New Years Eve

Thank you to all who are still following and still praying! It means so much to us.

Just before Christmas Jackson started having some significant tummy aches. He has battled that off and on since then, and by last Friday our pediatrician went ahead and had him come in to be checked out. His belly is a bit of a mystery! Sometimes he doesn't spit up at all, then other times frequently; sometimes constipated and sometimes diarrhea; horrific rumbling noises; sometimes absolutely miserable with tube feedings or medicine doses then other times sleeps right through it. So we have had quite a go at "trial and error" treatment since all this started. We even tried no daytime tube feedings for two days! That was a huge fail--he only took about 1.5 ounces of milk total from his bottle. He would show interest in it only to arch his back and cry after taking a few sips. Our pediatrician feels that his belly is very irritated from the NG tube (ie foreign object), as well as from all the medications he's on. She switched him to a different antacid to see if that might help (we haven't noticed much difference thus far), cut back the amount of milk he gets at each feed (or rather stopped the advancing of the total amount for now), and told us to give gas drops religiously. He had an X-ray of his belly Monday that showed extreme amounts of air in his intestines. His pacemaker takes up a VERY significant portion of his abdomen, so it's pretty likely that that is a key trouble-maker as well. We would appreciate prayer for resolution of these issues and for wisdom for us and the doctor to know if any other changes need to be made. Of course one huge prayer would be to be able to get rid of the NG tube altogether. The speech therapist (who teaches him how to drink...not speak ;) ) has taken a bit longer than expected to come evaluate him and begin treatments...just because of the holidays. Lord-willing she will come this next Tuesday for her first visit.

These are strange days for us. As grateful as we are to be at my parents home (pray for them...I'm not sure we were ever actually invited to stay for a month!), we still aren't back to our home, so there is an aspect of still feeling/being unsettled. We are very weary of suitcases. And, though Jackson's care is far less strenuous now that the IV is gone, it is still very time-consuming and challenging to juggle the needs of one child...much less three! There is also an aspect in which coming home feels like a big let down. We were chomping at the bit for weeks to get back to friends and family--only to come home and immediately go into hiding in order to protect Jackson from germs. It is our prayer and desire that God would be more near in our isolation than He ever has been before. It is also our prayer that these trials would bear much fruit in our lives. The Bible speaks constantly of the "pruning" and "purifying" work that trials achieve in the lives of believers. But it doesn't happen by osmosis. Pray that we might learn the precious lessons God desires to teach us through these difficult days. And that at the end of our isolation we might be better companions than we've ever been before!

I see hurt all around me since Jackson was born. Usually it only takes the slightest prodding beneath the surface of any given person to uncover tremendous, deep scars and pain. I can't even begin to imagine what the friends and relatives of those lost on AirAsia are feeling right now. How I praise God, deeper in these days than I did before, that the Bible never puts a stamp on our world that declares it, "right". Or even "normal". No, sin has ruined everything. God calls it like it is, and then proceeds to assure us, "He will wipe away every tear from [our] eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain." Revelation 21:4 I can't feel that right now...but by God's grace I know it is true and I will experience it one day.