Great I Am

There is a song that we sing in church that gets me every time we sing it.

Its a beautiful song. 

Very powerful.

Maybe you've heard it.

Its called "Great I Am"

And one lyric in particular just pierces my heart.  Every single time.  In a good way.

Its a line that, had I not lost my dad, would probably not have much meaning.

And honestly those who have not experienced a loss like that, might even find those words grotesque.

But they bring me great comfort.

I want to see dry bones living again.

I well up just thinking them.

When I sing those words, I think of my dad and other loved ones lost.

Living again.

The day my dad died, my idea of heaven got a little sweeter.

I do want to see dry bones living again. 

I desperately do.

Walking For Our Babies

Its that time of year again.  October.  Time for pumpkins.  Hoodies.  Bonfires. 

And the Small Wonders Miracle Walk :)

Its the annual fundraiser for the neonatal intensive care unit at the Children's Hospital of Illinois.  It was started 5 years ago by a group of NICU parents who wanted to give back to the NICU.

Its hard to describe the connection that we, as parents of NICU graduates, have with the NICU staff.  I mean basically, they were like the 3rd parent to our babies at a very critical time in their lives. 

It is a connection that will always be there.

I can't and don't even want to imagine what our lives would be like today, had it not been for the neonatologists and neonatal nurses who took such awesome care of our babies.

The Children's Hospital of Illinois NICU is a Level 3.  That's the highest level.

It is one of the best NICUs in the country.

Do you know that our NICU serves 24 counties in Illinois? 

24 counties!

That means literally dozens upon dozens of hospitals are sending their smallest and sickest babies to Peoria.

750 babies come through the NICU each year.

There are many families traveling long distances.  Just to be with their babies.

How fortunate are we, to have this awesome facility right in our backyard!

The Small Wonders Miracle Walk and Silent Auction will be Saturday, October 15 at the Riverplex in Peoria.  Auction opens at 9am.  Walk is at 10. 

We have an amazing silent auction committee that has been working very hard getting donations together.  We have Disney tickets!  And Continental Airlines tickets!  Along with lots of great local business donations too.  There's something for everyone :)

We also have a lot of fun things going on for the kids.  We have inflatables.  The Unique Twist will be doing balloon creations.  Zoo Lady will be face painting.  And new this year, the Glitter Fairy will be doing glitter tattoos!

Its also a really neat opportunity for families to reunite with the doctors and nurses who took care of their babies in the NICU.  As you can imagine, this can be a very emotional thing.  Its my favorite!

Money raised through this event will directly fund patient and family centered programming specifically in the NICU.

Consider this. 

No one ever PLANS on needing the NICU.  We certainly didn't.  But the moment our babies were born at 29 weeks and 5 days, weighing just 3 lbs and 2 lbs 9 oz, suddenly we DID need it, in a tremendous way.  And they were there for us when we did.

Join us in supporting a wonderful cause.

Babies.  The tiniest and sickest ones.

If you are unable to come to the event but would like to make a donation, you can click here.

Floaters

A few months ago, we were out to dinner with friends.  You know, having some adult time.  And yet, being the parents of small children as we all are, the conversation of course went south quickly. 

To the oh so appetizing topic of pooping in the tub.

See, our friends' daughter is a notorious tub pooper.  And her older brother does not find it amusing.  So each night before bathtime, they have a little ritual where they go around and say: Mommy's not going to poop in the tub, no she's not.  Daddy's not going to poop in the tub, no he's not.  And on down the line. 

So everyone gets the idea that pooping in the tub is not cool.

As they were telling this story, I was laughing hysterically.  I mean, who ever heard of this?   It was something we had never encountered before.

Yet.

I am not kidding, that very week.  I had the girls in the tub.  And you know there are lots of things in the tub.  I mean, besides 2 girls, you've got washcloths, soap, toys, and books.

The girls are standing up, sitting down, switching places.  You know, standard bathtime fun.

Well as they were scooting past each other, toys and books were swirling from one side to the other as well.

And poop.

Poop?! 

Yep.  There it was. 

Several turds.

Just floating along in the bath water. 

Trying to blend in.

There is poop in my tub!

I stared in shock. 

What do I do now?!?

My instinct was to yell: Mom!!!!  Help!!!!

And then it hits me.

Oh, wait.  I'm the mom.

Oh poop.

Get the babies out first.  That's the first step.

Then the toys.  Put them in a bucket.

Then the poop.

What's the best way to get the poop, you ask?

A solo cup.

Do not use toilet paper.  Seems like common sense I know, but in a moment of panic, you might instinctively reach for it. 

Bad idea.  It disintegrates immediately of course, leaving you with a handful of poop.

Once the poop is out of the tub, drain the water.

Break out the bleach.  Disinfect the tub and the toys.

Draw new water. 

Wash the babies (again) and get them the heck out of there before the other one poops!

Recipe: Barbeque Meatballs

Trying something new here: posting a recipe to my blog :)

This recipe, along with many others in my recipe box, comes from my dear friend Kathie Quisenberry, who is one of the best cooks I know.  She has cooked many times for my family over the years, including weekly meals when our twins were in the NICU.  This recipe is Noah's absolute favorite and the girls love it too.

Okay so I even took some fancy pictures as I was cooking today, so you can get the full effect.  Well, not the full effect I guess, since you didn't get to smell how awesome my kitchen smelled today while they were cooking!

Barbeque Meatballs

Ingredients:

2 lbs hamburger
8 oz evaporated milk
2/3 cup old fashioned oatmeal
2/3 cup cracker crumbs
1 large egg
1/2 cup diced onion
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 & 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 & 1/2 tsp chili powder



Mix all together using hands.  Roll into balls.  Place into baking dish.

Sauce Ingredients:

2 & 1/2 cups ketchup

1/2 cup diced onion

1 & 1/4 cups packed brown sugar

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp chili powder

Pour sauce over and bake 1 hour at 350 degrees.

And enjoy :)

Couple tips:

If you follow the recipe as is, it makes A LOT of meatballs.  So this is great if you have a large family to feed.

But for us, halving the recipe works just fine and makes plenty for the 5 of us.

Also, this is a great recipe for freezer cooking!  Sometimes I will make up a whole batch, then only cook half, and freeze the other half.  If you are going to freeze the meatballs raw, I would recommend setting them on a cookie sheet and placing them in the freezer overnight.  Once they are frozen, just pile them into a freezer bag marked with the date and freeze them for up to 6 months.  The sauce freezes great too.  Just pour it into a freezer bag and freeze.  When you are ready to use it, just thaw it out and cut a corner off the bag to make pouring over the meatballs super easy. 

So that's it!  Let me know what you guys think :)

Lenay's Little Heart

Lenay saw her cardiologist this morning.

We were there for about 3 hours.  Luckily I brought lots of snacks! 

She laid very still for her echocardiogram.  I was shocked!  It takes about 25-30 minutes so thats a long time for a 2 year old to sit still.  But they had cartoons on and Mommy was feeding her little princess grapes (literally) so that helped.

She also tolerated her EKG extremely well.  Another shock.  A test that should take a total of one minute usually takes more like twenty along with the help of several adults.  This time, she acted very interested in the whole process, and then even helped to attach and detach the cables when asked!

She's such a big girl.  But I mean come on, she is two now.

Our doctor peeked his head in after he reviewed the tests and told me he needed to get more blood pressures on her.  He wanted pressures on her arms and legs.

She has had elevated blood pressure for a while now, due to the increased pressure gradient in her aorta from the obstruction, and we knew this.

But it dawned on me today that I have never asked what her pressure should be.

Turns out her top number should be right around 100.

And hers is consistently in the 130s.

The good news is that according to the pictures from the echo, her heart is unchanged.  It is no better, but it is no worse.

We thank God for this, because if it was any worse, meaning any thicker, then we would be talking more surgical intervention.

But since it is no worse, we can continue to play the waiting game.

Patience.

And since we are in "uncharted territory" as the doc said today, we can't really know how long it will take.

He is concerned about her pressures, so he prescribed a blood pressure medicine for her today.

She is now on 3 cardiac meds.

We will go back in a week for blood work to see how she is reacting to the new med, and then we will see him again in 2 months to see where we are with her blood pressure at that time.

The funny thing about Lenay is that you would never know she is a heart baby.  I've had several medical professionals read her chart and then tell me they are shocked when they see and observe her.  Because she just doesn't let it get her down.  We could all take a lesson from her. 

I mean just look at her.  Singing and snacking while she waits.

Love you babe.  I am so blessed.

Cam's GI update

Campbell went back to see the gastroenterologist last week. 

She gained a pound and a half in six weeks!

She is now just shy of 20 pounds.

He said I don't know what you are doing but it is working!

I said we are doing ice cream three times a day :)

He thinks that if she continues on this path she may actually be on the growth chart here very soon.

I am just absolutely amazed by her.  A short couple months ago they were talking about putting a g tube in her.  And just look at her now!  She is doing such a great job eating.

God is so good.  Our prayers were answered :)

We also saw the pediatrician last week and it was a big day for Miss Lenay.  She is now in the 10th percentile for height and weight!  Who knew something as simple as gracing the growth chart would be such a milestone?  The things we take for granted when we have a healthy baby.

Lenay goes in to see her cardiologist tomorrow.  She will have an echocardiogram and EKG.  We will see how that little heart of hers is doing. 

Praying for more good news.

I Will Carry You

I just read the most beautiful book.

Its called "I Will Carry You" by Angie Smith.

Angie tells the true story of she and her husband Todd's 4th child, a daughter they named Audrey Caroline, and how they found out during a routine ultrasound that she would not survive beyond birth.  She had conditions that were deemed "incompatible with life."

It was recommended that they terminate the pregnancy.  But they made the decision to carry the child anyway.

Their story was heart wrenching.

Angie and Todd never wanted to give up on their daughter.  Their faith in God was strong as they prayed for a miracle.

Audrey Caroline lived for two and a half hours after she was born, which was a miracle in itself.  She was tiny, weighing in at only a little more than three pounds.  And she was beautiful.

I believe this story would hit home with any mother. 

Unfailing and undying love for your child.

From the moment it is known that she exists inside you.

And the grief and loss when the unthinkable and the unexplainable happens.

It was God's perfect timing that this book was placed in my hands within the week of the anniversary of the loss of our second pregnancy.

8/28/07.  A date I have tattooed on my body in memorial of a baby we never had the chance to meet.

We sisters in Christ know that we will see our babies again someday.

Todd Smith is in the Christian band, Selah.  And they wrote this song for Audrey.