The Labor Day weekend has not been fun in our house especially for Sherry. She has been fighting a pretty bad case of mastitis for the past couple of days. Her fever reached at least 103 at one point earlier today. She is still nursing Josiah while trying to work through the chills and pain. She has talked to the doctor by phone and has been prescribed an antibiotic.
Sherry has one of the highest thresholds for pain of anyone I have ever seen, but this has got her down. She went through it when trying to nurse Riley and ended up giving up the nursing. She has been going through ups and downs all day with fever and chills. The chills have been so bad at times that she could not even get out of bed.
Caden
Caden also started an antibiotic today. After the pediatrician visit on Thursday we agreed to try getting him through this sinus cold with a decongestant through the weekend. The doc went ahead and gave me a prescription that he wanted us to hold until Sunday. We held it until today and finally filled it. These head colds for Caden are particularly tough with him not being able to swallow. The goop collects in his throat and gags him and eventually causes a retching episode. Earlier tonight Caden was coughing so I went in and asked him if he was alright. He just whined a little as he signed for me to suction him.
Josiah
This little boy is really doing great. He is growing like a weed and was nearing 10lbs on Friday (3 weeks old). A big news item for those of you who were wondering is that the genetics testing for Di George (22q11.2) came back negative.
Riley
Big Brother Riley has been pretty good. He is certainly affected by all that goes on in our house. He has swung between being very loving and comforting brother and son to riding the wave of opportunities that allow him to expel his energy and frustrations when it is not always the best time. Riley has been living a life of context for almost three years now and we have to continue to remind ourselves of that to keep our expectations for him in check when the house is in an uproar like it has been today. He is an awesome kid and very frequently warms our hearts with a level of compassion and love for the entire family that leaves us in amazement as to how sensitive he is to the feeling of others.
Me
I had a pretty bad experience today myself too some extent. I have struggled for many months with how to deal with some kids in our neighborhood. My actions and reactions to these kids’ lack of respect for personal property has caused some parents to become angry with me. I do not feel that I have said or done anything other than what I would expect to be said or done if it were my kids damaging someone else’s property. A few of my neighbors have said that they agree with me, but are afraid to speak up for one reason or another. The whole thing sort of came to a head for me today when I was told by one parent that I was a bad Christian example. Her kid is one of the ring leaders in the group of kids I have been having problems with. This lady (obviously trying to get a rise out of me) said that another neighbor (whose kid has done nothing wrong to my knowledge) has stopped going to church because of me. This was news to me even though it is obviously running the neighborhood gossip vine. All I could say was that I am just a man as fully capable of sin as the next guy and I will let you down. The first thing that came to my mind after saying that was Psalm 118:8, “It is better to trust in the LORD Than to put confidence in man.(NKJV)” I don’t think I have made a mistake in what I have said or done, but that is obviously a matter of perspective when talking to a parent about their child’s undesirable behavior.
Prayer Requests
Please pray for:
- Sherry to be free from pain, infection, fever and chills
- Sherry to get the rest she needs
- Caden to be free from congestion
- Riley to have a peace of mind and sense of security
- God to show me the right thing to do with these neighbors
Oh yeah…for those of you who do not rad my emails…I am looking for partners in the purchase of the side of grass-fed beef. Please email me if you are in the Charleston, SC area and are interested. The beef will come in a mixture of steaks, hamburger, roasts, and cube steaks. It will cost approximately $2.5o per pound based on the weight (300-375) during the curing process (prior to packaging). I know the ranch where this beef is coming from and its owners. They owners have been very close friends of ours for ten years. You might remember Aunt Robin who stayed in our home and cared for Riley during Caden’s birth and initial heart surgery. Robin’s husband Mac owns and operates the ranch in Anderson, SC.