The only title appropraite: GOD IS GOOD!!!!!

First off: Y'all should get on to me when I don't update this blog. Shame on me. Too much good stuff to share and me being lazy. Well, there's no excuse now and you'll see why soon!! :)

1. Shortly after Chase's first birthday party, Boston called. Chase was still going up on his weight so on July 9th he was OFFICIALLY taken off of TPN and Omegaven. Instead he is receiving fluids, D-10 (sugar water) 4 nights a week to make sure he doesn't get dehydrated. In the meantime, we had to watch and make sure he didn't lose any weight due to the change.

2. So after the fluids were started we checked his weight every week. First week: he gained 5 ounces!!!!!!!

3. Skipped the next week because we were headed for Boston for his usual clinic visits. Now I was hoping and praying for some good news. And just to give me a sign, Chase got a Frog toy in his Happy Meal on the way to the airport. Okay God, I gotcha!!!!! It's going to be great!!!!!!! (For those of you who have followed Chase from the beginning know that we call him Frog and that we lean heavily on the phrase Fully Rely On God.....FROG!!

and yes, Chase is eating Happy Meals!!!!!!!!!!

4. Got to Boston. Unfortunately Dr. Puder was on vacation (but the man truly needed it). Got to talk to Danielle, told her Chase's progress:
1. Chase is still gaining weight. A whopping 20 lbs. to be exact!!
2. His stools are about 3-4 diapers a day and looking pretty good
(see, praying for poop works!)
3. No longer using the mic-key button for night feeds. Strictly bottles and up to 42
ounces of formula a day.
4. Eating ALL types of food. And he prefers to feed himself.

So Danielle conveyed this news to the CAIR team (you guys ROCK), came up with a plan,


AAAAAANNNNDDDDDDD......................................................................................













Fluids have been discontinued. And if all goes well in the next 2-3 weeks (meaning good hydration and no weight loss) we can.....................




wait for it..........................................













TAKE OUT THE CENTRAL LINE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

YIPPEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Biggest step in short gut syndrome if you ask me and this is why:

Without the line there are no worries of infection. No worries of fever and having to rush to the hospital and unheard of amounts of antibiotics and all the horrible side effects.
Also, Chase is no longer dependent on something else for nutrition. This means his beautiful yet "different" bowels are doing all the work and doing it quite perfectly if you ask me. But that's because my son's small intestines were touched and healed by The Mighty God who gave them an extra "kick"!!!!!!!! Can I get an "AMEN"!!!!!!

WAHOO!!!!!




Oh but I'm not done. Just when you think God has done enough, he kicks it up a notch!!!!



Not only do we get to take out the central line, we also get to remove the mic-key button (or G-tube). Yep. No need for any pumps feeding Chase, he'll do it all by himself. Better yet, the only trace left on his abdomen that something had gone "wrong" (I use quotations because our idea of "wrong" is just a way for God to show His awesomeness) will be the scar across his belly. And what boy won't enjoy showing off a "cool" scar like that when they get older!!!












My cup runneth over. My God is truly, truly, TRULY amazing. And if you don't know Him, you might want to. Look what He has done for our little boy. He can do the same for you.

So I no longer have to mix up bags of TPN, untangle and connect tubing, program pumps, hang bags, prep, clean, and clear a central line, and hook up my son to IV lines or G-tube feedings at night anymore. Not really sure what I'm going to do at night anymore. I'm really use to my routine, but ecstatic that our son no longer needs these interventions. He's just a "regular" boy with a cool scar and quite a story.

One whole year of Chase!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What can one say after a year like this except, "Thank you, Jesus!"

We had Chase's birthday party yesterday with all of our close friends and family, which you might as well call all of them family because they've stuck by us like family this past year. So friends? Welcome to the family!!!!

I'm still completely overwhelmed and a mess of emotions. It's really hard to believe that this day last year, July 6th, was the day that the docs told us that our son had no chance of survival. The same day that we had to sign a DNR. The same day we had to come to grips with the fact that our son was going home to be with Our Father. And yet, here we are today.

And just one year and three days ago, one of the most beautiful little boys ever was born via emergency C-section with no idea that there was something wrong. The only thoughts when he was born were "look at that curly hair," and "how beautiful," and "oh I already love you so very much. How is it possible to love someone completely that you just met?" (same thing I thought when Colton was born.) "When can I hold him?" and "who does he look like?" And ironically, the docs had the radio on and the moment Chase was born "From This Moment" by Shania Twain and Bryan White was playing, singing exactly what I was feeling: I will love you from this moment on. But soon the question turned into "what's wrong?" and that's when it all began.

And yet by God's Love and Grace, Chase is a healthy, thriving little boy eating hands full of birthday cake today. A little boy who laughs at EVERYTHING, who clings to mommy all day long, who's smile is angelic and mischeivous at the same time, who dances to the "Hot Dog" song, who wants to keep up with his brother so bad, who wants to be outside ALL day long, who flirts with ALL the ladies, who sings to the Choo-Choo Soul song (I'm totally not kidding), who's story brings people to the Lord every day, who melts mommy's heart every time he puts his hand on my face, who looks so much like his daddy he might as well call him mini-me, who calls his grandparents by name, who once was diagnosed with death and is now completely and totally ALIVE, who was diagnosed as deaf and can now hear EVERYTHING, and who's future holds so many wonderful things only the Lord knows what's to come.

But you know what?

They WILL come.

A far cry from a year ago.

What can one say but "Thank you, Jesus."