How Are We?

Overall, the days have been very full and very sweet since Kaleb came home to us on May 27. Zion and River adore Kaleb and don't wane in their desire to be near him, talk to him, snuggle him, or play with him. And we don't blame them. He is very enjoyable to be around!

Unfortunately, the past two weeks have been pretty grueling as we've been battling various forms of sickness as a family. River got the stomach flu first, Todd and I have felt pretty lousy, Zion finished us off with a few days of fever and throw-ups a week after River. And throughout it all Kaleb has been spiking fevers and has now developed another cold-like virus that he's really struggling to kick.

This is our first bout with sickness with Kaleb's "new and improved" body. In general, it had been a much smoother experience (we've been able to avoid taking him to the hospital so far!), but this weekend he's taken a turn for the worse, needing continual oxygen, and retaining this fever. He has a hard time clearing out his mucus which makes tolerating the CPAP (which will guard him against lung infection) at night more difficult.

I took him to see his pulmonologist yesterday and she had some helpful things to say regarding how to best care for him when he's sick. Through some very helpful medical personnel, we are in line to receive a suction machine (just waiting on insurance to approve it)! This should be a tool we can use to ease Kaleb's congestion when he gets sick (congestion leads to aspiration which can lead to lung infection which would most likely put him back in the hospital).

At the moment, Kaleb seems to be declining in his health. Would you please pray for him? Pray that we get this suction machine asap. Pray that we can keep him out of the hospital. Pray for strength for us as the days and nights right now are very long.

Getting used to difficult

Though we aren't as limited as we were previously, the days are still difficult to navigate. We're still falling into bed exhausted every night, though maybe not quite as exhausted as before—and for that we are so deeply grateful!! We are trying to figure out how to run our home effectively and peacefully to minimize the stress of everything. We're seeking to navigate social situations, making sure that we prioritize our calling to our church fellowship and our calling to care for our son. And we're seeking to learn how to swing from normal to chaos/crisis back to normal with grace.

Gratefulness

We've had some really sweet conversations with our neighbors recently. God has really surrounded us with some golden neighbors. Our street is home to many older people who have lived the majority of their lives here. And Zion and River's friendliness has opened up sooo many doors to conversation. Our neighbor, Mike, and his girlfriend, Valerie, are the ones we spend the most time talking with, and we love it! They've taken a special interest in kaleb and welcome Zion and River into their outdoor activities, like gardening, grilling, etc.

Another sweet spot has been our community group. Every Friday night we gather for dinner and fellowship together. The kids love going to "camootery group" (as Zion calls it) and it's become such a blessing to us.

The church has also been such a gift in this time. While Todd was away for a few days, a number of friends stopped by to be a second set of hands for me. Watching them love on Kaleb was such a gift!

Please Pray:

• For healing for Kaleb and wisdom in how to help him fight this sickness he has

• For the suction machine to be approved and sent to us quickly

• For wisdom and perseverance in parenting Zion and River

• For wisdom in knowing how to care for Kaleb day to day (currently trying to figure out how to balance getting the older kids out and keeping kaleb at home so he can get much needed rest)

• For strength amidst little sleep

• For peace amidst high stress

• That we would draw near to God continually and honor Him in our hearts