And Life Goes On

Elijah turned one month old yesterday. One big new update for him is that he is finally allowed to wear clothes (They are so cute on him! I intend to take pictures today.). Wearing clothes is a big deal. That means that they have graduated him to the next setting on the isolette (incubator). Originally, when he didn't have enough body fat, the isolette monitored his body temperature and adjusted its own temperature accordingly (this is called "skin mode" in nurse-speak.). He couldn't wear clothes on skin mode because that would give the isolette a false reading. Now, they set the isolette to one temperature ("air mode"), and he has to maintain his temperature on his own - hence the clothes. Then, they will lower the temperature in the incubator a little bit at a time until they have him on room temperature. Once he proves that he is comfortable at room temperature for a while, they will take the top off of the isolette, turning it into a bassinet.

Maintaining his body temperature is a huge step forward. It's one of the big bench-marks he has to meet before getting out of NICU. These are the goals he has to meet:

1. Breathe on his own - check
2. Maintain body temperature - check
3. Eat only breast milk without IV support - pending, probably in a few more days
4. Maintain a consistent weight-gain pattern - pending
5. Reconnect his intestines - pending 6 more weeks or whenever he weighs 6 pounds
6. Make sure his intestines work properly once reconnected - pending

As you can see, we have a long way to go, but every step forward is exciting.


On another note, I don't know who all reads this, but I want to express heartfelt gratitude for all of the outpouring of love from our friends and church family. Our church has been feeding us for weeks, and that has been such an incredible blessing. I have been overwhelmed with offers for rides to the hospital, food, things for Elijah, and many other little (and big) gifts. We have felt truly loved in the middle of all that we've been through, and I can't thank everyone enough. You don't know how the Lord has used you to sustain us.

As hurt and frightened as I have been in the last month, I pray that all of these events will bring glory and praise to the Lord my God. I pray that His faithfulness to my husband and me will comfort and confirm His love for others as well. We are weak, but He is strong, and He has delivered us from our fear and our despair. I hope only that whatever is left of me after this is over will remain faithful to Him for eternity. I can't say it any better than this:


But having the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, “I believed, therefore I spoke,” we also believe, therefore we also speak, knowing that He who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and will present us with you. For all things are for your sakes, so that the grace which is spreading to more and more people may cause the giving of thanks to abound to the glory of God. Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal. 

- 2 Corinthians 4:13-18
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As promised!

The baby

The husband

:-D