Easter pics

Morgan was having lots of fun, as you can see:
Athan, poor guy, still wasn't feeling very good:

ibe sick

Snot. Headache. All-over-aches. Other unpleasantness I won't describe. General yuk. My mom has patiently taken care of the kids so I could try to sleep it off.

When I feel better, I'll get some good Grammy pictures up.

in case you were wondering

Morgan did not get her fearlessness from her Mama. I hate snakes. They make me squeal and run away.

Also, Athan continues to recover well, as do Mom and Dad. Many thanks to generous friends for keeping Morgan and encouraging me during the aftermath of this one.

Plus, Grammy's here. That just automatically makes everything better. :)

yes, really

No fear. She was outside with our neighbors when this little guy made his appearance. The girls squealed and ran. Morgan, however, just picked him up before anyone could even offer some word of caution. Good thing it was a harmless little garden snake. I'm so proud of my girl for not being afraid! And yes, we're having more conversations about asking FIRST before you touch any unknown creepy crawly thing.

recovering well

We're still not getting much sleep, but he seems to be doing really well otherwise. No fever. No more vomit. Good appetite. His mood is volatile, probably because of the increase in his dose of Cortef. He's either chipper or irate. We gave triple dose yesterday (after the IM shot), double today, and back to normal tomorrow. The weaning process can be rocky as he experiences a little withdrawal from the higher dose.

ER trip avoided

Last night, shortly after dinner, Athan began to run a fever. It was obvious that he did not feel well and mostly he just wanted to be held. To make a long story short, he was unable to keep down his oral meds for the evening (which allow his body to produce sugar). He threw up twice over a period of 3 hours between midnight and 3am. During that time his blood sugar dropped from 95 to 55. His fever remained high and we could not get him to eat much. His lethargy was apparant and we began to gather things to make a hospital trip just in case. Meanwhile, I got on the phone with Pediatric Endocrinology at UK. The Dr. on call was Dr. Smith, who is a colleague of Dr. Irene. He knows Athan and his situation, so I explained to him what was going on. I told him I was preparing to give Athan his emergency intramuscular shot (of cortef, the med he had been unable to keep down) and asked about bringing him in. Once he found out we could give the shot here, he advised us to do that and then wait half an hour or so and see if Athan stabilized. So, I gave the IM shot around 3:45am. By 4:00 his sugar level was back up around 75 and then 95 again by 4:30. Thankfully, that got us out of the "endocrine crisis" woods this time. The shot ended up serving the same function as an IV would have in the hospital. Athan's fever was still over 102 (under arm), but it had leveled off. Mama took the next tough shift until his fever broke a few hours ago. It's now my turn again, and after Athan agreed to a small breakfast he was more than ready to sack out for a while. All in all, it was a long night; the good news is that we're not writing the post from the ER this time.

motivation

That is what Athan seemed to be lacking for a while - motivation to be mobile. Scooting was enough for him.

But that is all changing so quickly right now! Athan's awareness of the world around him seems to be growing, and he seems more willing to work hard to experience it in new ways. It is so fun to do exercises with him, and get giggles instead of groans and grimaces.

He can pull to stand completely unassisted. :) His strength is improving, showing us small new milestones almost daily. He is more willing to play while kneeling, and to spend some time on his hands and knees. He takes more risks, which means he learns more about balance as he rocks and wobbles around in space more often.

His therapists have long assured us that his verbal skills would likely boom when his mobility did, which is also proving true. He is talking, talking! He sings and sighs and answers questions and makes requests and remembers names and repeats words... So fun!

I'll try for some visual/audio evidence of these things to post soon. Just wanted to share a few words of celebration of his new-found motivation with you, the pray-ers who have fought for him to be here! ;)

The Adventures Of...

Super Sorting Sister: She can sort anything into color groups in a flash and build tall monochromatic buildings on a single coffee table!


Super Sleep-Sitting-Up Boy: Every super hero has their ups and downs. This one lays down, then sits up, then goes down for the count...:Super Smiling Siblings: They can rise above, and against the odds, play well together. It may not save humanity, but it saves my sanity.

quote of the day

Morgan (in a very matter-of-fact tone): Mom, if I stir my milk with my straw, it will turn into carrots.

better n better

Yesterday was better. Thanks for the prayers!

Today was REALLY good. We got some great news. Athan saw Dr. Napier at optho for a pre-op visit. He was supposed to be doing labs and such to prep him for a surgery in April to correct his strabismus (eyes turning inward), but...

his eyes are getting better on their own! :) Dr. Napier said she rarely does this, but she cancelled his surgery. Yeah! We're going to resume patching his eyes, and see if we can help them continue to improve. Sosososo glad for our kiddo! :)

you'll have your good days...

and your bad ones. Today was a bad one. Ugh.

Athan is clingy and cranky. Morgan was defiant and argumentative. I was tired, impatient, selfish, frustrated. Ryan is in the thick of a busy semester...

BIG sigh...

With the presence and prayers of friends, some time with an understanding hubby, and some slow and purposeful deep breaths, we made it.

Tomorrow will be better.

crazy week

No one is sleeping. That makes everything crazy sometimes! I think Athan is constipated again. Maybe we finally got things moving again today, so there's hope for some sleep tonight.

We've had company, which was wonderful! Thanks, Em, for all your help with kiddos, and for just making you life part of ours for a few days. Miss you already.

And there were just a few extra responsibilities this week for Ryan and I, so maybe next week will be calmer. I'll try to post a clearer update when I've slept!

what we've been up to lately:

Athan has been going for the remote (good news - gaining strength and mobility!):Morgan has been hosting parties:
Ryan has been a princess:
And I, apparently, have been taking all the pictures. :)

more computer woes

My computer has been limping along for a while, but I think it's finally over. So, my post must wait until Ryan's laptop is here and available.

Athan is doing well. Keeps surprising us with his progress all the time. New words, new behaviors, new skills... Rob and Kat were here Sunday evening to witness his first legit attempt to pull up to the coffee table by himself. He won't get on his knees first, so he just tires to come to standing from his butt. He managed to get his rear end about 6 inches up, giggling all the while, before he gave up and plopped back down. So close! :)

Morgan, poor baby, has been sick. Snot, cough, etc. She lost her voice and sounded SO pitiful for a couple of days. We took her to Dr. C and she's on the mend. Still tired. Aside from being sick, she's still learning letters and sounds with mom some days. She still VERY much loves to cook. She is a great little therapist for Athan. She taught him the make the "k" sound, which we'd never heard him do before. She often (very gently) helps him lay down on the ground to practice sitting up, and then cheers for him when he makes it up. So cute.

I'm busier than I've been in a long time, but it's nice to be back out among adults once in a while! I'm auditing a class at the seminary and helping with an ESL class for Korean women.

Ryan is doing what dads and seminary students do: read, write, parent. When he gets time, he's working on the bathroom (it's fully functional - just trim and cabinets and such to do now).

There's the "catch up" for now.

ok, not a trend yet

Athan has been back to waking up a bit more, but still, as I said, there is solid evidence that we might all sleep someday. :)

again

Yep. Slept through the night again! First time he's ever done this twice in a row!

he slept!

Athan slept from 10:15 last night to 7:00 this morning! :) Yeah! I'm pretty sure he woke up once, but he went back to sleep on his own. Ryan woke up this morning and asked "Did YOU get up with him last night?", fully anticipating that I'd just taken the night shift. Nope.

And he woke up so happy. He was jabbering away in his crib (not his usual cry of "hold Mama"), and then kept talking to us when Ryan picked him up and set him in our bed. He just smiled and sang and talked and cuddled for a few minutes until breakfast. It was nice to see him wake up like that.

When he does this, even if the nights are few and far between right now, it gives me hope that he might actually consistently sleep through the night on his own someday.

First Steps mtg

We had a meeting on Friday with Athan's First Steps team to discuss the next 6 months of therapies. It was fun to celebrate the progress he's made and look ahead to new goals we've set. Amanda discharged Athan from VIPS service (a good thing - we're pretty sure he has outgrown the need for that therapy - yeah!), and that time will be replaced now with occupational therapy. Laurie will keep coming twice a week to do PT, and we're looking into getting him a special walker to help with his strength and mobility.

Thanks to Dan, Laurie, Amanda, and Emily for helping us move toward all-around health for our kiddo. We're thankful to have you all as part of our journey.

my girl

This is Morgan asleep at the foot of her bed (with all the necessary accoutrements for sleep, of course - dog, cat, cucumber, book, 2 blankets, and a princess figurine).

Apparently, she chose the foot of the bed because her pillow at the other end was occupied:

Whew...

He's back. :) And we're back into our more normal routine again, which feels good.

It's been a while since I posted anything of like this, but I am again welling up with gratitude for... well, for you, probably. :) I've had occasion lately to reflect on our journey these past couple of years, and so much of our story is testimony of the way you all have loved us. Your faithful and prayerful attention to the smallest details of Athan's various diagnoses and treatments and therapies, to Morgan's adjustment, to our fears, frustrations, and victories has been a very real expression of His grace to us.

Thanks.

ready for Daddy

Ryan has been in Chicago this weekend visiting our dear friends, the McCallisters. This afternoon, Morgan said "I am going to be really happy to see Dad today, right Mom?" And twice, Athan has asked to "hold Dada."

The 3 of us are ready to see him! Couple more hours...

finally!

in case you're wondering

He's still not sleeping. Up most of the night last night. It was suggested this morning that Athan might just be, in fact, a nocturnal creature. Perhaps... :-)

playing

Athan has been going to the child care provided for the chapel services. He seems to be doing very well, and learning lots of fun stuff! Just wanted to share another little milestone to celebrate. :)

Day's End

Dad here, taking the blogging reins for a late-night post. I'm going to try to capture Athan's last waking moments in words. Though I know i won't be able to do the picture justice, I have to try. Morgan and Amberly were asleep, so Athan and I were taking care of a few things in the kitchen. I put him in his high chair to take his medicine, then turned around to wash a few dishes. I looked over after a couple of mintues and I could tell the boy was getting tired. After all, he did have quite a long day. (Refer to Amber's post from earlier to get an idea how hard his morning was.) Add to morning tests and therapy an afternoon with sister, and i'm not sure how he survived! At one point they were playing a game they must have learned from bighorn sheep. Morgan would just head-butt Athan, make some strange noise, and they would both giggle. So, fast forward an hour or so, and there is Athan in his high chair - head still a bit red from Morgan's game and eyes droopy with fatigue. I was hurrying to finish up so i could rock him to sleep, but i didn't work fast enough. Just before he closed his eyes, Athan cocked his head to the side and flashed a subtle grin to no one in particular.

I'd like to think it was a grin of satisfaction - knowing that he got the good out of a day; that he has a sister who loves him enough to share her "fort" with him, therapists who push him to get "better," and a mama who strongly and patiently helps him ford the daily rivers. After I put him down, I thought about how the gratitude we express only in prayer was effortlessly revealed through my son's smile. He remains my greatest teacher of peace and contentment.

Good night.

more PT, kinda

Laurie is the primary therapist for Athan's First Steps Team, so she has to do a comprehensive developmental assessment before our next meeting. We were a bit sad to have to use therapy time to do the test because it might mean a pause in the progress he's been making. But it was pretty fun to see just how many skills he is acquiring across all areas of development.

This morning, for instance, we discovered that Athan tests at or ahead of age-appropriate expectations in several areas. Of course, some of the milestones are impossible for him because of his limited mobility (we have no idea whether or not he can use a door knob yet - he can't stand up). But it was fun to watch him demonstrate one skill after another very well - pointing to objects in a book, naming people in pictures, righting images that are upside down, getting objects out of a container by pouring, finding toys that are hidden under a blanket... on and on, one by one, he just played away like most kids his age. :)

And we'll just work extra hard on our "homework" for physical therapy to make sure his progress continues.

Still working on the video thing, too. New camera. And school has started, so Ryan's computer is occupied more often...

eyes, OT, and PT

Well, we went to UK eye clinic again. We waited over 2 hours again. Ugh.

But I like Dr. Napier. She didn't jump immediately to surgery, but it looks like Athan's eyes will need surgical correction. His eyes both turn in pretty dramatically. So sometime in the next couple of months, probably...

Also, we met Emily this morning, who is an Occupational Therapist with First Steps. She did an eval and had some great news. She reports that Athan shows to be age-appropriate on many of the skills he should have right now. Yeah! She will probably come visit with us once or twice a month and teach us some exercises and activities to help with several areas of development.

And we had another GREAT session today with Laurie. Athan worked so hard! We still have to substantially stabalize his hips for him, but he did most of the work in cruising the length of our couch and back (in pursuit of a balloon). He is still getting up from lying to sitting by himself (video soon, promise), and is starting to learn things like getting onto his knees before pulling to stand and bending his knees to sit back down... Just lots of new things that seem to be "clicking" for him a bit better.

Sososo proud of our kiddo!

First ice, now wind

Wind yesterday. Serious wind. West-Texas-like wind. Tornados in some places (but not here in Wilmore that I know of). That would be our trampoline between and almost on top of our sheds.

AAAND...

A couple hours after I posted last, he did it again. This time I was watching. After I changed his diaper on the couch, he rolled to his side and pushed himself up to sitting!! :) WOO-HOO! :)

Now that we know he is capable, it will just be a matter of repeating the exercise until he remembers he can do it all the time. So excited...

amberly

I told you!

He's been working hard in PT, and we have a fun new milestone to report: For the first time in his life, our Athan got himself from lying down to sitting up totally on his own! :) I actually don't know exactly how he did it. He was taking a nap this morning in his crib, and when I heard him chattering, I went in to get him up as usual. But he was sitting up just looking around the room.

Yeah Athan! :)

Endo again

Dr. Irene called when she got the results of Athan's labs back. His growth hormone levels were too low (as in "undetectable"), so we have to increase his dose. It's the smallest increase possible (from .2mL to .3mL), but I think it's affecting his sleep again. Just as the bathroom project is eating Ryan's time and school is about to start... Pray with us for good rest times during the day and quality sleep at night, even if it has to be in shifts. :)

another...

This is about where we are now, except that as of 1 this afternoon, we have a potty. :) Ryan's in there now putting on the fixtures so we can take a bath tomorrow...

And as always, the kids are handling it all just fine. I took this when I found them in Morgan's room playing "dress up" together. Don't know how willing Athan was, but he looks happy here:

the bathroom so far

There's more done now, so I'll try to get the pics up soon.

december pics i meant to share

december pics i meant to share

kinda crazy

The bathroom is still under construction. Today Ryan had to unexpectedly chop our shower unit into 3 pieces, buy and install a new tub, and hang more green board around it. Yikes. We're still using the neighbors' potty and shower. Still creating excuses to get out of the house....

It is pretty amazing to watch Ryan work, though. He is truly a Jack of ALL trades. He has the injuries to prove it: banged up shin from crawling around in the attic rewiring lights and fixing insulation, deep cut on his thumb from sharp edge of a tile he was cutting, monster bruise on his arm from falling on the ice while out buying a new tub, and charred fingers from the blow torch he was using to do plumbing. But the bathroom is looking great! :o)

And in the midst of all the chaos, the kids are doing great. We've gotten much more play time with friends, which Morgan loves.

Athan has had 2 big moments to celebrate: Last Friday he had one of his best PT visits ever. He worked SO hard. If he can keep up some of that effort, I think we'll have some fun new milestones to report soon. Also, last night, he slept! :) He did wake up at 12:30, but he was back asleep in 5 minutes without me ever even getting out of bed. He did the same at about 5. But both times he was able to "sing" himself back to sleep! Yeah Athan! :)

Endo appt

We saw Dr. Irene this morning - endocrinologist.

She asked about his "crash" back in December. It was reassuring to hear from her that we did the right things in caring for him during that episode. She gave a few ideas of new things to try if he gets sick again. Next time, we will give the IM dose of his SoluCortef (emergency shot of his daily med) earlier and see if it helps him rebound without having to be hospitalized.

She is very pleased with his development in every area except two. Surprise, surprise: weight gain and gross motor skills. She is going to increase his dose of growth hormone a bit and see if it helps him gain weight. And as always, we're working on his physical therapy all the time to help his mobility and large motor skills catch up.

She said there is nothing obvious from and endo standpoint that would help us explain his inconsistent sleep, so it remains a puzzle.

I really wish you all could meet Dr. Irene. She has been so good to us from the very beginning - holding my hand as she explained his diagnosis of panhypopit in NICU. She is always so warm and helpful. We are grateful to have her caring for our boy. We get to go visit her again in May.

surprisingly easy

I thought this bathroom would just wreck our schedule for days on end, but it has not been too bad at all. One day was crazy (i.e. driving around so the kids could nap in the car, creating errands to have somewhere to go, eating out 2 of 3 meals...), but the rest has been no big deal. Ryan is amazing - he cleans up all the mess at the end of every day, so we don't have accumulation of dust and grime and parts and pieces everywhere. Morgan is using her little training potty again, and Ryan and I just go next door (thanks Rob and Kat) to use their shower and potty.

We also spent a couple of days at the Jagger's and Grace's house - thanks again, friends, for the refuge. :)

The kids are good. Athan is still his smiley self, and Morgan can still be a princess.

bbrrrrrr!

Posting will be a bit thin for a couple reasons this week:

If you've seen the news, you know Kentucky is covered in ice and snow. Wilmore included. These pictures might give you an idea of what all the ice looks like (and what it's doing to the state). We have power, but our internet has been spotty.

Also, Ryan is remodeling the bathroom. The kids and I have graciously been hosted by some friends to get us out of the house while there is sheet rock dust and plumbing parts everywhere. This weekend the potty (in our only bathroom) has to come out for a few days. Needless to say, we'll be spending lots of time somewhere else! :)

More when I can...

better now

The first few hours of being home were bliss.

Then I came down with a tummy bug. Yuk. I'll spare you the drippy details. It's enough to say that Ryan was on his own with both kids for about 24 hours.

But I'm better now. :) Kids are great. Athan has been particularly animated today, and Morgan has been dressed as either a fairy or a princess about 75% of the time at home so far.

Off to get ready for a baby shower.

made it

We're home. [read "ahhhhhhhhh"]....

Just wanted you all to know we made it. Trip was good. More soon.

every parent's dream?

Ok, so we were eating lunch today at Grammy's, just Morgan, Athan, and me. I fed both kids, and as they were eating dessert, I started my own lunch. It was bout 12:20. Normal.

Then Morgan walked away from the table, announcing "I'm going to bed Mom."

Huh?!

So I followed her to our room, watched her gather her "night night" things (1 bear, 1 blanket, 1 book), and lay down on her bed.

"Morgan, are you ready to take your nap?"

"Yes. I'll stay on my bed unless I need to go tee-tee."

Baffled, but smiling, I closed the door behind me, wondering if she would really stay in bed (she did - over an hour now). I walked back into the kitchen, where I found this:That would be Athan sound asleep in his high chair (but still holding the remnants of the graham cracker, of course). I gently removed the cracker, unbuckled him, and carried him back to his bed for a more comfy nap.

Seriously? Did both my kids just put themselves down for an afternoon nap?! :-)

spoke a bit too soon, I guess

Not much sleep last night. Because of the way he acted when he was awake, I still think we've helped ourselves by moving the med. But we've also got to stay attentive to the other factors. Last night I think he was hungry...

Morgan has had a great day! Relaxed with Grammy and Pappy, had a good nap, and then got to go ride Taco (that would be a horse) this afternoon with Uncle Layne and Dad. I think Nana was there to take pictures, so I'll post some when I get a chance. Now she's playing with more of her adoring fans...

Ryan and I are still enjoying the constant help. It's a great break for us to let someone else feed, bathe, clothe, entertain, and sooth our kids some of the time. I think I'll be a better parent for taking a break while we're here! :)

I'm hesitant to get my hopes up...

but Athan seems to be sleeping better. Yeah! :) We adjusted his med schedule a bit (moved his growth hormone earlier in the day), and both days we did that, he slept better. Wednesday night he slept from 11:30 to 5:45. Wow! Last night he was up for 2 hours, but then he slept in until 8:30. And both days he has taken a 3 hour nap. So..... maybe... maybe.

rest

Wow, did we need this. We're sleeping (at least more than if we were in KY). We're off the hook on planning or cooking meals. We're talking, reflecting, writing, reading, and even the work we're doing seems restful because it's different.

Morgan is so surrounded by the people, places, and pets she loves that she hardly knows which to choose.

Athan, sweet boy, is still as smiley as ever. He's still not doing great at night, but with travel, that's to be expected, I guess.

Of course, with Nana near, there are lots of cute pics. I'll get more up when I take time to pick a few.

More soon...

Wedding 2 - the father/son series

Wedding 1

rehearsal dinner

With the bride- and groom-to-be (Josh and Mitsi):



With the still-single twin, Jeremy:
Eating salsa to clear the sinuses:

Lamenting the sicklyness:

rehearsal

Preacher practice:

This looks so serious...:
Morgan found her favorite toy:

Gotta love Grammy!:

cute kid moments

I will get pictures up asap, but until then, I thought these quotes would be fun:

Morgan: "I JUST NEED to go to Grammy's, Mom. I just NEED to..."

Athan: (when asked "Can you say 'I'm cute'?") "Ahhm toot."

Morgan: "Tomorrow will be my birthday, and then it's Christmas, and I'll be 5 and Santa will be 5, too!"

Athan: "DADDYYYYYY!" (only funny because that's what he says when Mama walks into the room)

can you hear the relief from there?

We made it to Clovis. Whew. No more driving across states for a couple of weeks. Yeah!
We left Austin and drove to Abilene, where we got to have some good face-time with Bailey and the Boren fam. Thanks to them both for hosting us. Then Ryan and Athan stayed there to spend the night with Bailey, while Morgan and I hitched a ride to Lubbock with Uncle Jordan and Aunt Brittany (en route home from Dallas post Cotton Bowl). It was good for Mama to get a solid night's rest with Morgan in Lubbock, great to hang out with Jordan and Britt, and good for Ryan to have some time with Bailey. Athan had a pretty good night, I hear. Asleep by 11, up once for about 30 minutes, and slept until a little after 6. Yeah for boy!
The boys came through Lubbock today to pick us up, and now we're settled in and relaxing at Nana and Papa's house in Clovis. My sinus infection seems to be clearing up little by little, but each day has been an improvement. Ryan still has a nasty headache and sinus pressure. But there's hope - he seems to be 12-24 hours behind me, so tomorrow should be lots better for him. :)
We're anxious to get well and see all the friends and fam we've been missing for months.

across Texas

Last night was a little better, thankfully. He was still up and unhappy for a while, but we did get some consecutive hours.

We're about to pack and load and head out for Clovis. It'll be great to relax at Nana's house for a few days! :)

rough night 13... or 31... or 311... i've lost count

Poor baby boy. He just doesn't sleep well. Constipation, this time, in addition to whatever else might be contributing to our sleepless nights. We're in the midst of a long process of trying to figure out which variables to adjust and which causes to investigate to help him sleep better. Right now, with travel and whatnot, that process is paused - it introduces too many new factors to really know.
Ryan seemed to be feeling better this morning. He's on his way to Dallas to go to the Cotton Bowl with his fam.
Morgan is eating a muffin and watching the Doodlebops. She's great.
I'm feeling a better. After Ibuprofen, Tylenol for Sinus Pain, Vitamin C, sinus massage, neti pot, a handstand, hot salsa, a short jog, steam showers, and a shot of spicy rum, my congestion has at least been chased to only the left side of my face. And it seems to be shrinking more today. :) Maybe this is almost over...

sleeping it off

No hangover, but hopefully we can sleep off the sickly-ness some today. Mom took both kids to the family (late) Christmas deal, and Ryan and I are resting at the hotel for the afternoon.

Also, a very joyous welcome to Eloise!

4:30a.m. in Austin, 1-1-09

Athan is finally back asleep, but I'm waiting on my meds to kick in so I can crash, too. Might as well write a bit...

The wedding was beautiful, of course. Bride and Groom were all smiles and glowy-ness. Ryan's homily was honest art. Athan was handsome in his mini-tux, and he had great fun "manufacturing cute" (-Uncle Josh) all evening. Morgan danced every song right through to ringing in the New Year. She is spending the night with Nana and Papa, and may well sleep until next Tuesday...

Me? I was breathing, upright, smiling, and mostly nice to people, I think, in spite of this nasty sinus infection. I got to dance a little, hug a lot, and be in my little brother's wedding. I'm calling that Success with some snot...

Happy New Year, faithful friends and family. You've loved us generously through a difficult year, and we're grateful.

In 2009, may you all have power, together with all the saints, to know how long and wide and high and deep is the Love of Christ. Amen.

for those who asked

Here's the site for the Athan bear.

good news, bad news

Good news: The rehearsal went smoothly, and rehearsal dinner was lots of fun! The kids did well during the shuffle from here to there, and had lots of fun with Aunt Loy and Uncle Joe last night.

Bad news: Athan didn't sleep much last night, and he wasn't any happier about it than we were. Ryan and I still feel - to quote him directly - "poopy." We probably need antibiotics, but we're unlikely to be able to obtain any until next week. Ugh.

Wedding tonight. I think I'd better start the process of getting ready if I hope to make it by 8 tonight. It's not as easy to be stunning as it used to be. :)

the update from Austin

Ok, I think I've offered this disclaimer before, but it applies again: I hesitate to write when things are stressful sometimes. I feel like I'm whining. So that explains the gap in the report - this have been stressful in Strebeck-ville for a few days.

Before we left, there was the ongoing indecision about whether or not Athan was up to the trip. One by one, however, his struggles seemed to get easier, and we decided Athan was good to go.

Morgan, as always, is a champ. She was antsy and ready to come to Austin for two weeks before we could leave, and her cough finally went away, too.

So Thundercats are Go!

And then, Saturday morning (before the scheduled departure of Sunday morning), Ryan and I woke up with nasty sinus infections. Weekend - no docs open. Not enough time to sit all day in Urgent Care waiting room if we're to be ready to leave in time to make the wedding. So we had to finish getting ready to be gone for 3 weeks with monster headaches, etc. Yuk.

Then - two days of driving. Athan is the best traveler in the car. He did great on all 3 of the important factors - eating, sleeping, pooping. Morgan was cranky, but healthy. Ryan was not cranky, but still sick. I was very cranky and very sick.

But we made it. Whew. Austin is a welcome change of scenery - mostly I like that it's 68 degrees out today. Rehearsal dinner for my brothers wedding tonight (Ryan is the minister performing the ceremony, and I'm and attendant). We both still feel a bit like we've been beat up (no one should have to feel this way unless they got to drink alot the night before... and I didn't, in case you're wondering...), and we could use some extra prayer for the next few days.

Kids are staying with Ryan's folks during the wedding stuff (thank you Sid and Selena!). Wedding tomorrow. Family Christmas deal the next day. Cotton Bowl for Ryan the next day. Then back across Texas (10 hours) to Clovis for a couple weeks. If I don't get to it before, I'll update again once we get to New Mexico.

Anyone still reading this whiny novella, thanks for you patience and prayer. :)

the only way he'll sleep lately:

rough night again, but better day

Athan was awake alot last night again, but is asleep at the moment and has been for 2 hours. Yeah!

Our sweet friend Trish brought us dinner last night. Many, many thanks! I can hardly say how much I like food that I don't cook. :)

back

Ryan's computer is back from the shop. Mine is still weird. But I can post some again, anyway.

Ummm... More of the same. Morgan's month-old cough is still there. Athan's "off-ness" is still very much there. He slept last night in 20-30 minutes stretches, and only if someone was holding him. He had a fever, which has gone away now. He's starting to cough some, too.

Ryan's taking our car into the shop right now. A pick-up came too far into our lane after church yesterday and knocked off our driver side mirror. Annoying.

But to end on the UP side...

We finally were able to celebrate Morgan's birthday last night. A green cake, of course. Thanks, friends, for loving us and loving our kids with us.

I got to make a quick trip to Chicago with my friend Kelly. She ran up to see her fam, and I got to visit our friends the McCallisters. Great time with Kelly, Josh, Candace, Jedi, and Gonzo.

Ryan is very much NOT in school right now. Big fat sigh of relief.

Soooo.... that's us today. :)

Tech Trouble

Athan has had a better day and is much more himself today.
Our posts may be abit thin for awhile. Ryan's computer is in the shop and Amberly's is on the blink. Our internet access may be limited until one of the computers works again.

in an odd place

Just can't decide what's going on with kiddo. He's not himself, but not dangerously sick. Just... off. I don't know. He ate some tonight. Drank a little. Seems exhausted, but not sleeping. I guess that's the best update I can give tonight.

update

Athan seems to be feeling well. He is sitting in the floor playing with Dad and sister. He's not fussy or lethargic. Dad gave him a bath, and he's sipping on juice here and there.

we need you again

We're a little nervous this morning. Athan just threw up again. His sugars are fine right now (71), but we had to repeat morning dose of meds. Now we need him to drink enough to keep his blood sugar up.

We go see Dr. Coburn at 2:30 today (previously scheduled follow-up from hospitalization).

better evening

Thanks for praying, friends and fam.

He seems better. He ate really well at dinner, had a bath, fell asleep, and (for the first time all day) is sleeping in his crib instead of in Mom's or Dad's arms. That's 2 of the Big 3 - eating and sleeping. Now if he can poop...

In other news, Morgan went for her 4-year-old check-up today. Ryan took her, and reported that she was quite entertaining reading the eye chart and answering Dr. Coburn's questions. She weighs 32 pounds and is 42 inches tall. Healthy kiddo. She also got a round of immunizations today, poor girl. Her leg is so sore she was walking funny for a while. Ouch.

I'm off to accomplish (hopefully) the Big 3 myself, and be ready to try again tomorrow. Night, all.

not a great day so far

He's miserable, and I don't know why. Not eating well (drinking lots and eating enough, apparently, to keep his sugars up), not sleeping well, not pooping at all. He's super fussy, poor guy, and I can't find any way to help him. Could use some prayers again today - for all of us.

restless night, good morning

Not that it is a big surprise, but Athan didn't sleep very well last night. I'm not sure how long he was in his crib, but I'm pretty sure he spent at least an equal amount of time on Ryan's chest in the living room chair. His sugar is fine - 95 at 5 this morning. He's still drinking lots of juice, and is currently in his high chair eating some cereal and raisins. And yawning all of the sudden. Maybe he'll take a nap now...

before bed

Ummm... O.K. It's been an O.K. evening. Not great - he still obviously does not feel very good, he didn't eat very much, and had difficulties filling his diaper earlier. But not bad - he's drinking lots of juice, his blood sugar is fine (82 at last stick), and he had fun playing in the bathtub for a while. I think he's asleep in the chair with Ryan now.

home!

They boys got home a while ago. I only vaguely remember - I was deep asleep at the time. As with every time we leave the hospital, I'm glad and nervous. Certainly glad to be at home - hospitals are difficult places to heal, ironically. And also nervous - there is no team of trained professionals ready to rush in the room at the push of a button.

Athan is better, certainly. He's still tired and a bit on the cranky side (understandably), but his sugars have been fine. Ryan said he ate lots of good stuff at lunch, and shows no signs of tummy trouble right now.

Morgan was sweet when she saw Athan. She ran to him and said "Bubba! I'm so glad you feel better." Cute kid, huh?

First Smiles

I caught one of Athan's first smiles in 3 days or so. I got him to ride around in a hospital Radio Flyer and he agreed to eat a little lunch. Laurie (Athan's PT), along with Lance and Jordan, came by for a visit after church. Thanks guys. Athan was glad to see them as soon as he figured out Laurie wasn't going to put him to work! He's sleeping now, so hopefully he'll rest well. Below, you can see Athan making a hat out of hospital dishes (since, of course, none of Mama's mixing bowls are handy).

discharge orders in

As long as Athan keeps his meds down (we switched from IV meds to by-mouth meds) and tolerates a normal lunch, he'll be discharged at 3 this afternoon. Yeah! :)

He is pretty fussy this morning, but I think that was due to a miscommunication on the orders for his meds that led to a delay in his morning dose of Cortef. Otherwise he seems to be more and more himself.

Ryan is at the hospital with him now. I'm home to shower and rest, get Morgan, and get the house ready for Athan to be home (which won't be difficult - MANY thanks to the little elves who cleaned my gross house!).

Soon I'll try to hammer out some kind of reflection about our first "crash." It will start with relief...

up

Awake and fussy this morning. I think the poor guy was just hungry! He's sitting in bed now, munching on cheerios.

Morning, all.

sugar check

89.

up and back down

Athan woke up about an hour ago, so we took that chance to do all the stuff: check vitals, check sugar, change diaper, give meds, offer juice. All looks good. Vitals are good - no fever for the first time in a couple days. Blood sugar was 107 (that's good - normal is between 70 and 120). His diaper was soggy (very important his urine output stays up). He chugged more apple juice, then cuddled with mom for a few minutes and went back to sleep. For tonight he is on clear liquids only per doc's orders, but hopefully we can get him on some solids tomorrow and see if he can tolerate it. Still no idea how long we'll need to be here. Hopefully more info/answers at rounds tomorrow.

A thousand thanks, loved ones.

more fluids, more fussy, more sleep

Athan woke up just after I posted last. We moved to a different room (we were sharing before, now we have our own room), and he drank some more apple juice. He was super fussy for a while, and I couldn't tell why. Then Dad and Morgan came for a short visit (and brought me dinner), and it was Dad to the rescue! He patted Athan for a bit and he let out a monster belch, then went to sleep. Whew...

No real updates aside from that. We're still just trying to find out why his tummy hurts. May have been the antibiotic he was on for his earache, so we've stopped that med (his ear is fine now). May be a virus (reported to be going around). Maybe something else... We won't be going home until we are sure he will eat and drink enough to keep his meds down and his sugars up once we get home.

Again, thanks for praying. I suspect we'll be awake some tonight. I'll probably post again in a few hours.

sleeping still

Athan is just a tired, tired baby. He is still asleep. He has been awake for small stretches today, mostly when we have to get vitals or x-rays. Otherwise, asleep. The general opinion seems to be that it's ok to just let him sleep as long as he wants. He still has only had about 10ml of liquid to drink, but his diaper was really wet (from IV fluids), so they were happy with that for now. It may be a while before he is willing to eat or drink more.

I (Amberly) am here with Athan for tonight. Ryan went home to be with Morgan and finish his last assignment of the semseter. I am, of course, happy to be with my boy, but I'm sad to be away from Morgan on her 4th birthday. [I'm sure Ryan would say he is glad to be with the birthday girl, but sad to be away from the sick boy...].

Thank you, again, for the prayers, comments, e-mails, texts, calls, offers to help... We are grateful to be surrounded by people who love.

Athan is finally stirring a bit, so I think I'd better go see if he will drink more. I'll post again when he falls back to sleep.

need him to drink stuff

We really need Athan to be willing to drink some stuff so he can pee. That's the current prayer requst.

Children's Hospital

We made it up to a room a few minutes ago. Athan is sharing a room with Chan, a baby who had intestinal surgery a few days ago.

Sugar levels remain plenty high, thanks to the IV. Athan does not have much interest in eating or drinking anything yet. He is worn out from being sick and then from fighting so hard this morning. His blood work all checked out normal and x-rays look good so far. Everyone mostly suspects something viral at this point. The plan is to keep him here until he can keep food/drink down and therefore his oral medications.

The Morgan reports sound like she is having a good day with friends. We sure appreciate everyone in Wilmore. It's a good problem to have, deciding which willing family will take care of Morgan for a while. Thanks to all -

Update from UK

Athan and I made it to the UK emergency room around 6.45 or so, and Amberly was right behind us. The big guy's blood sugar was still alarmingly low, but he was fighting and showing signs of being alert. They were able to get him an IV solution after a few minutes. Shortly after that his sugars had climbed back to within the acceptable range. He's very tired and still a bit lethargic. We're checking sugars every half hour and have started an IV drip. He's resting well now, and the challenge now will be trying to get him to eat/drink enough. We're not sure yet how long we'll be here.

Morgan is still at home asleep. (She turns 4 years old today, by the way) Rob and Kat are there waiting to feed her breakfast and take her to play with Eve and Claire for the morning, then bring her back home for a nap this afternoon.

We very much appreciate your prayers for our kiddos - for Athan's body to be better and for Morgan to be O.K. waking up and spending a morning suddenly without Mom and Dad.

Athan's sugar is back up

Amber just called and they got his sugar back up, but they are going to go ahead and admit him. All of his doctors will be able to check on him. They also want to find out why he is throwing up. Ambie will post more details as soon as she can. Happy 4th Birthday Morgan! GT

911

Hey this is Amberly's mom. Amber is dictating as she drives to the hospital in Lexington. Ryan and Athan are in an ambulance ahead of her headed to the ER at UK. Athan's blood sugar crashed this morning. Amber will post an update as soon as possible. Please PRAY!! Thanks again and again for traveling this journey with us, many times on your knees. Grammy Tammy

in case you're up

Athan is throwing up again. Lots. So far his blood sugar is fine, so would you just pray with us that he can eat enough for it to stay that way?

prayer request

My Aunt Gwen (my mom's sister) had a stroke yesterday and remains in ICU today. Would you pray for her recovery, and for her husband, kids, and grandkids?

plodding along

Athan still isn't feeling well, poor guy. He is finally resting at the moment, so I hope this helps! We had to cancel PT again today.

Morgan and Mama had a fun morning: Claire came to play with Morgan, and Claire's Mama (Eve) came to play with me! Seriously, when I'm home all the time with the kids, other adults who are willing to brave the kid chaos and come hang out - golden. Thanks for helping restore some sanity, Eve! :)

more about poo

Sorry. I know I said I'd take a break...

We've gone from not enough to too much. I think it's the antibiotic. He had 5 or 6 dirty diapers today, and it is burning his bottom, poor guy. I think the rest of him feels much better, but he's been fussy all day because his bottom hurts.

On the upside - he ate really well today, and is asleep at a semi-normal time. Yeah! :)

feeling better, but...

Athan is feeling better, I think. No fever, and he's at least energetic enough to be grumpy. :) He's still not sleeping or eating well, but I think we're on the right track, at least.

Morgan, poor kiddo, is bored and tired of Mom being so occupied with brother. I think it'll be a great break for her to get to play with the boys tomorrow morning (thanks, Erin!).

better

We saw Dr. Coburn this morning, and Athan has an ear infection. He started an antibiotic this evening, so we hope that'll clear up in the next couple of days.

Also, we think his tummy is having a hard time with PediaSure. We started that to get him more calories to help with his weight gain. Actually, we tried a knock-off brand. So we'll try name brand, and Dr. Coburn also suggested that we check with Dr. Bay and Dr. K and see if we can try Carnation Instant Breakfast (also loaded with calories).

It was a tough night/day for us. It is no fun when Morgan gets sick, but when Athan does, it is scary. We have to monitor sugars, repeat meds if he throws up, double dosages, and make sure we're watching for any signs of a crash that would necessitate a trip to the hospital. And doing all of that in the middle of the third sleepless night in a row... well, you know how clear your thinking is (or more, is NOT) at that moment! :)

So, once again, thank you all who stay with us in this. I know you read, and I feel it when you pray. Thanks for the comments, calls, e-mails. For babysitting Morgan so we can do the doctor thing, and for babysitting the Mama when she's falling apart. We remain deeply grateful.

sick and tired

Athan is not well today. Tossed his dinner last night. Fever and thickly snotty this a.m. A bit lethargic and blood sugar was low (not dangerously low, but lower than it's been in a while). Not much sleep last night again.

Athan and I need your prayers today. Thanks, loved ones!

the s*&@ hit the floor

Not the fan. The floor. Athan has had a marathon of pooping yesterday and today, that included a blow-out that ran down his leg, out of his high chair, and onto the kitchen floor I had just mopped. Ryan was studying at the library, so I actually called Kat (gracious neighbor) to come be the extra set of hands that I needed to get everything and everyone clean.

But he's not constipated! Yippie! :)

We did address this with Dr. Coburn and Dr. Bay. Basically, we just keep trying to find the right rate to give him the meds and foods he needs. It'll take some time to figure out what works for our boy.

But while I'm at it - thank you to all who have left comments or sent e-mails with suggestions. We've tried most of them, and will keep trying. Some of them work sometimes, which is worth the trial-n-error ups-n-downs we go through to help kiddo feel better. In case you've got a young one with this problem, here's what we've got: Miralax (or knock-off), Little Tummy's laxative, dark Karo, baby food prunes or prune juice, dried fruit (cooked into oatmeal works well), all with a diet that includes lots of fiber, and avoids too much cheese and white bread. Oh - and pumpkin, oddly (we mix some in with oatmeal).

In case you're grossed out, I'll try to refrain from more posts about poo for a while so you can recover.

Dr. Coburn and Dr. Bay

Athan had a couple appointments this week. First, we had the 18-month check-up with his pediatrician, Dr. Coburn. He is doing well. We got some butt medicine for stubborn diaper rash, and caught up on Athan's over-all development and status with his various other specialists. Aside from his gross motor skills (like not crawling or walking), Athan seems to be doing well in all other areas of development. They're also going to refer us to a new optho person, so we'll probably have an eye update soon.

Ryan took him in to UK this morning to see the geneticist, Dr. Bay. It went fine. She had some advice about how to keep his caloric intake high and combat the constipation at the same time. They also had the lab draw some blood to do some further testing that has become available since we saw them last. It may not be any more conclusive than the others have been, but it might give us some helpful information about keeping Athan healthy. It was difficult to hear a geneticist refer to our Athan as one of "our kids," but also encouraging to hear her be pleasantly surprised at how smart he seems to be.

Mama and Morgan time

Due to some odd sleeping (and not sleeping) schedules of late, Morgan had some extra energy in the evening yesterday. So we left the boys here to play and had a little mother-daughter night out on the town. We had a healthy, satisfying meal at McDonalds... Ok, that's a stretch. But at least the company was good (thanks Chad and Mer for meeting us). We intended to go to Story Hour at the library, but dinner was so fun we missed the event. We still went to the library to do all the puzzles in the kid room, read a couple of books, and see Charis for a few minutes. The we grabbed a few groceries, gave Charis a ride, and headed home. Fun girls' night out! :) I'm hoping Morgan will sleep 'till noon...