Crying

Yesterday, James didn't drink much milk at his 8am feeding. We were running out of time because we needed to get to church, so I didn't push him. So during worship service, guess who started to cry out loud because he was hungry? That's right - Baby James! I thought it would be just a one time incident, but he continued to cry on and off during the rest of the day when he was hungry. I have never been so excited to hear my baby cry as I have with James. Sometimes I want to just let him cry longer because it's such a sweet sound.

By the way, we asked James' doctor about his "God-highlighted" hair. According to her, it's not something these kids outgrow. So James is stuck with his brown hair with blond highlights. As I've been telling people, some Asians pay a lot of money for hair like his.

"Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows." Luke 12:7

Another Answered Prayer

Thank you all for your responses. It was so touching to read your comments and to see how many people are still reading and more importantly, praying.

James had an appointment with the pediatrician today. He weighed 8lb 12.5oz and measured 20.5in long. He has finally outgrown all his preemie clothes and is now wearing newborn and 0-3 month clothing.

One request we mentioned a few weeks ago was for James to get more therapy. Through some contacts, we found out that we can request PT and Speech evaluations from ECI. We did, and they will be sending out therapists in mid-February. Also, our therapists from the hospital are trying to arrange for James to see them on an outpatient basis one to two times a week, and our pediatrician wrote out the prescription for therapy today. We asked God for more therapy for James, and He has answered our prayers! God is so good.

Please continue to pray for James' feedings, which are still taking a long time. A "good" feeding lasts 20 minutes; a "bad" feeding takes an hour. He also has a cold, which has made him a little congested. But the good part about his congestion is that he has shown us how much his upper body strength has improved. He tries to push the bottle away with his hands; several times I've even dropped the bottle because he pushed it away so hard! So even in our difficult times, we have been able to find the good things.

"But God has surely listened and hear my voice in prayer. Praise be to God, who has not rejected my prayer or withheld his love from me!" Psalm 66:19-20

We're still here!

I don't know who is still reading this blog, but here are some updated pictures. Last week we took him to the doctor's office for a weigh-in, and he is now 8lb 7 ounces! He's actually starting to look a little chubby now, and we love that!




Elisabeth continues to love on her little brother. She gives him a hug and a kiss first thing in the morning, and she says, "I love my baby brother!" She also loves to play doctor, especially when Daddy lets her use the real stethoscope. She knows how to listen to hearts and lungs.














Of course, I had to include a picture of Abigail too. She's our happy-go-lucky little girl who loves to eat (just ask her Uncle Tim!) Here she is posing with Uncle Geoff.

Please let me know who's out there reading this blog. Do you want me to keep it up?

Super Baby

Happy New Year, everyone! I thought you might enjoy seeing a new picture of James. He received a Superman blanket for Christmas from the Tsengs.

We have some prayer requests to ask of you. Please pray:
1. For James' oral motor skills to continue to improve.
2. For quicker feedings. His feedings currently take anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour.
3. For improved muscle tone. Our wonderful NICU therapists visited us at home last night. The OT thought his lower extremity tone had improved a lot, but she felt his upper extremity tone hadn't improved as much.
4. For better head control.
5. For more therapy through ECI (Early Childhood Intervention). Our NICU therapists were shocked when they heard how little therapy James was getting, so we are going to all advocate for more therapy so our little Super Baby can get even stronger.

Thank you all so much for your prayers. The Lord definitely hears you!

"Because he loves me," says the LORD, "I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. He will call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. With long life will I satisfy him and show him my salvation." Psalm 91:14-16