As some of you may remember, I posted a month or so ago about our friend Shaina's sister being sick. Shaina sent out an update the other day. If you could please keep Erika and her family in your thoughts and prayers. I'm copying Shaina's email, so you can better understand what is going on. As a little background information incase you aren't familiar with the first post. Erika had a baby (Callen) one month before Colin. She became sick the day Colin was born. She was hospitalized for .. gosh a month or more but has since been released.
hey ladies. here is an update on Erika. This is an email my ma sent out a couple days ago. since the email, we did get back her CT results and they showed the pseudocysts are still there and her Dr has admitted he is at a lost as to why no improvement is being made. so, he is going to call U of M and try to get her in sooner than the original appt at the end of May (as you will read). Her Dr is rated in the top 5 of GR, so it's kinda scary to hear him say he is at a lost, but at least he is honest. we started to google and read up on pancreatitus, but stopped b/c we started to scare ourselves on what this condition could turn into. so, instead of thinking of the "what-ifs" please continue to pray for Erika and for a miracle. Noone thought she would still be in this bad of shape at this time, but God provides miracles everyday...please ask him to provide one for Erika. Thank you all for caring, it means a lot.
Love to all, Sha
Hi,
Just wanted to update you on Erika. She has improved immensely since March, but through April there has not been much improvement. She is still unable to eat and is drinking 8 ensures a day for nourishment. When she eats she gets pain on each side and has flu like symptoms. So hoping that one day she won't be in pain, she tries to eat about once a week when she knows someone will be around to take care of Cal the next day if needed. Last nite she felt like she was starving so she wanted to eat. I gave her little boiled chicken, 2 tbls rice and 1/2 banana. She was so sick, the thought crossed her mind to go into emergency. Obviously, the food inflamed her pancreas. So what's the answer? She's tried just soup, just rice, just broth.........................still gets sick.
Dr has kept her off work again this month. Her boss has hired someone new for her job. She knew that would happen but it still hurt. He did say there would be a position for her when she returns, just not in Greenville.
Dr repeated a CT Wednesday to look for changes in the pancreas and pseudocysts. Hopefully improvement will show. She occasionally breaks out into cold sweats and they don't know what that's about, but she use to do that in the hospital and it just started in April so they want to follow that up and are concerned that she is not able to eat. We asked for a second opinion, so she has an appointment at the UM, but her appt. isn't until May 27th so she has a while. We are looking and hoping for a miracle.
Her spirits are good, but she gets frustrated sometimes and I think she tries not to think about it. When she gets down I try to point out the fact that anyone would be frusstrated at this point but the up swing is that she gets to spend this time with Cal. I still worry about her getting depressed so I keep my eye on her.
Dear Colin,
Happy 3 Month Old Birthday! You are now a quarter of a year old.
In the past month, you have become quite the world traveler. Ok maybe the world is a stretch; however, you did travel through 7 states and the District of Columbia. You did amazingly well being stuck in your little car seat for hours on end, sleeping in strange places, and being our little travelling gnome. Also during our trip, you experienced some other "fun" firsts. The first time you ever pooped directly onto your father's hand, the first time you pooped more than twice (or three or four times for that matter) in one day, the first time you pooped onto the white bed sheets of a hotel bed, and the first time you not only blew out your diaper but had to do it in the car! Luckily for us, your pooping has gone back on schedule. I can picture you now - completely mortified that I put this information for everyone to read "MOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM." It was a fun vacation though Colin. Our first vacation as a family. It is one of those memories that I will remember 50 years from now.
I'm amazed by how much you've grown over the past month. You no longer look or act like a little baby anymore. You only like to be held like a baby when you are eating or about to fall asleep, otherwise you need to be sitting up so you can look around the room. You gleefully wake up every morning promptly at 7am where we find you at the total opposite end of your crib kicking away at Mr. Birdie on your bumper pad. Each morning I have to remind you that Mr. Birdie has never done anything to you as I know how strong those little chunky legs of yours can be. You are scootching around, need to be buckled into things, and can't really be left unattended anymore. All of these are daily reminders that you aren't my little tiny baby anymore but rather my curious, active, ready-to-move-onto-bigger-and-better-things Colin.
Can we discuss your drooling for a minute? Something has happened over the past few weeks where you all of a sudden produce an insane amount of spit. I'm not sure if you don't know how to swallow it or if it's just too much but it's rare to see you lately without a chin full of sweet baby drool.
You've adjusted well to all the changes in the past 3 weeks with me going to work. From different houses, louder houses, and different "parenting" skills, I'm sure you are wondering what the heck is going on. It has been hard for me to be away from you, difficult figuring out babysitting schedules, and knowing that other people are taking care of you when I should be but it helps knowing that you are surrounded by people who love you and enjoy spending time with you.
The other night, daddy and I were watching the Tigers and you were sitting in your chair facing us and you were cranking your head to watch the game. You were watching the game so intently. It became commerical time and suddenly you became fussy and looked annoyed. Jokingly, we rewound the TV to put the game back on and you instantly were content again. Baby Colin how I wish I could DVR your life. I would love nothing more than to be able to pause it, skip forward, and rewind it back. You are growing up so fast that I wish I could slow it down. I want to soak in every minute of every day, yet we are excited to see what life has in store for you. Will you be a baseball player? Will you love school? Will you love airplanes like your daddy and grandpa? What will your passions be in life? What will you look like? We have so many questions about your life and are excited to find out who you will become. Please just don't grow up too fast!
Love Always,
Mommy
Happy 3 Month Old Birthday! You are now a quarter of a year old.
In the past month, you have become quite the world traveler. Ok maybe the world is a stretch; however, you did travel through 7 states and the District of Columbia. You did amazingly well being stuck in your little car seat for hours on end, sleeping in strange places, and being our little travelling gnome. Also during our trip, you experienced some other "fun" firsts. The first time you ever pooped directly onto your father's hand, the first time you pooped more than twice (or three or four times for that matter) in one day, the first time you pooped onto the white bed sheets of a hotel bed, and the first time you not only blew out your diaper but had to do it in the car! Luckily for us, your pooping has gone back on schedule. I can picture you now - completely mortified that I put this information for everyone to read "MOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM." It was a fun vacation though Colin. Our first vacation as a family. It is one of those memories that I will remember 50 years from now.
I'm amazed by how much you've grown over the past month. You no longer look or act like a little baby anymore. You only like to be held like a baby when you are eating or about to fall asleep, otherwise you need to be sitting up so you can look around the room. You gleefully wake up every morning promptly at 7am where we find you at the total opposite end of your crib kicking away at Mr. Birdie on your bumper pad. Each morning I have to remind you that Mr. Birdie has never done anything to you as I know how strong those little chunky legs of yours can be. You are scootching around, need to be buckled into things, and can't really be left unattended anymore. All of these are daily reminders that you aren't my little tiny baby anymore but rather my curious, active, ready-to-move-onto-bigger-and-better-things Colin.
Can we discuss your drooling for a minute? Something has happened over the past few weeks where you all of a sudden produce an insane amount of spit. I'm not sure if you don't know how to swallow it or if it's just too much but it's rare to see you lately without a chin full of sweet baby drool.
You've adjusted well to all the changes in the past 3 weeks with me going to work. From different houses, louder houses, and different "parenting" skills, I'm sure you are wondering what the heck is going on. It has been hard for me to be away from you, difficult figuring out babysitting schedules, and knowing that other people are taking care of you when I should be but it helps knowing that you are surrounded by people who love you and enjoy spending time with you.
The other night, daddy and I were watching the Tigers and you were sitting in your chair facing us and you were cranking your head to watch the game. You were watching the game so intently. It became commerical time and suddenly you became fussy and looked annoyed. Jokingly, we rewound the TV to put the game back on and you instantly were content again. Baby Colin how I wish I could DVR your life. I would love nothing more than to be able to pause it, skip forward, and rewind it back. You are growing up so fast that I wish I could slow it down. I want to soak in every minute of every day, yet we are excited to see what life has in store for you. Will you be a baseball player? Will you love school? Will you love airplanes like your daddy and grandpa? What will your passions be in life? What will you look like? We have so many questions about your life and are excited to find out who you will become. Please just don't grow up too fast!
Love Always,
Mommy
This is Mike and Colin's special thing. For some reason, Colin will not do it with me but loves it when Daddy does it.
Enjoy this short video from early this morning. This smile melts my heart every time ...
Mike is working 2nd shift tonight (the joys of having to be creative with babysitters) and Colin is sleeping, so I thought I'd take a few minutes and do a little updating. Since going back to work, I seem to have very little down time for the computer.
Thank you to everyone for their encouraging words, prayers and for checking up on me last week. It was a difficult week with alot of tears but I kept trying to remind myself that he was having fun at Grandma's house. We are slowly all trying to get use to a new routine and some days are better and easier than others.
Friday night, Mike and I had our second date. We dropped Colin off at my parents where he had fun playing with Grandma, Uncle Tim and "Aunt" Leah and where Grandma had fun giving Colin his bath. Mike and I had fun going to the Whitecaps to watch Curtis Granderson play who just happens to be my fave Tiger. It was the perfect spring day (upper 60s and sunny), we had fantastic seats, and great company meeting up with Chris and Lindsey. I'll post some pictures on my list website sometime soon.
Please keep Mike and I in your thoughts and prayers. We are struggling with a decision and we are in need of clarity. Whatever decision we make will not be ideal but we need to try to find the one that best fits our new family.
I'll try to update more often and promise to respond to everyone's emails soon ...
Thank you to everyone for their encouraging words, prayers and for checking up on me last week. It was a difficult week with alot of tears but I kept trying to remind myself that he was having fun at Grandma's house. We are slowly all trying to get use to a new routine and some days are better and easier than others.
Friday night, Mike and I had our second date. We dropped Colin off at my parents where he had fun playing with Grandma, Uncle Tim and "Aunt" Leah and where Grandma had fun giving Colin his bath. Mike and I had fun going to the Whitecaps to watch Curtis Granderson play who just happens to be my fave Tiger. It was the perfect spring day (upper 60s and sunny), we had fantastic seats, and great company meeting up with Chris and Lindsey. I'll post some pictures on my list website sometime soon.
Please keep Mike and I in your thoughts and prayers. We are struggling with a decision and we are in need of clarity. Whatever decision we make will not be ideal but we need to try to find the one that best fits our new family.
I'll try to update more often and promise to respond to everyone's emails soon ...
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