January 27th

I've been out of the blogging mode for quite a while. Missy entered the last note on the 17th, so I thought now would be a great time to put a little word in on Noah.

He is growing right along. I am quite sure that he is over 8 lbs now and is well on his way to 9. He recently has been having some issues with what I think is reflux. He has several signs that point to that and he has been having quite a bit of pain. We started him on Zantac last week to try to decrease the pain and he seems to be doing a little better. He continues to battle with it though.

Noah has a visit from the early intervention person tomorrow to evaluate his need for possible special services. This is based on how he is developing relative to what is normal for someone born as early as he was, etc. Based on what I've seen from him, I think he is unlikely to require services, but it is always worth evaluating.

Missy has really been having a rough go out of Noah lately. He is keeping her up a lot and then she either works the next day or stays home with Noah and Anna. She is the most amazing mommy/wife/woman I have ever known. I want to help her, but I feel like some sort of invalid. I have been doing as much with Anna as I can, but I feel like that hasn't helped that much.

I am about to start my ICU month on the 1st. That promises to decrease my time at home and make it that much more difficult for Miss. I will be working 80 hours/week and will be staying overnight at the hospital every 4th night. I have not been looking forward to the month and certainly don't want to burden Miss with more work. That's the unfortunate nature of the fellowship that I am undertaking.

Anna has been intermittently having issues. She seems to be regressing lately in the realm of bathroom habits. She has been much more whiney than she has ever been. She's fine when I get to take her to do something or if we are playing games. I am trying to do that as much as possible. She obviously has trouble when she's home all day and Miss has to tend to Noah the majority of the day. She's used to having Mommy all to herself, and it's taken a toll on her. We like to think that she is this mature little girl, but the fact is she's a little girl who wants mommy and daddy to dote over her. It's a hard situation.

My mom's eye has completely healed. I think she is already planning a trip up to see the grand kids in March or April.

Our friends Jim & Catherine Lewis are coming up this week. Jim has a conference that he is attending during the week, then they will be staying with us on Saturday and Sunday. We are certainly looking forward to having them.

Of note, God has provided someone to take care of Noah now that Missy has returned to work. Our friend Susie Camarote from Grace Chapel is staying with the squirt. We are so thankful for her. She does a great job with Noah. Also, if anyone is interested, her dad makes an awesome meat loaf.

Thanks for checking on Noah and Missy today.

Please pray for the following:
Guy, Mary, and their family
Ebrahim's walk with the Lord
Noah, and his big sister Anna, that they would come to know the Lord at a young age
God's continued working in the lives of our friends and family
Opportunities to be salt and light to others

Please thank God for (at least) the following:
His love, grace, faithfulness, and provision

"Be at rest once more, O my soul, for the LORD has been good to you."
Psalm 116:7

January 17, 2008

I realized it has been a while since we last blogged. Noah is doing great. At his pediatrician visit Monday , he tipped the scales at 7 lb 11 oz!! Closing in on 8 lbs is so exciting. He has been sleeping okay (not great). He is getting better about sleeping in his bassinet instead of his bouncer. Today I was playing with him and put some stuffed animals near him and he reached out to touch the tiger and puppy dog. He is making responsive facial expressions too. This morning around 10:30am I called his opthamologist to find out when his appointment was for tomorrow and I was quickly informed it was at 11:15 am TODAY! So Anna quickly changed out of her pj's and I threw on some presentable clothes and changed Noah's diaper and outfit and rushed out the door! We got great news... Noah doesn't have to go back for a check up for 3 months. We have been going every 2 weeks. His eyes are perfect the doctor said!

It snowed a good bit here today, at least from my view point. Any Havertown residents reading this are probably laughing at me right now. If there is enough to make snowballs, it is a good bit to me. Anna and I were the only ones sledding last year when we got around 2 inches though...we got alot of funny looks. She wanted to go sledding today but I have been under the weather and Noah isn't quite ready to head out on the sled just yet.

Tom went to Memphis this past weekend and had a good visit with friends as well as fulfilled his Air National Guard duties. My best friend from dental school, Kristen, flew up this past weekend and we had a really good time visiting. It had been almost a year since we had seen each other. She also helped me out greatly with the kids.

Thanks for continuing to check on us!

Please pray for the following:
Guy, Mary, and their family
Ebrahim's walk with the Lord
Noah, and his big sister Anna, that they would come to know the Lord at a young age
God's continued working in the lives of our friends and family
Opportunities to be salt and light to others


Please thank God for (at least) the following:
His love, grace, faithfulness, and provision

January 5th

Since the last entry was a week ago, happy new year to all who have been reading Noah's blog. I pray that all are well and looking forward to what lies ahead in the new year. A year ago, we had no idea what lay in store for us in 2007. At that time we weren't definitely aiming for a second child. Boy how things can change!

Noah has been doing quite well over the last week. He is gaining weight well. He went for his two month pediatrician visit on Thursday and tipped the scales at 6 lbs 13 oz. He also received his requisite vaccinations. He seemed to tolerate those fairly well. He visited the ophthalmologist again on Friday. He is progressing well, though his retinal arteries have not completely reached the periphery yet. I'm not really sure why he's going for follow-up visits with the character.

Noah has been sleeping a bit better the last couple of nights thanks to an anti-gas medication. He had really been wearing us out over the preceding week. Missy was taking the brunt of it, but as always she tolerated it like a champ. Anna, Noah, and I are extremely blessed and thankful for her.

Missy, as you might be able to tell, is doing fairly well these days. She is starting back to work and is hopeful to get Noah's child care sorted out. Her soreness continues to improve and her energy, when Noah isn't keeping her up all night, has improved.

Miss is looking forward to a visit from her very good friend Kristen. Missy & Kristen were classmates in dental school. Kristen and her husband, Justin, live in Blytheville, AR now. She is coming up on Thursday and will be here until Sunday. They are sure to have a great time. I won't be here for the visit really as I have to go to Memphis for a few days.

My mom's vision has improved and she is to return to work on Monday the 7th. The Lord has been so gracious to us in so many ways and I am certainly thankful for His healing there.

Thanks for checking on Noah and Missy today.

Please pray for the following:
Guy, Mary, and their family
Ebrahim's walk with the Lord
Noah, and his big sister Anna, that they would come to know the Lord at a young age
God's continued working in the lives of our friends and family
Opportunities to be salt and light to others
Someone to take care of Noah when Missy returns to work

Please thank God for (at least) the following:
His love, grace, faithfulness, and provision

"The LORD has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy."
Psalms 126:3