Tough times and some pictures.

Our family has been through a deep trial since I posted last and I was just not finding the words to write. My dear sister-in-law, Katie, (Jacob's sister) and her husband lost their first baby boy. She was 21 weeks along and had had a normal, perfect pregnancy. It was so unexpected, but to see the grace of God in their lives has been incredible. He has given so much strength and joy to them as they walk through this valley. Please keep them in your prayers.

I feel like I'm finally starting to get back in the groove of Jacob's ridiculously insane school year schedule. It's been hard going back to "single-parenting" much of the time. Thankfully this week has been a thousand times better than the last month was.

Here are a few pictures from the last few weeks:

Ava's first guitar lesson with Uncle Judah. 

Fun at the park! We were the only people there on a beautiful morning.

Ava loves books just like her siblings.

The boys just playing. 

Lily in a new dress from our cousin.

Ummm, yes...we love books.

Reading with Aunt Audrey.

Family time at Grammie's when Uncle Joseph and Aunt Audrey came for a visit.

Aunt Katie teaching Lily how to cross stitch.

With Jesus.

My dear Memaw met Jesus tonight. She was at home, she was peaceful, and she was surrounded by her loving family.

Our hearts are grieving, yet rejoicing. Thank you for your prayers!

Dear Friends

I would like to ask you to pray for my family right now. Tomorrow (Monday) my dear sweet Memaw will undergo a very risky surgery to put a feeding tube into her stomach. We found out on Friday that her esophagus is completely blocked and she has no way of getting food or drink unless she gets the feeding tube. The doctor was very honest with us about chance of her making it through the surgery, but he believes (as does the family) that this is the best option for her. {the photo above was taken Thursday before we knew that the liquids she was drinking weren't making it to her stomach}

**UPDATE - Memaw was unable to have surgery this morning because she has pneumonia. Please pray that she will have quick healing so surgery won't be postponed too long. 

From a medical standpoint, it looks as though we are in the last days (weeks) of her life, but we're not going to discount her stubbornness...which we joke has gotten her to the ripe old age of 97 1/2 years. :) 

Memaw's wish is to be at home. We are praying that she will be able to recover from the surgery enough to get her home to spend her last days there. 

Our hearts are heavy. It is never easy to say goodbye, but we are thankful for the hope and comfort we have through Christ. 

I sing this song to my babes every night, but tonight I sang it to Memaw.

Jesus loves me! this I know,

For the Bible tells me so;

Little ones to Him belong, 

They are weak, but He is strong.

Jesus loves me! loves me still,

Tho I'm very weak and ill;

From His shining throne on high,

Watches o'er me where I lie.

Jesus loves me! He will stay

Close beside me all the way;

If I trust Him, when I die

He will take me home on high.

Yes, Jesus loves me,

Yes, Jesus loves me,

Yes, Jesus loves me, 

The Bible tells me so.

Midweek Randoms

Today Asher turned 9 months old! I really don't know how that happened, wasn't he just born?!

I think I got all our Christmas cards done tonight. Just have to get stamps and send them off. 

I still have a lot of shopping to do and not one thing is wrapped yet. Our babysitter came today and I was able to run out and knock out a few more one-gift-per-store kind of errands. Such a blessing!!

We are teaching Lily and Levi Isaiah 9:6. They almost have it memorized! It's amazing how much little minds can learn and remember!

It is so hard to get a decent picture of three wiggly, squirming children! :)

I think my Endometriosis is back. It was "dormant" for the last nearly four years while I was pregnant (and the time between pregnancies was so short, it didn't have the chance to come back). The last three weeks have been hard for me. It's hard to be a happy mommy when you are hurting. I started back on the Endometriosis Diet (which is basically no caffeine, no sugar, limited grains/starches) and have seen some results! I'm so thankful! Please pray for me if the Lord brings me to your mind.

Currently: I'm sitting cross-legged on the couch in comfy clothes, the heater is running, babes are soundly sleeping, and hubby is writing emails. I need to start the dishwasher, wash up the bottles, brush my teeth, check on the babes, and get in bed. 

Happy Wednesday!

In Heaven

Pawpaw went to be with Jesus early yesterday morning. Thank you all so much for your prayers for the family right now. Our hearts are broken because we miss him, but we are rejoicing that he is with his Savior and his dear wife.

Pawpaw.

We have been spending all the time we can over at Pawpaw's home. He is very close to the end of his journey here on earth. Although this is a very, very difficult time, it is also a precious time because of the hope we have in Christ.

Lots of family and friends have been gathered around him for the last 4-5 days. I always start crying when I pull up to the house because there are usually 15-20 cars lining the street around his house - that is love.

The picture above was taken last week when he was still able to get out of bed. He is now unresponsive and peacefully sleeping.

Please keep all the family in your prayers these next few days. Thank you!

Update on Levi's Eyes and Lip

Last week was busy with appointments. On Wednesday Levi had his 6 week eye appointment check-up. 

First of all, I want to say a huge thank you to everyone who left comments and sent emails or messages about Levi's eye condition. I really appreciate everyone's input - I'm sorry I have yet to respond to several of you. Life is busy, busy these days.

We have been patching Levi's good eye for 3 hours each day (except we missed a couple days over Christmas) to help the weak eye become stronger. He's also been wearing his glasses whenever he's awake. Over the last several weeks, we've seen huge improvements! His eyes are working together so much better. The goopy gunk that was coming out of his weak eye has completely cleared up. It cleared up as soon as we started patching - our theory is that it cleared up when he started using the eye, but the doctor said it was just luck. Whatever it was, we are thankful that we don't have to deal with the trauma of getting his tear duct cleaned out!

At the appointment, the doctor just accessed Levi's progress and didn't dialate his eyes this time. We will still be patching for 3 hours a day and we'll see her again in 2 months.

On Thursday we made the trek to Children's Hospital for Levi's 6 month post lip surgery appointment. We saw the whole team of cleft doctors. The Audiologist was (once again) not happy that Levi has some fluid in his ears, and we are still bucking the system and not getting tubes. He did a good job on his hearing test though. We are hoping to get a second opinion from a pediatric ENT closer to home. 

Next, we saw the Speech Therapist who was very pleased with Levi's talking and jabbering. She said that if we notice any delays, she can set us up with a therapist who would come to our house.

The surgeon came in next. He said that Levi's lip looks like it's healing great and the scarring is minimal. He said that we need to try to help Levi say the "B, D, and P" sounds because they use the soft back palate where he has the abnormality. If he has trouble with those sounds, he may have to have another surgery.

Finally, the genetics doctor came in. When he heard about Levi's eye diagnosis, he ordered a more extensive blood test to check for any other issues. We should get the results in about 2 months. 

Getting blood drawn was a pretty awful experience. Let's just say, it's way easier to get blood from a 5 month old (that's when his last one was) than it is from a 1 year old. He cried, I cried, and the nurse didn't get it the first time and dug around. Ugh!

We go back to Children's in 6 months for another check up. 

Levi has been saying "ma-ma" for months now, but has only maybe said "da-da" a couple times - like where he says it and you're like, "did he really just say it, or was I hearing things?" Anyway, since the appointment, we've been working with him a ton to say "ba-ba" and "da-da." He always just grins and says "ma-ma." He's a mess! Well, yesterday afternoon, he was in his crib playing when he was supposed to be napping. All of the sudden, I heard him saying "da-da," "da-da," "da-da," over and over again!!! Jacob came and heard him too! I can't tell you how happy that makes us! We are hoping and praying that he won't need another surgery, so this progress is huge!

Thank you all for your prayers and support. We appreciate you so much!

Little Pirate

Today was our first day patching Levi's eye. He did a great job with his snazzy patch, although he did try to get it off and he got frustrated when he ran into things while crawling around. We put it on first thing this morning and he fell asleep for his nap with it on. When he woke up, Lily went in his room to "talk" to him. A few minutes later I heard Levi screaming and Lily was running towards me proudly holding up the patch. Poor baby boy! Lily didn't know it would hurt him to pull it off, so we had a nice little chat about "brother's patch." 

Thank you all so much for your prayers and sweet comments. Y'all are a blessing!

Levi's Eyes

Thank you all so much for your prayers for us today! The long appointment went much better than I expected. Levi was a trooper! The doctor is amazing, and one of the best pediatric ophthalmologists in our area. I'm so thankful for how the Lord worked everything out.

Just a little background info about Levi's eyes - his left eye has had discharge/clogged tear duct since he was born. We have treated it multiple times with prescription cream, warm compresses, and massage, but nothing completely took care of it. Most babies eyes cross when they are newborn, but I started noticing Levi's left eye turning in more and more as he got older. I talked to our pediatrician about it (as well as several other people) and was told that we should watch it and he would probably grow out of it. When he was 7 months old, a complete stranger struck up a conversation with me about his eye. She was trained in opthalmology and she noticed how his eye was turning it. She encouraged me to go with my mama intuition and get him an appointment with a specialist. I began researching pediatric ophthalmologists in our area and found one I really liked in a larger city 40 minutes away. I called the office and of course I had to get a referral, so we went to the pediatrician and she said she would refer us. I completely forgot to tell her who I wanted to be referred to, but amazingly (thank you, Lord!) it was the same doctor I wanted to get in with! We had to wait three months for the appointment.

At the appointment today we found out that our sweet little man has Coloboma - basically, cleft eyes. 

Medical definition - A cleft or gap in some part of the eye, such as the iris, lens, or retina, that is caused by a defect in the development of the eyeball. How much coloboma affects a person's vision depends on the size and location of the cleft and on whether it occurs in one or both eyes. For example, someone with only a tiny defect in the iris may have normal vision. However, a person with large defects in the retina and optic nerve may have limited vision.

The doctor said that "Levi got lucky" with his right eye. The cleft does not interfere with his vision at all! Praising God for this!! Unfortunately his left eye is pretty bad. It is extremely near-sighted and the cleft is interfering with his vision. The doctor couldn't tell the extent of the cleft because Levi wouldn't cooperate and look in the different directions she needed him to.

We have to start patching the good eye (right) for three hours a day to help strengthen the left eye. Also Levi is getting glasses with a strong lens to help the near-sightedness. We go back for a check up in 6 weeks and we will talk more about the clogged tear duct. He may have to have a procedure done to clean it out, but we don't know for sure.

As soon as we left the doctor's office, we headed to order his glasses. They are a special kind that only a few opticals in our area carry. We are getting him the style of the green glasses, but his are going to be a gray-blue color. We'll go pick them up in 7-10 days.

Please continue to keep us in your prayers. I know the patch and glasses are going to be a huge adjustment for Levi. 

I will honestly say that it has been a rough day. I'm incredibly thankful for the God-given intuition we have as mamas because the doctor said Levi would likely have gone blind in his eye if we hadn't gotten it seen about this early. But, on the other hand, it is hard to see your baby facing more obstacles at such a young age. He's been through so much already. My heart is finding comfort and peace in Him who works ALL things together for good.

Thank you all again for your prayers! They mean the world to us!

Eye Appointment

Levi has an appointment tomorrow (Wednesday) with a pediatric ophthalmologist. You may have noticed in some pictures of him that his eyes (mainly the left one) turn in sometimes. It has gotten worse as he's gotten older, so our pediatrician referred us to the specialist. 

I would really appreciate your prayers. The appointment will last approx 3 hours and his eyes will be fully dilated. I know it's not going to be an easy time for him. Please pray that the doctor will have wisdom to know what the best course of action is for Levi - whether it be surgery, or glasses, or patching.

Thank you all so much!

Pulling UP and a Prayer Request

One day last week I walked into the nursery to get Lily up from her nap and I found her like this! That's when I decided it was time to put the side of the crib up.

Today she was supposed to be napping when she suddenly started screaming. I ran in to see what was wrong and found her like this! I don't think she could figure out how to get back down. Ha.

I'm afraid this lil' stinker is going to be walking soon. After her nap she was pulling up on the kitchen drawers and the bookshelves in our living room!

Jacob's PawPaw has been in the hospital since Friday with some blockages in his heart. He was transferred to a larger hospital in a city about 40 minutes away today. Unfortunately the blockages are in main arteries that he had open heart surgery on years ago, so it's extremely risky to do surgery. Also, his kidneys are only functioning at 30%.

Please just pray for wisdom for the decisions that have to be made in the next day or so, peace and comfort for the family, and healing for PawPaw (if it's God's will).

We know that the time may be drawing near for him to meet his Savior and see his dear wife again. This is all just so sudden. Last week he was beating men 20 years younger than him in games of golf.

Thank you all so much for your thoughts and prayers!

Update

So sorry I didn't get this posted yesterday. Thank you all so so much for your prayers! I have definitely felt them!

The ultrasound went well yesterday morning although the pressing was extremely painful. The tech wasn't able to tell me anything, but I know she was measuring a cyst. I have to wait for the Imaging Center to send the results to my midwife, then she will let me know.

It was amazing to see our little baby!! It was all curled up with it's legs and feet under it so we couldn't tell the gender. Oh well! I'll get a follow up ultrasound in a few more weeks so hopefully it will be more cooperative! ha.

Thankfully the baby moved to my right side last night, so I'm not in nearly as much pain as I was. Thank you again so much for your prayers!

Prayers Please!

Over the weekend I developed a horrible pain on my left side between my hip and belly button- in the front and back. It is the same pain I've experienced over the years with Endometriosis and ovarian cysts.

I visited with my midwife today and I don't have a UTI, so it is most likely a cyst. Praise the Lord the baby is ok and we heard a good strong heartbeat! I have an ultrasound scheduled for early in the morning to rule out any fallopian tube twisting. Please pray that I would get relief from the pain very soon.

Thanks so much! I'll keep you posted :)

COHEN

Today I am praying for Baby Cohen's sweet mommy and daddy. May God give them comfort and strength, and may He fill the void in their lives as only He can.

Click here to read his story.

Life: Handle With Care

My cousin's husband was killed in a car accident on Wednesday night. He was only 29 years old. My heart is broken for my cousin and her two young boys as they grieve this sudden tragic loss. Please pray for them. The visitation is tonight and the funeral is tomorrow. 

This accident has really shaken me and made me realize {once again} how fragile life is. It could have been my husband. Oh how my heart hurts when I think of that. My heart's deepest desire is that my husband and my family know how very much I love them. 

I want to live each day as if it was my {or their} last. 

I want to have no unforgiveness harbored in my heart.

No words I wish I'd said. 

No deeds I wish I'd done.

No unresolved problems. 

No regrets.

Just abundant love.

No Baby Yet...

...but she could come anytime!!

The last few days I've been a busy bee trying to get all the last minute preparations for Christmas and bringing Lily home finished. I've been having lots of contractions, some consistent, and some not for most of this week. We are hoping and praying that Lily will make her debut in the next couple of days! We are sooo excited!!

Also, please keep my family in your prayers. My Memaw's brother passed away on Thursday. His funeral is this morning. Memaw is having a really hard time and she is now the only one in her family living.

Ya'll have a great weekend!

First Night with Jesus

Jacob's dear sweet Nanny went to be with Jesus this afternoon. How wonderful, yet so incredibly hard. We are very thankful that she was surrounded by family while she peacefully met her Savior. Thank you all for your prayers. They mean so much right now!

Psalm 116:15

 Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.

Pregnancy Update: 36 weeks

Lily weighs a little more than 6lbs! She is now full-term and welcome to come whenever she chooses!

I am actually in my 37th week! We take the picture at the end of each week, so this picture was from last week. It's complicated, I know! ha.

Yesterday was just a blah kind of day. I don't know if it was the yucky rainy weather, or what, but I'm feeling much better today! I'm planning to finish our Christmas shopping and get all the presents wrapped today. I will feel much more prepared once that's done!

I asked prayer for Jacob's Nanny recently, and I just wanted to give a little update on her. The last few weeks she has been gradually declining; some days better, some days worse. She's been at home the entire time with her three precious daughters taking care of her around the clock. I just found out that Nanny has been unresponsive since yesterday morning. Please pray that God would give His special grace and peace to each family member during this time.

Partners in Crime

Thank ya'll so much for your prayers for Nanny and our family. It means so much! It's really hard to say how Nanny is doing. At times she seems to be doing better, like when she sang "A Cowboy's Sweetheart" complete with the yodel's on Sunday. But then there are times where she seems to be right at the point of death. The Hospice nurse said that all of Nanny's vitals seem to be declining. This is so hard on Papaw. Please keep Nanny and Papaw in your prayers, as well as all the family.
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I love this picture with my little nephew and my youngest brother, Joshua! They are so cute! I have a funny story to tell about them.

Yesterday, I kept these two boys while my Mom and Myra worked out. We went to feed some friend's dogs and then came back to Curves so I could feed Ridley. I got into the backseat of my car and was feeding him some very yummy smelling baby food. ha! Joshua is a little skittish (as most kids are) about somebody coming up to the car, hopping in the driver's seat and driving off with us, so he locked the driver's door.

Well, when Mom and Myra got finished working out and came out to the car, Joshua got out, locked the car door, and Myra got Ridley out and I locked that car door. We stood there talking for a few minutes and then I realized that all my car doors were locked and my purse, phone, and keys were all inside! I have never locked my keys in the car before! Myra and I have the same kind of car, so she tried to use her keys to unlock mine, but of course that didn't work. So I used Mom's phone to call Jacob who was thankfully only about 10 minutes away.

When I called him, I said, "Baby, please come rescue your pregnant wife...I locked my keys in the car!" He just laughed. Oh the adventures pregnant girls get themselves into! ha.

Nanny's Heart

I wanted to ask you again to please pray for Jacob's Nanny. She had another heart attack (the 2nd in 3 months) yesterday and is not doing well at all. She is at home under the care of Hospice. Like I've mentioned before, Nanny is very frail and weak.

Please pray that she would not be in pain and if this is her time to go to Jesus, that He would take her peacefully. The hardest thing for me was to see dear Papaw sitting at Nanny's bedside crying and praying for her. They have been married 67 years and love each other more than any other couple I know. Jacob played Nanny's favorite hymns on his violin today. It was a tremendous comfort to be reminded of God's love, His grace, and His faithfulness.

Thank you all for your love and prayers! The picture above was taken at our wedding in June 2008.