The food is in!

Levi finally has his feeding tube! I know this sounds like an odd thing to be excited about, but, we are! He now has an easier way to get the nutrients that he needs into his body. This week was a long week, since we spend Monday-Thursday in the hospital. Monday morning we had to be at the hospital, in Wichita, by 6:30am. My good friend, Meghan and her daughter (4 months old), Eisley, came with us. They picked us up from our house around 4:15am. We ended up at the hospital WAY to early, which was fine. That's better than being late! The procedure was scheduled for 8:30. Here is a picture of Levi right before surgery

As you can tell, he has no idea what's about to happen. They got him back, Pastor Kent came up, and we all waited around. It was a relatively quick surgery, only about an hour and a half. After surgery they stuck him in the PICU for about 24 hours. Then we moved to Peds, once we were there my sister-in-law, Allison came up. This was on Tuesday. I spend Tuesday-Thursday night in the hospital. I don't think that is something that I will ever get used to, no matter how often I do it! They released us on Thursday afternoon. We now have to feed Levi every 4 hours. What he doesn't take by mouth, we push through the tube. Overnight he gets a continuous feed through his tube. Part of that means I go to bed late and get up earlier. If you know me, you know that's not a good combination for me, I need sleep! In a few weeks, Levi and I will go back to the doctor and get this tube taken out, and then get his Mic-Key button put in. That will be much easier to use than this current tube is.

John is doing GREAT with the tube feeds. He helps me out so much. He was at home this whole week, and I know that could not have been easy for him.

We are blessed beyond belief to have the friends, family, and church that we do. They have helped us pull through this procedure, as they will the rest of them. I cannot emphasize enough to people how important a good, strong, supportive church family is. At a time like this, they gather and strengthen us with their prayers, gifts, and visits. I sometimes wonder if God really has us in the right place, but when they come together for us, I know that He does.

Must Reads...

A few years ago my mom bought me a series of "cozy mysteries" for Christmas. The only reason she bought them for me, because they were set in Kansas. For some reason, I did the exact opposite of what I usually do, and I tucked them away on a bookshelf and I never read them. A year and a half later, I was on bedrest with Levi, and desperate for something new to read. So, I pulled them off the shelf. In four days I had read the four books in the "Cozy in Kansas" series. Somehow, God knew that I needed to tuck those books away for a rainy day, He knew that when I pulled those books off the shelf, I would find exactly what He was planning on teaching me, when I needed to learn it. You see, Nancy Mehl's books aren't just filled with a fun plot, cute romance, and captivating characters, they're something extra. Mehl incorporates her faith into each and every book that she writes. She puts in scriptures, prayers, and pulls you into the faith life of her characters. By doing this she reveals more about herself than most authors. She shares her love for the Lord and His plan for us in each and every book.

In her most recent book, Inescapable, she tells a story about a young woman, Lizzie, that has left the Mennonite faith, her family, and her hometown. Through a turn of events, Lizzie and her daughter, Charity, end up running back to the very place that Lizzie ran from, her hometown. As you read about their adjustment back into the small, conservative Mennonite town, you connect with the characters and fall in love with small town Kansas. As a young woman reading this book, I could see some of my own struggles and desires as a parent and a wife shine through. Mehl takes these struggles and turns them into triumphs, leaving you feeling refreshed and thankful for all God has blessed you with. Mehl has once again, brought forth her faith and love for others in this book. The worst news about this book, the next in the series isn't out yet!

Each time I'm done reading one of her books, I'm filled with a new sense of God's love for me, and I'm reminded of the true, Godly romance that started my relationship with my husband. These books are for every woman, and they're not something you'll be ashamed to tell your mom that you read! So, check her out online, download any of her books to your Nook, and you won't be disappointed, I promise!

Baby Steps

Okay, so we all know that getting healthier takes baby steps. In my case, I'm barely crawling at this point. But today, I drank more water than normal and my only snack was some sweet bell peppers, a tiny bit of cream cheese and some cucumbers. Yay! I know, I know, I have a long way to go to lose 50lbs, but every little bit helps!

Oh, Mondays!

This was little man today. Finally. The past couple of Mondays have not been wonderful. Levi has been sick enough that I haven't gone into work. He keeps throwing up. His doctors tell me that once he gets his feeding tube, he should stop puking so much. Today I called wondering what we could give him until then, and they don't want to give him anything. They feel as though anything that we give him could hurt his kidney. So instead, I just have to deal with a baby that throws up a few times a day. Today was better than most days though. Today we actually made it to work. We were there for about three hours, and then he started puking on the nursery workers. This really is an improvement over the past few Mondays! We came home and Levi took a good nap, then we just took it easy, reading books and such the rest of the day. A part of me is so ready for this stinking feeding tube.


On another note, I found a quote today that I love! "Stop trying to find the discipline. Find the motivation that makes you WANT to WIN. Then you will work." ~Gloria Mayfield Banks. This really made me think. I keep trying to get into a workout routine, and I worry mostly about the discipline of getting into the routine and trying to get going. I rarely think about what motivates me. I'm starting to walk in the mornings with a friend. I know that it's not much, but it's more than what we are doing now. I say we, because Levi will have to be with me. I figure that if we can get into a routine of doing something, I'll start to figure out what motivates me, and I'll go from there. I'll try to keep you updated on what works!

7 Months....

I guess I'm kind of down to posting (at least) once a month for Levi's updates! Here's his 7 month picture!



We are so blessed to have such a happy son. He is getting bigger everyday, he weighs around 12 lbs now. It seems crazy to know that he's almost tripled his birth weight! We had blood work on Thursday, and everything looks great! Thank you all for all of the thoughts and prayers! We head to Wichita on Wednesday to visit with the nephrologist again. Hopefully she's full of good news!

Today is also John's first Father's Day! Levi and I got him a card, a skillet for the grill, and some grilling tools. He loved them! I am so thankful that we are blessed to have John as the leader of our home.




Speaking of Father's Day, anybody seen the movie "Courageous"? I was very impressed with the film. I think that it hit a lot of issues we are often to afraid to discuss. Also, with that it's led me to take a closer look at what God wants from us as wives and mothers. This has been a few months in the process, but I think that I'm finally getting my 'list' done. If anybody has anything that they've found tugs at their hearts from God, as a wife/mom, please share! I know that I'm more conservative than most, but I feel God is really calling me to walk as He planned for me to. There will be more on this later!

6 months and hospital visit

Levi is 6 months old! I can't believe it. It doesn't seem like half of his first year is done already. His 6 month stats are Height: 23 inches Weight: 11lbs 5oz. He has now more than doubled his birth weight (woohoo!). He's into 3 month and some 6 month clothing. Levi seems to be tolerating cloth diapers better than disposables, and he is getting CURIOUS about everything! We are still so in love with him!

On the flip side of things, we're also back in the hospital. Monday night we ended up in the ER for 6 hours because he had a high fever. With Levi, it's never okay for him to have a fever, it's the first sign of a kidney infection. I really felt like he needed to be admitted, not just sitting in the ER. I figured he was dehydrated and hello, he's a KIDNEY FAILURE PATIENT! In a small toen like ours, unless you have a cancer patient or a gunshot victim, a few hours is the difference between kidney failure and kidney function for him. We finally saw a doctor and got the results of the UA back to find out that everything was clear, just a virus. Tuesday we were supposed to follow up with his pediatrician. She agreed that it was just a virus, but to keep a close eye on him. She also ran more blood work and urine samples. Everything still looked clear. I still felt like he was dehydrated and we need to admit him to get him hydrated, but we were sent home since he looked okay on paper. Last night, his fever hit 104 and he started having diarreha and eating less. Then, this morning, the fever was at 102, but he added vomiting to the list of symptoms. After my 3rd shirt for the day was soaked in puke, I called the doctor's office. Our regular doc was out, but we could see one of the other pediatricians. We went into the appointment knowing that we were probably headed to the hospital. We were right. Levi was admitted this afternoon for dehydration, fever, and possible bloodborne bacteria. Gross. Good thing is, we get to stay in town at the hospital here! Yay! Also, they got him started on some iv fluids, and now he's keeping pedialyte down! Tomorrow we're hopefully back on formula. Small victories are amazing!

Please keep squirt in your prayers and remember to LISTEN TO YOUR GUT FEELINGS!

Lucky Lady

This last week or so has been filled with some great moments. For me as a mom, wife, and friend. So here's the list of everything that God has blessed me with (especially over) the last week! -Levi has had the best blood work results yet. -Mary, John, and I got the office completely painted. It looks awesome. -I was able to get all of the furniture moved back into the office -M got furniture for her new house -I woke up on Saturday morning to the sound of Levi laughing in bed next to me -We've seen Adam and Kelsey 4 times in two weeks! -House blessing at Adam and Kelsey's was WONDERFUL! -Tonight, dinner with some amazing friends -Levi lights up when John, he and I are all together -We got a piano! -Levi is stinking adorable -I got to help a friend celebrate her upcoming wedding with a shower -People at work keep blessing me with their love and support for my goals and for my family -John never ceases to remind me how much he loves me -Bee is keeping birds away from the flowers in the backyard. -Yesterday, Levi slept from 6:30pm-7am! -I finally got a walk/run in this week, and I was able to pick up right where I'd left off! -I HAVE A GOD WHO LOVES ME UNCONDITIONALLY