The Johnson Journey

No more training wheels!!

2012-03-03T16:21:00.000-05:00

Brayden learned how to ride his bike this week without training wheels!! He asked us to take his training wheels off on Wednesday and Luke got him started!

He rode for a few seconds one time on Wednesday and then kept falling so after several attempts we decided to try another time. On Thursday he wanted to ride his bike but he wanted his training wheels back on. We told him no that it was time for him to learn! ;) He wasn't too happy about it but I offered to go help him practice. Luke left for work and I worked with him. He really was ready and was SO close to getting the hang of it.....he just had to keep pedaling and keep his head up! ;) I encouraged him to do those simple things and in less than 10 minutes he was riding all over the place! ;) Here are the pictures in order so you can see his progress!

As you can tell he still plays police officer EVERYDAY!! Haha! He is a mess! He makes up his own uniform and just about every day he is using something different as an "accessory!" LOL! We are hoping to get him a police costume soon but we are going to teach him how to earn it first! ;-) We sure do love this kid and his little brother! We are so proud of him for this major accomplishment!!!

New Info on Landen

2012-02-25T12:45:00.000-05:00

Some of you may remember a little over a year ago we sent DNA samples from Luke, myself, and Landen to Scotland to be studied and tested. The purpose was to help determine what type of Primordial Dwarfism (PD) Landen has out of six known types. We just found out that Landen has a brand-new type that has just been discovered. It does not have a name yet. A huge answer to prayer is that the vascular risk we were worried about in the beginning has now been ruled out. Landen does not have the gene mutation that would put him at risk for aneurysms or strokes.

The gene mutation that was found has only been found in four other children. From what we understand Landen and one other one are in America. Since this is completely new, the doctors do not know much about it. The first step the doctor took was to research if there has been anything discovered about the gene mutation. They did find other people with a mutation of the same gene however it is completely different than the mutation Landen and the other four children have. Basically, people with a mutation of the same gene have some working protein that is abnormal whereas Landen and the others have no working protein. Although they are dealing with the same gene they are dealing with different mutations.

The next step the doctor decided to take was to perform a blood test on Landen. The results will be back in 2-3 months. This test is breaking down the white blood cells, verifying that there is no working protein and seeing how his body responds to protein. Until the results are back, Landen cannot have any unnecessary radiation, such as CT scans and x-rays, because they are not sure how he will respond to it.

We also found out that Luke and I are both carriers of this gene mutation. More than likely this gene mutation has been passed down for who knows how many generations!? This proves we were made for each other!! ;) Haha! Well, we already knew that but it was just confirmed! ;) Every person has two copies of each gene, one inherited from each parent. Luke and I both have a non-working copy of this particular gene but not of the same copy. This means our children have a 1 in 4 chance of having PD. Our children can either have two working copies (not having PD), one working copy and one non-working copy (being a carrier of PD, like Luke and I), or have two non-working copies (resulting in PD).

As of right now the doctors do not notice anything obviously concerning and there is nothing else to test for. The blood test is the first step and will hopefully tell us more and where to go from there.

Landen got an overall good report! As you can imagine this is a lot to process. It will take some time and research to know more. Our doctors will continue to study this and keep us updated. Landen did have an x-ray of his hip that was approved and completely necessary. His hip continues to heal and grow as it should but is not where it should be yet. They will check it again in six months.

Landen just turned two and is 13 lbs. 10 oz and 27 inches tall. The doctor was very pleased with his development and speech! He is definitely not lacking in those areas! ;)

Thank you to every one of you who keep us in your thoughts and prayers! It means a lot to us to have the prayers of God’s people. Your prayers really do make a difference in our lives. We will continue to keep you updated so that you can pray specifically. Please don’t hesitate to ask us any questions about Landen!

King Brayden

2012-02-21T22:28:00.000-05:00

A couple of weeks ago Brayden's K-4 class had a Royal Party where they elected a king and queen! They were studying the letter Q and learning about voting! I was secretly hoping Brayden would be elected king but I didn't say a word about it to him! When I picked him up, I was thrilled when his teacher told me he won king!! She said he got A LOT of votes and that ALL the girls voted for him!! She said the students knew who they wanted! I was so happy and excited for him! He, however, did not say hardly anything about it and really acted like it wasn't a big deal! LOL! It might not have been a big deal to him but it was to us! It's just nice to know that your child is liked! ;) Now about ALL the girls voting for him.....I'm not sure if that is a sign of things to come or not?! ;)

Brayden's 1st Valentine's Cards

2012-02-15T15:16:00.000-05:00

He picked them out and was so excited to work on them! He loved it and got good writing practice too! ;)

Thinking hard in this one, which letter comes next? ;-)

What We've Been Up To

2012-02-14T14:41:00.000-05:00

Not a whole lot but it sure doesn't feel that way! I told my sister the other day we've been so busy but I don't know why?! LOL! I guess that's the way life is sometimes! ;) Luke had his knee surgery January 31st and has not been able to return to work yet. The surgery went really well. Thankfully, his injury wasn't as bad as the surgeon originally thought! He had to keep it propped up with ice for 3 days after the surgery and use crutches. He has had physical therapy several times. He sees the surgeon tomorrow to get the stitches removed and see how his knee is healing. We're thinking he can return to work next week. Although the circumstances aren't the greatest we've certainly enjoyed having him at home!

Last week we did something that we've never done before and we're pretty proud of ourselves!! ;) If you know me personally you know I don't really enjoy cooking and don't feel like I'm good at it either. As a result, we eat out a lot unfortunately! Now, we don't go to expensive restaurants, it's mainly fast food. However, that can add up rather quickly! We decided to try to eat at home for every meal for an entire week and guess what?!?! WE DID IT!!! I learned a few things from it too! It is possible and it does save money! After buying groceries and seeing the total I thought we could eat out for that price. However, my total grocery bill really wasn't that high and after calculating the actual cost of each meal I realized how much money you really save by eating at home, not including the fact that it's much healthier and the time and gas you save by staying home! I also realized we have to buy groceries regularly which is hard because it's such a chore and it's not enjoyable but you gotta do what you gotta do, right?!?! It also helps to have a "menu" and know what you're having to eat and when. This helps avoid the 5:00 dilemma of what's for supper, not knowing and feeling like you don't have anything and then deciding to just go get something! I'm hoping we can continue this!! :)

We were able to go on a Couples Retreat with our church over the weekend to Myrtle Beach. Unfortunately, we both came down with colds so that hindered us a little but we really enjoyed it! It was nice! We love being together and it's always nice to reflect on our marriage and how we can grow closer to the Lord and to each other! Plus, we love seeing the beautiful ocean!!

All of us are sick still with this cold that's still lingering. :-/ The boys gave it to us before we left for Myrtle Beach and it just doesn't want to leave us alone. I hope we all clear up really soon! Landen has appointments in Delaware Friday morning. His results are back from his genetic testing that we sent to Scotland just over a year ago. We should have new information to share when we return. Please pray for understanding and direction with these results as well as a safe trip!!

Landen's 2nd Birthday

2012-02-03T09:00:00.000-05:00

Landen is two now!! Isn't that just crazy?!?! His second year went by much faster than his first and every year of my life just keeps going faster and faster!! When does it slow down?!?! LOL!! No, really it doesn't seem like he should be two already but it's here ready or not!! ;) On his actual birthday, January 24th, we tried to make it a very special day for him, but it's really hard when he doesn't even know what a birthday is, let alone that it's HIS birthday!! But regardless of that we celebrated anyway! All day I kept singing "Happy Birthday" to him and made it really fun! In fact, we sang to him at the exact time of his birth, 3:59pm but he was sleeping! =) Through out the day he got several phone calls from family and happy birthday wishes from friends on facebook! That night we went to eat at Texas Steakhouse with my parents. We enjoyed a Hershey's Brownie for dessert! After dinner, we took him to Target to let him pick out a toy! He enjoyed checking out all of the toys and had a hard time deciding so we helped him a little! ;) He got the Catch-Me-Kitty! It's really cute! It moves and scoots across the floor to be to chased. It has sensors that causes him to move and react different ways from behind or in front! He's a little slow for Landen though because he has caught him several times! ;)

We had a family birthday party at our church on Saturday, January 28th at 3pm. The theme was this fun barnyard!

Landen had a wonderful 2nd birthday! Thanks to everyone who helped make it so special! =)

A God Wink

2012-02-02T15:04:00.000-05:00

Not even 10 minutes after I typed the last post about feeling overwhelmed I read this email from the 15-day Clutter Free Challenge I mentioned I was doing. It was such an encouragement to me and I wanted to share it because I know I'm not the only one that feels that way. I hope it is as much of an encouragement to you as it was to me!

"Keeping a home de-cluttered and organized is an ongoing challenge. Life keeps changing. What worked last month, might not work this month. And just when you think you’ve got this de-cluttering thing conquered, something will happen to you (or me) to make us feel like giving up and accepting clutter. What we’ll need in that moment is perspective. Imagine this …
You’ve just cleaned up the kitchen and family room and sat back with a Diet Coke to relax for a minute, when along comes a high school wrestler who will dump his stinky shoes and sweaty shirt on the counter. Not long after that, backpacks will get dropped in a line from the door to where you are sitting. Papers will be tossed on the dining room table. Later, a tall handsome man walks in, kicks off his shoes, drops a briefcase on the floor, and sets a notebook and travel mug next to the shoes. And five people will ask you what’s for dinner within a 15-minute time span. Four will come back to ask if they can have a snack.
And you will look at the mess, and sigh. And it’s right here, right at this point, you have a choice.
Hopefully … just maybe … with God’s strength and wisdom … you will pause before attempting to make everyone feel guilty for unloading all their stuff and messing up your hard work. And in that pause, before unkind thoughts can take root, or angry words can be spoken, God’s Spirit will give you a “hug” and remind you that life is messy. Really. Messy. And people are more important than clean counters. And this won’t last forever. And LOTS of people would give just about anything to have someone they love walk in the door and drop their stuff.

Then, after you’ve thanked God for stopping your gut reaction and giving you perspective, you will get up and hug that wrestler and tell him you are SO HAPPY he is home. You will kiss those little backpack-wearers on the forehead. You will cut up an apple and wash some grapes. You will kiss your husband and put his travel mug in the dishwasher. And realize that this is much more important than having a perfect home.

Oh how perspective has saved me from doing and saying so many regrettable things. You see, our highest calling is to love God and love others. Yes managing our homes and schedules is important. Obviously I believe that strongly. But maintaining a heart of love should always supersede our desire for a clutter-free home. So when the interruptions come (and they will) … and when someone messes with your plans (and they will) … remember to keep perspective. Keep first things first. And Jesus’ commands always come first."

I LOVE how God gives us exactly what we need at the exact time we need it! Someone once told us this was called a God wink! ;)

A Peek Into Our Week

2012-01-29T21:51:00.000-05:00

On Sunday, we enjoyed wonderful worship services at church and the annual Chick-fil-A party.

On Monday, I had a much needed hair appointment. I'm growing my hair out from the pixie and my highlights were gone so my hair had become very unmanageable!! I just got it trimmed to remove the dead ends to help it grow and I also got highlights. Color makes a huge difference in my hair....it really helps it a lot! I enjoyed some alone time at Walmart! Luke got a call today to schedule his knee surgery for Tuesday, January 31st. We watched the movie, "Breaking the Press."

Tuesday was Landen's second birthday!! I can't believe how fast this year has gone by....so crazy!! We enjoyed celebrating his day! We watched the movie, "Courageous" with my parents that night! Wow!! What an incredible movie!

I had a rough morning Wednesday that caused me to do a lot of thinking....this is not typical for my blog but I just want to be transparent. I've been feeling really overwhelmed lately and as a perfectionist I guess I've been aiming for perfection but I didn't realize it until today and it hit me that perfect does not exist. Now, I knew that before this day, however, it just hit me unlike it ever has before that I've been trying to do something that is not possible! I've been trying to be the perfect wife, mom, person and keep a perfectly clean house and keep my life in perfect order. No wonder I feel so overwhelmed! This is something I'm still processing. I may share more in another post!

Anyway, Thursday as we were getting ready to take Brayden to school I got a call from one of Brayden's teachers that the church and school had been broken into overnight and that they were without power so they would not be having school that day. I hate that happened but we enjoyed having Brayden home that morning.

On Friday, I made final preparations for Landen's birthday party and picked up the last minute items. That afternoon I had a pedicure with a great friend! I haven't done that in forever and really enjoyed some girl time! ;) That night we decorated for the party!

Saturday was an extremely busy day! It started with Brayden's basketball game! He had his own fan section at this game! Due to Landen's birthday party several family members came in early to see Brayden play! He played really well too with 2 assist!! After the game we went to our niece's birthday party! After her party we came back for Landen's party! Needless to say we went to bed early this night! It was a fun day though!

*More to come about Landen's 2nd Birthday!!! =)

A Peek Into Our Week

2012-01-22T22:53:00.000-05:00

You just never know what a week will hold! On Monday, the boys and I along with my parents met my sister and her family in Greenville just to visit with each other. Landen had been napping in the car and after he woke up he was a little fussy and still acted tired. We were on the way to Chick-fil-A for a snack when he vomitted out of the blue. We got him cleaned up but noticed he was a little blue around his mouth. It was really cold outside so we took him in to see how he was. He became very lethargic and limp. His eyes began rolling around as if he were about to pass out. He was acting exactly like he did a month ago when we took him to Wake Med. He wasn't getting any better so we took him to Pitt Memorial Hospital. He didn't seem as bad this time as the first time however it was still extremely frightful! He got checked out in triage and then we waited for a while. He would start acting better for a few minutes and then he would get sick again and repeat the same symptoms. We eventually got called back. After the ER doctors examined him they decided to admit him after discovering he was dehydrated as well as the need for pediatric doctors. He began receiving fluids through the night. On Tuesday he started acting a little better but not a lot. He continued to receive IV fluids and that night he started acting like he felt better. He remained on the fluids that night until he took his own IV out sometime while he was sleeping during the night! Wednesday morning the doctors determined that Landen had a vasovagal response. An example of this would be when someone passes out after seeing blood. It appears he is afraid to vomit so he holds his breath causing his heart rate to increase which causes his nervous system to respond with those symptoms. So, in summary Landen had a virus with a vasovagal response and was dehydrated. He is at a very high risk of dehydrating really quickly! Thankfully, by Wednesday he was feeling much better. However, Brayden and I got the stomach flu while being at the hospital! :( We were able to come home Wednesday afternoon. We were so glad to get home!! Poor Luke had to take care of all of us!! He was a GREAT doctor though! We slept the rest of Wednesday away and Thursday we still weren't feeling good so that was a sick day and Friday was a recovery day when we finally started feeling better!

I was thankful to be feeling better because we had planned to go hear the Taylors in concert for the first time Saturday night at a church in Garner. I've been wanting to hear them for a while! I'm so glad it worked out! They were great! They have a powerful testimony and beautiful harmony.

Needless to say it was an extremely tough week. We continue to trust God's perfect plan although we certainly don't understand! I was really touched by a Proverbs 31 facebook post shortly after coming home from the hospital: "Although God doesn't always give us understanding of our circumstances, He does promise peace in the midst of not understanding." Phil 4:6-7 A Confident Heart by Renee Swope. I'm so thankful we don't have to understand in order to TRUST! God has been so good to us and our situation could be a lot worse. I'm so thankful for my amazing husband and incredible family. Aside from the Lord I could not have gotten through this without them!

A Peek Into Our Week

2012-01-15T21:58:00.000-05:00

Sooo, here are the highlights from last week....

I started a 15-Day Living Clutter-Free Challenge. Basically, it's just a daily email Monday-Friday for three weeks. It's from Glynnis Whitwer, the author of I Used to Be So Organized. I love anything about organizing and I'm enjoying this so far! It really has a different approach compared to most other things I've read on organizing. If you're interested in checking it out here is the link: http://glynniswhitwer.com/category/clutter-free/ (I think this takes you to Day 9 so you may want to go back to Day 1)

I have been helping plan a baby shower for a good friend at church as well as getting plans together for Landen's second birthday! Seriously, it seems just like yesterday we had his first birthday party!! It doesn't seem right at all for him to be turning two already!!

Speaking of Landen, he continues to fight going to sleep! :( Once he goes to sleep he's fine, it's just getting him to sleep that's an issue! We've been focused on that right now, so we haven't gotten into potty training yet. I decided to put him on the toilet for the first time on Wednesday and he did not like it at all! However, he hasn't shown any signs of being ready to potty train. Unfortunately, a dirty diaper doesn't really bother him and he doesn't tell us when he has a dirty diaper. We hope to begin potty training soon though!

I started something this week that I've been wanting to try for a while now.....a toy rotation! We use a toy organizer bin that holds all of the boys toys! Before I started the rotation every toy was accessible which as you can imagine created a huge mess. I put that away in a closet and filled a medium size basket with toys. Right now, I am trying to switch out the toys in the basket once a week. If they think of another toy they want out to play with I plan on letting them trade it. So far, this is working really well. The play room is staying a lot cleaner, it's easier for them to pick up their toys and all of their toys will get played with!

Brayden is continuing to do really well in K-4 and is still enjoying basketball! He made a basket for the first time in his game on Saturday! He was under the goal and someone passed him the ball and he shot it right in!! It was a priceless moment for sure! Brayden really touched our hearts Wednesday night as we were getting the boys in bed and getting ready for bed. Just before he got in bed he came and told us that he was going to read his Bible before he went to sleep just like we do! It was so special yet a powerful reminder of how much our children watch every move we make even when you think they don't notice.

This is a week late but with the correct post date! :)

Brayden's 1st Basketball Game

2012-01-13T19:13:00.001-05:00

Brayden had his first basketball game last Saturday, January 7! So far, he seems to like basketball more than soccer! Now that the games have started he has practice on Thursday nights at 6 and games every Saturday morning until February 18th! They don't keep score so this is all for fun, the way it should be! ;) As you can imagine, it's quite entertaining to watch 4-6 year olds play basketball. For most, it is their first time so they are just learning the very basics! We're excited to watch him play his next game tomorrow morning!

A Peek Into Our Week

2012-01-08T16:34:00.000-05:00

January 1-7

Sunday ~ Had to stay home with Landen for the first time in a while! It's hard missing church so I'm thankful it doesn't happen often! Landen had two different things going on.....severe congestion and a contagious rash. I tried live streaming a couple of local church services but couldn't get it to work so instead I watched Charles Stanley on TV. I really enjoyed his message "Confidence that Conquers." Here is the link if you're interested: http://www.intouch.org/broadcast/this-week-on-tv.
Landen woke up with a serious case of bed head.....poor buddy you can tell he didn't feel good! :(

As we gave the boys their bath that night, we did something a little different! We put glow sticks in the water and turned the lights off! They loved it and it looked really cool!

Also, right before Brayden went to bed, he introduced Luke and I to the game, Angry Birds! I had heard of it before but Luke had not. It's amazing what children and technology can do now days! It's also amazing what people find intriguing! ;)

Monday ~ I went to Walmart for a few groceries before I picked Brayden up from school. I noticed all the clearance in the toys so I decided to browse through and see what they had. I found some really good deals on a few things for birthdays throughout the year or for next Christmas! After an extremely busy and hectic Christmas we decided to be more prepared next time so I'm off to a great start! ;)

Tuesday ~ It was a really cold day and perfect for chili! I put the chili in the crock pot mid-morning and we enjoyed it for dinner!

I found out about My Fitness Pal. It is a free calorie counter, diet & exercise journal. It is very easy and very helpful!

Luke and Brayden put together their first lego set!

Wednesday ~ Luke injured his knee at work the day before Thanksgiving. He didn't really think much of it until a few days later when his knee was still in a lot of pain and began swelling. He went to see the doctor and had a MRI. Today he found out he has to have surgery to repair a torn meniscus. We don't know any details yet though.

Thursday ~ We were very excited to go to Heather's ultrasound for the gender reveal!! We were surprised but extremely happy to find out she is having a GIRL!!! After all these boys in the family it's about time! I can't wait to spoil her rotten! ;) Of course we did a little shopping afterwards....the boys were matching today which doesn't happen often! ;)

That evening we had a family night at home after Brayden's basketball practice! It actually worked out for Luke and I to have a dinner alone at home while the boys played since they ate before practice. It was so nice to share a quiet dinner without interruptions! After supper we played a toy story alien fishing game & hot potato! We had a lot of fun! =)

Friday ~ It was a beautiful day! We took advantage of it and went outside!! I'm not sure where winter is but we'll enjoy days like today while we can! =)

We met some friends for dinner but before we left it worked out to do a photo shoot with the boys! I was so excited because they turned out really good! That is rare with a very energetic nearly two-year old! LOL! ;) I'll post those photos in another post! ;)

Saturday ~ Brayden had his very first basketball game! It was a lot of fun to watch! (More to come in another post!)

WOW! What a busy week!! I'm hoping to journal more this year but not sure if every week will be as exciting as this one! LOL!

I LOVE Money Saving Mom!!

2012-01-05T18:24:00.001-05:00

I've been a fan and follower of Money Saving Mom for a few years now! I have learned many things. I enjoy reading after her for many reasons! A little bit about her according to Amazon:

"Crystal Paine is a wife and homeschooling mom to three young children who has been writing on topics related to frugality for the last five years—and living a frugal, simple, and debt-free life since she was born. Her blog, MoneySavingMom.com, is one of the top personal finance blogs on the web averaging over four million pageviews per month. Crystal has contributed to articles in Woman's Day magazine and All You magazine, as well as being mentioned on National Public Radio and CNN.com, in USA Weekend, and Real Simple magazine and numerous other local newspapers and radio and television stations."

She has published her first book, "The Money Saving Mom's Budget: Slash Your Spending, Pay Down Your Debt, Streamline Your Life, and Save Thousands a Year" It is available for pre-order now and will be released January 10th! I hope to read this soon!

Order your copy or find out more HERE!

She also is offering a free copy of her brand new e-book: 21 Days to a More Disciplined Life. Find out how to get it HERE! (Hence the purpose of this post ;)....offer expires January 9th)

Landen Coloring! :)

2012-01-04T14:45:00.000-05:00

*This was taken on my cell phone a while ago! =)

The Scariest Day Of Our Life

2012-01-01T15:55:00.000-05:00

It was December 13, a normal Tuesday morning. We were getting ready for Brayden's first Christmas program at preschool. Luke and I had gotten ready and had let the boys sleep as long as possible. It was just about time to go and Luke went to get Landen up and ready. Immediately, Luke noticed something was not right. Landen's face was red and around his lips were blue and he didn't appear to be breathing. Luke picked him up, rubbed his back and tummy and opened his mouth and Landen began choking. After this, Landen began to wake up and stretch. Other than looking sleepy he looked normal. We assumed maybe he got choked on something. Luke began to get him ready but it wasn't long and he started choking again. At first we just thought he was trying to avoid vomiting. So, Luke decided to stay home with him while I headed to Brayden's Christmas program. Within 20 minutes Landen had 3 more episodes. We knew something was wrong and we needed to get him to the hospital. Luke and my Mom headed to Wake Med. I dropped Brayden off at school and explained what was going on to his teachers. Thankfully, Heather and Jonathan were almost at the school. It was the hardest thing to leave Brayden at school. He was unsure of everything going on and I think he was nervous about the program. He didn't want me to leave. His teachers stepped in and were great at comforting him. It still was hard to leave but I didn't have a choice. I was so upset to be missing his first Christmas program! We had been working so hard on his speaking part and his songs. I was so thankful Heather & Jonathan could be there to support him and record it for us!

When Luke arrived at the Children's ER Landen began to vomit. They immediately took him back. Landen was very pale and lifeless. His body temperature was low and his oxygen was low.As soon as I left the school, my Dad and I headed to Wake Med. At this point we had no idea how bad off Landen was. He dropped me off at the door and my Mom walked me back to where he was. I could not believe what I saw. Eight doctors and nurses and Luke were surrounding Landen. They all were working on him and saying things I didn't understand. A nurse came to me and said Landen was a very sick little boy and they weren't sure what was going on but she assured me he'd be okay. Right away they began checking his heart and his lungs. IV fluids,antibiotics and oxygen were started but most importantly prayers chains were started. It was at this point that Landen miraculously started improving. He started moving around and talking! The doctors and nurses were speechless!! They said in the condition he arrived in there was no way he should have been improving like he did! They were about to admit him into ICU when the doctor noticed blood in his stool. They took him back for an ultrasound to check for a bowel obstruction. There wasn't any and Landen continued to improve. They admitted us to a regular room for observation. We stayed until Thursday afternoon. Many different test were ran but thankfully all are normal. There is no explanation for what happened. Which is hard, we'd like to know what caused him to respond the way he did. However, the doctors checked everything possible. We can accept not having an answer but if there is an answer of course, we'd like to know! We wonder if it will happen again or if it can be prevented?!?

While at the hospital we, along with our doctor kept in touch with Landen's doctor in Delaware. Another concern came up was Landen's blood pressure. The top number stayed high during his entire stay. His kidneys were checked before we came home and looked fine. There is no explanation for this as well. It possibly could have been everything he had been through caused it to raise but we're not sure. We had his blood pressure checked a few days after coming home and it had come down but was still a little high.

There are a couple of speculations from different doctors as to what happened. Landen's white blood count was high so he definitely had some kind of infection going on. One speculation is that he had a virus and possibly got choked on his vomit. He would certainly be at a higher risk for that happening because of his extremely small airways. Another speculation is dehydration. Landen spent some time in front of a gas fire place Monday night. He was fascinated by it so he just watched it for a long time. It's possible the heat from the fire place caused him to dehydrate. He would be at a higher risk for this as well because he is so little. It very possibly could have been either one of these speculations or even a combination of the two, or even something completely different. We may never know.

I do know we witnessed a miracle on Tuesday, December 13th. I am thankful beyond what words can describe that the Lord touched Landen's little body and made him well!! Praise the Lord!

We originally were supposed to go back to Delaware sometime in March or April but considering what happened they want to see us a little earlier. We are scheduled to have appointments on February 17th.Also, I just want to say that WakeMed is wonderful!! We had a really good doctor and great nurses but we did have one special nurse that was our favorite! Her name is Emily! ;) We appreciate everything they did to make things as easy as possible.

I apologize if this seems jumbled. I can't even begin to describe the feelings we experienced that day. It can be difficult to bring everything to mind and communicate it clearly as I'm sure you can understand. Landen has been doing really well since he got out of the hospital! You wouldn't even know he was so sick. Please continue to pray for him and us though. Through this we were reminded of all the uncertainty involved with Landen's health. However, we also were reminded that God is faithful! Looking back we see His hand through it all! I am reminded of this song:

I don't know about tomorrow;I just live from day to day.I don't borrow from its sunshine for its skies may turn to grey.I don't worry o'er the future,For I know what Jesus said.And today I'll walk beside Him,For He knows what is ahead.Many things about tomorrowI don't seem to understandBut I know who holds tomorrowAnd I know who holds my hand.Every step is getting brighterAs the golden stairs I climb;Every burden's getting lighter,Every cloud is silver-lined.There the sun is always shining,There no tear will dim the eye;At the ending of the rainbowWhere the mountains touch the sky.Many things about tomorrowI don't seem to understandBut I know who holds tomorrowAnd I know who holds my hand.I don't know about tomorrow;It may bring me poverty.But the one who feeds the sparrow,Is the one who stands by me.And the path that is my portionMay be through the flame or flood;But His presence goes before meAnd I'm covered with His blood.Many things about tomorrowI don't seem to understandBut I know who holds tomorrowAnd I know who holds my hand...

Because He knows what is ahead and it's all part of His perfect plan, even though I may not understand, I CAN TRUST HIM!

*Thank you to those who came to visit, called us or sent us messages, provided meals and most importantly to those who were aware of what happened and prayed!!

True Love & Real Faith

2011-12-16T23:39:00.003-05:00

I came across this incredible story of true love and unwavering faith on our local news. Click here to read the article and watch the video! The video is a little long but it is well worth your time! I hope you find it as inspiring as I did!

Brayden's 1st Soccer Game!

2011-12-09T15:03:00.000-05:00

This is a little late but better late than never! =) The soccer season is now over. This was Brayden's first team sports league! He was really excited about it but that was before he knew what soccer was! LOL! It was really cute to watch him and the other kids play! He had 3 or 4 practices before the games began and then he had games either on Saturday mornings or Thursday nights along with practice on Tuesday nights. He only had 6 games. He actually knew exactly what to do when he got started and it seemed natural but he just wasn't interested!! After a couple of practices and games he was done. We told him he had to finish the season but that when it was over he never had to play again! So, he kept asking how much longer and would tell others that "my Mama said I never have to play again" in a really excited voice! Hahaha! His team did really well. I think they only lost one game. Brayden also made one goal!!

The games were played in the outfield of a baseball field. During one of the games the ball rolled into the dirt of the baseball field. Brayden's entire team chased the ball and a couple ran back to the soccer game but Brayden and a couple of the others got distracted by the dirt!! It was hilarious trying to get their attention back to the game!! LOL!!

Next, he is going to try basketball. He is really excited about it! We think he'll enjoy this more because he is familiar with it and seems to love it! We'll see! We are allowing him to try different things to see what he likes but we will never force him to play sports! However, he is actually saying he wants to play soccer again so who knows?!?! ;)

*Thanks to all of Brayden's fans that came to watch him play!! =)

A New Baby, Sleep Issues & a Cowboy! ;)

2011-11-17T15:52:00.008-05:00

Uh-oh I'm getting slack again, sorry! There actually hasn't been too much going on besides being sick! Yuck! We all had a battle with a nasty stomach bug that wouldn't leave us alone! But I think it has finally left and I hope it never comes back! ;)

There is something exciting that I haven't shared on my blog yet.....we are going to be an aunt and uncle again!! Yay!! My sister and her husband are expecting their second baby in June! We are so excited for them and can't wait to have another niece or nephew!! =) You can read her blog here: http://huff-n-heather.blogspot.com/

So, an issue we're having is getting Landen to sleep! Until recently he has been a fairly easy baby to get to sleep especially at night. Well now he is fighting not only naps but also going to bed at night! Right before Brayden started preschool we had just started a new nap time that was working great. Well when preschool started, the trip to pick Brayden up interrupted that. We've tried different things to adjust again but nothing seems to be working!! I realize this is a stage so we're trying to remain patient as we try different things until we find what works for us!

Brayden is continuing to do really well with K-4. He still loves it and we're so glad! Right now they are practicing for the Christmas program so we are rehearsing his lines every day and listening to his songs everywhere we go! He loves singing them and it's really cute to hear him! He doesn't play "police officer" as much anymore and doesn't have a huge interest at the moment. He has started dressing like a cowboy after seeing his Papa like this:

A few days later he got ready and this was the result:

He never WANTS to wear a button-up shirt! Who knew all you had to do was call it a cow boy shirt!?! LOL! ;) He also is really into "super-heroes" but not one in particular, just the idea of it! After about a week of wearing a blanket as a "cape" we found this at Walmart and he wears it at some point every day!

State Fair 2011

2011-11-02T17:13:00.000-04:00

This was Brayden's favorite!! He did it several times! =)

A good day for back rides =)

Lesson Learned from Lost Keys

2011-10-28T08:48:00.000-04:00

A couple of weeks ago Landen and I met Jonathan, Heather and Kaiden at a consignment sale in Greenville. If you are familiar with consignment sales you know it takes quite a bit of work to look through and pick out the items you need. Most of the time the buildings they are held in are either not air conditioned at all or barely working! So you literally work up a sweat. If you know Landen you know his most favorite things right now are keys and cell phones! He is just so cute and sweet when he asks for them so we give in just about every time and let him play with them! Well, we let him play with my keys to help keep him occupied since we were there for about two hours. After we finally made our decisions, checked out and started heading to the car ready to get some lunch I realized I didn't have my keys! Uh-oh! We knew they were in the consignment sale building so we each took turns looking and even had the employees looking! Again, if you are familiar with consignment sales you know there is tons of stuff everywhere!! The task seemed rather overwhelming! We immediately began praying while we kept looking for my keys! After about half an hour Jonathan and Heather had to take Kaiden to his doctor's appointment. So I took Landen back in and we continued looking along with the help of the very friendly employees! They were so sympathetic and went above and beyond to try to help! I must add that we've only had the car I was driving for less than two months and we were only give one key and had not had a copy made yet! As time kept passing and no keys were to be seen anywhere Landen started getting fussy! So here we were stranded an hour from home, 2 hours from Luke, starving and sweating! Landen was begging for juice, but he drank all we had brought. I found a place to get him to sleep. That was a battle but he finally went. While he slept I continued praying. I knew the Lord was with me because I was able to keep calm. Around 3:30 Jonathan and Heather got back and continued searching. Just a few minutes later Heather is running to me with my keys in her hand!! I cannot describe how happy I was to see those keys and the relief that washed over me!! Thank you Lord!!

So you probably want to know where the keys were, right?! They were under a box spring mattress that was propped up against the wall. Now, that box spring mattress was checked multiple times by multiple people. I believe in the providence of God's timing and you'll see why in just a minute. Jonathan and Heather were both at the box spring mattress and when Jonathan shook it, from the position Heather was in she was able to catch a glimpse of the keys! If she had not been where she was we wouldn't have found them then!

Finally after 3.5 hours of searching I was able to go home and boy was I exhausted!! I've said I will never let Landen play with my keys again! But I know everything happens for a reason. I told myself that I sure would like to know the reason to feel better about the whole situation. While driving on the way home, I noticed an 18-wheeler barely on the side of the road that looked really strange. As I drove by I could not believe the shape it was in. The bed of the truck was literally bent in half and a tree was down next to it! Now I don't know what happened but it looked pretty bad! Immediately it was as if God spoke to my heart and I realized that could have been the very reason my keys were lost for so long! You may not agree but I really feel God saved me from a possibly bad wreck that day.

Just remember when your day doesn't go as planned or something happens and holds you up that God is in control and he is watching over you!

~Genesis 28:15 " I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go"~

10.26.11

2011-10-26T21:13:00.003-04:00

Can you believe it?!? Three posts in three days!! Although they may not be the most exciting posts, I am trying to "journal" more so I can remember this season of my life!! =) The highlights of my day, other than my family and church tonight, were figuring out how to use my voice recorder to type in my text!! My mom and I saw a commercial the other day for the latest iphone featuring the ability to speak what you wanted to type to text someone! She mentioned that my Dad's phone which is not an iphone could do the same thing! I thought well maybe mine does too but never got the chance to try it out. Well, today Luke calls me from a meeting at work so excited because someone told him his phone would do the same thing! So he called me to tell me I could do it on my phone, the Samsung Fascinate, which I LOVE by the way! =) So I immediately began trying to figure it out. It didn't take long to learn. Texting by voice instead of typing is sooo much faster! I found this rather exciting! ;-)

So if you didn't find that interesting you will the next part......tonight Landen said "I love you" for the very first time completely on his own!!!! It was so sweet! We were leaving church, telling Nana and PaPaw bye. As we were walking to the car I was telling them bye and after Nana said I love you he immediately said it back....so clear!! Definitely a priceless moment!! =)

10.25.11

2011-10-25T21:42:00.003-04:00

We've had a good day! Just the usual stuff for a Tuesday....Brayden went to school and had soccer practice tonight. Heather has been visiting for a couple of days while Jonathan is on a staff retreat. We've certainly enjoyed her and Kaiden being here! Luke enjoyed a day off so we pretty much took it easy! That is rare so it was nice!

Luke made Japanese for supper tonight and it was delicious!! It was just as good or better than what you would get at a Japanese steakhouse! Yummy!

Deans Farm

2011-10-24T19:49:00.003-04:00

Brayden had his very first field trip today! We went to Deans Farm and enjoyed a hay ride, a pumpkin patch, some animals and a playground! :-)

Brayden wanted to take his picture with this ugly spider! :/ It wasn't until I was looking through the pictures later that I realized the "legs" sticking out of the spiders mouth! I'm glad Brayden didn't notice either! ;)

Landen enjoyed the field trip too!

Hayride!

*Please excuse the quality of photos....they are from my cell phone because the lens on my camera is broke! :(

Best Park Ever!

2011-10-21T18:32:00.000-04:00

Sewn with LOVE!

2011-10-17T22:32:00.001-04:00

A few weeks ago I was sewing Brayden's awana achievements on his Cubbies vest and when I glanced down to see what I was doing I couldn't believe what I saw!! The thread was in the perfect shape of a heart!! I thought this was the neatest thing!! :)

Answered Prayers!

2011-10-15T20:24:00.002-04:00

We went to Delaware to meet with Landen's doctors on September 30th. We drove this time and although we don't regret it, traffic was horrible going and coming back! Both times we were stopped and or creeping along for more than two hours! We will definitely be looking for a new route!

Anyway, Landen got great reports from both doctors! Dr. Mackenzie, the orthopedist, said Landen's hip is continuing to improve and grow together as it should. It is a very slow process though so it will need to be watched. Landen no longer has to sleep in the brace at night so after 10 months he is finally FREE!!! We are so thankful!

He also saw Dr. Bober, his geneticist. The DNA that we sent to Scotland in December for research and testing is still not complete but here is the latest...it does get complicated and we don't understand everything but I'll do my best to explain. The genes are tested 50 times to look for any changes in the gene. To begin with they are looking for the pericentrin gene. 48 out of 50 have come back showing no pericentrin gene. So, what does that mean?! That is really really good news! The pericentrin gene is found in MOPD II, one of the types of primordial dwarfism. MOPD II is the most dangerous type because it is the type that has the highest vascular risk, such as a stroke or brain aneurysm. Now, the remaining 2 genes still have to be tested but with this information and along with Landen's growth chart Dr. Bober feels safe to say that Landen does not have MOPD II. This also means his vascular risk would be the same as yours and mine. This is huge because this is the most concerning factor of primordial dwarfism. Thank you Lord for answered prayers!

Speaking of his growth chart. Here are his measurements and weight. He weighs 13 lbs. and is right under 28 inches long. His head circumference is 38cm. In comparing Landen's growth with the growth of other MOPD II patients at the same age as Landen he is either significantly above or off the chart!

The next step is testing the genes for the Meier-Gorlin Syndrome, another type of primordial dwarfism. The DNA will continue to be tested until we learn more. It is possible the DNA samples will run out before we have an answer so we'll possibly have to give more DNA. If he does not have the Meier-Gorlin Syndrome he will remain in the not otherwise specified category. There may not be an answer to what type of primordial dwarfism he has for a long time. It is possible he has a type that has not even been discovered yet. There is just so much that is unknown, however, there is so much that is being learned every day!

The doctor confirmed what we've known.....Landen is not lacking or behind developmentally. He was very impressed that Landen can blow his nose! haha! He said that was actually impressive for any child under the age of four! Landen is extremely smart and extremely determined! NOTHING stops him!! We are so thankful for the two precious gifts the Lord has given us. God is so good and to Him be all glory!

Thank you for your continued prayers and support! It means so much! Please keep praying as there is so much that is unknown. I love the quote by Corrie Ten Boom though "Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God!"

* Feel free to leave a comment or email us if you have any questions!

Where's Landen?!

2011-10-12T17:06:00.002-04:00

There he is!! :-) This is one of Landen's favorite spots!! He loves playing in and with the cabinets! This is his hiding spot too! Last night Landen was playing with Luke's keys which probably won't happen again because he had to look for them for quite a while and guess where they were?!!? Yep, in this cabinet! :-)

Does this remind you of someone?! Click here if you can't remember! :-) It's interesting that they were the exact same age when they first did this!! :-)

Brayden's 1st Soccer Practice!

2011-09-24T21:17:00.003-04:00

Brayden had his first soccer practice on Tuesday night, September 13th! He loved it and didn't want to leave! Haha! Imagine that! :) He seemed like a pro and knew just what to do! He only touched it with his hands a few times! lol! We can't wait to watch his games! I'm sure they will be very entertaining!! ;)

Landen's 1st Ice Cream Cone!!

2011-09-15T10:36:00.003-04:00

1st day of K4!!

2011-09-08T15:36:00.008-04:00

Brayden's first day of K-4 was on Tuesday, September 6th! We were very anxious to see how he would do since he has never been in that type of setting. He did so good, it couldn't have gone any better!! He got right up that morning (and he is not a morning person!) and was ready to go!

Unfortunately, Landen got really sick on Monday and was still really sick Tuesday morning. Nana was off work and was planning to support Brayden but she offered to keep Landen so that both Luke and I could make this a memory. We are so grateful!! Papaw, Heather and Kaiden were able to join us so we took Brayden to Hardee's for breakfast!

We got to the school a few minutes early so that we could take more pictures and he just started posing!! :)

Then it was time to walk him in.....

and wait for the doors to be opened....

He walked right in! He knew what to do! He put his book bag in his cubby!
and then took a picture with his teachers.....

Then he told us bye and went to play with a little boy....

He did wonderful! Out of the blue that morning, he promised me that he wouldn't cry so I told him if he didn't cry then I wouldn't cry either!! :) I had to not allow myself to really think about things or I would have! My little boy is growing up!! :/ It certainly has mixed emotions!! We were so proud of him! When we picked him he ran right to me with a big smile on his face!

So, now he has completed his first week of K-4 and he seems to really enjoy it! He wakes up ready to go! Just a couple of cute things he has already said:

After we picked him up on the first day, I asked him did he meet any new friends and he said he did. So I asked were they boys or girls? With a big grin on his face, he said, two girls and one boy!! LOL!

We are teaching Brayden to say "mam" and "sir" to adults. So, after picking him up one day I noticed he was forgetting to say it to me. So, I asked him was he saying yes mam to his teachers and he told me he wasn't. So, I asked why not? He said because she hasn't asked me anything!! LOL I guess that's a good reason!! :)

I can't wait to post more exciting adventures or funny things from K-4!! :)

preschool and pizza

2011-09-05T10:25:00.004-04:00

Thursday night we had open house at Brayden's preschool. It went really well. Brayden was a little shy with his teachers but he played and had a good time. We were very impressed with everything! His first day is ToMorRoW!! We're a little anxious to see how it will go. He has been home with me since he was born!! We're hoping he will love it after he gets adjusted and all! If you happen to think of us in the morning, please say a little prayer! :-)

Here he is at open house:

Brayden loves to help out! So, on Friday he helped Daddy make a homemade pizza! It was delicious!!

Landen's nap are going really well with the new schedule! Hopefully it will stay that way!! ;)

A 1st & A Nap Update :)

2011-09-01T17:35:00.002-04:00

Last night as it was about time to get ready for church Brayden asked if he could get himself ready. We had some extra time so I said that was fine. So, he went into his room and shut his door. A few minutes later, he came out and this was the result:

I was impressed!! He picked it out all on his own!! Now, typically during the week he does dress himself. All of his play clothes are in a drawer together and he'll just pick something out each day to wear. This was the first time he picked out his clothes and got ready for church!! :)

Update on Landen's nap: After doing a little reading yesterday regarding my issue with Landen's naps I decided to try something a little different today. I put him down much earlier than I normally do. Although he did try to fight it, he didn't fight it near as much as he has been! In fact, he only got out of the bed twice.....much less than normal! ;) AND he slept for TWO HOURS and was a much happier little boy this afternoon. I forgot to mention in the previous post that he can be pretty cranky after his naps. So, maybe this is the solution, but who knows?! We'll have to keep trying it and see!! :)

Family Update

2011-08-31T16:22:00.008-04:00

I'm back so soon! Can you believe it?! One week is not too bad is it?! Hahaha! I decided to just give one overall update. It may be a bit long but I promise I will try to do better!! :)

About a month ago we moved to the Bailey/Spring Hope area. The Lord provided a better living opportunity and we are extremely thankful. Although Luke has a longer drive to work we are much closer to our church and our family. It all happened so fast, in fact in 5 days!! We found out on a Thursday evening that our apartment office had found new tenants and we moved out the following Tuesday morning!! As you might imagine that made life pretty crazy for a little while. It has worked out really well and we are enjoying the new place.

All of our stuff (the stuff that fits in boxes anyway) in the hallway!

We have been doing really well! The biggest thing recently has been the weather. In one week we had an earthquake and a hurricane! I totally missed the earthquake. Hurricane Irene made a big mess but it could have been a lot worse. Our hearts go out to families who lost loved ones or who lost everything!

I'm just going to give a brief summary of what is new with the boys!

BRAYDEN is growing up so fast! He will be moving up to a new Sunday School Class for the first time this Sunday. He is starting preschool at a local church on Tuesday and he will be starting his first sports league pretty soon. We can't wait to watch him play soccer!! He will be one busy little dude! We are very excited for him though and thankful for these opportunities! He amazes me every day at the things he knows! Trust me, he doesn't miss a thing! For the month of August he participated in a reading contest at church. The contest had a racing theme and he had a car, with his name on it, on a track. For each book we read together his car moved farther along the track. It was really cute and we really enjoyed it! He continues to ask questions about salvation but he doesn't quite understand it all yet. We are praying he will soon for that is the most earnest request of our hearts....for both of our boys to know, love and live for the Lord. Enjoy the most recent pictures of him....I bet you won't notice how silly he is! ;)

LANDEN is a mess and he knows it! ;) He is busy, busy, busy!! Not only is he busy, but he is super fast!! He is 19-months old now. That is hard to believe!! A couple of months ago he started singing and giving high-fives! He likes to play a little more now. His favorite toys are cell phones (real ones and toy ones), keys, and whatever Brayden is playing with! He is a talker too!! He will walk around all day with a cell phone, saying "hewwoo, hewwoo" and jabbering on and on and on! He even includes all the hand motions! I sure wish I knew what he was saying!! It's so cute!! He has added a few words to his vocabulary. He can now say: Mama, Daddy, Nana, Papaw, Nannie, apple, hey, bye, uh-oh, thank you and hello. He also has said Bible, baby and just today he said cracker. These are not regular words quite yet though. For about the last week, he has started fighting naps. Ugh! He has been such a good sleeper so I'm not sure what's up with that. Maybe with an adjustment to his schedule he can get back to napping well! Although for a few weeks he has only been sleeping for about an hour anyway!?! He is still a very picky eater. We are just trying to find things that he likes and go with that. Enjoy the most recent pictures of him!
17 Months with his first buzz ~

19 Months ~

BROTHERS....oh boy are they brothers and they act just like them! ;) Every now and then they get along but for the most part they don't! :( Believe it or not, Landen starts most of the fuss! However, Brayden is not that innocent either! I'm hoping this is just a stage or an age difference thing. I just can't believe the sibling rivalry has already begun!! I know they really do love each other though....you can tell in these pictures!! :)

I sure do love them!

2011-08-24T21:34:00.002-04:00

Wow!! I am way behind on blogging!! There is a good reason though....two little boys and a life filled with much to do but I wouldn't have it any other way!! I love the life God has blessed me with! I am, however, trying to learn how to manage it all a little better to make time for things I enjoy such as this blog. So, to catch up or not to catch up and just pick up from right here.....that is the question!?!? Check back for the answer! LOL! Just wanted to let all of my readers (since there are so many of you, haha) know we are still here and doing well!! Hopefully, there will be another update sooner than later, maybe! ;)

Wednesday Weekly

2011-07-20T00:09:00.000-04:00

On Sunday we enjoyed great services at church. It was my mom's 50th birthday so we celebrated again at Texas Steakhouse!

Best Buds

Luke was off on Monday so we enjoyed the day with my sister and her family at the pool and later that evening with my mom and dad. My sister and I cooked dinner for everyone and then we all enjoyed the Wii with lots of laughs, especially when Luke did Zumba!! :)

Brayden was scared of the water last year and didn't want much to do with it! As you can see that's not the case now! It's amazing the difference a year makes!

On Tuesday I got caught up around the house. The boys don't really play together yet but they did throw the ball back and forth a couple of times for the first time! It was so sweet and a glimmer of hope that eventually they will play together maybe! ;) Landen had a first! He stood up from the floor completely on his own!! There is no stopping him now!! He is all over the place and into everything!! :)

I tried a new meal Thursday night. It was the new Velveeta Cheesy Skillet Nacho Sumpreme. It was delicious!

Wednesday Weekly

2011-07-13T16:39:00.000-04:00

On Monday we celebrated my birthday with my family! We went shopping, had lunch at Moes, and shopped some more!! Then my mom and dad grilled out the best steaks! Brownies were the choice of dessert! Everything was so delicious!!

Tuesday afternoon Brayden had his 4 year old check up and got a great report! He weighs 44 lbs. and is in the 90-95 percentile in his height and weight on the growth chart!

Tuesday night we took him to a Mudcats game while Landen visited Nana and PaPaw! ;) The game got rained out but not until the 6th inning or so so we were able to see most of it! We saw two home runs hit back to back! Brayden loves Muddy! While we were snacking Muddy came up right behind us and gave Brayden a hug! We had a good time!

On Wednesday we went to an event with the town of Garner Parks & Rec Preschool Program. It was a picnic with a police officer! If you know Brayden you know he loves police officers and pretends to be one everyday! I knew he'd love it and he did! :) It was extremely hot that day but it was worth it! He learned a lot!

On Thursday I rearranged the living room and organized and cleaned the house. For some reason I have to rearrange something pretty often. I'm always moving something! :)

On Friday we went to the pool for a little while. Landen has been swimming in his diaper so that afternoon I went shopping for him a bathing suit. I looked everywhere and could not find one that would fit him! My last place to look was Walmart and they didn't have one either. So I went to the pool stuff and found the perfect thing.....a swim diaper for $5!!! I was so excited because it is really cute, a perfect fit for him and really cheap! :)

While we were out shopping we had an interesting thing happen for the first time. We were walking down the main isle and two young girls approached us going crazy at how cute Landen is! I mean crazy....they were squealing and jumping up and down! I couldn't believe how excited they were. They immediately asked was he like the people on tv. I knew what they were talking about so I said yes and then asked how they knew and they said he favors that girl and I said Kenadie, and they said yes! I told them a little bit about Landen and then one of the girls left to get their mom and she came back and asked to take his picture! I've never been asked to let someone take Landen's picture but I said sure! They were so kind! Since it was such a commotion other people that were walking by were stopping and seeing what was going on. We definitely had a crowd around us and it felt like he was a celebrity or something! It was pretty crazy!

On Saturday we tried to surprise my mom with a 50th birthday party! She wasn't surprised but we still had a good time celebrating!! :) I'm so thankful for my family!

Wednesday Weekly

2011-06-22T15:45:00.000-04:00

On Monday we celebrated my sister's birthday at the river. It was so relaxing!! My Dad & Mom grilled some delicious steaks. We rode on the golf cart and had a photo shoot!! :) It was so nice to be together! On the way home we rode with the windows down as the sun was setting. It was so peaceful!

On Tuesday we went to preschool gym, did some cleaning, and did "preschool." We are working on letters. It's not really "clicking" with him yet but I know he'll catch on soon! :) Tuesday night we had WAC at church while the boys had some daddy time! :)

On Wednesday Landen started having symptoms of a cold. :( He was so pitiful, you could tell he just didn't feel good.

On Thursday we went to the library storytime for the kickoff of the summer reading program. Later that evening we went to Chick-fil-A for an event.

Friday night we celebrated Father's Day with my Dad. We enjoyed a nice supper together. Luke & I "tried" to make cupcakes that night for Brayden's birthday party but it was just not meant to be! It was a disaster! ;)

On Saturday, we had Brayden's birthday party. We did it a little different this year and had to host it a little early. He had never had a "friend" party before so now that he has little buddies we decided it was time! We had it at his favorite place....Chick-fil-A! It turned out really nice and he really enjoyed it!! :)

Buzz Lightyear!!

2011-06-15T14:24:00.005-04:00

I love my buzz lightyear!! :)

Wednesday Weekly

2011-06-15T11:22:00.000-04:00

We left the Johnston County Airport between 10:30-10:45am Sunday. We requested an afternoon flight but the pilot was unable to accommodate that request unfortunately. We missed White Oak Hill FWB Church so bad! The flight was very smooth and enjoyable. The plane had four seats so Luke and the pilot were up front and me and Landen were in the back.

Landen did not enjoy the flight though. He cried all but about 30 minutes while he was sleeping. I'm not sure if his ears were bothering him or not. I tried everything to keep him happy but nothing worked. We landed in Wimington, Delaware between 2:00 and 2:30. We were starving so the first place we went was our favorite restaurant to go to while we're there.....the Charcoal Pitt! They have delicious cheese steaks! ;) That is actually where I had my very first cheesesteak the last time we were there! After we ate we went to the Ronald McDonald House and got checked in and settled in to rest! Monday night was very rough. Landen does not do well sleeping anywhere besides his bed so we were up most of the night!

We had to get up bright and early to be at the hospital Monday morning. We had to be there at 7:45am for x-rays. As soon as we were finished with that we had our appointment with Dr. Mackenzie. He was very pleased at Landen's progress. He said the hip was perfectly in place and had grown some. The best news was that he doesn't have to wear the brace all of the time now. He only has to wear it at night and during naps. So he can be brace free during the day!! That is what we were praying for and we are so thankful God answered our prayers with such great news! To God be the glory! After the appointment we were able to meet with our genetic counselor at Nemours Hospital. She is a very sweet lady! We just got caught up with her and what's been going on with Landen as well as discussed a few questions we had for her. She is always so helpful! As soon as we were done at the hospital we checked out of the Ronald McDonald House and headed to the airport for our flight home. We left around 11:30. For the first time we had two pilots, one younger man and one older man. This plane also had only four seats so they said it would be okay to hold Landen in our laps. I wasn't real sure about that but I trusted them and really didn't have any other choice! I knew Landen would like it a lot better though and boy did he!! LOL! He loved it! As soon as we started going up he pulled himself to the window and started looking around with his mouth wide open in excitement! He could not stop looking either. It was amazing how much he enjoyed it! He did much better on this flight however Luke and I didn't. It was a very bumpy ride and it got really hot so we didn't feel so great. We were more than thankful when we landed around 2:30. We went home and took a nap and that really helped.

Luke went back to work Tuesday and I did some housework and laundry. He had to work really late and go back to work Wednesday morning. I knew I had to get Brayden so I decided to go to The Huff's and spend the night since Luke would be gone a lot.

Heather and I have combined all of our boys clothes and she has been storing them. We've been thinking about consigning some so Wednesday morning we started the process! We have never seen so many clothes!! I'd hate to know how much worse it would be if we had girls!! LOL! Heather said we could open a store! Needless to say it's going to take many more days of work but we were happy with what we accomplished! :) I left their house around 4pm and met Luke for supper and then we went to church!

Brayden took this picture of us on Thursday! :)

On Friday I tried a new recipe for lunch! It's called Crescent Chicken. It turned out to be really good!! Click HERE to get the recipe. Here is what mine looked like:

Friday night, the boys and I had a pizza and movie night! We tried the new Big Dipper at Pizza Hut. It is soooo good!! We picked up a few things at Target and then got a movie from the Red Box!

On Saturday we went to Micah's birthday party!

Wednesday Weekly

2011-06-08T22:16:00.001-04:00

Last week was busy with little stuff. We got our cars inspected which is a huge blessing because we didn't think Luke's car would pass so we were trying to decide what to do....buy another car or be a one-car family. It was a hard decision but the Lord worked it out and after a few repairs Luke's car is good to go and will hopefully last a while longer! It has over 217,000 miles on it and Luke wants to see how many more he can get! LOL! The Camry has been a wonderful car!

Luke didn't feel well at the beginning of the week. His shoulder started randomly causing him a lot of pain. He doesn't let much stop him though so he continued to work. One day while he was at work I told Brayden we needed to pray for Daddy. He wanted to pray and this is what he said, "God would you help daddy to feel good....and God I have one more question for you.....would you come into my heart so I can get baptized and sin. I want you to come into my heart so I can go to heaven." I seriously had to stop the tears. There is nothing like hearing a child pray. It can be humorous too though as you can tell he doesn't quite understand everything but he is so open and God is certainly working in his heart! I am so thankful for that and pray he will soon understand more. His prayers are so sweet and genuine. It really teaches me a lot. The Lord answered our prayers too and Luke began feeling better!

On Thursday I took the boys to Chick-fil-a for lunch and some playtime. It's been really hot here and when Brayden got in the car he said "it sure is hot!" LOL! We got a nice surprise when we got there....our friends, the Hawleys were there so Brayden enjoyed playing with some buddies! :) Every once in a while I will let Landen down in the playland if it's not too crowded and he loves it! He can almost climb up the first step where they have a little window thing he can get in so with a little help he got in there and had the best time! He did not want to leave! For the first time he cried when I picked him up to go! LOL!

We also went grocery shopping Thursday night and the boys got to ride in a fun cart!! They loved it! Brayden eventually wanted to walk some but Landen really enjoyed it!

After we bought groceries and after it cooled off outside we went to the park! The pictures are from my cell phone so they're a little blurry but I had to share the smiles on their faces! :)

Brayden got his first set of toy soldiers and he loves them! They have provided some good play time! ;)

For most of the week it didn't look like an angel flight was going to work out but Friday night we got a phone call to let us know we had pilots to volunteer to take us to Delaware and back home! We are so thankful for this great organization and the pilots that make it possible!

I spent the weekend cleaning and packing for our trip and making plans for Brayden's fourth birthday! I cannot believe how fast he is growing up!

Birthday Cards

2011-06-03T09:47:00.000-04:00

I've been frustrated with buying birthday cards for a long time! lol! I never could find one that said what I wanted it to say and they are way overpriced especially if the person is going to throw it away! Now, I know some people keep every card and it is the thought that counts! So I decided to start a tradition this year and make my cards online! I use Shutterfly and have never been disappointed! I can personalize the card with photos and write what I want! The card is a size 5 x 7 so it can also be framed! Shutterfly is always running deals to make this very affordable; in fact I have found it to be average to what you would pay in a store or even cheaper! My family has loved getting these cards and it's just a little expression of what they mean to me in a way that they can keep and enjoy!

Wednesday Weekly

2011-06-01T08:00:00.001-04:00

Remember when I said I wanted to do some things different and try new things....well this is one of them. I'm going to try to post this each week to journal and remember the highlights of our week.

Last week went by so fast! I have done something brave the past two weeks! The week before last I stayed alone overnight for the first time in my entire life!! haha! Landen was actually here with me but it's not like he could help me if something happened! LOL! Last week I got my hair cut really short....the shortest it has ever been! Growing up I always had hair to my waist but a couple of years ago I got the bob cut and it has gradually gotten shorter and shorter. I did not realize it would be this short but it feels a lot better and is surprisingly really quick and easy to fix! I have learned my hair does better when it is short!

We were able to take dinner to a family friend of ours that have a new baby! We enjoyed the fellowship and of course holding a sweet baby boy! :)

I was reminded of some childhood memories this week as Brayden and I played "restaurant!" That was one of my favorite things to play when I was a child. I vividly remember "taking orders!" :) He seemed to enjoy it! I had just told Luke a few days before that I didn't understand how to play with boys! I just don't know how to play superhero's, policemen or toy story! LOL! I was thankful to find something to play with him! :)

We put in a request to try to get a flight to Delaware for Landen's upcoming appointment. Since it will be such a quick trip flying would be much more convenient but it makes us really nervous. We'll see if it works out this time!

On Thursday, the boys and I enjoyed some time at the park and lunch with some friends.

My Papa received an award this week. We were able to go to the ceremony. I learned some things I did not know about him that make me very proud!

Jonathan, Heather and Kaiden were in town for a wedding so it was nice to spend some time with them! We kept Kaiden during the wedding and I've never had an easier baby! He slept the entire time!

My Daddy celebrated a birthday this week! :)

We've been working on writing the alphabet in preschool. Brayden has had a good start with it but it will take some time for him to get the hang of it!

Have a New Kid by Friday

2011-05-30T13:58:00.003-04:00

The Top Ten Countdown to Have a New Kid by Friday:

10. Be 100% consistent in your behavior.
9. Always follow through on what you say you will do.
8. Respond, don't react.
7. Count to 10 and ask yourself, "What would my old self do in this situation? What should the new me do?"
6. Never threaten your kids.
5. Never get angry. (If you do get angry, apologize quickly.)
4. Don't give any warnings. (If you warn your child, you're saying, "You're so stupid, I have to tell you twice.")
3. Ask yourself, "Whose problem is this?" (Don't own what isn't yours.)
2. Don't think the misbehavior will go away.
1. Keep a happy face on, even when you want to.....do something else.

On Monday:
1. Observe what's going on in your house. What areas in your relationship with your child really bother you?
2. Think about how you'd like things to change.
3. Decide to take the bull by the horns.
4. Expect great things to happen.

On Tuesday:
1. What is your attitude toward your kids?
2. How does your behavior reveal your attitude?
3. What changes do you need to make in your behavior toward your children?
4. What kind of character do you want to be known for? How can you get there?

On Wednesday:
1. What kind of parenting style do you have?
2. How does your child respond to this parenting style?
3. How can you adapt your parenting style to be more balanced?
4. In what ways can you emphasize relationship in your home?

On Thursday:
1. How can you show your child unconditional Acceptance?
2. How can you emphasize Belonging in your family?
3. In what ways can you spur your child on Competence?
4. Think about the difference between praise and encouragement. What truly encouraging thing can you say to your child today?

On Friday:
1. Review the key principles.
2. Identify the mountains you want to address.
3. Think through how you usually respond and how you'll respond now.
4. Get ready, get set......go!

MONDAY
In order for your child to know you mean business (and to keep you calm and rational):
1. Say it once.
2. Turn your back.
3. Walk away.

TUESDAY
It's all about the ABCs:
1. Attitude
2. Behavior
3. Character

3 simple strategies:
1. Let reality be the teacher.
2. Learn to respond rather than react.
3. B doesn't happen until A is completed.

WEDNESDAY
Determine your parenting style
1. Permissive
2. Authoritarian
3. Authoritative or responsible

THURSDAY
Evaluate how to help your child develop the 3 pillars of self-worth:
1. Acceptance
2. Belonging
3. Competence

FRIDAY
Fun day....take action!

This is all from Dr. Kevin Leman's book "Have a New Kid by Friday."

Landen - 16 Months!

2011-05-24T14:35:00.006-04:00

Wow! I can't believe Landen is 16 months old! Where does the time go?! A lot has changed in the last several weeks. He is off the pacifier. One day a few weeks ago I noticed he wasn't using it much or if he did have it he was just playing with it so I decided to put them up and see how long he could go without it. Surprisingly it worked and he no longer wants it! There have been a couple of times he was so fussy & after we had tried everything we gave it to him but he doesn't want it so mission accomplished! Pacifiers certainly can be a lifesaver but they can also be a pain to keep up with and keep clean! I will not miss them! :) Landen is now eating only table food! We were having some issues switching him to table food but we realized the problem was not table food....he is a very picky eater!! I wonder where he gets that from?! ;) So now it's just a matter of figuring out what he likes! He has 10 teeth now so is ready to chow down! :)

15 Months ~

His first time in a swing! He loves to be outside!

On April 4th he had an appointment with our local family doctor. He weighed 10 lbs. 13 oz. They took x-rays of his hip then and we sent them to his doctor in Delaware. The results were good but the doctor said he had to continue to wear his hip brace. He has an appointment with his Doctor in Delaware on June 6. They will take more x-rays of his hip and examine it to see if he is ready to be free! We are so ready for him to be free! If he can come out of the brace in June that will make 8 months of wearing the body cast and hip brace! However he doesn't let it stop him! Just a couple of weeks ago he started walking along the couch or pushing anything with wheels and walking behind it IN. THE. BRACE!! I really did not expect him to do that! He is super fast and can get anywhere as you can see.....

I can't believe I haven't shared some really good news!! Landen's MRI/MRA results came back clear! We are thanking and praising the Lord for this answer to prayer. He will have to have the MRI/MRA annually or until it is determined he doesn't need them anymore depending on each result and the DNA testing. We have not heard anything from the DNA test we sent to Scotland. We sent them off in December and it can take up to a year for results.

16 Months ~
We are so thankful for both of our boys and the joy they bring! They are such a blessing! :)

Our Weekend

2011-05-22T16:03:00.003-04:00

We had a busy but fun weekend! It started with Brayden's first camping experience! Chick-fil-A hosted a Father & Son Camp Out Friday night. They had their tent set up at Chick-fil-A. They played games, roasted smores around a campfire and watched Yogi Bear on a huge projection screen set up outside. They had a great time and Brayden loved it! They made a memory to cherish forever.

On Saturday we took our Couples Sunday School Class to Kings Dominion! We had so much fun and made more memories! ;) We are really enjoying our Sunday School Class. The fellowship is such a blessing. We can't wait to see what God has in store for our class. It is so exciting!

2011-05-17T21:35:00.006-04:00

We've had a really nice day. We met with another family that has a child with dwarfism. It's not the same type Landen has but they are the closest people that we can relate to. This afternoon I took the boys to a new playground in our neighborhood. It felt so good out there. The highlight of my day was having both boys take a nap at the same time!! If you know us personally you know this is a very rare occasion, but I could definitely get used to it! ;)

I was introduced to Mamapedia today! It is a website that offers daily deals especially for busy moms and their families. Today's deal is a one-year subscription to one of Ranger Rick's family of magazines. I had never heard of this magazine until last weekend when someone told me about them! All three magazines have received 2011 Gold and Silver Parent’s Choice Awards for their engaging, educational, and ad-free content. Each magazine is chock-full of colorful photos, amazing stories and articles, games, riddles and fun trivia your child will want to enjoy again and again. The deal made each issue $1! I chose the Wild Animal Baby Magazine geared for Brayden's age group. I'm looking forward to going through these with him! I think he will love it!

If you think this is something you are interested in click here to find out more!

This afternoon Brayden was pretending to be Barney Fife and this was his uniform and accessories! ;) (he did this all on his own, by the way!)

What do you think?

2011-05-15T15:55:00.004-04:00

I'm thinking about changing things up a bit on my blog and would love some input! I have a few ideas but would love to hear from you! If you have a suggestion please leave a comment letting me know.

One of the purposes of my blog is for me to have a record of our journey. I'm thinking about posting more but I don't want it to get boring. However if it is boring to you you can always stop reading! :)

I can't wait to hear from you! Hope you have a blessed week! :)

Marbles Museum

2011-05-13T15:01:00.005-04:00

April 21, 2011

Our Tent!

2011-04-30T15:50:00.004-04:00

A couple of weeks ago we made an old-fashioned tent with chairs and a sheet!! Brayden loved it but Landen wasn't so sure about it at first. It didn't take Landen long though and he was joining in on the fun! :)

BRAYDEN

2011-04-19T22:14:00.001-04:00

Brayden is just growing up way too fast! He is approaching his fourth birthday and I can't believe it!! I feel so blessed to be his mom! Yes, he calls me mom already! I'm not sure where he picked that up. One day he asked me about the words for mom, mommy and mama. I told him they all meant the same thing and he could call me either one. He said he wanted to call me mom and that was that! Haha! He is such a trip! I wanted to record a glimpse into his life right now.

Some cute things he has said lately...

*Brayden took out the trash, all on his own by the way, and some fell out. I told him I would help him get it and he said, "no you just sit there and relax!" LOL!

*One day he was wearing a shirt that said "Daddy's Lil Ballhog" He was asking what it said and saying it should say "I love daddy and mama" and I told him what it actually read and as soon as I finished he said "and Mamas hog!"

*I cut my hand and he asked me about it so I told him what happened and he put his hand to his chest and said "that breaks my heart!"

*Don't be surprised if you are having a conversation with Brayden and he says "you've gotta be kidding me!" (Really don't know where that one came from....anybody know? ;))

*And my favorite....throughout the day he will say "Mom, I love you!" and "You're the best mom in the whole wide world!"

His interests...

For some time now he has been extremely fascinated with police officers. He pretends he is a policeman every day! He will attach his handcuffs to his belt loop...therefore he has to wear pants that have a belt loop. He will also carry around other items that he needs! lol!

Since he is into police officers his favorite thing to watch is Andy Griffith!! Bet you woulda never guessed! Haha! We have the first season on DVD along with some other episodes on other DVDs. His favorite character is Barney Fife!! He doesn't miss a thing when he's watching! So since he pretends to be a policeman every day he thinks he is Barney Fife! We noticed he had a battery in his pocket so we asked him about it and he told us it was his "bullep!" Then we noticed he kept pulling up the back of his pants and we asked him about that and he said "Barney Fife does that!" I told you he is a trip! LOL!

He still loves Woody and Buzz too!

His activities....

We enjoy preschool open gym and library storytime each week as we are able to go! We do preschool workbooks, not as much as I'd like, but I'm working on that! We are looking for a sports league to register him in. He is involved in AWANA at our church! He absolutely loves Cubby!! He also really enjoys Sunday School, Children's Church and Small Wonders every week. I'm so thankful for our church and the servants who invest in our children. It really does make a difference!

I just love his personality!! He is so fun to talk to and be around! As you can tell by this really long post! I need to keep up better so it won't be so long! Pray for us as we continue to train him and as we make decisions about his future. Most of all please pray for his salvation, as well as Landens. He has been asking questions about the gospel and we take every opportunity to explain but he doesn't quite understand enough just yet. It's so good to see God working in his young heart though! I'm so thankful for God's many blessings! :)

Thank you to my sister, Heather, for taking these incredible pictures!! :)

Sharing Our Story For God's Glory!

2011-04-16T21:24:00.002-04:00

We are so thankful the Lord is providing opportunities to share our story. Click on the link below:

Garner boy suffers from primordial dwarfism | NBC17.com

6 months ago today.......

2011-03-29T14:45:00.000-04:00

we welcomed a special little boy into our family!! :) We all anxiously awaited the day of his arrival! ;) It ended up being an 18-hour wait but the result was so worth it!! Kaiden Michael arrived on September 29, 2010 at 1:33am! He weighed 8 lbs. 13 oz. and was 20.5 inches long! I can't describe in words the feeling I had when I saw him for the first time! The miracle of life is so amazing because we serve an amazing God! Kaiden is so cute, sweet and precious! We are so thankful to have him in our family and can't wait to see what God has in store for his life! We love you Kaiden! :)

Landen - 14 Months

2011-03-24T23:41:00.006-04:00

Landen is doing really well! He has adjusted to the hip brace as you can see! He has so much determination as you can also see! Yes, he is standing while wearing a hip brace! He also gets around with speed! You should see him crawl! He is such a character! He loves and eats up all the attention he gets. And if he's not getting any attention he will let you know! He hasn't had too many changes lately. The only one (but it's a big one) is that he is off the bottle!! He has transitioned to a sippy cup this month and has done really well with it. He is cutting two more teeth and when they fully come through he will have a total of 6 teeth!! He is still transitioning between baby food and table food but is doing really well with table food. We give him what he can have from our plates and then if he's not full we give him stage 2 baby food. He wears size 1 in diapers and 0-3 months in clothes. He hasn't added any words to his vocabulary yet but still babbles away! :) We are still waiting on the MRI/MRA results and should have those any day now. He will have his hip x-rayed soon. We will send those reports to his doctors in Delaware. Then, if everything looks okay, hopefully they will send word that he no longer needs to wear the brace. We are praying his hip is continuing to heal as it should and that the x-rays will confirm that. We are also praying for a clear report from the MRI/MRA. Please keep us in your prayers. We appreciate every single prayer prayed on our behalf more than we could ever express! We feel so blessed by God and the family and friends in our life that show how much they care!

1st Zoo Trip!

2011-03-19T22:17:00.005-04:00

Farm Animal Days 2011

2011-03-18T19:05:00.004-04:00

We went to Farm Animal Days at NC State today. A lot of other people did too! Haha! It was crowded but overall we enjoyed it! It was such a nice day to be out! :)

When Brayden saw me taking my camera he wanted to take his too! He actually used it and got some good pics! Here he is taking a picture of the turkeys! So cute!

Landen checking out the turkeys! He didn't like the crowd and the noise but he kept pointing at all the animals and saying something! :)

A 2200 lb. bull
Chicks

He said it tickled his hand! :)
Bunnies

Goat

Online Grocery Shopping

2011-03-10T20:57:00.002-05:00

I'm so excited! Today I did our grocery shopping online for the first time! I've been wanting to try it for a long time but just never did. I'm so glad I did today though. Luke and I both dislike buying groceries and it can be really difficult to do with children and crazy schedules! Anyway I wanted to share what I liked about it and how it works. I like the fact that throughout the week as I think of things we need I can just sign in on their website and add the item to my cart and avoid forgetting about it. I also like that as I add items to my cart I'm given a running total. This helps in sticking with a budget. Lastly, I like avoiding impulse purchases and therefore saving money! :) It saves time and it is very convenient. Now the Lowes Foods is really close to our home so that is a huge advantage for me. It costs $4.95 to shop online and I feel like it is completely worth it because there's no telling how much you've saved by avoiding impulse purchases. So after you do your shopping online, there is a special parking place at the front that you will pull in to and let them know you are there. Then they will bring the groceries to your car and load them up for you and you simply give them your form of payment and that's it! It's that easy! An extra bonus is that every fourth order = free $4.95 credit! If you'd like to try it for FREE leave a comment with your email address and you will receive an email with a promotional code.

The Cast is off!!!

2011-03-08T13:15:00.003-05:00

We are so happy and thankful Landen was able to get his cast off last Tuesday!! Yay!! While we were in Wilmington, DE he had a 6 month follow up with the geneticist, Dr. Bober, he got the cast off and while he was under anesthesia for the cast to be removed he also had a MRA/MRI of his brain. He got a great report from Dr. Bober! Landen seems to be doing really well! The MRA/MRI was done to check for any possible vascular problems. The results will be back in about 2 weeks. We are also still waiting on DNA results. They were sent off in December but could take up to a year to come back. Those results along with the MRA/MRI results will hopefully give a better definition to Landen's diagnosis. Right now his diagnosis is MPD (Microcephalic Primordial Dwarfism) not otherwise classified.

Landen is wearing a brace that goes around his waist and the top of his thighs. He will wear this for 4-6 weeks but it is so much better than the cast! We can take it off to change his diaper and give him a bath but other than that he has to wear it all the time. We are so glad that he no longer needs 2 diapers and he can actually wear pants! :) He is doing really well getting adjusted to it. He moves a little slower right now but it won't be long and he'll have it all figured out!

Well that's all for now. Luke is going to the doctor this afternoon for the colonoscopy results. Please keep us in your prayers.

God Is Our Strength (Update on Luke)

2011-02-17T11:34:00.003-05:00

So I thought I'd give an update on Luke. The colonoscopy went well. He is glad to have that over with! Unfortunately we didn't get the answer we wanted. The doctor said it still looks like Luke has ulcerative colitis (UC for short). The inflammation affects the entire colon. We have to wait about 3 weeks for the results to come back. The results will confirm UC and guide the doctor in deciding the best treatment plan for Luke. For now he is taking a steroid for a short time to help heal the colon and another medicine to help prevent flare-ups like he is in now. Basically the period of time where Luke was doing so good would be considered remission, where there are no symptoms of the disease. Since Luke had an allergic reaction to his last form of treatment he has not had any medicine for his UC. However, he has continued to see the chiropractor which did seem to help. It is common after stopping a treatment to have a relapse within a year. We are supposing that is what has happened. We are thankful Luke is starting to feel better. Please pray he will continue to get better. Pray for wisdom and discernment for us and the Doctor as we decide on a treatment plan and that we will continue to trust God even when things don't make sense. It does get hard and we do ask why. I was thankful for the reminder at church last night through the life of Habakkuk. Our joy comes from the Lord, not our circumstances!

I was encouraged by my study bible notes at the end of Habakkuk and I want to share it with you:
"Knowing that the land faced devastation, Habakkuk set his mind on God rather than circumstances. He told himself, I choose to be patient; I choose to rejoice--even when (not if) disaster comes. With this perspective on life, he could confidently say that God was his strength.

Sometimes faith requires that we make a hard choice that contradicts what we can see. When the circumstances of your life look bad, remind yourself that God is in control. Like Habakkuk, you can choose to trust God. By making the choice to trust, you too can discover that God is your strength."

It's Been Awhile....

2011-02-15T21:36:00.002-05:00

I'm getting behind again!! A lot has been going on but thought I'd give a quick update! I just got done cleaning and I'm exhausted so this may be short. It's been a rough winter with all the sickness that has been going on. It seems like we got everything that went around! Thankfully we are all better for now! We're hoping and praying it stays that way because Landen is getting his cast off!! FINALLY! We are so excited and we are counting down the days! Two weeks from today, on March 1st, Lord willing, they will take the cast off for good! He has to have anesthesia so we have to try our best to keep him well! That's pretty difficult since everyone is drawn to his precious personality and that beautiful smile! :) Speaking of beautiful.....so many people mistake Landen for a girl! I don't understand? And I don't know what else to do to help him look anymore like a boy?!?! He doesn't wear any colors close to anything for girls, his daddy is sure of that! LOL! :) Anyway, he is eating much better and making up for those days he didn't eat so well! Today was his first full day without formula and instead he drank cows milk! After several attempts but no success I decided to try warming the milk and that was the trick! His new thing is shaking his head no....he will definitely let you know when he doesn't want something! Landen and Brayden are playing together a lot more! I love watching them together! That brotherly bond is very special! Brayden is doing well. We're trying to get back into our routine of preschool, library and gym along with some other fun outings....hoping things will be settled for awhile. He is growing up so fast and learning soooo much! Right now he is into policemen. He's a trip! :)

If you read this before Wednesday around 11am please say a prayer for us. Luke has gotten sick again after doing so well for so long! After some initial testing it appears there is inflammation in his colon so he is having a colonoscopy tomorrow to determine what's going on and what needs to be done about it. We are seeing a new doctor that we are very impressed with and praying for healing. We appreciate your continued prayers! Hopefully it won't be so long before the next time! ;)

Happy 1st Birthday Landen!!

2011-01-24T21:43:00.002-05:00

Our sweet baby boy, we cannot believe today you are a year old already!! Your first year went by way too fast! We are privileged to be your parents and we are so thankful for the joy and blessing you are to us. We love you more than you'll ever know! Happy first Birthday Landen! :)

The Refiner's Fire

2011-01-20T22:13:00.002-05:00

....you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ. -1 Peter1:6-7

"Most people think a goldsmith's furnace is used to extract gold from its ore and burn away the dross and impurities, purifying the metal. That's only half right. It also makes the gold pliable. Alexander of Neckham, a twelfth-century Englishman, wrote of a goldsmith who plunged the gold into the fire to soften it. As Neckham watched, the metal was molded into the required form using tongs, hammer, and anvil. Other tools included a saw, a file, and even a rabbit's foot for smoothing, polishing, and wiping the surface.

As Christians, it's not hard to see the analogy. We become more sensitive to God during hard times. We're forced to trust Him in new ways during trials. We fall to our knees in helpless dependence on His grace. We rediscover the power of prayer, and we claim promises in the Bible hitherto neglected. In the process, the fire eliminates those things that might be obscuring our vision of our Heavenly Father, and we are molded into the image of our Lord.

The Refiner's fire is always for His glory and our good." -David Jeremiah

Fires and Floods

2011-01-14T21:43:00.001-05:00

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you. -Isaiah 43:2

"Anyone who has seen a rampaging river or a burning house knows the terror of flood and flame. The destructive power of fire and water is dreadful to see. Yet these are the dramatic images Isaiah uses to describe our own trials and troubles in life.

The Lord hasn't promised to keep us out of hardship, but He has given us two great promises to sustain us when we're in it; He will be with us, and our troubles will not overwhelm us. I will be with you.....They shall not overflow you.

Remember how the Lord brought the Israelites through the waters of the Red Sea in Exodus 14, and how He stood with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego in the fiery furnace of Daniel 3? If a problem is pressing down on you today, claim Isaiah 43:2. Picture the Lord as though He were really beside you, for He is. Trust Him to keep you from being swept away or consumed by your circumstances, for He has promised that His grace is sufficient." -David Jeremiah

Landen's New Cast!

2011-01-13T20:09:00.006-05:00

We were able to go to Delaware this week to have Landen's cast changed. We were concerned about the weather messing up the plans but God had worked all that out! Thankfully, we got a head start on Monday and left around 10am....after an oil change and lunch we headed to Delaware around 12pm. Our area was expecting snow, ice, and freezing rain but we were able to get out of town before it hit. However, two winter storms were expected to meet in the north and Delaware was expecting a lot of snow! So, we really didn't know what to expect. Thankfully, we didn't see any bad weather on the way there. We arrived in Wilmington just before 6pm. They still had snow on the ground but the roads were clear. We went to a pizza restaurant for supper and Brayden must have been really hungry! He ate almost three slices and never eats that much!
We had to be at A.I. duPont Hospital at 6:30am Tuesday. I'm glad they schedule him first because he can't eat anything and he doesn't understand why! We went through a series of questions from several nurses/doctors and then Landen received a thorough exam from them as well. He weighed 11 lbs 14.5 oz. with the cast on. After all of the Pre-Op they took him back just before 7:45am. Here he is ready to go!
The procedure took a little more than an hour but it seemed longer. Dr. MacKenzie came out and told us everything went great! The hip is healing perfectly and is in correct position! The cast also did not cause any skin problems! We were so relieved to hear this news, to God be the glory! We asked them to weigh Landen without the cast while they were changing it so we could have a weight at one year....he weighs 10.8 lbs. As expected he is very fussy and upset when he wakes up. The breathing tubes make him hoarse and gives him a sore throat, he's hooked up to different monitors, has an IV, is in an unfamiliar place with people he doesn't know and still hasn't had anything to eat, so I can understand why! It took me about 45 minutes to comfort him and get him settled then he went back to sleep and rested really well! He was monitored for almost two hours and was doing really well so he was cleared to go! Next we went to the cast room for his cast to be finished. He was a little more comfortable by then but still not very happy! He got really upset again when they had to wrap the cast and trim it in a few places. That was very hard to watch. Thankfully he won't remember any of this! We decided to go with a "Carolina Blue" cast this time but it's not exactly that color. It's a little lighter than his first cast but not quite as light as Carolina blue! It turned out really nice though! :)
We were able to leave the hospital and get back on the road around 12pm. The snow storm was expected that afternoon so we wanted to at least leave town before it hit! We just knew we would run in to it though! However we only saw about 20 minutes of snow falling around Washington, D.C. and it had just started so the roads were clear. Again, we didn't go through any bad weather! We weren't sure what to expect when we got home since the ice had shut down everything on Tuesday but all roads were clear! God has perfect timing! We are thanking the Lord for a great report and safe trip! We're waiting to hear the final word on a date for the cast to come off but according to what we've been told he has two more months to go. We are scheduled to go back to Delaware in March for other appointments.

The boys did so good considering two long car rides back to back! They couldn't have been any better! This was Brayden's first trip there and he did really well! I think he enjoyed the experience and we loved having him with us! It also helped distract us! ;) He enjoyed going through the Baltimore Harbor tunnel. After going through a couple of toll booths he asked "Why we have to pay another tale?" Haha....he gave us a good laugh! He liked seeing Ronald McDonald at "the McDonald House." Before we left he was able to go to the Treasure Chest at the Ronald McDonald House and pick out a toy....he got a tractor flashlight! I loved how everyone treated him....everyone included him in conversation and gave him lots of stickers and an icee! The hospital is truly the best we've ever been too! They are extremely friendly and treat you like family! They really care there! Their motto is treating children as if they were their own and they live up to it! We are so thankful for all of the doctors, nurses and staff at the Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children. They are a blessing!

Thank you to everyone who was praying and sent messages letting us know you were praying! You just don't know how encouraging it is! Thank you so much!

Christmas 2010 (Part 2)

2011-01-10T14:23:00.000-05:00

We celebrated Christmas with Luke's family New Years Eve weekend. It was so nice to be together and see each other! Enjoy the pics of Brayden and his crazy cousins! LOL! :)

Our Complete Family

2011-01-10T11:00:00.000-05:00

Now that my brother is married here is the complete family....except for of course any future children/grandchildren! :) I am so thankful for the family I was born into as well as the family I was married into! God has been so good to me!

December Weddings

2011-01-10T09:00:00.000-05:00

My brother got married December 11, 2010. Here are a few pictures of the wedding festivities...
A "Duke" themed rehearsal dinner....our whole family is a Carolina fan except for him. I must say it turned out really nice though! :)

Me and My Sister

The Cason Children

Heather and her family

Me and my family

Landen's custom-made tux!

Little did my parents know that when they got married December 31, 1982 they started a family tradition! All three of their children followed in their footsteps with a December wedding...I got married December 20, 2003 and my sister got married December 13, 2008.

Landen-11 Months

2011-01-08T13:00:00.002-05:00

Weight and Eating
I really cannot believe how fast his first year has gone by! :( I got behind on doing the monthly post but wanted to catch up some. It's hard to tell how much he weighs with the body cast but he was just over 10lbs before he got it and now he is just over 12lbs with it on. He started teething around 6months and he just cut his 4th tooth! So, now he has two on the bottom and two on the top! He is so ready to put them to use too! He is doing much better eating! For about the last month he has been so interested in our food and not much in his baby food! He is doing really well with "chewing" so we're starting the slow process of transitioning to table food. It will still be awhile but it's a start! Rewind to when he started baby food (so I will remember)....June 24th was his first taste of food and his first food was butternut squash. First we gave him all of the veggies and then the fruit. He's not too picky but doesn't care for the green veggies but still gets them mixed in with something he likes! ;) At first he was allergic to bananas but he has outgrown that. At 9 months he started eating meats. He is drinking 5 oz. of formula in every bottle.

Clothes
He continued to wear newborn clothes until around 10 months when he started needing 0-3months for the length. 0-3mo. are a little big especially pants in the waist but perfect in length. But that was right before his surgery and body cast. With the cast he just wears onesies and 0-3mo still fit but he can also wear 3-6mo.

Health
Update on the virus he got right after his surgery...it was not rotavirus. It was a 10 day virus along with a UTI. We were not able to get to Delaware for a cast change so we decided to wait for the scheduled date of January 5th. However the week before Christmas he got a cold and after 10 days of congestion and coughing he began wheezing. I took him to the doctor's office and was told it sounded like RSV so he was given amoxicillin and prednisone. Since it was so close to his procedure and he would still be on medicine, he could not have anesthesia for the cast to be changed. It is rescheduled for Tuesday, January 11th. Please pray this will work out and for a safe trip as the weather is a concern. There is a possibility of snow here and in Delaware.

Life in the Body Cast
Obviously the cast can not get wet so he gets sponge baths...we consider this a blessing because he thinks he can swim and was extremely difficult to bathe! Getting out and about...the hospital kindly provided us with a car seat. It is like a convertible car seat but with out the sides. He does really well in the car and seems comfortable. He can not sit in an umbrella stroller but will "fit" in our double stroller. Recently I've been using the Kozy carrier for shopping since he can't ride in the cart. However the cart can work if it's the only option! ;) A friend so graciously let me borrow the carrier and I love it! It works really well and is comfortable for me and him. Diapering is the most challenging. We have to tuck a smaller diaper under the cast and put a larger diaper over the cast. The positive is that he can't roll over which he loved to do but it's hard to find the right diaper/size that will prevent leaks. He has become a GREAT sleeper since being in the cast and this was one of our concerns. He sleeps in a pack-n-play propped up in a boppy pillow. He sleeps all night and has been for several months. He goes to sleep on his own and lets us know when he's ready to go to bed and then he gets so excited when we're putting him in his bed. It's funny! He loves a blanket and loves to snuggle! ;) He's actually sleeping better than he was before the cast! He takes a morning nap and an afternoon nap and goes to bed around 8 or 8:30pm.

Some of the things Landen can say and do....
he has been wrinkling his nose for a while now but it is so cute! So, September 22nd marks the day he began "crawling." He never did the typical "crawl" I think because of his hip. He did more of an army crawl and would pull himself around. As you know he didn't let the cast stop him so he still does that. Before the cast he had just started pulling up as well and believe it or not he has started doing it again in the cast! Now this surprises me...I don't know why because he has amazing determination. I expected him to "crawl" around but not to "stand up!" He can say da-da, ma-ma, bye, why (yes that's what it sounds like and he hears it all the time from his brother!) and alot of other babbling I can't understand! ;) He can wave, clap and smack his lips for a kiss! He is so happy and brings us so much joy!

6 Months
7 Months

8 Months

His first mess!
9 Months
10 Months

11 Months

(Sorry for the extremely long post....I'm hoping to keep up better!)

Christmas Snow

2010-12-31T18:33:00.000-05:00

It started snowing late Christmas night. At first I didn't think it was coming but it finally did! By Sunday morning it was so beautiful! All day it looked like a blizzard! :) We haven't seen this much snow in a LONG time. We ended up getting anywhere from 10 inches to a foot! Certainly not normal for us! Brayden played in it a few times and really enjoyed it! :) By the weekend it's suppose to be 60 degrees.....that's North Carolina weather for you! :)

Christmas 2010

2010-12-30T18:34:00.000-05:00

Landen's First Christmas!

We truly had a blessed Christmas! We actually had to wake Brayden up. I'm wondering when he will start waking us up?! After our family Christmas we went to my parents home where the rest of my family met throughout the day! It was so nice to be together and celebrate the birth of our Lord! Thank you Lord for your many blessings! Happy Birthday Jesus!

A Match Made in Heaven!

2010-12-27T15:36:00.004-05:00

On December 20th we celebrated our 7th wedding anniversary! I cannot believe it's been that long! It sure doesn't seem like it! I guess the old saying is true..."time flies when you're having fun!" :) Just for something different and since I haven't posted anything about "us" before let me tell you our love story.....We met at Chick-fil-A in Smithfield in 2001. I was 16 and Luke was 18. I worked there first and then he started working there shortly after his brother Josh did. However I noticed him before he started working there. As a young girl I was taught to pray for the man of my dreams and to believe he was "out there." Thankfully I was young and had very wise parents so I did not "date" anyone before Luke! I am so thankful for that! Actually he can say the same exact thing, what a blessing! :) One day I was going in to work and I noticed Luke sitting at a table in CFA waiting to pick up his brother, but what I noticed (besides his good looks!:)) was what he was doing....reading his Bible! From that moment on I knew there was something very special about him! I couldn't really explain it I just knew it! Just a few weeks later he began working at CFA and we had the opportunity to get to know one another. First we became friends and before long we knew without a doubt that we were made for each other! With blessings from both of our parents we felt led to begin pursuing marriage. He is the answer to my prayers and dreams and then some! Two years later Luke proposed to me on June 16, 2003 and six months later we were married on December 20, 2003! Our love has grown and continues to grow stronger and stronger! We've learned so much in the last 7 years and still have so much more to learn. We love the life God has blessed us with and are so glad God put us together!!

Thanksgiving 2010

2010-12-16T16:18:00.006-05:00

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving in Morehead City! Much thanks to our Grandmama for the wonderful meal she prepared! :) This was Landen's and Kaiden's (our nephew) first thanksgiving! Unfortunately Landen was in the middle of his 10-day virus so he couldn't even taste anything! :(

My husband's family actually lives in the same city as my grandparents so the following pictures are from our time there. Brayden loved the trampoline, football and the lawnmower trailer ride! ;)

Our niece Hadessah

We are so thankful for all God has brought us through this year. We thank God for giving us the blessings of family, our church family and friends! God is so good!

First 2 Weeks in Body Cast

2010-12-02T14:21:00.003-05:00

The very first day Landen was home with the body cast he began pulling himself around on the floor! I really wasn't surprised, I just didn't expect it right away! He sure doesn't let ANYTHING stop him! He is a very determined and tough little guy! Landen hasn't eaten very well since his surgery. However, this was starting to become a slight concern before surgery. He still eats, just sometimes he doesn't seem interested or eat very much. Mainly I feel like it is an issue with quantity and figuring out how much food he actually needs. Sometimes its hard to determine what he needs and to figure out if we base his needs on his age or his size.

Unfortunately, Landen got really sick just five days after his surgery. He couldn't keep anything down and could not eat. Poor little guy, he has been through so much! :( We had to take him to the doctor twice and ended up in the ER on the 7th day. Thankfully he was not dehydrated. We were so worried he was after not keeping anything down, except pedialyte and not eating for an entire week! The pedialyte was working thankfully! They think he has rotavirus and we are waiting on test results to confirm that. After about 10 days he finally started feeling better, he began eating and keeping it down and started to be much happier! :) It is such a relief to see him getting better! However, a body cast and virus DO NOT go together! :( We have worked so hard to keep it clean but it has been nearly impossible! We are communicating with the staff at Nemours about getting it changed possibly. Regardless the cast will be changed twice during the four months. The first cast change is scheduled for Jan. 5th. We will see if we can wait that long!

Brayden has done really well with Landen! He refers to the cast as "castle!" He is a GREAT big brother. I love to watch Brayden and Landen together...there love for each other is so obvious!
Brayden started getting sick last night, please pray its not what Landen had and that he is better soon!

Landen's Surgery

2010-11-23T20:30:00.003-05:00

Landen had his hip surgery last Tuesday and praise the Lord it was successful! Everything went so well. When they took him back he didn't even cry. After about an hour the nurse came and told me he was doing fine and they were putting his cast on. Talk about a HUGE sigh of relief, I can't even explain it! Throughout the whole process though God gave us an unexplainable peace and we surely felt His presence. Another hour later they called Luke and I back to see him. He was fussy and understandably so! He was in his body cast and we were able to hold him right away. We tried our best to comfort him but he was pretty upset! Who wouldn't be though after being put to sleep and waking up in a body cast! Poor buddy! They gave him some pain medicine that calmed him down some but the entire day was fairly miserable for him. A little while later they transferred us to his room and we got settled in. He was able to rest some off and on but it was hard because he was constantly being checked. He really did not like his IV or the blood pressure cuff. He would cry every time they checked his blood pressure and tried several times to pull the IV out! Late that night he had a MRI to make sure his hip was in place correctly. Needless to say it was a very long and exhausting day but we were so happy to have that behind us and thankful for answered prayers!

On Wednesday the doctor checked in and said the MRI looked great! They also had to finish his cast. We debated about colors and had originally picked Carolina Blue. I changed my mind though when I started thinking about what color would show less dirt and what color would be easier to match shirts with so we went with dark blue so it would look like jeans! His cast is denim, definitely not Duke Blue! ;) We were taught how to care for his cast and how to change his diaper. The diaper area of the cast was cut out so we basically tuck a small diaper under the cast and put a larger diaper on over the cast. We also had to get a new car seat from the hospital. He will not fit in the regular infant car seat. They so graciously provided us with one, made sure he fit correctly and that it was installed correctly. Once all that was complete around 4pm we were free to go home! We were so ready!

We want to thank everyone for praying, even people we do not know! We can't even begin to express how grateful we feel for all the love, support and prayers from so many. THANK YOU! We are also thankful for the family members who have been by our side through everything! We also thank our Lord for getting us through this. It would not have been possible without Him!

Even In The Valley, God Is Good!

2010-11-15T23:02:00.000-05:00

We were hoping for a much better week last week and it was for the most part! However it wasn't uneventful unfortunately! Thursday morning Luke was getting back into his routine of playing basketball early in the morning with some guys at a local church. He was simply jogging back down the court when all of the sudden his ankle gave out and sent him to the floor! The guys heard it pop three times. They all gathered around him and even had prayer for him! Thankfully he was able to get up and walk on it although it was very painful. For two days he walked on it and went to work while taking Motrin and icing it as much as possible. It was swollen and bruised really bad from his ankle to his calf. On Saturday, some paramedics came into the restaurant and highly recommended he get it checked out. So he did and over the weekend they put him in a cast and on crutches until he could get in with an orthopedist. Thankfully he was able to get in Monday morning before we left for Delaware. The good news was the doctor did not think surgery would be required and he could go to work wearing a brace. The bad news was he tore three ligaments and slightly tore his Achilles tendon. The doctor could not believe Luke was wearing a brace when it happened because it looked really bad! He has to wear a boot except at work where he can wear his shoe with a brace. He has been in a lot of pain with it but he doesn't let that stop him! He is slowly recovering and trying to rehab it as much as possible. However, the most shocking news we got from this was that his injury was another result from his allergic reaction to sulfa!!! We could not believe it and wished we had been informed that this was possible. Anyway, we are taking one day at a time and trusting God for better days! We are so thankful for all God is teaching us during these valleys. Even in the valley God is good!

Another Rough Week

2010-11-06T22:20:00.004-04:00

Brayden got sick with a bad cough and cold while we were in Delaware last week. Since Landen must be well for his next surgery date we felt it best to keep them away from each other for a few days. We didn't want to take any chances for his surgery this time around! My sister so graciously volunteered to keep Brayden for us and I'm extremely thankful for that! Although it was a tough decision we knew it was for the best. We missed Brayden more than you can imagine!

Luke never really got better after the infection in his arm. The antibiotics had side effects that made him feel sick. A week after the medicine, around 4am on Monday morning he was awaken with severe abdominal pain. He was able to tough it out the best he could. We got him a doctor's appointment for Tuesday at noon. As soon as we got there they knew Luke was very sick. The first thing the doctor said to us was: "Wow guys what is God testing you for?" Then he said: "Well, when God tests someone like this He usually has something really great in store!" We are so thankful for a Christian doctor. He did not like the way Luke looked and thought he might be having a UC flare-up or an appendicitis. He admitted Luke to the hospital right away. We got there around 2pm. They did a CT scan to check his colon and his appendix. We found out on Wednesday that it was normal! This was extremely great news since Luke was diagnosed with UC last year and has been medicine-free since May of this year. They saw nothing wrong with his colon! Praise the Lord! We were so happy to hear this!

Things changed somewhat on Wednesday morning when we discovered a horrendous rash on Luke's back that was quickly spreading over the majority of his body! The doctors and nurses said it was the worst rash they have seen this year! He was given Benadryl to control the itching. So, now he has abdominal pain and a rash with several possible causes. They continued to determine an exact cause. It seemed suspicious that this all started with cellulitis and then one thing led to the next and he just kept getting worse. We wondered if it was all related?

On Thursday he had an ultrasound to check his gallbladder since he had all the symptoms of that as well. Friday morning the results were in and again were normal! They then did a Hida scan to check the function of the gallbladder and liver. By lunch time Friday the results were in and thankfully were normal as well! By this time Luke was starting to feel much better! It was concluded that he had an allergic reaction to sulfa (the antibiotics he was given for the skin infection) and possibly some type of intestinal infection/virus.

We got home Friday around 3pm and it has never felt so good to be home. Although we were only in the hospital 3 days it felt like an entire month! By then Brayden was back home and it was so wonderful to have our entire family back together again! We can't describe the joy in our hearts!

Luke continues to feel better and is trying to regain his strength and energy. He still has the rash but it is getting better. I want to thank EVERYONE that helped out with the boys, sent us texts, came to visit us, brought us meals, called us, sent us cards and flowers and most of all for all the prayers! God is so good and we are so thankful for all He has brought us through!

"Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivereth them out of them all." Psalms 34:19

A Rough Week

2010-10-28T20:39:00.000-04:00

Sunday Luke noticed a red, swollen spot on his arm. By the end of the day it was traveling up his arm and was swelling more. He also was feeling horrible and worse by the minute. Thankfully we were with my parents so they took the boys and I took Luke to the E.R. (Where are the 24-hour Urgent Cares' anymore?!?!) They said it was cellulitis, a skin infection that had gotten to his bloodstream. The infection caused all of his symptoms: fever, body aches and stomach cramps. It made him feel weak and nauseated. They treated the spot and gave him antibiotics. We got to the E.R. Sunday night at 10pm and got home at 3am! He was unable to go to work on Monday and we were scheduled to leave for Delaware Tuesday afternoon. So, having to miss more work than already planned and getting sick before Landen's surgery was really disappointing! However, God knew this would happen and allowed it to happen so we must trust His plan and not our own! Although it's a lot easier to say than do!

Luke has had a slow recovery but we left Tuesday about 12:30pm to go to Delaware. Angel Flights did not work out this time due to inclement weather. We had a good trip and arrived at the Ronald McDonald House at 7:30pm. My mom, dad, sister, nephew, Luke's mom and dad and sister all got there a little after we did. We all talked for a bit and then got some rest. We had to be at the hospital at 7:30am Wednesday, the 27th. We met a little early and Luke led us in devotions sharing some encouraging scriptures that have really helped us through this. He, my dad and his dad all led us in a time of prayer in the hospital lobby. We then went to Surgical Services and got checked in. We met with the nurses and doctors and they took him back about 9am. Very shortly after we got settled in the waiting room, I was called back. Luke had just left to get us a bite to eat. I was so scared because they shouldn't have been calling me back there. The man didn't say anything either so I was terrified! We went through one door and when the second door was opened I was so relieved to see Landen being held by a nurse! I was so shocked and everything happened so fast I wasn't really sure what was going on.

Landen had a cold last week but we had the go-ahead from the doctors to move forward with the surgery. However, when they attempted anesthesia, Landen began gasping. Breathing became very difficult for him because of his tiny airways in addition to the congestion. Mucus started coming up. His congestion was much worse than any of us thought. As soon as that happened the doctor and nurses stopped everything. That's when they came and got me! It was decided that it was just too dangerous for him to have anesthesia with the present congestion. I am so thankful that God was with Landen and that He gave the doctor and nurses wisdom to respond to the danger.

I gave Landen a bottle and got him settled. (He wasn't able to eat that morning.) A nurse walked me out and by that time Luke was walking up. I was pretty upset so the nurse explained to Luke what happened and then the surgeon came out and talked to us. He was very encouraging and felt our frustrations but we all agreed this was for the best no doubt!

Landen's surgery was rescheduled for November 16th. We know so many people were praying for us even people we don't know! I can't tell you how much that means to us. We know God is in control and He is working His perfect plan! Please keep us in your prayers!

Delaware Trip #2 (Oct 20-22, 2010)

2010-10-22T20:37:00.008-04:00

We were so grateful to be informed about Angel Flights. It is an organization of volunteer pilots that provide free transportation for people who need medical care that cannot be filled in their local area. We are so thankful for Angel Flights. It is about a 2-hour flight from home to Wilmington, DE and anywhere from 7-9 hour drive depending on traffic from D.C. on up! We left the Louisburg/Raleigh airport at about 5:30pm on Wednesday, Oct. 20th and arrived in Wilmington around 7pm. I was very nervous about the flight for a number of reasons! This was our first flight on a private plane and neither one of us has flown very much at all. This was also Landen's first flight! Once we were in the air good though it was incredible! We actually really enjoyed it! Definitely much better than commercial flights! We were able to watch the sun set from the clouds! :)

Landen had two appointments on Thursday at the A.I duPont Hospital for Children, one with the orthopedist and the other with Pre-Op. However, in the very early hours of Thursday morning Landen woke up with a high fever. When we got to the doctor's appointment we found out his temperature was 102! We gave him tylenol as soon as possible. We were able to continue the appointments but even after the tylenol his temperature went up to 104! After the appointments they sent us directly to the ER and they got us right back. Landen was very lethargic and was hardly eating. After an initial examination nothing was obvious so they attempted to get him to eat. They tried apple juice mixed with pedialyte, pedialtye popsicle, applesauce and gatorade with a syringe. He refused everything! So they had to do IV fluids. They did a chest x-ray, blood work and tested his urine. Thankfully everything came back fine. After a few doses of tylenol and some fluids his temperature started coming down. Before we left it came down to 99.5. They said he must have gotten some kind of virus and that he could go home (Ronald McDonald House). He was acting a little more like himself so we could tell he was starting to feel better. We got to the hospital that morning at 8:30 and didn't leave the ER until 6:30. Needless to say it was a very long and rough day!

His IV:
We were able to get some rest that night and by the next day, Landen started eating a little better and was a little more happy. He's slowly becoming himself again! We left Wilmington, DE around 11:30am on Friday. Luke actually got to sit up front with the pilot on the way home! Again, we had another great flight! It got off to a rough start that was a little scary because it was very windy in Delaware but once we got up in the air it was much smoother! We arrived at the Johnston County Airport at 1:30pm. Again, we are so thankful for Angel Flights and for the wonderful pilots who made this trip possible.
Ready for take-off!! Landen did great on both flights! The rocking and vibrations of the plane during take-off put him right to sleep and he slept the entire flight both times! I guess his ears popping didn't bother him at all!
Landen now weighs 10 lbs. 2 oz. and is 23 inches long or 24.5 inches long. Because of his dislocated hip one leg is shorter than the other. We were given both measurements at his appointments so I'm assuming one nurse measured one leg and the other nurse measured the other leg. The doctor is hopeful in performing a surgical procedure on Landen called a Closed Reduction. That is a reduction of a fractured bone by manipulation without incision into the skin. It does require anesthesia. It is a two-hour procedure and he will stay one night in the hospital. A small incision is possible in his tendon. If the doctor is unable to get the hip back in place with force he will slightly snip his tendon and that should allow him to get it in place. If that is successful he more than likely will be put in a spica cast (body cast) for about four months. If it is unsuccessful a surgical procedure called an open reduction would be required. We were very pleased to hear the doctor say he really feels like a closed reduction will work. Please be in prayer about this with us! We are very nervous but we are trusting in God's perfect plan! Next week will be very difficult but we know God will carry us through. Thanks to everyone who has already prayed many prayers on our behalf. We certainly feel them and see God at work through all of this!

Thirty-One 2010 Gift Guide

2010-10-19T22:16:00.001-04:00

Check out this video featuring all of the great products in our brand new Gift Guide! Send me an email if you'd like to request a catalog or click on the link to the right to go to my website. Now is a great time to start Christmas shopping! :)

Baby Food!

2010-10-17T16:23:00.000-04:00

Landen had his first taste of baby food on June 24! His first food was butternut squash. He loved it and did really well! He knew exactly what to do! :) We introduced veggies first and then fruits. He was allergic to bananas at first but has outgrown that. He doesn't really like green beans or peas but will eat them if they are mixed with a better flavor! ;)

*This post is really late but just for the record.....I'm trying to catch up on some details I want to remember but have gotten behind with all that's been going on.

Update on Landen's Hips

2010-10-13T16:17:00.003-04:00

Landen had an appointment today at UNC concerning his hips. The doctor explained that based on the x-ray results from Delaware that his left hip is completely dislocated and the right hip appears to be in place. The right hip socket is slightly shallow and the left hip socket is considerably shallow. He recommended an Arthrogram which is a test using x-rays after a dye has been inserted into the joint to get a better picture of the hip dysplasia. If during the test he could get the hip in place and in a position to stay in place he could put a cast, harness or brace on Landen. He would need to wear the cast for a good while to see if it would work. If it did not work surgery would be the next option. However, the doctor cannot say if this plan will work in Landen's case with primordial dwarfism. The purpose of the cast is to give the bones time to grow and form correctly. However, since Landen's rate of growth is extremely delayed the doctor is uncertain if a cast would be beneficial. The longer we wait to have this corrected the worse the hip dysplasia becomes and the more complicated it will be to fix. We have an appointment in Delaware next week to see a primordial dwarfism bone specialist. The team of doctors there are the only ones who work with PD on a regular basis. They have dealt with this situation before unlike the local doctors. We feel more confidant in getting their opinion and working with them. Thankfully, this is not causing Landen any pain. He is a very determined little guy and doesn't' let anything stop him! :) We appreciate all the prayers, please continue to pray for us!

October Thirty-One Specials!

2010-10-04T14:19:00.000-04:00

NOW is a great time to start your Christmas shopping! Browse the NEW Thirty-One Catalog by clicking here or send me an email and request a catalog (see email link to the right under pictures). You'll be glad you did! ;)

Flashback!

2010-10-02T15:43:00.000-04:00

Remember this?

That was in February 2009 when he was a year and a half old!

This is now at three years old! Both times he climbed in the cabinet on his own, I guess some things never change! ;)

Update on Luke

2010-09-28T23:09:00.000-04:00

As many of you know last summer Luke was diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis/Chron's. Obviously that wasn't an answer we were looking for but we finally had an answer after five years of random flare-ups. He was immediately put on Remicade to treat the disease. After getting the treatment established he began treatment every 8 weeks. He began to feel like a new person! That is until a few months ago when he began to have flare-ups a week or so before treatment was due. Also in early May he noticed the following symptoms: a mysterious rash, chest discomfort and pain, shortness of breath, feeling tired and weak, turning pale, numbness in his left arm, the left side of his face, and occasionally in his legs, swelling in his ankles and a poor appetite. All are side effects of Remicade. He called his GI doctor reporting his symptoms and told them he thought he was having side effects of his medicine. They didn't think so because it is rare and they have never seen it. So, they referred him to a neurologist and also ordered a colonoscopy. The colonscopy results were great! The colon and intestine looked really good with no inflammation, meaning Remicade was working. The neurologist said the same thing, he didn't think it was related to the Remicade so he ordered a MRI of the neck and head. Nothing showed up that would cause his symptoms. So the neurologist referred him to a cardiologist. The cardiologist ordered an ultrasound of his heart and a stress test. That came back normal. The cardiologist said it could be Remicade or even the colitis causing the symptoms if the lining of his stomach was inflamed. He was prescribed a medicine to help with the inflammation. If he takes the medicine and his symptoms disappear, we have an answer. However, we heard of a chiropractor who was confidant he could help Luke since he currently treats patients diagnosed with colitis. We decided it couldn't hurt to give him a try. We really didn't want to put more medicine in his body and risk more side effects. Luke's initial visit with the chiropractor revealed that his neck was locked up in three different places. We learned that that alone could cause all of his digestive issues. The chiropractor began special treatments on Luke. These treatments are not your typical chiropractors work. He uses an instrument that unlocks his nerves. It is fairly simple and nearly pain-free. He started treatments in July and hasn't had any medicine since the end of May and has absolutely no digestive problems or any symptoms of colitis!! Praise the Lord! He goes to the chiropractor every two weeks for now. We are so thankful to God for allowing this doctor to have the knowledge to help Luke and for putting this doctor in our path! We feel so encouraged that we can control this "disease" it doesn't have to control us! The chiropractor said that it's possible Luke may never have digestive issues again once he is done with treatments. Something we were told he would live with for the rest of his life! That is a miracle and we thank you Lord!

Moving Forward

2010-09-24T15:06:00.001-04:00

While doing research online about primordial dwarfism (PD) we kept seeing the name of Dr. Michael Bober. He is considered one of only a few experts that have studied PD. He has also been featured on TV about PD. Since PD is extremely rare there are not many doctors who have ever seen it let alone know much about it. We decided we would love the opportunity to meet this doctor. Luke simply decided to call the hospital where he practices, the DuPont Hospital for Children in Wilmington Delaware. To our surprise but not God's it was very simple to get through and after about an hour on the phone we had an appointment to meet Dr. Bober in two weeks! We could not believe it but we knew God had made things possible. We met with Dr. Bober last Friday and learned so much. First of all we were very happy with all of the staff from the Ronald McDonald House to the hospital. Everyone was extremely friendly! Dr. Bober himself came to get us from where we were waiting and met us! Now, this is a doctor who gets 14 million contacts a year and is incredibly busy. However, he gave us all the time he had and that meant a lot. We spent about 2 hours talking with him and the genetic counselor. As I said we learned so much but unfortunately we still have a lot to learn since we are dealing with something so rare. According to what we do know so far, Landen is the only one with PD in North Carolina and the youngest out of approximately 100 in the world. We learned that Landen's left hip is dislocated and that his hips are not formed correctly. This is not causing Landen any pain nor any developmental delays. However, it is causing his left leg to be shorter than his right leg and will cause major problems if it is not corrected. We are communicating with doctors to determine what steps are necessary to correct his hip problems. Please pray for wisdom and peace concerning these decisions.

There are six types of primordial dwarfism. Landen does not have any obvious symptoms of either type and for now falls into the "Unclassified" category. Dr. Bober was not comfortable making a diagnosis at this point. He said the wrong diagnosis is worst than no diagnosis. Although, we do not have an exact diagnosis, three types were ruled out. MOPD I, MOPD III, and Russell-Silver Syndrome were ruled out. Hopefully with more time and research we will know more. Speaking of research, we were asked to participate in two different studies for PD. The first one is the Registry Research at the hospital. The second one is DNA research. As of right now, we will participate in both. The first one is simply an agreement to let the hospital review Landen's medical records and follow his case. The second one involves DNA research of myself, Luke and Landen. We will provide DNA samples that will be shipped to Scotland. When the doctor conducting the research has enough samples he will run a batch of test. This could take up to a year. The main purpose for the DNA research is to look for mutations in the Pericentrin (PCNT) Gene.If he has this gene mutation he is at high vascular risk. If he does not he is not at vascular risk. The vascular risk include a stroke and brain aneurysm. One option is to have a MRI/MRA to determine his vascular risk to possibly prevent a stroke or aneurysm. However, anesthesia is extremely risky with his condition, which would be required for the test to be performed. Dr. Bober is not certain, but he does not have enough evidence to lead him to believe Landen has this gene mutation. So, the other option is to wait up to a year for DNA results to know for sure. However, this is also a risk because if he does have the gene mutation and we don't know about it a stroke or aneurysm can occur at any time. It has been known to happen to a six month old and to a baby in utero. Please pray for wisdom concerning this extremely difficult decision.

According to Landen's growth chart, his weight (9lbs. 13oz.) is that of a one month old, his height (23.2in.) is that of a two-and-a-half month old, and his head circumference is that of a term infant. So although he appears proportional he really is not. This actually confirms the diagnosis of primordial dwarfism. The definition of PD being 1) born small, 2)remains small, and 3)is disproportionate.

As you can imagine we are quite overwhelmed with all the information and we are still processing everything and probably will be for a long time. We want to thank everyone for their prayers and the support that has been given in different ways. We have been blessed beyond measure with love and support from our family, our church family and our friends. We are forever grateful!

We are constantly seeing God's fingerprints everywhere and that is what keeps us going! We don't know what God is doing but we know He knows best and one day God's perfect purpose will be revealed (John 13:7)! We also know that the peace of God which passeth all understanding will keep our hearts and minds through Christ Jesus (Phil. 4:7). "Blessed be the LORD God, the God of Israel, who only doeth wondrous things." -Psalm 72:18

The Ronald McDonald House of Delaware:

Landen with Ronald:)

The entrance to the hospital:

Dr. Bober and the genetic counselor with Landen:

Brayden's 1st Day of "Preschool!"

2010-09-07T16:19:00.003-04:00

Brayden had his first day of preschool today! He has been so excited as I have been getting things ready. He loved it! We started with Bible time and learned about Baby Moses. Next we had a song time, followed by a craft. Today he made a clay crocodile! By the way, I got attacked by the crocodile when we were finished! LOL! :) Next, we reviewed the alphabet with flashcards and then he did a few worksheets teaching the color red! When we were finished he kept asking, "Why's preschool over?" I assured him we would do more tomorrow! :) I guess that means he liked it....I hope that continues! :)

Another Change In Our Journey

2010-08-25T23:55:00.000-04:00

About this time last year we experienced a change in our journey with Luke's diagnosis of ulcerative colitis/Crohn's. It has been a challenging year to say the least. As many of you know our son, Landen, is extremely small. There never was too much concern from the doctors until a few months ago when his rate of growth did not increase. Our doctor referred us to another doctor that eventually led us to UNC. On Thursday, July 29th we received life changing news that completely changes the journey we were on. Landen was diagnosed with Primordial Dwarfism. We were completely shocked and still are. We were not even expecting an answer that day and certainly not this answer. We actually didn't expect an answer at all. There never has been any concern and all the doctors said he could be little for no reason. Primordial Dwarfism is extremely rare. There are about 100 primordial dwarfs in the world, making the chances one in 3 million. It is actually the rarest form of dwarfism and there are about 200 types of dwarfism. His type of dwarfism means his body is and will be proportionate. There are five or six types of primordial dwarfs. We do not know yet what type Landen has and we may not know for a while. He will start getting x-rays done of his bones when he turns one in January. It will just take time to monitor the growth of his bones before anything can be determined. Because it is so rare there is not much information so we do not know what to expect. That's one of the hardest parts, just not knowing. Our biggest question right now is "why?" We probably will never know the answer to that but we are trusting God's perfect plan. However, it does not make this any easier. It's been amazing how everywhere we turn we see God's hand! We have been encouraged in so many ways and the support of our family, church family and friends is such an overwhelming blessing! Although, we did not see this coming we know God did. To us, Landen is perfect! He is just the way God made him, fearfully and wonderfully (Psalms 139:14)! We are trying to focus on the positive. We do realize the diagnosis could have been much worse. We are thankful that Landen is not sick. Other than being small he is healthy and happy! He has a smile for everyone! He is such a joy to be around! We don't feel worthy to be used by God but we have realized that we have been entrusted with Landen. Luke and I were chosen to be his momma and daddy! We have adopted the following verse to be our family's verse: Romans 8:18 "For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us." This is our hope! I just imagine God is hurting with us but at the same time I know He sees the future and knows all the good that will come from this. He is preparing us for something greater than our circumstances and God can use us in ways that would have been impossible before now. In fact, we've already had a glimpse of that. Just 4 days after the diagnosis we were out eating lunch and we met a family with a 15 month old son with dwarfism. They live in the same town we do! Now that's a God-thing. There is no other way to explain that. We plan to keep in touch with this family and we have a strong burden to share the Lord with them. This would not have been possible before. We appreciate every word of encouragement and every prayer that has been prayed. We would appreciate continued prayers for us as we embark on this new journey.