Bela's checkup

Fell asleep like this on Glenda for two hours! I think that might be the longest nap she's EVER taken!

On Monday our good friends Christa and her boys Roman and Levi came  up and we (minus Bela) all went to the Long Beach Aquarium together for the day. Christa had a cold. we don't make all our guests wear masks.

Roman (L) and Levi.  They are such great kids and we all had so much fun!!!

Lovin on daddy

with her Ya-ya and favorite glow worm

Bela had her first check up today since she's been home.  She's doing great!  Dr. Z was very happy with her progress.  Her blood counts are all going up and have a ways to go but they are where they are expected to be for now. She is almost in the 50th percentile for her weight now and she's starting to grow some hair back:  her eyelashes, her eyebrows, and on her scalp.  In just the right light you can see that she has a darker scalp now that looks like what a boys scalp looks like right after he shaves it real close. Since her immune system is still compromised, we can't take her out to crowded places but we can go on walks and to the park.    She is scheduled to have her next check up next week.  She still has a bad patch of ringworm on her cheek that has spread a little to her forehead but that should clear up as her immune system improves.  

A picnic at home

Santi loves front yard picnics

Snuggle!

loves it outside

four teeth on top, two coming in, and two on the bottom!

Questions

Man so many kids are dying of cancer.  Seems like everyday I find out on facebook of at least one, and I know there's more.  Sometimes I just have to pull myself away because there are literally thousands of facebook pages now set up to follow the journey of all of these kids.

I know that this is nothing too new, but so we just find out more about these cases because of social media?  And I know cancer is not the only disease or way that children die.  And I know that everyday thousands of people die.  Which leads me to think, maybe death isn't something to be surprised at?  Yes it's horrible to lose a child and very sad for anyone to lose a loved one, no mater what age.  But in other countries death is more common place.  People know it's just a fact of life and they don't seem as shocked by it, or at least not as shocked at what we in western culture may be shocked at.

God never promised us tomorrow, nor a life without pain and sorrow.
 
Beto and I were just talking today about how since Bela was diagnosed we seem to know exponentially more families with a child who has cancer. Well, before, we knew only one. Are we just more aware, more sensitive, paying more attention, or all of the above?  For people in professions that see sickness and death everyday, is this the path their thinking takes? I don't know. I'm just thinking "outloud" tonight some things that have been on my heart and wondering you thoughts?

Before Bela was diagnosed I have to be honest I hadn't really suffered anything so traumatic.  I know I am blessed to have lived a good 33 years without anything quite so devastating. I know this probably isn't the norm and many people have had their eyes open to suffering much ealier.

But, to end with the Truth:  Jesus has OVERCOME!  He is our peace.  Our comfort. 

Half-Marathon Proof

Beto finished about 40 min before me.  He's a natural runner!

We did finish our half-marathon on Jan.20.  We ran with Team in Training to raise money for the Leukemia/Lymphoma Society.  Together Beto and I raised just under $10,000, so thank you to all who donated!  We got to stay at the Anaheim Sheraton with other team mates and attended the TNT pre-race dinner the night before. That was very inspiring...we ate dinner with about 500 other participants, most of whom have survived a blood cancer or know someone who had or has it.  we got to hear from a sister of someone who passed away from cancer recently.  Hearing her story reminded us all of why we had trained and why we worked to raise funds for a cure, and why we were about to run 13.1 miles!  These pictures were taken by friends and sent to us last week.  The race started at 5am and we first ran through Disneyland so everyone would be finished and so the park could open at its regular time.  We woke up at 2am to get ready because we had to meet our team in the hotel lobby at 3am, then walked to the starting line where we checked some things to pick up after the race and then found our starting line.  There we waited about an hour for the race to start. It was nice to be done around 9am before it got too hot.  It was great that the race wasn't one week earlier when temps would've been in the 40's here in LA at 3am!

Post race.  Right here all I was thinking was ..."shower.sit.eat.sleep" in that order.

Pre-race was fun. We were all anxious but ready.

Beto running through the cheer tunnel  to the pre-race dinner.

The cheer tunnel was amazing!

Disneyland around 5:30am filled only with runners and employees.

CANCER SUCKS!!!

Today Beto and I attended the funeral of a six year old boy who recently passed away from cancer.

 It was horrible and wonderful and beautiful.  The family's minister spoke a beautiful sermon and the flowers and music were beautiful.  There wasn't a dry eye in the church, especially when they played the slide-show of his life with a song about being gone too soon.

 I cried the whole two hours.  I don't know exactly what it's like to lose a child but I know what it's like to see your child suffer so much with cancer.  He had a different kind of cancer than Bela. I just kept thinking that there are too many children today dying of this horrible disease and it made me angry! And as the preacher said, we don't have all of the answers. We don't understand why some have to die so young and why others survive and thrive. And it could've been Bela. It could've been any of our kids, or any of us. None of us know when our last day will be.  Two years ago I know this family could not, and did not, imagine that today they would be burying their middle child, their little boy.

It reminded me again to really live each day fully and with lots of love, to love and love and love on my kids and all my loved ones with lots of hugs and kisses and laughter.

Please pray for this beautiful family who's hurting so much right now. I have tried but I cannot imagine exactly what they are feeling or what it would be like to be in their shoes.  But I know that they are believers and God is comforting them.  

The glory of God at a park

We went to the park today.  Just me and Santi and Bela. We weren't planning on going to the park but we live just two blocks away and Santi wanted to go.  Bela and I hung out on the grass.
  It was so perfect, simple, and beautiful I almost cried.  This "normal" thing for most people is truly a miracle for us.
Bela loved the grass. I wasn't prepared and didn't take my camera.  She loves to look around, at people, at the trees, the cars, everything. She's very observant.  When the gentle breeze blows [her one tuft of hair], I notice it and think how wonderful that Bela is getting to experience that now.  Things I wouldn't have ever thought of before nor would have enjoyed so much are causes for huge smiles now.

We are settling in and adjusting now.  It's so strange how all of a sudden, overnight, our lives change dramatically once again, and all without much fanfare. I mean, how do you sum up seven months of childhood cancer?  It's like one of those "life events" such as a wedding, graduation, or funeral where afterwards, things are very very different and yet life goes on.

I think, though, that this is how God made us: to be able to not just survive such a huge event, but come out stronger and wiser and yet still able to take on "the mundain" everyday tasks. How in awe I am that Jesus was born in a stable; The Glory of God surrounded by people just going about their lives.  I'd expect more...I don't know...more of a "party-like" atmosphere at home and all around me.  I mean, my child IS CANCER FREE!!! WHY DO I EVEN CARE ABOUT FOLDING CLOTHES RIGHT NOW???!!!  but at home we are just living....we wake up, brush our teeth, have breakfast and before we know it it's time for dinner. Where did the time go? What the heck did we even do today? I know I didn't sit down except to feed the baby.  Oh yea, I sanitized all of Bela's toys...again.  I fed and clothed and cleaned my two kids, myself, my husband (he's self-cleaning though), made meals, cleaned the kitchen, tidied up the house, made some "business-like" calls to the doctors and the insurance agency, took pictures, uploaded them, blogged, got distracted on facebook, and the list goes on and on.  But the Glory of God is always with us and around us.  Let's. just. not. miss. it.

Inside of each of us in our family we feel celebratory. I wasn't able to attend Bela's "going away party" last Friday at the hospital when she was discharged. I was fighting a small cold and I was sooo disappointed.  I'd looked forward to that day for seven months!  There was so much built up, anticipated.  I'd dreamed about that day many many times, and then to not be there, I feel like I didn't get closure.  But I know that the hospital staff will forever be a part of our extended family.

We are getting used to all being home together and taking care of two kids at once. The toughest thing I'd say so far is BEDTIME!!! So far we've tried to stick to a schedule. Usually one of us puts Bela to sleep pretty quickly around 7 while the other one gets Santi ready for bed. On a good night the both of them are sound asleep no later than 9.  

Bela isn't sleeping as well as she was in the hospital, or we just notice how much she wakes up since they're aren't any nurses here to take care of her at night.  She seems to be adjusting to her new bed and surroundings.  I wonder if it's just too quiet here, she is so used to the background noise of the hospital: talking in the hallway, IV machines beeping, getting all her vitals taken, etc.

Beto and I are also getting used to sleeping in the same bed every night, not just Wednesdays when either Christa Johnson or her mom Nuggest would spend the night with Bela.  We thank them for their sacrificial service!

We still feel overwhelmed with gratitude to everyone for all they have done for us and Bela. Especially the prayers. I can't say it enough how humbled we feel to know that we are indebted to so many people, known and unknown to us, for saving Bela's life. Above all God and His Son Jesus we know healed Bela, but He also used literally thousands of prayer warriors and it has made all the difference. 

Showing off his soccer uniform from Tio Seth

Ready to go for our walk.

Santi's self-portrait

Also taken by santi. Bela reminds me of a cartoon character but I can't put my finger on it.

The end of a chapter

It's hard to believe that Bela's home already...surreal.  WE are very blessed that she was in the hospital for "only" seven months.  Depending on the patient and the type of cancer they have, some kids receive chemo for a few years.  

Even though there were times in the past seven months when time moved as slow as molasses and we thought we'd explode if we had to wait any longer, the time went fast too. 

Obviously we are overjoyed that she's home and don't ever want her to have to be in a hospital ever again, but we are also getting used to being home. We do miss the wonderful staff at the hospital and her friends who are patients. We are finally learning what it's like to be parents to two children...who are home all the time, at the SAME time. 

We are relieved and excited to start this next new "normal" chapter in our lives.  Bela still will have to visit the doctor at least once a month for at least six months to get blood drawn and watch her counts.  She won't have her Broviac in her chest taken out for about 6-12 months, I believe, so there is still cause to pray against infection. Beto and I will have to clean the tubing with heparin every day and change the dressing over it once a week. 

Thanks to everyone for all of your concern, compassion, care, prayers, and love. We certainly wouldn't have gotten through these past 7 months without you all.  We thank and praise God for His healing!

So happy to be home!

Waiting for Bela to get in the house!

Bela's home forever!

Baby food face

"Painted" by daddy

Wearing fun new clothes

Starting to push up, might be crawling soon.

Tea Party with the set the hospital gave her at her "going away party"

Family Time

Praying for an upward trend of "counts"

Sorry for not writing in so long. Just happened across another blog about another girl with Leukemia and there is nearly a post for everyday. I wish now that I had posted SOMETHING and a picture everyday, but alas, I am not like some other people. Sometimes I am just too tired or just don't want to share scary, ugly pictures of my child that would make you squirm.
But here is an update I can tell you about, and this will be news to you if you're not following us on "the facebook".  She still has all of her blood counts at zero, basically. She needed another platelet and blood transfusion within the last 48 hours.

Banging her hand down, she screemed, "I WANT MORE BEANS!" 

YUP, Feeding herself already.

I guess this means I broke my vow to not put up pictures that might make you squirm.

Bela feels great. We can tell this by all the smiles and laughs and dances she gives us. She has started to eat rice cereal and tonight: GREEN BEANS! for the first time! She loved them! My sister Glenda got to feed her and she took all the pictures.

As you can see Bela is bald. She was born with a ton of hair.  The large red patch on the left side of her face is Ringworm, the doctors think. They're giving her an anti-fungal cream which doesn't seem to be helping.  When her blood counts go up and she gets more immunity, the ringworm should go away.

She loves to play in her bouncy chair and has started to sit up by herself. She keeps all of her food down and didn't have any blood in her stool this afternoon. She's not in isolation anymore and she loves walking the hall and going to the playroom.

The Occupational Therapist came in today to work with her on her gross motor skills. She is a little behind since she's not crawling yet, but honestly, the girl gets held all the time!  So we need Bela to be on her tummy more. I didn't think about it today but I wonder if Bela thinks that her Broviac is part of her body. She's had it since she was one month old.  I worry that it hurts her when she's on her stomach but the therapist said it shouldn't be a problem.  She has shown some progress towards crawling with her leg movements but her arms and core need to get stronger so she can start doing her push-ups with Santi.

Her counts have taken the longest this time out of all of her "rounds".The chemo from the other rounds is catching up to her. I had predicted, based on the last two rounds of chemo, that she'd be out of the hospital by Jan. 20th or so.  But honestly I am feeling bittersweet about her departure. This is just giving us more time with all of her "aunts and uncles" who take care of her.  She doesn't know any different. For her it's her home.

She has made a wonderful new friend in another patient and all I can say is they play together everyday and have a lot of fun together!

Thanks for all of your prayers! As I look back sometimes over old posts I remember where she used to be and how far God has brought her, and we look forward to never taking another day for granted and how healthy she will be in a year from now when I look back on this post.

The Truth 365: Be the Voice for Children by Watching and Sharing this Film

This is difficult to watch but very important. Please watch from at least minute 39 if you don't have time to watch all of it. Thanks.

The Spirituality of an Onion

You know, it's funny...(not funny "haha"), that my child had cancer. That's not a typo...she does NOT have cancer, she HAD it.  Be warned , these thoughts came to me around 2am this morning while caring for her here in the hospital. I think of my spirituality as an onion. Yes, I know for you Shrek fans out there this may shound familiar. Nothing like exhaustion to make you think of spirituality and Shrek at the same time.

When we first learned Bela was sick we were told that "it's amazing what you can get used to." After the shock of the news of her having Leukemia wore off, we got used to the waiting...then she kept getting sicker and sicker, we didn't like it, but it wasn't so shocking anymore. Then she started getting "better".  Diahrea, vominting, fevers and a feeding tube became just part of our lives. When we first started on this journey, I have to admit, I was on the very outermost layer of the spiritual onion.

Of course, when tragedy struck, I quickly upgraded to the inner most circle of trust within my relationship with God. As Bela started to get better, looking back I realize that I prayed less, read my Bible less, and just accepted as"normal" whatever would happen to her as a result of her chemo.  Then she would go back into the hospital after being home for two weeks and we'd start all over again. ";Please God just let her live, "I'd beg" . Back to the center ring of the onion. But really, should we ever get "used to" our trials? Should we only be at "the center of the spiritual onion" when someone we love is suffering or on their death bed?

 I realized for many of you out there I'm "preaching to the choir". Why is that? How in the world can I be toward the outer ring because "oh, Bela's fine..she just has a little infection...blood in the stool, no immune system at all, in isolation..." and I spend less time praying and studying the Bible. Only when she can't sleep at night, she's fussy, has fevers, oxygen...the "really bad stuff" she had at the beginning...I'm comparing...Our trials become leveled..."Well, she's sick in a hopsital bed with Leukemia, but she's not as bad as she was 5 months ago!!! She'll be fiiiiiiiiine". 


 I am reminded everyday that there are some families who are not rejoicing over the healing of their child right now. There are two patients that I know of that may have to be transfered to the PICU, which means the child has digressed to such a critical state that the doctors on this floor cannot do anything more for him/her at this point. 

Bela had to go to the PICU twice, the first time for just a couple of days, but the second time for one week.  Praise God that He healed her.  I don't ever want to forget how close we came to losing her. I've learned that every day is a gift. We don't ever want to be further from God just because everything is "hunky dory". 

But what about those families who's children aren't healed? For whom there is no miracle? Is it just the way of life, as it has been for centuries? How do those families reconcile their child's death with their faith? I don't know. I've not been in that situation. I don't have an answer, but all I can say is that
I am so grateful to God for healing Bela and that she gets better everyday. However, I know we came so close to that not being our reality and am humbled that only by His grace.

Bela will receive her 3rd(?) platelet transfusion today of this round. I've lost count of how many blood and platelet transfusions she's had since August.  They, and their donors, literally have saved her life.  I wish I could meet each of her donors and at least give them a huge hug and my words of gratitude. 

She is recovering from a C-diff infection and a cold. The C-diff causes her to have lots of loose stools, resulting in tears in the skin in her diaper area, which leads to bleeding in the stools.  The doctors aren't worried, it's all part of having c-diff.  She is eating and sleeping and playing well.  Seems like her blood counts are starting to make their upward trend.  She also has a bad "ringworm" like rash on her face and the anti-fungal cream isn't working. Hopefully today we find out if there's another couse of action the doctors can take to cure it.

Thanks again to everyone for all of their prayers!!! Your encouragment and love has gotten us through this.

May we all always stay only closest to the centermost ring of the onion.

Just when we thought we were almost done...

Bela was diagnosed with the common cold virus and a possible C-Diff infection today.  Otherwise she is doing well. She has had some high fevers but with Tylenol they usually go down quickly. She hasn't been able to keep any milk down though, so tonight she was just given Pedialyte.  Seems that even just after she eats, everything just comes out, at both ends.

Not so happy but Kelly is!

With her new friend Dean

With Sydney and Austin too

Looking at pictures of Santi

Keeping the books with the head nurse

"Get me a coffee"

The "roof" of her bed

In the playroom in one of her many donated hats

Sleeping "comfortably"?

6 month birthday pictures Jan.5,2013

Update

Bela is still doing well.  She is losing weight though, too much. She can still wear 3 month old size no problem,and she's six months now!  they aren't letting her sleep through the night anymore. Instead they wake her up every three hours to eat. And by "they" I mean her nurse because i won't be waking up every three hours to feed her, it's just not the way the good Lord intended.  Heck, she probably won't wake up either. The girl can eat in her sleep!

She finished her chemo on Thursday and so far she's not had any fevers and is not yet on any antibiotics. She has been vomiting quite a bit, which is another reason they want her to eat more frequently but less volume each time.  Other than that she plays a lot and is just a happy baby.

She will be put on a couple of preventative antibiotics soon that are given even if she doesn't have an infection, but they can't be given too close to her 8th day when she got her Bortezimab. It doesn't mix well with antibiotics.

So we are just waiting still for her counts to go down to zero and then start to climb back up again.  Thanks for all your prayers.



 

Last day of chemo but still not done

Wednesday night was a great night. Slept through the night, both Bela and I. She's been sleeping very well during this round, almost like she's not at the hospital at all.
Even though this is the last day of chemo...ever!!!...(Lord willing), this week coming up may prove to be the hardest. At least according to our experience, the week after chemo, when her counts go down and she's most prone to infections,etc. is usually the hardest, for everybody.
This morning I got to have some quiet time. What? What's that, you ask? Yes, I've been wondering lately, will I ever get to have a quiet time ever again? the other night Santi and Beto slept at the hospital and I realized I've not slept alone in my room in over 5 years!!! I'm surprised I fell asleep so quickly. But then again, it shouldn't be that surprising. Anywho I digress.

So this morning I had a wonderful quiet time and I'm continuing it by listening to Rita Springer radio on Pandora. If you've not heard of her or not heard her music, I highly suggest her for a peaceful and day changing time with God. 

This morning I read Psalm 42.  Most of you may know it as the Psalm that begins with those verses that made that one song famous: "As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you , O God." And another song I know comes straight from verses 5 and 11: "Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in god, for I will yet praise Him, my Savior and my God."  The verse that I remember most though is verse 7 (the perfect number): "Deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls; all your waves and breakers have swept over me."  Come all ye who are weary.  All ye who are heavy laden, broken hearted, and I will give you rest(those are some lyrics from a Springer song).  That verse has been special to me for a long time, and we'll hold onto it for a long time to come.

Please continue to pray for Bela, especially for her heart. So far, no talk of damage, but sometimes after the fourth round there's risk for heart damage. Thanks!

Happy New Year!

Well, as another year comes to a close everybody's reflecting( or maybe it's just me). I get to the end of a new year and I think a few things:
1. Where did the time go?
2. What did I do with all my time this year?
3. I'm excited about a new year.

there' s something about a fresh beginning. there's something about the beginning of each new day..the sunrise(which I hardly ever see), that smell of fresh coffee brewing, and maybe bacon and eggs cooking, or just toast and cheerios.
But especially there's so much excitement at the start of a new year. Everyone has great expectations, hopes of a new, healthier, more prosperous year, excited about what God has in store for us this year.

We were talking at home yesterday that Bela will be 6 months old this Saturday. So in the same amount of time that just passed, she will be one year already! As fast as these past 6 months flew, so will the next 6, and the next, and so on and so forth. 

Most of you can guess what we're most looking forward to this year...Bela coming home FOR GOOD, no more cancer, having two healthy children!

But you know, we sure were counting on having that this past year! So we don't know what God has in store, but we know that His grace is sufficient.
and it's scary to state that "in public", you know, because then, well, do you ever feel like if you say something like that, then God's going to test you in it? "OK, Laura", He's thinking (in my mind), "let's see if you really believe that My grace is sufficient! You think LAST year was hard???!!! Ha!"

I know that's not the truth, but sometimes I'm scared that at the end of this year, I may have reason to say, "Wow, and I thought Bela's trials were hard!  They weren't NOTHIN compared to [insert 2013's tragedy here]" 

but why think the worst? ok, so yea, the above could happen, but let's just cross that bridge when/if we come to it. And live today because that's the only day promised to us. ok, now i'm getting into cliches. 

But recently Beto and I were talking and he mentioned that he wouldn't have traded what happened to us last year for anything. Because we've met really amazing people that we would've never met any other way. And we've been blessed to the point that now we want nothing more than to go out and bless others in the same way. And now we really can say "We know exactly what you're going through" and can comfort others in the same way we've been comforted. We know what it is to be in need. We know just a little bitmore about how to pray specifically for people in similar situations. 

And we've gotten closer to God, and to each other. we've gained perspective, and we've been changed, hopefully for the better, forever to live our lives differently. This past year has changed us forever in ways we didn't think were possible.

So as I reflect I wonder what is my point? Life live to the fullest every day? Carpe Diem, seize the day, blah blah blah and all that jazz?

What have I learned this past year? That sometimes life is crappy and you don't know if you're going to make it but you have no other choice but to keep breathing and somehow time passes and you survive.

Is that all I learned in 2012?

I learned that I want to take better care of myself and my family. 
I learned that I want to slow down and make more time for God and my family.
I learned that I didn't learn as much as one might think.  It's more that I was REMINDED, in a painful way, of what I already knew but wasn't putting into practice. 

What did you learn in 2012 and what are you looking forward to in this new year?

Merry Christmas!!!

Well as I'm sitting her reading my own most recent post, I realize I really left ya guys hangin! Sorry about that! So, to make a long story short: Bela's home! Ok, that's all. Bye.

I would love to leave the post at that, but I guess someone might want some more details.
Since the last post on Nov. 28th, a whole lot has happened.
She finally did end up getting her IV placed and she went in for her CT without being sedated. When we arrived in the CT room she was asleep, but as soon as we put her on the table she started crying. I tried and tried to comfort her, for about 30 min., but she didn't stop crying. The nurse and I both looked at each other and said, "As soon as we get upstairs, she'll stop crying." But she proved us wrong! She didn't stop crying for 5 hours! I know she was hating that IV and if it wasn't hurting her, it was definately uncomfortable. It was in her hand and since she loves to put things in her mouth, we had to wrap about 5 feet of gauze around it so she wouldn't pull it out. She sure did try to get that gauze off too! She's not one to give up easily. The nurse eventually ended up giving her morphine and taking her off of Adivan since the Adivan just made her more nervous, and jumpy.  For about the following 24 hours she was on continous morphine until the IV was taken out.

The following day, the 29th, she had to be sedated for the CT. As soon as that was done the IV was taken out. the Results?: NO TEFLITIS (inflamation of the bowels, what she had the first round).  Her ultrasound, CT, and abdominal X-ray all tested negative for it but the doctors were still convinced that that's what she had based on the symptoms, so they still treated her for that: NPO, or no food, only IV vitamins and minerals and lipids.  She recovered quickly.

The other problem I mentioned was that of her heart. Her last chemo med has a side effect of rapid heart rate which makes her breathing faster too, all very scary. An EKG came back abnormal, or was it the "ECHO" ? Anyways, the cardiologist never ended up coming and nothing more was said about her heart!

The rest of her third round was pretty uneventful.  She recovered quicker than expected and before we knew it we were able to walk her around the hall and into the play room everyday from about 10am-4pm when she wasn't getting any meds so she wasn't hooked up to her "pole". Yes, that's what they call it.

So she finished about 5 days earlier than I expected based on her second round.

We also had an awesome turnout and wonderful event on Dec. 8th, Bela's Ball.  As most of you know Beto and I are running a half marathon on Jan. 20 with Team in Training.  TNT requires each participant to raise a minimum of $2200 for the Leukemia/Lymphoma Society (LLS).  At the Ball we had 35 items up for silent auction, about 10 more door prizes for which we sold tickets, hand writing analysis, live screenprinting, a photo booth, and music by Cazz. We got to hear great speakers like Bela's own Dr. Z talk about the what, how, and who of Leukemia and why fundraising for research is so important. We heard from Steve Rivero, one of our team mates and cancer survivor.  It was a fun night and we raised nearly $4,000 for LLS.  So far Beto and I together have raised almost $10,000! We are still fundraising until Jan. 8.

Thank you all for all your prayers! We are so blessed by God and realize now what a gift a healthy baby is. We sure don't complain about being awake all night with her. This experience has given us a new perspective. We hope you all have a great holiday. RElax. Pray. Read the Word. Enjoy one another.