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
Monday, January 28, 2008
Friday, January 25, 2008
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
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
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
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?
Thursday, January 3, 2008
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
Saturday, December 29, 2007
Another Thanksgiving List
I've had a little more time to think about what I'm thankful for the last two months, so here's my more detailed list.
Things that I’m Thankful For
JESUS CHRIST
JAMES STEPHEN MA
Because James was diagnosed with intrauterine growth restriction, we knew he would come early.
People were praying for James even before he was born.
I was able to freeze some meals before James arrived.
When my water broke at home, I was able to reach John and my mom.
John got home pretty quickly.
My mom came over pretty quickly.
Ti and Albert volunteered to watch the girls in case my mom was going to take longer to get to our house.
Dr. Montgomery made the wise decision to do an emergency c-section. I was having an abruption, and if we had waited longer, things could have gotten worse for both James and me.
James has cute brown hair with blond highlights. Some Asians pay a lot of money for hair like that!
Our family and friends have been praying for us and James so faithfully.
The doctors, nurses, and therapists at Cy-Fair Hospital’s NICU were excellent. We are especially thankful for Dr. Chamkur, Dr. Baker, Lori, Gayle, Marissa, Kimberly, Grace, Julie, and Bridget.
Cy-Fair Hospital is only ten minutes away from our house, so going back and forth to the hospital was easy.
My mom and John’s mom came over and stayed with us to cook, clean, and take care of the girls.
Because James was in the NICU that first month, I was able to recover from my c-section fairly quickly and easily.
God blessed me with an abundance of breastmilk.
Our faith in Jesus Christ carried us through the roller coaster of emotions when James was in the NICU.
James was diagnosed with PWS early so that we can begin early intervention.
God really comforted me through His Word that night after James was diagnosed. Verse after verse spoke to me of God’s love and care of His children.
As soon as we received the news of James’ diagnosis, we found out that Texas Children’s Hospital has a PWS clinic. How blessed we are to live in Houston!
A few days after James was diagnosed, the girls got to meet him for the first time. They fell in love with him. It was a precious moment that we will never forget.
John made a comment that I will always remember. “James should be able to understand that Jesus loves him and died for him, and that’s the most important thing.” How true that is!
John has been such a great husband. I’m so blessed to be married to a godly man.
I went inactive as a PT this year, and now I know why God called me to do that. He knew I would have a special needs child, and He knew that I would need to be at home full time to take care of my children.
Now I also know one of the reasons why I became a PT. God knew that, in the future, I would have a child who would need therapy. God is truly all-knowing!
God tested our faith through this experience with James. Do we really believe what we say we do? Is God really God? Is God really good? Is God really sovereign? The answer is a resounding YES!
James made really good progress in the NICU with his feedings. He was able to come home at one month on all oral feeds. Some PWS babies are tube-fed for months.
We were able to schedule our first appointment with Dr. Scheimann at TCH before James even came home.
James is such a good baby. He rarely cries, and he loves to snuggle.
Everyone has been so caring. We have received too many phone calls and emails from people checking on us to even count. We feel extremely blessed by our family and friends.
Because James came early, we were able to attend two weddings in December that we wouldn’t have been able to otherwise.
The girls love their baby brother, and they shower him with kisses and hugs. Elisabeth has been particularly helpful.
I get to be Elisabeth, Abigail, and James’ mommy. What an awesome privilege and responsibility!
Things that I’m Thankful For
JESUS CHRIST
JAMES STEPHEN MA
Because James was diagnosed with intrauterine growth restriction, we knew he would come early.
People were praying for James even before he was born.
I was able to freeze some meals before James arrived.
When my water broke at home, I was able to reach John and my mom.
John got home pretty quickly.
My mom came over pretty quickly.
Ti and Albert volunteered to watch the girls in case my mom was going to take longer to get to our house.
Dr. Montgomery made the wise decision to do an emergency c-section. I was having an abruption, and if we had waited longer, things could have gotten worse for both James and me.
James has cute brown hair with blond highlights. Some Asians pay a lot of money for hair like that!
Our family and friends have been praying for us and James so faithfully.
The doctors, nurses, and therapists at Cy-Fair Hospital’s NICU were excellent. We are especially thankful for Dr. Chamkur, Dr. Baker, Lori, Gayle, Marissa, Kimberly, Grace, Julie, and Bridget.
Cy-Fair Hospital is only ten minutes away from our house, so going back and forth to the hospital was easy.
My mom and John’s mom came over and stayed with us to cook, clean, and take care of the girls.
Because James was in the NICU that first month, I was able to recover from my c-section fairly quickly and easily.
God blessed me with an abundance of breastmilk.
Our faith in Jesus Christ carried us through the roller coaster of emotions when James was in the NICU.
James was diagnosed with PWS early so that we can begin early intervention.
God really comforted me through His Word that night after James was diagnosed. Verse after verse spoke to me of God’s love and care of His children.
As soon as we received the news of James’ diagnosis, we found out that Texas Children’s Hospital has a PWS clinic. How blessed we are to live in Houston!
A few days after James was diagnosed, the girls got to meet him for the first time. They fell in love with him. It was a precious moment that we will never forget.
John made a comment that I will always remember. “James should be able to understand that Jesus loves him and died for him, and that’s the most important thing.” How true that is!
John has been such a great husband. I’m so blessed to be married to a godly man.
I went inactive as a PT this year, and now I know why God called me to do that. He knew I would have a special needs child, and He knew that I would need to be at home full time to take care of my children.
Now I also know one of the reasons why I became a PT. God knew that, in the future, I would have a child who would need therapy. God is truly all-knowing!
God tested our faith through this experience with James. Do we really believe what we say we do? Is God really God? Is God really good? Is God really sovereign? The answer is a resounding YES!
James made really good progress in the NICU with his feedings. He was able to come home at one month on all oral feeds. Some PWS babies are tube-fed for months.
We were able to schedule our first appointment with Dr. Scheimann at TCH before James even came home.
James is such a good baby. He rarely cries, and he loves to snuggle.
Everyone has been so caring. We have received too many phone calls and emails from people checking on us to even count. We feel extremely blessed by our family and friends.
Because James came early, we were able to attend two weddings in December that we wouldn’t have been able to otherwise.
The girls love their baby brother, and they shower him with kisses and hugs. Elisabeth has been particularly helpful.
I get to be Elisabeth, Abigail, and James’ mommy. What an awesome privilege and responsibility!
Friday, December 21, 2007
Our Christmas Picture
We just had to share this with you all! It's our new favorite picture of the kids.
James' appointment with the specialist at Texas Children's went very well. She spent over an hour talking with us, answering our questions, and planning for future treatment. We feel so blessed to live in a city with a big medical center that has a clinic specifically for James' diagnosis. God is so good!
FYI, James is now 7lb 7.5oz. We praise God for our growing boy.
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Flowers of the Field
Elisabeth's favorite lullaby lately has been a Chinese song called, "Flowers of the Field." It was written based on Matthew 6:25-34, which has been a great reminder for us that we are not to worry about the future, not for James, not for Elisabeth and Abigail, and not for us.
"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
James had an evaluation with Early Childhood Intervention (ECI) on Monday, and he only qualified for OT once a month. The reason he qualified for so little therapy is that he is doing so well! He kicks his feet, he turns his head to both sides when he is on his back, he brings his hands to his mouth, he makes eye contact when we talk to him, and he is beginning to track objects visually, which are all things a 0-2 month old should do. Praise God for this great progress!
James has an appointment with a specialist at Texas Children's Hospital tomorrow afternoon. We are praying that it will go smoothly and we will have some direction about further treatment. Thank you so much for your faithful prayers. We love you all dearly.
"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
James had an evaluation with Early Childhood Intervention (ECI) on Monday, and he only qualified for OT once a month. The reason he qualified for so little therapy is that he is doing so well! He kicks his feet, he turns his head to both sides when he is on his back, he brings his hands to his mouth, he makes eye contact when we talk to him, and he is beginning to track objects visually, which are all things a 0-2 month old should do. Praise God for this great progress!
James has an appointment with a specialist at Texas Children's Hospital tomorrow afternoon. We are praying that it will go smoothly and we will have some direction about further treatment. Thank you so much for your faithful prayers. We love you all dearly.
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