A Day in the Life of Joshua Part 2

After breakfast, I crawl around on the first floor looking for trouble. I know I'm not allowed to touch mommy's flowers in this alcove...shhhh, don't tell on me!

Next I climb on the ottoman that's being used to block the downstairs. I don't actually try to go downstairs, but this very act sometimes gives mommy a heart attack, which I think is funny.Finally, when she's done cleaning up our dishes, I grab my walker toy to get me where I need to go...I head upstairs for the playroom, where all my toys are kept. Mommy & Daddy used to call it the office, but I have definitely taken over!
I'm a big boy and can climb the stairs all by myself. My physical therapist says this is a good exercise for me. Nonie is starting to teach me how to come down by myself (backwards) and last night I showed Daddy how I can fly down the stairs. Both Mommy & Daddy laughed and laughed - I put on quite the show. I'm coming!!!

I made it to the top!!! Hooray for me!!! Once we get to the playroom, it's time to do my morning ritual. I pause for a moment to grunt...
Uh-oh! I made a mess! (I'm starting to say "Uh oh" now and it's too cute! I really emphasize the "Uh.") Mommy comes to my rescue with a fresh diaper.Then it's time to read. I'm holding my favorite book, full of all sorts of new words & pictures. Mommy reads it to me almost everyday, and we go over colors and animal sounds, etc.Then, of course, I have to pose for a million bazillion pictures. Now, it's time to work. Mommy needs her time at the computer to write and grade papers while I play some more. Daddy gave me my own mouse and keyboard so I can work too!

I'ts important that you touch that key!I'm really getting the hang of this! Mommy's done with work! It's time to go eat lunch. I will get my walker toy to get over to my high chair.

Do we really need a picture while I have milk on my chin? Truly?If so, I guess I'll give you my handsome smile! Thanks for a tasty lunch!Now it's time to walk back the hallway to my bedroom. Oh wait, I'm heading the wrong direction! I eventually make it to my crib for a nap. I absolutely LOVE my blankie. That shows me it's time to sleep. And, we can't forget my friend froggy that Miss Suzy got for me!I'm awake! It's time to play some more! Hooray for my ability to walk with a toy! I'm now steering the walker toys to get around and around and around. I don't get as frustrated because I don't run into as many things. I'll stand there and all but lift the toy to be in the correct direction. Yet, I still won't walk without it...soon, Mommy thinks. Truly, I would only be a year old on November 6 if I would have waited to come till the due date. We play the rest of the day away, even when Dada gets home.

Then we start getting ready for bed. There's a bedtime story from the Bible.A snack (and no, I'm not usually sitting at the breakfast bar like a big boy!)

Then it's bath time fun! I love getting a bath and playing in the water. Hooray!

Sometimes I even try to stand in the tub and throw my toys out, just to say "Uh oh!" It was cute at first...not so much anymore!

Then it's a few more moments with Mommy & Daddy in my PJ's before I go to my crib and call it a night.

Good night!

Halloween Fun

Saturday we took Joshua around to any and all family members who were home (in this area, of course)...

We started at Nonie & Poppy's house in Reading...

Aunt Alicia & Jordon came over. Jordon's my buddy...oh wait, Buddy's the dog that I love... Jordon's my friend.

From there we went to Uncle Brian, Aunt Gayle & Cousin Grant's house. In this picture, Grant was eating grapes, but he also surprised us by eating dog food while we were there. We finally remembered to give Uncle Brian his birthday gift! Next it was onto Aunt Jen's house. Uncle Mike wasn't home and Emma & Daniel were sleeping, but I got to see Grace & Faith! When we left there, we called Grandma & took over a pizza to share with her and Grandpa Jamie. I tried to see Aunt Becky & Uncle Tim while we were in Leola, but she still had her cold and I don't want to get sick. We'll hopefully see you another time! Aunt Missy & Uncle Kevin weren't home, either. We tried to get them Saturday and Sunday with no success. I got to see them with Daddy another time, but I didn't have my froggy costume on, and I didn't get to see the puppies.On Sunday, my cousins stopped in. There was Daniel (the lion!), Gracie (the Ballerina), Emma (the M&M) and Faith (the cow, who kept showing us that she had a tail). Of course I put my costume back on so we could get some pictures together.We also saw Cousin Grant in his gorilla costume tonight and Mommy & Daddy forgot to grab the camera. They were too excited with the trick-or-treaters coming to the house...a lot less this year than previous years though. It was still a fun night. Hope you all enjoyed it!

Trick-or-Treat

Trick-or-Treat...

Smell My Feet...

Give Me Something Good to Eat...
If You Don't...

I Won't Be Sad...

I'll Just Make You...

Wish You Had!

Ribbit, Ribbit...That's Froggy for TRICK-OR-TREAT!

Miss Laura from the Schreiber Center gave me a Halloween bag filled with yogurt covered dried fruit snacks & animal crackers...I love them!
While I don't need any other tricks or treats, I think this costume is WAY cool! I am stylin'!

This morning's readings

Ephesians 5
Wake Up from Your Sleep
1-2Watch what God does, and then you do it, like children who learn proper behavior from their parents. Mostly what God does is love you. Keep company with him and learn a life of love. Observe how Christ loved us. His love was not cautious but extravagant. He didn't love in order to get something from us but to give everything of himself to us. Love like that.

11-16Don't waste your time on useless work, mere busywork, the barren pursuits of darkness. Expose these things for the sham they are. It's a scandal when people waste their lives on things they must do in the darkness where no one will see. Rip the cover off those frauds and see how attractive they look in the light of Christ. Wake up from your sleep, Climb out of your coffins; Christ will show you the light!So watch your step. Use your head. Make the most of every chance you get. These are desperate times!
17Don't live carelessly, unthinkingly. Make sure you understand what the Master wants.
18-20Don't drink too much wine. That cheapens your life. Drink the Spirit of God, huge draughts of him. Sing hymns instead of drinking songs! Sing songs from your heart to Christ. Sing praises over everything, any excuse for a song to God the Father in the name of our Master, Jesus Christ.

Relationships
21Out of respect for Christ, be courteously reverent to one another.

Romans 14
Cultivating Good Relationships
1 Welcome with open arms fellow believers who don't see things the way you do. And don't jump all over them every time they do or say something you don't agree with—even when it seems that they are strong on opinions but weak in the faith department. Remember, they have their own history to deal with. Treat them gently.

2-4For instance, a person who has been around for a while might well be convinced that he can eat anything on the table, while another, with a different background, might assume he should only be a vegetarian and eat accordingly. But since both are guests at Christ's table, wouldn't it be terribly rude if they fell to criticizing what the other ate or didn't eat? God, after all, invited them both to the table. Do you have any business crossing people off the guest list or interfering with God's welcome? If there are corrections to be made or manners to be learned, God can handle that without your help.

5Or, say, one person thinks that some days should be set aside as holy and another thinks that each day is pretty much like any other. There are good reasons either way. So, each person is free to follow the convictions of conscience.

6-9What's important in all this is that if you keep a holy day, keep it for God's sake; if you eat meat, eat it to the glory of God and thank God for prime rib; if you're a vegetarian, eat vegetables to the glory of God and thank God for broccoli. None of us are permitted to insist on our own way in these matters. It's God we are answerable to—all the way from life to death and everything in between—not each other. That's why Jesus lived and died and then lived again: so that he could be our Master across the entire range of life and death, and free us from the petty tyrannies of each other.

10-12So where does that leave you when you criticize a brother? And where does that leave you when you condescend to a sister? I'd say it leaves you looking pretty silly—or worse. Eventually, we're all going to end up kneeling side by side in the place of judgment, facing God. Your critical and condescending ways aren't going to improve your position there one bit. Read it for yourself in Scripture:
"As I live and breathe," God says,
"every knee will bow before me;
Every tongue will tell the honest truth
that I and only I am God."
So tend to your knitting. You've got your hands full just taking care of your own life before God.

13-14Forget about deciding what's right for each other. Here's what you need to be concerned about: that you don't get in the way of someone else, making life more difficult than it already is. I'm convinced—Jesus convinced me!—that everything as it is in itself is holy. We, of course, by the way we treat it or talk about it, can contaminate it.

15-16If you confuse others by making a big issue over what they eat or don't eat, you're no longer a companion with them in love, are you? These, remember, are persons for whom Christ died. Would you risk sending them to hell over an item in their diet? Don't you dare let a piece of God-blessed food become an occasion of soul-poisoning!

17-18God's kingdom isn't a matter of what you put in your stomach, for goodness' sake. It's what God does with your life as he sets it right, puts it together, and completes it with joy. Your task is to single-mindedly serve Christ. Do that and you'll kill two birds with one stone: pleasing the God above you and proving your worth to the people around you.

19-21So let's agree to use all our energy in getting along with each other. Help others with encouraging words; don't drag them down by finding fault. You're certainly not going to permit an argument over what is served or not served at supper to wreck God's work among you, are you? I said it before and I'll say it again: All food is good, but it can turn bad if you use it badly, if you use it to trip others up and send them sprawling. When you sit down to a meal, your primary concern should not be to feed your own face but to share the life of Jesus. So be sensitive and courteous to the others who are eating. Don't eat or say or do things that might interfere with the free exchange of love.

22-23Cultivate your own relationship with God, but don't impose it on others. You're fortunate if your behavior and your belief are coherent. But if you're not sure, if you notice that you are acting in ways inconsistent with what you believe—some days trying to impose your opinions on others, other days just trying to please them—then you know that you're out of line. If the way you live isn't consistent with what you believe, then it's wrong.

Rainy Daze

Yesterday was chilly, rainy and gray outside. It felt like a good day to stay in and bake something. Unfortunately, our cupboards and fridge were bare. I had already cleaned my entire house this weekend, including bathrooms, mopping, etc. So, after lunch I packed up Joshua and we headed to Provident & Giant. He was sounding very wheezy when I put him in the car, so I got out his inhaler & mask and gave him a treatment right then and there. He hates it, but he sounded like he could breathe easier once I did. From there we went to Provident to buy pastor appreciation cards. This was the second round of cards because Shawn had accidentally thrown the first bag away, which also had Thanksgiving cards in it for Grandma Kennel & Grandpa Georgia. Whoops! As I stood in line with Joshua, everyone was oohing and awwing at how cute he was. He could have cared less. All the sudden he declared "DOG!" I gently said, I don't see a doggy in here, sweetie pie. The woman in front of me turned around and showed me the book she was holding. Again, Joshua said "DOG!" and on the cover were the "Twelve Dogs of Christmas" complete with pictures of puppies & dogs. Could he have seen her book? I think maybe he did.

We then went to Giant. I absolutely hate grocery shopping to begin with, and having Joshua in public can be an adventure in and of itself. Our trip started with me clipping him into a cart and taking off...only to find that once again I got a cart with a half-immovable & very-squeeky wheel. I didn't care this time, though. He hadn't protested to me putting him in it, and I wasn't going to take my chances on trying to get another one. My theory is that every cart in America must operate this way...at least when I get them. Other than that, thought, my shopping trip was EXCELLENT! I found just about everything I needed on my list and Joshua was an angel the whole time. In each aisle, I'd let him play with something else I was buying from a can of green beans to a bag of pretzels, etc. When he'd throw it out of the cart, I'd pick it up and put it in the back and find something else for him to examine. That kept him quiet the entire time, and I had lots to get.

I can't believe how busy the grocery store was on a rainy Thursday afternoon. You would have thought the weather channel had declared blizzard on a Saturday morning. It was a zoo! I had to bag my own groceries - I guess the $125+ that I spent didn't earn me the right to customer service - but I didn't mind because that let me keep all my cold things together, frozen things together, pantry things together, etc. and I didn't make any bags so full that the handles would break. Again, people swarmed Joshua to say how handsome he was and he looked at me like, "are you ready yet?"

When we got home, I put him in his crib before unloading the car. By the time I was in with all the bags, he had nodded off to sleep. From there I unpacked and put away everything and started baking. First I made Grandma Ginder's butter, garlic & onion pretzels...mmmm! Then I started chocolate chip cookies. These did not turn out so well...I think the recipe called for too much flour, which I made note of for next time I make them. When Joshua woke up, I brought him down to the kitchen with some toys and he played while I continued to bake. Shawn didn't get home until almost 7 pm, later than I was expecting...with his own full load of groceries. I had already fed Joshua his supper and was going to cook for us, but I ate too much cookie dough and Shawn had so many cookies that neither of us were hungry. It was almost 8:30 when I cleaned up the last speck on the kitchen counter. So, I took Joshua upstairs for his bath and Shawn went back out...we had both missed getting diapers. Shawn took out the trash (thank you, my love!) and I got Joshua ready for bed. After his breathing treatment, he cuddled up with his blanket in his crib and fell asleep while we watched a little TV and nodded off ourselves. It was a busy day of doing what felt like nothing real productive. But I was thoroughly exhausted. It must be the rain.

Negative...A Good Thing!

I just couldn't stand it anymore. Everything I've read on Celiac Disease sounded like Joshua...including typical congenitive malformations. I was going crazy, asking myself if I should be giving him cheerios and bread and other normal things he eats. This morning I gave it to the Lord and thought I just need to know either way. So, I called and left a message for Dr. Devenyi's office. Within an hour, his nurse called me back. She said they hadn't received the results yet, but because I told her I was having a hard time sleeping over it, she went and looked it up. It's NEGATIVE! Praise God!

Things that make you go hmmm....

Yesterday as I was driving to school, I was feeling kind of bummed about my day, which had been rough. I was playing the Jeremy Riddle CD in my car. I decided I was tired of the song so I hit the "FM" button. The station it was on was WJTL, playing Jeremy Riddle. As if that weren't bizarre enough, it was not only the same song...it was the SAME EXACT MOMENT in the song. With a short hiccup from the button being pressed, the same beat, note, word was sung as would have been if I would have let the CD continue. Weird! My next weird moment was just a few moments ago. This evening we went to Grandma Stoltzfus' house for dinner, and I took over homemade brownies. When we were leaving their house, I thought to myself, "Did I turn off the curling iron?" This curling iron is so old, the heating element is broken and it gets hotter and hotter, which I LOVE for my hair because it really works. But, the on/off switch is also broken. It takes a long time of trying to get a pin just right to turn it on, and to turn it off, I simply pull the plug. Anyway, I reassured myself that even though I didn't remember doing it, I normally do it out of habit and I wouldn't have gone so far away for so long and left it burning. Well, I didn't remember again until just now. We got in the door and put things away and changed Joshua into his PJ's and then I went into the master bathroom to get changed. There to my dismay was the curling iron still plugged in. I gasped, shocked that our house hadn't burned down. But, to my genuine shock, it was turned off. Shawn shrugged and said that it must turn off on its own when it reaches a certain temperature, but this thing is too old and too broken to do that. I've seen it start to smoke and make all sorts of noise before where I've pulled the plug... Again, weird! It must have been an angel turning it off for us so our house remained in tact. Thank God!

This afternoon Joshua had physical therapy, and Laura from Schreiber disagreed with Dr. Hoshauer's expecting him to know animals, shapes and colors by 15-months. According to all their charts, there's a wide range that's considered perfectly normal that doesn't even start with 15 months, and she thinks Joshua is doing super! She always tells me how much he reminds her of her son, who was born around the same time as Joshua (just a year earlier) and developed pretty much at the same exact rate as the Bean. That made me breathe a sigh of relief. I think what we need to work on now, or at least start, is encouraging obedience...something the Lord is still teaching me to this day. Hmmm...

Down

We had a great weekend. On Saturday we went to Mike Hartmann's 30th birthday bash while my mom watched Joshua, and it was a great time of seeing some old friends. We left fairly early but that was okay - it's part of having a Bean. On Sunday afternoon, Shawn was in charge of an appreciation luncheon for the A/V team which was held at Fiorentino's after church. We love the guys on the team, so it was also a fun time of us getting out and Joshua having fun at Grandma's again (thanks, Mom, for your willingness to spend time with Joshua!). It's so nice that Grandma & Nonie live so close and enjoy seeing Joshua! Grandma & Grandpa Ginder also stopped in this afternoon to see the Bean.

Today overall, though, was not fun. This morning we had our follow-up with Dr. Devenyi first thing, so I woke up earlier than normal to get Joshua & me ready to go there. In the waiting room, we read One-Fish, Two-Fish by Dr. Zeuss which was a nice treat. Then, we FINALLY got to go back and see the doctor. Joshua now weighs 21.4 lbs, still less than he weighed at his one-year check-up on 9/28. According to Dr. Devenyi, there were "17" eosinophils in the biopsy report. A reading of 20 or higher would indicate that this is an allergic reaction. So, at this time we're treating it as straight reflux. He said, though, that 20 is sort of an arbitrary number - 21 would indicate allergies and 19 wouldn't but they're really close. So, there are some there to be concerned. To read more about eosinophils, click here. So, for now we're not treating this as an allergy, but he said that we still have to monitor what happens and be concious that they're not completely ruling out the possibility. We double Joshua's medicine and change the way we give it to him for three months and then go back, when he might possibly have to do another procedure to look again. ANOTHER PROCEDURE!!! Ugh!

Then, Dr. Devenyi sent us for more bloodwork. He said that they saw something "borderline" with his small intestine that could relate to Celiac Disease, which is an intolerance for gluten that is found in wheat, rye and barley. To read more on Celiac Disease, click here. He said that it's probably nothing to worry about, but they can't ignore any possibility. So, from there we went to get the bloodwork done. Again, Joshua had multiple needles since they can never find his veins. Ugh! I don't have a follow-up scheduled with Dr. Devenyi until January, so I'll find the results out on 10/31 at the pediatrician unless the news is bad and someone catches it earlier and calls us (who knows?). I'm praying that this is not the case. I know people with this, and they...well, let's just say it's not good.

If it's straight reflux, which is how we're proceeding at this point based on all the "borderline" or "unclear" findings, it's something Joshua could very well outgrow, which is what I'm hoping and praying for. Dr. Devenyi also noted that asthma is related to reflux and allergies, so it's important what goes on with his breathing in the next three months, too. With only having 1.5 lungs to begin with, if he continues to be wheezy, it could be a symptom of further complications. It's hard to tell... They gave us some information (very basic, very not-necessarily-helpful) on Reflux and sent us on our way with a new prescription for medicine. Please continue to pray for Joshua and his complete healing!

I'll end this post with a Joshua story from moments ago, according to Shawn... It's not nearly as funny as sitting here in person, though, because you can't get the true sense of Shawn's annoyed voice. First, Shawn never gets really upset over anything...he's almost too easy-going. But, I heard him yell, "DOWN!" to Joshua. And then I heard him talking in a more annoyed voice about obedience. He came into the room I was in, and with an exasperated voice he told me that when he said "Down!" Joshua bellowed back to him, "YOU down!" I only laughed because Joshua was out of earshot. Disobedience is not funny, but sometimes he's so darn cute!

A Day in the Life of Joshua

First things first, it's potty time! While I get my diaper changed when I wake up, I also LOVE flushing the toilet any time I can escape into the bathroom. I don't stop at one flush...I like the idea of that blue "1,000 FLUSHES!"Next, in keeping with Mommy & Daddy, we step right onto the scale. No change! I still weigh 20 lbs...the same I've weighed now for months! Next we'll brush my teeth... Then I get to give Dadda a kiss goodbye. You wouldn't know it from the picture below, but Dadda is cracking me up here. (Mommy can't figure out how to make the picture take quicker - it's on the fastest shutter speed, but it takes forever to snap when she pushes in the button. Stupid new "improved" camera!)
Then, it's time for my breathing treatments. Until I'm done with this cold and it's nasty cough, I have to have breathing help every four hours. The only way I don't scream & throw a royal fit (since it seems like they are trying to suffocate me with a goofy fish-mask) is by being cuddled on Mommy's lap while watching a video. And not just any video, as Mommy found out yesterday, but my video on shapes & colors that makes me laugh. Even with the video, I'm less than calm, but it doesn't quite feel like torture then. This morning, though, I was really, really coughing and couldn't wait to hop into Mommy's lap as she was putting the medicine in the machine...I surprise her all the time.
Next it's time for breakfast. Before I can eat, I get a 3 ML dose of steroids to improve my lung strength. But, I don't like being given medicine from a syringe. Thankfully, this morning was the last dose. Then, I get my prevacid sprinkled on a spoonful of applesauce. I don't care for taking this one either, but the applesauce makes it a little more tolerable. Then I get my treat - Cheerios - hooray! Mommy gives me a few of these to keep me happy while she prepares breakfast. Yesterday it was scrambled eggs. YUCK! I didn't even finish the first bite, so she gave me a banana to munch on. This morning it was french toast. I didn't finish the whole piece, but it was tasty. I drink a whole sippy cup of milk with breakfast. Mmmmm.... My favorite thing to do is throw everything on the floor, which upsets Mommy. But, she picks everything up, which keeps the game going. After we're finished, she puts the dishes here...

She puts me down to roam and play while she finishes cleaning up and washing her skillets by hand. That lets me peek into all the cupboards and make sure nothing was taken overnight by the groundhog that lives in our backyard.

Don't worry, Mommy, I'm not going to get into anything bad...
I think everything's still here...do you need the dishwasher detergent?

After I'm shooed away from cupboards I shouldn't be into like this one, I find my way to the ones filled with plastic that I can play with and I cruise around holding onto the cabinet doors. When Mommy's finished, it's time to go upstairs to get dressed and start to play.

And, what day would be complete without a picture of me?

The End of "Day in the Life of Joshua - Part One"

The Luggage You Took to the Altar

Yesterday I was making eggs for Joshua & me for breakfast (of which he ate none, but I figured it was worth a shot) with the radio on, as usual. Normally when the "special guest" comes on in the morning, I groan since I'd rather listen to music than someone talking (even though I've set these "special guest" appointments up for my church's conference and some marketing clients). Anyway, yesterday the talking had the opposite effect.

They had an author on there talking about a book he wrote and some of the principles that were written in the book. He wrote that everyone brings their own "luggage" to the altar, the contents of which typically come out the first day of the honeymoon or could even wait until the first full week of marriage. He said that he married a sinner...and his wife married a sinner. We're all sinners! This sin is what rips apart marriages. And once we recognize that, we can begin to see the root of problems in relationships rather than playing the blame game. He talked about the scripture "don't wipe the speck out of your neighbors eye until you get the plank out of your own" and likened that to how you treat your spouse - if your marriage is rocky, you have no further to look than your own behavior or heart issues. Then, he talked about showing mercy to one another and referenced Luke 6.

I thought his talk was so good that when we were done with breakfast, I sat with Joshua on the rocking chair to read Luke 6 from the Message (he lasted about half way through before wanting to get down to play, but he stayed right next to me as he examined things in his room). When I was in tenth grade, I participated in Bible quizzing, and the beginning of Luke was what we memorized. However, written in the Message it took on new phrasing and new meaning. I got a lot out of it, and I highlighted parts that seemed to be "highlighted" for me. I thought about how I bawled the night that I had Joshua in the doctor's office again and they said he couldn't breath, but I was okay the next day. I'm not saying I was happy, but there's a difference between happy and the joy of the Lord, which is our strength. And then as I continued to read, I especially felt the "ouch" when I read "you're true being brims over into your speech and deeds..." Hmmm...food for thought.

Luke 6

You're Blessed

17-21Coming down off the mountain with them, he stood on a plain surrounded by disciples, and was soon joined by a huge congregation from all over Judea and Jerusalem, even from the seaside towns of Tyre and Sidon. They had come both to hear him and to be cured of their ailments. Those disturbed by evil spirits were healed. Everyone was trying to touch him—so much energy surging from him, so many people healed!

Then he spoke:

You're blessed when you've lost it all.

God's kingdom is there for the finding.

You're blessed when you're ravenously hungry.

Then you're ready for the Messianic meal.

You're blessed when the tears flow freely.

Joy comes with the morning.

22-23"Count yourself blessed every time someone cuts you down or throws you out, every time someone smears or blackens your name to discredit me. What it means is that the truth is too close for comfort and that that person is uncomfortable. You can be glad when that happens—skip like a lamb, if you like!—for even though they don't like it, I do . . . and all heaven applauds. And know that you are in good company; my preachers and witnesses have always been treated like this.

Give Away Your Life

24But it's trouble ahead if you think you have it made. What you have is all you'll ever get.
25And it's trouble ahead if you're satisfied with yourself. Your selfwill not satisfy you for long. And it's trouble ahead if you think life's all fun and games. There's suffering to be met, and you're going to meet it.
26"There's trouble ahead when you live only for the approval of others, saying what flatters them, doing what indulges them. Popularity contests are not truth contests—look how many scoundrel preachers were approved by your ancestors! Your task is to be true, not popular.
27-30"To you who are ready for the truth, I say this: Love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst. When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the energies of prayer for that person. If someone slaps you in the face, stand there and take it. If someone grabs your shirt, giftwrap your best coat and make a present of it. If someone takes unfair advantage of you, use the occasion to practice the servant life. No more tit-for-tat stuff. Live generously.
31-34"Here is a simple rule of thumb for behavior: Ask yourself what you want people to do for you; then grab the initiative and do it for them! If you only love the lovable, do you expect a pat on the back? Run-of-the-mill sinners do that. If you only help those who help you, do you expect a medal? Garden-variety sinners do that. If you only give for what you hope to get out of it, do you think that's charity? The stingiest of pawnbrokers does that.
35-36"I tell you, love your enemies. Help and give without expecting a return. You'll never—I promise—regret it. Live out this God-created identity the way our Father lives toward us, generously and graciously, even when we're at our worst. Our Father is kind; you be kind.
37-38"Don't pick on people, jump on their failures, criticize their faults— unless, of course, you want the same treatment. Don't condemn those who are down; that hardness can boomerang. Be easy on people; you'll find life a lot easier. Give away your life; you'll find life given back, but not merely given back—given back with bonus and blessing. Giving, not getting, is the way. Generosity begets generosity."
39-40He quoted a proverb: "'Can a blind man guide a blind man?' Wouldn't they both end up in the ditch? An apprentice doesn't lecture the master. The point is to be careful who you follow as your teacher.
41-42"It's easy to see a smudge on your neighbor's face and be oblivious to the ugly sneer on your own. Do you have the nerve to say, 'Let me wash your face for you,' when your own face is distorted by contempt? It's this I-know-better-than-you mentality again, playing a holier-than-thou part instead of just living your own part. Wipe that ugly sneer off your own face and you might be fit to offer a washcloth to your neighbor.

Work the Words into Your Life

43-45"You don't get wormy apples off a healthy tree, nor good apples off a diseased tree. The health of the apple tells the health of the tree. You must begin with your own life-giving lives. It's who you are, not what you say and do, that counts. Your true being brims over into true words and deeds.
46-47"Why are you so polite with me, always saying 'Yes, sir,' and 'That's right, sir,' but never doing a thing I tell you? These words I speak to you are not mere additions to your life, homeowner improvements to your standard of living. They are foundation words, words to build a life on.
48-49"If you work the words into your life, you are like a smart carpenter who dug deep and laid the foundation of his house on bedrock. When the river burst its banks and crashed against the house, nothing could shake it; it was built to last. But if you just use my words in Bible studies and don't work them into your life, you are like a dumb carpenter who built a house but skipped the foundation. When the swollen river came crashing in, it collapsed like a house of cards. It was a total loss."

Back at the Doctor's Office - Another Scare

This afternoon I met Shawn for lunch and realized that my car didn't sound right. We discovered a nail in the tire. Dangit! It's always something...grrr. We were planning on getting it fixed tonight, which didn't work out. This afternoon, Joshua sounded really bad from this cold. He was wheezy and not acting like himself, and I couldn't take it anymore. There had to be something they can give a little guy, right? Well, I was glad I took him in. After listening to him, Dr. Reilly noted that he was not only wheezing but he was breathing "tight," rapidly and retracting (whatever that last one means). She told me how to count his breaths. To be normal, he should have 20 respirations per minute. He had 40, and 50 would send him to the hospital. They then took his blood oxygen level. It should be at exactly 100. His was 95, and 92 sends you to the hospital immediately. In a nutshell, he's struggling to breath. She gave him two nebulizer treatments and sent me home with a machine to do once every four hours for him, even thoughout the night. She also gave me a prescription for the nebulizer solution (medicine that opens up your bronchial tubes, similar to an inhaler for asthma) and a prescription for steroids to make his 1.5 lungs stronger. It was a heartbreaking experience. For one, I wasn't expecting news quite like that, and two Joshua FREAKED out at this mask. I had to hold him down, and I tell you he's getting stronger even though he's still not gaining weight (he's at 20 lbs 12 oz). It took all of my energy to keep him from tearing off the mask or the blood oxygen senser. He was screaming and thrashing. I think he's just tired of being at the doctor's office and scared of the needles that typically accompany such an event. When we left, he was exhausted and so was I. But, I had prescriptions to fill, dinner to make for him, etc. So, the tire will have to wait - Shawn can drive the Rodeo and I'll take the Volvo tomorrow. I'm also being evaluated by the department chair at MU tomorrow night - please pray that that goes well, especially knowing I'll be on extremely limited sleep. Most of all, pray that our little one gets well and that we are done with doctors and hospital visits. I think we've had enough. I'm concerned that we're treating the symptoms (which is good since that deals with his breathing) but I want to also make sure we're getting rid of the cold, which is what's causing this issue to begin with...Lord, help us!

Happy Birthday, Uncle Brian!

Hope you have a great birthday and fantastic year! And, you're STILL older than Mommy! Ha ha ha! Sorry I missed wishing Aunt Gayle & Cousin Grant a Happy Birthday on the blog - there's was so close to mine that I got too caught up in all the excitement. :) :) :)

More Sickness

Last night while we were out to dinner, my mom called our cell. She told us that Joshua was not feeling well. When we got there, we found a very-runny-nosed sad little Bean. Grandma had put vicks vapor rub on his chest and under his nose, and she showed us where he had sneezed so hard that he knocked his little head into the corner of her end table, leaving a slight red mark. He was pretty cranky, so we brought him right home. He got up off and on throughout the night.

When we woke up this morning, I wiped all the snot off his face and used the suction tool to try to help alleviate his breathing. He hates it, of course. He's also coughing for the first time. Poor kid! It's absolutely no fun to have a cold! Joshua & I didn't go to church this morning because he was so miserable and I want to be courteous to other families and not pass sickness along. Please pray that he feels better! Here are some pictures from the other day of him in his jammies.

Fall Fun

Last night when Shawn got home, I had my hair & makeup done and put on an outfit that he always comments that I look nice in. I was hoping we'd be able to go out and do something as I was feeling particularly stir crazy yesterday. Unfortunately, we couldn't think of anything to do that would be fun with a Bean. Shawn wasn't into going to the Farm Show, and we didn't think Field of Screams was a good idea with a one-year old. I didn't see any area churches advertising fall festivals last night, and Dutch Wonderland's fall activities would have cost upwards of $40 to get into, and we weren't sure that Joshua would even enjoy it. We were going to head to the Hands On House, but I read that it was designed for kids ages 2 and up. I think if we go there it might be nice to join another family just in case Joshua doesn't seem thrilled, then we didn't feel like it was a complete waste. We thought about Barnes & Nobles, but we thought Joshua might be too restless and loud for that atmosphere. We kept searching, and finally we just made dinner here and called it a night. I was a little bummed, but such is life. We should have planned something more in advance. We typically try not to plan things for Friday nights because Shawn is always exhausted after a long week of work, but my work week was light and I wanted to get out and be in the world a little bit. I wish our church had a mom's group like my sisters; Maple Grove just seems like much too far to drive from here for me. However, there aren't a lot of folks our age and our stage of life in our church.

This morning I made french toast for breakfast, and Shawn & Joshua seemed to enjoy it. I don't think it's nearly as good as my mom always made it. I don't think I'm quite getting the consistency of the eggs quite right and we're using low-carb whole grain bread. That's good for the most part, but it makes pretty thin french toast. Afterward, we went outside to start yard work and ended up seeing our neighbors and talking to them for awhile. They are really sweet. Their son needs help with proofreading and I offered to help him whenever they need. I truly don't mind, and their kids are really nice, too. We'll see if they take me up on the offer. While we were talking to them, Joshua got his car toy that Dad bought us for outside and started walking behind it. I didn't realize the handle would work to help him walk, but he was LOVING it. Every once in awhile, though, he falls sideways. It's almost like he's on a ship. Soooo cute!

After they went inside to get ready to take their kids to some sort of practice (football, cheerleading, etc.) we started raking leaves. We have a leaf blower, but our extension cord isn't long enough. So, I was raking and then Shawn would blow the leaves right where I had been even though there was a method to my madness. I didn't mind, but I started losing interest... So, it didn't last terribly long, which was fine because Joshua wanted attention anyway. So, I got out the camera and started taking shots. I think Shawn did better (and was quicker) without me anyway. We had fun outside - it is an absolutely GORGEOUS day.

After we were finished, Shawn left to go golfing. Joshua hadn't napped yet, so I laid him down and he passed out immediately. Thus, I'm back inside...by myself...again. For awhile we were so busy I couldn't stand it, and now I think the pendulem is swinging the other way. I know we'll find a happy medium. Tonight we're going out with Nonie & Poppy, Brian & Gayle & Grant, and Jordon to celebrate Brian's birthday. Missy & Kevin can't make it, though.

I should do some things around the house or getting further ahead with my school work. We'll see. Before he left, Shawn bought a song for me from iTunes called "Sunday!" by Tree63. I've been hearing the song on WJTL & loving it. "...darkness is already crumbling...It's Friday, but Sunday is coming!" I'm emailing, blogging & listening to music. Sometimes that's nice, too, for awhile.

Happy Birthday, Grandpa Ginder!

Hope you have a great time in Florida and a wonderful day today for your birthday!

Biopsy Results Are In - Pray for Healing

The biopsy results are in already. Unfortunately, they showed that Joshua is, in fact, suffering from esophagitis and something else that means that the acid is coming up from his tummy and burning his esophagus. So, Dr. Devenyi's nurse called us and told us to double the amount of prevacid we're giving him, taking it twice as often. They will call in a new prescription for him that we can pick up. What I thought was a major victory doesn't feel quite so good now. Poor little guy! I'm glad today is Friday so Shawn will be home this weekend. This week really went fast! Last Friday night, Mom watched Joshua while Shawn & I went on a date to my favorite restaurant, Fiorentino's. The food was delicious, but it was the company that made the dinner so nice. Joshua stayed at his grandma's again last night so that we could go visit Shawn's Grandma Kennel in the hospital. After we ate an amazing meal of ham balls, pineapple stuffing, green beans, mashed potatoes and fresh baked bread with apple pie ala mode for dessert, we "rolled" out of her house to the car and called Grandma Kennel to make sure she was up to visitors. She didn't sound so perky on the phone, but when we got there, Aunt Kathy was there too and they were both talking and laughing and in good spirits. We had a nice visit. It sounds like Grandma went in with more chest pains so they are increasing her meds until they can do more work to her heart later this month.

Yesterday I thought Joshua's little outfit was adorable. The jeans were just a little big in the waist, so between those and his little shirt that had long black sleeves and said "I love mom" I thought he looked "skater-esque." Since the weather has really dropped in the last two days (hooray!), I'm starting to wear his new sneakers on him and he's been doing a great job with them. The picture to the right of this is him pointing at the photo of Daddy in his room. It's sooo sweet how much he adores Shawn.

After we got home from Mom's house last night it was time for Joshua to get his bath. As I got out his PJ's, Shawn put in the bath mat and started the water. Joshua LOVES when we turn on the faucet and wanted to go into the tub fully clothed. I lovingly wrestled with him to get his clothes off so he could get in the tub. Since this was the first time Daddy had really seen him all day, other than dinner at Grandma's, he offered to give him his bath. I then had the opportunity to rock our little-getting-bigger Bean to sleep.

Then last night Joshua got up in the middle of the night twice - the first time he's done that in months. He was wearing heavy furry Elmo jammies (so adorable!), so I don't think he was too cold. Who knows? I cuddled with him and enjoyed our time together. When it was nightly that he would wake up, I woud feel plagued at getting up. Now, I enjoy any snuggle time I get with our active little guy.

I'll end this post with Bible verses I've been researching on healing. Please continue to pray for Joshua!

Proverbs 12:18 Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.

Isaiah 58:8 Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard.

Jeremiah 33:6 "'Nevertheless, I will bring health and healing to it; I will heal my people and will let them enjoy abundant peace and security.

Malachi 4:2 But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings. And you will go out and leap like calves released from the stall.

Matthew 4:23 [Jesus Heals the Sick ] Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people.

Luke 9:11 but the crowds learned about it and followed him. He welcomed them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who needed healing.

Acts 3:16 By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus' name and the faith that comes through him that has given this complete healing to him, as you can all see.

Luke 9:42 But Jesus rebuked the evil[a] spirit, healed the boy and gave him back to his father. 43And they were all amazed at the greatness of God.

1 Corinthians 12:28 And in the church God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, also those having gifts of healing, those able to help others, those with gifts of administration, and those speaking in different kinds of tongues.

The Farm Show

The ride to the Farm Show... My friend Kristen invited me to the Manheim Farm Show yesterday, but I couldn't go since I had class. So, I called my sister Jen to see if she'd like to take the kids today. I was impressed that we fit three strollers, five kids, two diapers bags and two adults in her mini-van. Joshua laughed the whole way there and back at Grace (left) and Faith (right). Emma fell asleep on the way home, but Daniel - who was facing the other way (pictured below) - stayed awake the whole time.When we got close, Grace said she was feeling car sick, so I told her to sing her ABC's and we would be there. She told me that Joshua sang with her up to the letter 'E' but I don't think I quite believe her. When we found our parking spot, it was pouring down rain! We had to walk over the covered bridge to the first building where we saw a 330 pound pumpkin. It was huge! And it won the blue ribbon for "Best of Show." Faith kept showing me all the blue ribbons on pumpkins, tomatoes, apples, pieces of pie, jams & jellies, etc. We saw the decorated pumpkins, including a "Hawaiian" pumpkin, a "mousey" pumpkin, a "monkey" pumpkin, a "globe" pumpkin (which was very cool), a "froggy" pumpkin and my personal favorite, a "porcupine" pumpkin that had sharp toothpick-like sticks all over it.

After that, we went to the "sportsman station" that had a taxidermied fox, zebra, turkey, bear, pheasant, deer and moose. Faith asked a TON of "why" questions there to me as Jen took Gracie to the bathroom and I kept the other four kiddos.

From there, we headed to the food tent to eat lunch. I ran into Shawn's cousin Randy, his wife Rhonda and daughter Liz. We got soft pretzels, pizza, french fries, funnel cake and a drink. It was delicious, but the ground was soooo muddy. Jen's girlies wanted to ride the rides that weren't operating yet.

From there, we went to see the animals. There were tons of cows, sheep, goats and pigs. We also saw two llamas, baby piglets, baby ducks, and baby bunnies that were for sale for $5 each. Man did that place S-T-I-N-K! Wow! But the kids loved it! Faith almost got kissed by a cow when she got a little close, and one cow decided to pee right in front of the girls who yelled YUCK! We dodged droppings and kept on going to where the girls could pet some of the animals. They also had hand sanitizer there, which was nice. When Joshua went to pet the cow, he all but stuck his finger up the cow's nostril. To that, I said YUCK!

We decided to call it a day when the kids got tired, mine especially. Emma fell asleep on the ride home, and Joshua napped right after we got back. Thanks for going along Jen, Grace, Faith, Emma & Daniel. And thanks for the idea, Kristen & Elliott! Hopefully we can join you guys next time. Well, I should run. Mom invited us over for dinner tonight - ham balls, YUM!

Walking & Words

This morning I was feeling kind of down that Joshua wasn't talking more than he is. For awhile I thought he was really advanced, but he doesn't say much at all anymore. Then today as I was holding him, he bellowed out "DOWN!" clear as day. I said, "don't you want to be held for a minute?" and he replied "DOWN!" I told Shawn what I thought I heard, and Shawn confirmed it when I came home from class tonight. Shawn had picked Joshua up, and Joshua said "down!" We'll see if he keeps it up. He's not waving goodbye anymore, but I've forgotten to keep doing it. I know he'll only learn through repetition. I wasn't feeling down about there being anything wrong with the Bean - I was feeling like I've been a bad momma for not being consistent with my teaching.

This morning I didn't have any writing projects, so we played much of the day. He loves a book that Nonie & Poppy got him for his birthday that has lots of pictures and the words for them. I also got out the CD of sing-along songs from Grandma & Grandpa Ginder. When Joshua finally laid down for a nap, I got ready for school and called and scheduled Joshua's follow-up appointment with Dr. D on 10/22. I also scheduled family Christmas portraits. :) Nonie came just as I was finishing getting ready for class and took Joshua for a walk. She also started showing him how to go down the stairs since he can climb them, and watching her was really helpful to me to learn how to teach him. She also blessed us by sweeping and mopping our kitchen floor, which was a huge help and very sweet of her. Last week she asked me what she could do for me if Joshua slept, and I said that I wanted to clean his toys with clorox wipes since he had been sick, and she did. It was sooo nice. Thank you, Nonie!

When I got home from school, Shawn informed me that Joshua was walking with his walker toy lent to us by my friend Julie (thanks!). I couldn't believe it! I had been trying to show him that this morning, but he refused to cooperate and instead we played chase Joshua as he crawls the circle of our living room/dining room/kitchen. He'd giggle as I'd get close and then I'd let him get ahead...it was cute. So after school, I was impressed to hear that he had been motoring. And, I got to see it for myself. The only thing is that he gets madder than a wet hen when he runs into the wall with his toy. I tried to show him how to back up his feet and turn the toy, but he wasn't having it. Of course, it was getting late so I think he might have been tired. So, to bed he went. This is the first night of no bottle before bed. He passed right out, though. He had no bottles at all today.

Today I made Joshua & me pancakes for breakfast, beef stroganoff with carrots & peas for lunch (Daddy came home to eat - hooray!), and I made roast beef in the crockpot to have for supper when I got home from class. Shawn actually made the potatoes, green beans and garlic bread to go with the meat I had cooked, but it was a full day of eating for Joshua. Although, I must say that he didn't seem to enjoy dinner all that much. He did eat two whole pancakes for breakfast this morning, which impressed me with his little body. Monday I made french toast for us for breakfast, and he seemed to enjoy that, too. He also liked the grilled cheese and soup I made him. Hooray! I think we may have turned the corner on him eating more and gaining enough weight to be healthy.

I've realized during this time that it's not the cooking I mind so much, it's the planning and grocery shopping. If I have something here to make, I'll cook away. But, ask me to go to the grocery store and you might get a pouty face.

Joshua seemed to be himself today, but he still has diarrhea. His poor little cheeks are so red and raw that he screams when I wipe him. I feel so bad. I keep putting ointment on, but he goes so frequently that I'm constantly wiping it off, too. Please, Lord, give him relief! And, me too! He woke up at the crack of dawn from a stinky diaper, so I snuggled him this morning until about 8 am. That's the latest we've woken up in a long time, and it was nice to have some cuddle-time with the normally busy, busy Bean.

Other than playing, cooking and working, I cleaned the house some today and did a couple loads of laundry. It was a full day, but I didn't get to the gym. Hopefully I'll get to go soon! Speaking of soon, we should soon have pictures coming to the website. Shawn purchased a new camera for us, and as soon as I learn how to use it, we'll be good to go!

I had a really good day today. I got a lot done during my office hours at school, which meant I don't have as much to work on at home. I was also told that they may have some sections available for adjunct professors next semester, which I'm keeping my fingers crossed for. It really is a good part-time job, and I also love writing. My hope, though, is to be better at being a mom and teaching Joshua.

I'll end this post with another cute thing that Joshua has been doing lately. If I smack my lips together, he'll lean in and give me a kiss. I showed Shawn who did the same thing with the same result. There is nothing better than seeing Joshua grin and lean in for a kiss...so cute! I love our little one!

Better than we expected

I read over our paperwork one last time last night, and I realized that we needed to get up TWO hours before Joshua's procedure to give him his prevacid, which he is back on since the prilosec wouldn't stay down. Neither Shawn nor I could sleep last night. Somewhere around 3:30-4ish, he dug the remote out from in between us. We both laughed out loud. While we both felt a peace that Joshua was going to be okay, we just couldn't manage to get the rest we both needed. So, it wasn't the end of the world when Shawn got up at 4:30 to give Joshua his medicine and I started to pack the things we were to bring along with us.

We arrived at the health campus at 6:15 am with a very groggy Joshua, even though I had bathed him early last night and put him to bed much earlier than normal. He didn't seem to mind that he hadn't eaten, but he became a little cranky in general once the nurses started listening to him - he's a little too familiar with that now. We played in the waiting room until the anethstesiologist (sp?) came in to go over any possible problems that could arise, which included damaging his teeth. Before he left, I told him to take good care of Joshua's handsome pearly whites. They gave Joshua some sort of medicine in a syringe that made him VERY loopy. He'd try to talk, and it came out slurred. He could barely hold up his head and they told us not to let him crawl because he'd be very "tipsy." Then Dr. Devenyi came in to have us sign additional paperwork and then they took Joshua back and had us wait in the waiting room.

We were relieved when Dr. D came back and said that Joshua did very well. He showed us pictures of his esophagus, his intestines and his stomach. He then remarked that usually when there's a hiatal hernia there would be a gap "here" and showed us that there was no gap in the picture. He told us that doesn't mean it has to be completely gone, but if it's not, it's no longer a concern and should not need further surgery. Praise the Lord! He confirmed what Dr. Adzick had told us - no more surgeries for Joshua! Dr. D said everything looks completely healthy and normal. Hooray! So, I asked what that meant for us, and he said that we have to wait to hear the results of the biopsy. So, in two weeks we should know even more. But, the report this morning was even better than I was expecting. Praise God!

Please continue to pray that the biopsy results would be positive and that God has completely healed our precious son!

After Dr. D talked to us, it was beyond time for Shawn to leave and get to work. So, I stayed and waited to go back to the recovery room to be with Joshua. He was SOOOOO cranky. I've never seen him like that before. He was writhing and uncontrollable and screaming but his throat was dry from the breathing tube. He also couldn't open his little eyes. The nurses said that was completely 100% normal. They said normally happy-go-lucky kids are really confused and upset by the medicine and the best thing to do was to take him home and let him sleep it off in his own bed. A drink didn't soothe him, my singing didn't (no wise cracks - normally Joshua eats it up), and even my cuddling and talking to him didn't. So, I had the longest walk of my life down to the car, carrying his discharge paperwork, his blankey, my extra-large diaper bag filled with all our necessities, my keys and a writhing and screaming Joshua - who they told me was to be carried like a newborn again because he wouldn't have control over his top-heavy head due to the medicine. I balanced and juggled and finally made it to the car while everyone stared at me. Such is life. I'm just glad Joshua's head didn't roll off.

We are now home and he is in his crib napping. We're not allowed to let him crawl, climb, play like normal, etc. today because of the medicine. While he can eat anything he'd like, we also can't bathe him since he'll be groggy most of the day. Please pray that he feels better and isn't so upset when he wakes up.

Thanks for your prayers! It was so nice that Pastor Matt came to our house yesterday from our church (Lord's House of Prayer) to lay hands on Joshua and anoint him with oil, and Elaine sent it to through the prayer chain. Plus, I've had lots of emails from family and friends saying that they were lifting us in prayer. We definitely felt them - God's peace reigned in the room and our home! I'll end this post with a quote I found on a friend of a friend's blog:

“O be persuaded to hide yourself in Christ Jesus! What greater assurance of safety can you desire? He has undertaken to defend and save you, if you will come to him: he looks upon it as his work; he engaged in it before the world was, and he has given his faithful promise which he will not break; and if you will but make your flight there, his life shall be for yours; he will answer for you, you shall have nothing to do but rest quietly in him; you may stand still and see what the Lord will do for you.

If there be any thing to suffer, the suffering is Christ’s, you will have nothing to suffer; if there be any thing to be done, the doing of it is Christ’s, you will have nothing to do but to stand still and behold it.”
~Jonathan Edwards, On Knowing Christ (Carlisle, PA: The Banner of Truth Trust, 1993), 164.

Pray for Joshua

Please pray for Joshua. Tomorrow (Tuesday, October 9) he will go to the Health Campus for an out-patient procedure to do a biopsy on his esophagus:

Esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD)

The direct visualization of the esophagus, stomach and proximal duodenum using an endoscope. This procedure allows the physician to diagnose, treat and document abnormalities through the use of biopsy, brush cytology, polypectomy, electrocautery, dilatation, sclerosing of varices, foreign body removal, and photography.

Basically, the pediatric gastrologist is looking to see if he has any allergies causing this severe reflux or if it's all do to the hiatal hernia, which would cause him to continue to need medicine. Since reflux can damage his esophagus, it's important to determine the root of the problem to know the best solution. They are also extremely concerned that he's not gaining weight and fear that it might be because all of his energy is going toward fighting off the burning in his esophagus rather than growing at a normal rate.

I can't tell you how disappointed I was to hear that he would need to have an additional procedure that calls for him to be sedated with anethstesia. We had to sign a paper saying that we knew all the risks involved with this procedure, which were lengthy.

Please pray that nothing would go wrong during this time. Pray for Dr. Devenyi and his staff, for accuracy and clarity. Please pray that they would find what they're looking for and have an accurate diagnosis. Most of all, please pray that Joshua would be able to outgrow this reflux and live a normal, healthy life. I feel like he's been through enough, and I just want him to be healthy and happy and "grow in wisdom and stature with favor from God and man."

Thank you for your prayers! We'll be there starting at 6:30 am until the procedure is finished, which we don't think should take too long. I'll give you an update as soon as I hear anything.

Petting Zoo Fun

This weekend we spent some quality time as a family. While we probably should have raked our yard (ours seems to be the only one in the neighborhood with a solid coating of leaves), we decided to wait until next weekend since that's when Manheim Township comes around to pick up the leaves. That gave us more time to just be together. Friday night after dinner, Joshua was really tired so we laid him down after his bath and some snuggle time with Momma. Then Shawn and I cozied up to a movie, which was hilariously funny.

Saturday, since the Bean had been so sick for so long (he's still having loose stools, but the doctors said to expect that for awhile), we decided to do something just for him. I've been trying to teach him his animals, so we decided to take a "field trip" to the petting zoo in Leola. While we didn't get any food out of the machines - we were afraid he'd try to eat it - and didn't let Joshua actually touch the animals (they were soooo dirty and Mom said something about a recent news story on kids getting Ecoli from animals), I think he enjoyed his time there. We showed him the animals, and he enjoyed watching the other kiddos surrounding us who were feeding the animals. We saw pigs, kangaroos, llamas, something from Asia that neither Shawn nor I had heard of before, donkeys, goats, peacoks, ducks, birds and a slew of other animals. It was fun! I think Joshua will enjoy it so much more when he's a little older.

That afternoon, we went and bought a pumpkin, bale of hay and pretty new mum for outside. We also bought a costume for Joshua since the one we have Shawn thought would be much too big on him this year. What will he be? It's a secret...but I can tell you it's super cute! While we won't do "real" trick-or-treating, we're hoping to take him to see all the family members who live in the area. I also cancelled my night class for the evening of Halloween so we can be here to answer our door (and most of the students really didn't want to be in class that night anyway). I love fall, but I actually wish it were just a little cooler. Whoever thought it would be 86 degrees in the middle of October? I'd be thrilled with 65-75...
Saturday we also worked on our family budget. It's one of our least favorite and most important things to do together, but I think we need to get better at keeping track of each penny we spend, as Dave Ramsey would tell us.

This morning I went to church since it's my Sunday to be on the worship team. Shawn & Joshua stayed home since we want to make sure that we don't pass any sickness Joshua may still have onto other kids, and we also don't want Joshua to get any sickness that other kiddos may have right before his surgery on Tuesday morning. Today, the first Sunday of October, is dedicated to praying for the peace of Jerusalem, so that's what we did. It was a nice service.

After I got home, our little family of three bought a chocolate cheesecake and took it over to Mom & Jamie's and visited with them awhile. Then we came home and Bean & I passed out for an hour while Daddy watched the football game. When I woke up, Shawn offered me the opportunity to go to the gym while he watched Joshua. Hooray! I had a great workout.

After I got home, I made parmesan-crusted chicken with mashed potatoes and Shawn baked biscuits and made peas & carrots. I really thought the mashed potatoes would be the "hot seller" for Joshua, but instead he had two good-size helpings of peas & carrots, ate an entire piece of chicken by himself and an entire biscuit. He had two bites of potatoes and didn't seemed thrilled by them. Part of me thinks that's because I insisted on feeding him those rather than have his hands all through them - he was already a little bit of a mess. All in all, though, he ate like a champ! He drank well from his sippy cup, too. I was glad to see him have his appetite back. We started a new medicine after the hospital visit, and he's been known to scream while eating, which makes me wonder if it's his reflux or what's going on. But, not tonight. He devoured all of it like it was going out of style. I gave him a fork and spoon like Mommy & Daddy. Most of the time, he held the spoon or fork with one hand while putting food into his mouth with the other. But, toward the end of the meal, he started putting a little food on the fork itself and then did actually eat one bite himself with the spoon without our coaxing. Hooray! I don't know what the "normal" age is for eating with silverware, but I can't wait for him to master it. I say that, but I don't want him to grow up too fast either. He's so cute, and we love him just how he is!

The other thing I did this weekend is start to go through the 18-month clothing lent to us by Aunt Alicia & Cousin Jordon and Aunt Gayle & Cousin Grant (thanks so much, guys!). While he has plenty of room in the waist for 12-month clothing still, many of the shirts are too short and the shorts are becoming too small, etc. Much of the 18-month clothing is fitting a little nicer, so I'm packing up the borrowed items to give back and put my 12-month clothes in a bin for little cousin Daniel who will probably need them at 6-months the way he's growing!

One Day at a Time

Joshua is a lot more perky and playing, although he's still thin and a little more tired than normal. We're working up his ability to eat more. Unfortunately last night we must have over-stuffed him because he threw up again. He's becoming one with the bathtub now. We also have washed every article of clothing we own in addition to sheets and towels - he's still exploding out the bottom end. Poor kid!

Nonie & Poppy came over yesterday to see the Bean, and I went to class last night. I had several students talking to me last night about personal issues, which is something I never expected. I always say at the beginning of the semester that I'm available to talk, and I'm being taken up on the offer. I guess God uses you wherever you're at. I also had a couple students come up after class and tell me how much they're enjoying the class and asked what I will be teaching next semester so they can take it. I thought that was sweet, especially since it seemed sincere and not like they were looking for special recognition or grading favor. They told me about how boring and awful some of their classes were and how they were glad to have someone upbeat. Cool. I wasn't feeling terribly upbeat after this week, but I do enjoy teaching, depending on the class and the textbook.

I'll end this post with something I read from the Bible this week:

Psalm 95
1 Come, let us sing for joy to the LORD;
let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation.

2 Let us come before him with thanksgiving
and extol him with music and song.

3 For the LORD is the great God,
the great King above all gods.

4 In his hand are the depths of the earth,
and the mountain peaks belong to him.

5 The sea is his, for he made it,
and his hands formed the dry land.

6 Come, let us bow down in worship,
let us kneel before the LORD our Maker;

7 for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture,
the flock under his care. Today, if you hear his voice,

8 do not harden your hearts as you did at Meribah,
[a - Meribah means quarreling] as you did that day at Massah
[b - Massah means testing] in the desert,

9 where your fathers tested and tried me,
though they had seen what I did.

10 For forty years I was angry with that generation;
I said, "They are a people whose hearts go astray,
and they have not known my ways."

11 So I declared on oath in my anger, "They shall never enter my rest."

Home

Joshua was just released from the hospital but still seems quite sick with diarrhea and nausea. Please continue to pray for his renewed strength and total restoration!

In the Hospital

Joshua was admitted to Lancaster General Hospital this afternoon. Please pray for quick healing.

Seeing the Doctor

This morning the nurse I spoke with yesterday actually took the initiative to call me, which I thought was impressive. Upon hearing that Joshua had just thrown up, she recommended he come in and be seen by a doctor. So, into the bathtub he went since he managed to get his hair in the process. We got to the doctors office and found out he weighs over a pound less than he did on Friday, which is not good. The doctor, however, seemed to think he was hydrated just enough to keep him out of the hospital. He did make us go for bloodwork, though, just to be sure he has enough electrolites (sp?) in his system. I'm waiting to hear the results. In the meantime, the doctor is having us try formula rather than pedialite because we need to get calories into the Bean. Joshua has already thrown up once since giving him just a small bit, but we'll see how it goes. He's also soiled (an understatement) two diapers already this morning. Please continue to pray for his health. I'll keep you posted as we know more.

And, pray for our camera, too. We're afraid it also might have bit the dust. Joshua looked so cute in dinosaur jammies lent to us by cousin Grant, and today even with being sick he looks handsome in a Redskins outfit that was in the same bin. I hate not having a camera to take pictures of him...

Also pray that Shawn & I don't get sick. We draw a line and say ENOUGH!