Baby Cooper

I would like to announce that Lucas has a new cousin. Actually, he has a couple, one, a first cousin named Mae, (there are some pics of her up already) and two, a second or third or something once removed cousin, (Lucas' mom's cousin's son, if you can follow that). His name is Cooper and he was just delivered Monday. He had been hanging out in his mom's belly for a long time with no fluid cushion around him. They finally brought him out, wanting to delay as much as they felt safe so that he could continue his development. He is still a few weeks early, but impressive in size, 4lb 13oz and 18 1/2 inches long!

He is now in the NICU in the hospital in which he was born, an impressive facility I am told, and he is doing well, but he and his family could certainly use some prayer. About 2 hours after he was born, one of his lungs collapsed and he still has a chest tube in place. He is also still on a respirator and they are trying to keep his oxygen levels up, not as easy as it may seem.

I know that he will be all right, but I also know that not being able to hold and care for the child you have been longing for and dreaming about for so long in the way you are certain it would be right to do because it just isn't "right" yet, is agonizing for all involved.

I am without doubt that God carried us through those times (as He still does) and the prayers and love of all of you made eternal impressions in our lives and surely made a measurable difference. I ask that, if you feel so led, you would do the same for my cousin and his family, Scott and Anji and Cooper as well as the extended family of Cooper's grandparents, aunts and uncles.

Thanks again for loving us and through loving us, also loving others. :) I will be sure to keep you updated on sweet baby Cooper.

blessings.

Newest pics

I was playing guitar for Lucas while he was getting some exercise in his stander last week, and after a while he decided to try and help me play. Esther came over with the camera and snapped a few pics.

Also, I added some pics from our Bradley class reunion this past Sunday at Faust park. There were three other couples in our class, and it turns out that we were the only ones who weren't able to use the Bradley method (due to the necessary C section).

From September / October 2008

Still here

So, the seizures (sz) are still here, but it's difficult to determine exactly why - being that stopping the Klonopin can cause sz and also, I was in a wedding on the 4th and in the midst of all the chaos we missed a dose of meds for Lucas. This could effect the sz for a while too. As of this Tuesday, we have adjusted the dose of the Keppra once again. We are now spreading the dose a little more and he is getting 4mL in the morning, 3mL in the afternoon and 4mL in the evening. (He had been having two doses of 5 mL - one in the morning and one in the evening.) We will feel this out for two weeks and then check in again. We return to see Dr. Burris on the 29th and hope it to be a boring check up with no sz activity and, perhaps, a clear for scheduling surgery.

We'll keep you posted. In the mean time, enjoy the pics and video. I am off to put Lucas to bed.

Blessings!

ASCII art

I was playing around with this cool ASCII art generator, and I got a pretty good representation of Lucas. It looks way better when you bump up the width of the image and print it out, but I thought I'd post a smaller one anyway.

                                  `/dMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMNNMMMMMMNh/-                            
                                -dMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMNMMMMMMMNNdo                           
                              .sMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMNNMMMMMMMMMMMMMmo                          
                             -NMMMMNNMMMNMMMMMMMMMMNMMNhhmNMMMMMMMMMMMMMMN.                         
                           `+NMMMMMMMMMNMNNMMNNmNMhdNMd+syhMMMMMNmNMMMMMMMm/                        
                           hMNMMMNNNNNNmmdmMNNdyMd+hyMs//+mMMmNNmdNMMNMMMMMm:                       
                          -NMMMMMNNMMNmhysmNNd/sNo:hsNo+yNNddsysdhNNmNMMMMMMm:                      
                          sMMMMMMMMMmhso+smdy/:hy//yhmdmds/++///hdmmyNMMMMMMNy                      
                          yMMMMMMMMmyyo++Nds::odyyddhys/-:--:-::sdyhsNMMMMMMNy                      
                          yMMNNmMMNddssyNdo/:+mNhdmd/-.....--::+h+syyNNMMMMMMd.                     
                          yMMMNmMMMmdmNms+:/+hmdyyo-````.....-:++:sydmNMMMMMd/`                     
                          oMMMMmNNNNmhs+/////::--.````....---:/::/ohNMMMMMMNh-                      
                          :MMMMNNNNNdyso++///:--..```..--:/+++/////sNMMMMMMMh`                      
                           mMMMMMMNmdo/:-.....--..```........-:/+oo+yMMMMMMM-                       
                           /MMMMMNdy+:::/+/::--:-..`..-.--:::----/ossmMMMNMN                        
                            sMMMMho+::+syddhh+//:-----://dmmmho:--:/ohNNMMN/                        
                           `ydNMms++:-------:://::::::::://++///:-::/smMMNh/                        
                           -oohmhyo/:--------:/:--..-::------..----:/ohMNdys                        
                           .//+shy+:-........:::-...---:-`.......--:/ohmyss/                        
                            ++:/yo:-..`````.-:-::--:::-::.```.``..-:/ohs-/+`                        
                            :/-:s+:--.```...........`.........```..:/sho:/:                         
                            .o//y+/:-..............`...........`..-:+soo:/:                         
                            .s+/y+/:-----::-----------------..-..-:+ss:::/-                         
                            `s//s+:----::+osyhhhshyoshhhs+/:---.--/ooo:-::                          
                             :::s+:-....-oydyyyyhsyhyhmdhs+:-....-/+o+::-                           
                      ``....--..+o/-...--/ss+++++/+++oo++:-.....-:/+:..`                            
                    ./++oooooo++ydo/-..-::/+++//::+oo++/:-....--:+o/                                
                 `.:++++ooo+++++oNdo/---::::////:://:::--....-:+oo-                                 
           ``.-:/++++///++++++++oyNmy+/:---------------..---/oys-`                                  
     ` `...-:/++////::////+/+oyhddmNMdso/---..........-://oyhmd.                                    
  `-:-..```-++//////////////ohddddyshhhyyo/-----....-/+syhhhyh+`                                    
.::-...```-//o::///::://///////shdoo+/::/ohso+/////oyyys++/+syo+:.                                  
+.....```://++::::://///::::----/ys+:::----+syyhhhhs+:-:://+y+//++:.`                               
....`````///o+//:::::::::::::-----+ys/--------...-.---:::::+ddyo+++/+:`                             
`..`````.///:///////::::----------::oyy+:-.--------::::::::/ydddy+//+///-                           
`.``..``./:---://::::::/::::::-------:+syyo+:------:://++///+hdddh+//++///-                         
``..````./:+yyyo-`    ``..::///::::-----:/osyyyyyyyyyyys//+oydyo+::/+/++////-                       
.````````::/:/oo+-```````   `..-::::::-----::/://++oosyhyoyddo/+/::::+///://+-                      
ho-``.:+ooo+/:.``.+soosoo++:`   ```.--:::::--://:::::://osyyo//o/:--::////:::/-                     
dddo-+yo/::os+o:``:syyo--/+o/.``      .--::/:--:///::::://++//++:/:-::::///:::/.                    
ddd+-+-:--:o--://.`:so-.--:/+/```       .-::::---://::::::://///:+/-::::://+////.                   
:y+--:/oysyyyss++/::/yyssso++:``   `     `-:::::--:///:://:::::/://--:::----::/+/                   
:+:---:ysoyssooooos+/ody+:/oso+.           .::::::-:+/--///++/:/:/+:-:::.  ````.:.                  

Peek A Boo

Recently, Lucas has started to really enjoy playing peek a boo. Here's a video from last night.

Some new pics

Sorry we've been so lame about putting up media. Lucas has been super cute lately, so I want to try to get some video of him tonight that I can post up later.

For now, here are some pictures. As you can see, he's making some good progress with being able to stand up if we hold him.

September / October 2008