Sisters Make Me Laugh

(the pic is from one of our trips to the beach..before we had kids..can't you tell?)


I know I don't post much about my extended family, but thought I might share how much I love my mom and sister. My mom is the funniest person I know.. She makes me laugh so much even when I don't want to. She is a great writer and very talented. Her church has asked her on numerous occasions to write skits for them.. Of course it is always a comedy, and very funny! She loves it, and she does a great job!
She has always given me advice when I needed it or didn't ask for it. -hee-hee She is always there for me and I am so thankful for all that she has done for me. I know I tease her all the time about the way she and dad raised me and the things they made me do or ways they threatened me, but I am thankful for all of it. (playing bball in sweatpants,taking the radio out of my car, etc.) It has shaped my life and I will never forget any of it. The times at the beach are some of my fondest memories. We have a blast and we often get mom laughing on numerous occasions.. When this happens, it is over. Her shoulders get to bouncing and you know it is over.. she is tickled and she might have to make a run for the bathroom.. So funny! We love to watch her laugh..it even makes us laugh even harder! Love you mom.. You are my best friend and I am so thankful for you!
My sister is funny as well, but very driven. She is a multi-tasker at best, which makes me jealous sometimes. She has alot going on in her life, but you would never know it. I don't get to see her that often, but I do miss spending time with her. We laugh so much when we are together and it is usually about something mom said. Hillary is a gently spirit with a servant's heart and would do anything in the world for you. There were many times growing up that she took the brunt of many things without saying a word. That was Hillary. I am so thankful for her and for what she teaches me about quiet strength. She has been through quite a bit, but one thing that has never changed is her love for her Jesus and her family. I love you Hill and thankful you are my sister forever!

No Patch!! Yay!!

I was finally able to get some photos taken of Cade without his patch on this week. I was not able to go to the doctor with Chris on Monday to talk with Dr. Mawn, but we did get a good report. She did tell us that Cade's eye looked alot better and told us she did want Cade to have another MRI to make sure that nothing else was hindering the eye from moving, other than the soreness from the surgery. He is having some trouble moving the eye up and in, but for obvious reasons..he has never been able to, due to the lesion and the muscles are probably still sore from the procedure.. We are going to have to monitor that for the next few weeks. Other than that, the swelling has gone down quite a bit, but the eye is not fully open yet, as you will be able to see in the pictures.

Cade has been great through all of this. He never acted like anything was even on his face for the last 6 days. He has been such a trooper and warrior. When I got home from school on Monday, the first thing he said to me was," mommy, two eyes mommy." He had just returned from the doctor. So cute! I will never forget that. He kept repeating it all day.. He was so happy to have that patch off, but never complained once about it. Like I have said before the Lord has given him so much strength and I amazed everday!

I do want to share this story real quick: When we took Cade to the doctor last Wednesday and she put the pressure patch on him, Dr.Mawn got right up in Cade's face and said, "Cade you are amazing, you are amazing, you know that? You are a warrior." My eyes began to tear up and I stopped for a short minute to think about that. We have always known that, but to hear his own doctor say those words and make reference to Cade being a warrior was more confirmation that Lord is going to do great things in his life. As parents, we have seen these characteristics of a warrior in Cade, but for others to also notice is amazing!

Our prayer is that we don't forget that this is not about us, not about Cade, but about bringing glory to the ONE who has given us everything! Soli Deo Gloria

What a Week!!!

Well, after I wrote my last post about Cade's eye not bleeding on Tuesday, we had crazy night. Chris was on his way home and Cade and I were at home. Cade'e eye began to bleed very badly, and it was not stopping! I didn't know what to do, so I called Chris and he told me to call 911, but at the time didn't think it was that urgent. So, I called my neighbor Jennifer and she quickly came over to help with the bleeding. After a few minutes we called our other neighbor who is a paramedic. By the time he got here, Cade's eye had stopped bleeding and he was playing in our neighbor's paramedic bag. From a mom standpoint, anytime you see your child bleed profusely it is going to be very traumatic..we are talking a few towels.Cade was crying, but only because the blood was making a mess and all over his shirt.(he does not like to be messy at all!) I then phoned Dr. Mawn's cell and told her we are taking Cade to the ER, she advised we do same thing so that they could check his blood count and levels.
After about 4 hours in the ER they told us his blood count was great, even better than last week, and did not know why the eye was bleeding. The doctor told us maybe he scratched it or bumped it, but he didn't. We were right there with him every time it bled. (by the way this last bleed made it 3 times now) Chris and I left very frustrated and I wanted to call Dr. Mawn, but instead sent her an email the following day expressing my concern, could this happen during the night, what is causing it to bleed, was something not closed during surgery?

We got a phone call yesterday from Dr. Mawn wanting us to see her around 1:30.. So we took Cade back to VCH (3rd trip in 3 days) Dr. Mawn put a pressure patch on his eye that is to make the blod stop or clot and if it bleeds again we are to take him back to the ER. The patch is glued to his face, so no way is it coming off until Monday.
We felt so much better after talking with Dr. Mawn yesterday and hope that the bleeding has stopped. She did give us some ideas of what could be the cause of the bleeding, but not real sure.

My emotions have been so up and down.. hopeless, frustrated, hopeful and encouraged-all in one day. When we got home Tuesday night, I read my book Jesus Calling by Sarah Young for Tuesday-such an awesome devo! The first line of the paragraph said,"My peace is like a shaft of golden light shining on you continuously." Peace, didn't know what that was in the past 24 hours, but the Lord always seems to remind me when I needed it most. The last sentence of the devotion read, "Do not grow weary, or lose heart."
Just as my spirit began to be rattled, just as my focus turned to negativity, just as the events of the day made me angry-I heard God speak to me "do not grow weary, or lose heart, I am training you to practice peace that overpowers darkness." Thank you Jesus for reminders and thank you that when I am weak YOU are strong. Help me to "delight myself in You so that You will give me the desires of my heart." (psalm 37:4)
(p.s. i took this picture right after he woke up from his nap..can you tell he is so annoyed with the patch already? can you blame him? that thing is huge!)

Cade at VCH

For some of you, these pics might not be fun to look at, but I take these pictures due to the fact that I have been scrapbooking Cade's journey so far..Don't think that I am a sick person and by no means do I keep these pics laying around to show off.
These are just a few pics before and after his surgery..
Yesterday we had a little scare at the pre-school. His sweet teacher called me and said that Cade's eye was bleeding.. I sprinted so fast over to the other building.. (I am so thankful that he is on campus with me this year!)
He was so calm and just sat there as we tried to get the bleeding stopped. The only time he cried was when I told him we had to make a trip to see the doctor.. He did not like that, but I can't blame him for that!
His doctor informed us that he was okay, but couldn't tell us why it bled, but to call her if it happened again.. and it did...last night.
Today he had a great day at school and no bleeding..Thank you Jesus, in fact, he and his little buddy were going face first down the slide..oh my!
I am still so amazed at how fast he bounces back after every procedure. He definitely is our little "warrior." Someone at school today said, "you must be so proud of him and all he has been through." I only smiled and said "yep, he takes a lickin' and keeps on tickin'!"
We are so thankful for our son and for what the Lord has taught us through this journey.. Sometimes I wonder what my relationship with the Lord would look like if He had not ALLOWED Cade to born with this birthmark. Thank you Jesus for your faithfulness!

We are home and with a grateful heart!

We finally were able to leave the hospital yesterday around 4:30.. Cade was so ready to leave. He kept eating and wanting something to drink because he knew that is what the doctors wanted to see before they discharged us.. I do have to say he is just like his mommy... The first thing he ate was a whole bag of Lays potato chips and then some Cheetos.. He had a good night last night and woke up only twice.. so thankful for that.
Today he has been up and playing just as if nothing has occurred. Man, do kids bounce back fast! He has been playing with Nana all morning and he had his favorite meal for lunch-McDonalds. The eye is still pretty swollen and I call him our little "Rocky Balboa." I do think his pain is subsiding some.. He is just doing so well..Praise Jesus!

I want to thank all of you who have called, emailed, texted, or even visited us while waiting for Cade's surgery.
Thank you to my girls at CPA, who brought me cookies, snacks, sweet cards, and a puppy for Cade. He loved it!
Thank you Tasha for all of your texts throughout the day that brought encouragement and laughter when I needed it.
Thank you Mrs. P for your sweet words and for the awesome soup you sent us.
Thank you to the PSF of CPA for the wonderful poundcake and Starbucks giftcard.
Thank you Jennifer for your friendship, for taking time out of your day to just sit with me as Cade was in surgery, and for the magazines that kept me pre-occupied. You are a jewel and I am so grateful the Lord sent you to me. Sweet Caleb(Jennifer's son, he is 4), thank you for your card that you made for Cade and your tender heart. He loves you so much!
Thank you Christie Bowen and Pat Perry for the meal you brought last night.. it was Great!
Thank you mom and dad for your unconditional love and for taking care of Chris and I. I know this is sometimes hard for you to watch Cade go through, but he would have been a mess if you were not there. Thank you for cleaning the house and all the little extra things you do..like keeping me together through it all. I love you!
Thank you Chris for loving me even though I get crazy in hospitals. Thank you for your strength and for all that you do for our family. Cade and I are so blessed to have a husband and father like you.
Thank you ,our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for holding our hands through the difficult times and for healing our Cade. Thank you for Cade' doctors and for the successful surgery. Thank you for VCH. Thank you that you are still the same God you were yesterday, today and forever! Thank you for you faithfulness. Thank you for moving mountains and that you are mighty to save! We love you!

Our Warrior

I hope this post makes sense , seeing that I am going now on about 3 hours of sleep.
Cade had a pretty good night. He slept for the most part and has talked with us some. He woke up once last night asking for Mickey Mouse.. so funny, and then fell back asleep. He has been more alert this morning and the first thing he said to us was, "mommy, where is Nana and Papa."
He seems to be tolerating the pain somewhat and does have moments where he is uncomfortable, but that is to be expected. He actually went through the night with just tylenol and motrin..I cannot believe that, but then again he is our warrior. We did have to give him some morphine this morning, and Chris was tempted to take some as well..hee-hee
Cade's eye is really swollen this morning and looks like he has been in a fight..pretty black and blue. He hasn't really opened his eyes that much and at this point, can't say that I can blame him.
We are hoping to be released today and head home.. so that he can sleep in his own bed.. He has been asking to get out and go to the house..Sounds pretty good to me too!
Thanks again for your constant prayers. We are so grateful for the Lord's providence and His miraculous grace!!

6:30 Update

All I can say is WOW!! We serve an awesome God who walks the paths before us before we even put our shoes on.. Lord, we give you all the glory and thank you for your wonderful works that only YOU performed today..
Around 3 today we met with Dr. Mawn after Cade's surgery.. The first things she said to us were "it couldn't have gone any better, it was awesome!!" She not only removed the entire lesion, but as she resected the last piece of the lesion, Cade's eye went back into alignment..WHAT? For those of you who don't know, this mass had pushed Cade's eye out toward the right side, hence why he had the surgery. We were told(man's reasoning) that he would have to have another surgery to correct that, but what happened is that God said, let's just do it now! (that is so God isn't it?)
So not only was the lesion extracted, but a miracle was performed today at VCH!!
How true is it, that when scripture says, "where two or three are gathered together in my name, there I am in the midst of them." We have had many people through "blog land", through facebook, through emails, and through phone calls today, say they were lifting up Cade in prayer. Such a testimony to God's faithfulness and the body of Christ.
Thank you for your constant prayers and thank you Jesus for strengthening our faith in the good times and the bad!
Cade does have a small scratch on his eye from the surgery and it is very painful..So please pray for comfort for him in the days to come..

1:00 Update

Just heard from Kristi, one of the nurses in the OR, and Dr. Mawn is beginning her part of the surgery. The told us it should be another 3 hours. Keep praying.. God is good...All the time!

Another update-12:00

We just heard from one of the nurses and they said that Cade is doing fine. The doctor who is responsible for the embolization(the first part of the surgery) has not finished his part yet. Wow-he started at 9! Once he is done inserting the substance to harden the lesion, then Dr. Mawn will go in and do her part. At this point it looks like it might be an all day thing.. I guess I didn't know how long this would really take.. They are taking all pre-cautions and taking their time.. The Lord is in control!! Keep the prayers coming!

Update on Cade

Cade had a great morning.. He played his little heart out in the room while we waited for the anesthesiologist to take him to the OR.. Every nurse that we saw, probably about 7, commented on the fact that he was so calm.. I myself was a little taken back at how calm he was..( i think he knew what was coming) They came and got him around 8:30 and he did not like being taken away from his mommy..(mommy didn't like it to much either) He cried,but half way down the hall we heard him stop.. Thank you Jesus!
We were told the surgery could take any where from 4-10 hours..just because they want to be careful and cautious.. Will update more when we know more..
Thanks for your prayers!
p.s. They just mentioned over the speaker that there will be a morning prayer service in the chapel here at VCH.. May the Lord work in this place!!

The Journey Continues

As we walk into VCH in the morning, it will be a breath of fresh air. I know that sounds weird, but the last few times Cade has had any surgery it has been in NYC at St. Luke's-Roosevelt. This hospital is not a children's hospital, but has a children's unit. There is a VAST difference! Chris and I realized this the first two times we were there. Don't get me wrong, our doctors there are amazing and world-renown, but it was always something we dreaded.. the stay in the hospital there.
Chris and I are so thankful for VCH and what they have done for Cade.. we never like to see their "friendly" statements we get in the mail, but we have been amazed each time we have had to enter that place.
There have been so many blessings we have received through this journey and this morning the Lord has given me a "peace that passes all understanding." I might feel a little different tomorrow, but I know He will give me the strength for that day at that time!

Will try to post tomorrow once we are in a room and watching our little boy sleep to give you updates.. Thank you again for your constant prayers.. Soli Deo Gloria

Circus

We were very excited last weekend when we were able to take Cade to the circus for the first time..I have always loved the circus. In fact, when Chris and I were dating we would always go to this one in San Antonio. I love them. Cade had a great time.. We got there early for the pre-show, but it was little overwhelming for him, so we found our seats until the show started.
We did get him a toy that flashes in the dark, but will have to save up for one of those next time.. so expensive! Mom and Dad went with us and they enjoyed watching Cade react to the animals and clowns. They also bought a $12 bag of cotton candy..WOW!! The circus makes some money!

I was prepared to take many pictures before and during the show, but of course, my little camera runs out of battery right after intermission. I did get a few pics, but they are not that great.
Cade started to get a little ancy after intermission-it was his nap time.. he was in and out of his seat many times, and of course he doesn't weigh enough to keep the seat down. So, I had one hand holding the seat down, while juggling my camera, his snacks, and the cotton candy while watching the show.
He did have a good time and he absolutely loved seeing the elephants, the tigers, and the motorcycles. Thanks Nana and Papa for taking us to the circus!
(for some reason, it will not let me add pics at this time.. will try later)