Time Flies

Well, sorry its been so long since we've updated. I'll try to bring you up to speed on the last month or so...

The major thing we had happen was an MRI for Brayden that took more pictures of the cyst on his spine. We found out that the cyst is still there and appears to be the same size as before. However, it appears that it is putting less pressure on his spine than before, so we are excited about that. It is letting his spinal cord and backbone develop and is not squeezing on it as much as it was. So, the Dr. is very hopeful we won't have to do any kind of surgery until he gets older -- hopefully his teenage years (if at all). Of course, our prayer is that Jesus would step in and remove this cyst on his own and we won't have to worry about surgery. The cyst in his brain is there and will always be there as it's more just a lack of development of the brain tissue, so there is no "cure" for that one. We'll just have to see how he develops as he begins to crawl, walk, talk, etc.

Otherwise, in playing with the little stinker you wouldn't know he has a cyst at all. He is very active and smiles, coo's, laughs, and loves to stick out his tongue (thanks Mimi)! He is now eating rice cereal, so of course more of it generally gets on him than goes in his mouth. It's fun, and Kelli is loving every minute of her being able to stay home with him. He is still not crawling yet, but he can scoot around on his mats in the floor, or in his crib...so we expect him to start army crawling any time now. What's better is that if you hold him by his arms on your lap, he'll try to walk all over you...so he may even walk before he crawls...he just needs to get better balance.

We also had a baby shower thrown by some of the mother's of Kelli's WyldLife kids. We had a great time and the spread of food and cake was amazing!! We got some needed clothes, toys, and stuffed animals -- all of which we have already been able to play with. We are so thankful for the friends we have made thru YoungLife/Wyldlife, they have been a big blessing in our lives.

Two weeks ago we painted the nursery, and last week we put a deck up in the back yard. The Overton's came over and helped get our front lawn under control too as we needed some help in a couple flower beds to get some shrubs back up and growing. So, we've done a lot of stuff in and out of the house that we have really enjoyed.
Brayden's Room is now a light green with an accent wall we painted brown -- to match the bedding we have for him. The girls got that done with finishing touches put on by the guys who were able to reach a little farther with their paint brushes.
The yard and deck were welcome additions to the yard that has needed some upgrades since last summer. We were so thankful for all the help we received, as Andrew was the supervisor for both projects. He is a man on a mission when it comes to working in the yard and we love the new additions he made.

That is the most recent update on the Dowdney household, but we will try not to wait so long for the next one.

Thanks for stopping by
D

Cute Video

Spring is here....

Thank goodness for a little sunshine!  All that rain and gloom was starting to get on my nerves!  February was fast and furious and we are about to be done with most of the madness!  It's been a great semester of YoungLife/WyldLife but I am ready for Spring Break!!  I have been working on the North Texas YL Family Ski Trip and I will be nice when I can close the books on that project. It's been really fun to get to know alot of our families on a more personal level and to be able to serve them....but it has been a little more work that I had anticipated. Well, maybe it just feels like a little more work since I have a 10 week old at home! 

On that note, it is has been interesting as we have started to get Brayden out a little more, how we explain his age when people ask. Sometimes, if I'm in a hurry and don't have time for the 20 min story, when strangers ask how old is our baby I'll just give them the corrected age...."oh, he's 10 weeks."  Corrected age is a medical term for preemies stating how old they would be IF they had been born around their due date.  What really gets people is when we respons with his Actual Age.  You can see some people trying to compute....then it's fun to share with how the Lord truly blessed our little man! 

I'm sure that several people have considered calling the authorities on us a few times.  It get's funny when David responds with his Actual Age and I respons with this Corrected Age. You can almost hear them think..."These crazy people don't know how old their baby is!"  LOL.... It hasn't happened that many times, though!

Brayden is doing really well! We have seen his PT and Dietician this month, and scheduling a session with OT soon. He seems to have a little tightness in his muscle tone that we are hoping to correct with some therapy.  This month he has learned to stand up on our lap, push up on his little hands, and is starting to chew on everything.  The dietician said that we can start trying Rice Cereal but not to expect great results the first month!  I want David to be here for our first feeding so we think we will try it this weekend sometimes!  He also got his activity center this past weekend when Mimi and Aunt Kaysi were here.  It took a few times, but he is finally starting to have fun with it. I think at first, it was a little sensory overload! David said "It's like Las Vegas for a baby!"  He just learned how to bang on the keys to make the sound himself this morning. Here are some picture....

We have the follow up appointment with the Neuro Surgeon and Neurologist this month.  I have found that just knowing those are coming up, I am really having to fight off the anxiety!  We will be imaging the cycst on his spine and following the development of his brain.  It's funny how God gently speaks to us sometimes. Yesterday morning during our playtime, I had a cd playing of Children's Bible School songs.  "My God is big, so strong and so mighty! There's nothing my God can not do!" came through the speakers as we played under his floor gym.  How much more peaceful I would be if truly claimed this promise in my life.  God has delivered Brayden from so many things, do I really think that he has stoped caring for him at this point? I feel like the children of Israel sometimes? Have I told you that before?  I tend to forget all the mighty, marvelous things God has done in the past and question His sovereignty. Lest I forget..... there is nothing that our God can not do. May we not fail to approach His throne with boldness.

Kelli

Reminiscing

The past few days I have been really focused on trying to get some of the books read that I have been referred. We are at the initial stages of some very basic sleep training and need all the advice and counseling that we can get! TRUST ME…..we (I) have absolutely no idea what we (I) are doing!!! And it just got me to thinking and wishing..longing for my grandmothers!!! My mother’s mom was known as Granny and my dad’s mom went affectionately by Momma Mae. Granny raised 11 kids, two of those being a set of twins, and managed just perfectly without all the Parenting books, advice chat rooms and websites, and certainly without all the modern day MUST HAVES that you can find down the 101 isles at Babies R US! HOW IN THE WORLD DID SHE DO IT? I mean…she didn’t have a Boppy or a Bumbo and didn’t have any Dr. Brown bottles! What did she do without the Night and Day Bottle Warmer or the Eddie Bauer Soothe & Sway Play Yard? I wish I could just sit down with her for 1 day and have her pour into me all her parenting knowledge. How did she know what to do when?



This morning I was sitting in my breakfast nook and I have a very old wooden curio cabinet that we have used to store some of our favorite heirlooms on. My eye first caught a smallish 5 tier, silver candelabra that was placed at the front of the 2nd shelf. It’s funny how just a glimpse of some object can bring a wave of emotions. When David & I got engaged, my Granny was bound to a wheel chair and had not been getting around very well. Since most of my family is from a small town in East Texas, Palestine, we had chosen a little local store to register in for our home-town shower. I remember my mother telling me how cute my grandmother was. She insisted that my mom come get her and take her so that she could pick something out herself for me & David. My grandmother came from an extremely humble background and had always had limited resources. My mom said as she pushed my grandmother through the store she inspected all the items very carefully! When she came to the candelabra, she knew right this was it. My mom cautioned her that it was a little pricey but Granny dug through her purse and purchased the gift with love! I miss her so very much! I wonder what she would think of Brayden, what advice she would give.


Two shelves down is a shelf that has a set of a very old Sliver Tea Pot and Serving Set. This is from Momma Mae. It reminds me of what a servant she was her entire life. It was very rare to go for a visit that she wouldn’t be loading your arms up with things as you were walking out the door. Seriously, she would have you walk through her house and she would say “Now sweet, don’t you need this mirror at your house? Well, what about this little crystal squirrel. I found this at Tuesday Morning’s and I would love for you to have it!” I have never met anyone in my entire life that put others before themselves like Momma Mae.


These two women gave me such beautiful examples of the selflessness that Christ calls us to. There are so many other vital attributes that these two women taught me as a young lady. I pray that as Brayden grows up, I won’t be so caught up in the latest Baby-Must-Have or the Parenting-Must-Do that I forget to teach him the things that I learned from my grandmothers.

Brayden & Blue Jeans

Brayden wore blue jeans for the first time EVER today. We have had several pair that we have been itching to get him into but they have all been way too big for him. UNTIL TODAY.... Yeah! He looks so adorable! Of course I grabbed my camera to get some adorable pictures...and my battery is dead. Since it is snowing outside like crazy, Brayden & I have opted to spend a quiet, cozy day at home near the fire. I'll have to get a camera battery another day and record his 2nd day in blue jeans!!

This week has been great! He has done really well adjusting to life in his room! He seems to like his crib and loves to play on his floor gym. He loves to nap on his tummy but oddly enough doesn't like to play on his tummy. We have also started the early early stages of sleep training. Right now we are just focusing on established a sleep, eat, play routine. This has been challenging because he likes to sleep, eat, play, eat..... uh-huh! The boy is eating alot!! Last night we got him down an hour earlier than we ever have and he stayed down for 5 1/2 hours. Monday night he was down from 11 pm - 5:30 am. Hopefully, we are heading in the direction of sleeping through the night. Regardless, our PT says that we are way ahead of schedule for a preemie in regards to scheduling, eating, and sleep patterns. This is a VERY good thing to for a momma to hear!

Week before last we went to our 1 month appointment with the Pedi and he was so pleased with Brayden's weight that he put us on regular formula!! Dr. Coco said that since we had brought him home at 6 lbs 1 oz he was hoping to have him at 8 lbs 6 oz by month 1. Well, considering we weighed over 10 lbs....this graduated us to regular formula! And honestly, I think this is the reason that for the past week and half he has been wanting to eat ever hour and a half! We were preparing our previous formula at a higher calorie count than this regular formula mixes at. I think that we are on the tail end of that now though, as he is curving back at eating every 3-4 hours.

Other than that....we are just plugging along! Adjusting to a "new normal" as my cousin to eloquently stated. I will get my battery replaced and post some new pictures soon! Love to all...

Kelli

Be careful what you pray (wish) for???

After the last 6 months, I am beginning to understand why I should never be careful what I pray for, as if I wasn't expecting God to answer the prayer in the first place.  I think the Bible talks about being "luke warm" with our faith (and subsequently our prayers) and many of you know what it says about that.  Thus, I am doing all I can to be very blatant in my daily prayers.

With that said, I must also mention that I think the "honeymoon" is over.  The first month with Brayden was, shall we say, accomplished on adrenaline.  Kel and I were sooooo happy to finally have him home from the hospital that we floated thru December and into January riding the ecstatic emotions of having a baby.  The first month is behind us (sadly) and we are moving on and up.

Now, don't get me wrong...we still are so overjoyed for this little miracle that Jesus dropped in our laps...and every day is full of new things that he is able to do that are WAY beyond his "development stage."  However, I think for me personally, the lack of sleep has begun to catch up with me, and I know Kelli gets more and more excited when I get home from work so she can have a little more "me time" to catch up on whatever she needs to. 

All this to say that, again, we spent the last 9 years in fervent prayer over being able to have children of our own...whether naturally or thru adoption.  Now that that prayer has been answered, I have to look back and say that I must be very deliberate in what I pray for from here on out.  I serve a God, and His Son Jesus, who are in the "business" of meeting our needs, but not always our wants.  He wants to do what is best for us, in HIS TIMING, that will further His kingdom.  So, I now am trying to step back and, while holding this little spitfire of a baby, look at what Jesus has in store for him and his future.  Is he going to be a Pastor?  Will he be an athlete?  Will he be a doctor/lawyer/teacher...or heaven forbid...a banker.  :) 

You know... I have to say -- I give him to You, Father.  Whatever Your will is for his life, allow me to be your instrument that gets him there.  That raises him to be a child of Jesus, that loves You dearly, and that is open and available to your calling.  I feel that is what Kelli and I tried to do in our marriage -- even thru the hard times of infertility and it led us on a path directly to Brayden.

So, Jesus, do your work thru me and Kel as your instruments in molding this little guy into the MAN you want him to be.  Well rounded, polite, disciplined, and on fire for Jesus -- the rest will take care of itself. 

I'll end with this... Luke 18:2-8 says ..."He said: "In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared about men. And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, 'Grant me justice against my adversary.'  "For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, 'Even though I don't fear God or care about men, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won't eventually wear me out with her coming!' "And the Lord said, "Listen to what the unjust judge says. And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off?  I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?"

So, again, Jesus will not keep putting us off...those who cry out to Him day and night -- so be very blatant in the desires of your heart, and know that steady plodding with Jesus will get you the answer that is wrapped in His will for your life. 

Side Note -->  Anyone else make it to the last phrase there???  "...will he find faith on the earth?"  Where are we as a society?  Is anyone else fearful for the future of our country...marinate on that for a little while 

Thanks for stopping by...DD

BIG BOY!!

Went to Brayden's Pedi today for vaccines and checkup. WE ARE UP TO 10 LBS!! WHOO HOO! AND...we have had some first over the last few days. Last Thursday he laughed for the first time. It's so cute and ever since I have been walking around trying to get it on film...of course I haven't yet! But hopeully soon!  On Monday he also played by himself on his floor gym for about 45 minutes before he got fussy!  AND....he is FINALLY swinging in his swing.  The first few times he cried and then he got to where he was ok being in it only if I was sitting beside him. So..we are making progress. The doctor also is so please with his weight gain that we are off the special formula! Dr. C said he was hoping that BD would be around 8.5 lbs and to see he is at 10 lbs.... he was pretty proud of him! 

Here are some new pictures....

Best Mom EVER......

Sometimes I have to wonder....did the nurses and doctor's really know what they were doing when they sent a helpless little baby home with me?  Seriously!!!!!

Last week I took the opportunity to take a cat nap while Brayden was down.  I was on the couch and he was in the bedroom.  I laid down and was almost asleep and thought "I should really put the dogs outside so if they bark, they will not wake us up."  What seemed like just seconds later ( 45 minutes), one of the dogs had barked a few times and woke me up. I raced to the back door half asleep to put them outside before they woke up BD. I opened the door and began calling them...but none of them came.  I heard the dog bark again and got upset becuase it sounded like the dogs were in the bedroom! HOW DID THEY GET IN THERE? They aren't even allowed in the bedroom. I raced to the bedroom and opened the door.....only to realize that it wasn't a dog barking at all!!! Brayden had waken up and was randomly jabbering in his crib!  The dogs were all napping themselves in the laundry room!

Again BD was napping in his bassinett just a few weeks after we brought him home. He hadn't really gotten into a schedule yet so I was still unsure as to how long he would go down for a nap.  I had just put him down and went to the kitchen to clean some bottles for the next feeding.  I turned on the sink water for it to get how and started to dissemble the bottle parts to wash.  Through the baby monitor I heard BD start to cry and immediately rushed in. ( This was before I started to read Baby Wise and realized that they usually will settle themselves back down.)  His pacifyer had fallen out so I tried to put that back in but that didn't work. I re- swaddled him, I checked his diaper, I bounced him, rocked him, and burped him.  About 25 minutes later he fell back asleep and I laid him down.  Upon returning to the kitchen I realized that I had left the water running becuase I thought I would be RIGHT BACK!  One of the bottles had fallen down into the drain and stopped the sink up. THANK YOU LORD...we have the inset sink with the overspill guard.  The water was only running over to the other side of the sink and had not flooding the counters! 

Lessons I have learned this month:

1) Never assume you will "Be right back."
2) Everytime BD cries it does NOT warrant putting a bottle in his mouth.
3) The better BD naps during the day, the better he sleeps at night.
4) Borrowed and gently used clothes are truly a finanical blessing.
5) Friends who send you gently used clothes are truly a financial blessing.
6) Don't jump up at the first whimper or cry.
7) Showers are a daily highlight.
8) Trips to Chick-Fil-A for a Large Sweet Tea followed by Wal-Mart are a weekly highlight
9)  Don't wait at the door with the baby when your husband comes home from work. He's had a long day too.
10) Some kids poop twice a day, and some poop every other day! IT'S OKAY!
11) Morning times are the sweetest times for cuddling and playing
12) Even a baby boy has some amazing trajectory.... from both ends.
12) We are thankful that we didn't buy that new couch.
13) Having a baby and a new puppy at the same time is not suggested.
14) AND....not matter how much baby baggage you have to get out of the car..always make sure you get your wallet and purse out! EVEN IF IT REQUIRES A SECOND TRIP!

See you  next month for BEST MOM EVER!!!

Life at Home....

This morning when I was changing Brayden's diaper, I was looking and looking and I really couldn't even find the scars from his hernia surgery back at the beginning of the month. I made me think how God has used this little life to heal so many scars in our own lives, not mention the healing he has begun in Brayden's. Praise to God Almighty for the power and life found in the name of Jesus.

January has flown by, as many of you have already told me that time will fly faster than ever. Brayden is up to 9 lbs now and settling into his new home and routine well. David went back to work on the 4th and we sure have missed having him at home! The first week and half was challenging, which is something that really caught me by surprise. I have been waiting to have a baby at home for 8 ½ long years and while my heart was so full of joy, change is something that takes me a while to welcome. For the past 10 + years I have been up in the morning and at the office working in the Multi-Family sector of Real Estate. By 10 am I have usually have at least 2 conference calls, 4 cups of coffee, 10 phone calls, and turned in multiple performance reports. I think the word that reflects the last 10 years would be..Productivity. How much can I get done in 1 day? Can I get done today more that I did yesterday? And while this motivation had served me well in the business realm, my focus and purpose has now shifted! Now, I am lucky if I can get a shower and brush my teeth before David gets home. The laundry and house work are not exactly getting done on a weekly basis and when I look around….well, it is hard for me not to feel like I am completely UNPRODUCTIVE!
I have gently been reminded that my “job description” has changed my daily goals and “to do” lists have been re-hauled. I must remember that my duties just got bumped up the totem pole of importance. I have this little life that solely depends on me. I am his food and security, love and shelter, comfort, warmth, teacher and protector. I have often heard acquaintances remark how difficult it was switching from the board room to the nursery. I believe that the enemy tries to deceive us by diverting our eyes to anything other than the path that the Lord has called us to. For if we do indeed follow the individual calling, according to His will, the path that the Almighty has called us to, His Kingdome will be glorified.

Enough preaching..I will leave that to David because he is so much more eloquent with words. I LOVE being at home with Brayden and I pray that we will financially be able keep me at home.  One of our frieds told me the sweetest poem the other day and I must share;

 Cobwebs be slient

and dust go to sleep.

Becuase I'm rocking my baby

and babies don't keep!

We have so many things to be thankful for that I pray that I don't let the enemy distract and overshadow the joy that the Lord has so graciously given to our family!
Psalm 107:6-9

Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble,

And he saved them from their distress.

He led them by a straight way

To a city where they could settle.

Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love

And his wonderful deeds for men, for he satisfies the thirsty

And fills the hungry with good things.

No Fear in Love

Bringing little Brayden home has been a journey. The few days when we were home waiting for our room in to be scheduled seems like a haze. I was nervous, excited, and fearful. Just a few days before we have been delivered the news about a growing cyst on our baby's spine. The surgery that would be needed would be long, expensive, and extremely risky. The good news was that at the moment there was no immediate need. The doctors decided to wait, image regularly, and monitor this cyst to determine the appropriate time to operate. We have been praying ever since that this cyst would be a non-issue and never need this yucky operation.


When the doctor asked us to be at the hospital in a few hours on Monday, December 7th, we grabbed our bag, settled the dogs for the night, and headed to Ft. Worth. Neither of us said very much on the ride over. My mind was reeling with questions. Would I be able to care for this fragile little life that for the past 2.5 months has required teams and teams of doctors? I remember that I had asked David a few days before "What if I get him home and we don't bond? What if I don't love him?" I felt fear becoming even more dominated in my thoughts.

The night went surprisingly fast. We had Brayden in the room with us and even though we had divided up feedings...we found that we were both up at every sigh, whimper, feeding, and changing. David proved to be an absolute ROCK those two days. The next morning we had a busy schedule. Exit consultations with our neonatologist, nurses, dieticians, neurologists, surgeons, case workers, insurance reps, and paperwork with the adoption agency. On top of all of this, the birth mom ended up coming up to the hospital and spent most of the day with us, as well. David had a GREAT strategy...he asked me to take care of Brayden and the birth mom and he would take care of all the business with the insurance agency & the agency.


Just before everything kicked into high gear...I needed to talk to my Dad. I just needed to hear his voice. Up to this point, we still hadn't asked anyone's opinion on our decision to adopt this baby. We were very careful to isolate our hearts from earthly opinions to ensure that we were only listening to the heavenly father's voice and direction. But now....I needed to hear my earthly Father's voice. Nothing in this world makes me feel safer than my dad. When he answered I began to cry and he asked me what was on my heart? Looking back, how ironic was his wording. It wasn't "What was wrong" but "What was on my heart?" He knew right away that I had a heart issue. For the first time in this entire process, I asked someone if they thought we were making the right decision. Through tears streaming down my face, I asked my daddy "Are we making the right decision to adopt this baby?" Even though it was my earthly father's voice in the response, I felt the spirit move in me as he answered. “You know, when you & David first told me about this baby I wanted to tell you guys to not go any further in the process. You guys are my kids and I wanted to protect you. Then when the babies were born with so many complications, I picked up the phone so many times to tell you guys that I thought ya'll should wait for a different baby. But again, the Holy Spirit kept my mouth shut. Then when your mother & I came that first time to see Brayden in the hospital, I felt the Holy Spirit wash over me when I was standing by his incubator. I have never felt anything like it. I knew that God had delivered this baby to you & David and that through ya'lls faithfulness to the calling of God our family would experience blessings and miracles. Christ saw past all our special needs and sickness and decided to love us despite all the complications, to love us to the point that he gave His life for us. And in essence, you and David have been called to sacrifice for love as well, to see past all the things the world calls imperfections and love this little baby that God created. We are going to see the power of God like we never have before Kelli. And I can't promise you that it's going to come in complete healing, but I do have confirmation that Brayden was born for our family. And your mother & I are going take every step in this journey with you & David." He continued to tell me that God doesn't quite on us and that the word promises that He will finish the good work He has completed in us.


We got off the phone with my Dad asking me to go read 1 John 4:18. "There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear." What an amazing verse my Dad gave me to meditate on. That phone conversation lead me straight to the word of God that I needed to loosen the power of fear that the enemy was using to bind me. There is absolutely no fear in love!! Over the last several weeks I have not worried once about the expense of future surgeries that are not even needed at this point....and there is no doubt that I love him.

Sometimes I think the enemy resigns to the fact that he has lost the eternal battle with us, so he ramps up the battle in other ways to keep us as ineffective in the Kingdome as possible. I believe that God has chosen me & David to raise this baby. Brayden was handpicked before he was even conceived to be our son and that through this, God will be glorified. The enemy does not like our Father to be glorified. Again, fear is something that I have rarely experienced in my life and boy was it powerful. But praise God Almighty, the King of Kings & Lord of Lords that he has defeated the enemy for us and there is freedom in His word.

Our first Christmas with Brayden, we had a little miracle baby of our own. God has miraculously protected and delivered Brayden from death & despair into life. Jesus came to bring us life and we hold in our arms a daily remembrance of that power that is available to all of us. "....So that we may have life and have it more abundantly." May Brayden's life radiate the abundance of life in Jesus. Thank you all who have prayed...please keep praying. We love you very much. ~ Kelli

Some Pictures

All is well...just waiting for our 1st Christmas with Brayden!! We are excited and will get to spend it with both sides of our family

.

For this Child...

1 Samuel 1:27-28

27 "I prayed for this child, and the LORD has granted me what I asked of him. 28 So now I give him to the LORD. For his whole life he will be given over to the LORD."

It has been 8 years in the making, but our son has come home. 

Last Tuesday we brought Brayden home after having stayed a night at the hospital with him to make sure we could take care of him on our own.  It was a long night, but we made it through and were able to get him home by about 5pm on Tuesday.  Since then we haven't slept much, but you can't wipe the smiles off our faces.  That's not to say it's been all roses and cherries, as the diaper changes with a screaming baby at 2am can raise the blood pressure some, but it is all just part of the job.  :)

We have had several visitors, and our wonderful YoungLife friends have brought us dinner for 4 nights since we've been home.  Mimi and Papa Jack visited yesterday, and my folks (Nana and Pawpaw) have been by twice.  Oh, and I can't forget the life saver that Kaysi was the night we came home as she showed up with PIZZA!!!!  Can't tell you how AWESOME that was!!! 

Nana even came over last night and helped me with Brayden while Kelli had her bus tour for WyldLife -- it's an all night bus ride where they take about 200 middle school kids all over town to do different activities, and it runs from 6pm to 6am.  So, I had my mom come over and help me with Brayden since Kelli would be pretty worn out today.  She took the 11pm - 5am shift -- she's AMAZING -- and I took over at 5am so she could go home to try to sleep a little before the kept the babies at Church!!  Man, that was really great of her to do for us, as I'm not sure how Kel and I would've done without her help. 

Otherwise, we've seen our Pediatrician (Dr. Coco) and the Opthamologist (Dr. Norman) for routine check-ups and all seems to be well.  Our Pedi did tell us we have to be really careful in taking him out in public with it being Cold/Flu season, so we have to be careful where we take him, but we are going to try to get him to see my family and some of Kelli's family for Christmas next week.  We also have about 5 different hand sanitizers around the house so we can squirt some if we need it.  The last thing we need is to take any chances with him getting sick.

So, that's what we've been up to the last week and now I have to get ready to head back to work next week so I can get some training done.  The good thing is I have the last two weeks of the year off, so we'll get to have 1 week to see how Kel and I can manage me back at work, and then I'll get to be home for 2 weeks again. 

Love you all and hope to see/hear from you soon!!

Thanks for stopping by,
DD

Speechless

From the very begining...we have had things happen that have made me and David sit up and look at each other and say "Really? Did that just happen? Did God just do that? Did HE just save us from that catastrophy or send that person, phone call, email, or verse just to me so that I can KNOW and FEEL HIS presence?"  I could write for days and days on all the myserious ways that God's hand has been so incredibly visible to us through this journey. I mean, David truely had is right when he said..."This is the kind of stuff that has turned us into Jesus Freaks!" And it really is....

I don't have a lot of time this morning to post but I just couldn't head back up to the hospital without just a quick update.  Man.....I have been so usettled this week and anxious. I think I always tend to get a little edgey when Brayden has test that are pending. I need to learn to rest and dig in the word......So, Brayden had his very first brain MRI on Wed. When we called to get results yesterday, imagine my alarm when we notified that the results were not yet conclusive and the nurologist has ordered seperate MRI.  When I go the his bedside....he was already gone and down in imaging. So, I sat and started to feel my palms getting a little sweaty.....and my tummy wasn't feeling so good. Then around the corner came Ginger!! Ginger was the very first nurse I had met on my first trip to see Brayden alone. I remembered being very overwhelmed and scared and, at that time, wasn't really getting alot of attention or information from anyone. Ginger was the first person that had reached out to me.....I remembered that she was very calming to me that day. And here she was, rounding the corner to come talk and visit with me again.  We talked and laughed about what tremendous improvements Brayden has already made and how blessed his is.  It was just the conversation I needed to be reminded of all the miracles God has already done. 

Before long, Brayden was wheeled around the corner and back in my arms.  Soon after, the radiologist was at our bedside.  He took time to show me all the pictures and explain everything in detail. On the original MRI...at the very, very bottom was about 1 cm of Brayden's spine.  The radiologist had noticed a small inflamation and then narrowing and decided to order a second MRI on his spine. PRAISE GOD FOR THAT MAN!!  The nurologist and radiologist were able to find a small, fluid filled cyst that was located on Brayden's spine. However, it had not attached itself to the spine and they are extremnely hopeful that they will be able to drain the fluid without any further complications or side affects. Oh, I can't even begin to express......our God is so faithful and mighty. Thank you Lord Jesus for answering our prayers that their eyes would be open.....that they noticed and we were able to avoid serious implications down the road. Oh Lord, thank you for THAT doctor and his attention given to our son! Praise you for you have promised us that you will finish the good work which you have started....and you are not yet finished knitting this precious little boy together.

The nurologist said that he is also extrenmely pleased with Braydent, nurologically. He acts and moves just like a normal 37 week old baby. Considering all the damage that was done to his little brain in-utero, before birth, that this is truely remarkable.  The areas are definitley damaged but he believes that we will be able to manage them and work with Brayden. He does not see any signs of further damage and he said that this MRI in conjuction with Brayden's current functions, should bring us great hope. WHAT A GREAT OPPORTUNITY...that I had to share with Dr. Peters where our hope comes from.  He agreed and said that whatever we are doing....we need to keep doint it becuase there are definitely miracles happening his little Brayden's life. 

I am so grateful and just in a constant state for praise this morning. We are waiting to see when they will schedule the proceedure. So for now, the discharge has been postponed...but PRAISE OUR FATHER that this was identified and will be correct. Please continue to pray for our little angle. The amount of people that we have lifting Braydent the the feet of Jesus....I KNOW that is the "whatever you're doing, keep doing it!"  Please don't stop! If I could grant every single person that has faithfully prayed for our little Braydent...their hearts desire, I would. Becuase you all have granted me mine. I love you all...so very dearly!

Kelli

ps...sorry if there is alot of spelling errors this morning. :)

Waiting Game

Not much changed today with our status. David & I rose early this morning to head to Witchita Falls to complete some requirements from the adoption agency, Inheritance Adoptions. We were there most of the day and headed home around 4 for David to scamper off the class tonight for a final presentation in one his classes. I had a Wyldlife Leadership meeting tonight preparing for our upcoming Bus Tour in a few weekends. Neither of us were able to get to the hospital and it’s just awful on my emotions to think a whole day went by and we didn’t get to hold or love on our baby. But every time we leave, we pray that angles will circle his crib and guard him until we are able to get back and put our arms around him.


When I called this morning to check on Brayden’s morning Monica, our nurse, said he had a great night and is doing great with his feedings. No Room In scheduled from the rounds this morning, so it looks like we probably won’t be checking in tomorrow. That could change with tomorrow mornings rounds but we will keep everyone posted. The doctors have just advised us to view this as waiting for a baby to come…..we are just waiting on him to get ready to come home! We sure are ready!

For me personally, it’s surprising at how I still have days that the unknown gets to me. The unknown of Brayden’s future, my career, when he’s going to come home…how, when, where, why? I am definitely that typical Type A personality, I like to have all the answers and a plan and a plan to execute the plan…and so forth! But the enemy is here to steal, kill, and destroy. Steal my joy that my heavenly Father has given me in my salvation, kill my peace with lies, and destroy the hope that I have in the promises given to me in the word. Today, I did not do a very good job in defeating the enemy in his attempt to drive my emotions with fear. I hate to admit that today I truly struggled with fear and anxiety.


David said that we will have strong days and we will have days like today but that we need to remain open and vulnerable to each other so that we can be there to talk and pray through it together. Today was my weak day and the Lord strengthen David to encourage and pray over me. When things seem to be spinning out of control the Word, my husband, and my parents are my 3 anchors that I can count on. I am thankful for the days when I am weak and lean on Him. Tomorrow….is a new day and who know what might happen tomorrow. Please continue to pray for us and for Brayden. We are waiting for his Brain MRI results.

Much love

Kelli

ETD on Brayden Jackson

Hello Friends & Family,




We apologize for the recent vacancy of emails and blogs. David & I received word this week that Brayden is looking like he just might want to come home as early as Thursday/Friday. In reality, we are looking at checking into the hospital Thursday-Friday and then coming home between Saturday - Sunday. He will have to tolerate full feeds, maintain his temperature, and show steady weight gain before we can begin this process. We think we have finally found the right formula, he has taken all his feeds today without any throwing up. We haven't had weight gain in a few days but since we think we have the right food now, that should help with the weight gain. He will also have to pass a car seat test before they will let us go home. He will have to maintain his breathing and heart rate for 2 hours in a car seat, so we are praying he will pass the first time!



We are anxious and excited....AND TOTALLY UNPREPARED! David thinks and feels like he is trying to get sick with a headcold, too. He hasn't seen baby in a few days trying to stay away and get better. But how fitiing that Brayden is coming home in the midst of this holiday season. As we pause to remember the humble beginings of our Lord & Savior so many years ago. With no nursery or crib....no fancy matching diaper stackers, valanances, or bumbos the King of Kings entered this world in a stable and slept in a manager with hay amongst the livestock. We pray that we will reflect upon the miracle of life and already answered prayers that we only begun to see from our might Father. Thank you all for walking and reading down this journey with us. Now it starts to get exciting!! AND WE CAN"T WAIT!!!!!



much love~



David & Kelli



ps. Brayden has a brain MRI scheduled for tomorrow. David & I will be in Witchita Falls completing some requirements with the Adoption Agency. The neurologist wanted an MRI before Brayden was discharged in order to know what we need to have scheduled before we leave the hospital, i.e. physical therapy, occupational therapy, monthly appointments w/ a neurologist. Please pray for an amazing God-breathed picture of our little angels brain. We claim healing in the power of the blood of Jesus Christ and know that Brayden is wonderfully and fearfully made in God's image! Please lift up the doctors and techs as they conduct and read the MRI.

Angels Among Us

"Keep on loving each other as brothers.  Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained ANGELS without knowing it."  Ephesians 13:1-2 (emphasis added by me)

What does this tell us?  Well, first and foremost it claims the Truth that Angels exist and are among us.  It also reminds us to be very careful how we treat others -- to treat them with LOVE, as brothers.

I bring this up to say that over the past few months, with our joy over Brayden we have been entertained by Angels.  Now, I'm twisting this passage some, so please let me put this disclaimer -- I am going to talk about earthly (figurative) angels -- but this verse speaks directly to there being Heavenly Angels that are among us, and for us to be aware of how we treat others as they could be Angels and we won't know it. 

With that said...

The outpouring of love we've experienced over the past few months is indescribable.  We have received letters, phone calls, visits, and emails covered in love for Brayden, and my family.  THANK YOU so much for letting us know you care for us, and love us.  We are so thankful for our friends and family who are good about reaching out and letting others know they are on their minds/hearts. 

We have received several blessings from folks that know how hard adoption can be - financially, physically, emotionally, spiritually, and thru this process we've been so stressed we can't see straight, but then we'll get a phone call, or a response to one of our posts on here, or an email that really lifts our spirits and let's us know we are fighting the good fight. 

Kelli even had a very (shall we say) "intentional" conversation with one of the Senior Pastors at our Church just 2 days ago on Sunday.  (I would hate to say it was a "random" conversation -- because God isn't random -- He's very intentional) 

Kelli had sent a link to our blog to this Pastor who has since forwarded it over to our Head Pastor.  They have been reading our posts (and will probably read this) and it appears that God may be spearheading an adoption outreach program in our Church.  Kelli mentioned it to me on our way home Sunday and I have been mulling it over since then.  I don't want to get off track from the original sightline of my post, but let's just say it is a very intriguing idea, and one I would have never thought about -- yet can't seem to get it out of my head that maybe God is working on me in regard to this.  We'll see how it shapes up, but it would be a total 180 from our current "career path"  (whatever that really is).  To say that conversation was uplifting would be a tremendous understatement, so again, know that God works in "intentional" ways.

So...back to what I was saying -- The Lord has blessed us with tremendous friends and family and I need to confess a few things.  I am terrible when it comes to getting compliments.  It is something I need to work on, but I get pretty embarrassed when people tell me they're proud of me, or that I'm doing a good job, or whatever the compliment may be.  I sometimes fear that I brush those off too quickly and don't do a good enough job of thanking the people giving the compliment.  It is hard for me to take those compliments, yet I am afraid I can be a little rude when I brush them off, so please let me say that I am so very thankful for those who have come and told me that they are proud of what Kelli and I are doing with Brayden, but know that we feel like it was God who has chosen us to do this.  We are just following His will for our lives, even if it means it will change our lives forever.  We still don't know what kind of challenges lay in store for Brayden, and it breaks our heart to see him struggle thru with all the tubes and IV's in his body.  So far he seems to be progressing, but he has a long road to hoe.  Continue to pray for his complete healing.

I'll end by saying, again, I can't express in words what it means to me to hear some very dear friends and family members tell me they are proud of me...I'll say this -- my father-in-law (Andrew) drew my name at Thanksgiving which meant he had to say why he was thankful for me.  The words he spoke drove straight to my heart, and although as a "man" its hard to show outward emotion, I was immensely touched by the words he spoke.  He is a private man, somewhat like I am, so for him to say the things he said was very meaningful for me.  He may not say much, but when he speaks it tends to be very heartfelt and profound.  I can't say enough how proud I am to have married into the Overton (and McCann) family as so many people have reached out to us, and loved on us.

...shocking -- I know -- another long post!! 

Anyways, we love you all and I am so thankful to have a support group that picks us back up, dusts us off, and gets us back on the road Jesus has chosen for us.  We are the Church -- the hands and feet of Christ, and we are called to uplift each other, and love each other as brothers.

Please let me know how Kelli and I can return the favor when one of you is in need of love.  We are overflowing with it, and have learned some very neat ways to love back.  We seem to be on the receiving end of love for now, but know that very soon we will need to be on the giving end.

Thanks for stopping by,
DD

Sweet Times

We had some very sweet times with Brayden this weekend -- see the pics below.

Kel and I spent the majority of our weekend at the hospital since we are going to be out of town for 3 days for T-giving. 

Brayden is doing very well, and getting to be a BIG BOY!!  He is finally starting to pass his food which has been a big concern over the past 3 weeks or so.  It still isn't passing as often as we would like, but we are holding onto the progress he has made in just the last 4 days.  He has had an upper and lower GI over the past week, and those have all come back as "clear" - meaning he has no obstructions.  So, it appears that his intestines just need some more time to process food, so we just need to learn to be a little more patient.  :)

Because of the clear Upper and Lower GI's we were able to give him his FIRST BOTTLE!!!!  We were so excited that the Dr signed off on allowing us to let him start to bottle feed.  They are only giving him 10mL's every 3 hours, but he is taking it like a CHAMP!!!  He sucks that stuff down in no time, and the nurses have said he is doing very well there ... he has to be able to take a bottle before they let him come home.  Thank you JESUS!!!!


He had his monthly Brain Sonogram on the 19th, and it appears that he still has a cyst in the left side of his brain.  The good news there is that it doesn't appear to be getting any larger, so we are happy about that (if we can be happy about anything regarding the cyst).  There is also a bright white spot that is appearing and the Dr believes that to possibly be another cyst developing, but we probably won't know anymore on that until his next sonogram on Dec 19th.  At this point we aren't sure what the cysts mean, but being on the left side of his brain, the Dr said they could affect his motor skills on the right side of his body.  Our prayer is that Jesus will re-wire his brain and these cysts will have no negative effects on Brayden -- please join us in this prayer.

Otherwise, he is very well tempered, does not seem to be in any pain, and has really enjoyed the Kangaroo Care we have been giving him.  Kangaroo Care is "skin-on-skin" therapy that you can see in the pics below with Kelli.  We basically just strip him down to his diaper, and then we tuck him into our shirt and let him feel our skin.  The Dr's say that, of course, he should still be in his mother's womb, so the Kangaroo Care is the closest we can get to simulating that because it allows his body to feel our temperature, heartbeat, and hear our voice and breathing.  It also helps in keeping him warm.  The goal is 4 hours per day, so that is what we will shoot for from here on out.  Of course, that makes it hard for us to go out of town for T-giving, but we are excited to get to see some of Kelli's family on Andrew's side...but we will be anxious to get home too. 

Since it's the week of Thanksgiving -- I am so very thankful for Jesus who has blessed us with many things, but our most recent gift of Brayden has been truly a miracle -- in more ways than one.  I am thankful for the Lord putting Kelli in my life, to allow me to experience all of life's blessings and tribulations.  She is a rock and has been so great with Brayden, sacrificing so much time and energy and prayers.  I am also so thankful for our friends and family who have rallied around us to pray with us, cry with us, and rejoice with us in our most recent endeavor.  Obviously my focus is around Brayden, but we have always had immense support from our friends and family - even before Brayden was given to us. 

Please continue to pray for Brayden as he still has another month or so before they are looking to let him come home.  We are shooting for Dec 19th, and the Dr thinks we may even get to bring him home before that based on how well he is taking his bottles.  We still have some paperwork to get done with the Adoption Agency, so please pray we are able to get that completed and can get him home as soon as possible.

Thanks for stopping by
DD




Momma helping with his passy




Momma doing a little Kangaroo Caring (and fixing to steal a kiss!)





More Kangaroo Care




Brayden loves his Kangaroo Care time -- wide eyed here





Brayden getting a bottle -- Momma is so excited!!




WE STILL NEED TO SELL THIS THING!!!!!  --> $5,000

We need the money -- you need the EXPERIENCE!!!

We have to sell the ATV to raise funds and allow us to get Brayden home when that time comes -- SO COME BUY MY 4-WHEELER!!!!    :)

That's right folks -- we need the cash and you need the experience of riding an ATV with the wind in your hair, the hum of the engine, and the sweat dripping off your brow! 

I have it listed right now on Craigslist for $5500...but will sell it to YOU for the low low price of just $5,000 if you so choose to step out on that limb and enjoy the ride of your life!

I have LOVED having this ATV and I HATE having to sell it (just as Kelli hated selling the boat), but the time has come for me to grow up and sell some of our toys so we can pay for this adoption and the ensuing Dr. Bills that will begin to pile up shortly. 

I have more pics than this if you're interested, and would love it if you want to come test drive it as it's so much fun! 

Call me 214-802-5605 or email me if you or someone you know may be interested!!!!


2008 Polaris Sportsman H.O. 4X4 ATV 500
It is green with several upgrades -- push button wench, push button AWD, hand guards, tow rope in back, reverse override system, parking brake, front storage, rear storage box (removable), among others.  It has almost 40 hours on it with 311 miles -- not even broken in yet!!

Big Week for Brayden

Hello friends!

 We have a big week with Brayden this week.  Tomorrow morning they are going to run another contrast that they will be looking at his motility of the stomach in different areas. Since he is still not pooping, they are back to ensuring we are not looking at any obstructions.  They he has another brain sonogram on Nov 19th that they will be looking at the cyst to see what has occured with it's developoment over the past month. 

 I will report as we progress through the week. Please pray for Jesus's healing to radiate through Brayden's life this week. We love you.

Kelli

Prayin' for Poop

Yesterday Brayden's tummy looked much better when I got to the hospital and he was sleeping very comfortablly! The nurses told me right when I walked in "WE GOT HIM TO POOP!" and were super excited with me to finally see some things moving.  I got some bedside time with Dr. Lawrence and the Physical Therapist yesterday so I was able to get alot of questions and additional informatoin.  Dr. Lawrence ordered some contrast tests, upper/lower GIs, in order to see why we seem to be having this back up issue.  He said that, unlike the last time, didn't look like we were looking at an infection this round so we needed to see why little man wasn't doing-the-do! 

I got to Kangaroo Kare him from about 8:30 yesterday morning until they came to get him for his tests at noon.  IT WAS SO AWESOME!!  He weighed 3lbs 4 oz yesterday morning, so it was good to see him putting on weight.

I headed back to the house for an afternoon of work and David headed to the hospital after he was finished wiht his workday around 4:445.  Brayden got a night of more Kangaroo Kare with Big Daddy and absolutely loved it. The nurses and PTs have really stressed the important of Kangaroo Kare- skin on skin- for Brayden right now.  It is very calming and supports healing, considering he really should still be in the womb.  At this time in the pregnancy he would be rolling into a tight little ball with his hands and legs all tucked in. So having the skin on skin, while keeping his legs and arms tucked to the center of his body is really important for the new few weeks. 

Praise God...all the test results came back normal from his tummy tests!  YEAH..thank God for hearing our prayers and laying your healing hands on our little son. I am so thankful that God's hand has remained so evident and powerful in Brayden's journey and I know that He will continue to protect him. I sometime sit and wonder when I am holding him what kind of big plans God must have for this little creation for God to have put together such and amazing start to his journey.  I am so so so so ready to get him home with us! 

Thank you all to our precious friends and family who is ready and praying.  Please leave a post or send an email as we are creating a book for Brayden to see when he gets older of all the people who love and have prayed for him! We love you guys!!

Kelli Dowdney