52 Days old and another GREAT day! 7-30-12

Today has been an interesting day to say the least.  It was a great day despite the troubles along the way.  We started out going to Aomori just like we usually do.  I had asked Jacob to do the driving today so that I could work on my assignment that I had procrastinated on.  I wanted us to get there and back on schedule so that I would be able to turn my assignment in on time.  Well that didn’t happen.  Jacob wanted to take the truck today because it is more comfortable to drive.  I agreed and then we headed out.  We dropped off Jason and then started the drive.  About halfway to Aomori the truck decided to stop working on us.  I was working on my assignment so I didn’t really know what was going on but Jacob said he heard a clunk and the engine just shut off.  He pulled over to the side of the road and tried to turn it back on and it just did the clicking sound really fast but never turned over.  We tried a gazillion times and it just wouldn’t start.  God made sure that we broke down conveniently in the right spot though.  In Japan most of the roads are one lane and very narrow.  The truck shut off right as we hit a part of the road that had a pull off margin on the side.  Perfectly planned.  Thanks God! We called around a bit and found an auto company that would come tow the truck back to his shop close to the base.  We also have some great friends who came and picked us up!

Jacob left a note on the car so that the Japanese police would not tow it thinking that it was abandoned.  He used his phone to google translate a message to Japanese and then he copied the message in Kanji (Japanese writing).  I was pretty impressed with his kanji skills.  We have no idea if it actually said the right thing but it looked like Japanese! LOL.  We should have taken a picture.  Maybe the note will still be in the car later. 

Our friends showed up and we weren’t expecting them to take us on to Aomori but they offered to take us to see baby boy.  What awesome friends we have!  We got up to the hospital and spoke with the doctors and nurses.  They had just changed his sheets so the left his padded blankie off so we could interact with him for a bit.  He made all types of silly faces at us.  We caught a few yawns and he even sneezed! LOL It was adorable.  Today Jordan’s CRP was 2.9.  The doctors are still unsure as to the location and type of infection he has.  They can’t really find anything wrong with him besides the blood work and inflammation test.  The inflammation is going down each day with the new antibiotics that he is on so they are working.  He has low platelets.  The normal range should be 20-30 when its only at 3.1 .  The reason for this Is that the infection and the antibiotics both suppress the bone marrow which in turn suppresses the production of platelets.  Tonight he received his first platelet transfusion.    They do not see any indications of him bleeding at all but they take all precautions they can to fix an issue before it becomes an issue. 

They have started the weaning process for the ventilator.  They decided to keep him on the ARPV setting for a while.  They reduced the pressure from 18 to 17 and now it is at 16.  What they do is reduce the pressure and then raise the oxygen concentration.  So he is at 16 pressure and 35% oxygen concentration.  Tomorrow they may lower the oxygen concentration to 30% or even lower.  Then they can lower the pressure again and raise the concentration.  It goes in stages like this to provide Jordan the best transition.  Before he comes off of the ventilator they will switch the mode to PAV or Proportional Assist Ventilation.   This ventilation type is like the SIMV setting in that it waits for Jordan to take a breath and then assists with that breath.  It is different because it only relies on Jordan’s breathing; it does not give him a mechanical breath.  It also gives more or less pressure depending on the strength of Jordan’s breath.  If Jordan takes a shallow breath then it gives shallow pressure but if he takes a deep breath, it gives deep pressure.  It’s slightly difficult to understand.  He will then move from that machine to CPAP.  The PAV mode cannot be used until Jordan starts taking deeper and stronger breaths.  Hopefully this will be soon.

We also found out that his next eye appointment is Thursday.  So far the middle part of his eye has still been too cloudy for them to see the retina of his eye to determine the condition of his eye sight.  The cloudiness should go away completely in the next two or three weeks.  Keep praying for that one.  They also said that his brain ultrasounds and activity is very good and his digestion and nutrition is fantastic.  His chest x-rays look clear now meaning the pneumonia is gone! YAY praise God!

After we talked to the doctor for a while, the nurse asked if we wanted to hold Jordan again.  Of course we wanted to!!  We both held him for a few minutes each.  He’s so wonderful.  Still small but he feels heavier than before! LOL.  He was also being wiggly and expressive.  I am so much in love with him.  Such a perfect little angel! Cannot believe he is almost two months old.  Words cannot express how great it feels to be able to hold him in my hands and cuddle his sweet little body.  We are blessed beyond measure.  God has such great plans and is working miracles all around us. 

Lord I praise you for this day.  I thank you for the fellowship that you allowed us to have with some great people.  Thank you for friends willing to stop whatever they had planned for the day and come rescue us in the middle of nowhere.  What an awesome testimony.  You provide so many things for us.  I thank you for allowing the truck to break down in a very convenient spot that allowed us to sit on the side of the road for a few hours without the worry of being harmed or interfering with oncoming traffic.  That was definitely something to be thankful for.  We would ask that you would allow the truck to have a small issue and not a major one.  If this is not in the plans then we trust that you have greater things in store and that junking the vehicle will not be a problem.  Lord we thank you that baby boy is showing improvement with this new infection every day.  We ask that you would reveal the location and type of infection to the doctors so that they know how to handle it better.  We ask that you would continue to allow the weaning process to go smoothly.  Give the doctors wisdom to decide which ventilator modes are best and when to make the transitions.  Heal Jordan’s lungs and increase his breathing strength.  Allow him to come off of the ventilator quickly and effectively.  We ask that you would clear up Jordan’s eyes so that the doctors can begin to focus on any eye issues that he may have.  We ask that Jordan would have full sight functions and no major eye damage from the prematurity.  Lord please restore Jordan’s platelet levels with the platelet transfusion and allow for no side effects.  We praise you for placing us in Japan specifically for Jordan’s care.  Lord I thank you for being the cornerstone in our lives and leading us.  When I lean on you completely, my burdens are light.  I praise you for this awesome power and support that you place in our lives.  You are holding my entire family in your arms.  We are so blessed.  I love you lord.  I hope that I am bringing you joy and satisfaction.  Use my voice lord to speak to others and to guide others to you.  Thank you for enveloping me and my family in your love, Father.  Give us rest and endurance.  In your name we pray, Amen.

Jordan is 51 days old 7-29-12

Good evening! Or good morning to everyone in the states! Today has been a very good day.  Yesterday was also a great day.  Yesterday we didn’t go see baby boy like we usually do on Saturdays.  Jacob and I decided to switch Saturday and Sunday so that we could go boating with some friends.  We had a great time.  I wasn’t sure that I was going to be able to enjoy myself since I was so worried about Jordan since the not so great news on Friday.  Jacob ended up calling the base translators Saturday morning and they called the NICU to get an update.  I was able to relax a lot more after hearing that baby boy had shown improvement with his tests and was doing well. 

Our friends had rented a boat from the recreation office and we went tubing and water skiing with them.  I only went one round on the tube but it was a lot of fun.  I am sore today though.  Only one round on the tube and sore…yikes…I used to be able to go for hours when I was younger…Im so old!! Haha…yep..23 is really old!!  Jacob went on the tube several times and he even tried the water skis.  We were all really impressed with his skills.  He was able to stand up and stay standing on the water skis for a while.  No one else was brave enough to try the skis.  Jason got in the water.  We were going to put him on the tube with Jacob and then drive the boat extremely slow but he didn’t want to.  We did manage to get him to sit on the tube for a picture though lol.  Jason was the only one who didn’t get burnt.  We all put on sunscreen but I made sure Jason had extra coverage.  I thought I had good coverage too but I guess I missed a couple of spots.  Jacob is a lobster though.  He must not be a good sunscreen applicator lol. 

Today we went to church this morning and then right after church we went up to Aomori to see baby boy.  He had his transfusion and looks like a strawberry from all the extra blood.  A very cute strawberry I might add.  We had a good cuddle time.  He held my finger and made silly faces at me.  His CRP is down to 4.0 this morning.  The doctors are still unsure about the location and type of infection that he has.  They know it is bacterial but they are waiting on the cultures for a diagnosis.  Since the inflammation is going down, the antibiotics seem to be working.  The nurses said that Jordan is still very active and energetic even when he doesn’t feel well.  He doesn’t seem to show that he feels sick.  Tomorrow doctors are going to decide the next step for the weaning from the ventilator process.  They are either going to keep him on the ARPV setting which is most like CPAP and matches his body the most or they are going to switch over to HFO for the high frequency again.  Whichever setting they decide, they will wean the pressure down on the ventilator until it hits a normal range that will work well with the CPAP.  We don’t really know when he will be off of the ventilator.  All we know is that they are working on things and taking every consideration day by day.  He could be on for another few weeks if that is what he needs.  We are praying that he is able to come off very soon.  He is getting 28-30% oxygen concentration.  By the time they take him off the ventilator they will have it down to 21% concentration which is the same as room air that you and I breathe.  God is doing great things in our little boy’s life and He has great plans for him and for us.

At church this morning, our lesson was on the qualities of the Holy Spirit as outlined in scripture.  I thought this was an interesting topic and I was encouraged by the discussion.  The past few days have been rough for me and I believe this is because I was starting to lose focus.  I was fighting God for the control over things going on in our lives.  As I was trying to hold all the control, I wasn’t focused on the blessings that we have received and was focused on trying to fix all the problems.  Today I needed this day in God’s house.  He really spoke to me and helped me to reset my focus on Him and His purpose.  Jordan is going through the things that he is for a reason.  God is with him and I do not need to try to find a solution.  God has things under control.  When I try to control things, I get overwhelmed.  When I give things over to God, I am encouraged and I see the positive blessings.  Praise God for every circumstance in your lives.  We do not need to know all the answers.  God’s got this under control.  Look at how much Jordan has already overcome.  He was born 17 weeks prematurely, He had open heart surgery, his digestion passed the test, he is putting on weight and his organs are working like normal.  He has overcome two different stages of pneumonia and now has a different infection that he is working on.  Jordan did not do this alone.  All of these things were the work of God healing his body and restoring His perfect creation.  God has plans.  I know that I am called to share this journey and reach out to others.  This blog is my testimony.  God speaks through me and uses my words to reach out to others.  This is part of the plans that God has outlined for me.  I am the voice to share God’s miracle.  I am honored to have this privilege.  We had a lesson in church a few weeks ago about killing our pride.  God cannot use you if you become too prideful.  This weak I became prideful.  God was testing me on this issue and I did not do so well for a few days.  No one is perfect, but God will use you if you let Him.  

My song for the day is Cornerstone  by Hillsong.  If you have not heard this song, you need to. Please look it up!  Christ is the cornerstone of our lives; the strongest point of our entire being.  If we know this and allow God to work as our center strength; He will bless us beyond measure.

Lord I praise your name for the power and grace that you have put into our lives.  You have planned out great things for our lives.  Often times as humans we think we are missing out.  But the truth is that your plans and paths are much more rewarding and prosperous than those of this world.  You created us to have life and to have it abundantly.  Your plans are to prosper us and not to harm us.  By being a Christian we are not lacking in the fun department.  We are actually having more fun because we are following your perfect plans for our lives.  Lord I praise you for this day. I needed to hear those words that you spoke through the sermon today.  I pray that you would not allow me to lose my focus.  I give up my control over everything happening in our lives right now.  I know that your ways are much better than my pride.  I ask that you would remind me when I am starting to lose focus and that you would shift my attention back to you and your awesome power.  Use me and my words as a testimony for you lord.  Lord I praise you for the many things that you have done in Jordan’s life.  You have been healing his body from day one.  You have a purpose for him.  I pray that you would heal this new infection completely and protect his body from future infections.  Guide the doctors as they diagnose test results.  Guide them in the decision process for the ventilator.  Lord I pray that you would be in their meeting tomorrow and guide them in the decisions that need to be made.  Continue to allow Jordan to surprise them with his growth and success.  Allow him to be a testimony for you. Protect us as we travel lord.  I also ask that you would guide the process for our move.  I give over that worry to you and trust that you will make things smooth even with the short process time and notification.  I praise you for great friends and for loved ones far away.  Lord I thank for my mom.  Thank you that she encourages me and lifts me up when I am struggling the most.  I am blessed beyond measure to have been raised by two wonderful parents that love you Lord and are great examples of Christ-like living.  Lord allow us motivation this week to accomplish our tasks with positive attitudes and allowing you to guide us each step of the way.  I ask all these things in your name, Amen!

Side note:  I promise to post updated pictures soon.  It was brought to my attention a few weeks ago that a group of people are stealing people's photos on facebook and other sites of their premature babies.  These people are then claiming the children as their own and are asking for money and donations to help pay for NICU costs.  Because of this, I won't be posting photos unless they have tags on them that identify them as Jordan. So I'm working on doing this.  I will have it working soon.  Just know that he is still really cute! :D

49 days old!! 7-27-12

Sorry about not blogging so often.  We haven’t been getting updates on the days that we don’t go up to Aomori.  It will probably be like that for a while so I may not blog everyday unless I feel led by God to speak about something in particular.  I had a rough day today.  I was not happy this morning as we were having a few translation conflictions.  It’s really hard to not be able to call the NICU whenever I want to get an update on baby boy.  I wish I could call myself but with the communication barrier it can be a challenge.  Today we went to Aomori later than we usually do because we were scheduled to help give Jordan his bath.  Two days ago, his inflammation had gone up a little bit and the doctors had thought that it was because his body was reacting to being on the antibiotics for too long.  So they stopped the antibiotics to observe.  Today the inflammation response test went up significantly.  It was at 1.5 CRP on our Thursday but then today it was up to 7.5 CRP.  You guessed it…baby boy has another infection. 

The doctor said it is a bacterial infection.  They did a few cultures and a blood exam to determine the type of bacteria and to see if they could pinpoint the location of the infection.  It could be in his lungs again but his x-rays were clear so it is not another pneumonia as of now.  They said that his oxygen and vital signs had been stable and he has good activity.  Because he is so tiny, they cannot do multiple blood tests in one day like they could with an adult so it can be harder to find the exact location of the issue.  They started him on a different antibiotic…well two different kinds of antibiotic.  They are using a low dose of these.  The lowest dose possible.  It is difficult because babies this young catch infections easily because of reduced immunity but being on lots of antibiotics creates immunity in their body to those antibiotics just like it would for you and me. 

Jordan also needs another blood transfusion because his hemoglobin levels are low.  He usually does well after he has gotten blood and I have heard that it is normal for preemies to get multiple blood transfusions.  This will be his fourth transfusion since birth.  Jordan also had an eye exam yesterday but they were unable to determine his eye condition and sight because his eyes are still cloudy.  They said this was normal and they will recheck in a week to see if the cloudy is fading.  Premature babies often have eye issues but these can usually be corrected with either glasses or eye surgery.

Jordan was celebrating the Nebuta festival with his own little festival decoration.  This is the festival with all the huge Japanese floats.  I think it is awesome that they try hard to allow the babies and their parents celebrate the festivals even when they are in the NICU.

We had the pleasure (not really) of experiencing a time of distress for Jordan.  I was able to help with his bath today and it was nice to be able to help with his care.  I did most of the cleaning on him.  Right after his bath, the nurses were positioning him and adjusting him again when he decided to stop breathing.  The ventilator tube could have been partially blocked against his trachea from all the moving but whatever the reason, Jordan’s oxygen saturation went down to 24% rapidly.  The doctor had to use the oxygen bag and do a manual pump of oxygen into his lungs for several minutes to get the number back up and stable.  This was really freaky to watch.  I was not okay seeing my little boy in such distress. 

I haven’t been leaning on God today like I should.  The human in me always tries to wrestle back control over everything.  I am certain that this is why I have been struggling so much today.  I need to give up the control and let God handle things.  He controls things much better than I do anyway.  The nurse assured me that the oxygen issue was not my fault and was just something that sometimes happens.  It didn’t really feel like it at the time though.  Jacob was telling me that I wasn’t being positive today.  It is difficult to be so positive each and every day.  I think it is normal to have a rough day here and there. 

Lord, I pray hard that you would be with baby boy and this new infection that he has.  I ask that you would place your healing hands on his body.  I pray that you would boost up his immunity and allow him to have a break from this struggle.  I know that your plans are perfect and I pray that you would infuse him with your strength.  Lord I pray that you would give him complete healing.  Place your hands on his lungs lord.  Help the doctors to figure out where the new infection is located and how to stop the infection with the correct treatment.  Give them wisdom and guidance.  I pray that you would continue to let him have clear lungs and give him respiratory stability.  I pray that you would not let him have any more respiratory emergencies like the one we witnessed today.  Allow the doctors to continue weaning him from the ventilator.  Guide the weaning process.  Be with Jordan as he receives this transfusion and protect him from harm.  Strengthen him with this transfusion.  Lord I pray that you would be with Jacob and I .  Help us to lean on you when we are feeling discouraged.  Give us strength and endurance.  Help us to not be burnt out from our constant schedule.  This is a long road.  One we will get through with you by our side and leading the way.  Help us make the best decisions possible for our family and our little boys.  Be with us as we rest and refresh our spirits.  Lord speak to us and through us.  Guide us in our paths and help us to be a light for others.  I ask that you would be with Jason as well.  Help him to know mommy and daddy’s love.  Help us to give him as much attention as he needs.  Lord I pray about the communication issues that we are having.  I pray that you would place your hands on that situation.  Allow us to have peace and confidence in your will.  Give us all strength, endurance, and patience.  We ask all these things in your name, Amen.

47 days old!! 7-25-12

Jordan is 47 days old today!! I cannot believe how fast the time has gone.  He looks so big and so much different.  When we first got into the NICU, he was on his back because they were changing his diaper and he just looked so big! It sounds crazy to think that a not even two pound baby looks big but from what he started at, he is huge!  He is over double his weight from birth and he looks like it!  I am so much in love with him.  The doctor shared about Jordan’s condition with us as usual.  Today, Jordan’s CRP level has gone up slightly.  It was at 0.7 CRP for the past two days.  This morning it was at 0.9 CRP.  It did not go up much at all.  The doctor is not sure of why it went up but since it did not go up very much and the rest of his numbers are not rising as well, they will just observe right now.  If it continues to go back up they may need a different antibiotic or something.  Right now we just watch and see. 

Since they stopped the steroid treatments they were observing him for side effects.  There were no side effects so they were able to continue on with the plan to start the weaning process.  The APRV ventilator was set to 18cm for the pressure and it has now been lowered to 17.  They are also lowering his oxygen concentration at the same time.  His respiratory condition is mostly stable even with the slight elevation in inflammation response.  They need to put in a central line again because his veins are so tiny so the normal IV was leaking a little bit.  The doctor actually showed us how they find the veins.  They take a really bright red light and place it behind his arm.  This allows them to see every vein in his hand and arm.  I thought this was really neat.  I also find it amazing that they even have needles small enough to create an IV in such a tiny vein.  His veins are skinnier than a string of floss.  The medical care that he is receiving is undeniably amazing.  God placed us here in Japan for this very reason.

Friday we are going to be able to help with his bath time.  I am really excited.  You can only imagine how difficult it is to watch other people take care of your baby on a regular basis.  I mean I am not allowed to do many things to care for his needs.  I am so thankful for the doctors and nurses that are caring for him though.  They are so caring and very thorough. 

This evening we hung out with some great friends.  We pretty much invited ourselves over lol.  Aren’t those the best type of friends to have though?  The ones that don’t care if you don’t give advanced notice to hang out!  Such a blessing to have great friends!  Jacob and I enjoyed our time together during the drive and lunch today.  We were remembering things from when we were dating and just being silly.  We were also picking locations that we wanted to take the boys to in the future when everyone is healthy.  I am looking forward to the day that Jordan can come home and our family can be complete. 

Tomorrow will be a busy day to catch up on the chores and homework requirements.  OH JOY!!  Lol.  I really do not like cleaning.  My parents will tell you how much I hated it when I was younger and Jacob will tell you that I haven’t changed.  The song that spoke to me today was “Love them like Jesus” by Casting Crowns.  This song really touched my heart today because I am so thankful for the people in our lives that have loved us like Jesus does.  Many of the people that we have grown close to throughout this experience were close to strangers before.  A lot of people dropped everything to be there for us and surround us in their love and support.  This song also helped me to think about how I need to treat others on a daily basis.  I need to set my own opinions and judgments aside and just love them.  Love them like Jesus does.  Carry them to Him.  I have found that sometimes God will place people into our lives and our paths just to see how we handle them.  We need to handle them with love and patience rather than judgment and frustration.  This is often easier said than done but love can go a long way in someone’s heart and can plant many seeds.  Today, Love everyone like Jesus loves.

Lord I thank you for this day.  Even though we often complain about the weather and the climate and everything else in life, you created this day and it is perfect and beautiful.  As humans we seem to focus on the negative far more than the positive.  I praise you for allowing me to see the positives today and breaking down the negative barriers.  Lord I pray that you would be with Jordan.  Please heal this inflammation completely and protect his lungs from any bacteria that would cause a different infection.  Give him full healing and immune strength.  Lord heal his lungs and prepare them to come off of the ventilator.  Allow the weaning process to go smoothly.  Your timing is perfect.  Lord give us patience and understanding as we wait and we wonder.  Help us to give any challenges to you rather than focus on them and hold grudges or place blame.  We are thankful for everyone in our lives.  We know that each person serves a purpose.  We ask that you would bless those who are praying for us and loving us.  Lord thank you for Jason and his outgoing spirit.  Thank you that he is comfortable with those who watch him and that he does not worry when mommy and daddy are away.  Thank you also that he comes running to us when we pick him up to give us hugs and kisses.  I adore being the mommy to two incredible boys.  Thank you for these beautiful creations that you chose and that you created.  Guide us in our tasks tomorrow.  Protect little boy and hold him in your arms.  Be with Jacob as he is working.  I ask all these things in your name, Amen

46 days old 7-24-12

We had a pretty great day today.  Jacob went back to work today and he spent some time catching up on some training he had to do.  We had to go in and sign some paperwork for our medical move coming up.  They have to process things for a while before we will find out where we are going.  There is always a process of paperwork for everything that is done in the military.  Although it can be annoying at times, I am so thankful that we are in the military for many reasons.  One, the insurance covers all the medical needs of Jordan and I through this journey.  Second, the quality of care we are receiving is beyond wonderful.  Third, the support and love we have gotten from the squadron and base are very helpful.  There are many people rooting for our baby boy and working on giving him the best possible chances for life. 

We didn’t receive an update from the doctor today.  I can imagine that they are very busy and usually when we don’t hear any news, it means that things are progressing as expected and for the better.  If there was any adverse reaction for things, I believe they would let us know as soon as possible.  It can be difficult waiting on an email but God is teaching us patience and trust.  We trust in His plans and His power.  We trust in his direction for the path we are taking.  Once we find out where we are moving, we will only have a few weeks to prepare and move.  Although this can seem daunting, I am trusting that God will work everything out to make for a smooth transition.  And when we get to our receiving location I trust that God will set up a home for us, a vehicle for us, and all the necessary accommodations.  We are being sent somewhere that God desires us to go and He will lead the way and guide our path.

Although I don’t have any updates about Jordan today I felt it was important to blog anyway because our family consists of more than just Jordan and his care and God is working in each of our lives and not solely in Jordan’s life.  Jason and I had a rocking play date with our friends this morning.  We went to the fantasy dome mall.  It has a big play area for kids.  Jason had so much fun jumping around in the bouncy house.  We then ate some Indian curry and then went to the fabric shop to pick out or fabric for Jordan’s quilt.  We got some pretty colors.  I had to use the wonderful modern technology to ask for 100% cotton fabric.  I use the translator from Google on the cell phone to show the attendant what I was looking for!  Ho w awesome is modern technology?! It sure helped a lot today!

We had a great time playing today.  This afternoon, Jacob and I did our second day of our running program.  I was really sore today so it was a little difficult.  I managed to get through it even though I wanted to quit.  We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us!  After this, we had an amazing dinner with some friends from church.  We played bible taboo.  Oh goodness, I haven’t laughed that hard in a long time.  I had the word sheep but could not say animal and several other words.  We all thought it was pretty funny as I said “This is a creature that says baaaaaaaaa” lol.  It was great to have fellowship with great friends and be able to enjoy ourselves and refresh our attitudes.  Although we are going through a lot with Jordan, we cannot let that soak all of our energy and attention.  We still need to be joyful and alive.  God is so good.  He has provided us a great family here in Japan to share our hearts and love with.  I am thankful. 

I was reading a story about one of the victims of the movie theater shooting recently in Aurora Colorado.  Colorado is home to us and my sister, my best friend, and other people we know live in Denver so this hit close to home.  One of the young women shot was 22 years old.  She was shot three times in the arm and once in the brain.  The doctors did surgery to remove the bullet and clean up the damage from the bullet path and then hope that the damage was not too extensive.  What they found was a miracle.  This young woman had been born with a “defect” in her brain.  She had a channel of fluid that separated a path in her brain that was almost exactly the size of a bullet.  The bullet entered her brain next to her nose and traveled the exact path of the channel missing all major brain areas and missing pretty much the entire tissues of the brain.  The channel of fluid had turns and sways but the bullet followed the path perfectly.  Do you call that chance? Absolutely not! We serve an awesome God.  A God who had already planned out this woman’s path in life and created this channel to perfectly match the path of a bullet that she would take 22 years later.  What an awesome creator!  God does miracles daily and plans everything of our life before we are even conceived.  He loves us so unconditionally.

We go see baby boy in the morning and I am excited to learn about his progress for the past two days.  I will be sure to post an update as soon as we know more.  We very much appreciate your prayers and love for us. 

Lord I praise your name for the awesome miracles that you do in our lives daily.  I thank you that we had a smooth day today with lots of fun and fellowship.  I pray that you would be with our sweet baby boy when we cannot and I ask that you would hold him in your arms.  Give him strength.  Give the doctors wisdom as he is in their care.  Place your healing hands on his lungs and give him full health.  Guide the weaning process and allow there to be no side effects from the steroids.  We thank you for your awesome power.  We praise your name for the young woman that was spared during the recent shooting.  We pray for the families of those who were taken and ask that you would give them comfort and peace.  We pray for the man that did the shooting.  Lord reach out to him and save his soul.  It is not too late for him to come to know you and your love.  Thank you for your daily work in our lives.  We ask all these things in your name, Amen