Backed Up

... No, I'm not constipated... but I guess the title of this post does sound a little funny... (which is why I'm keeping it!)

This is just a little note to say... wow... life is backed up again.  I am trying to get things caught up, but it is difficult.  Peanut is still not sleeping through the night and he is still eating 7-8 times a day.  I am determined not to let him drop a daytime feeding first, so I am also tired from the constant every 2.5-3 hours 30 minute "elevated, side-lying" feeding position/burping marathon/reflux accomadation as well as the not much sleep at night thing.

Add a dash of the beginnings of potty training, toddler chasing, appointments and backed-up-ness of life and it is no wonder my brain is fried.

Okay... enough complaining.

I really just wanted to say Hi!  And that I am still here!  And also that I am working on getting caught up in my life.  In my business... in seeing my friends... in my ability to cook a meal... or to plan ahead for my week... I am working on it.

And to those who struggle under more pressure and stress than I do (and to those who struggle with the same or less also), may you find the time to be still with God to be refueled, so that you may tackle your cross and your purpose with God-given ability... and may the same be true for me also.

Can I get an amen?!

Love,
Rachel

Hospitals

No Inspire Me! Monday post this week, but I will impart to you a random Saturday post.  Mostly because I am at the hospital with Peanut, he is napping and there is not really much to do.  I brought a computer with me, but you can only stare at Facebook so long- or at least I can only stare at facebook so long.  I know some people could get sucked in all day, but I really find it boring after catching up with the friends you actually still know or or interested in... Or maybe I just don't have many friends since it doesn't take me all day to be caught up with them?  Ha!

So maybe I will take time to say some Thank You's...

Peanut is doing better.  So thank you Lord.  Thank you Lord for no RSV, no true Pneumonia or Bronchitis, no need for CPR (all of which could have happened).  Thank you, Lord, for Peanut's life, that he is still here and still blessing us every sweet day that we are with him.

Thank you friends who have been baby sitting for us.   Thank you Nicola, Katie, Jenny, Kristan and my sister, Renee for keeping Melody and encouraging me while I do the hard job of bringing Peanut back to the hospital under stressful and scary circumstances.

Thank you to my hubby for being so flexible.  He probably won't read this, but I am truly thankful for how available you have been to jump into anything.  Taking on handing people their MK orders if they swing by the house even though we have always said I wouldn't make you my MK grunt.  :)  Thank you for tackling laundry, tidying up and taking off work when I need you.  Thank you for jumping in at 4am and feeding Peanut when I am so sleep deprived I can no longer think complete thoughts.  Thank you for your patience with me while I re-learn what it's like to have a newborn.  You have given me so much grace and support in this process.  Thank you for appreciating my job as Mommy and Foster Mommy.

Thank you to my mother in law who is here for the second week-end in a row to help out, and thank you to my mom who will be coming next week-end. Sometimes even Mommies need their Mommies.

Thank you to my sister who stopped by and offered hugs and moral support. 

Thank you to my church for just being plain awesome and loving foster children and foster families.  Thanks to Lindsay and Serena for the food you brought us (yum!) and thank you to everyone who has been praying.

Thank you to Amy, Katie, Kristan, Carly and family, Corrine and everyone else who has had to adjust their lives or cover for me when I haven't been able to do the normal things I usually do (like take a girls trip or be there for work).

An update:
Peanut is doing much better.  He is slowly being weaned back to normal levels of oxygen and while there is still some obstruction in his lungs it looks as though he is getting better.  He is definitely on quite a few meds but nothing extreme (reflux meds and inhalers and such) and they seem to be helping him.  The doc said this morning we are looking at a Monday or Tuesday discharge date.  We will see.

Peanut has hit the 7 lb mark (SO BIG!) and is gaining weight on a non-milk based 24 calorie formula better than the 22 cal milk-based formula that he was on.

I am so thankful... and somehow that seems a better thing to think about for half an hour sitting a bit bored at the hospital than browsing aimlessly on Facebook. 

Now that I have spent some time being grateful, maybe I will head over to Pinterest.  :)

Wishing I had a brought a book (or a friend)!

Rachel



Peanut

I have been away for a few weeks because we have had another foster care adventure!  A little over two weeks ago we got a call from our foster care agency asking if we wanted to foster a premature infant.  He would come home on oxygen and an apnea monitor and was expected to progress quickly at home.  We had to give an answer in a few minutes since it was Friday and baby Peanut (we'll call him) needed to be discharged Monday. 

A quick phone call to my husband and a short prayer together later, we were foster parents (again!).  This time to a baby. 

Since then it has been a roller coaster.  Preemies are hard.  Peanut is like a newborn even though he is around 2 1/2 months old.  He is on oxygen so being at home a lot (as opposed to trips to the park, etc) is the best plan for him, but he still has lots of doctors appointments.  We have had a few apnea/turning blue scares at home.  One which resulted in a trip back to the NICU for several days to be monitored. 

Most recently my emotions have been on overload as I process how this poor little baby has lacked an advocate for the first two months of his life.  Someone to notice when he has reflux (not diagnosed until Christian and I came on the scene) or a milk intolerance (have begun suspecting this in the last couple of days).  He hasn't had anyone to make sure he has learned to distinguish days from nights... sing him to sleep... or be a consistent parent to receive love from. 

Peanut has not necessarily come to stay with us permanently (in case you were wondering)... but we already love him as though he were ours.  Caring for him during this fragile time in his life is going to be a special thing, and I am so thankful we get to do it.  

Just as before, I will be limited to how many details we can share about Peanut's situation, but mostly I wanted to share with you where I've been and what an amazing adventure God has us on.

.... and while I have your attention, I would also like to ask for prayers for Peanut for these things...  

• His lungs to develop fully and properly... and soon. 
• His episodes of apnea to go away entirely.
•  His birth family... all foster children need prayer for God's intervention in their birth families... 
• Wise choices to be made on Peanut's behalf by everyone involved in his life- from doctors, to specialists, to social workers, to foster parents and everyone else.

Thank you for your support and prayers on Peanut's behalf!

Love,
Rachel

The beginning...

A few weeks ago, I made a phone call. A very important phone call. One that will change our lives forever.

Christian and I scheduled our first home visit to begin our requirements to become foster parents!

After making the call, I was giddy. Elated. Had butterflies in my stomach! After 10 months of waiting for the right time to do this, we finally feel that it is here. Who honestly gets excited about foster care? Apparently we do.

I went around with a smile on my face the rest of the afternoon after that phone call. House work was suddenly more like "nesting," my thoughts were completely on preparing for a new life to enter our home. We would love for this to be a child's forever home- "fostering to adopt" is what we are hoping to do.

Soon I will write about our thought process of beginning foster care, but right now I just wanted to let you all know about it and ask for your prayers. We know that fostering is a crazy, topsy-turvy process. There are many friends of ours on this journey right now and I am not in the dark about the joys and difficulties that foster parents go through. However, for us it is worth it. As a friend of mine has said, "The right thing to do isn't always the easy thing, is it?"

Last night we began our training and started learning things like skills we need as foster parents and what the foster care system is like through the eyes of the child. We are learning so much, but I am already anxious to be through this process and ready to take on a child.

God has asked us to travel this road, and both Christian and I couldn't be more passionate about loving and providing for a child who is in desperate need of both.