Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Boston or bust!

We head for Boston tomorrow! We'll give a full report as soon as we get back. Hoping and believing in good news!!!!!!!!

Thursday, May 21, 2009

How could I forget?!?!?!


I can't believe that I forgot to mention that Chase is pulling himself up to standing position and has, just in the past day or two, started walking alongside the couch. He'll be up and walking on his own in no time!!!! My little man is growing up so fast!!!!!!!!!


As for his hearing. I finally got to talk personally with the auditory neuropathy guru, Charles Berlin, yesterday. Conclusion: don't use the hearing aids. So Chase will not be using HA after all. And after discussing his developmental milestones, particularly in language and listening skills, Dr. Berlin suggested that there may be a good chance that Chase will be one of those children with AN with no interference in their hearing and language development!!!!!!!!! Only 7% of the AN population have this type of "results." It is still up in the air since Chase really hasn't developed enough language skills to determine the impact of AN on his hearing and language, but the hope is there!!!!!!!!!!!! And we definitely have the FAITH that God will once again prevail and heal our son's hearing!!!!
AND.......I never in a million years would have thought one of my kids would have curly hair, but sure enough.........Chase's hair is curly!!!!!!!!!!!! Now that it is growing out, little curls are starting to twist all over his beautiful little head!!! The only explanation....he got it from my granddaddy, his great-granddaddy, who he actually got his middle name, Roberts, from! So excited that I have a curly-haired baby!!!!!!!! When he was born we thought we saw some curls there, but they soon disappeared. But they're back!!!!!!! Yea!!! What a lady-killer he's going to be!!!!!!

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Sorry!

What I've been doing the past few weeks, I don't know. But here's a short update:

Chase was continuing to have loose stool after we stopped giving the antibiotics so we called Boston. First assumption was C-Diff or Rotavirus. We went to his ped., took some stool samples (that I gathered myself I might add.....ewww). Results came back negative. So now we are thinking that I just increased his feeds too much, too quickly during and after the antibiotics were run. His stools are now looking better and we're at 5 diapies a day. But it's nothing like our 1 or 2 diapies a day with some seriously good-looking poopies. So keep this in your prayers. (Yes, I am asking you to pray about poop again!!!!!)

We didn't get to visit Mickey Mouse's house for Colton's birthday after all. After talking with Chase's ped. we were advised not to go due to SERIOUS germs and Chase having no immunizations. So we threw a birthday party together really fast for his birthday. Veggietales was the theme of the day. Colton is Bob the Tomato's biggest fan!!!!!!!!!! He is only two and he can tell us what's going to happen next in some of the Veggietale movies. Needless to say, his second birthday was great! Surrounded by family. Who could ask for anything more?!?! Still wish we could have spoiled him a bit more, though............maybe next year :)

We recently bought our first home!!!! Yea!!!!! So exciting, but also very time-consuming. You see, we bought a foreclosure and as a result, the house is completely gutted. Whoever lived there before took everything......and I mean everything. No cabinets, no sinks, no vent covers, no lights, no doors, and even toilets. That's right, they took the toilets!!!!! I would have too if some stupid bank kicked me out of our home. Anyways, we are trying to "put it all together" one missing item at a time. Let's just say, Lowe's is like a second home now.

We had an incredibly gifted photographer come out to take some photos of our boys since Colton is 2 and Chase will be turning 1 very soon ( I know, I can't believe it either!!!) We hope to get some announcements made and sent out. And speaking of photos, I have taken on the project of FINALLY organizing all of our photos and actually putting them into photo albums instead of just leaving them in a file in our computer. Much, MUCH bigger task than I thought it would be.

Oh yeah, we had Mother's Day, too. We didn't do anything special. But I'm just elated that I get to put myself in this esteemed category and adore the two little boys I get to call my own. I've become quite a guppy since I've become a mom and find myself with tear-filled eyes sometimes just watching my boys. God has given me the gift of the best job in the world as a stay-at-home mother, though difficult at times, but a blessing beyond compare. And just a little shout-out for my mom. She is the spunkiest, most energetic, most driven, most determined woman I have ever met. She is also the most sacrificing, giving everyone else her time. She will drop anything she was doing or might want to do to help others.........especially me. And me being so undeserving!!!! I am a spoiled child and yet she still covers me in her love. I can only hope to be as giving as her one day. I love, love, love you Mom!!!

Okay, maybe it was a long update. Sorry. But Happy Belated Mother's Day to all you Moms out there. And a special Happy Mother's Day to all you mommy's who have sick children either at home or in the hospital. Give all your concerns to God. Cast all your cares upon Him. This will be my prayer for you and that God will fill you with the peace He so often gave me (and continues to give) during my darkest hours.

Wednesday, May 6, 2009

Miracles still happening

I just wanted to share a story that happened to us today that just proves that Chase's story is STILL a testimony to many.

We got a phone call from Chase's original surgeon. This is the surgeon who opened up Chase two times to find necrotic (completely dead) small bowels. In fact, the second "look" showed decomposing bowels. From this discovery we made the decision to let our son go home to our Lord and not suffer a miserable life here with us. (Again, a personal decision made with what information we had).

Now, Chase survived and recovered with a BEAUTIFUL 37 cm. of bowels. Many would get angry and blame the surgeon for his "mistake" and I'm sure that he thought he was going to get a reaction from us today verifying that anger. But he did not. You see, I don't blame him for ANYTHING. I'm pretty sure if anyone, doctor or not, opened up a person and there was necrotic organs of any kind, we would be able to identify it as so. When an organ or any part of the body is necrotic, it's black and really smelly.....like rot. So I don't think he made a mistake. I know that what happened with Chase is an absolute miracle.

This leads to today's testimony. He wanted to let us know that he was really happy with how things turned out. In turn, I reminded him that I told him after the first surgery that "God will perform a miracle. He will, you wait and see." And even though this miracle didn't happen how we "supposed" it to happen, it did happen.........on God's time. Well, his response was...."well being in the medical profession, we tend to drift away from religion. But this story has brought me back to it."
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HOW COOL IS THAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! CHASE'S STORY RENEWED HIS FAITH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! HALLELUJAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I can't express how wonderful it was to hear this. It's like it was something I had been waiting for, even though I didn't know what it was I was waiting for, until it happened today. Like there was something I was missing, unknowingly, and it was fulfilled today. God's work.........it's ever so majestic and mighty.

We talked about many things, a visit included. But the story above was, by far, the best part. And I must give him some major credit. He had the guts to call us, knowing it might be ugly. But he let us know that we've been on his mind ever since he gave us the "news." God bless you Doc. God used you in an mighty way and none of us knew how until the whole picture was drawn. I pray that he will continue to touch you and you will grow with him and he can use you in a mighty way in the medical field.

AMEN, AMEN, AMEN!!!!!!!!

Monday, May 4, 2009

Feeding update

Chase is up to 30 ounces of formula a day, eats Stage 3 baby foods 3 times a day, enjoys mashed and sweet potatoes, and can eat Graduate puffs!!!!!! Yea Chase!!!!!

He's 18.5 lbs. The antibiotics he was on last week gave him some serious diarrhea so we think this may have prevented him from gaining anymore weight, but at least he maintained. His poopies are starting to get back to normal, though, thankfully!

He gets his new, shiny hearing aids/FM systems on May 11th.

Sunday, May 3, 2009

Mother's Day Gift Idea

Hey everyone,

Just going to get on my soapbox for a second. Wanted to share a great mother's day gift. Tom's Shoes. They are incredibly cute AND comfy (trust me, I have a pair and just bought another). And to top it off, for each pair of shoes you buy, a pair of shoes is given to a needy child in a third-world country (right now they are focusing on Argentina but are headed for Africa soon). Seriously, they are great. And there is such a big selection for moms, dads, and kids. I bought a pair for Colton, too. Why not do something good for someone else WHILE shoe shopping!!! (Okay, I'll get off my soapbox now) Just go to tomsshoes.com, get a pair, and change the life of a child all the way around the world. Plus, make your mom really happy with her new shoes :)
I bought a pair for my mom! (Sorry, mom. Hope this doesn't ruin the surprise!)