Will Davis - update #4

Santa finally visited the Davis family last night! The kids were excited and were happy to have Will home. The home health nurses check in on them two times per day to observe the administering of the medicine and check his vitals, breathing, etc.

The medicine takes one hour to administer (through a controlled pump system into the port) and I found out today that it costs $370 PER DAY out of pocket! To make matters worse, his $2500 PER PERSON deductible starts over tomorrow... when the New Year begins. (Insert your own opinion about our health care system now.)

If he continues to remain stable, they will leave for San Antonio on Friday morning with all four kids in the Suburban. They plan to arrive home Sunday night with all the stops required.

On a lighter note, Cara can now feel the new baby moving in her tummy. She will be glad to resume her pre-natal care as soon as she gets home. That little guy or girl will be entering into the most amazing family.

Thank you (again!) for considering assisting the family in this time of need. E-mail me directly or leave a comment if you are interested in offering a gas card, gift card, check, or want to send a greeting card of encouragement. They are so incredibly appreciative!

Will Davis - update #3

The prayers are certainly working. Will Davis had an AMAZING 24 hours!

Late late last night they started weaning him off of the oxygen, and by this afternoon, he was pretty much breathing on his own! Kids are resilient I guess. His fever hovers at 101.4, but is not getting much higher and responds to the Motrin/Tylenol. Up until last night, he had just been whimpering, but he was finally able to really cry this morning. They allowed him to cry as it helps re-inflate that right lung. They will know Friday when they see the Pulmonologist how his chest/lungs look.

In the meantime, they are releasing him to go home to Greg's Mom's house in Fort Wayne, Indiana where he will receive treatments via something called a pick tube. I guess it's some sort of port into which Cara will make injections every 2-3 hours and will have to be flushed every eight hours. They are releasing him because of their confidence that Cara can maintain the treatments, and Greg's sister is an RN and will be on-hand to monitor him.

If he continues to improve (he tried walking today!) they will try to begin driving home after this coming weekend. The Pulmonologist has to determine whether he can withstand the immobility and the carseat restraints. You can tell I am not a medical person, and I don't ask any questions when Cara's mom Sue gives me updates.

I know the Suburban is in the shop as well but should be ready in the event that he is released for travel this weekend. If they are able to leave, his care will be transferred to a Pulmonologist here in town who has been actively consulting the docs in Indiana for the past 2 1/2 weeks.

Thanks again for the donations we have received, and the expenses will not stop once he is home, so every bit helps. Your response has been awesome.

Will Davis - update #2

Will is on oxygen 100% of the time, and is now receiving the highest amount allowable for his age. His temperature is still hovering around 104.2, but cultures are not showing any bacteria, baffling doctors and making him more difficult to treat. His right lung has now partially collapsed.

The other children are beginning to feel the effects of so much time away from Cara. Victor, her oldest, has Autism and relies on his specific routine to feel secure and under control. They miss their Mom and little brother, and are wondering when it will finally be Christmas. They are considering requesting an empty hospital room to have Santa visit there. Right now, it would be too much for Will with his racing heart.

Thanks to those of you who have responded via e-mail to donate to the family.

Cara's Mom, Sue, (who lives with them two doors over) has access to their checking account. As soon as I receive a check for Cara or Greg Davis, I will walk it over for her to deposit so they will have immediate access to the funds.

Thanks again for your prayers and gifts! What a blessing it is to be a part of the family of God.

... more to come as I get more info...

Will Davis - update #1

Will had improved quite a bit and was released into a regular pediatric unit and taken off the morphine. He was more himself and able to move around better, so his siblings were able to visit with him for a few hours.

Today, however, I received word that he has taken another down turn. His white blood count is back up and his chest x-rays look as bad as they did five days ago. He will not be able to be released next week as they had hoped.

When it IS time to come home... Will can't be restrained for extended periods of time, so he can't return by car. He has a skin flap open from the tube they put in, so he can't fly. Cara will have to bring Will home by train (30 hour ride) to allow him to move around safely.

In the meantime, their Suburban broke down in Indiana. It must be repaired in order for Greg to be able to drive the other three kids home.

Also, Greg's dad is not expected to live (a matter of days). He's been bed ridden for 10 years and the family keeps getting called in to say goodbye.

I will keep everyone updated, and if you can help with gift cards, gas cards, donations, or well-wishes, please let me know. I will send off the first package tomorrow morning.

Prayer for Will...

Our neighbor and little playmate Will Davis needs prayer, so I am calling out to my blog community to intercede on his behalf. He is a very sick little boy. I will keep it short, but God knows the details.

My neighbors Cara and Greg left Tuesday for Indiana as Greg's father was expected to pass away any day. They took all four children on the road. By Friday, Will had developed bronchitis, which quickly became pneumonia. He was admitted to the hospital in Indiana and has progressively gotten worse. The last I heard was that they had to open up his chest and physically clear out his lungs for him. The chest tube wasn't working to drain his lungs.

His white blood cell count is through the roof. It is now almost one week later, and they still do not know why his body cannot fight whatever is attacking it. He is in an isolation unit of the ICU and is on morphine. His temp is still hovering around 104 degrees.

Cara and Greg are hundreds of miles away from home, and have three other small children and one more on the way. They have decided not to celebrate Christmas until little Will can join them.

The Davis kiddos: Tug (4), Victor (5), Austyn (3), and Will (2)

If you want to help, here's how:

First, please pray.

Second, the expenses are piling up. They will need a way to get Will and Cara back home in the event that Greg has to bring the other children home without them. Aside from train or plane fare and an upcoming mountain of medical bills, feeding their large family on the road is expensive and Victor has a very special diet like Jack's.

Several of the ladies at church will be setting up a fund to assist the family and I will post the information when it is all set up.

If you would like to donate to the family, you can mail a check to me made out to Greg Davis, or you can send gift cards to Costco, HEB, or Wal*Mart. If you do not have my mailing address, submit a comment and I will forward it to you via e-mail. You can also call or e-mail me directly if you wish to remain anonymous to the family.

If you have been meaning to find a way to serve, a family to help, or some way to minister during the Christmas season, please consider the Davis family. They are a precious (growing) family trusting the Lord to provide during this scary time.

Health update on the kiddos

We are headed to Houston when Jeff gets off work. I am supposed to be packing, but found myself blogging. I am so easily distracted.

Davis is doing much better... still coughing, but sleeping and breathing much better. Jack, on the other hand, is coughing his head off, sneezing incessantly, and now has a low-grade fever. Jeff and I stayed home for Christmas yesterday, and while we certainly missed everyone, we truly enjoyed our day at home with our family of four. I knew Jack Everett was sick when he put himself down for a nap this afternoon without being prompted. He also ate only three of his four chicken nuggets. Poor baby... you KNOW he must be feeling bad.

You can tell who's feeling a little better. Check out that grin.

We gave them both a mint vapor bath, which seemed to help open up their airways a bit. It certainly helped them relax. It also made for a cute photo op. That Davis has so many different facial expressions. He is quite the little character.

A Baby Changes Everything

A Baby Changes Everything
by Faith Hill
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Today we celebrate Jesus, the baby who changed everything. On a silent night, the thrill of hope entered a weary world... in a humble stable. If Jesus is not yet your Savior, would you open your heart to Him? God sent His son for YOU because He loves you. He made a way so that we would not have to be separated from Him. I take for granted that those who read this blog also know of this amazingly wonderful news. If you want to know more, ask....if not me, ask someone you know better. Ask someone who has an authentic relationship with God.

This baby changed everything in my life and He promises to change yours too. That is why we celebrate, today and everyday.

"But, Christmas without all the presents just isn't the same!"

It's amazing how enjoyable the Christmas season is when you cut out all the shopping, receipts, crowds, traffic... It's truly remarkable. We have regained so much. We had time to enjoy both Grandmas' church Christmas programs, time to sit together and watch the Christmas Classics, and time to do local missions with the church. We are not run ragged as we have been in years past.

Jeff has commented on it too. He is not at work watching our balance dwindle on USAA.com while I shop away. He is not nearly as stressed about the number of gifts left to buy. The gift to Jeff has been the reduced financial pressure. Sure beats a tie or a DVD. The other night he even came home and said, "Let's put lights on the outside of the house this year. I think Jack will love it." Say what? I couldn't believe my ears. We have NEVER put up lights on the house. And guess what? We had plenty of time to do that... on a Saturday no less. No shopping to do, no wrapping to do... just quality family time and new memories.

I have been totally free to give my time to others this time of year. I have time and energy to help my parents clean their garage, help my friend organize her bills, help my pregnant neighbor with her laundry and dishes. I was also able to volunteer at Jack Everett's little church Christmas Posada program and it was incredible.

I never realized how harried my holidays have been in years past. I remember Christmas shopping trips that resulted in six or seven bags, gift receipts, etc. to sort through... and I did this several times a week in December. All the while, I dragged a baby in a stroller from store to store. My list was organized but long. Jeff would say, "Are you sure we need to buy for every single person on that list?" I know he didn't want to sound like a Scrooge, and I am sure he didn't want to appear to our families like we couldn't afford it, or that we didn't plan well for it. I would say, "Well, we can't get everyone to agree on drawing names"... or..."I do enjoy watching them open the gifts we bring. I mean, that's part of the fun for me."

I wish we had tried this last year. We didn't. I would tell Jeff, "Christmas just wouldn't be the same without all the presents!" I felt like Christmas would be boring or disappointing without the gifts. It wouldn't be memorable. Plus, how awkward would it be if we were receiving a ton of gifts but showed up empty-handed? That would be weird.

Last year, the gift-opening was completely overwhelming for the kids and quite frankly cut into time we could have spent visiting, playing games, or opening a few of the new toys and actually playing with them. By the end, Jack Everett was exhausted. He was half-heartedly opening gift after gift, hardly thanking people, hardly looking at each new item. It took us all year to introduce his new toys at a rate at which he could enjoy each of them. We had to give away dozens of toys to make room for his new ones.

Jeff and I felt like we had failed to recognize a great teaching opportunity. We felt like we were on the road to spoiling our sweet boy. We told ourselves on the ride home last year, car chock full of packages and a sleepy overindulged boy crashed out in his carseat... next year would be different. We promised to make a change.

When our pastor announced... "two weeks until Christmas!" the congregation moaned. That is not the reaction he had hoped for but exactly what he expected. The sermon series was about "Missing Christmas." If anyone reading this feels compelled to re-evaluate their current Christmas traditions, pray about it for next year... If you feel like you need a big change, go for it. It's not too late. The kids are not too old. I wish someone had told me this... or challenged me to pray about this years ago.

If I were to mentor a newlywed couple, I would advise them: When you have a baby, take time to talk about what you want Christmas to feel like in your home. Start Christ-centered holiday traditions now, while it's still easy. What do you want Christmas to look like and sound like in your home? How will gift-giving be handled? How much will you spend? How will you save for it? How do you want them to describe it to their kids? Be intentional. Which activities and traditions are worth your time and energy and reinforce the miracle of Jesus' birth and which ones take away from the real meaning?

Turns out, I was right all along... Christmas without all the presents just isn't the same.

Just chillin' out tryin' to get better...

Davis' fever has subsided, so that's good news. His breathing is still labored and he coughs and gags, etc. but he is able to sleep better. His eyes and nose are so red and puffy from all the crying and straining. He scratched his face up pretty bad in the ER and at home when we were giving him the saline aspirations (a.k.a. baby torture treatments.) He also has quite a little diaper rash now. Poor little guy.

But, he's still smiling. That's our boy!

He has been pulling on his poor little ears so much these days and fell asleep this way in the swing. I know, he totally looks posed.

Daddy has been awesome with the camera lately. He took this short video after Davis finally coughed himself to sleep.

Jeff is also much better than I am at the breathing nose-sucker thing for the baby. It's amazing the things you find out about your husband once the kids come along. Cutting fingernails... he's out. Giving meds and administering the booger-sucker... he's your man.

All I want for Christmas...

... is a clear airway.

Davis has RSV and a double ear infection. You know what they say about breast-fed-stay-at-home babies... always sick. We took him to the Methodist Emergency Room Sunday night and I am glad we did. He is on antibiotics and he takes them about as gracefully as he takes a bottle. I just hope antibiotics work when dripping down his chin onto his clothes. Maybe he soaks them in? We do the best we can to continually suction his airways with saline and the aspirator, but his little hoarse voice and cough are enough to break your heart.

The second verse to that song is that Jack has developed a little cold himself. As warned, RSV is highly contagious, so we were expecting that he would come down with it too. Luckily older kids don't usually develop more than common cold symptoms. So, we are keeping plenty of hand sanitizer, Tylenol and Kleenex around.

On another note, the little man broke a new mold... for the first time since we became parents 4 1/2 years ago... a baby slept in our bed. It was only five hours, but we couldn't stand the thought of him having a breathing attack/episode in another room and us not hearing it on the monitor. Suffice it to say, we were quickly reminded why we have never done this. Only one person slept well that night - but he was the only one who mattered.

Five months old. Already.

In the midst of all the Holiday hub-bub, little Davie (no, we don't call him that and you can't either) turned FIVE months old! I told him he is not allowed to grow up, but he is totally ignoring me. Here is the regularly scheduled monthly plaster o' pics...

We had a good friend come over to take pictures of the boys for Christmas. No, you can't have her name. She's mine.

She captured little Davis' many different facial expressions. His emerging personality is somethin' else!

He is an incredibly agreeable kiddo, essentially at his brother's mercy most of the time. Until he is mobile, he has no choice. His facial expressions on the right probably sum up how he feels about it. Jack always wants to roll onto his back while holding Davis on his tummy. He is really careful, but we prefer that he not do this for obvious reasons. Well, a couple of days ago Davis helped us teach Jack why this is a bad idea: He spit up all over Jack's face, totally grossing him out and totally cracking us up. That was the end of that.



So, the monthly bear pictures are becoming more challenging now that the little worm likes to wiggle. It's becoming a two-person job. Here are a few of the outtakes.

Had to post the pic on the left to remain consistent with perspective, but we loved his sweet grin on the right. His snowman outfit is a bit short, but Mommy insists on getting a lot of wear out of the holiday clothes.

This little boy is bringing us so much joy. We realize how blessed we are that he is such a good-natured baby and he really completes our family. Several have asked: We are postponing the cereal thing until six months old. I was so anxious to feed Jack baby food and it took no time to realize it's a huge messy hassle, so we will push it off just a bit this time. Plus, I know my days nursing Davis are numbered, so I am enjoying the experience while I can. Davis is rolling over from back to front but gets a wee bit ticked off once he gets there. His brother has been trained on rolling him back over, but if Davis does it too many times in a row, Big Brother gets a little ticked himself.



Last and certainly not least, Jeff was able to capture Davis in action in the Jumperoo, which we have re-named the Sleeperoo. He took this video while watching the Spurs game tonight. I just had to download as soon as I saw it. Enjoy!

Quick Opinion Poll in Left Column!

Alright, I want honest opinions... how do you feel about dressing siblings exactly alike? Okay, specifically, two boys... four years apart. Seriously, be honest.

When we informally poll people, we get varied responses. Don't worry, neither Jeff nor I have super strong opinions either way, but like with many current fashion issues, we just don't know what's cool and what's nerdy.

So, we need your help. Please participate in the poll on the left side of the blog! I enabled readers to choose multiple responses if needed. If you have a different response, feel free to add it in the comments section. If you are not a blogger/googler, you can comment anonymously and add your name at the bottom.

Thanks for your help. We really want to be cool, but just haven't figured out how.

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* The Duggars:

Posada Celebration at Kid's Quest

"In Mexican culture, the Christmas tradition of Posada begins with the procession of the pilgrims. At the head is Joseph, holding Mary's hand as she rides on the donkey. Sometimes, instead of having people dress up as Mary and Joseph and ride a donkey through the streets, several neighbors carry a nativity scene. Following them are all the neighbors, carrying candles and singing traditional songs to ask for posada, a place where they can stay. They knock on neighbors' door asking for a place to stay, just like Joseph and Mary travelling to Bethlehem. At the end of the trip through the streets of the neighborhood, they reach their final destination. Doors open and the big Christmas party begins!"
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The Posada Celebration at Kid's Quest this year was designed to take the children on the long journey to Bethlehem for the birth of a baby.



It started with Joseph (a Dad volunteer) explaining to the children that his wife Mary was expecting a baby, but that they had to journey to Bethlehem for Caesar's census. The kids were cold and bundled up, but when we got outside an angel was waiting to tell the kids not to be afraid. She had GOOD NEWS! We then walked as a group around the Children's building, knocking on classroom doors. One at a time, the children were told there was no room at the inn. Just as the children were getting cold and tired, a kind innkeeper offered them his animal stable and a warm meal (animal crackers and juice.) The kids were so happy.



Once inside the classroom, three wise men appeared with gifts for the Baby Jesus, who they had been told was born in the stable. During the week, the kids had each helped their Mommies fill green grocery bags with food for a new Salvation Army apartment complex for the elderly. The wise men invited the children to bring their gifts to present to the Christ child. When we arrived at the stable, the room was dim and "Away in a Manger" was playing in the background.

The rowdy, hyper group of three-and four-year-olds kids instantaneously turned into quiet, tiptoeing, respectful children in the presence of the little Baby Jesus doll laying in the manger. The teachers were dressed up as Joseph, Mary, and wise men and the children showed them such respect, either whispering or saying nothing at all. It was priceless.

"Away in a manger, No crib for His bed.
The little Lord Jesus laid down His sweet head.
The stars in the bright sky looked down where He lay

The little Lord Jesus asleep on the hay.

The cattle are lowing, the poor Baby wakes,

But little Lord Jesus, no crying He makes;

I love Thee, Lord Jesus, look down from the sky,

And stay by my cradle 'til morning is nigh.

Be near me, Lord Jesus, I ask Thee to stay,

Close by me forever, and love me, I pray!

Bless all the dear children in Thy tender care,

And take us to heaven, to Live with Thee there."

In years past, I would have dropped him off at Kid's Quest and headed out for two and a half hours of precious kid-free shopping time. Instead, I cried (and took pictures) and wished all the parents, including Jeff, could have been there to see their children experience in a clear, simple way what Christmas gift-giving is really all about.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

Quick update... not much time to write these days (you will see why.)

Is it just me, or do you have to completely destroy your house in order to decorate it for the holidays? I mean, we had Rubbermaids, tissue paper, scraps of wrapping paper, wire ornament hooks, and you can't even see all the faux tree needles all over the carpet.

I would include an "AFTER" picture, but it still pretty much looks the same most of the time. It's never really clean long enough to grab the camera.

My kitchen table during crafts this week. Jack loves getting to apply the glitter and glue himself and let's just say he is very generous with both. It takes days for his little pools of glue to dry.




We borrowed some Christmas lights and put them on the house... another first for us! Yes, on the same day... we finally chunked the Halloween pumpkin. I guess it was time? Jack Everett enjoyed being in charge of testing each strand of lights before we used it. He would cheer each time he'd test them and they actually lit up. Jack thought it was so awesome (and scary) that Daddy could jump off the roof without a ladder. When we were finished, I had forgotten how tacky Christmas lights look during the day, but alas, we match the rest of the neighborhood. Now all we need is a huge inflatable Christmas character. Don't worry, I'm only kidding.

"Here is my little Christmas Bell,

with its chain of green and red.

It reminds me to be good and sweet

from its place above my bed.

I tear one chain off every night

and count them one by one.

For when the last chain is gone

then Baby Jesus comes!"

(This was our Kid's Quest craft... and yes, Jack already got one day ahead of himself on the chain removal.)



Jack finished decorating his little tree for his bedroom. He loves it. He sometimes turns it off on his own. He is so afraid it will "run out of batteries" before Christmas. He used his blue and gold Mardi Gras beads to decorate it. He especially loves his Lightning McQueen, Sally, and SuperDog ornaments from Mamaw and Pops. I love this little tradition and am glad we started it. He also has a nativity on the table under the tree. I often find the animals mixed from other nativities around the house, gathered around his tiny Baby Jesus.

Here is proof that for a short glorious time all the lights we put up actually worked. About an hour later, they all went out except for about one foot up the column. That's how they look as I type this.

You know, just reading all this makes me realize what a big deal we make of Christmas. It IS a big deal. Our pastor once said, "Our children value what we celebrate." If we celebrate touchdowns more than grades, we reveal to them what we value more. For us, celebrating Christ's birth is so worth the time, the trouble, the effort, the mess... We want the boys to see that our family celebrates the greatest gift the world has ever been given. I just pray that someday he realizes that this gift was also for HIM personally... that Christ's death was a gift for Jack. All he has to do is receive it.

Photos with Santa

Monday morning we decided to head out for pictures with Santa. We drove all the way out to Rolling Oaks Mall (20-25 minutes) because they are the only elves in town who allow Moms to take pictures with their own cameras. That is, if you purchase the minimum photo package, of course. They are also the only crew in town who seem to allow time for Santa to really talk with each child for an extended period of time.

Anyway, we arrived at about 1:20pm to see this sign:



Jack was very disappointed, but I explained, "Son, there will be many many more times in your life when people will misuse apostrophes." With that, we headed to Chic-fil-A.

By the time we got back to Santa's workshop, we were about third in line. I picked up Davis and quickly realized he had a serious poopy diaper. Believe me, I debated... but decided I just couldn't do that to poor ol' Santa. Helpy Helperton, the elf on duty, informed me that the closest bathroom was upstairs in JCPenney... four stores away with a broken elevator (come to find out.) So, by the time we get back to the workshop, there are about four families in line. No problem, except that Davis is now re-he-eally fussy.

So, while breastfeeding on a mall bench, Jack informs me he is no longer interested in seeing Santa. Ah yes, by now we are deep in the heart of nap time.

Well, I am not proud, but I quickly made up a story about how Santa writes down what each kid wishes for... and then staples it to his picture to make sure he remembers the right boy... and "we wouldn't want Santa to look back at Jack Griffin's picture and say, "Wow, what a grouchy boy!" now, would we?" Jack immediately says, "Momma, I am going to look right at the camera and smile so Santa will remember that Jack is a boy who behaves!" Okay, not a suggestion I would publish in my upcoming parenting book, but that's exactly how it happened.

So, I finish nursing Davis, now completely milk-drunk, and he cannot keep his eyes open. Jack and I bounce him, sing to him, and pretty much try anything to keep him awake. No luck.

Here are the priceless pics:

I feel like I should be on a Suave commercial:

"One of these moms paid $21.99 for a professional photo package. The other mom used one click of her free digital camera. Which one was it? We're not telling!"

Despite what could have been a stressful experience, I actually enjoyed every minute of it... "...Laughing all the way! Ha Ha Ha!..." I wished I had Laura and Julie with me... I will remember that next year.

"For unto us a child is born..."

I put Jack Everett in charge of setting up the Nativity scenes (yes, I have six of them) and this is how he set up the animals, wise men, shepherds, Mary, and Joseph.

All eyes are on Jesus. Isn't that how it should be?

Jeff and I are working this year to show Jack how to love like Jesus - with a giving heart, doing for others for the holidays, not waiting with a list of things he hopes to get. It is an overwhelming challenge, with consumerism rushing at us from every angle. We are keeping our finger in the dam, holding off the flood of selfishness, protecting his innocent heart. I am not talking about the one obligatory name from the Angel Tree, or the change in the red Salvation Army bucket, but engaging in true acts of service to those in need.

ME, ME, ME. It's how children are wired. It's how WE are wired.

Please pray for our family as we try to resist "doing Christmas" as we have in the past and try to return to the true reason for the season - the birth of our Savior. Pray that we can establish traditions that will help our boys keep their eyes on Jesus, especially during this Christmas season when it seems easiest to lose sight.

Are any of you struggling to keep your eyes (or your kids' eyes) and hearts focused on Jesus this Christmas? Do you have any Christ-centered traditions or family activities to share?

Thankful.

So I am a little behind. Here are a couple of pics from Thanksgiving this year. We shared food, fellowship, funny stories, and a nasty stomach bug. We enjoyed hosting 27 people from the Elmore side of the family. Well, I say "we" hosted... By that, I mean Darlene and Melody hosted. Jeff and I did all we could just to show up on time and help with the dishes. Thank goodness our families love us anyway!

Davis on Nana's bed enjoying his first Thanksgiving, and Jack Everett getting ready to pray.

Happy Thanksgiving!