Monday, March 28, 2011
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Are You My Family?????
The LAST Little DS Sweetie at Charlie & Levi's Orphanage Needs a Mommy & Daddy!!!!
This Sweet Little guy is precious!! All of these sweeties with DS have joined there "Forever Families" ~Bella, Max, Lilly, Amelia, Jessa, Joseph, Charlie & Levi AND....these will soon be joining their "Forever Families" ~Leesia, Jackson, & Micah! We want Antonio to have a family too!!! He has $2330 in his Adoption Grant towards his adoption
PLEASE Help us find Antonio's "Forever Family"
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
The Ones I Left Behind
“I do not have clarity, what I have is trust. I will pray that you can learn to trust God every day. He will show you what to do each step of the way.” ~Mother Teresa
Today I am humbled that God has given me every emotion I have felt over the past year. And grateful that he has brought me to this point where I can continue to make a difference in the lives of orphans. Thank you God for choosing to adopt ME:)
"He hears the cries of the orphan." ~Exodus 22:22-24
"Religion that our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this; to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." ~James 1:27
"He blesses those who provide for the orphan." ~Deut 14:29
"For when I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me." ~Matt 25:35-36
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Medical Updates
Levi:
- Saw Opthalmologist yesterday. His right eye is a bit farsighted & is doing all the work. His left eye is at least 20/200. Which means he sees nada. So he was fitted for glasses that should help that eye start to correct. We go back in 2 months & then will likely start patching the good eye, followed by surgery at some point. By the way he looks so stinkin' cute in those glasses (pictures as soon as we pick them up)
- He will see cardiologist again in March to recheck AV canal & regurgitation in both valves & determine if they will or will not do surgery
- See's Audiologist in Feb. to check hearing now that his tubes are in
- Saw Dentist this week. He said his gums were healing well & we will go back in 3 months
- Appt. with Urologist in Feb. to check out his urinary issues
- Evals for PT, OT, & Speech coming up(this is in addition to what he receives at school)
Charlie:
- Saw Opthalmologist. He said that he can only see 2-5 feet in front of him & that only surgery will correct it. Glasses will not help. Hmmm...Getting a 2nd opinion on that one
- Cardiologist confirmed ASD is closed and only saw an enlarged aorta. Will go back in Dec.
- Appt. Jan 26th with Urologist. He will be scheduled for surgery to repair urinary reflux & to bring the testicle down were it belongs:)
- He will see ENT in Feb to talk about removal of tonsil, adenoids, and tubes. Followed by the audiologist to check the hearing. Pedi believes he does not hear well from right ear
- Labs have been done to check for Diabetes Insipidus because of his weight loss, excessive drinking, excessive urination
- C-spine xray was GOOD
- Evals for PT, OT & Speech coming up(this is in addition to what his school offers)
By the way we absoulutely LOVE their school, their teachers, & the entire staff at The Bynum School!!!! Thank you for everything you are doing for our little guys. We are grateful & blessed to having such wonderful people working with them everyday!!!
Friday, January 14, 2011
Saturday, January 8, 2011
2 of 153
Only God knew that these TWO would change ALL of our lives FOREVER too!
"Religion that our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this; to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world."
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Abundance
The boys are doing great!
Levi is finishing up the final week of his meds for the endocarditis. Woot! Woot! This means no more daily trips to hospital for outpatient meds 9am & 9pm, no more weekly trips to cardiologist for echo, no more weekly blood draws. Levi will be missed at the hospital I am sure, and I am sure he will wonder why we no longer go. lol... He is eating like a champ with no teeth, & feeling great! He talks all the time, we just have no idea if what he is saying is Russian or if he is just jabbering. ha! We will see the cardiologist in 4 months to confirm whether or not they will close the opening in his heart. But for now it is functioning properly & there is no pulmonary hypertension. Yay! We will be seeing an opthalmologist in a few weeks and hopefully we will open up a whole new world to him with the gift of good sight! And... Monday he starts school with Charlie:) He will Love it!
Charlie Is doing great! He has missed being in school a lot the past 2 weeks & I am sure he will be excited to return to his routine. He is much more verbal now & is attempting to repeat words although they are hard to understand. He has about 15 signs that he uses, but he also says the words when he signs. His favorite signs??? EAT, MORE, NO! He is very stubborn and will refuse to do things.(Imagine that) Like pull his pants up or put his shoes on. But he hates to be ignored. So many times he will comply if we just ignore. His eating & drinking has improved. Taking smaller bites & eating slower(most times) and we are working on drinking from a cup with his tongue in. He tries so hard & we are so proud of him. He had an ultrasound last week & will be having surgery soon to repair some urinary issues, and then surgery to remove his monsterous tonsils. Please be praying that he handles it well. He is NOT a star patient! Ha! Also, we are watching his weight closely. He has lost 4lbs since coming home despite the fact that he eats like crazy. He was negative for celiac and his labs looked great! He also saw the cardiologist & his ASD is in fact closed!!! His only remaining defect is an enlarged aorta which generally does not cause a problem. As long as he puts on weight we will not see cardiologist for 1yr, but if he doesn't they will recheck him in 6 months.
We can not express to all of you how thankful we are for each & every one of you! You have all played a part in bringing these two boys into a family that loves them and we are forever grateful for your love & prayers...
Monday, December 13, 2010
Still Alive & Kickin'
Friday, December 3, 2010
Skip The Steak!!!!
Depraved Indifference
Thursday, December 2, 2010
One Surgery Down....Yay!!!
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Our Community- Right Here, Right Now!!!
5,800: Texas children in foster care system who are eligible for adoption
77: Children in foster care system from Midland County
154: Children in foster care system from Ector County(Odessa)
84: Children from Ector County sent to foster homes in another region
44: Children from the region living in an emergency shelter
These children are NOT statistics, they are God's Children.....
"Once our eyes are opened, we can't pretend we don't know what to do. God, who weighs our hearts and keeps our souls, knows that we know, and holds us responsible to act" ~Proverbs 24:12
**This Article is from the front page of the Nov 29th issue of the Midland Telegram Reporter**
Stephanie Green’s family just became a little bigger. The single mother of three spent the summer becoming a certified foster parent and a few weeks ago welcomed 10- and 6-year-old siblings. The schoolteacher already is raising a 15-, 11- and 10-year-old of her own. “We’re trusting God on this journey, and we’re excited to see where he takes us,” Green said. “I just feel sure they’re going to bless our lives more than we bless theirs.” Like other parents in the area, Green said she became interested in fostering after she realized how much need there was in Texas, particularly in the Permian Basin. Of the 631 foster children in the region as of Aug. 30, 385 — or more than 61 percent — were placed in homes outside of Region 9, according to the most recent data available from the Department of Family and Protective Services. Region 9 includes about 23 West Texas counties such as Midland, Ector, Gaines, Upton, Howard and Tom Green counties. In Midland-Odessa, 54.5 percent of children taken from the custody of their parents as of Aug. 30 were sent to homes or group placements in another region, according to DFPS. “We have one of the highest rates of kids being sent elsewhere. We just flat out don’t have enough families,” said John Petree, whose wife HollyAnn runs the adoption agency Addy’s Hope. Together the couple have four children and are caring for three foster children. To try and combat the issue, Addy’s Hope is holding a “Hope for Christmas: Holiday Tour of Homes” fundraiser on Saturday. Proceeds from the event will go toward paying the fees associated with becoming a foster parent, HollyAnn Petree said. “We have too many churches in Midland-Odessa to have kids living in orphanages,” HollyAnn Petree said. “I don’t think people know there’s a need and that it’s as drastic as it is.” The 15-year-old girl they welcomed this week and hope to adopt in the coming months, for example, has been in 11 placements in several different cities during the last three years. Green’s oldest foster child is in fourth grade and already has been in 20 schools, both because her parents moved around and because her foster placements have been so widespread. “They’re usually behind academically,” Green said. “They don’t know how to communicate their feelings very well; they have trust issues because of what they’ve been through.” When they’re sent to homes outside the region, children are forced to adjust to completely new surroundings, typically have less visitation with their biological parents and may see any siblings placed elsewhere less frequently, HollyAnn Petree said. If they’re closer to their original home, children have a better chance of getting through the process much smoother, whether it be through adoption or reunification with their mothers or fathers. “There’s a huge, huge need. You see little people not only being taken out of home, but being taken out of the area,” said Kellie Goss, who is a foster parent to two infants along with her husband Shannan. “We just need more families to stand in the gap.” Goss said one of their foster children is able to have regular visitations with his mom mostly because they were able to keep him in Midland.
Statewide, Child Protective Services is working to improve the rate at which children are able to remain near their home. The agency will release its outline for redesigning the placement system at the close of the year. Even with a new system, the Petrees said there just aren’t enough families in Midland-Odessa. They’re hoping Addy’s Hope will help improve those numbers by covering some of the “hidden costs” associated with becoming foster parents. It’s those costs, they say, that can delay the process of parents being able to accept kids. To go through the training courses, background checks and other necessary steps typically cost about $500, HollyAnn Petree said. If a home needs a significant improvement to meet state standards, or even just additional smoke detectors and fences, that cost can go up. Still, the parents involved stress that while foster families are needed, it’s a commitment individuals should understand and carefully consider before entering into. -Kathleen Thurber MRT
“On our absolute worst day of dealing with problems and things like that, it is a thousand times worth it when you tuck those little people into bed each night,” Kellie Goss said.
6 to 9 p.m. Saturday Dec. 4th
Tickets available at each home or at Chick-fil-A, Edible Arrangements and Miss Cayce’s Christmas Store
Friday, November 26, 2010
Pictures:)
SUPER Charlie!
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Time Flies....
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Remember these sweet faces??
Leesia gives the BEST hugs!!!!
Happy Boy:)
What an Incredible answer to prayer. These little ones lives will be forever changed and their Forever Families lives will be Blessed to the MAX!!!!
Monday, November 15, 2010
Still Here!!!!
So much has gone on in the past couple of weeks. First of all I can't believe the boys have been Home 5 weeks already!!! They are both adjusting so well & are learning new things every day. Charlie L-O-V-E's to go to school. Every day we pull up to the car rider line & he signs PLAY and claps his hands and say YAY!!! Puts his backpack on his back, picks up his lunch box and waves bye to Levi & blows him a kiss. Then Levi cries:( Poor little guy. I make 4 stops to drop off kids and he cries everytime someone gets out of the van. lol We are still desperately trying to find something to help Charlie stop putting his entire hand in his mouth & sliming everything & everyone. Suggestions are welcome:) Levi is still getting meds every 6hrs through his picc line. His labs have looked good, but he has had fever for 4 days. They have not been able to find the source, but think it may be viral after he broke out in rash yesterday. He has had a more extensive Echo done on his heart and the infection looks the same, plus he had a small amount of fluid around his heart. But the Good News is the cardiologist thinks he may NOT need heart surgery!!!! It actually looks like there is a super thin membrane across the VSD. So he will continue to monitor him until after his oral surgery and then decide if he will need any intervention. Currently, he is scheduled to have surgery on Dec. 1st. The ENT will remove his tonsils, adenoids, and put tubes in his ears.(this is being done now to help the sleep apnea & get ride of infection) Then the Dentist will follow him to surgically remove his remaining rotten teeth. It will not be fun:( Please pray for these docs and especially for the anethesiologist that will be attending the surgery. He will spend at least one night in the hospital and then hopefully heal quickly and feel like a new man! What a good little patient he has become. He know's the routine now; holds his arm out, lets them do whatever they need to do. I am so proud of him!
Charlie Asleep at door. He might miss something!
Patiently waiting for Sis's B-day cake. Kinda....
Monday, November 1, 2010
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Update..
Saturday, October 30, 2010
God Knew
UPDATE on Levi:
Here is where we stand & what the next few months might look like, so that you can all be covering him in prayer...
- Our intitial admit to the hospital was because he was not responding to oral antibiotics after almost 3 weeks. With ear infections and tonsils infected. The Pedi needed to get to the bottom of it to see what the infection was and treat him with IV antibiotics. Also we needed to see what his heart looked like since we knew he had a VSD.
- These are the tests that have been done so far: EKG, ECHO on the heart, an EEG to check for seizures, 4 sticks for an IV, chest xrays, skull xrays. And yesterday we had a picc line put in.
- the Echo showed possible Endocarditis which is rarely seen here in children. They believe that because his teeth are rotten and his mouth is full of abcesses, that the infection from his mouth gradually has spread throughout his body & is now in his heart:(
- He has a VSD, ASD and small mitral valve leak with the beginnings of pulmonary hypertension(that's for all my nurse friends)
- He is on 3 strong Antibiotics and is starting to feel much better!
- The picc line will stay in and he will get daily antibiotics for 4-6 weeks at home.
- Then we will go to Dallas Children's once there is no sign of infection to see a Pediatric Oral surgeon for his teeth(what's left of them), followed by removal of EVERYTHING in his mouth:(
- Once his mouth is healed and no signs of infection. He will have cardiac cath done to see if he is a candidate for heart surgery. If he is (We Pray he is) he will have surgery to close the VSD & ASD.
- We are still waiting to hear from Neurologist to find out if he needs seizure meds.
- And at some point we will have a CT/MRI to check for Craniosynostosis, which will require surgery if he has that as well:(
- These are the 3 major issues that need to be covered with prayer and taken care of First
- Then down the road he will have tonsils & adenoids out, tubes in ears, hernia repair.
OK. I will STOP there!!! Oye! As I read the list of things to be addressed I have such a peace. God has protected this little man. He left us with no expectations of what medical issues Levi might face. Nothing has been a shock, nothing has overwhelmed us. We just have a PEACE that God knew we could rescue him from a place where he would not have survived much longer. And we are SO thankful that God chose our family and all the friends that have loved on him and our family to be apart of this sweet boys LIFE. We are Blessed that God chose us to be his Mommy & Daddy. Let the journey continue...
We LOVE all you guys. We are so thankful for your prayers and support, and thank you for following us on this Mighty Adventure....
Update on Charlie:
- Charlie is excited about starting school on Monday!!! Someone has blessed us by paying tuition for him to attend an amazing school here called Bynum School, for children with Special Needs. We are overwhelmed by the generosity and we are Excited to see him thrive even more.
- He is Sleeping well, Adjusting to our busy life, and of course EATING well!!!
- Today he even washed his hair and his Winnie-the-Pooh in the Toilet.
- And in case your wondering? Charlie has NOT been to Dr. yet. Ha! So Let's start praying that he gets a clean bill of health!
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. ~John 14:27