Grateful

Just wanted to thank all of you who left comments, emailed, and Facebooked me with advice on transitioning Conner and Cooper into family life.

 

Our second full day at home (after the 8 day hospitalization) went much smoother for all of us.  Here are the things I decided to do to help the boys transition:

• I decided to feed the boys in their bedroom.  Our house is full of joyful noise, our kitchen is always hoppin’, and there’s just not a room in the house that’s guaranteed to be quiet and serene, except the boys’ bedroom.  Conner is currently required to drink 32 ounces of his nutrition drink, and Cooper is required to drink 40 ounces of his nutrition drink. When the boys are overstimulated, they don’t want to eat or drink.  Moving the meals to their bedroom (and putting the main focus on drinking the nutrition drinks over eating with a spoon (which is more stressful for the boys than drinking is)) helped TREMENDOUSLY.  Both boys met their intake requirements on Day 2, praise God.
• I put the boys in their cribs from 1-4PM, which they LOVED.  At their orphanage, all of the children were put into their sleeping cribs, in a dark, quiet room for “nap time” from Noon-4PMish.  I decided I’d stick with this schedule as best as possible for now.
• I’m planning to set up a pack-n-play (or two), and maybe even their pop-up sleep tents in our family area downstairs.  MANY people recommended this, as it’s a way for the boys to calm down, yet still be included with family. 
• I spent time in the boys’ room with them while they were in their cribs.  This is what happened at their orphanage.  The children were in cribs in the room that has windows while the “caregivers” read their newspapers and cleaned the room, watered the plants, etc.  So, I spent time doing my chores in the boys’ room while they sat and stood in their cribs.  This was a big hit because it allowed us to stay connected, yet we were in a calm, quiet, serene environment.  I got lots done, and the boys got good calm time.  (Neither boy showed any signs of wanting to get out of their cribs, not even when I would go to their cribs and hold out my arms, gesturing that I wanted to pick them up.)  Conner stimmed (self stimulated) most of the time, while Cooper sort-of played with some toys.  Conner doesn’t know how to play with toys at all, nor does he care to learn how…yet.  Hopefully that will change with time.  Cooper will hold toys in his hands, feeling them, and then he uses them to stim.
• The most helpful piece of advice I received made me view this transition differently.   This person made an analogy of being overstimulated to the refeeding syndrome.  While refeeding syndrome was/is a huge risk as the boys’ bodies learn to digest food after being starved, the same thing is happening with the boys in terms of how they were starved for love, affection, and attention.  To bombard their delicate systems with an overload of things they’re not used to (lots of love, attention, play time, cuddle time, chaotic family life) would be to put their little bodies at risk in a similar way that their systems are at risk of refeeding syndrome.  While we WANT to immediately give the boys excellent nutrition and tons of love, we have to approach these transitions slowly and cautiously, giving their systems time to process and digest these changes, slowly, but surely.

 

Both boys must get their labs drawn today to check for symptoms of refeeding syndrome.  We’re going to attempt to do this outpatient at a lab nearby (well, 30 minutes away, but that’s nearby since we live in the boondocks).  Since the boys’ veins clamp down and collapse, I would greatly appreciate prayer that both boys will be able to get their blood drawn with just one stick.  And, of course, prayers that both boys will not have any signs/symptoms of refeeding sydrome/organ failure.

 

I have a feeling this outing will be WAY overload for the boys, so please pray for them to be able to calm down and recover quickly.

 

I also wanted to note that with all of our adoptions, we’ve always kept each child’s world small.  What I mean by that is that we have always tried to reduce the amount of stressors in each adopted child’s life (especially when they’re newly home) because simply being home and in a family is a huge stress to a child who hasn’t been living with a family and/or in a home.  We’ve chosen to not have visitors, to not go in public, to not attend church outside our home, to home school, to help our children experience a safe life in, in a safe family, in a safe home, in a safe world.  Usually, that means staying home, home, home, having little to no visitors, and having a consistent schedule with as little chaos as possible.  I highly recommend this for ALL families adopting, whether you’re adopting domestically or internationally, whether you’re adopted a young child or an older child, whether you’re adopting special needs or not.  This is important for ALL children transitioning home.

 

Another thing I’d like to address is sensory issues in adopted children.  Our two biological sons had sensory integration dysfunction way back when, both had occupational therapy for it, and The Out of Sync Child was almost as important as my Bible!!!  So, sensory issues don’t just occur in adopted children, BUT children who have lived in orphanages and institutions are extremely likely to have sensory issues.  I HIGHLY recommend two books to help with this:  The Out of Sync Child and The Out of Sync Child Has Fun.

 

On another note, I’d just like to thank our older kids for stepping up and helping in so many ways.  They played the role of Mom and Dad for a total of 5 weeks (while Matt and I were in Ukraine), then another 8 days while the boys were hospitalized, and now that we’re home, I feel like God has blessed me with lots of extra teammates.  Everyone pitches in so incredibly well that everything gets done even when I never mention the need for something to be done.  I’m so very grateful for the many helping hands and loving hearts God has blessed us with.  Thank you, Parker, Mattie, Meribeth, Sawyer, and Naomi for all you do to make our family FANTABULOUS.  We love you and are so proud to have you as our children.

 

And speaking of children, Kiefer (age 3) and Selah (age 1) have missed their mommy more than I realized.  While they’re adjusting to having new siblings, Kiefer and Selah have been extra cuddly with Mommy.  I’m loving having these extra cuddles, extra rocking time, extra kisses, extra hugs, and extra lovin’.  They’re doing GREAT accepting Conner and Cooper.  Kiefer LOVES to be a helper.  Selah is too young to understand everything, but she’s doing a fabulous job of sharing Mommy, even when she’d prefer to have Mommy all to herself. 

 

And, last, but not least, I want to thank the MANY friends and family members who blessed our kiddos with meals over the last 2 months!!!  I cannot even begin to express my gratitude to all of the many people who came alongside our family during this time.  Your service and gifts are greatly appreciated.  And to the many people who have donated to make this adoption possible, THANK YOU.  And to the folks who have donated clothing, baby supplies, bedroom furniture, bedding, and gear for our newest sons, THANK YOU.  God has seriously shown off through this adoption, more than He’s ever done with any of our other adoptions.  You, the hands and feet of Christ, have seriously blessed us beyond measure. 

 

We humbly thank you from the depths of our hearts.

I Hate Institutionalism

Check out this video of Cooper during dinner last night, our first night home from the hospital.  (The reason there’s no food on his tray is because he only eats baby food and drinks nutrition drinks.  He had already eaten, and was enjoying dinner time with his new family.)  This shows the JOY of being in a family.  I hate that Cooper’s and Conner’s first six years were spent in an institution where they were confined to their cribs pretty much 24/7.  I LOVE this video of redemption.

 

However, redemption is a process most of the time.  Today was our first full day home from the hospital.  Both boys are doing well, but I need some advice from the pros out there who have walked this path of bringing older children home from institutions where their lives had purely been living in a crib with no stimulation 24/7.  

 

Today was a bit overwhelming for all of us as we try to navigate this new family life.  Although it went very well, we’re realizing we now have 6-YEAR-old special needs “twins” (they’re not biologically related, but only a month apart in age), but both boys are very much like 6-MONTH-old twins.  This is going to take a little practice on our part to figure out what works best for institutionalized special needs kiddos whom we absolutely adore.  The thing I’m struggling with most is my emotions toward what these boys lived for 6 years versus what I want to immediately give them:  love, love, love, family, family, family, attention, attention, attention.  Unfortunately, what I want to give them seems to be overwhelming them, rightly so, given what they’ve lived for 6 years.  I hate institutionalism.

 

Both boys need to be fed baby food (and because they don’t particularly like it, this makes feeding times challenging ), both boys are in diapers, both boys cannot walk, and both boys seem to need a series of several naps or down times throughout the day, just like an infant.  6-YEAR-olds in 6-MONTH-old bodies, which is totally fine with us, we’re just needing to figure out how to best make life roll around here, easing the boys into life in a family vs. life in a crib 24/7 at an institution, plus figuring out how to best meet the boys’ needs.  I hate institutionalism. 

 

My day was spent focused on trying to make sure both boys got their daily intake of their nutrition drinks and baby foods, which, of course, takes a full day to accomplish.  At the end of the day, I realized that our schedule is very much like bringing home infant twins.  Drink, play, eat, diaper, drink, play, eat, diaper, drink, play, eat, diaper, drink, play, eat, diaper (literally, that many times), then bath, and then bed.  Maybe I need to substitute crib time for some of the play times.  I’m So.Very.Grateful for this opportunity to mother these precious babes.  I just want to mother them in the way they need it, which may not be the way I see it.

 

If you adopted a bed-ridden, institutionalized child, what things did you do to ease the transition to family life?  Cooper and Conner seem way overstimulated (rightly so), but I feel terrible at simply the thought of putting them in their cribs any other time than bed time.  I want them with us at all times, learning, playing, singing, loving, catching up on 6 years that were stolen, but then I see that both boys seem totally overwhelmed at times.  I guess my aching heart would feel better if I could just get it through my thick skull that the boys need a slow transition to family life, instead of tossing them right in to tons of love 24/7!!!

 

There are times that just holding the boys and singing to them seems far too much for their sweet little brains and bodies.  Institutionalism stinks.  My heart aches at the thought of leaving our boys in their cribs during waking hours, but my heart also hurts to see them overwhelmed and overstimulated.  I need advice from those who have walked this path, and I know there are lots of you out there. 

 

Should I begin this transition with set times for “detoxing” in their cribs, especially after high stimulation times in our day?  Out of crib one hour/in crib 30 minutes--or out of crib 3 hours/in crib 1 hour--or in crib during traditional nap time and out of crib all other times--or something entirely different?

 

In hindsight, being in the hospital for 8 days not only healed Cooper’s and Conner’s physical bodies, but it helped ease them into life outside of their institution.  They still hung out in their crib almost 24/7, but I was right there 24/7, reading them stories, singing to them, holding them in short intervals (because they were attached to IV poles and there were so many specialists always coming in and out), and, of course, watching educational videos on their DVD players when they were awake.  Now, should I be doing something similar to this at home so that they’re not so overwhelmed with family life?!?!

 

OK, now that I’ve established just how much I hate the effects of institutional life, I beg you to PLEASE check out my friend’s HUGE fundraiser/giveaway, known as Mulligan Stew.  Lots of people have been asking me how they can help, how they can serve, where they can start to make a difference in the lives of helpless, mistreated, neglected, malnourished orphans like Conner and Cooper.  Click HERE to find yourself a great place to start making a difference today.

 

And thanks for praying for us as we figure this new family life out.  I know God’s already got it all figured out, and He’ll gently lead us in the direction He knows we need to go.  Grateful for all of the support He’s given us through people like you who are praying for us, loving us, sending notes of encouragement.  Thank you!!!

On Our Way Home!

We are so grateful for the awesome are provided by Dell Children's Hospital! We're so excited to be going home today. Praises to our King of kings!!!!!

The boys still have to be monitored for a week and have labs drawn again Thursday, so keep them in your prayers that they continue to thrive without refeeding syndrome/organ failure (they're still at risk for another week).

Thank you all for praying and supporting us on this journey. Cooper is currently laughing, squealing, and "talking" as he is riding in the car looking at the beautiful sunshine and scenery. To God be all the glory and praise!!!

So Precious Sunday

The boys slept great Saturday night/Sunday morning, even with the time change.  The tech came in at 7AM to take their blood pressure, but both boys have orders to not take vitals unless they’re awake (praise God).  I heard the tech come in, watched through my half-closed eyes, saw that he was fixing to put the blood pressure cuff on one of the boys, then I sat up and asked him to stop.  He came over and I explained that the boys have orders not to wake them.  He said, “Do you want me to wake them?”  I, of course, replied, “NOOOOO!!!”  The tech (a man) seemed so confused by this.  My mommy motto is, “NEVER WAKE A SLEEPING CHILD!!!”

 

Needless to say, the tech left, still confused about why I wouldn’t want to wake the boys.  I, on the other hand, got to snooze another hour while my precious sons slumbered peacefully.

SO PRECIOUS!!!!

 

Last Friday, my friend Jamie Ivey stopped by.  God used Jamie to play a role in helping get Kiefer (our 3yo Haitian son) into our family.  She holds a very special place in our hearts.  Anyway, she was all eager to do something to help our family, and I kept resisting help, feeling as if God has already provided SO ABUNDANTLY throughout this adoption journey, we couldn’t possibly ask for anything more.

 

Well, Jamie then emailed and texted and asked what she could do.  She was eager to ask her friends to help us.  So, I decided to ask for some clothes for the boys, giving specifics about our challenges with Conner’s teeny tiny waist that fits a 6-month size, but his long body requires an 18-month size in order for his pants not to be knickers.  So, I asked for a few items (was specific about what we would like to have), and shortly after Jamie tells me she emailed everyone she’s friends with in Austin!!!  WOW!

 

So, Sunday morning a sweet couple stopped by and dropped off breakfast (for me), diapers, and two sacks of clothes from Target.  SO PRECIOUS.  Thank you, Meghan and hubby.

See what I mean about the waist being too big?  These are 18-month shorts.

The answer to this clothing dilemma is overall for now (and one-piece outfits), and prayer for Conner to grow, grow, grow!!!   Also, a mom on Facebook said she was going to sew some custom clothing and send it to us.  See what I mean about God’s provision?!?!  It’s over the top with this adoption!!!

 

So then another mom who is friends with Jamie stopped by at lunch time to deliver lunch (for me) and she brought a sack of clothes and PJ’s from Old Navy.  SO PRECIOUS!!!  Thank you, Jenny.  Just look at these cutie pies in their cute PJ’s:

 

Sunday was the boys’ best day yet.  Both boys were like caged monkeys, just waiting to be set free.  They were pacing the crib, crawling from one end to the other, switching sides, pulling cords out of the wall, stealing one another’s toys, acting like brothers, totally CRACKING themselves up.  Cooper got to where he was laughing at nothing.  Well, I guess it was something, but I don’t know what.  Maybe he was picturing something in his head that was funny to him.  Maybe he’s just feeling so much better that he just needs to laugh at how great life is.   SO PRECIOUS!!!

 

Conner had two major milestones today.  HE ATE BABY FOOD FROM A SPOON…TWICE!!!  I figured out (by surprise) that if I hold Conner in my lap, he will accept baby food from a spoon.  If he’s sitting across from me, he refuses, pushing the spoon and bowl away immediately.  Conner ate two large bowls of pureed baby food (banana, mixed grain cereal, with strawberry Kid Essentials nutrition drink mixed in)!!!  WOOHOO!  Go Conner!  Go God!!!

 

The other milestone was that Conner walked to me!!!  I was playing on the floor with him (dirty hospital floors, yuck, I know, but we didn’t have many options!) when all of a sudden, Conner just stood up and walked BOLDLY.  He took at least 4 steps, maybe more!!!  He was beginning to do this at the orphanage with us in Ukraine when we would play with him in the playroom, but he wasn’t as strong then.  He would mainly lunge to us.  Today Conner took good strong, steady steps!!!  It’s truly amazing to watch God provide such rapid and miraculous healing, strength, growth, development, and personality.  SO PRECIOUS!!!

 

I have a feeling our guys are going to be handfuls!!!  They are blossoming so much in just ONE WEEK, I can’t imagine what they’ll be like in one month!!! 

 

Please pray the boys will continue to thrive without any complications of refeeding syndrome/organ failure.  Pray that we’ll be able to go HOME tomorrow (Monday) and start life as a family on our ranch.  We’re all SO READY for that blessing to occur!

 

Thank you all for your prayers, love, and support.  We feel so privileged that God blessed us with friends like you.  SO PRECIOUS!!!

Ready!

We are ready to go HOME!!! Please pray that our labs will look good, that we won't have refeeding syndrome/organ failure, and that we can go home to our entire family tomorrow!!!

Saturday Blessings

Saturday was filled with many blessings here at the hospital.  The boys had a full night’s rest (which meant Mommy did, too)!  There were no machines beeping, no tubes connected to the boys, no vitals had to be drawn in the night, no labs had to be drawn in the night.  Sleep, glorious sleep!  Thank you, Sweet Jesus, for this gift!!!

 

The next blessing came when the endocrinologist stopped by to let us know several things.  First, Cooper does NOT have Leukemia, nor does his blood work show any signs of Leukemia.  Praise!

 

Second, the extensive testing that the endocrinologist ordered (in addition to all previous testing) indicates that all of Cooper’s endocrine levels that are off is solely due to malnutrition, so the endocrinologist canceled the sedated brain MRI!!!  She has no concerns for the tumor on the pituitary gland, nor does she have any concern for any other problems/diseases/diagnoses that she previously had.  All of the test results reveal severe malnutrition as the reason why Cooper has so many endocrinology issues.  Praise!

 

This means that we should be able to go home Monday!!!  Huge blessing! 

 

Both boys most likely have rickets due to lack of vitamin D, but they’re not going to have bone scans or x-rays to check because they’re already treating the boys for severe Vitamin D depletion.  (They are at a 5 and need to have at least 20, but more like 70 showing up in the blood levels when tested.)  This is no surprise, given that the boys never left their cribs, much less their rooms to go outside.  Our bodies get Vitamin D from the sun.  The boys have never seen the sun.  But it’s a blessing that this was caught and the boys are being treated for it.

 

Our entire family was able to be together for a few hours at the hospital today!  Blessing!  The nurses enjoyed meeting everyone, and the kids enjoyed being with Conner and Cooper.  I LOVED seeing all of my kids together.  We ordered pizza and hung out as a family, still wishing it were at our ranch, but together in the hospital was better than being separate.

 

Kiefer (our 3-year-old Haitian son) said he wasn’t leaving the hospital without Mommy.  He said he would just stay here with me.  Broke my heart.  I told him to pray that Mommy and Cooper and Conner could all come home together on Monday.  Praying God grants this desire of our hearts.

 

We got to dress the boys in real clothes today since they weren’t connected to any tubes.  We’re having a hard time finding clothes that fit the boys.  Conner’s waist is a 6-month, but he’s long, so he needs an 18-month pant.  Even with the waist adjusted, the 18-month pants are still huge though.  BTW, Conner wears a size 2 diaper  (and the tabs still touch one another) and an infant size 2 shoe!!!

 

Both boys had blow-out diapers Saturday evening.  They’ve been taking Miralax, and let me just say, it’s working.  Conner had gotten poop everywhere (clothes, pillows, bedding, even the crib rails), so I stripped the bed, stripped both boys, and gave them real baths.  They BOTH LOVED the bath.  Conner had been afraid of the bath, and he was splashing and blowing bubbles with his face in the water!!!  I tell ya, these boys are different kids!!!  Watch the videos below to see for yourself!

 

 

 

The boys have literally come to life.  They are just cracking up at things, being so silly, trying to climb out of the crib, pulling cords out of the wall (setting off alarms!), and becoming wild and crazy 6-year-olds in infant bodies!  Cooper was laughing SO HARD at himself Saturday night.  He’d gotten a second wind and was laughing so hard that I couldn’t help but laugh.  He was pulling cords out of the wall and CRACKING up.  He didn’t fall asleep until 11:30PM, and he didn’t take a nap today!!!  What a tremendous blessing to witness miraculous redemption right before my very eyes.

 

Many nurses (and a few doctors) came in to visit today, wanting to know more about adoption, our journey to Conner and Cooper, Chrissie’s journey, and our family.  It’s such a blessing to share the Good News of Jesus Christ and His theology of adoption.  It’s not us; it’s all God, and, as I’ve said before (paraphrasing God’s Word), once our eyes are opened, we can’t pretend we don’t know because God holds us accountable.  We praise Him for peeling the scales off our eyes, showing us the truth about the orphans He loves so greatly.  Revealing injustice, shedding light on darkness.  May He continue to share His story, may He continue to shine His light.  To God be all the glory!

 

So, Saturday was definitely full of blessings.

Friday, March 9 Update (a day late)

My husband brought our vehicle DVD players to the hospital so each boy could have their own monitor.  These guys are the best patients.  They are content to hang out, TV or not, which makes things calm and easy in the hospital room, but the reality of this is heartbreaking.  This is what they’re accustomed to.  Sitting in a crib 24/7 for over six years.  They don’t know anything else, and while this is easy for me (as their mom spending 24/7 bedside), I’d much prefer to see them eager to play and move about, exploring, wanting to be held, seeking attention, etc.  This photo was taken Thursday night just before the boys went to bed.

 

Cooper continues to pull his gown up for any visitor with a stethoscope.  So precious, smart boy!

 

We woke at 5AM Friday morning to find that Conner had pulled his IV tubing out sometime in the night.  He disconnected the part where blood can be drawn from it, so he was leaking blood.  The sock on his left foot was completely saturated in blood, so we think he disconnected that valve with his foot.

 

When we were cleaning him up, we took his gown completely off (since it had blood on it), and I almost cried when I saw how much better Conner looked in just 5 days of hospitalization.  Look how much fuller Conner’s belly is and how much better his ribs look!!!

Photo above is Conner March 9, 2012.

 

Photo above is Conner March 3, 2012.

 

My precious friend, Carrie (Rowans’ mom), gave the boys the most sentimental gift I think they’ll ever receive.  My mom (who suddenly and unexpectedly passed away Dec. 23, 2011) had purchased some fleece fabric for Vlad and Dima (the boys we were originally adopting from Ukraine).  She chose sports fleece to match the room the boys would have had in our home.

 

My mom died before I was able to share with her that God had a new plan for our adoption since Vlad and Dima went to live with their aunt.  My mom left this earth without my telling her that God had chosen Conner and Cooper to become our new sons.  We were supposed to have our big traditional family gathering at our home Christmas Eve (the day after my mom died), and we were planning to share the news in person.

 

After my mom died, we went to her house to gather our children’s Christmas gifts from my parents.  We found the sports fleece and knew she was planning to make Vlad and Dima each a blanket to welcome them to our family. 

 

Well, Carrie took the fleece and made blankets for Conner and Cooper, in memory of my mom and also in honor of Vlad and Dima.  Talk about sentimental!!!  Carrie brought the blankets to the boys Thursday (along with a delicious meal for me!).   These blankets are such a treasure to me.  Thank you, Carrie!!!

 

Friday morning, the boys got to go to the big therapy playroom at the hospital for some physical therapy.  It reminded me of the therapy room at their orphanage in Ukraine.  Conner loved being upside-down on the therapy ball.

 

And Cooper loved bouncing on the ball.

 

Upon our return to the room after therapy, we were given the AMAZING news that both boys are gaining weight and not having any signs of refeeding syndrome/organ failure.  As of Friday morning, Conner had gained 3 pounds, and Cooper had gained 2 pounds!!!  Conner’s hospital ankle ID bracelet had gotten too tight in just 5 days, so we cut it off and got a new one.  The photo below shows his chubbier leg.

 

Even more amazing is that Conner started DRINKING by mouth!!!!  The boys’ tube feeds is also available in a boxed drink that they can take by mouth.  Cooper had been doing GREAT eating and drinking by mouth, but Conner had continued to refuse to eat or drink anything by mouth until Friday mid-morning. 

 

I was helping Cooper drink his Kid Essentials nutrition drink, when all of a sudden, Conner crawled over to us and tried to steal Cooper’s drink.  I gave some to Conner, and he gulped down the entire thing!!!  The surgeon stopped by to register Conner for his g-tube surgery, so I was ecstatic to share with him Conner’s accomplishment.  The surgeon smiled and said he’d come back next week to see if Conner still needed a g-tube.

 

By Friday afternoon, Conner was drinking enough nutrition to pull his NG tube!!!  NO NEED for a g-tube (or NG tube)!!!  Oh my goodness, this is such an answer to prayer, a miracle of our Abba Father.  Thank you, Father!!!

 

Friday afternoon, Matt (my hubby), Mattie (age 14), Ella (age 7), and Stephanie (our ministry partner and school teacher) came by to visit the boys.  Both Conner and Cooper were like different kids since our kids last saw them.  Both boys have literally come to LIFE.  The boys are so much more active and alert now.  All day Friday, Conner greeted every visitor (including hospital staff) by popping up in his crib and reaching up to be held.  He would give the most loveable, squeezable hugs ever.  Everyone commented that they just wanted to take him home.  Everyone also commented on their amazement at the difference in the boys by Friday afternoon.  They were literally different kids.  Full of LIFE.  Glory to God in the Highest!!!

 

 

 

My sister came Friday night to visit (and bring yummy dinner), so we stayed up late getting caught up.  While she was here, both boys were able to get their IV’s removed!!!  Their labs have been fine, drinking plenty of fluids, getting good nutrition, so the docs said no more IV’s!!!  Praise, praise, praise!!!  The boys finally were tube-free, full bellies, happy, full of life and not wanting to give in to sleep.   After having stayed awake the entire day, since 5AM, the boys finally fell asleep around 9:30PM.

Who, me?  I’m not giving up my videos for sleep.  Who are you  kidding?

Awwwwwww, sleep.  The boys were too precious, sleeping all cuddled together.  They were free from tubes and machines, free to be who God created them to be.  Precious snuggle bugs.

 

 

Oh, and I must thank my husband for blessing me Friday afternoon.  He went to Sam’s and bought all the things he felt would make my stay here easier.  Sugar, sugar, sugar, junk, junk, junk.  My man knows how to bless his wife!!!  Love you, Big Daddy!!!

 

So, the plan as of Friday night was that the boys would  need to stay at the hospital at least until Monday.  Cooper is scheduled for a sedated MRI Monday morning to check his brain for tumors (endocrinologist is concerned about tumor on pituitary gland).  Both boys have to continue daily blood draws to check for refeeding syndrome/organ failure.  After Monday’s labs and MRI results, if all looks good, they should be able to go HOME!!!!!!  Hallelujah!