Summer 2009 summary

Ours has been quite a full summer what with video making projects and a vacation and lots of yard landscaping. But we are having fun and the hot, dry summer is flying by. This has been a very smoky one with lots of forest fires. One was within a few miles of our house! Some folks at our church actually had it come into their yard a bit! But mostly they happen way out in the middle of nowhere.

We have been reminded of how precious these parenting years are. Sometimes we do lose sight of that. We do enjoy teaching our children and seeing them grow. About a month ago we took a family vacation and drove down to Denali, overnighted there, then to Anchorage, stayed three days there, then to Seward and stayed three days there. It was beautiful weather – only got lightly sprinkled on one time. In Anchorage we set up our tent and also a mosquito net structure around our picnic table. We had a bear visit our campsite while we were out visiting the zoo one day. He left some holes in our mosquito net and bent a pole to let us know he had been there! That last night there was a little bit hard to sleep but there was no more activity from the bear.

In Seward we stayed in a yurt – kind of fun! We went to the Sea Life Center and the children got to see a lot of animals there. Then we went on a 4 hour cruise on the ocean and got to see some more animals in the wild: porpoises, puffins, sea lions, eagles, even a couple of whales! We had a lot of fun just spending time together without interruptions from the computer and such. Daddy did all the cooking which was nice for mommy. It was just a great time of getting closer to each other and relaxing in a way, though getting back home was probably more relaxing due to the stresses of living in a tent, trying to keep 4 little kids clean and happy and all the traveling involved!! But we survived and it was a great experience. Everyone really had a great attitude the whole time!

Now we are into Vacation Bible Time week. James is teaching 3^rd grade boys and Iva is teaching 3^rd grade girls. It is not quite the same at our church right now because our pastor is in Texas for a few months. He left the end of May, had his hip replacement surgery July 2^nd and has another appointment in August to see if he is able to come home yet. We miss him greatly but God is working powerfully in his life and in the church here in Fairbanks.

Right now the children are playing school. Abby is the teacher and Jayson and Joshua are the students. Bethany is watching from the restraints of her playpen. She doesn’t go in there very often, just when we really need her to stay out of the way and not get into trouble. She is really a very good baby – calm and easy going. She has always been very quiet and for that reason has been slow to pick up a lot of words but she does like to imitate us and is now beginning to build her vocabulary. She may need some speech therapy because of her cleft issues and for now we are meeting with the speech therapist just every few months to see how things are going and let us know how we can encourage her to say more words. Other than that Bethany is doing quite well and slowly gaining weight and height. She is pretty petite. She will be 17 months old next week.

Joshua will be four years old next week. Being the youngest of the 3 big kids and the 2^nd born boy, he seems to be always trying to keep up with the older ones and is often left out. At this point he is definitely the one who needs the most affirmation of our love and is frequently testing the limits of what he can get away with. This little boy needs the most prayer of all our children right now. He seems to do well one on one with someone. For instance, when alone he likes to play with Bethany and entertains her pretty well and he and Jayson do have lots of fun together when it is just the two of them. They are great brothers.

Jayson will be starting kindergarten this fall and is a very eager learner. He is 5 years old, will be 6 in October. He is growing into quite a little young man, learning to open doors for people and saying “excuse me” when he wants to talk. He is a very active little boy and loves to run and jump and climb. Always very happy and energetic, he is seldom without a smile.

Abby, of course, is my big helper. She likes to surprise people with gifts or jobs done. She is a real giver, more so than any other child I have known. Last year at VBT, twice she won a prize and got to pick what she wanted. After looking over all the things on the table she finally picked out something for her brothers both times. Whenever there is a birthday coming up she wants to go buy something for the person and will also make gifts and cards. Anytime there is something special going on for someone she is thinking about what to get for them. Often she will use her money to buy a candy bar or a pop for a friend or family member. She always shares her candy with us. What a special young lady God has given us. Abigail is seven and a half.

We are having a wonderful time serving and honoring our Lord and Savior. He is faithful and good to us ALWAYS!

Awwww, sweet baby!!! Bethany at 1 year of age just two days before her palate surgery. What a happy girl!! She had her pictures taken just hours before Daddy, Mommy and Beth hopped on a plane to go to Portland. The surgery went well and, of course, the arm splints were reinstated, this time with a strap attached that went across her back which really helped them stay on. Keeping them on, however, didn't necessarily guarantee that she would keep things away from her mouth as can be seen in some of the pictures!

Ear Tubes

Christmas is almost upon us. Bethany had an appointment to check her ears again and she flunked her hearing test and had lots of gray fluid in both ears. So we set a date to get ear tubes put in; just 3 days later! But at least it's done before Christmas and before James leaves for TDY. We have been told that almost every baby with a cleft palate needs to have ear tubes put in within the first year of life. From what we understand it is because the Eustachian tubes cannot drain properly without them; fluid builds up causing ear infections and hearing loss. She did just fine with the procedure, which only takes a few minutes, and her hearing should be 100% better now. It's now on to last minute preparations for Christmas!!

Feeding Challenges

When we first started feeding Bethany solids at 5 months of age it was quite hard for her to manage getting food past her cleft and not in her nose. It would normally be a 20 minute struggle to get a couple of teaspoons of rice cereal past her lips and thrusting tongue. Most feedings ended with much of the food being expelled equally out of her mouth and nose with a lot of sneezing and snorting involved. It took two long months before she became proficient at maneuvering the food to avoid such catastrophes. There were times along the way when I wondered if she would ever accomplish this task and if it was worth the effort. There was counsel to "just feed her foods through a bottle until her surgery", but I was not comfortable with that and felt it important for her to learn to eat from a spoon while she was still young and willing to continue trying. This spoon that attaches to a squeeze bottle was a very good compromise and really helped her, perhaps because of where the food is on the spoon. Also, we started giving her Gerber Puffs at 6 and a half months old and those were really good practice for maneuverability and helped considerably with eating pureed foods as well. It did take a long time and lots of experimentation from Bethany and us. We learned what thicknesses and amounts she could handle and where to put it in her mouth; she learned how to maneuver the food around to avoid her nasal cavity being assaulted with peas and carrots! Occasionally there is still a struggle but we will continue to persevere until her next surgery.

Bethany is 8 months old now and what a happy, content baby she is! So sweet and cuddly, she will fall asleep in someone's arms or in her own bed. Also she is not a demanding personality in any way; even to the point where we feel like we are pushing her to eat a decent amount. At the same time, she is curious and eager to try things and investigate the world around her. What a delightful child she has been!
Last month we went to the Cleft Palate Clinic here in town and met with a team of doctors. Bethany had fluid in her ears and was put on antibiotics for 2 weeks. The fluid cleared up some and now it is a matter of closely monitoring her hearing and getting her ears checked regularly. There were no other concerns. Bethany seems to be doing well.

Post surgery checkup

Bethany had a checkup in Portland a few days ago and the surgeon said all looks well. James is the one who took her down there so the rest of us had a bit of a break with lots of fun together. It was a whirlwind of a trip - they flew there, had the appointment and flew back in less than 24 hours! We were given instructions to massage from her nose down to her lip for 20 minutes 3 times a day - just when I thought there would be a little more freedom since pumping is almost done! Oh well! We know that God is working on us, which goes to show how very much He loves and cares for us.

Bethany is now 6 months old and still as petite as ever - though its not because of the cleft because she is able to eat very well. She is growing and developing - her newest accomplishment is being able to sit without support and she is trying to figure out how to move on her belly. So far she just "swims" but she has got up on her knees a couple of times. Since she got back from her trip, Bethany has been a little bit under the weather with a slight temperature, runny nose, and very sweet and clingy. Yesterday she wanted to be held most of the day to which I happily obliged. Babies grow up all too fast so we better take advantage of those cuddly times:)

Three days later.

Just a quick update. It is Sunday, and Bethany is doing great. She is not needing the pain medication as much and is eating better. She is smiling easier now, and has slept a lot today. She has been getting used to the arm restraints, and is not as fussy about not being able to put hands in her mouth. Her new discovery - "I can make bubbles now!" Thanks for praying and have a great day.

The next day

Bethany is much better today. She has smiled several times and even laughed once. Her lip looks a little swollen, but she is much calmer. She is still on pain meds. every 4 hours, but seems to need them less.

Bethany's first Lip Repair 07 Aug 08

Well, this is Daddy talking, so there is probably some things I will forget. We are down in Portland Oregon and Bethany had her surgery this morning. It took about 4 hours before we were notified that she was in the recovery room recovering from anesthesia. It was an anxious time that was filled with thoughts of "hoping we did the right thing", and "I wish I had done more to prepare her" and such. We were grateful for all the people back home that were praying for us, and it was an encouragement to talk to them. We sat out on the seventh story play-deck and talked for a good while. I was able to talk to my sisters in Malawi, and it was good to hear their familiar cheerful voices. We were in our room when the call came that we could come down to the recovery room and see her. When we got down there, Bethany was already awake. Her eyes were alert, but her cry wasn't very enthusiastic. She is in arm restraints for 3 weeks to keep her from pulling the stitches out. Between that, the IV and monitors on her feet, and the numb feeling in her mouth, she was pretty overwhelmed. She has started eating slowly, but is having to learn how again. She has been sleeping lightly off and on with crying spells in between. She is on some pain medication, but is slowly being reduced to "as needed". She has not gotten to the point of being alert, and not crying. She has slept a lot today, so we hope she won't be up all night. Please keep praying for us, and we hope to be able to show her off soon. I have added a sideshow of the picts we took down here and we will be adding more as they come.

Thanks,
James

So much has happened since Bethany was born. What a busy time we have had! The summer is flying by and so far we have camped out in our backyard, went on a hike at Creamer's Field, and went swimming at Chena Lakes. Other than that we have just been learning how to survive with a family of 4 children and various health issues. It has been challenging at times, but an exciting adventure. Abigail was pretty miserable for about a month this spring with her hay fever but is fine now. Joshua's eczema has been much worse this spring and summer and it seems like we have tried everything to make it go away without much success. He has been pretty itchy and rashy. Just when it looks like its almost gone it flares up again. I have had trouble with my neck for several weeks and been to the chiropractor for it. It is now a lot better. Jayson is our only "normal" healthy child:) Between all of us we have been to one doctor or another 16 times in the last 4 months! God is still good and continues to be faithful and loving! We know we are in His hands.

On Friday the thirteenth of June Bethany had an evaluation at Shriner's Hospital for Children in Portland, Oregon. What we had heard about them was true. They are extremely friendly and helpful...wanting to make sure we understood everything before we left there. Everybody had to stop by to see the "adorable new baby!" We are just very glad and grateful to be able to use Shriner's for Bethany. We know she will receive excellent care with the doctors and nurses there. Her surgery date is only a few weeks away and we are looking forward to it with much anticipation; although we will greatly miss her special smile!