Coffee CubBuster

There is a very significant difference between a surprise and a shock. I for one love surprises because they tend to be fun and spontaneous in nature. However, a shock typically insights a negative emotion. When the body goes into shock, it's seeking to paralyze our system in order to keep us from overloading. If we knew a shocking event were going to occur before it did, it probably wouldn't hurt as much. It's the unexpected and unpreparedness that feels debilitating. For instance, when we lost a baby in between our two boys, had someone told me that I could get pregnant again very quickly, but I'd have to endure a premature baby with many special needs, I would not have been in such emotional distress when Levi was born. I would have been a little more at rest knowing what the future held. I also would not have traded getting to be Levi's mom for anything; I wouldn't go back in time and decide to remain a family of three. However, when a distressing shock impa...

Without going into all the details, I am excited to say the ball seems to be rolling for little Levi. We would love your prayers as we prepare for an important meeting on Monday with his entire "care team." We have several questions that need to be answered before we take next steps, and we will sit down together to hash out the details regarding his discharge plan. PRAISES- - Levi has done so much better off the NG tube and only keeping his intestinal feeds going (TP tube).  - Levi just about weighs enough for a G tube surgery! - A different GI doctor randomly stopped by yesterday and agreed with our plan to rid him of any nasal or oral tubes and move forward with a G tube and stomach wrap! - Levi had a successful circumcision yesterday! - Levi passed his hearing test! But he had some fluid in his ears, so a follow-up visit will happen in the next month. - We've had several great visits with Levi! - Silas has been such a ball of joy! PRAYERS- - Questi...

Happy Father's Day daddy! A dancer learns early on that in order to keep from getting dizzy while turning through multiple pirouettes, "spotting" is key. You have to keep your eyes on one designated spot ahead of you and maintain your eye contact with that spot as long as possible while you spin. I'm sure a tight rope walker would vouch for the same type of focus while balancing on a piece of wire. When you start to look around at your surroundings the room can begin to spin, you fear all the possible injuries that seem to currently await you, and you forget your core strength. When Jesus told Peter to join him by foot out on the big blue sea, Peter quickly jumped at the chance as a child fearlessly jumps into his father's trustworthy arms. However, when Peter lost his focus on Jesus and began to look around, he realized the insanity of what he was doing. The wind was blowing, the water was cold and dark, and no doubt he thought about the fact that he was a m...

Instead of rejoicing in our most recent news regarding Levi's clear blood test, I have sadly had two rather unsettling days. Personally, I think this happened because Satan would love nothing more than for me to neglect giving God any kind of glory, and instead work to rebuild fears regarding our future. First off, Levi's extended continuity of care had to change. Nurses have been out, and doctors have rotated shifts. New eyes mean new opinions and new obstacles surfacing. I've heard some new information this week that I've had to process through my own lens of  experience. I have been told more than once that there is a good chance Levi will skip the whole bottle/nursing phase altogether and end up eating his first oral feedings with solid food. If you read between the lines, this prediction means Levi will have a feeding tube for at least the next nine months. I also heard the first prediction at a discharge date:  in the next month. Yet I've also learned not...

Silas enjoyed his first cone with his own ice cream scoop. A magical moment. One of life's most difficult lessons occurs shortly after your first birthday, and it's rarely ever grasped even into adulthood. I witnessed Silas' struggle with it at a recent birthday party for one of his buddies. There were of course an abundance of new toys at the party. However, when Silas saw another boy grab a nearby tractor, the two of them began a tug of war contest that I somehow ended up refereeing. When Silas didn't get to win round one, I watched him struggle to fight back intense tears of frustration. No other toy would soothe his pain; no words of wisdom could melt his impatience. Yet in a matter of moments, the boy grew bored with the simple machinery, and it was left all alone for Silas to embrace. Thus, we begin the teachable moment... before entering any toy-infested environment we pray: God, please help us to share and take turns. If we want something we can't hav...

In the same way that nurses confess to the stereotypical truth of the "whimpy white boy," teachers also stereotype the poor kids with hovering "helicopter moms." I have sworn up and down that after my experience with said parents that I'd never be one myself. It's inevitable, though, that parents will cling a bit more to the control of their first child because every stage is in effect a new one. Have you seen that commercial with the new mom asking every single person entering her home to lather in antibacterial while she protects daughter from every possible hiccup or scraped knee. Then, the second child arrives, and she asks the grease-covered mechanic to please hold him while she gets her checkbook. The reason this commerical is funny is because we all know it tends to be true. I thought that I was pretty adventerous with Silas though, (taking him out of the country, not calling the doctor every time he was sick, etc.) but of course we can only view ...

 Silas recently flipped forcefully through the delicate pages of my worn Bible and said "mommy read this!" In an effort to maintain my precious reading time, I decided to tell him one quick parable in the most enthusiastic way I could muster. I assumed he'd be bored with Biblical history in a hurry and shut my Bible while loudly pronouncing, "All done!" as he's done so many times before. But for some reason this time he was enthralled with the story of the Lost Sheep . While it might have something to do with my over-dramatic pronunciations and hand gestures, I think deep down, we are all amazed by a man who would leave all of his secured income to chase after one tiny component of his employment. Now, Silas wants me to read the "sheep story" every time he catches a glimpse of me reading God's word. After multiple recitations, it struck me again how amazing it is to be loved by God. It's not about the man trying to maintain his livelihoo...