Last Sunday

These pictures are from Father's Day. We went for a walk along the New Haven Harbor and it was HOT and MUGGY. We tried to enjoy the scenery and family time but were relieved to get back into the air conditioned car.

Recognize that plaid? Yup, Nate's wearing a Burberry shirt. What a stylin' little toddler! (thanks to Edward's parents)

Before bedtime

"Gentle, Nate"
(Nate does not understand this word)

new favorite pose

A visit to the ER and a frantic call to 911

Two separate incidents in two days. And I'd like to forget them both.

So here's the story. Last Tuesday Nate and I headed to NJ for what was to be a 48 hour trip home to shop for bridesmaid dresses. Tuesday we had a lovely afternoon by the pool with the McInnes girls and Wednesday we went dress shopping and found a bridesmaid dress that I am excited to wear (cute, comfortable, and reasonably priced). Nate had been congested for a few days and had been coughing, but I thought maybe it was allergies. I had a difficult time getting him to bed Wednesday night (I think he was up until 9pm). At 12:30am Jessie came in my room to tell me Nate was crying. I must have been in a deep sleep because he was in the room next to me and I always hear him. I comforted him and he fell right back asleep. I kept my door open so I would hear him if he cried again. Three a.m. I heard him crying and I knew something wasn't right. As he was crying he was GASPING for breath. I ran to my parents room and they immediately knew it was croup (Sarah and I had both had this as little kids). We calmed him down with some Sesame Street but he was still really struggling to breathe, taking short, shallow breaths. My mom noticed he was breathing so hard that he had sternal retraction and we quickly decided we should head to the ER. Fortunately it was a very slow night in the ER and Nate was seen right away, given steroids and a blow-by breathing treatment, and eventually dozed off in my arms. The doctor kept him for a few a few hours for observation (monitoring his oxygen saturation level) and by 6:30am he had improved enough to go home. As we got home Jessie was getting ready for school, my dad had to get ready for work, and my mom, Nate, and I headed back to bed. We had planned on returning to New Haven Thursday morning but because Nate still wasn't doing very well I decided to stay another day (he did get another steroid treatment later in the day). Nate was coughing on Friday but his breathing seemed fine so we said goodbye to my parents and headed north. Edward came home from work around 6:30pm and we sat down for dinner around 7. Nate was eating some bits of apple when he started in on one of his coughing jags and inhaled a piece. He took a quick breath and the apple got even more lodged in his throat. I thought it was scary when he woke up with the croup, but let me tell you, that was nothing compared to this. I pulled him out of his chair and Edward grabbed him and threw him over his leg and started hitting his back. I told Edward to run to our next door neighbor who is a doctor and I called 911, frantic and hysterical. Edward FLEW down the stairs and out the door as I relayed the info to the 911 dispatcher. I ran downstairs to see Nate and Edward on our neighbor's porch (they weren't home) and at this point Nate was crying, so I knew he was okay, or at least able to breathe. Edward said Nate was unresponsive and not breathing until he got to the neighbors yard. Nate then threw up and out came the apple and lots of milk. Nate was crying and scared but BREATHING. Thank God. No more than 30 seconds later we heard sirens and a fire truck came racing to meet us. The firemen checked Nate's breathing and said he seemed fine. They talked with us a few minutes before leaving. We were shaken but so happy that our little boy was okay. I am so thankful that:
1. Edward was home when this happened
2. Edward reacted so heroically in such a scary situation
3. The apple popped out!
4. Help arrived in less than two minutes (I hope we never need them again, but good to know they can be here so fast)
5. Nate will have no memory of these two days (but I will!)

Nate has had no apples since this happened. Probably 95% of his caloric intake is from his milk at this point. He still has a dreadful cough and drippy nose, but we are starting to see improvement.

What a week!

Here are two pix of Nate on Thursday, recovering after his night/morning in the ER.

Hydrangea

Happy Father's Day!

Praise God

A letter from Neil:
"I would have despaired if I had not believed that I would see the
goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the LORD; be
strong and let your heart take courage; yes, wait for the LORD. " -
Psalm 27:13 (NASB)

This passage was written by the psalmist thousands of years ago and
was sent to me by a friend just this morning. I thought it a very
appropriate way to begin this email.

After my seizure on Friday, June 4th I was taken to UNC hospital where
I was diagnosed with a 5-cm brain tumor. Surgery was scheduled for
Monday, June 7th based on the urgency of the case. From the CT scan
and MRI, Christina had hoped that the tumor was benign (such as a
meningioma). When he opened up my skull, the neurosurgeon, Dr.
Germanwala, found dramatic brain swelling consistent with a more
aggressive tumor type. What was scheduled to be a five hour surgery
lasted almost seven hours. Christina and the rest of the family shed
many tears when they found out the initial results right after the
surgery. Based on the brain swelling, the bloodiness of the tumor, the
fact that it seemed to be growing through the tentorium, and the
initial biopsy results, the expected diagonsis was that of a
medullobalstoma or a glioblastoma, malignant tumors of the brain cells
which affect appproximately 500,000 people per year. I'm writing to
tell you what God, in his glory, has done instead.

Today, we were told by our surgeon that based on the pathology results
from St. Louis (they had sent a sample of the tumor to some
specialists at Washington University), the mass is a solitary fibrous
tumor (SFT). It is not a cancer of the brain tissue itself, but of
the dural matter that lines the brain. It is usually a benign tumor.
There are about 70-80 cases of this type of tumor reported worldwide
each year. Again, I am not a trained statitstician, but I know enough
about Bayes' Theorem to know that this is a medical miracle. Based on
all the data we had in our possession, this tumor ought to have been
aggressive and malignant. It is not. God has done this, and it is
marvelous in our eyes. It has nothing to do with my inherent goodness
or niceness or religiosity or piety. He has done this because this is
who He is. He is a friend to the unrighteous, the godless, and the
sinners.

I know that all of you will rejoice along with me. I cannot sing and
shout and tell enough about the great thing that God has done, how He
ordained from all eternity that we should go through this, how He has
sat up with me through the nights comforting me, how I have felt His
love and His presence throughout this ordeal, how He has assured me of
His forgiveness in Christ, how He has strengthened my trust in Him.
But I pray and pray that none of us will lose sight of the essential
lesson for me and for all of us in this trial: God is all that
matters. God has given me a glorious and joyful and wonderful
reprieve, but it is only a reprieve. I will still face death one day,
as will all of us. What God has shown me so clearly during these last
few weeks is that the only thing that really matters is my eternal
relationship with Him. Either He has forgiven me through Jesus or He
has not. Either Jesus' suffering and death and resurrection were
sufficient to pay the debt of my sin and completely reconcile me to
Himself or they were not. This difference matters. It is all that
matters. As you rejoice with me during this time, please consider
these questions. I am so glad that you will hug your children, care
for the poor, live with love and justice and kindness and compassion.
I celebrate with tears that my experience has made you realize that
people are more important than things, that life is short, that love
is supreme. But the final and ultimate and essential question is: am
I reconciled to God? Has He forgiven me? Am I a sinner in need of
radical forgiveness that only Jesus can offer? In the midst of your
joy, please don't forget these questions. I am a miserable sinner who
has found grace and loove through the cross of Christ. I pray that
you will too.
Sincerely,
Neil

They don't feel nothin' like steel

Day at the museum

Actually it was 30 minutes at the museum. I thought Nate would be interested in the dinosaurs, stuffed birds, and all the other fascinating things the museum had to offer. He wasn't.

(So glad I had a free pass and didn't waste $14 on this failed educational trip.)What did catch his attention were the amazing ceiling fans.

Dinosaurs? Who cares?

A larger version of Piper?

"Can we leave, Mom?"

And off to the park we went.

Saturday continued

After strawberry picking on Saturday, we headed home, regrouped, and headed back out to our neighborhood street festival. There was live music, lots of tasty food, and fun activities for kids. One of Nate's many new words (he's up to about ten) is "dog" and he made sure to tell us every time he saw one.

This was right when the fair started. It was overcast and drizzly but as the afternoon went on the sun came out and the street was packed with people (and dogs) milling about.

Nate enjoyed watching this piano player perform.


Saturday evening--playing with Piper in the backyard

Our landlord is building a deck where a ramshackle garage used to stand. Can't wait until it's finished!

Stick, another new word, although Nate pronounces it "tick"

And sucking on the stroller strap, as usual

Piper, ready to take off after that ball!