Aidan and Noah are at Journey Camp with the church this week and Tucker and Cade went camping with Meemaw and Peepaw. Let's just say - it's very, very quiet around here!!!! And to top it off, Titus slept all night last night - so Becky and I feel . . . well, we don't know how we feel. We're rested, but it's just plain weird without all our boys here and eerily quiet.
Our nephew, Nathan, is at camp as a sponsor with Aidan and Noah. He called yesterday to say everyone was having a great time. Their cabin won the clean award the first day and Aidan swept the entire cabin. We will definitely remember that he has that skill when he comes home. And Noah's team one the spirit award the first day. For some reason, I don't think it's nearly as quiet at camp as it is at home.
But, it's a good reminder that we all need to be quiet sometime. As Psalms says "Be still and know that I am God". It's odd how I can so easily get use to the noise of everyday. Between the hours of 7am and 8pm, it's rarely quiet in the house. Someone is talking, laughing, crying, teasing, whining, singing, etc. I find it easy to either tune in or tune out with the noise. But noise can fill such a void in our life that we block out other things that we need to do. And, you would think that I would appreciate a quiet drive into work, but those that know me, know that the radio is on full blast and I'm probably singing at the top of my lungs on the drive. But, it's good to be still, and it's good to be quiet. So for this week, I'm turning down the radio, turning off the tv, and enjoying the quiet. Because I know it's in the quiet that I can hear God's voice.
We pray you can find some quiet in your life this week to be still.
BTW, Titus was fitted for hearing aids today - he should have them in a few weeks. Just one more step that needs to be done as we prepare for cochlear implants.
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Tucker is 4
Happy Birthday Tucker!
For the last 2 months, you have been telling everyone that you will be 4 on July 8. Well, today is the day. It's hard to believe the tiny precious bundle we fell in love with half a world away 4 years ago is getting so big. Of all the boys, you put the "spice" into our family. Your antics, fearlessness, athletic ability, and mischievousness always keep us on our toes.
Our prayer today is that you continue to grow in God's plan, continue to learn obedience and self-control, and continue loving life as you do today.
You are our first adopted son - and you have opened our eyes to so many aspects of God's love. When I look in those deep brown eyes of yours, I see my son. When I hear you call my name, I know you know the safety, comfort, and love of your father. When I see you snuggled with your mom, I see the deep love a mother has for her son and a son has for his mom.
But along with the fun of the day, our hearts also go out to your birth mother. Her grief was our joy, her sorrow was our happiness, her loss was our gain. But most of all, her courage in giving you life and choosing a life plan that was best for you shows her selfless heart. We pray for her today that she will have comfort and peace in knowing you have a wonderful life.
Have a wonderful day Tucker Toes!
+(Small).jpg)
For the last 2 months, you have been telling everyone that you will be 4 on July 8. Well, today is the day. It's hard to believe the tiny precious bundle we fell in love with half a world away 4 years ago is getting so big. Of all the boys, you put the "spice" into our family. Your antics, fearlessness, athletic ability, and mischievousness always keep us on our toes.
Our prayer today is that you continue to grow in God's plan, continue to learn obedience and self-control, and continue loving life as you do today.
You are our first adopted son - and you have opened our eyes to so many aspects of God's love. When I look in those deep brown eyes of yours, I see my son. When I hear you call my name, I know you know the safety, comfort, and love of your father. When I see you snuggled with your mom, I see the deep love a mother has for her son and a son has for his mom.
But along with the fun of the day, our hearts also go out to your birth mother. Her grief was our joy, her sorrow was our happiness, her loss was our gain. But most of all, her courage in giving you life and choosing a life plan that was best for you shows her selfless heart. We pray for her today that she will have comfort and peace in knowing you have a wonderful life.
Have a wonderful day Tucker Toes!
Friday, July 4, 2008
Happy Birthday Noah
Noah George is 10 today.
Noah - You are an awesome son, a loving brother, and a caring friend. You never meet a stranger. It has always amazed us how we can walk into church and everyone seems to know your name. Your smile lights up a room, your laugh cracks us up, your attention for detail can amaze us. In the last year, your creativity has blossomed with your drawing and building.
I'm so glad today was a fun day. You were out jet skiing before I even had my coffee, then caught a 14-inch catfish before breakfast. You spent the entire day playing with friends in the water and shooting off fireworks at night. Everyone should celebrate their birthdays with this much fun.
BTW, sorry for tumping you in the lake on the jet-ski!
Noah - You are an awesome son, a loving brother, and a caring friend. You never meet a stranger. It has always amazed us how we can walk into church and everyone seems to know your name. Your smile lights up a room, your laugh cracks us up, your attention for detail can amaze us. In the last year, your creativity has blossomed with your drawing and building.
I'm so glad today was a fun day. You were out jet skiing before I even had my coffee, then caught a 14-inch catfish before breakfast. You spent the entire day playing with friends in the water and shooting off fireworks at night. Everyone should celebrate their birthdays with this much fun.
BTW, sorry for tumping you in the lake on the jet-ski!
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Pulmonologist Visit
Just a quick update about Titus' appointment with the pulmonologist yesterday. Dr. Gelfand was pleased with his progress and has subscribed a different medication for us to try this week to see if it will help his lungs and get him off oxygen. The medicine is also a diuretic, so we are concerned that it will not affect his weight too much - Titus weighed 13lb 9oz yesterday. And, he decreased the number of times per day we can give Xopenex (with the nebulizer) and CPT. We've been doing it 4 times a day, and he suggested we back it down to twice a day. We were thrilled about that since that gives us 1 hour a day back in our schedule and allows us to work on other things with Titus during that time.
And, we found out this morning that we OFFICIALLY APPROVED for Medicaid as of June 4, 2008. Since our insurance only covered a limited amount of therapy and we had already used it up, we've been waiting for approval so we can start therapy again. It also will help with all the treatments and progress toward cochlear implants. We have a fitting for Titus for hearing aids coming up.
Titus had a rough night last night - we think he needed to poo and so he was kicking his feet and arching his back a lot during the night. It was the first night in weeks that his monitors were going off every 15-30 minutes.
We are off to Cedar Creek Lake for the holiday and to celebrate Noah's birthday. He's our firecracker born on the 4th of July. He's turning 10 and could not be more excited!
And, we found out this morning that we OFFICIALLY APPROVED for Medicaid as of June 4, 2008. Since our insurance only covered a limited amount of therapy and we had already used it up, we've been waiting for approval so we can start therapy again. It also will help with all the treatments and progress toward cochlear implants. We have a fitting for Titus for hearing aids coming up.
Titus had a rough night last night - we think he needed to poo and so he was kicking his feet and arching his back a lot during the night. It was the first night in weeks that his monitors were going off every 15-30 minutes.
We are off to Cedar Creek Lake for the holiday and to celebrate Noah's birthday. He's our firecracker born on the 4th of July. He's turning 10 and could not be more excited!
Monday, June 30, 2008
Prayers for this Week
As I mentioned in the last email blast, Titus' night sleep continues to improve. His monitors still go off, but mainly due to him moving around in his bed and not because he's awake and playing in his bed. We are all resting better with him sleeping better, but still covet your prayers in that area.
Titus' breathing is showing signs of improvement. He's on 1/2 liter of oxygen (which is a very, very small dose), and we continue to find him time to time with his canula pulled out of his nose and his Oxygen SATS high. So, we feel that his lungs are showing improvement.
We do have an appointment this week with the pulmonologist for a check-up on his breathing. This is a major prayer concern for this week. Our goal is to get Titus off of oxygen and we are praying the pulmonologist sees the results that we see and/or provide a course of treatment to help us attain that goal.
Titus had some hearing tests conducted last week. Basically, they put him in a booth, subjected him to different sounds at varying frequency's and noise levels to see how he responded. Becky was not sure how a 7 month old would respond (we did similar tests with Cade and he was too busy playing to pay attention to the noises). But, he did respond to really loud/vibrating types of noises - which still confirms he's profoundly deaf. But with hearing aids, his hearing may go from profound loss to severe loss. They have to fit him into hearing aids prior to cochlear implants - so this is all part of the process.
We do know this - we are dog-sitting our neighbors Maltese (Frostie) who has the highest pitch bark you have ever heard. And Titus definately perks up and starts looking around when Frostie is barking. All of those things are encouraging to us.
And, Titus is still showing interest in the bottle. He sucks about 1/2 ounce during a feeding. That's really not a lot, but it's keeping him interested in and we continue to work on it. We are also continue to introduce new tastes on his tongue - so far applesauce is a hit.
Thanks again for your prayers. We can see God's hand moving in his life.
Titus' breathing is showing signs of improvement. He's on 1/2 liter of oxygen (which is a very, very small dose), and we continue to find him time to time with his canula pulled out of his nose and his Oxygen SATS high. So, we feel that his lungs are showing improvement.
We do have an appointment this week with the pulmonologist for a check-up on his breathing. This is a major prayer concern for this week. Our goal is to get Titus off of oxygen and we are praying the pulmonologist sees the results that we see and/or provide a course of treatment to help us attain that goal.
Titus had some hearing tests conducted last week. Basically, they put him in a booth, subjected him to different sounds at varying frequency's and noise levels to see how he responded. Becky was not sure how a 7 month old would respond (we did similar tests with Cade and he was too busy playing to pay attention to the noises). But, he did respond to really loud/vibrating types of noises - which still confirms he's profoundly deaf. But with hearing aids, his hearing may go from profound loss to severe loss. They have to fit him into hearing aids prior to cochlear implants - so this is all part of the process.
We do know this - we are dog-sitting our neighbors Maltese (Frostie) who has the highest pitch bark you have ever heard. And Titus definately perks up and starts looking around when Frostie is barking. All of those things are encouraging to us.
And, Titus is still showing interest in the bottle. He sucks about 1/2 ounce during a feeding. That's really not a lot, but it's keeping him interested in and we continue to work on it. We are also continue to introduce new tastes on his tongue - so far applesauce is a hit.
Thanks again for your prayers. We can see God's hand moving in his life.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Brotherly Love
"A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity." Proverbs 17:17
When Titus was born, we weren't sure how his older brothers would react to all of his special needs. They had prayed for so long for a brother and for this baby. Over the last 7 months, it seems like many times we have to sit down to explain to them a new special need that had arisen. And yet, each time, they have faced it all with incredible faith and optimism. Aidan has stated numerous times "it doesn't matter, he's my brother and I love him.
As I reflected on Proverbs 17:17, I realize I had always focused on the first phrase - "A friend loves at all times", but never focused on the second part of the verse "and a brother is born for adversity". Webster's defines adversity as "a state, condition, or instance of serious or continued difficulty". Titus is never a burden, but his condition is serious, and he faces a life of continued difficulty - but Titus has 4 brothers born to him that love him regardless. When I saw these pictures, the love of a brother shines through.
When Titus was born, we weren't sure how his older brothers would react to all of his special needs. They had prayed for so long for a brother and for this baby. Over the last 7 months, it seems like many times we have to sit down to explain to them a new special need that had arisen. And yet, each time, they have faced it all with incredible faith and optimism. Aidan has stated numerous times "it doesn't matter, he's my brother and I love him.
As I reflected on Proverbs 17:17, I realize I had always focused on the first phrase - "A friend loves at all times", but never focused on the second part of the verse "and a brother is born for adversity". Webster's defines adversity as "a state, condition, or instance of serious or continued difficulty". Titus is never a burden, but his condition is serious, and he faces a life of continued difficulty - but Titus has 4 brothers born to him that love him regardless. When I saw these pictures, the love of a brother shines through.
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
It Only Takes A Moment
Life with two 3-year olds (or almost 4 as Tucker would tell you) is never dull. Tucker and Cade provide a lot of laughter in our lives - and they seem like carbon copies of Aidan and Noah at that age.
But today, they entered new territory for us.
Becky had them at the counter working on their cutting and coloring skills. She quickly took a phone call and ran upstairs. When she came back . . . well, I think you know what happened. Have a look.
Looks like 2 little boys will be getting a buzz tonight when Daddy gets home.
UPDATED - Well, we did about as well as we could on their new buzz cuts. It's gonna take a few weeks for Tucker's to even out. But, here's my freshly shorn boys.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)