Comments (7)

By Lana, November 29, 2009 4:24 pm

• Carmen is doing OK.
• I am 30 weeks pregnant today! When I was in the hospital, my doctor said that if we could get to 30 weeks, that would make all the difference in the world. Here we are and Baby Hope doesn’t appear to be coming out any time soon!
• A wonderful Thanksgiving with family, friends and food! Thank you to the NY Grandparents and our friends for cooking all the fabulous food!
• Great nurses for Carmen. One of our very favorites ever is leaving (moving to Austria) and while we are happy for her, we are sad to lose her. We have three other wonderful nurses and we are so very thankful for their loving care.
• Carmen’s pediatrician, neurologist and gastroenterologist who are willing to answer our questions over the phone or via email.
• Ebay. I got a SUPER deal on two Miracle Blankets for Hope. I love good deals! (If you want to get really, really good deals, bid on stuff right around the holidays! Every one is out of town or busy so the bids are low.)
• Cousins. Lauren’s cousins came for a visit this weekend and she had a GREAT time.
• 6yearmed. In my opinion, 6yearmed is one of the best blogs out there. This pediatrician makes me laugh and cry. Click here for a recent post.
• A new toilet. Don’t laugh. That is a big deal when you have been dealing with one that stops up for 2 years! Rental property management company installed a new one and so far, so good!
• A 5 year old who writes on her school paper, “I am thankful for my famle.” We are thankful for you too, Lauren! More than you will ever know.
• Dave who is running errands that probably make no sense but that make me feel better!

***

Carmen update: Carmen’s seizures have intensified in the past few days. She is having quite a few crying-out seizures and some jerking seizures that last up to 5 minutes. Tomorrow I will call her neurologist and see if we can increase her seizure medications or add a new seizure medication. Phenobarbital works very well for Carmen so I hope we can just increase that dose.

Thank you to Eric and Claudia for the pork chops and broccoli casserole! We are very thankful for your friendship!

Comments (5)

By Dave ©, November 26, 2009 9:03 am

A God of second chances, life, Lana, Lauren, Carmen, Hope, eternal hope, my parents and family, my in-laws, five year olds, great food, the Internet, work, God’s many blessings, hardship, awesome co-workers, challenging clients and projects, this Beautiful Canvas community, patience (particularly toward me!), love (especially toward me!!), World Vision, Church of the Redeemer, Andy Stanley, Erwin McManus, Rob Bell, my grandmother, my amazing and beautiful wife, working from home, technology (when it works), a roof over our head, getting rid of “stuff” we don’t need, moving toward adoption, Tay Sachs (not the disease but how a child with it has changed who I am as a human), NTSAD and other organizations that exist to research and discover cures to diseases like Tay Sachs, a super compliant three year old, Make-A-Wish, film making as a hobby, the shared vision that God is forming in Lana and me, YOU, wordpress, the Bible, each person in our small group, God has given us more than we need and therefore we are rich, Jesus, Gail Jenkins and the seemingly insignificant lesson she taught Lana and me that changed the trajectory of our lives.

These are just a few things for which I am particularly thankful this year. Oh, and I’m also thankful for “A Turkey Song”:

“A Turkey Song” by Lauren from Dave © on Vimeo.

If you have any trouble viewing the video above, click here to watch it on YouTube.

For what are you thankful?

Comments (8)

By Lana, November 24, 2009 10:55 am

Yesterday I was looking online at the World Vision Gift Catalog. After selecting a couple of gifts for family members, I clicked on the sponsor a child link out of curiosity. I selected Guatemala and 3 years old. I clicked through the pictures, admiring the beautiful children. I stopped when I saw this little girl.

Isn’t she adorable? The chubby cheeks. And braids sticking out all over. She is the same age as Carmen and she is wearing Lauren’s shirt!

I don’t know for sure if this is Lauren’s actual shirt. We took a bag of clothes to Guatemala and gave them to Carmen’s foster mom when we went to meet Carmen in 2006. I think this shirt was in the bag. I wish I could remember for sure. It is a mass produced Children’s Place shirt but wouldn’t that be something?!

I wasn’t planning to sign up to sponsor a child yesterday. But, I just couldn’t say no. So, I waited until Dave got home from some errands and discussed it with him. He said something to the effect of, “Yeah, sure,” so this little girl is the newest member of our extended family!

This Christmas, will you consider sponsoring a child? There are several good organizations out there. We like World Vision because they are a Christian organization and work in nearly 100 countries. For about $1 per day on your part, World Vision shows God’s unconditional love by providing children with clean water, nutritious food, health care, education, etc. You can write and receive letters and even email your child.

Or, how about ordering a donation gift in honor of someone this year? Most of us have too much stuff and don’t need one more thing in our homes. Donating part of a cow, clean water, or bed nets to protect kids from malaria would be a great Christmas present for those hard-to-buy-for people this year!

At the Catalyst conference this year, Dave and his dad witnessed a sponsor meeting the boy (now man) he had sponsored for 19 years through Compassion, International. Really great story! It’s almost 10 minutes long but if you would like to watch the video, click here.

***

Happy Birthday (a few days late) to my dad! We hope you had a wonderful birthday!

Comments (6)

By Lana, November 23, 2009 11:12 am

Every day when Lauren gets home from school, we ask her what she did in school that day. I usually ask about each part of the day – circle time, center time, media center, lunch, music, art, recess, gym, etc. Last week I got an answer I wasn’t expecting:

Me: Did you have recess today?
Lauren: Yes!
Me: Did you do the monkey bars?
Lauren: No, uh, we were too busy. (giggle, giggle)
Me: What were you doing?
Lauren: We tied up Jacob!
Me: You tied up Jacob? Why? With what?
Lauren: He kept trying to kiss all the girls, so we got a jump rope and tied him to a pole!
Me: Did you help tie up Jacob?
Lauren: Yes, I was in charge of pulling him. He kept trying to get away but I am stronger than him!
Me: Did he cry?
Lauren: No! He kissed the pole!

Well. I guess that’s what goes on at recess time! (I changed the young man’s name. No need to have that story come back to haunt him!)

***

Carmen update: Carmen is doing fairly well. She had a few good days last week with very minimal congestion. Yesterday she was a bit more congested but not too bad. We are keeping her in fleece pajamas, mittens, and fuzzy socks and she is staying warm.

Hope and me: As of yesterday, I am 29 weeks pregnant! Thank you God!

I failed the 1 hour glucose tolerance test last week and will get more blood work. I failed the same test while pregnant with Lauren but passed the 3 hour glucose tolerance test. The plan for now is to have blood work done while at my weekly doctor visits rather than go to the lab for the big 3 hour test. I started to black out at my last 3 hour test and I am light-headed on the days I go to the doctor, so I think the doctor is wise not to send me for the longer test. The medicine I am on to stop contractions, Terbutaline, is known for inducing gestational diabetes so I am going to limit my sugar intake, just to be safe.

Big thanks to Dan, Karen, Joan, Del & Cristina and Eric & Claudia for meals this week! Not having to think about meals is hugely helpful to Dave!

Comments (9)

By Lana, November 19, 2009 10:40 pm

Sometimes when life is tough, I think it is helpful to realize that we are not alone in grief and hardship. And that others have walked before us and survived.

Watching my child die of Tay Sachs is the hardest thing I have ever gone through. Specifically, the day Carmen was diagnosed was the worst day. Just reading the description of Tay Sachs made me want to throw up.

What is the hardest thing you have ever gone through?