a poll of friends and family to see what they think regarding whether to schedule another C-section or to try for a VBAC. I am doing that, and we are continuing to pray that God would make it clear. We would appreciate your continued prayers for us in regards to this decision.

As for Judah's laser treatment, it went as well as we can expect at this point. Judah held off crying until he got into the room and I began to take his shirt off. Until then, he was really trying to hold it together to keep himself from crying. I was very proud of my little guy! Dr. Cohen lasered his upper right trunk, back and upper arm. Judah has some red spots, but not any terrible bruising or blisters from it. I am grateful for that.
We have one more laser treatment scheduled before the baby arrives to be done on Judah's face. I may or may not keep this appointment depending on how things are going with the pregnancy. But, we would like to try to get one more in before the baby arrives as we will most likely have to take a little bit of a break in order to adjust to caring for another child in our home as well as enduring the long hours of Lawrence's busy season at work.

Over the weekend, we took the boys to Longwood Gardens in Pennsylvania to see an amazing display of Christmas lights, floral arrangements and beautifully decorated Christmas trees. They did rather well with the cold and overall seemed to really enjoy the lights. Their favorite part (and mine, too) was the fountain that coordinates its numerous sprays of water to holiday music selections. We stopped at this first and last on our trip through the gardens. If you live in the area, I would highly recommend making a trip to Longwood Gardens as a part of your Christmas celebrations one year. It is worth the money and effort to see such an amazing display of God's creativity manifested through man's ingenuity and hard work.

This week, Lawrence is gearing up for another out of town trip to D.C. I am hoping to attend this one with him, more for a little rest and re-envisioning for myself than a get away with him; although, we will appreciate any amount of one on one time we'll get these two short days away. However, the boys seem to be on the brink of a cold which ironically is always the case when Lawrence and I attempt to go away overnight together. We're always faced with the dilemna of whether to have me stay home or not. Given their history with asthma complications, it makes this decision a laborious one for us. We'd greatly appreciate your prayers in regard to this. We are trying to learn how to sincerely give thanks rather than grumble and become perplexed when we face trials of many kinds as they seek to produce steadfastness and maturity in us (James 1:2-4).

I'd love to read about any ways you or your family are enjoying this Christmas season or to pray for you about anything that is keeping you from fully celebrating the coming of our Immanuel this season. Please comment or email me and let me know.