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I have heard the holiday Thanksgiving referred to as Turkey Day. I have heard some refer to its significance as nothing more than a gluttonous feast followed by lots of football watching--not that there is anything wrong with eating lots of good food, or watching a game. I have watched retailers completely gloss over this holiday, rushing from Halloween directly to Christmas. I am saddened that one of my favorite holidays seems to be disappearing.
This Thanksgiving seems to mean so much more to me than in years past. The pilgrims chose the difficult path so that they might have the freedom to worship the Lord according to scripture, without threat of incarceration. After surviving the treacherous trip across the Atlantic, they fell at the throne of our Lord giving Him thanks. They lost over half of their husbands, wives and children that first winter, yet they sought to praise the Lord through their trials. Even when food was rationed down to five kernals of corn per person per day, they never lost faith.
When you think about it, Thanksgiving is really one of the most fundamental Christian holidays. This Thanksgiving, Steve and I are especially moved to be celebrating this holiday with all three of our children. It is very exciting to see AnnaSophia thriving and eating her first Thanksgiving meal at home with us. When we asked Ethan and Emily what they were thankful for, they both replied that they were thankful that AnnaSophia was home, that she wasn't sick anymore and that she was alive. We couldn't agree more. God has been so merciful and given us more time with our baby girl. We have truly been blessed beyond measure, in every way. No matter what the circumstances, we give Him all the praise, glory and honor. God is good, and He is sovereign.
Mary
Psalm 100
A psalm of thanksgiving.
1 Shout with joy to the Lord, all the earth!
2 Worship the Lord with gladness.
Come before him, singing with joy.
3 Acknowledge that the Lord is God!
He made us, and we are his.
We are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving;
go into his courts with praise.
Give thanks to him and praise his name.
5 For the Lord is good.
His unfailing love continues forever,
and his faithfulness continues to each generation.
Monday, November 24, 2008
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
AnnaSophia's opinion on her echo
AnnaSophia had her clinic appointment today. All was going well until it was time for her echo. This little one had three adults and her brother and sister all trying to entertain her to no avail. We tried toys, puppets and a baby einstein video. Everyone in cardiac clinic knew that AnnaSophia was not cooperating by the intense screams coming from echo room 1. We finally decided to give up after a while. AnnaSophia stopped crying right away, and was concerned that we were blocking her view of baby einstein. She was such a turkey. The good news was that she cooperated with her EKG.
She is weighing in at 15 lbs. 10 oz. and is looking very good. She still has some slight petichiae, but seems to be feeling well. We will recheck her CMV PCR in two weeks. We pray that her PCR will be zero so that she might come off of her ganciclovir. AnnaSophia is settling in at home and seems to be very happy to have the entire family together. She is crawling everywhere and attempting to pull up into a standing position.
I have been surprised by some of the conflicting emotions that I have felt since being home. On the one hand, it is so nice to be home and together as a family, especially with AnnaSophia, our little miracle girl. On the other hand, it is almost scary to be so far from the hospital. Home seems so "normal", but AnnaSophia's life has been anything but normal. I am so thankful that the Lord has given us more time with our precious little angel, but part of me can't help but feeling like I am waiting for the other shoe to drop. I am hoping that this feeling will eventually subside as she gets better and time passes. I thank the Lord that He is so good and ultimately in control.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.
Proverbs 3:5
Blessings,
Mary
She is weighing in at 15 lbs. 10 oz. and is looking very good. She still has some slight petichiae, but seems to be feeling well. We will recheck her CMV PCR in two weeks. We pray that her PCR will be zero so that she might come off of her ganciclovir. AnnaSophia is settling in at home and seems to be very happy to have the entire family together. She is crawling everywhere and attempting to pull up into a standing position.
I have been surprised by some of the conflicting emotions that I have felt since being home. On the one hand, it is so nice to be home and together as a family, especially with AnnaSophia, our little miracle girl. On the other hand, it is almost scary to be so far from the hospital. Home seems so "normal", but AnnaSophia's life has been anything but normal. I am so thankful that the Lord has given us more time with our precious little angel, but part of me can't help but feeling like I am waiting for the other shoe to drop. I am hoping that this feeling will eventually subside as she gets better and time passes. I thank the Lord that He is so good and ultimately in control.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.
Proverbs 3:5
Blessings,
Mary
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Mary = organization queen
Our apologies for the delay. Mary, hailing from the planet Listmaker, has zapped our home with a ray gun loaded with organizational frenzy. The Quarks of Berryland have tried to resist, led by their fearless leader AnnaSophia. However, resistance is futile. The Quark Berries were soon overwhelmed by the Queen of Listmaker and they became slaves to the organizational imperialism.
Back on Earth, AnnaSophia is doing very well. She is now weighing in at about 15 pounds, 7 ounces. And, her cyclosporine levels were perfect at the last clinic appointment. Perhaps, the only concern, is that more and more people are saying she looks like her daddy -- GASP! Seriously though, she is so beautiful to us and a testimony to God's grace.
Organization chaos aside, it has been so great to have the whole family together again, and to have our precious little girl with us. There were many times that we did not know if we would see this day. God is good. It feels like home again.
Blessings,
Steve
Back on Earth, AnnaSophia is doing very well. She is now weighing in at about 15 pounds, 7 ounces. And, her cyclosporine levels were perfect at the last clinic appointment. Perhaps, the only concern, is that more and more people are saying she looks like her daddy -- GASP! Seriously though, she is so beautiful to us and a testimony to God's grace.
Organization chaos aside, it has been so great to have the whole family together again, and to have our precious little girl with us. There were many times that we did not know if we would see this day. God is good. It feels like home again.
Blessings,
Steve
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Welcome home AnnaSophia!
First, our apologies for the delay in posting an update. The last week or so has been a whirlwind of activity as we transitioned the family back home.
Aren't those great pictures of some pretty ladies? Wow.
Our little AnnaSophia has been through so much. To see her back home is an amazing testimony to the fact that God still works miracles. Sure, there are no big speeches, widespread media coverage, or fainting audiences, but our God does not need such things to reveal His majesty. Instead, our Lord takes the smallest and weakest among us and builds them up into His greatest works of art. My baby daughter is a mighty work of art by our Creator, and He has blessed our family immensely by sharing AnnaSophia with us.
During the election season and its aftermath, it was easy to get caught up into everything associated with our democratic process. Still, it came to the point that God reminded me how He has put things into perspective during our journey with AnnaSophia. No politician can replace the inspiration or purpose we find in Him. So, while we did vote and things did not go as we had hoped, the outcome had little meaning in the big picture of our lives. With that said, we love our country and will continue to pray for it and our elected leaders.
Healthwise, AnnaSophia is doing well right now -- praise God! Her anti-rejection medication dosage was even lowered recently. While she will be on these medications for the rest of her life, this is a positive step.
Moving the family back home has proven to be a lesson in organization. We've spent the last week getting organized, giving items to Goodwill, and throwing a lot of trash out. I'm not sure the trash collection people like us much these days.
During the move, we also had the honor of celebrating Emily's 8th Birthday! Here are a few pictures from the celebration:
Aren't those great pictures of some pretty ladies? Wow.Many blessings to all, and thanks to each of you for your awesome outpouring of love and support.
Steve
Friday, October 31, 2008
AnnaSophia's trip to the E.R.
Today, AnnaSophia made an unscheduled trip back to Children's Hospital. She was playing with her big brother and sister, and got a mysterious cut under her nose. I heard all three of the children screaming at the top of their lungs. When I came running, I saw that AnnaSophia's face was bleeding. After looking at her closely, I decided to have her checked at the E.R. to make sure that she did not need stitches. I have to say that the kids are great during emergencies, and we were out the door in a matter of seconds. Ethan and Emily just might have a future as firefighters, as they could be in their boots and on their way to a fire in the shortest time ever.
When we arrived at Children's, it was so nice to see a familiar and friendly face. Cassandra, a family friend and E.R. tech, saw that we came into the E.R. and readily scooped us up to take care of us. Ethan and Emily had not eaten snack or lunch, and once AnnaSophia was settled, she treated the big kids to lunch. Thank you Cassandra for making even and unplanned trip to the hospital a good experience for Ethan and Emily.
After numbing AnnaSophia's injury and washing it thoroughly, the doctors realized that the cut was not deep enough for sutures. Originally, they were thinking that maybe they might glue her injury together, but there was concern that because it was so close to her nostrils, she might sniff the glue straight into her nose--not good. I was really glad that we were able to avoid stitches, because that would have required sedation. As you know, she does not have a good track record with sedation, so praise God that it was a superficial wound!
After we got back to the apartment, we realized that the culprit responsible for AnnaSophia's injury was actually a cast of a Phytosaur tooth that the kids got at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science yesterday. Nobody knows how the baby got the tooth, but it was on the floor broken next to where AnnaSophia was sitting. Because she is so mobile, today has been a lesson for all of us on watching AnnaSophia closely, and definitely making sure she does not play with dinosaur fossils. Who knows? Maybe she will be an archeologist one day. Needless to say, I have a headache, and I'm sure, another gray hair.
Mary
When we arrived at Children's, it was so nice to see a familiar and friendly face. Cassandra, a family friend and E.R. tech, saw that we came into the E.R. and readily scooped us up to take care of us. Ethan and Emily had not eaten snack or lunch, and once AnnaSophia was settled, she treated the big kids to lunch. Thank you Cassandra for making even and unplanned trip to the hospital a good experience for Ethan and Emily.
After numbing AnnaSophia's injury and washing it thoroughly, the doctors realized that the cut was not deep enough for sutures. Originally, they were thinking that maybe they might glue her injury together, but there was concern that because it was so close to her nostrils, she might sniff the glue straight into her nose--not good. I was really glad that we were able to avoid stitches, because that would have required sedation. As you know, she does not have a good track record with sedation, so praise God that it was a superficial wound!
After we got back to the apartment, we realized that the culprit responsible for AnnaSophia's injury was actually a cast of a Phytosaur tooth that the kids got at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science yesterday. Nobody knows how the baby got the tooth, but it was on the floor broken next to where AnnaSophia was sitting. Because she is so mobile, today has been a lesson for all of us on watching AnnaSophia closely, and definitely making sure she does not play with dinosaur fossils. Who knows? Maybe she will be an archeologist one day. Needless to say, I have a headache, and I'm sure, another gray hair.
Mary
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Countdown to home
AnnaSophia was so charming in clinic on Monday. She watched and "tried to help" with her blood draw from her picc line. We got her blood pressure the first time, which is unusual, and she smiled and charmed her way through the rest of her intake. After throwing up her meds and an EKG, she fell asleep and allowed her echo tech to get perfect ultrasound pictures of her new heart. After examining AnnaSophia, Jilayne removed her picc line. Praise God for success in even the little things! Every thing looked really good, including her. She is just so active, and I told Steve that he needed to make sure the house was sufficiently child-proofed before we came home, because she is feeling so well that she will be into everything.
Our target date to come home was November 3rd, but Jilayne told us Monday that we could go home after Thursday's clinic. Steve is coming up Friday, and we officially move home Saturday, November 1st. God is so good! It seemed like at times I would never see this day. I often tried not to think about when we would go home. I just lived in the moment, not thinking about more than one day ahead. AnnaSophia's health often changed dramatically from one week to the next, and I have made it through five long months purely by the strength that the Lord has given me. This journey has been a rollercoaster of emotions, but through it all, I have seen the Lord do mighty and amazing things. I am so thankful for all that the Lord has done, and I do not take one thing for granted. Life is but a vapor, and I try to live celebrating each moment. It is hard being the parent of a heart transplant child to not constantly feel like you are waiting for the other shoe to drop, but the one sure thing that gets me through is the fact that the Lord has walked each step of this journey with our family.
I also would like to extend a very humble thank you to the countless people who have prayed for our little angel and helped our family with financial gifts. Steve and I have felt so blessed and touched by the outpouring of support for our family. Your prayers have been more precious than gold. Words completely fail me regarding the amazing fundraisers and generosity of our community. If anyone knows me, this is really something, as I have a tendency to talk and talk and...well, you get the picture if you've read the blog. I have been completely humbled by this experience, and cannot possibly express adequately the thanks that is in my heart. May God bless you all and keep you in His holy care.
Mary
Our target date to come home was November 3rd, but Jilayne told us Monday that we could go home after Thursday's clinic. Steve is coming up Friday, and we officially move home Saturday, November 1st. God is so good! It seemed like at times I would never see this day. I often tried not to think about when we would go home. I just lived in the moment, not thinking about more than one day ahead. AnnaSophia's health often changed dramatically from one week to the next, and I have made it through five long months purely by the strength that the Lord has given me. This journey has been a rollercoaster of emotions, but through it all, I have seen the Lord do mighty and amazing things. I am so thankful for all that the Lord has done, and I do not take one thing for granted. Life is but a vapor, and I try to live celebrating each moment. It is hard being the parent of a heart transplant child to not constantly feel like you are waiting for the other shoe to drop, but the one sure thing that gets me through is the fact that the Lord has walked each step of this journey with our family.
I also would like to extend a very humble thank you to the countless people who have prayed for our little angel and helped our family with financial gifts. Steve and I have felt so blessed and touched by the outpouring of support for our family. Your prayers have been more precious than gold. Words completely fail me regarding the amazing fundraisers and generosity of our community. If anyone knows me, this is really something, as I have a tendency to talk and talk and...well, you get the picture if you've read the blog. I have been completely humbled by this experience, and cannot possibly express adequately the thanks that is in my heart. May God bless you all and keep you in His holy care.
Mary
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