My Birthday

Yesterday, January 30, was my 28th birthday. The day, to say the least, did not go as I had necessarily planned. But when it comes to children, I guess no day really goes as planned! Regardless, it was very special! Each holiday reminds me how blessed I am to have a family to celebrate with. I am thankful for another year. Here's what happened: Caleb had kept us up coughing the night before. I slept in the recliner holding until the early morning hours. At around 8, I decided that he needed to go the Dr. Jeremy and I assumed he had the croup just like Stephen. Thankfully, the Dr. saw us quickly. I think Caleb's pitiful cough got their attention. They diagnosed him with croup, but also with RSV. They warned me not to read about RSV on the web, because it would scary me, but I did anyways. RSV is a virus much like a cold. It is the leading cause of bronchitis and pneumonia in infants. If it becomes severe, the child is hospitalized. Needless to say, I do not want to do the "child hospitalized" thing again. The Dr. put Caleb on a steroid and another medicine. We take him back first thing Monday morning. I'm remaining optimistic as he seems to be feeling better. That afternoon we enjoyed the company of Joe and Sandy Kearns. I am so grateful God gave us such people who love us like we're part of their family. Stephen especially loves Sandy. That evening, I met Jeremy in Durham. It was hard leaving Caleb, but I knew Mom could take care of him. Jeremy and I met a real estate agent and looked at a couple houses. We're just starting this search, so pray for us. Our house in Winston is still on the market, but we are praying about somehow moving anyways. God will provide! Jeremy and I then ate supper at the Carolina Ale House. It was nice spending time together. For some crazy reason, I always feel guilty being away from the boys. I know Jeremy and I need this time together, though, and I always love having quiet time with him. He even sent me flowers, which was a total surprise! We came back to Snow Camp after dinner and spent some time with the boys. Stephen made my day by telling me "Happy Birthday Mama! I love you!" as I put him to bed. All in all, my 28th was nice. Regardless, it, like every other day, is "the day that the Lord had made!"

Friday-Tuesday...Too busy to blog!

Please forgive the time lapse. This is the first time I have had a chance to sit down and write. We have had a great but busy last 4 days. At noon on Friday, Jeremy and I headed to Pinehurst. The bed and breakfast where we stayed was so beautiful. We checked in and unloaded the car first; then spent most of the afternoon sightseeing in the small town. We ate an early supper at the cutest little restaurant. It was so good that we later went back for dessert. We spent the rest of the evening watching TV in our room and relaxing. I kept waiting for Caleb to cry or Stephen to need me. It was kinda strange. Saturday morning we had a very good breakfast there and then headed back home. It was a short trip, but just what Jeremy and I needed.
Later Saturday, the Canter family came down, and we played Wii for awhile. We then went out to eat. It was so good to see them! Moving away from their family was one of the hardest things to do. We love them so much. Throughout the Saturday night and into Sunday morning, Stephen's lingering cough began to get way worse, and he started running a fever. We were up almost every hour that night.
First thing Sunday morning, my parents and I (Jeremy had to be at church early) took him to an Urgent Care in Durham. No pediatrician would see Stephen since he was considered a new patient. The Dr. at the Urgent Care was very good and diagnosed Stephen with croup. I didn't even know this was an actual sickness. It was so bad that they put him on steroids for five days and instructed me to give him Delsym. Since then he seems to feel much better. After going to the Dr., we headed to church. I hated to make Stephen go while he was feeling bad, but Jeremy was being ordained. The ordination service went well, so I guess I'm officially married to a Pastor! Ha! Really, though, I am so proud of the man God has given me. That afternoon we ate lunch with both my parents and Jeremy's.
Jeremy, the boys, and I then headed to Winston for the night. On Monday morning, Stephen got his hair cut. We then had our once a year check-up with the neurosurgeon who did Stephen's neck surgery back in '07. Stephen was very co-operative for x-rays, and everything still looks great. They even approved him to start playing soccer in April! We are very excited! Our next check-up will not be til next year. Afterwards, we spent some time with Joe, Judy, and Jeremy's Mom and then headed back to Snow Camp. And that's about it...Wow! It was a crazy weekend but very productive. If you think about it, please pray that Stephen gets over this sickness. Also, pray, because I think Caleb may be getting it. We'll see! Back to Mommy world I go!

Looking forward to Pinehurst!

Next Friday I will turn 28! I can hardly believe it! Not that 28 is old, but my goodness, I'm not sure where the years have gone! To celebrate, my parents and grandparents have given me and Jeremy a night at any bed and breakfast of our choice. We have chosen the Magnolia Inn in Pinehurst. Jeremy and I spent a night at Pinehurst back in 2002, the year we were married. We loved it but have not been back since. Due to things being busy next Friday, Jeremy and I are taking our trip tomorrow. We are so excited! This is the first time in forever that we have been off as a couple! I can hardly wait! I'll post some pictures when we get back! I love being in love!

Sacred Parenting

I'm presently reading about 4 books, which is very unlike me. Usually I finish one before I start another. For some reason, so many of the new Children's Ministry books Jeremy has recently gotten have grabbed my attention. I can't seem to stay focused on one. There's SO much to learn. One of these books I'm reading is Sacred Parenting by Gary Thomas. I'm not that far into it but have already learned a lot. The book is all about how parenting shapes us as Christians; how it teaches us about God and about ourselves; how we learn from our children as we attempt to teach them. It's been really humbling to understand how much God can teach me through my attempts at raising Stephen. Tonight when I put Stephen to bed reminded me of this so perfectly. He had been upstairs in his bed for about 15 minutes when the "Mama" signal came flooding down the steps. This is very unlike him, so I immediately went upstairs. When I got to the gate that blocks his door, he was standing there waiting for me. I said, "Stephen, what do you need?" And in the most innocent voice you can imagine, Stephen answered, "Mama, I need you." That was it for me. I climbed over the gate and crawled into his bed. We snuggled, and I told him silly made up stories about Thomas. Finally, as his eyes began to close, I slipped out of his bed and back downstairs. I've been thinking ever since about Stephen saying "Mama, I need you." I wonder how often God has this same thought when I pray to Him. If God asked me (and He does with each new day), "What do you need?" what would my response be? I'd probably give Him this list of wants that my mind has mistaken for needs. I may rattle off a list of prayer requests, probably the same ones that I ritually pray each day. But would I even consider saying, "God, I need YOU."? Doubtful. Isn't that what it's all about, though? Shouldn't God be all that I need? And then, like I crawled over that gate and snuggled with Stephen, just like he wanted me to do, don't you think God, as a loving Father, would then grant me those things that I really needed? I believe so and even more tonight than in awhile, I believe I have a lot to learn. What will it take to get me back to that point where all I really need is God? Is it another August 27? Not sure, but I am humbled and eager to re-realize that God IS all I need!

Stephen and His Trains

As you can see from the picture, Stephen DESPERATELY needs more trains! Yeah right! I counted around 35 this morning when we lined them up! Unbelieveable! He is all about Thomas right now. I thought this obession would eventually phase out, but it has only gotten worse. And the crazy thing is, neither Jeremy nor I encouraged it! We sure have been educated, though. I'm almost positive I could tell you the name of just about any train included with Thomas and Friends. And to think that less than a year ago, I only knew about Thomas! There's this whole crazy train world! It's really interesting! Anyways, just wanted to post this picture to show how well Stephen is doing. His eyes still look pretty scary, but he's playing like any normal little boy. Thank you for all the encouraging comments. You will never know how much it has meant. Thank you also for the prayers. I know they've made a difference!

A Chapter Closed...

Today, 1 year and 5 months since the wreck, we closed a chapter in Stephen's life. I am still emotionally in shock. God is so good! This afternoon we took Stephen back to the eye doctor for post-op. Jeremy and I were both a little apprehensive. Yesterday his right eye began turning very red. You couldn't see any of the normal white around his pupil, and we were concerned. 4:00 could not have come sooner. When we got to Duke Eye Center, we were relieved to see the lack of people waiting. I had packed some of Stephen's trains in my bag, so he could occupy himself on the "trainless" train table they have in the waiting room. We waited about 2 hours the last time we were there and have heard rumors of 4-5 hour waits. The train decoy was a success, and we were amazingly taken back within about 20 minutes. Dr. Freedman's assistant checked Stephen's vision. This is always an amazing thing to watch as the little pictures on the screen get smaller and smaller until they are barely visible. Sometimes Stephen can still say what the images are when Jeremy and I can't see them! His vision tested perfect again. We were also reassured that the redness was from some broken blood vessels, and this was completely normal. That was a huge relief. We then saw Dr. Freedman. She bent down and smoothly coaxed Stephen to look this way and that without turning his head. She then looked at me and Jeremy and said, "Marvelous! They look perfect!" Dr. Freedman then turned Stephen toward us and said, "You 2 have got to see this!". She had him look left, then right. Both eyes did exactly what they were supposed to do! Neither eye pulled up...they worked together! This was the first time we had seen this since after the wreck in August 2007! His eyes are back like they were before! The surgery, by God's grace, was a success! We have to go back in 2 months for a check-up, but Dr. Freedman presently sees no need for further treatment. When we got back in the car, we explained this to Stephen. We told him that God had used Dr. Freedman to fix his eyes. As a family, we then prayed and told God thank you. Tonight when I was putting Stephen to bed, I picked him up. I looked him square in those straight, little blue eyes and told him how proud his Mommy was of him! No more patches, no more surgeries, Lord willing! We have closed this chapter! I laid him back in the bed and kissed his forehead. "Thank You, Lord," I quietly said. He has worked another miracle in our lives!

Improving...

Thank you for your prayers! Stephen slept through the night last night! I expected him to be up at least a couple times, but he did not get up at all! This morning he's acted somewhat like his normal self. I can tell he's still a little drained. His eyes are very swollen and red. His Doctor called this morning and assured us that the swelling was completely normal. She said it will take awhile for Stephen to learn to use his eyes together again. I still notice them pulling in opposite directions sometimes. I forgot to mention this in my update last night, but God again proved Himself amazing yesterday: when we got in the car at 7 am headed to surgery, "Praise You in the Storm" was playing on the radio. Jeremy and I were immediately reminded that Stephen's surgery was part of God's perfect plan. This may seem insignificant, but I believe God wanted us to hear that song. It changed our perspective the rest of the day. We truly serve a caring God. Thank you again for your prayers. They are making a difference!

A Quick Update

This will be short. My main "job" right now is holding Stephen. He's still wobbly and doesn't like to be put down. The surgery was a success. We will know more in the coming days. Prayerfully the outcome will be as planned. We go for a follow-up on Monday morning. Stephen did great with everything. I actually got to go back into the operating room with him. I held him while they put the gas mask on his face. He fell right asleep in my arms, and they took him and placed him on the operating table. It was good being in there and knowing he was okay. When he woke up, however, he was not very happy. He has since stopped crying, but his eyes are very swollen and red. Thanks for your prayers. Pray that tonight Stephen will not be in too much pain.

Stephen's Surgery

Tomorrow, January 9, Stephen will be having another procedure done on his eyes. In December 2007, he had a botox injection done at WFUBMC. The injection was effective but did not completely fix the problem. We have continued seeing his eye Dr. since then and pursuing treatment. When we moved to Durham, Stephen's Dr. referred us to someone at the Duke Eye Center. Jeremy and I immediately fell in love with this new Dr. and were relieved when she recommended surgery. That may sound crazy, but we know this surgery is the best thing for Stephen's eyes. We have been just waiting for someone to recommend it. Both Jeremy and I both say that one reason God moved us to Durham was to meet this new Dr. His plans are perfect. We have to be at the Eye Center tomorrow morning at 7:45am. They will go in both Stephen's eyes and clip the nerves that are causing them not to function together. Looking at Stephen, you would never know anything was wrong with his eyes. As his parents, we only notice it when he's tired or looks a certain way. They have improved drastically since the wreck in '07. Prayerfully, tomorrow's surgery will allow both eyes to always remain straight and to work together. Right now Stephen is only able to use one eye at a time. He has no depth perception. Thankfully, though, his vision has not been effected. The procedure should take a little over an hour. He will be put completely to sleep. As ready I am to do this, seeing him in that little hospital gown in that environment brings back a lot of memories and emotions. Please pray that Stephen is not scared. Pray that the medicine works quickly and then wears off quickly. Pray also for the Doctors and that the procedure will be effective. Pray for us as his parents. I will give another update as to how he's doing as soon as I am able. God is in control...this was part of His plan from the beginning. We're so grateful just to have our son!

Stephen's Synopsis of Scripture

It's rainy here, and I'm about to rush out the door to Stephen's pre-op. His eye surgery is scheduled for Friday. We are praying his recent cold does not postpone things. We are ready to have this procedure over with and are praying it is a success. I will know (and post) more details later this week. With the turn of 2009, Jeremy and I again refocused our goals for our family. One of those goals, family devotions, was in need of way more attention. For the past week, we have sat down with Stephen each morning before Jeremy heads off to work and spent some time as a family in God's Word. We are presently using a Word of Life devotional book that allows Stephen to color each day while also learning a simple principle from the Bible. It seems very effective and simple enough for him to understand. Earlier today, Stephen picked up Jeremy's study Bible and asked me what it was. I told him that it was Daddy's Bible, and that it had God's words in it. He then sat down in the recliner and opened up the big Bible. Stephen began to read. His words were "Be nice!" and he shut the Bible. I laughed to myself but then realized how simple yet profound those 2 little words are. Yes, Scripture is full of so much more than "Be nice." As Christians, however, I believe we often fail at even that simple of commands. Am I always nice? What about when Caleb has gotten us up at night, and I'm tired? Or better yet, when Stephen accidentally wakes Caleb up from a nap? Definetly Not! So my challenge for today, from God's Word and a witty 2 year old, is to "Be Nice!" It's the least I can do!

High School...10 Years Ago????

Where has the time gone? I just got home from my 10th high school reunion. It is unbelieveable for me to think that I graduated nearly 10 years ago. I don't feel much older.=) Time has truly flown. Tonight was nice. It was fun getting together with old friends. Some of them I had not seen since 1999. Our children played, and we were taken back to years gone by. I was especially proud to have Jeremy, Stephen, and Caleb with me. God has been especially good! As I look back on goals I set when I graduated, it is humbling to realize that God has already met all of them. His plans are SO perfect even though we are not. My devotions this morning were in Jeremiah 29:11-"I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope." I am so grateful, especially tonight, that God's thoughts for me are perfect!