Nacho Libre'

Okay I have never seen the movie that is associated with the title of my blog; however, last night Samantha Grace had the great pleasure of meeting our friends' donkey named...Nacho.

Nacho is a very expressive donkey. I have never heard a donkey converse more with human interaction than Nacho did. Samantha Grace was taken aback from his mighty "hee-haw" but then quickly burst into rolling laughter.

She also met another loud noise last night for the first time...FIREWORKS! At first she was a little timid but then was abruptly attracted to the colorful falling "glitter".

Below is a short medical update...Samantha Grace went through two days of low numbers but has quickly recovered. Following our days of lows, we went on a complete roller coaster ride with our levels reading normal to high (350), low and then back to normal. This is something that I am constantly having to remind myself will eventually somewhat steady out, but in the meantime it is frustrating that wears on me mentally and emotionally.

I believe that this has been the most emotionally taxing week since the days we were in the hospital. So my main prayer request for our family is that we would have a time of pure relaxation while at the lake. I will be calling into Birmingham tomorrow with Samantha Grace's levels, so I ask that you would pray for clarity of mind for all the nurses and doctors.

I send a HUGE thanks to Dr.M for all the special care and help you have been over the past few days. All of your love and support, as I have told you before, means more to us than we could ever put into words. I also ask for prayers for Dr.M as she will be having a huge part of her adoption process, the home visit, taking place this week. Pray for a good and obstacle free visit.

I leave you with these words from a song sung by a friend at church today that I have heard a million times but really spoke to Josh and I this morning:

He's Always Been Faithful

Great is thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me

Morning by morning I wake up to find
The power and comfort of God’s hand in mine
Season by season I watch Him, amazed
In awe of the mystery of His perfect ways
All I have need of, His hand will provide
He’s always been faithful to me.

I can’t remember a trial or a pain
He did not recycle to bring me gain
I can’t remember one single regret
In serving God only, and trusting His hand
All I have need of, His hand will provide
He’s always been faithful to me.

This is my anthem, this is my song
The theme of the stories I’ve heard for so long
God has been faithful, He will be again
His loving compassion, it knows no end
All I have need of, His hand will provide
He’s always been faithful, He’s always been faithful
He’s always been faithful to me.

5 and counting...

I am taking a detour for my entry today. (Details you will see below.) I do ask for prayers for Samantha Grace though because we have had another up/down day. We believe that her body, despite some early week beliefs, is still going through the honeymoon phase. Her pediatrician watched her this evening (HUGE THANK YOU WITH LOTS OF HUGS!!) and stated that she would be making contact with our B-ham doctor about her numbers and where we should go from her. After all, as she mentioned, it has only been 3 weeks (tonight) that we were even in the hospital for the first time. Anyways...before I digress too far let me allow you enjoy a bit of change in the literary scenery from The Dukes of 3.

A week from today Joshua and I will celebrate our 5th wedding anniversary. It is hard to believe that 5 years have already past. In reality, we have been together for almost 10 years!


(Our Trip to Lithuania in 2007)

I can remember when you would date someone in high school how you would think that 1 month was a long time. Wow! How your perspective changes...

I bring this up tonight because Joshua and I just returned from a rehearsal dinner where we laughed until our sides hurt. It all brought back memories as I watched the bride and groom saunter from table to table making sure everyone was pleased with their dinner, entertainment, etc. I seem to continually notice how nervous the bride appeared to be, yet she moved with such grace and poise throughout the room.

I, however, remember being a nervous wreck to some extent. I am always worried about pleasing everyone yet trying to constantly remind myself that you can't please everyone at all times. I am continually reminded of this each and every day of my life no matter how hard I try. Despite all of the nerves, I remember how excited I was about my wedding, but more importantly about our marriage.

I have to say from my own personal vantage point I have enjoyed all of ups and downs of these past five years. I have learned more about being a wife, mom and just an adult than I could ever have imagined. I love my husband more and more each day for qualities that I knew about and new ones that I discover each day.

Joshua, for those who might not know him, is the most patient man I have ever met. He always has a positive outlook on things and even if he doesn't, at times, he will find something positive about it. And as I have noticed through the years (and his dad reminds me of often) no matter if Joshua has been through an experience a million times, the most recent of those experiences will be, and I quote, "The Best Ever!"

In our five years of marriage, we have seen, beyond just these past few weeks, God work in miraculous ways. He has not only grown us closer to each other but more importantly closer to Him. Just ask Joshua about where we started someday...

I honestly know that God had a Honda Del Sol waiting for me Labor Day weekend in 2000 with Joshua as the driver for a very important reason. Though we did not start dating for months later, I know that He had planted a seed that day. May God continue to receive all glory and honor each and every day of our lives.

Baby Wise: Re-Write

So we have climbed our first mountain and now I feel as if we are sitting in the valley running through the wild flowers. We have been having an o.k. week with Samantha Grace's blood glucose levels (BGL) are concerned. If I would have to rank our days thus far, I would have to say that today has been one of the most frustrating (just in comparison to the others).

I feel like I am playing a cat and mouse game with her BGLs. I so want her to have restful and full night of rest, yet at the same time I know that if I allow her to sleep too long her blood sugar is usually going to start to steadily fall due to the continual flow of slow acting insulin. So I see it as a catch 22 scenario. The same scene plays out throughout the day with her naps. I either make sure she eats her snack, if it is time, before her nap or I lay her down before snack time and wake her early. As many have expressed so far, this too shall pass...

I feel like now after having to be on a pretty rigid eating, sleeping, shot giving schedule that I should write the authors of the book Baby Wise and suggest that I write a book titled Baby Wise: An Infant with Diabetes. I also feel bad at times, now thinking back, on the times closer to our diagnosis that I would let Samantha Grace cry herself to sleep. I thought all along that I was teaching her how to fall asleep on her own. Little did I know that she may have been battling severe pain. That is why, again, I want to write my own version of Baby Wise.

While I am on my Baby Wise kick, I will address the section on hunger. This is the section that I am still pondering. You see before our diagnosis, I have to admit that I did not follow a rigid eating schedule with Samantha Grace. She is what I would call a "grazer". (Hence the picture of her in the refrigerator at the top of the post.)She acted much like the cows in our back yard. She would never eat a HUGE meal but little meals with LOTS of snacks inbetween. Now that we have to "count carbs" we following much more of the original Baby Wise techniques. However, I have to say that when I hear ear piercing screams or I see Samantha Grace lying on the floor at a peculiar time of day, I assess her BGLs and usually give her real juice and a few pick-me-ups to kick her up a few notches.

I have to say that my opinions on a lot of foods have changed. I am realizing that sweets are NOT a necessary part of the human beings diet. I am learning that this whole idea of "clean" eating may not be such a bad thing after all. (I am still in the beginning research stages of this one.) I also fully support that 6 small meals a day are better than 3 large ones. This one I take note of because I try to eat when Samantha Grace eats, especially when we are at home together, therefore, I am generally eating 6 times a day unless preoccupied by other things.

I know that this entry is pretty much pointless to many of you reading. But let me restate that much of this is not only a means of communicating the progression of Samantha Grace, but it is also the perspective/therapy of a mommy who feels all of the stresses, joys and pains that her precious little girl cannot express yet (except through tears and smiles).

I also want everyone to know that I have not forgotten to post the song that my loving husband has written about our journey. He just finished the piano accompaniment yesterday and has sent it to his "editor" last night. We have hopes to have a final product sometime next week!

P.S. Samantha Grace took a total of 4 steps today by herself. Each day we are a little closer.

A HUGE Thanks & Fantastic Memories

A want to take a moment to send a HUGE thanks to one of our friends who has created the painting below as a memory of God's great miracles.

This dear friend has rocked, played with and cared for our precious angel during Sunday School and we cannot thank him enough! This painting will last for a lifetime and be a constant reminder to all of our family of God's awesome power! If you are interested in the painter and would like one too please feel free to contact Me.

Merry-Go-Rounds

MID-AFTERNOON UPDATE
No adjustments to medications; however, we have to hunker down on her dietary needs due to teething issues. We are not getting enough to eat at times to compensate for the intake of insulin. We will be making more dietary adjustments this week not medication.

How many of you enjoyed riding the merry-go-round as a child? I have to admit that I still enjoy the merry-go-round today. I love the peaceful serenity of the ride, yet the excitement of trying to get the golden ring as you pass by. Much like a horse on a merry-go-round, I have felt like the past few weeks has been going up and down, up and down...
Today has been a day of ups and downs. Let me explain...
The Ups
* Seeing Samantha Grace's continual smiles throughout the day
* The wonderful support from my extraordinary husband
* Continual praise of each day that the Lord has made

The Downs
* Samantha Grace is not eating well due to cutting 3 teeth, which is directly affecting her blood sugar levels
* Constant worry about Samantha Grace's health when she enters lows/highs
* Still trying to put my grasp around all of this "disease"

I am currently waiting on a call back from the doctor after calling in our weekly blood glucose readings. The nurse assured me that some medicine levels would probably change due to still some variance in the numbers. Although, I must say they have come a LONG way in just two weeks. My continual #1 prayer request is for a cure from diabetes. I pray every night that God would transfer any and all pain that Samantha Grace might feel during any part of the day to me. I cannot fully explain how much it pains me to watch/listen to her be in any form of pain that I know is caused from lows/highs in her blood sugar.

Finally, I ask that any of our friends who live in Montgomery or even any where in the United States and are members of Costco, to visit Costco before the end of May and make a donation to the Children's Miracle Network. All proceeds raised by your Costco go directly back to the closest Children's Hospital in your city. Trust me you will never know if you will ever need the assistance of a Children's Hospital. I never thought in my wildest dreams that I would be spending any time at our Children's, but it was because of their actions that Samantha Grace is with us today!

Hangover

O.k. just to clarify any misconceptions before you finish reading this entry it has nothing to do with Josh or me. It actually all pertains to Samantha Grace. As most of you know, the past 5 days we have spent with at least one set of grandparents; therefore, we have officially diagnosed Samantha Grace with a condition our friends commonly call...The Grandparent Hangover.

Many of you might have experienced this condition a time or two before. Some of the symptoms consist of the following:
1) Inability to play with toys alone
2) A whine in the car expecting an immediate reaction/response
3) Continually wanting to be held/fed
4) A persistent smile knowing that a camera flash should be taking place sometime soon.

I have to say we thoroughly enjoyed spending time with both of our families over the past few days. Josh and I enjoyed the free baby entertainment so we could get caught up on some house work that had slacked off during our time at Children's. It was also nice to see Samantha Grace interact with family with such ease and "skill".

Samantha Grace has had an exceptional 5 days health wise. The only thing getting in our way at the present time are 3 teeth trying to cut through. They have given us some scares in the night with some persistent crying that can be easily confused with cries associated with elevated blood sugar levels. This has been the hardest thing for Josh and I to discern and explain to "outsiders". Having a child who is unable to communicate her true feelings with words and only with a cry is very frustrating to her parents. It is at these times that I look to heaven and continually ask for guidance and a renewal of my physical and mental strength.

Tomorrow I will be calling in her blood sugar levels, so I ask, also, for wisdom for the doctors and nurses as they once again re-visit her case. This is when we will make any adjustments to some if not all insulins and dietary requirements. Our prayer is to remain the same since it seems to be staying consistent.

Again, thank you to everyone who has been praying for us! This is a LONG road but we know that we can face any and all obstacles with the Lord on our side.

Helping Hands

So many sweet friends and family members have asked how they can help us in a tangiable way. Since Samantha Grace is on a somewhat restrictive eating habits now, the best way to help us would be by providing one of the following items that we either give/use frequently for Samantha Grace:

* Sugar Free Jell-O
* Sugar Free Pudding
* Cheddar, Monterey Jack, or Colby Cheese Slices
* Lunch Meat Slices
* Sugar Free (No Sugar Added) Fruit Cups
* No Sugar Added "Natural" Applesauce Cups
* 100 Calorie Goldfish Packs
* Alcohol Swabs
* Purrell Spray
* Small Guaze pads

The best way that we would appreciate your help is for continual prayer support. We praise God for the 3 good days we have had this weekend!

We thank all of our friends and family again for EVERYTHING!!

Tutus and Baby Steps

During this rainy day in Montgomery, there really isn't much to do. Mommy managed to run in the Jubilee City Fest's 8K race in the rain. While at the race, Grandbo and Daddy took care of me like champions taking blood, giving shots and feeding breakfast.

When Mimi and Mommy arrived home with breakfast, I was down for a nap but not for long. After getting up from a nap, I opened a gift from Mimi and Grandbo. And this is what I got...



Following the tutu excitement while mommy was away, I decided to take two very small steps. So then throughout the rest of the morning, everyone tried so hard to get me to take some more steps independently. After much encouragement, I took TWO BIG STEPS by myself and then proceeded to cheer for myself like only I can do. Later on before lunch I increased my step count to THREE!

Mommy giving a pep talk about walking.

As the rain continues to fall, we will continue to encourage Samantha Grace to put "one foot in front of the other". Maybe the cats at Cecile's will encourage her more tonight!

Open Mouthed Kisses

As mentioned from today's previous blog posting, we took Samantha Grace to the Georgia Aquarium. I don't know who had more fun today Samantha Grace or mommy and daddy watching Samantha Grace get so excited?!

We thankfully got our tickets for the 10:00 AM hour when the aquarium firsts opens. Therefore, we beat most, not all, of the school groups inside and were able to get front row seats to most of the exhibits. Samantha Grace was completely enthrawled by all the fish and, as most of my readers can imagine, the people. (Samantha Grace is quite the "ham" when it comes to entertaining people.)

When we got to the sea otter exhibit, Oz and Gracie (the otters) were putting on quite a show. As we stood and watched, mommy happened to hear one of the workers say that their feeding time was in 5 - 10 minutes. Upon hearing this, we quickly resituated ourselves for a front row view by the trainers doors. Samantha Grace loved this because she was able to stand up against the glass and walk up and down the glass wall. Definitely helped mommy and daddy keep her entertained while we waited.

After waiting a few minutes, the trainers arrived. This was quite funny because Oz and Gracie knew it was feeding time long before they arrived and kept comming up to the doors. Once the trainers arrived they had the two otters perform some tricks including standing on their hind fins and pray for their fish. After Oz had left the scene to get a "bath", the trainer had Gracie come directly up to the window and stand face-to-face with Samantha Grace and give her an open mouthed kiss. It was so cute because Samantha Grace gave her one right back! Kodak moment definitely!

Overall health wise, I think this short get-a-way was great for the entire family. Samantha Grace's levels have been o.k. with no extremes to be concerned about plus mommy and daddy were able to relax a little bit and have fun. We are looking forward to company this weekend!

We ask that you continue to pray for stability and an end to the Honeymoon phase for Samantha Grace. We are finding that she is being slightly picky right now with eating due to cutting two more teeth, so it is harder to make sure she is eating enough to compensate for the insulin. We also ask that you pray for a friends the Birchfields. I read today that they have precious Hope and as long as all goes as planned should be home Wednesday! Hooray! God is so good!

Comfort Zone

Yesterday our family ventured east to the big city of Atlanta. We are still here and have big plans of seeing schools of fish today at the Georgia Aquarium! Samantha Grace will be hard to contain considering her love for animals.

Last night after enjoying a scrumptious dinner with my family, we were driving home when I happened to glance at yet another endless construction project in the Big City. As I turned to look I noticed the phrase "Comfort Zone" plastered on something that is anything but that...a port-a-potty. I had to chuckle for a moment.

Yet then the phrase did bring me to realize that yesterday, Thursday, Josh and I rode through our first "Comfort Zone" with Samantha Grace. We did not experience any highs or lows all though there still is not a stream of consistency with her numbers. They are still unpredictable, and Josh and I still hold our breathes each time the meter counts down 5-4-3-2-1 RESULT!

Our prayer is for continual "normals" throughout the weekend and no calls into Birmingham. We also ask for prayers for another sweet family in our church, the Birchfields. They are currently traveling to adopt sweet little Hope from Moldova. Samantha Grace cannot wait for the arrival of a new little friend. We also ask for prayers for our sweet, precious pediatrician who is also working on adopting a little baby. Our prayers for both of these families is that they will experience no bumps along the way and, most of all, that the Lord will receive all glory and honor from all of our experiences.

'Let the LORD be glorified, that we may see your joy!' - Isaiah 66:5

All that I Can Say

This has been a long week for our family. Adjusting to new schedules, new eating habits, and a new lifestyle has been quite an adjustment, and it is still changing day-to-day. I had my first break down moment yesterday after realizing I had left Samantha Grace syringe's at home after arriving at church. I thought how could I forget something so important and so simple. But as I drove home alone to get them I continually hear the Lord's voice tell me, "Do not fear for I am with you now and forever."

I have frequently pulled up my iTunes and listened to one of the songs that is also posted on my blog over and over. The lyrics have clearly spoken to me throughout the ups and downs of this week. I hope that the lyrics may speak to you as well whenever you might feel lost yet knowing that the Lord is near.

All that I Can Say

Lord I'm tired
So tired from walking
And Lord I'm so alone
And Lord the dark
Is creeping in
Creeping up
To swallow me
I think I'll stop
Rest here a while

And didn't You see me cry'n?
And didn't You hear me call Your name?
Wasn't it You I gave my heart to?
I wish You'd remember
Where you sat it down

And this is all that I can say right now
And this is all that I can give

I didn't notice You were standing here
I didn't know that
That was You holding me
I didn't notice You were cry'n too
I didn't know that
That was You washing my feet

PBS Bath

I thought you all might enjoy this cute picture that our dear friend Cecile and I caught on Tuesday afternoon. After a minor mishap (sorry Cecile), we had to dunk Samantha Grace into the bath tub. Well, after the tub I wrapped her up in the towel and turned on PBS for her to watch while I got her dressed. This is the picture prior to getting dressed.

Climb Every Mountain

Can you hear it? The song from The Sound of Music. We are feeling like we are experiencing a giagantic mountain climb over these last few days.

Most of you who are reading this blog are unaware that I, Carri, am a distant cousin to the 25th President William McKinley. In actuality, my middle name is the maiden name, Allison, of his wife. Well, a little known or unknown fact to some is that that the highest point in the U.S. is Mt. McKinley. That is the mountain that I visualize we are climbing during this journey.

We have determined that Samantha Grace is going through what is known as the Honeymoon phase. Sounds like fun right?! Well, it isn't anything like the honeymoon Joshua and I experienced in Playa de Carmen, Mexico almost exactly 5 years ago. (Can you believe it's almost been 5 years, Caron & Nathan?)

During Samantha Grace's Honeymoon phase, her BG (Blood Glucose) levels will be all over the charts. So it is a constant give-n-take battle with the insulin dosages.

Through this mountain climb, I am continually reminded that God brings us new strength each and every day; and through this entire mountain climb God is teaching us perseverance. Coming from a very dedicated runner, I am relearning the meaning of stick-to-itness (if that is a word or phrase). I know that Josh and I cannot handle all of these Highs and Lows alone, for that is why the continual renewed strength we receive every minute of our day comes from our loving Lord.

I ask for wisdom, again, for the doctors as they are currently refiguring her insulin dosages for the second time in two days this week. She is having a great day of playing and is currently resting after a long night. We also ask for prayers that this would be a short honeymoon phase.

"Not to us, O LORD, not to us but to your name be the glory, because of your love and faithfulness."
- Psalm 115:1

P.S. Joshua has written a song about our journey that will hopefully be recorded and posted soon!

Packin' on the Pounds

17.14! What a number?! Those were the numbers that appeared on the scale this morning at Dr. M's office. Mommy and Daddy could not be happier! This means that in the almost two weeks since our diagnosis that we have gained almost 2 pounds!

It makes all of us take a step back and wonder what her little body was doing before her diagnosis.

We have had a much better day today with BG (Blood Glucose) levels. The levels have ranged from 62 - 225 thus far. Her doctors adjusted both of her insulin levels throughout the day to help, hopefully, with the lows we saw yesterday.

Her moods continue to improve, and mommy continues to become better at noticing symptoms of lows and highs. Mommy even slept, accidentally, through the night and forgot to check Samantha Grace's 2 AM levels; but, she was sleeping peacefully at 5AM when I checked on her before mommy went on a morning run.

Our family is looking forward to a small getaway to Atlanta this week. Samantha Grace will be visiting many fish at the Atlanta Aquarium and spending some time with her Ama and Papa. Plus she and mommy will do some retail therapy, while daddy looks at fancy instruments.

Our family cannot thank you enough for all your prayers, phone calls, scrumptious meals, and over extending thoughtfulness! We know that God is using this as a tool for our family to show that God is still in the miracle business!

We leave you today with a recent photo of Samantha Grace enjoying life at home.

Progression

LATE AFTERNOON UPDATE/PRAYERS
I am sitting in the quietness of our office currently writing to all our friends and family. As the day has progressed I am experiencing my first true bout of frustration with medications, doctors, and food. Samantha Grace has had 3 low readings in a row. (57, 70, {120 with assistance} and 47 {only an hour after lunch full of pasta, fruit and cheese}) Based on her intake of foods today, if anything her readings should be on somewhat the higher end of the scale but they aren't. I am writing this to ask for wisdom for the doctors as they are currently making a decision as to what we are to do for her. The last low reading was accompanied by short and labored breathing while reading books this afternoon, so I, too, have been postponing her nap until we got a sufficient reading in the normal range. A normal reading came about 30 minutes ago. My prayer is also that she would stay in the normal range during her nap and rest comfortably.

Thanks again for every ones prayer support! I continue to proclaim:

"Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes." Matthew 6:34 (MSG)

*************************************************************************************
Today is my first day at home by myself with Samantha Grace since her diagnosis. Actually this is my first time alone with her in almost 2 weeks! I decided today to use this blog entry as a time of reflection through pictures of what is believed to be the time span of Samantha Grace's undiagnosed diabetes.

So as you scroll down through this entry you will begin to notice subtle changes in her appearance. It is believed, by the doctors in Birmingham, that her diabetes started somewhere between 6 - 7 months of age; however, it truly didn't blossom to it's hite until almost two weeks ago. If I have learned anything from these pictures it is that God has blessed each one of us with an amazing gift of observation. For it was through physical observance that I have been able to notice changes before and after Samantha Grace's diagnosis.

Let the journey begin...

6 months of age


7 months of age (Driving Grandbo's Truck)


8 Months of age Merry Christmas!


9 Months of age


10 Months of age


11 Monthgs of age


1 Year Old


As I close this blog today, I send you to a video. This video is one that I had seen multiple times due to being a music minister's wife; however, after viewing it last night at our evening service, I found myself holding back tears. I was able to some degree understand what it means, for..."It IS well with my soul."

Put A Smile on Your Face...

Make the world a better place! Today was a magnificent day! After being home for almost 3 days now, Josh and I are now seeing things we had truly been missing for the past couple of months. Samantha Grace will cruise around the house "talking" acting like she is caring on a full length conversation with us. (Prior to her diagnosis we were lucky to get a few simple words like Dada and Cat out of her in a single day.)

One of her favorite things to do now is creep up on her daddy when he is lying on the couch sleeping and pull on his nose. As she is creeping up she is just belly rolling with laughter. I have to say the smile on my face is truly making our home a better place!

Today, Samantha Grace was able to enjoy a fun afternoon a shopping and eating out with her godparents! (One word: SPOILED!) I have to send a HUGE thank you for my new cake plate/cover from them too! So I guess that makes us both spoiled! Unfortunately, we are still making up for some dehydration from weeks previous and introduction to new drinks, so her godmother received an unwelcome surprise today during lunch. But we all told her that she wasn't the first or last one to experience this sudden warmness and saturation of clothing. (Josh and I are truly sorry for this one!)

In addition to constant thirst, we are having to treat some low blood sugar levels. One of the ways you do this is by giving her 4 oz. of a sugar-loaded drink like Juicy Juice or Coke. So we have tried to stay somewhat healthy by using Juicy Juice, but unfortunately since she was never introduced to the full blown juice before her diagnosis Samantha Grace has been suffering from what we call the splishy/splashes (aka, diaherra) along with sore bottom. Thanks to the wonderful people at Adams Drugstore (highly recommend) and a container of Resinol I think we are on the mend.

We are still fighting a constant roller coaster of blood sugar levels. So if there would be one prayer request it would be that we would see some form of consistency in the next few days before our next call-in to Birmingham. Unfortunately with Montgomery's warm weather quickly approaching, it will become more difficult for us to regulate. (The warm weather really plays havic with blood sugar, especially in little ones.) Finally, we ask for a transitional prayer. We will be saying goodbye to our beloved pup Allegro this week. We have decided that it is just too much right now for us while trying to be consistent as we can be with Samantha Grace. However, we have found a great home for her and know that she will be loved and cared for more than ever.

Again, we cannot thank our friends and family enough for all their support and prayers! God truly is AWESOME & MIGHTY!

First Date

Do you remember your first date? Did you have sweaty palms? Did you recheck yourself in the mirror 1,000 times before your date arrived? Did you change your outfits at least 5 times? Did you ever pinch yourself to see if this was really happening?

I know you are probably thinking what does this have to do with all that has been going on in the Duke household. Plus isn't Samantha Grace only 13 months old?! Well, I have to admit the emotions that Joshua and I have been going through over the past week have been much like that of a first date. We have gone through sweaty palms, hot flashes/cold flashes, rechecked ourselves several times, and pinched each other countless times asking if this is all a reality.

I say all this to mention that last night we had our first at home scare. Samantha Grace had a fabulous day playing, running errands, and taking a good LONG nap. However, just before she "hit the sack" for the night her blood sugar read a scary 56! (Hers has to be at least 110 before bed.) So I somewhat calmly started through our step-by-step process. After a glass of Juicy Juice, she measured 131. After a snack of peanut butter crackers we went to bed.

As a mother's instinct I checked her 3 times throughout the night, all measuring in the 200+ which is fabulous at night for her. Then for some weird reason her body is using up her S-L-O-W acting insulin a little bit quicker; therefore, her reading this morning was 69. What is so scary as a parent about this is that it was a mere 2 1/2 hours from when it dropped from 227 to 69! Again, we administered juice and everything was back to normal.

Thankfully, Samantha Grace's endocrinologist is on call this weekend so he was quick to administer a change to her S-L-O-W insulin amounts to help alleviate this sudden drop. Mendy I don't know what I would do without our daily check-ins. You truly are a HUGE support for me!

After our scare this morning, we enjoyed a lovely afternoon baseball game with our church friends! (Trinity you guys played an awesome game!) We are looking forward to a "normal" pizza/movie night with some friends.

Just before writing this post, Joshua and I stopped to think exactly where we were one week ago today. We stopped...sighed...cried a few tears of joy...and prayed...

First Night

I cannot express how glad we are to be home. As soon as we arrived home, Samantha Grace proceeded to empty ALL of her toys in the living room. Later on in the evening, we didn't hear any noise coming from the living room, so we quietly went into her bedroom where we found her "reading" her books. She was completely back in her element.

Joshua and I enjoyed a nice relaxing dinner full of laughter and fun with our wonderful pediatrician. The meal tasted extra special because I didn't have to make it!

Samantha Grace enjoyed taking a bath in her own tub. (I am ashamed to admit that she hadn't had a bath in over a week despite having her IVs out for two days prior to coming home.)I truly think where before she would cry if I would dump water on her head to wash her hair she no longer does because she thinks, "Hey, this is nothing compared to what I have been through."

Her blood sugar levels have been BEAUTIFUL in our eyes since being home. Even her 2 AM check, which was consistently high at the hospital, was in a range where I didn't have to give her any extra insulin. Praise the Lord!

Today we are enjoying getting back into a new "normal" routine including shopping trips, eating out, etc. We continue to be blessed by all our fellow friends and family. We cannot thank you enough! This truly is a journey that has been covered, and will continue to be, in prayer. As we are learning more about how serious Samantha Grace's condition was exactly one week ago today, we are learning that it was ONLY by God's merciful hand that she made it from Thursday night into Friday.

I leave you with a link to a song that truly helped Joshua and I get through this past week. The title of the song is When Trials Come by Keith and Kristyn Getty. (You might be familiar with them from the song "In Christ Alone"

I hope that the lyrics bless you as they have us!

P.S. Happy 13th Month Birthday Samantha Grace!

HOME BOUND

We are heading home! We are letting Samantha Grace finish her afternoon nap and eat her snack before we leave Children's. So we should be home in time for dinner. We have had a full day of education classes with lots of information to digest at one time.

Samantha Grace has had wonderful blood sugar levels today. Her AM readings were both in the "normal" range that her doctor has set for her. Our prayer request are for safe travel home, smooth transition and an easing of nerves at home. (The scariest time is through the night when she is asleep.)

Joshua and I cannot thank you enough for all your prayers and support. We nervous and excited about the journey ahead. However, we are so blessed by finding a diagnosis and a way to make Samantha Grace live a healthy life!

Finally, we would like to thank all the doctors, nurses, specialists that have been involved and will continue to be involved in this journey!

An Early Start

Thought we would give you an early morning update since we are anticipating a drive back home later on today...

Last night we had a bit of a scare when Samantha Grace's blood sugar dropped to 62. It took a couple glasses of milk and some sugar-free chocolate pudding to get it to a safe level before bed time. Her blood sugar in the middle of the night was 315 requiring only a small amount of insulin, which she was a star and didn't cry for the finger prick or shot! It made mommy so proud. Her blood levels this morning was perfect at 120.

Unfortunately, our peaceful angel's sleep was broken early this morning with some unexpected labs; however, the good news is that they got all the lab work done so we won't have to do any upon our return to Children's Hospital in June. She was able to have some snuggle time with daddy this morning and sleep-in just little before the morning really got going!

We will have educational classes this morning and some meetings with our doctors. We are still praying that her blood sugar levels stay in a manageable range and consistent so we can go home later on today.

Thanks again for all your prayers and support. We also thank our "Pantry Angels" for making things easier upon our arrival back home. We have a phenominal church and just feel so blessed.

I close with some verses that a friend of ours sent to me this morning:

Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; You are Mine!When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they will not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched, Nor will the flame burn you; For I am the Lord you God, The Holy One of Israel, your Savior. - Isaiah 43:1b-3a

A Day of Change

Today has been a lot of changes...

Last night Samantha Grace had wonderful sleep. Her blood sugar readings were a little shaky at times (307 @ 2 AM and 95 @ 7 AM), but adjustments were made in her insulin amounts and her levels have been pretty good today.

Our day did start off a little rocky...The doctor ordered for Samantha Grace to have 3 blood tests. Not good news since we had all our IVs removed yesterday. After trying with two different lab techs and only getting two out of the three tests completed, needless to say we gave up. The techs had blown one vein and/or couldn't find the veins that would flow correctly. It was not a happy time in room 468!

Joshua and I enjoyed a walk down the street for lunch today thanks to sweet friends who sat with her during our lunch. Our afternoon was great! We had a fabulous time with our diabetes educators. Joshua and I feel so much better about going home now. We still have one more class to take tomorrow morning and then we should be heading home before the end of Wednesday.

We are so pleased with our doctor here in Birmingham. He is so patient and supper sweet to Samantha Grace. We will be journeying back to Birmingham for our first check-up in June where we will meet with all of our team (nutritionist, social worker, diabetes educator and doctor).

Again, we cannot thank all of our friends and family for all of the visits, phone calls, goodies, prayers and sweet messages. It is only through all of you and through our magnificent Lord that we have felt such a peace with this new change in our lives. We ask that you continue to pray that our transition to home would be as smooth as possible and that Samantha Grace would continue to gain understanding of her new schedule.

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all...Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. -Philippians 4:4 - 7

Class is Now in Session

Samantha Grace had a wonderful night. She has been full of energy pretty much all day. Last night at 2 AM we had a high reading of 350, but the insulin did its job and at 7AM we were blessed by a blood sugar of 114!

She threw a true hissy fit this morning in protest of her breakfast of eggs and grits, so we promptly ordered a new breakfast of pancakes and sugar free syrup. She ate every bite and even held up the empty to-go box over her head to see if there was any more left. Then we were visited by some sweet friends during the morning who played, drove wagons, and rocked Samantha Grace.

Josh and I started our classes today. We have spoken with a social worker who works with us on ordering medicines, insurance, etc. We also had a good class with our nutritionist. We are still in waiting to speak with the diabetes educator; therefore, we will not be going home until probably Wednesday. Because we have yet to administer a shot and/or conduct a blood test ourselves.

We thank our wonderful pediatrician and her mommy for coming today. We were able to get some clarification on some matters with our pediatrician's help.

Please pray that Samantha Grace's blood sugar/insulin levels would stabilize and that we would be able to absorb all the information that is coming at us.

"Let your eyes look straight ahead, fix your gaze directly before you." Proverbs 4:25

Evening Update from 4E

Today has been a fabulous day! I have to first thank all of our nurses, doctors and staff for being so patient with us and answering any and all questions we may have had today.

Samantha Grace has been in great spirits today. After a small time period of high blood sugar (in the 600s), we were able to get a beautiful reading of 130 at dinner time. (Our new range we trying to achieve is 150 - 250.) She ate every bit of her dinner. I think she would have eaten the plate if we would have let her. Thank you Becca and Kristi for sitting with her while she slept and ate tonight!

Tonight we are praying for a very restful night, for tomorrow mommy and daddy go back to school. We will be able to stay with Samantha Grace during our schooling. Mommy's biggest prayer request is for bravery in giving shots and pricks.

We thank everyone again for all your prayers, support, calls and visits. We are blessed beyond measure!

"Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Jesus Christ." - 1 Thessalonians 5:16 - 18

A View from the Top

We have moved...to the 4th floor Southeast wing of Children's Hospital. Samantha Grace is thoroughly enjoying her new room. She is able to get on the floor and play, endless wagon rides and flirting with the nurses. (However, we do miss our nurses in the PICU.) We are also trying to adapt to a new more rigid schedule for testing, eating and resting. Please pray that they will get her blood sugar more stabalized, it is rising and falling.

We thought everyone would enjoy a few pictures from her new room and adventures in the hospital:
The first picture is for all the PICU nurses! We miss you guys!






Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, for His love endures forever!

A New Meaning

Happy Mother's Day to all Mommies! I have to say that I have gained new meanings of what it means to be a mommy not only over the last year but especially over the last few days. I truly know that being a mommy is the best gift from God. In Proverbs 31 verse 28 it states,

"Her children arise and call her blessed."

I have never felt more blessed than I do in these past few days.

Our little princess got a huge treat last night. Her nurse let her venture into the "outside world" of the PICU for almost 20 minutes last night. The best part was that nurse Andrea brought in one of the several wagons around the hospital. It took a lot to contain her excitement while Andrea wiped out the wagon with a disinfectant cloth. My dad described it as this: "She is like trying to control a wet fish right now." She truly came back to life being a little social butterfly as we pulled her around the hospital. She loves the giant animals in the lobby of the hospital and she didn't miss the silver fish hanging at the top of the ceiling.

On a prayer request note, her sugar did go up to 376 last night before I left for the night to get some much needed rest. However, we do praise that the insulin seemed to help out to bring it down to 220. We are also praying that she will rest a little better today and into the coming night. I spoke with Josh (he stayed at the hospital last night with her) this morning he reported that it took them quite some work to get her to sleep last night.

Again, the plan is to transfer from PICU into a regular room sometime early on today. We continue to praise the Lord for all the baby steps of praise in this journey. Thank you for all your continued support, prayers, visits and calls.

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance."
-James 1:2 - 3

Nightly Update

We will remain in PICU tonight to continue to monitor her sugar levels and to try to keep it stablized until a meeting with the doctor in the morning. Her spirits are great! She continues to wave, smile and scrunch her nose at all the nurses and visitors.

Again, thank you for continuing to pray. We continue to trust in the Lord.

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

Hangin' Out @ PICU

Greetings friends! I am feeling all of your prayers. Here's the view from my crib:

My Favorite Nurse Jeremy

Thank you Ella for my new monkey!



Hugs, Kisses and a scrunchy nose to all!

Samantha-Grace

Beep, Beep, Beep

Saturday AM Update:
We first want to thank everyone for all your phone calls, e-mails, prayers and thoughts. God has truly blessed our family!

This morning we woke up with lots of questions. Thankfully the first person we met with this morning was Dr. V our endochronologist. We were put at such ease. We both felt like we were in the midst of a bad dream, but we know that we are in the palm of God's hands in all of this.

Samantha Grace had a restful night between blood sugar tests each hour. She was resting peacefully when Josh went in at 8:30 this morning. She woke up in a good mood in comparison to the past few days. She even, in the time period we were back with her this morning, played peek-a-boo with the nurse. (Honestly, I think she was flirting with her now male nurse!)

She was grateful to eat some applesauce and a full glass milk. Prior to eating, her blood sugar measured 78, which everyone was pleased with so they took her off of her insulin IV line and her saline drip (due to being able to drink a whole glass of milk). After about an hour of consumption, they retested to find her blood sugar back up to 257. They administered a fast acting insulin to bring it back down on top of the slow acting 24-hour insulin they gave her earlier in the morning.

Today is a trial and error day to figure out her insulin levels. We are praying that we will be in a regular room by this evening. Again we thank you for all your prayers and support. We know that God is in control and we can trust in Him.

GOD IS SO GOOD

Joshua and I cannot express enough how thankful we are for all the road that God has laid for us previously and even now as I type this blog.

We are currently sitting in the PICU of Birmingham Children's Hospital. Samantha Grace, after some reoccuring symptoms that were perculiar for her age, went into her Pediatrician's office today for a blood sugar check. Her blood sugar finally measured out at 913. (Normal is 60 - 100 for her age.) We quickly were taken care of at Baptist South by wonderful Dr. M to stabilize her for transport to Birmingham.

Once stabilized, she got her first helicopter flight to Birmingham. (She is one up on mom and dad!) While here, we will be in PICU until they get things more stabilized. We will then see a diabetes specialist to get more stablization and Joshua and I will get diabetes 101 education.

This is a very rare case that a child this young would have diabetes. But we are praising God for all the circumstances that have come into play, our wonderful pediatrician (who is sitting right here in the waiting room with us right now), and all our friends and family praying for us. Josh and I would love to sit down and share with you the complete story some day, but for now we would love for your prayer support. We will be at Children's for the next 3 - 4 days at least.

We leave you with this wonderful and very purposeful verse that our pastor, Jay, handed Josh today:

"Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes." Matthew 6:34 (MSG)

Not Me! Monday

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

This past week I so did not drop off my child at the church nursery and say, "Good Luck!" to the paid workers because SG had not taken a nap all day long. What mother would use the church nursery as a little relief? NOT ME being a pastor's wife.

I most certainly did not give my child milk that had been sitting on her shelf since 8:00 PM to her at 4:00 AM because I couldn't see what it was. It had to be just water right?!

I definitely did not almost pee all over myself at the blood lab while giving blood for my annual physical test. After all I hadn't eaten in over twelve hours and it was only sounding like I was in a huge tunnel. I also did not tell the lab tech that I would become a regular weekly donor if they would like?!


I so did not allow SG to throw her plate on the floor in protest of breakfast then call the dog inside for clean-up duty. That is just disgusting!
Even though it has been reported that dog's mouthes are cleaner than a human's mouth.

I hope this brings a little laughter to your Monday! (Bonus: It gave you a little insight to what happened this week at the Duke house!)

Happy Monday!