Wednesday, June 27, 2007

Monday, June 25, 2007

Touching Base...

We're home. We're grateful. And we're tired, so very tired.

Isaac's doing better: still on IM antibiotic meds (daily shots in his thighs) but looking great. He's had some sating issues over the past few days, so we're hoping & praying to figure them out & resolve them without another hospital visit.

To top it all of, Isaac is FOUR MONTHS OLD TODAY!!!!! Happy birthday, Champ! We're so proud of you.

Wednesday, June 20, 2007

Setback

Isaac is back in the hospital.

At his first pediatrician's appointment yesterday, Dr. Hunt evaluated a rash that had been brewing as well as his fever. Blood labs revealed his white cell count more than double the normal range, revealing infection. So we're back in the PICU awaiting the results of cultures drawn yesterday. Preliminary results indicate some type of infection in the blood, possibly staph. Full results will come back within the next 48 hours. After several tries (remember - tricky access), a delicate IV was established in Isaac's hand so that he could receive antibiotics. In spite of the labs, our sweet boy seems to be very comfortable & happy in his "new room." Right now, we're looking at a minimum of two more days in the hospital, possibly a week or more depending on culture results.

Sunday, June 17, 2007

Our Hero

To The One We Are Most Proud Of::

What a joy to spend this, your first Father's Day, at home together!

You have led our family through this long journey with strength, wisdom, & character, never once faltering or doubting God's plan. In times of uncertainty, you always hold me close & remind me of God's faithfulness & that we can put our whole trust in Him. You've faithfully led our family & our church in worship through this journey, even at the darkest times, & it has been humbling to watch you follow Christ wholeheartedly no matter what was happening around you. I could not have made it through without you. Isaac is most blessed to have you as his Daddy & to follow in your example. Even at his young age, I know he already looks up at you by the way he lights up whenever you're near. We couldn't ask for more in a husband, a father, a worship leader, & a friend.

Jordan, we love you & are so proud of you. Happy Father's Day!
::Mommy & Isaac

Thursday, June 14, 2007

HOME!!!!!

::Psalm 20.1-8::
May the LORD answer you when you are in distress;
may the name of the God of Jacob protect you.
May He send you help from the sanctuary
and grant you support from Zion.
May He remember all your sacrifices
and accept your burnt offerings.
Selah

May He give you the desire of your heart
and make all your plans succeed.
We will shout for joy when you are victorious
and will lift up our banners in the name of our God.
May the LORD grant all your requests.

Now I know that the LORD saves His anointed;
He answers him from His holy heaven
with the saving power of His right hand.
Some trust in chariots and some in horses,
but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.
They are brought to their knees and fall,
but we rise up and stand firm.


June 14, 2007 will forever be remembered in our hearts. It is a day filled with a mix of emotion; a day where months of prayer were answered with a loving "yes". To say the day has been surreal would fail to do it justice. It marks the triumphant close of a chapter & wets the pen to scribe the next. On June 14th, Isaac came home!!! After 110 days at UNC Hospital, we packed our belongings & our beloved into the car, & as a family - all three - traveled home.


To think back on all our sweet boy has come through - so many nights where we thought we'd say "goodbye", times of unexplainable deterioration & recovery - and to see him now sleeping peacefully in his own bed, the experience is indescribable. Our miracle boy has been touched by God's mighty hand time & again. We could not have asked for more from the amazing team at UNC's PICU. Isaac & our family as a whole received tremendous care & compasssion from their staff, making each day more than just a visit with our son, but a time with friends as well. We were so touched by their send off, decorating Isaac's door with streamers & letters to us. It brought tears to our eyes to see the unit celebrating with such sincerity over our sweet boy. Thank you, PICU team, for all you've done for our family & for countless others across the state. We will certainly miss you all, though we're thrilled to not be seeing you for a little while. :)


Almighty God has brought us through quite a valley, faithful in every moment. How great is our God, who answers us when we call, who provides strength & peace when we have nothing left, & who turns our mourning into joyous dancing. Only God could take the sufferings of a newborn baby to unite so many people across the globe in prayer & draw us closer to Him. Only God could take such a road & fill it with new friends & new believers. Only God could have done the unexplainable things that have occured in our lives. To see where Isaac has come from & where he is now, we have nothing but humble, awestruck gratitude to Him who does immeasurably more than anything we could ask or think.


Our hearts overflow with gratitude to you all who have held our arms up through this journey. We long for the day when Isaac understands the floods of prayers offered on his behalf for so many months by those who had never met him, of those who fasted & spent sleepless nights beseeching God to intervene & spare his life. Countless times, we would pull up your words of encouragement in his hospital room & through them, find the refreshment needed to take the next step forward. We know not how to thank you enough!


Coming home is a huge transition for Isaac & our family as a whole. While stable, Isaac remains fragile & thus certain precautions are necessary to enable him to thrive at home. We know so many of you are eager to meet him & we will begin to slowly have visitors once he grows stronger. Until that time, we ask for no surprise visitors to our home. For those interested in how to help out with our homecoming, please contact Karen Dawkins as she is coordinating meals for us. (kadawkins@gmail.com)

Again, thank you all for your support & prayers. What a joy to have our sweet Isaac home at last!!!

Tuesday, June 05, 2007

101 Days in Chapel Hill


Today marks Isaac's 101st day of life & our 101st day in Chapel Hill. A mix of emotions comes at this realization; astounded & fatigued that we've been here so long, yet in the same breathe, tremendously grateful that Isaac has made it through thus far. He has come through 5 surgeries & 3 brushes with death, with 2 more open-heart surgeries remaining as well as 3 more procedures to correct his palate, pyloric valve, & inguinal hernia. So much for one little boy!

Though Isaac will be nearly 4 months old by the time we get home, he'll essentially be a newborn in terms of development due to his extensive hospital stay & lengthy sedation (came off sedation meds completely just last Thursday). Through prayer, God's mighty hand, & excellent medical care, Isaac has overcome tremendous obstacles already with many more still to come in the months ahead. Days can be hard as we see even the simplest things be difficult & exhausting for our sweet son. Thankfully, he can know no disappointment as this life is all he's ever known & even in the midst of it, he remains a precious, happy little boy. To see him sleep peacefully amongst tubes & wires & machines is to be reminded of the peace we all can experience through Christ. Even in an environment that is unnatural, uncomfortable, & simply undesirable, we can rest peacefully in God' mighty arms, knowing He is carrying us through & has a good purpose for it all. "Surely it was for my benefit that I suffered such anguish. In Your love You kept me from the pit of destruction..." (Isaiah 38.17)

Jordan & I are deeply grateful for these 101 days with our sweet Isaac & pray for many more ahead. As our time in the PICU has been extensive, we've indirectly observed many families loose their children; some to long-term issues & others to surprising traumas. Even today, a recent admission lost their fight; family & friends cycled through the unit to say goodbye before the transplant team arrived. Every time we realize this is occurring, our eyes well with tears in grief for those families & in gratitude to still have our sweet boy here with us. No matter how many times you experience this occuring, it never looses its potency. We've learned to truly value each & every single day & to live each day on purpose. So many lessons learned, so many more to be gained. What a gift the past 101 days have been! We wouldn't trade them for anything as we've seen God's mighty hand in ways we would not have otherwise.


Keep on, Isaac! We're so very proud of you!