Winter Blast and Other Events of the Week

We experienced some pretty significant snow and ice this week! Some Kentuckians are still without power. Fortunately for us, we never lost power! I took a few photos and have posted them below (bear with me, my good camera is being sent back to the manufacturer for a repair--it's hasn't been working correctly since way before Christmas).

The tree in the front of the house is completely weighed down with ice. As you can see, the top is actually touching the ground!! Tim and a tree company trimmed most of the trees in our yard last Summer, so I think we will have less debris than many folks! The temperature is supposed to warm up in the 50's tomorrow; the weather forecasters have then predicted another snow storm for Monday/Tuesday! I am going to pick up a sled while I am out today. It is time for my Carolina boy to experience some sledding!

Dustin had his 6 month check up on Friday (he is now 6 months, 2 weeks old). Everything looks good with our little man! He is in the 90th percentile for length. Perhaps we have a Michael Jordan on our hands! He received another round of vaccinations yesterday. I gave him a little Tylenol right before the doctor's visit and he has done so well! No fever! Little guy has 4 teeth coming in on the top of his mouth (to join the two on the bottom), so he hasn't had the most comfortable week! He also passed all of his 6 month milestones! Who would have thought that saying vowel sounds like "eh" and "ah" is a milestone?!

Here he is, wearing his first pair of jeans:

You will also notice that I updated the blog look a bit. I decided it was time to use a background without "Happy Holidays", and so, here we are. I was also finally able to determine how to put a photo behind the title. I am embarrased by how simple this was. Duh!!

Trip to Vanderbilt

On Friday, Tim and I took Dustin to Nashville to see a new pediatric surgeon at Vanderbilt. We had an appointment scheduled about one and a half weeks ago to see the pediatric surgeon at Cincinnati. Unfortunately, our insurer would not agree to cover the visit (or a subsequent surgery) in-network. On the bright side, Dustin has a wonderful case manager with the insurer who was able to identify a group of pediatric surgeons at the University of Vanderbilt Children's Hospital who have treated patients with CCAM.

In any event, we made the trip Thursday evening when it was normally Dustin's sleeping time. Friday morning, we headed over to the Hospital 2 hours early, hoping that they would be able to bump up Dustin's CT. As it turns out, the Radiology Department was about an hour and half behind, so we had to wait quite a while before Dustin's testing was completed.

Dustin had to have anesthesia for the diagnostic test. The sedation team decided to administer the anesthesia through an IV, since Dustin had to have one anyway for the contrast material that was ordered with the CT. After waiting a half hour for the first dose of sedation to kick in, the nurses decided that Dustin would need a second dose! It surprised the nurses when Dustin took 20 minutes to fall asleep with the second dose of sedation!

It was hard to be in the imaging room and see all of the clinicians gathered around the computer screen in the viewing and operating area. They were very clearly talking about what they saw in our son's chest; we wanted to hear!

When the test was over, we waited for Dustin to wake (only took him 5-10 minutes), feed him and made our way to Dr. Yang's office. Dr. Yang was able to confirm that the mass in Dustin's lung is indeed a CCAM. It is larger than we had originally thought and thus, a surgeon may remove the entire upper lobe of the right lung. We also learned that there was currently no infection in the mass. This was a relief for us, given that Dustin had had a cough and running nose for about a month. The surgeon spoke with us regarding the risks and benefits of surgery. Given this information, Tim and I believe that the best option is surgery.

Dr. Yang will be leaving Vanderbilt to move to St. Louis at the end of February. When I spoke with him by telephone prior to our visit, he said that he could perform the surgery at the beginning of February. During our visit, he relayed to us that he was no longer able to schedule more surgeries prior to his departure. So, at this point we are waiting to hear from one of Dr. Yang's partners so we can evaluate his/her expertise to perform the procedure.

Baby, it's cold outside!

Last week it was below 0 degrees in Lexington!

We had to bundle Dustin up to take him to daycare.

We had a slight dusting of snow this weekend, but not enough to amount to anything. I've been waiting for one big snow shower so that Tim and I can go sledding. He is a Carolina boy through and through, never been sleigh riding!

Today, I was thinking about my sleigh riding experiences as a little girl. Where I grew up, there was an absolutely excellent place to go sleigh riding. The hill had a "double" deck to sled upon. The first hill was short and there was a plateau (about 3 feet) separating it from the second hill, which was much longer. I have a vivid memory of sitting at the top of the first deck of the hill, looking down with great fright at taking the double deck, rather than starting at the second deck. I was just in grade school at the time, and not a very brave kid. (It's a good thing extreme sports were not big at the time.)

I recall that a junior high girl came along and pushed me from the top deck. I went cascading into the air--my sleigh came out from under me, with a thud I landed on the hill of the second deck, right on my back. From there, I slid down the rest of the hill and lay sprawled out at the bottom. I was out of breath and thought I was dying. I called to my friends to go get my father, since I certainly was dying. I think they just stood at the top, giggling over the spectacle that they'd just witnessed. Obviously, I lived.

I think God is a little like that sleigh riding experience. He wants to thrill us with the ride. In order to truly realize the joy of the ride, we must let go of our fear. The difference from that sleigh ride, God does not push us into the ride. He simply calls us, asks us to follow Him. ("Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men." Matthew 4:19)

In order to experience the excitement of the double decker hill, we must set our fear aside and just choose to go, to have confidence that the ride will be thrilling and there will be no broken bones as a result. I love the response that Matthew reveals from the disciples, "At once they left their nets and followed him." Matthew 4:20. The disciples possessed real, living faith. They did not look back. They did not fear the landing. They simply followed.

This year, I want fear to be taken off of the table for me. I want to experience the thrill of the double decker ride without fear of the landing.

"In righteousness you will be established: Tyranny will be far from you; you will have nothing to fear. Terror will be far removed; it will not come near you." (Isaiah 54:14).

Celebrate Good Times

So, I just might be showing my age here.

Tomorrow, Dustin will be six months old!! Woo hoo!

I don't know if you remember the show Solid Gold. I'm not even certain that the song below was on that show. But, when I was thinking about Dustin's 6 month celebration, I could not get Cool and The Gang out of mind.

When you listen to the song, be sure to scroll to the bottom of the blog page to mute the Player.

Man, this sure does bring back some memories...!

Celebrate Good Times - Cool and The Gang

Three Years Ago...last Wednesday

Three years ago this past Wednesday (January 7th), Tim and I were married!

I am forever grateful that I have my wonderful mate, my best friend, my love!

SOME of the reasons why I love him (I cannot possibly name them all):

1. He loves Jesus with all his heart;
2. He is handsome;
3. He is wise beyond his years;
4. He is an incredibly talented Handyman and Craftsman;
5. He washes the dishes when I do not have the energy or when I've mentally "checked-out" (sometimes 5 days in a row);
6. He is patient;
7. He is a wonderful father;
8. He changes poopy diapers;
9. He is a talented nasal aspirator operator;
10. His driving style beats mine (as measured by the MPG) indicator in my CRV;
11. He is giving;
12. He chooses perfect gifts;
13. He is romantic;
14. He plans wonderful get-aways;
15. He helps with the laundry;
16. He is a natural leader;
17. He is sooooo smart;
18. He likes slobbery kisses;
19. He loves water;
20. He loves me even when I'm not so loveable.

Happy Belated Anniversary my love!

The miracle of Life

This week God is really impressing upon me that He alone is the author of life. That He alone is able to give the gift of life.

All around me there have been births, announcements of pregnancies and in some instances, the sorrow of loss. I don't know that I fully realized the miracle of life until our little Dustin was born. Every time I look at him, I am in utter amazement that he was created within my womb, hemmed and wonderfully made! Every little part of his body is part of a larger miracle--from his tiny finger nails to each hair on his head!

Being a mother has certainly surfaced my struggles with worry and anxiety. Each time my little man sneezes, I wonder if it is time for a visit to the pediatrician. Sure, I was a picture of peace during the pregnancy, even with the knowledge of Dustin's CCAM and hydronephrosis. At that time, I accepted the fact that there was nothing that I could do to alter the outcome--Dustin's conditions, Dustin's life and Dustin's birth. Dustin is 5 and 1/2 months old and my approach to motherhood is radically different than my perspective while pregnant.

This morning, I spent some time looking up passages in the Bible about life. I acknowledge that my desire to control the outcome of Dustin's life needs to be replaced with a heart that desires to do the absolute best for my son, with all of the information available to me, and leave him (resting) in God's hands. Head knowledge is one thing. Having that knowledge penetrate the heart is quite another.

One passage that I came to this morning provided particular comfort and insight, during this season in my life:

"See now that I myself am He! There is no god besides me. I put to death and I bring to life, I have wounded and I will heal, and no one can deliver out of my hand." Deuteronomy 32:39

This tells me a few things:

1. I am not God.

2. Only God can provide life.

3. I am not God.

4. I can not bring life.

5. I am not God.

6. God has the power to heal.

7. I am not God.

8. I do not have the power to heal.

9. I am not God

10. God will accomplish His purpose.

11. I am not God.

12. If my plan is contrary to God's, it will fail.

I plan to read this passage each morning until the words are stamped upon my heart. Then, I hope to remember them when worry or anxiety regarding Dustin's condition crop up.

The last few weeks have been challenging for me. Dustin has had a constantly runny nose, a cough, and at times, a weak appetite. On Tuesday, I noticed that Dustin's right ribs seemed to be elevated more than the left. Upon a closer look, there is a visible bump where the ribs are raised on that side. Dustin did have a chest x-ray (his 3rd), which revealed that the ribs on the right side are more spread out than those on the left. For all we know, the ribs may have always been this way. In less than two weeks, Tim and I will be taking Dustin to Cincinnati Children's Hospital to meet with Dr. Crombleholme, who is a pediatric surgeon and has treated many neonates and infants with CCAM. We are praying that this is the path that God will use to heal our little guy!

"The Lord God formed the man from dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being." Genesis 2:7