Where Do I Start?

wow! what a week this has been. i don't even know where to begin. praising God is where i need to begin! He has been so awesome and faithful to us this week. it has been amazing to see Him at work in so many ways. wyatt's prayer warriors on facebook numbers over 700 people worldwide right now! i never imagined when i started that group 1 week ago today that it would take off like it did...i just wanted people praying for wyatt. and as i read back over that sentence...i think this has been one of the longest weeks of my life...i can't believe that was just a week ago!

how have we seen God at work? let's see....
>healing wyatt's runny nose and keeping wyatt healthy for surgery
>safety for our many peeps travelling to atlanta
>family and friends to take care of our older kids
>supportive family and friends, including our church family
>great medical and support staff at children's healthcare of atlanta-egleston
>excellent surgeon and anesthesiologist
>bringing wyatt safely through surgery and anesthesia, even with adverse reaction to antibiobic...it was apparently a very bad reaction...
>awesome nursing care!
>ronald mcdonald house
>breastfeeding advocates
>wyatt successfully removed from ventilator; chest tubes and central lines
>over 700 members in wyatt's prayer warriors; in addition to the numerous other friends, family and churches who are praying!!!!
>fb friends who i've never met who feel like family because they love and care for me and my family
>so many other ways....

anyway, i just wanted to reflect on God's hand at work....right now, as wyatt is resting in his cardiac step down room! i have so very much to be thankful for...
GOD IS GOOD, ALL THE TIME; ALL THE TIME, GOD IS GOOD!

A Little Numb...

i must say that i've been feeling a little numb with what is about to happen, wyatt having open heart surgery. it's hard to imagine that in less than 12 hours we'll be handing him over to the anesthesiologist (who i'm crazy about!) as i sit here typing, we've moved into the ronald mcdonald house. what a blessing! our family and dear friends susan and kym joined us here tonight, and a local company provided a delicious dinner, inviting all of us to join them....generous people...we've been so blessed this whole past week with generous people...that's a whole other post!
started wyatt's prayer warriors group on fb last saturday, 3 days ago...now there are over 500 people praying for wyatt! amazing and awesome! such a comfort!
rambling now....time to sleep...

Thank You, Friend!

i love people. i love my girlfriends. one of my newest girlfriends is moving this week. and i will miss her a lot! she had a baby girl just a week before wyatt was born...we didn't even know each other then...but we bonded quickly!

she gave me a gift she had no idea she was giving me....from the beginning she said we both had special kids because cheyenne had some significant health issues early on; like wyatt's down syndrome was no big deal! and she did something for me that only the mom of a precious little baby girl could have done....when wyatt was diagnosed, one of the silly things i worried and cried about was that no one would ever jokingly call wyatt their daughter's boyfriend because of his down syndrome....(you know how parents always joke and play with their friends) but she did....without blinking an eye, she called wyatt cheyenne's boyfriend....i know it sounds silly, but she'll never know how much that meant to me! when i shared that with her, she said: "I honestly don't see Wyatt as a Downs kid, just a cute kid. Cheyenne would be lucky to call him her boyfriend. He is the sweetest thing!"

thank you, hubbell....you blessed me so very much with your friendship to me and my baby!

"WHY?"

this week we visited the ent with wyatt and she believes he will benefit from bone conductive hearing aids due to an estimated 30-40% conductive hearing loss. we really did not think that his hearing was that bad, he babbles like crazy, responds to us, etc. anyway, i just wanted to scream "WHY?" why isn't it enough that wyatt has down syndrome? isn't that enough for him to have to deal with? why does he have 2 holes in his heart that must be repaired with open heart surgery? why are his ear canals soooooo tiny that they can't place tubes yet and he needs hearing aids? WHY????? i'm so glad that my God, the Creator of the Universe, doesn't mind me asking questions, all these "why's". He's big and great enough to handle my little questions......and i know that He has a plan, that's "why!" and His plans are so much greater than mine, even though i can't see what they are! i'm so glad that i can trust that He's in control, and He wants great things for me and my peeps!

Valentine's Day

happy valentine's day! one of my favorite days of the year! but i'm way into holidays! all of them! but hearts, red, love, all valentine "stuff"...some of my favorite things! i am so blessed to have 4 valentines this year: tim, ethan, forrest and wyatt...my guys! it's so fun being the only "girl" in a house full of boys! i wouldn't have it any other way. it was awesome to be in church on valentine's today this morning....because God sent the greatest valentine of all, His Son Jesus Christ. He gave Jesus, the free gift of salvation so that our sins could be forgiven....amazing love! "And this is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down His life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers." 1 John 3:16 Lord, let me love like that....

Those Teeth of Mine!

i'm sure the root canal didn't help the craziness of my life right now.....although my experience couldn't have been much better, unless you could have relieved the pain! my endodontist is an old friend who has a son with cerebral palsy. it was good to share wyatt's story with him, he "gets" it.....and we talked about that.....as much as our friends and family love and support us, unless they have a child with special needs, it is really hard to fully relate. i have the best friends ever, but God has placed me on a very different journey now. as one friend who has a child with Down syndrome said to me this week, it's the hobby she didn't plan to have....it can be all-encompassing! anyway, it was a most unusual root canal.....Christian praise music playing throughout the office, and the endodontist sang throughout the entire procedure. it was actually a very encouraging and uplifting afternoon!

Precious

what is more heart warming than seeing your 8 year old son on his knees at the front of the church....all by himself...praying for his baby brother's upcoming surgery? nothing. absolutely nothing is more precious than knowing that forrest's faith is THAT real to him, that he knows that God answers prayers, and that he REALLY gets it....AWESOME! a precious sight, i must say...one that makes a mom so proud! wow! we are so blessed with sons who love God, seek to follow Him, and aren't ashamed to tell anyone about Him! PRAISE GOD! and i know that forrest's prayers must please God so much......

A Productive Day

isn't it amazing what you can accomplish when you are forced to do so? i've needed to clean out that computer room/office for MONTHS.....and got it done in a day because i had to! why am i such a procrastinator? thankfully i know i'm not alone with this issue! lol! of course cleaning one room led to cleaning out the book closet, cleaning the "blue" room, etc.....all needed to be done as well! yay! a great feeling of accomplishment....i will rest well tonight!

One of My Favorite Days....

ladies Bible study day, one of my favorite days of the month! i have led ladies Bible studies for 16+ years, and ladies are some of my favorite people! it's such a joy to be able to "share life" with these women who love God with their whole hearts and who are seeking to honor Him above all else in their lives. i am so blessed to have the privilege to laugh, cry and pray with these women as we open ourselves up to each other, allowing God to minister to and through us! His Word guides and directs our lives. today we were learning about the wilderness seasons that we all must go through....maybe not the same wilderness, but wilderness nonetheless. just as the israelites were led through the wilderness under God's direction and protection; we too must look to Him for guidance and direction daily.....are you in the wilderness now?

Too Much!

wow...2 days in a row of unexpected news. i received the call yesterday that wyatt needs open heart surgery, and scheduled it for wednesday, february 24th in atlanta. i still feel pretty numb about the whole thing. too many emotions, too many details, too many people to plan for. simply too much to think about in too short a time.

i know that babies have open heart surgery all the time. not my babies. i know that everyone says he will be just fine. that is certainly my prayer. but OPEN HEART SURGERY.... that is HUGE for a tiny little guy....okay, he's not so tiny..... but he's still MY BABY!!! it's just too much to process....

I Wasn't Expecting This....Me, Wash Clothes?

well, today started with some unexpected news. i have to get a washer and dryer. i haven't had a washer and dryer in 16 years. background: my dad is a dry cleaner, and has always taken care of all our "clothes cleaning needs" when we lived in the same town. i know, it's hard to imagine, but i haven't had to wash/dry/fold clothes since ethan was a baby 16 years ago. with the current economy, it's time for us to take on this expense (and chore) for ourselves. i'm going kicking and screaming, i might add....not really, but there were a few tears, to be honest with you. so, i'm now shopping for a washer and dryer.....any suggestions? i know there are many of you who have envied that luxury i've enjoyed all these years, well the party's over for me.....now i get to whine with the rest of the world about laundry whoas!