Bits and Pieces

A couple of weeks ago we visited our family in WA and had SUCH a great vacation! We all stayed healthy and the kids traveled extremely well. I packed lighter, getting the hang of this! We went to the Puyallup fair, where we ATE scones, saw a huge pumpkin, ATE BBQ, petted lots of animals, ATE ice cream, saw dogs do crazy tricks, ATE crusty pups, watched a great juggler, ATE more scones, rode the carousel...as you can tell, going to the fair involves eating a lot of amazing fair food! We played at the park and spent great time not only with the grandparents but with Todd's brothers Scott, and Mike and wife Julann, and new baby Nora - our first neice! She and Jack are just a month apart. I have a ton of pictures from our trip on facebook if you want to see more!


The kids are always changing, always doing or saying so many great things! This stage of life, as well as being somewhat tiring, is so amazing and fun and precious. Sometimes it hits me how fast it is going, and I want to hold on! Eleanor is truly a little girl - no baby left in her! She is a perfect big sister. I love hearing her talk to her brothers, sometimes using the same phrases/voices I use...a little mother! She and Will are such playmates...pretty inseperable. It is fun as Will's vocabulary expands and the two actually converse! Eleanor is also quite dramatic these days! And she can debate like no tomorrow! She asks some wonderful questions about Jesus and salvation. I pray that God is working in her heart!

William will be two in just over a week! His love of trash cans and orange cones continues. He thinks Todd can fix ANYTHING! "Daddy fix it" is a phrase he says often. He loves yellow, loves to jump with extreme athleticism, loves to tackle and hug his sister, wants both to hold and kiss Jack and also poke his eyes and squeeze his head! Loves "I spy" books and trying to find things faster than Eleanor. He is a great talker. He loves nicknames. He refers to his grandparents both as "Papa and Mimi" and "Grandpa and Grandma." In fact, in WA one day he pulled out "Grampy"! Very funny, he came up with it himself. Jack he also calls "Jacky", and Eleanor is "Ellie-boo-boo" and "Sister" as well as "Eleanor." A few days ago he even asked me for a "nanny" instead of a "banana"! We continue to have bloodtests for his blood disorder, and things are looking very good, praise God!

Jack will be three months this coming week! He smiles all the time - more and more lately at his siblings. He has started to laugh, enjoys baths, and sleeps throught the night . I recently discovered he loves books! He smiles and coos at the pages and has begun trying to touch the book and bring it to his mouth. He came to our church's women's retreat last weekend and was the perfect little snuggle buddy for me. God has blessed us greatly with all three of our children!

I have thought more and more lately about the culture we are raising our children in, praying for God's wisdom. I read recently that in 2008, almost 50% of children in our country were born out of wedlock! Society is changing in so many ways. And just yesterday, I was heartbroken in learning that in cases of pre-natal diagnoses of downs syndrome, 92% of babies are aborted. I am horrified at the "culture of death" around us. I wonder what the world will hold for our children, and I just pray and pray for God's saving power in their lives!

My to-do list is so elusive these days, but I keep learning that that is okay! Trying to figure out daily how to best "redeem the time."

This week we are looking forward to a visit to the pumpkin patch, and family in town for Will's BD. Should get some good pictures!

There's a tiny taste of my world. And now I'll finish the laundry, pack a bag for church tomorrow, feed my sweet baby, and hit the sack! Hopefully all THREE kids will sleep through the night, and the toy chiauaua in our neighborhood won't be making any nose in the wee hours of the morning!

a day in lake city with my parents

a quick trip, but a great one!! complete with dinner with friends; the park, the soda fountain, and the pond for fishing and rock-throwing. the kids even got to sit in grandpa's huge yellow frontloader (the bucket could almost pick up our van!) and see mimi's kindergarten/first grade class. todd got up early and went looking for wildlife with my dad. we didn't want to leave!

Jack - 8 weeks!

177, 000

Will endured another "poke" today at his follow-up appointment, and this afternoon we received the fantastic news that his platelet count is 177,000 - completely normal!! Praise God!
We can go 10 days or so before the doc wants another count done. This is much better than we hoped! My soul is giving thanks to the Lord who is good and mighty in all His deeds.

Update on Will

I have been reminded this week that we don't know what tomorrow holds! BUT that our sovereign and loving God does.

On Sunday morning as I was getting the kids breakfast before church, I noticed that Will had a rash on one arm - tiny little purple-red pinpricks. Getting him into PJ's for his nap, I noticed more, and also several bruises that were in odd places. I had no doubt that something was really wrong, and spent most of the afternoon and evening in tears, praying that God would help me think on that which was true and real instead of what I could not know! By bedtime Will had more bruises and a blood blister on his lip, and by Monday morning things were worse. That's not saying that my little guy seemed sick...he was acting completely himself, praise God! We had a Dr's. appointment by 9:15, were told that whatever the cause of his bruising it was probably significant, had bloodwork and a chest X-ray, and were sent home to wait. By mid-afternoon we got the results and were sent immediately to the hospital - William's platelets were too low for the lab to measure, somewhere under 10,000 (normal is 150,000-300,000).

We all went to the hospital only to find out that NO one under 18 could be in the room with Will. Praise God that He had moved in the heart of our sweet friend Elaine and she was there at the hospital, waiting to see how she could help! I was able to stay with Will and just head to the family gathering room a couple of times to feed Jack and say hi to Eleanor.

Will was diagnosed with pediatric ITP - Immune Thrombocytopenic Purpura, which means that his immune system is destroying platelets much , much faster than his body can produce them. This puts him at risk for dangerous bleeding from something like falling and bumping his head, from a nosebleed, etc. During his 2 night hospital stay he was given 2 treatments called IVIG, which by the time we left had boosted his platelet count up to 54,000, more than enough to safely come home! We have to be careful of activities where he could sustain a hard bump to his head, etc. It could get a little tricky with our boy who is built on springs!

On Tuesday we met with a pediatric hematologist who explained the blood disorder to us more thoroughly. It is the result of either a virus or a vaccine, and in most children it corrects itself in time - usually a few weeks to a few months. The treatments Will received will not help his body stop destroying platelets, but will definitely make life safer for him until the disease remits! In about 20% of kids ITP does not just go away, but becomes a bigger problem, but still treatable. The specialist was very positive in the sense that Will's other blood cell lines look great, meaning no cancer, etc.

We have a follow-up appointment tomorrow to check his platelet levels again and discuss the next month or so. Will will probably be having some bloodwork done once or twice a week to track the disease, to know if he needs more treatment or restricted activity (I am thinking a helmet and a padded room?!?!) and to know if/when his body corrects this problem.

I was not able to stay overnight in the hospital because of breastfeeding Jack, but I was there as much as I could be! Todd and Will had a bonding experience - "kind of like camp" says Todd. *grin* I have the greatest husband and kids have the best Daddy! Will was quite the trooper and never acted sick. He got tired of being repeatedly poked by needles and hooked up to IV's, but he was a brave little boy! One of the blood draws I was there for broke my heart as I watched him laying there, chin quivering, trying not to cry. "Hurt, Mommy" he kept saying as he saw the needles and blue rubber bands coming out. I was NOT as brave as he was!

He was so excited to come home! You'll see him in the picture with his backpack on, looking for Mommy and Eleanor and Jack to pick he and Daddy up! Eleanor really missed him. She was fine during the day, playing with friends, but in bed at night cried and missed her brother. The first night it was late when we got home and I told her we were going right to bed, no bath or book, and she said, "But we can talk and laugh, right? OH NO! Will isn't here, that's not fun!"

We had a great few hours here together before he developed a fever and started throwing up. Another call to the doc, and back to urgent care, where they said it was most likely a bug he picked up at the hospital. *sigh* God graciously allowed him to sleep well and today he does not appear sick. And the rest of us are okay, too!

I am weary in just about every way, but very hopeful! I am so thankful for the prayers of the saints, for our loving families, and for our church family who have met our needs very practically by caring for Eleanor and Jack, even bringing the baby to me to nurse him, by visiting at the hospital, by preparing meals, by grocery shopping for me, by taking care of the dog, and by numerous offers to help. It has been so encouraging!

I will update as we know more. Please keep praying for sweet Will! (who thankfully, doesn't know he's got a problem)!

aaawww...

isn't that a sweet picture?! taken last week, jack weighing in at 10 lbs...such a cute little chunk!

Pictured: at least 3 good reasons why I haven't blogged lately...

aren't they sweet?!