Friday, January 28, 2011

Pulmonologist Visit

On Monday, we saw the pulmonologist for the first time for Emory to have his second round of rsv vaccine.  The appointment went verry well, Emory had his shot....it burned a little and he cried some, but not anything too terrible.  After he calmed down, I got him dressed and we headed back home.  Sometimes the worst part about those appointments is the drive down there and back =).  We will go back in a month for another round of rsv vaccine (his final round for this year) and then will follow up 3 months after that.  The dr. did say that he still heard Emory's heart murmur a little bit.  That confused me but thankfully we have a nurse in the family that helped me to understand that better.  Basically, Emory still has a small hole in his heart that is using about 5% of his energy whereas the previous one was using about 95% of his energy.  Our cardiologist said that hole should close on its own and he is not currently concerned about it.  Overall, everything went well.

From day to day, I really don't think much about Emory's history, his heart surgery, his time on the feeding tube, etc.  My thougths are usually directed solely towards what needs to be accomplished for that day.  But then when I go to these appointments, I really begin to realize the extent of what Emory has been through in just 8 months of life.  I mean the questions the nurse asks when we first go back to the room, then the questions the dr. asks when he gets back there, etc.  As we were weighing Emory, the nurse said "Our file on this little guy is really thick and we haven't even see you all yet".  I was like "Yeah, he's had a lot take place since he's been born".  It's like a reminder and a flashback so to speak.  Please don't hear me being negative, it's just kind of a weird feeling.  I look at him and play with him everyday and don't think twice about things.  But, if he coughs the wrong way, breathes heavy, has a slight fever, etc. I'm on high alert and the "Momma Bear" thing kicks in really strong.

I'm very thankful and can only give God the credit that we have not had any illness this cold and flu season (knock on wood).  I hope and pray it will stay that way for all ours sake, but especially for Emory.  Speaking of, he is waking up from his nap wanting to play.  Until next time......

Twila

Saturday, January 22, 2011

Today Is A Special Day

I'd like to take a minute to preface this blog post....I began this post late in the evening of Wednesday, January 19th and here it is Friday, January 21st late in the evening again.  Maybe I won't get interrupted or fall asleep sitting at the computer =).  So, keep that in mind when you read the blog post from below.

Today's A Special Day....when I hear that phrase, I hear one of my former pastors, Dr. Ron Stewart, saying it on the local radio station in Knoxville, TN.  He would always give a reason as to why it was a special day.  And, after years of recordings, he put them all in a book.  For me, today (Wednesday, January 19th) is a special day for many reasons.

On this day 21 years ago, I gave birth to a very healthy baby boy at the young age of 16.  Three days later, I signed adoption papers and allowed case workers to place him in the home of two wonderful Christian parents.  I called him today to wish him a happy birthday and as I hung up the phone, tears came to my eyes - not tears of sadness but tears of joy.  Although I had no part in raising him, I'm proud of him and all his accomplishments!  He is close to graduating from college and will be attending graduate school soon after.  I could not have asked for him to have had a better life and I praise God for his parents and his family!

Now, jump ahead 21 years......If I would have known all of the challenges that the last 8 months were going to include, I may not have decided to have another child.  However, God knew every detail and gave us the exact amount of strength and grace when we needed it for all that Emory would face.  I'm hear to tell you that that little dude has overcome so much and is doing very well.

Emory had his physical therapy appointment this morning.  He continues to reach milestones and gain weight.  He has gained 9 ounces in 2 weeks and has grown 1/2 an inch in 1 month.  He is sitting up independently and we are working with him on learning how to crawl.  He is smiling and laughing.  He is doing well with his eating and has learned how to hold a small bottle by himself.  He has improved to refluxing about 5% of the time rather than 95% of the time.  He has energy to play like most normal babies his age.  Granted, he still has some milestones to reach and is still developmentally behind a month or two, but he is doing so much better than he was.  Please don't misunderstand me, I'm not saying that to be negative or to label him, I'm simply being realistic as his mom who sees these things every day.  Knowing what his diagnosis is, all of these things such as delays, weight issues, digestion issues, etc. are normal.

I've hesitated in writing my next thoughts because I don't want to sound insensitive and don't want to make things about me, but I really just don't know how to better say it.  On December 31st, one of Emmitt's friends, Elizabeth, lost her battle with cancer.  She had been diagnosed in March 2010 and in December 2010 had been told she was in remission.  Upon returning home from a vacation taken during the week between Christmas and New Years, God called Elizabeth home.  I mention that to you because on that evening, New Years Eve, Claude and I had no plans to go out.  We didn't have any guests over.  It was just another night where I cooked, cleaned the kitchen, bathed the boys, put them to bed, did some laundry, etc.  It was just another nightly routine and I was not happy about it.  All I could do was think about what else we could be doing, why we didn't have a date night, why I had to cook, why I had to bathe my kids, why I had to clean the kitchen yet again, etc.  Then, after watching the ball drop in New York and ringing in the new year, I logged onto facebook to post my status as "Happy New Year".  And, that's when we saw the news of Elizabeth.  It was at that very moment that God quickly convicted me of my thoughts and  filled me with the spirit of gratefulness. 

So, today is a special day because of my family.....Claude, Emmitt, Eli, and Emory.  I didn't think it would take me 21 years to be married and have a family, but as I said before, God knows every detail.  Those tears I cried earlier were simply because I am so amazed at what He has blessed me with.  The mere fact that He chose me to be "Mom" of the "3 Eboys" is more than I would have ever imagined.  I mess up every day (sometimes every hour), but ALL of my boys are truly blessings and God's gift to me!

So, I leave you with this question.....Is today a special day for you?  If so, why?

Much Love,

Twila

Thursday, January 6, 2011

Picture Christmas Cards

Dear Family and Friends:

If you receive a Christmas picture card from us late, I do apologize.  We participated in the Living Christmas Tree this year which consumed a lot of time.  Following that, I had surgery the week before Christmas and that took some time as well.  So, the cards had been put on the back burner till now.  Hope you enjoy them.  All of our pictures were taken by Hope Cox with Daisy May Photography.  She does work in the East TN/Kentucky area and does a fabulous job!  Visit her website at http://www.daisymayphotography.net/.  She does a fabulous job and we have always been pleased with her work!  Until next time......

Blessings,

Twila

Sunday, January 2, 2011

Dear Friends:

I write this blog post tonight with a heavy heart.  Our dear friends, Peter and Jessica Cooke, lost their 5 year old daughter last night....Jesus called her Home.  She was diagnosed in March 2010 with cancer but had completed all of her radiation and chemo and had received clear reports on all of her recent tests.  With that in mind, this was a terrible shock to her parents, their families, their church family, and their friends.  Emmitt and Elizabeth were good friends and always had a blast together!  Please stop right now and take a few minutes to pray for Peter and Elizabeth Cooke as well as all of their family members....I know they would appreciate it.

In Him,

Twila