"Don't blink! Just like that, you're 6 years old and you take a nap, and you wake up and you're 25 and your high school sweetheart becomes your wife... 100 years goes faster than you think! So, Don't Blink...."

Those are not my words. They are a songwriter's words, but those words have found a place in my heart over the past year. Those words pretty much summarize how FAST the past 8 years of our lives have gone by... in a blink, in a moment, & much, much too fast!! And we don't see it slowing down any time soon!!

It seems that May 22, 2001 was just YESTERDAY and we were holding our daughter for the first time in our arms. Then, less than 12 months later, 50 weeks to be exact, to the day, we were incredibly blessed to be holding our son, on May 8, 2002. AMAZING!!

Then, we blinked and Austin is 7 years old today!! It seems that the older he & his sister get, the FASTER the years go by. I have really started to think about what we are doing with our days with them and with the precious, fleeting moments that we have together....

Are we teaching them...

• To love God with their whole hearts?
• To love others freely and purely?
• To laugh and play and to not take life too seriously?
• To appreciate each moment, each day, each memory?
• Are we showing them how you can love one another in a marriage completely, faults and all?
• Are we teaching them not to blink, so you don't miss a moment with the ones you love?

Austin, I pray that Daddy & I are teaching you & your sister the important things-- things that last, things that are eternal, and things that really, really matter- like family, friends, investing in others, & loving with your whole heart! We pray that you grow to be a strong man of God & a person who lives life to the fullest!!! We pray that we are teaching you to love freely, forgive fully, and follow after God with your whole heart!!

I am re-posting a video I put together for his 6th birthday last year. I am posting this because it is one of Austin's favorites and he loves this song. So, some of you have seen it before and for that, I apologize, but it gives a great glimpse into who Austin is. I hope you enjoy watching this short video, because I know we enjoyed living these moments with him. Remember, when it comes to your family, don't blink, because if you do, you will miss something and every moment with your loved ones is a precious gift!

Austin, we hope you have a blessed, HEALTHY year ahead of you son! We love you so very much! And, we are SO PROUD of the faith & courage you have shown over the past few months! Happy 7th birthday little man!!

Love,

Mommy & Daddy

How do you get from point A to point B? Sometimes the answer to that simple question is NOT so simple. Sometimes, you just don't know how you are going to get there, but eventually, with God's grace, you do. And then other times, you don't have the words to tell someone you care about, who is hurting, how they are going to get from point A to point B. That can be a loaded question. It was a loaded question for me the other evening while I was tucking my son into bed....

We were wrapping up our nightly routine... talking together, putting his favorite classical music on to play (Yo-Yo Ma), praying, and saying good night. This is when Austin asked me, 'Mommy, they ARE going to go through my mouth to put that shunt in my brain right?' I was stunned. I hesitated for a moment and then I realized that I need to give him an honest answer. So, I replied, 'No, son, that is not how they will put the shunt in your brain.'

He just stared at me and then he asked the loaded question, 'Then, mommy, how will they get it in THERE? How will they get the shunt in my brain?' My heart broke for him. He has been FINE with this surgery for the past week or so, but that was when he thought they were going through his mouth to get there. But, that was before.... BEFORE he realized they will have to make incisions in his brain to get there & BEFORE he realized that it might be more painful than he originally thought. (Have you ever been okay with a plan or something you were going through until you realized it had become more painful that you thought it would? I know I have!)

So, after I gathered my composure, and I finally found words, this is how our conversation went:

Me: 'Son, they will make 2 cuts in your brain so that they can put the shunt where it needs to go.' (His eyes almost popped out of his head!)
Austin: 'Really, mommy? They will cut me 2 times in my head?'

Me: 'Yes, Austin. They will. They are great doctors and this is how they put a shunt in someone's brain.'
Austin: (Sitting & thinking with his finger on his chin, looking somewhat puzzled... can you picture it?) Then, 'Mommy, this IS the part where I will be asleep, right?'

Me: 'Most definitely son, you WILL be asleep for this part. This is the surgery part.'
Austin: 'Mommy, where will you and Daddy be when they make those cuts? Will you be in the room with me and the doctor?'

Me: 'No, Austin. The doctors will have you in the operating room by that time. They don't let mommy's & daddy's go into the operating room. We will be with you until they wheel you back there and we will be there when you wake up. I promise you we will be there.' (My "mother's heart" was breaking for him at this point.)
Austin: 'Hmmmm.... I wish you and daddy could be back there with me in the... what was that called... the operating room?' (He sat and thought for a moment or two and then he spoke words that melted my heart!)

Austin: 'But, that's OK mommy, I know I will be alright. God will be with me in that room and I bet He will have angels in there too, to watch over me and to protect me.'

I didn't have words....

All I know is that it took the words of my 6 year old son to remind me that when we don't know how we are going to get there from here, ask God and He will not only accompany us on our journey, but He will be there waiting for us on the other side!! And, if we are truly blessed, He will place angels in our paths to watch over us on our way! I was reminded that many of you are angels in our family's path helping us get through this time!! Thank you for being there for us! We love you dearly!

I included a picture of Anna Grace & Austin with the World Of Coke Bear from our weekend outing 2 weeks ago! :0)

Yesterday, on April 21st, we visited the office of Dr. Jerry Oakes, a pediatric neurosurgeon, for the first time. Before we left that doctor's office, we learned that we will be visiting him at least once a year for the rest of Austin's life...

Dr. Jerry Oakes was honest, kind, and straightforward, but he had to deliver the news that Austin does, indeed, have hydrocephalus. Simply translated, 'hydro' means water and 'cephalus' means brain. He has 'water on the brain' that is not draining away from his head as it should. We found out that our bodies make 1 quart of cerebrospinal fluid per day. Our brains (mine & yours) drain the fluid off, but Austin's does not. Dr. Oakes asked several questions to alarm us. Among those questions, he asked:

• Is he developmentally delayed in school?
• What did your previous neurologist say?
• Are you sure you didn't see symptoms before February 4th of this year?
• Does hydrocephalus run in your family?
• Are you his biological parents? (This one was the kicker!!)

He asked all of these questions because he was simply shocked that we hadn't seen problems and symptoms in Austin before now. He said that the brain MRI images he just reviewed do not match up to a healthy 6 year old boy with only a few symptoms over the past 3 months. He was very surprised. That alarmed us, but then we realized this: God's touch on Austin's life is the only reason we haven't seen all of the problems that the doctor was asking about!! Only a supernatural, powerful, loving, gracious God can explain Austin's 'normal' health, given the swelling in his brain!

So, we had a talk with the doctor and asked many questions and listened to all he had to say. His recommendation and the best course of action is to put a shunt in Austin's brain. The shunt will be permanent and life-long. We will need to monitor it and he will have yearly check-ups with the neurosurgeon to insure that the shunt is still doing it's job. His surgery is scheduled for June 10th in Birmingham at UAB Children's Hospital. We will go over on the 9th for pre-op, lab work, and an anethesia consult. Dr. Oakes will make 3 incisions to perform the procedure- 2 in his skull/brain and 1 in his stomach. This 3 inch shunt along with tubing that runs internally down into his stomach will drain the fluid off of his brain for him.

It was a surreal day, but we know God is in control and He has gone before us EVERY step of the way so far, and June 10th will be no different. We know our God is going before us even now to prepare us for Austin's surgery and recovery.

Again, Austin broke everything down to 2 things that mattered to him. Let me share with you our experience when telling him about his upcoming surgery...

During the day yesterday, after we found out, we were careful not to let Austin see me (mom) cry nor let him hear us call family & friends to tell them what is going on. We decided to tell him last night about the surgery, after he asked us to please tell him what is going on. Joe explained the events of the past few weeks very simply and told him that the doctor we met today will perform surgery on his brain to fix the problem. Austin's first question was: 'OK. Daddy, hold on, will I be put to sleep for this surgery so it won't hurt and I won't feel anything?' Joe, of course, told him, 'Yes, son, you will be asleep so it won't hurt.' Austin was good with that and was perfectly fine to keep listening to his daddy explain things.

Then, Joe told him, 'Son, you won't feel well when you wake up and you will have to stay in the hospital overnight or for several nights.' Austin looked shocked & a little concerned and immediately looked over at me and asked, 'Where are YOU gonna be?' To that, I answered, 'Son, I am going to be right beside you, sitting in your room or I will be in your bed with you holding you if you need me to. Daddy and I will both be there in the hospital room with you the entire time.' Once we assured him of these 2 things, he was fine. He had no more questions and he is 'good' with the fact that he is having surgery in 7 weeks. Amazing!!

I am thinking to myself, 'Where ELSE would we be son but right by your side or holding you while you hurt or helping you while you are sick or scared? We wouldn't ever let you go through this alone, son.' I was surprised he asked that question, but he did.

And, then it hit me, how many times have I asked my Heavenly Father that question just before descending into a valley in life or while I was in the middle of a difficult or gut-wrenching time? How many times have I asked my Daddy, my Abba Father, 'Hey, where are YOU gonna be while I go through this very difficult time?' or how many times have I asked, 'Where ARE you in this mess Lord?'

And how many times did my Daddy, my Abba Father speak to my heart and say, 'I am going to be right beside you supporting you! And when the journey gets very painful and very tough, I will hold you and carry you through!' Don't you know He wonders why we continue to question Him during these times? Just like I couldn't believe Austin thought his daddy & I would be anywhere else, neither is my God going to be anywhere else but walking with Joe and I and carrying us through this valley.

I asked my Heavenly Father this afternoon, 'Where are YOU gonna be, God, on June 10th?' And His response was loud and clear, 'I am going to be right there with you my child and I will carry you through if it gets too painful!'

Austin's simple faith and simple belief system allowed us to see how BIG our God is and how faithful He is when we are facing a valley. Whatever valley you are facing, I challenge you to go ahead and ask God, 'Where are YOU gonna be?' I bet I know His answer...

We awoke at 5 AM this morning, after very little sleep, to take Austin to the hospital for his MRI. The morning went very smoothly, much better than we expected, thanks in most part to many prayers going up on Austin's behalf! Thank you all SO MUCH for your prayers for Austin & our family today!! Many of you have encouraged us more than we can begin to say.

Austin did GREAT this morning during the entire process of being put to sleep, going to get the MRI, and waking up. He has not done well before waking up from anesthesia, so we were very anxious about that part. He did very well and only felt rough for about the first 25 minutes when waking up, but he was calm. By the time we had been back home for about 1/2 an hour, he was back to himself. We could sense the prayers going up on his behalf the entire time! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

Also, we did receive a call from the doctor late this afternoon with the MRI results. Again, God has gone before us and prepared the way. He is faithful that way you know!! Though they DO still see the fluid build-up and pressure on his brain in 3 ventricular areas, the MRI DID NOT reveal any large mass or obstruction that could be causing the fluid build up and pressure. The doctor said that they saw nothing additional on the MRI to alarm them, other than a confirmation of what we saw last week. So, we are praising the Lord for that bit of good news!! Hallelujah!

Right now, we will wait 1 week before we see the neurosurgeon next Tuesday (04/21) at 10 AM CST in Birmingham. This is when we will find out more about our next steps and whether those steps include surgery to put in a shunt. Though we still do not have all the answers or reasons why, we are one step closer to finding out a resolution. And, our God already has ALL of the answers. We must simply trust His heart when we can't see where His hand is leading us. (Easier said than done sometimes.)

We are so grateful for amazing family and friends to lift up our son in prayer, as if he were your own! We love you so very much!! You are surely undeserved blessings in our lives! God is good all the time and all the time God is good! We will continue to wait on Him and praise Him while we wait. We indeed serve a God who can still move mountains!!

Over the course of the past 8 weeks, Austin has had episodes of throwing up and not eating and feeling rough for a day or so at a time. These 'episodes' couldn't be explained by a stomach virus or food poisoning or anything like that. We couldn't figure out what was causing them, other than a 6 year old getting sick occasionally. But, he has thrown up more in the past 8 weeks than we have seen in 3 or 4 years.

So, we took him in last week to check into it. The pediatrician recommended an eye exam first because she noticed something that alarmed her with his eyes and tracking things in his field of vision. His full eye exam last Wednesday showed that his eyes were fine. He doesn't need a prescription nor did they see any problems. So, the next step, before checking the stomach area and GI-related issues was a CT scan. That was scheduled for yesterday at T.C. Thompson's. We FULLY expected it to come back normal and then move on to the next test with a GI specialist. Well, we were shocked to get the abnormal results back. The CT indicates that there is increased pressure on 3 ventricular areas in his brain, meaning that fluid is building up and sitting on these areas causing pressure. His brain/body is not draining the fluid as it should. This is what could be causing what has been happening with him over the past 8 weeks. This has to be investigated further with an MRI and then a consult with a neurosurgeon in Birmingham, AL.

Our pediatrician scheduled an MRI for us at T.C. Thompson's. Then, they called the specialist in Birmingham to set up that appointment as well. His MRI is scheduled for next Tuesday, April 14th at 6:30 AM. It will be an 'MRI w/ anesthesia' since he is so little. They didn't have an appointment open until July, but our Dr. called and urged them to fit him in on their 'emergency cases' day, which is Tuesday of each week.

Then, they set up our first consult with the pediatric neurosurgeon in Birmingham, Dr. W. Jerry Oakes, for the following Tuesday, April 21st at 10 AM. He will review the CT scan images, the MRI images, as well as see Austin and then he will tell us what our next step is. We don't know what that step is yet. One possibility the doctor mentioned yesterday was placing a shunt in his brain to drain off the fluid. Needless to say, we were alarmed yesterday to get this news, but we have ALREADY seen God move in this situation and we see God's hand ALL over the situation in so many ways. We also found out yesterday that he has strep AND bronchitis. Poor child!!!! Bless his heart!!

Rest assured that we know God is in control and that His hand is all over this and He loves Austin much more than we do! So, while we wait, which is VERY hard for us- the waiting and not knowing is SO difficult- we will trust God's hand in all of this. As several of you have said to me in the last 24 hours, God was not surprised yesterday! He knew this was going to happen and He has made a way already. We just can't see it yet, which is the hard part for us. Austin's spirits are great!! If you ask him, he will tell you this:

'They took pictures of my brain yesterday and they need to do something to fix it and I am going to be fine! I have had surgery before and they just put you to sleep and it doesn't hurt when you wake up.'

He was singing the praise song 'Blessed Be Your Name' by Chris Tomlin yesterday when we got in the van RIGHT AFTER the doctor's appointment. That is SO GOD!! He was singing, 'You give & take away... so my heart will CHOOSE to say, Lord blessed be your name!' So, his spirits are great! To look at him, you wouldn't think there is a thing wrong with him!! Praise the Lord for that! We will be at the Easter morning service with bells on and Austin will be singing a solo with his sister. So, we will rejoice in spite of our uncertainty. We will continue to claim Psalm 91, which talks about 'abiding in the presence of God'.

Thank you for your time in reading this update and our family would covet your prayers right now for Austin's health and for our peace.

I have been 'absent' from 'bloggyville', as my dear friend, Shana, calls it, for just over a month now. I realized I have missed it. I have much to catch you up on, but today, I will start with this tribute to my husband. (I hope I still have a few friends out there who will actually read this.)

My dear husband joined the '40's club' this past Monday, February 9th. We had a wonderful party full of fantastic friends and we celebrated for sure! But, given that tomorrow is Valentine's Day and his birthday was this week, I took an idea that is running a muck on FB (this stands for FaceBook, if you have been hiding under a rock for the last year and didn't know that) and decided to adapt it to Joe, my husband of 14 1/2 years.

25 Things I love about you Joe....

1. You are my true love and my soul mate.
2. You are my best friend and you know me like no other.
   
3. You are STILL my best friend even THOUGH you know me like no other.
4. You mailed me love letters about 3x/week during my last quarter at UGA. VERY romantic! (My roommates began to HATE going to the mailbox thanks to your letters.)
   
5. You have stood by my side and held my hand through some VERY TOUGH times.
   
6. You didn't give up during those times and you are very strong!
   
7. You make me laugh so hard that my stomach hurts and tears come to my eyes.
   
8. You are a wonderful provider for our family and you work very hard in your 'day job' to provide for us.
9. You are a wonderful daddy to our children.
10. You are the one I always want to spend my free time with, unless I get to go away with my girlfriends!! ;) (Just kidding, honey!)
    
11. You and I share a love of music and we both love to sing, dance, and listen to many kinds of music.
12. You love to spend time with the 3 of us playing games, watching movies, laughing, and just being silly!
13. You love to cook and cook great meals for our family.
    
14. You treat Anna Grace (& her mommy) like a princess.
15. You are teaching Austin to respect his mommy, others, and to be a gentleman.
    
16. You take care of us when we are sick.
    
17. You pray with our children (& sing to them when I can't be there at bedtime).
    
18. You listen to me when I need someone to talk to or cry to or complain to.
19. You have a contagious laugh that you somehow passed on to our son. I love to hear my boys laugh!!
    
20. You are a good friend to our friends. You would be there for them at the drop of a hat. You have a big heart and you care a great deal about others.
21. I have a great deal of respect for you and I am so very proud of you.
22. I feel safe when you hold me and I feel that I am protected from this cruel world!
    
23. I love that I get to spend the next 40+ years with you, my best friend, the Lord willing!
    
24. ILY... IWY... INY... and I am SO glad I said YES to our first date 15 years ago last month!!
25. And, most importantly, you love the Lord and are a wonderful leader for our family.

So, there you have it- my 25 things about Joe! I am humbled and amazed at God's grace, mercy, and favor on our family. I am amazed at what we have endured and I am hopeful, prayerful, and excited about our future as a family! I love you my friend and soul mate. Don't ever forget that.

Love,

Lou

• This is the first Christmas that our children were able to pick out a gift for each other. They so loved doing something special for each other. It was wonderful to watch them focus on giving instead of getting.
  
• This Christmas, we laughed a lot and we laughed together and we laughed LOUD. Austin's laugh, especially, is infectious when he really, really laughs! It was refreshing and such good medicine for our souls.
• Anna Grace was a little soldier in the DTD's annual performance of the Nutcracker. She had the most fun and did a GREAT job AND she was able to get a date night in with daddy since mommy was terribly ill with a stomach virus for her 2nd night of performing. She LOVED having a date with daddy.
  
• This Christmas is the first time my daughter realized that I not only pick out and buy hers, Austin's, and daddy's Christmas pj's, but I also pick out mommy's Christmas pj's. She was so amazed that I do all the shopping and pick out all of the presents that she offered to pay for MY Christmas pj's out of her own money and she insisted that once they were wrapped, the gift would be placed in her room. Then, she and Austin would present it to me. It REALLY, REALLY touched me to see her moved (to the point of spending her OWN money) to give back to me, her mommy.
• Anna Grace wrote Santa a note and made special gifts to give him. I will have dedicate a post to that one subject very soon. It was precious. We left the gifts and the note with the cookies and milk. And, we woke up on Christmas morning to find that he ate the cookies, drank the milk, took the gifts she left, wrote a note back to her AND left them presents under the tree. She was THRILLED that he wrote a note back to her! She was almost more excited to see his note back to her than to see her presents!! (Remember, I did say 'almost' :) )
  
• Austin and Gracie were a joy to watch on Christmas morning! We woke up to Anna Grace singing... 'Wake up! It's Christmas! Wake up! It's Christmas!' They couldn't wait to be with mommy and daddy and share this special day together. They savored each moment of that day and they were so grateful for each gift that Santa brought. Austin even commented that, 'Santa brought me extra mommy! He brought more than I even asked for. What a nice Santa. He really didn't have to do that!' This simply made my heart smile!! :)

That last memory above, can't you just picture God, our Heavenly Father, saying that to us each morning, 'Wake up! It's a new day I made for you! Wake up! It's a new day I made just for you!'? Don't you know that our God is THAT excited to see us, hear us, and commune with us each morning? He can't wait to see us get up and see what the day holds, what He has in store, and what He created for us and around us! I pray that we value that and make the most of that in the new year! He is so in love with us, His creation, the imperfect, simple, small creatures that we are! But, He is our Father and He can't wait spend each day with us! Try to remember to spend time with Him today and in the New Year ahead!! He may even bless you 'extra', more than you deserve, which is what we call in our house His AMAZING GRACE!!

I have posted some pictures below of our CHRISTmas together! I hope you and yours had a beautiful Holiday season together and I pray you experience His joy, peace, and many 'extra' blessings in the new year!!