Hello?!

Uhhhhhh, son??? Came around the corner to find this one morning!

Haven't posted for awhile as we've been on vacation for the past week. Looking forward to sorting through the pictures and sharing some from our adventures. Also have some events and pictures from pre-surgery that I still want to upload -- great times that we don't want to forget.

Zane Walking!

I don't know whether to be happy or sad about this, either way I'm crying! Maybe I should be scared, really scared -- what will tomorrow bring with his new found power?! :)



Are we a little excited or what?!

Dada & Ga-ga

Zane said 'Dada' for the first time yesterday and today it was all about 'ga-ga'. It was hard to get it on tape, you know how it is...they blabber away and then you push play and they just stare at you! Seriously, ever since surgery, he's been making a ton more sounds -- I think he finally feels good and wants the world to know about it! :)

15 Years

Eric and I celebrated 15 years of marriage today - I just can't believe it! Time flies when you're having fun...trying to make babies! ;)

We put Zane to bed, left Elle to play with her Uncle and Aunt and headed out to gorge ourselves on wood fired pizza and cheesecake. Eric made and shared a list of things he has 'learned' from me in 15 years of marriage...it made me laugh, really hard! :)

Mostly we talked about how differently life had unfolded from what we had imagined when we first started dating at 19 years old. And, how grateful we are for how God has carried us through. I watched our wedding video with Elle earlier today. It was a wonderful ceremony officiated by our fathers...so very precious. There was such spiritual depth, such rich focus on God's intention for marriage and our family's prayers and hopes for us to follow this plan for the best of His blessing. What a great start we had and through the highs and lows, it has only gotten better. Eric is more than I had hoped for - he is my perfect match in every way and as Elle would say, 'I tell you what, you are the best for me ever!'

Ding Dong The Picc Is Gone!

We went home from the hospital yesterday, worship music blaring, giving thanks for His healing. We continue to pray for Zane's complete restoration of health and protection from infection.

During his cleft lip and palate repair last December, Zane contracted a blood infection. Before treatment and healing of the infection, we believe that some of the bacteria got walled off in his nose and went undetected for a couple of months. When it presented as an abscess in early March, he had a MRI done, which we believe wasn't read correctly, and certainly wasn't treated as aggressively as needed. After a couple months of failed oral antibiotics, we insisted on alternative actions through a specialist -- who ordered an emergency nose surgery on Friday, April 30. Dr. S, our plastics surgeon, came back from his vacation that evening to perform the surgery and they removed a teaspoonful of bacteria from the tip of Zane's tiny nose. Everyone was in disbelief! After five days of IV treatment in the hospital and six more days of an IV drug through a PICC line at home, they announced him healed and removed the line yesterday.

There is still some discoloration in the nose skin, but they believe it is consistent with tissue healing from surgery. Zane's ears were also perfectly clear today -- the first since this all started and the most convincing factor to us that there is healing.

Since the surgery, Zane has been talking and jabbering so much more. We think the pressure off his face has been a great relief to him and he just can't help but make fun, new sounds and we love hearing all that he has to say! Zane is also saying 'hi', it is very cute!

Zane weighed 20.9 pounds and measured 2'9" today. Our little guy is growing and getting stronger. It does our hearts good to see him healing. He has some patches of skin irritation on his face, hands and arms from all the hospital tape, but it's healing as well and before long the color will be back in his cheeks and his eyes will be clear and bright.

We pray for a new season of health for Zane.

Just before surgery and following...

Playing under the hospital bed...gotta find something to do when you're stuck in a 10'x10' room for five days.

First time out of the hospital room in five days and soaking up some sun!

Protecting the picc line during some bath fun.

Mother's Day

Elle asked why it was Mother's Day. I told her because Hallmark said so. :)

Eric took us out for breakfast this morning. I so enjoy eating out for breakfast, not because it's my favorite meal, but I think I like the idea of getting up and out and starting the day early...makes me feel like I'm in control and the day hasn't swallowed me up, yet. We found this quaint family owned-operated breakfast/lunch spot about a year ago and although we've only visited a couple of times, it's our favorite for breakfast.

We got there so early that Zane's med was still attached to his picc line. It finished about the time the food arrived, so after alcohol swabs and two injections of saline and heparin, I clamped the IV and we were off to eating. How about that for a morning routine?! LOL!

I haven't posted for a while; I'm still praying and meditating over these past weeks/months, with Zane in the hospital, doctors, medication, picc line.... It hurts to think about all that he has braved through, let alone write about it. I know we are super blessed, that things could be so much worse and God has all this and us in the palm of His hand. I continue to pray for faith and victory and lay the fears down.

Today I thought about how very good God is to give me the precious gifts of our Elle and Zane. Elle is joy and Zane is courageous and I am so very proud of them!

Elle is writing her letters and sounding out three letter words. She is learning how to tease and says, 'That cracked me up!' The other night after church was over, a young boy ran over to Zane, got his nose up in his face and had a look of no-good. Elle picked up on this from across the room, rushed to Zane's side, squatted down and wrapped her arms around him, stuck her nose in the face of the young boy and said, 'This is my brother!' She didn't move until he backed down. Elle has shown tremendous kindness and love to Zane. She has been patient with all the doctor appointments, has demonstrated compassion for Zane's 'hurts' and has been a faithful prayer warrior. We share precious time in bed each night, cuddling, singing and saying our Scriptures together -- I love you so, dear Elle-belle!

Zane is a trooper - he has pushed through all these medical challenges with such courage. He is passionate and loves being at home in our arms. His left and right canine teeth are pushing through. His first molars are now causing problems with the mouth piece fitting, but we're going to have that fixed this week. He could walk, but chooses not to. He has taken a couple of steps on his own, but only when we have tricked him into it. :) He says Mama, Elle, more, and uh-oh. He enjoys building with Legos, erectors, and blocks. He LOVES books...I'll find him sitting in front of his bookshelf, books all around, looking at book after book after book. He'll often bring me a book to read to him. He adores his sister, and Elle is his very first sign/word after he gets his Mama love in the morning. Oh, and he loves to roll around and wrestle on the floor with big sister. Zane, you are our strong little man and we adore you!

I love these kiddos and am so grateful for how God perfectly matched us. There is such joy in being Mama to Zane and Elle and I wouldn't be any good at it if it weren't for Eric, my incredible husband and a wonderful father.

I am also grateful for my mother and Eric's.

What wonderful, godly women they are - our life is rich and our children's children will be blessed by their faithfulness and love. We love you!

Celebrating with my SIL... Happy 1st Mother's Day, Alicia!