Joanne's Update

Click on the button to go to current updates. There is a post from Janna on how to help and be sure to also read Toben's post under that one. And of course, pray. Much love to you all!

Update from Toben

Here. We are praying for a miracle.

Joanne Needs Prayer

JUST PRAY!!!! Just posted by her family: We desperately need the swelling in Joanne's brain to go down. Desperately. I can't go into any more detail.

PLEASE PRAY--updates as available

JOANNE NEEDS YOUR PRAYERS!!!!!!!! She has apparently had a stroke this morning. No more details at this time.
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She is in surgery right now. Please pray for her, her family, and Dr. Nichols. Janna is updating as she hears more news.

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1:30 Just in from her sister:

Kristen Haufschild

Hi everyone, Joanne is out of surgery, the clot is mostly cleared and she is getting blood flow to her brain. She is being moved to ICU, next 24-48 hours are critical. Concerns are swelling if the brain and bleeding. Doctor says permanent damage is likely, but to what extent is unknown. Thank you so much for all your prayers...she is feeling them!!! And so are we!!!

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2:30

Kristen Haufschild

Holding Joanne's hand right now in ICU and she can squeeze it. Still waiting for her to wake up from anesthesia....her girls got to say hi to her via speaker phone. We are praying she wakes up soon.

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I talked to Janna a little bit ago. Joanne is responding with hand squeezes and even gave a half smile, but is not really conscious. Janna said she'd call if anything major changed, but otherwise it'll be tomorrow for anymore news. Thank you for your prayers.

Prayer Updates

Wendy is home from surgery and the path reports are totally clear- all cancer is gone. She still has a long road to total recovery.

Bonnie's baby was turned this morning and they have induced labor. Just a matter of time. UPDATE: SHE HAS A BIG HEALTHY BOY!!! CONGRATULATIONS!!

Please prayer for Eleanor Grace-they had a scare with her and had to return to the hospital.

And I am still pregnant. :) I did get a decent night sleep after three really rough nights so I am thankful and back to baking and freezing.

Great Resource

I wanted to share with you all an amazing resource my friends discovered while trying to coordinate help for my friend Wendy's treatments. It is called Lotsa Helping Hands. You basically set up a free community for someone in need. There are places to put updates, but the great feature is a calendar to coordinate all the volunteer efforts.

When you sign in to help your friend you'll see a calendar that lists the days and help needed. You can sign up directly and a message is sent to the coordinators. It will even send you reminder emails about what you have signed up for. Everyone can see at a glance what is needed as sign up as they are able. Sure beats having to have someone calling everyone and following up and repeating the same things over and over.

Please continue to pray for them. Thanks!

Zzzzz

I am still here. I am doing great with no morning sickness at all. (must be a girl) I am just tired. So, most afternoons if I get the boys to sleep I am laying down, too. My productivity has been slashed except that I am busy making another human. Naptime is my usual time to blog, but I think being awake when the boys are is more important. :) I will write as I am able.
I do have one request. One of my dearest friends was just diagnosed last week with Stage 2 Breast Cancer. She is a wonderful wife and mother of four little ones. She will begin chemo next week. All of us are trying to rally around and help out however we can. Please keep Wendy & her family in your prayers. Thank you!

Today

Today's the day. After waiting patiently (!) for over the ninety days, Sweetheart was able to speak to the social worker, Traci, to find out what was going on with the "investigation" into Pumpkin's broken arm on Tuesday. She told him that she and her supervisor will meet with a review board today to discuss it. Apparently, they all meet regularly to review cases and discuss them like this. She told him she's recommending that it be considered "unfounded".

Hopefully, that will happen. That's what we're praying for. Won't you pray too? I must admit, I'm on a roller coaster ride of emotions this week. After the review, she'll fill out her paperwork and send us a letter telling us what they've decided. So, the wait will continue. I'll post once we hear something.

Here's background information if you want it.

This one's for you, Aunt Linda.

Post-Op

Sweetheart is back at work today, the initial recovery from surgery complete. He's still looking at a six week period of healing. His pain is minimal at this time, but his concern is long-term. The surgery is one that only has a 50% chance of complete and total recovery. We are praying for that 50%. The alternatives are very unpleasant, painful and can continue to affect the rest of his life.

Will you continue to pray with us? These next few weeks are crucial. If scar tissue build up where the surgery was done he will be right back in the same miserable place he's been. We're praying that he will heal without scarring.

I've not said what the surgery was for as Sweetheart greatly values privacy. But one can still pray without all the details. Thank you.

Much love to you all!
~Kimberly

Prayers

I'm taking Sweetheart in for surgery in a little while. We'd appreciate your prayers that all will go well and that this will cure the problem forever!!!! Thank you.

Please PRAY!~UPDATED

I've just received word that my uncle may be having another stroke. This would be the third in three weeks. PLEASE PRAY for he and my aunt!!! He'd been doing so well in his recovery/rehab. Thank you.

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Thank you ladies, for your prayers. Here's the update I got:

"They did a CAT Scan and the results are better than the one they took right after his first stroke, which is very good news. The Cumadin (blood thinner medication, but not sure of the spelling) levels are lower though, so that is what they want to watch. His headache is better and they will be checking his eyes to see if there has been a change. Please keep praying that the space will be available at the rehab center when he is ready to return."

They've moved him into a room at the hospital, so everyone is pretty much just waiting to see what's happened and what should been done now.

We still appreciate your ongoing prayers.

Much love,
Kimberly

PS~ I received an email today from a friend that she has had a miscarriage. My heart aches with pain for her. Being a few months down the road on this journey, I wish I better knew what to say or do. All I can do is pray and try to be as good a friend to her as others have been to me.

Update

Well, just after I posted the prayer request for my Dad, I decided to go see him. He lives across the state. I made plans, and changed plans with such rapidity that I was just numb by the time I ended up on a flight out that afternoon. My Mom and Sweetheart watched the boys while I was gone.
I arrived just after my Dad returned to his room after having a pacemake put in. He is doing well. They released him the next morning and he headed off to a Beach Boys concert that night. I stayed until last evening.
Although the circumstances were less than ideal, and I missed my three guys A LOT, I am glad I went. It was nice just to spend time with my Dad and Stepmom. It was weird though, as it was the longest I'd been away from Sweetheart in quite a few years, and the longest I'd been away from the little guys ever. I kept listening for the boys. :) It was nice to actually carry on adult conversations without interruptions, except from my pregnancy-addled brain.
I am home now and trying to get back into the routine. Dumpling's nine month check up was this morning and he passed with flying colors! We got home, ate lunch, took naps and the boys are playing while I type this and try to figure out what in the world I'm going to do for dinner.
Thank you all for your prayers. I really appreciate all your kindness. Much love to you all! ~K

Prayer Request

Well, this wasn't the post I had planned for today. I just received a call from my Dad that he's going to have a pacemaker installed today. He's never had a problem with his heart, so this is a shock. Please pray for him. Thank you.

At Home

Pumpkin and I are having a quiet day at home today. We are home most days, but we did go run some errands and go out to lunch yesterday. However, by last night I was so tired and sore from walking, that I think I'm done running around until our new little one arrives.

Besides, trying to keep up with Pumpkin now that he is on the go is exhausting in and of itself! But the joy, oh the joy, of seeing him walk! I'm not sure I would feel so much happiness and wonder about it all had he just popped up and walked as others his age do. As challenging as the accident and recovery were, it has made us so more aware of every little blessing and step.

I'm not too sure what to write about these days as I feel like my brain has turned to mush and I'm just waiting around for something (anything!) to happen.

I was up this morning about three wandering around the house when I remembered the eclipse. Abner and I went out back to check it out. The moon was full and so bright that I laughed to see the sunflowers turned to it in the sky rather than the sun!

Phototropism is a pretty cool thing. Yes, I taught Science. That was one of the joys of teaching Elemenrary School, the teacher can learn right along with the students on so many subjects! Besides, the more enthusiasm I could generate about something, the more the students would have about that subject as well! (For all you non-science teachers: phototropism is the growth of a plant in relation to a light source. Positive phototropism means that the plants grows towards the light, negative phototropism simply means that it grows away from a light.) Can you tell that I'm looking forward to homeschooling?

Back to the eclipse...I didn't get to see the beautiful red color that was visible later, but definitely noticed the shadow across about 3/4 of the moon. It was so quiet and peaceful outside with the concrete still damp from the earlier rain. I would have enjoyed being out longer, but was unsure how long Abner would last before he found something to bark at. I don't want to hear any dogs, not even my own, barking at 3:00 am. Now, if only our neighbors felt the same. Sigh.

Well, since Pumpkin is resting I should to! I was able to accomplish a lot the other day while he napped, but today I figure I'd better get some sleep myself. Blessings to you all! Thank you for the sweet comments and prayers for us during this time. I've also copied down the verses people have left and welcome more if you've got them!

Pumpkin Walks!

I went out last night to Bunco while Sweetheart watched Pumpkin. Sweetheart decided it was the night to walk. Between a lot of encouragement and a lot of Cheerios, he got Pumpkin to FINALLY walk on his own!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We are so excited!!! I was bummed to miss those first steps, but more grateful that he did it.


I've had him walking around all day today and it's wonderful. Sweetheart worked with him for probably two hours walking, playing and reading and it really took. I've been amazed at how good his balance is and how far he can go for it only being the second day.


Of course, we've been too busy walking to manage to take pictures. Maybe tomorrow. He just went to bed and we're tired as well.


What an answer to prayer! For those of you who've only recently started reading here~ Pumpkin fell when he was about 10 months old and broke his femur. It was a freak accident, but it took a long time for him to regain his strength and to even crawl. We just kept getting told by the doctors that he'd just bounce back, not to worry and that he'd just get right back into the swing of things. Until he didn't. We then did some physical therapy things that helped a lot and got him moving. So, at 20 months he's finally walking.


I am so glad. We were beginning to wonder if this baby would be walking before him... I was also wondering how in the world I'd carry two at once! It's been tough enough carrying him around while pregnant. This Mama is sooooooooooooooo happy!

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Neat side note:
The ladies in my Bunco group did a surprise baby shower for me last night. As a group they play that everyone brings a small $5 gift each month. When someone rolls a mini Bunco, they take a gift until they are all taken and thereafter winners "steal" the gifts from each other. Occasionally we do themes for gifts, or wrap them up to be a surprise until the end.

Well, last night was a night to wrap the gifts. At the end of the game, I had actually already won four gifts. But they then surprised me by handing me ALL the gifts and telling me to open them. They were all things for the new baby. What a shock!

What a great night it was. I was so blessed by the ladies generosity and kindness, then arrived home to the grand surprise of Pumpkin walking. *Thank you, Lord, for all the blessings you have showered on me. *

We're getting down to the end of this pregnancy. It's been a wonderful time without any problems, after an initial scare the second month. I've been tired, but really in excellent health. In fact, my midwives have declared me their star patient. I am the only one with no apparent complications. It's hard to believe that this little one may arrive at any time. Amazing.

Yes, I'm ready. No, I'm not ready. Can you ever really be ready? I am nesting though.

I totally cleaned out our bedroom this week, every drawer and shelf. I decided to only leave out what I want in sight during labor and delivery. So, my vanity has only a candle and a vase of roses from the garden. My dresser just has a small jewelry holder and my perfumes and lotions, just the things I use each day. Everything else is put away. The closet is even cleaned out and my nightstand. {I'll just try to ignore Sweetheart's dresser and nightstand. :) }

It's time to be getting meals frozen and more breads made as well as any other baked goods we'll want for the first few weeks. I've got to get on all that. That's definitely something I already had done at this point last time. Sigh. I can only do so much at a time these days...

God is good. He has truly blessed us during this time. My heart is overflowing with gratitude and joy!

Pray for Those Left Behind