As you can see, Ethan is enjoying his first major road trip...
Most of the time...
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Our House Has A New Look
As promised, but a little later than I had originally planned, here's a picture of our house now that all of the work has been completed. After 5 years of siding with peeling paint and occasional offers from folks passing by to paint our house for us, we're pretty happy with the results. What do you think?
As promised, but a little later than I had originally planned, here's a picture of our house now that all of the work has been completed. After 5 years of siding with peeling paint and occasional offers from folks passing by to paint our house for us, we're pretty happy with the results. What do you think?
Wednesday, August 06, 2008
We Have Returned
Just thought we'd let you know that we have returned to our house and all the work finally got finished up this past Monday. We'll post a picture of our home with its new look in a few days, but in the meantime we thought we'd let you know our life is slowly returning back to normal now that we're back at home.
Speaking of being back in our home, we had our first guest since we returned home. Our friend Rico dropped by on Monday night on his way to Florida where he'll be attending college. It was great catching up and having him in our home. Here's a picture of Rico with Ethan:
Friday, July 11, 2008
Update on Ethan
Thanks so much for praying for Ethan the past couple of weeks! We have received the results from the EEG and the CAT scan -- both came back normal!! God has been good, faithful and gracious to us and we have been humbled by the support, encouragement and love we've received from so many people over the last few weeks. With the results of these tests we can rest a little easier now.
The doctor will check Ethan again at his 4 month exam on August 18, so please continue to pray for him that he will focus on our faces, make good eye contact and mimic our smiles. Though he isn't yet doing these things as consistently as the doctor would like, we have seen him improve some in each of these areas over the past 2 weeks -- so we're praying these improvements will remain consistent. Additionally, the doctor said that in other areas Ethan may be a little ahead in his development. Ethan has become quite verbal and coos in response to our talking to him. Also, he rolls over occasionally. In both of these areas, the doctor said he is a little ahead at this time so that's encouraging news for us.
As I already mentioned, we greatly appreciated your thoughts, prayers and encouragement over the past couple of weeks. It's comforting to know that Ethan has so many people who love him. We love you and will keep you updated on his progress!
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In other news
In addition to the uncertainty we had over the past couple of weeks, we also have not been living in our home. We are participating in a city/federal program that is called Lead Safe Louisville. The purpose is to make our home lead safe. Our home has a significant amount of lead mainly on and around the exterior of our house. As you know, lead is very bad for young children and our neighborhood just happens to have the highest lead levels in the entire city, so given Ethan's age and our income we were able to qualify for this program. (Ethan's lead levels are safe as far as we know so this is unrelated.)
Basically, we've been shacked up at the Residence Inn downtown while our house is being worked on. When it's done, we will have new siding, gutters, landscaping, a painted shed and a few new windows. Pretty sweet deal since it doesn't cost us anything except temporary relocation and a commitment to live in our home for 3 years from the date of completion. Anyway, I did happen to snap some pictures last week of our house. Check them out...they are pretty humorous and a little scary:
Thursday, July 03, 2008
Good News So Far...Please Keep Praying
Thank you so much for all of your prayers!! Terre and I have felt so much support and encouragement over the past week from so many people. We have a new appreciation for friends, family and the body of Christ. We have felt all of you carrying Ethan, us and our concerns through your thoughts and prayers this week. Thank you so much!!
The quick update we have at this time is that the CAT Scan results came back totally normal!! The doctor said it revealed no brain abnormalities and as it relates to the CAT scan there are no additional reasons for concern. Praise GOD for answered prayer!!!
In addition, to this good news our prayers for the day were answered in a number of ways. Because of Ethan having to be sedated, he was not allowed to eat for 5 hours before his CAT Scan. Terre fed him at 4:45 am and he was amazingly content without eating the whole morning -- which given his appetite is an exceptional feat. Also, as you all know, we were pretty apprehensive about Ethan being put to sleep. When we went back for the CAT scan they were preparing to put him under when he fell asleep in Terre's arms. We asked if they could try the scan without putting him to sleep, so they quickly ushered us back to do the scan. When we put him on the table he woke up. He remained awake, but after a couple of minutes of wiggling he became calm. Even though he was awake, they went ahead and performed the scan since he was so still. He remained calm and still the entire time which amazed all of us! Thanks so much for your prayers specifically for that -- it was a huge relief to have that done without sedation!!
The doctor said that we probably won't know the final results of the EEG until Monday, so please continue to pray that this report comes back normal as well. As soon as we find out the results, we'll be sure to post them and send an e-mail to everyone.
Thanks again for your prayers and support -- we love you all!!!
Thank you so much for all of your prayers!! Terre and I have felt so much support and encouragement over the past week from so many people. We have a new appreciation for friends, family and the body of Christ. We have felt all of you carrying Ethan, us and our concerns through your thoughts and prayers this week. Thank you so much!!
The quick update we have at this time is that the CAT Scan results came back totally normal!! The doctor said it revealed no brain abnormalities and as it relates to the CAT scan there are no additional reasons for concern. Praise GOD for answered prayer!!!
In addition, to this good news our prayers for the day were answered in a number of ways. Because of Ethan having to be sedated, he was not allowed to eat for 5 hours before his CAT Scan. Terre fed him at 4:45 am and he was amazingly content without eating the whole morning -- which given his appetite is an exceptional feat. Also, as you all know, we were pretty apprehensive about Ethan being put to sleep. When we went back for the CAT scan they were preparing to put him under when he fell asleep in Terre's arms. We asked if they could try the scan without putting him to sleep, so they quickly ushered us back to do the scan. When we put him on the table he woke up. He remained awake, but after a couple of minutes of wiggling he became calm. Even though he was awake, they went ahead and performed the scan since he was so still. He remained calm and still the entire time which amazed all of us! Thanks so much for your prayers specifically for that -- it was a huge relief to have that done without sedation!!
The doctor said that we probably won't know the final results of the EEG until Monday, so please continue to pray that this report comes back normal as well. As soon as we find out the results, we'll be sure to post them and send an e-mail to everyone.
Thanks again for your prayers and support -- we love you all!!!
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Please Pray for Ethan
Terre and I took Ethan for his 2 month checkup yesterday and left with some unexpected news. The doctor has some concerns that Ethan is not focusing and making eye contact as he should at this age. Along with this, Ethan's eyes sometimes roll upwards which the doctor said can be a sign of seizures. The doctor ordered a CAT scan of Ethan's head and an EEG to measure his brain activity.
Ethan will have to be put to sleep for this procedure and we are concerned about this as well as the outcome of the tests. Please pray that all will be well with our little boy -- that the tests will be normal. His tests are this Thursday morning, July 3 at 8 am.
Please also pray for us as this will be a long week waiting and wondering about the outcome.
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Here's a picture of Ethan during his first camping trip and a video of him "talking" to us:
Terre and I took Ethan for his 2 month checkup yesterday and left with some unexpected news. The doctor has some concerns that Ethan is not focusing and making eye contact as he should at this age. Along with this, Ethan's eyes sometimes roll upwards which the doctor said can be a sign of seizures. The doctor ordered a CAT scan of Ethan's head and an EEG to measure his brain activity.
Ethan will have to be put to sleep for this procedure and we are concerned about this as well as the outcome of the tests. Please pray that all will be well with our little boy -- that the tests will be normal. His tests are this Thursday morning, July 3 at 8 am.
Please also pray for us as this will be a long week waiting and wondering about the outcome.
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Here's a picture of Ethan during his first camping trip and a video of him "talking" to us:
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Monday, June 02, 2008
Time for an Update...
It's been awhile since I've posted anything new so I figured it's time to catch you up on some things. First, Ethan loves to eat -- so much so that he has doubled his weight in the first 6 weeks. He holds his weight well and is still incredibly cute.
Turns out that with that big appetite comes a great deal of gas as well, so we've been having to help him work it out. That's been fun! He can belch with the best of them, of course, it's usually accompanied by some form of milky spit up in varying quantities from a little dribble to a spewing fountain...though the fountain has been very rare, thankfully.
In other news, we took a fun road trip up to Madison, Indiana over Memorial Day weekend. Madison is one of our favorite nearby spots to visit so we headed up for a craft fair on the square and while we were there indulged in a number of yummy culinary delights from greasy hamburgers to chocolate treats to heaping scoops of ice cream. It was a great day!
We also spent some time on Madison's river walk along the Ohio River. Here's some pictures from our stroll...
Monday, May 19, 2008
Bluegrass, Ice Cream, BBQ...and a little sunburn
This weekend we decided to celebrate Ethan's 1 month birthday by taking in a little bluegrass music at the Forest Fest in Jefferson Memorial Forest here in Louisville. For those of you who are bluegrass fans the headliner was Ralph Stanley & His Clinch Mountain Boys. By the time they were on stage we were pretty wiped out so we headed out before they were done, but we did manage to hear Ralph Stanley sing "O' Death" before we left, which was quite a treat. While we were there we also enjoyed some heaping scoops of Ehrler's Ice Cream -- a local favorite -- and then stopped by the Pitt Academy BBQ Festival to pick up some chopped pork for dinner. The bbq was amazing and made for a nice treat to end the day.
In the midst of all of this there was 1 important lesson we learned...be sure to keep Ethan well shaded from the sun. We did our best to stay in the shade, but he still managed to get a little sunburn as you can see in the picture below. Thankfully, it wasn't too bad and he continues to be incredibly patient with us as we settle into parenthood.
This weekend we decided to celebrate Ethan's 1 month birthday by taking in a little bluegrass music at the Forest Fest in Jefferson Memorial Forest here in Louisville. For those of you who are bluegrass fans the headliner was Ralph Stanley & His Clinch Mountain Boys. By the time they were on stage we were pretty wiped out so we headed out before they were done, but we did manage to hear Ralph Stanley sing "O' Death" before we left, which was quite a treat. While we were there we also enjoyed some heaping scoops of Ehrler's Ice Cream -- a local favorite -- and then stopped by the Pitt Academy BBQ Festival to pick up some chopped pork for dinner. The bbq was amazing and made for a nice treat to end the day.
In the midst of all of this there was 1 important lesson we learned...be sure to keep Ethan well shaded from the sun. We did our best to stay in the shade, but he still managed to get a little sunburn as you can see in the picture below. Thankfully, it wasn't too bad and he continues to be incredibly patient with us as we settle into parenthood.
Friday, May 09, 2008
Clean Baby
Ethan had his first bath a couple of days ago. We recorded it for posterity sake and we got some great footage. The funniest clip was of the stream of pee he let loose shortly after entering the water. He seemed pretty satisfied and content in the water after that, but we made a mental note to cover "that thing" up next time. It was fun and we found him to be -- yet again -- continually patient with us as we learn our role as new parents.
Here are some pictures of him just after his bath and a short video clip of him getting lathered up with lotion. He takes after his dad and shares his displeasure with the whole lotion experience. No matter what though, he's still so cute!
Ethan had his first bath a couple of days ago. We recorded it for posterity sake and we got some great footage. The funniest clip was of the stream of pee he let loose shortly after entering the water. He seemed pretty satisfied and content in the water after that, but we made a mental note to cover "that thing" up next time. It was fun and we found him to be -- yet again -- continually patient with us as we learn our role as new parents.
Here are some pictures of him just after his bath and a short video clip of him getting lathered up with lotion. He takes after his dad and shares his displeasure with the whole lotion experience. No matter what though, he's still so cute!
Thursday, May 01, 2008
Loved by Lots of Folks 
Ethan has had a number of people come to visit him over the past couple of weeks. Here he is with his grandparents, aunts and great grandma.
Aunt Allie & Grandma Nahm
Grandpa Nahm
Great Grandma McCracken
Aunt Jenny & Grandma Sink
Grandpa Veeck
In addition to family there's been a number of friends stopping by as well. Here's Ethan with his new friends...
Wanda
Woo
Ray
Cory
Troya
Meme
Big Mama
There have been several others who have come by to meet Ethan whom we forgot to take pictures of. To all of you, thanks for expressing your love and care for us.
Friday, April 25, 2008
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Good Report
Yesterday was Ethan's first doctor appointment and he was given a good report. He only lost 2 ounces since he was born and all signs are that he is progressing well. The doctor gave us some suggestions for helping him get used to sleeping in his crib at night. Last night, for the first time since we've been home, he slept in his crib twice for one hour. That made it easier for both of us to grab some sleep at the same time, but we also learned our first lesson in parenthood of coping with our child's independence.
After we got over the initial concerns of whether he was ok and whether he was still breathing, we were able to drift off to sleep, but as we did the thought was already there...children grow up so fast.
Yesterday was Ethan's first doctor appointment and he was given a good report. He only lost 2 ounces since he was born and all signs are that he is progressing well. The doctor gave us some suggestions for helping him get used to sleeping in his crib at night. Last night, for the first time since we've been home, he slept in his crib twice for one hour. That made it easier for both of us to grab some sleep at the same time, but we also learned our first lesson in parenthood of coping with our child's independence.
After we got over the initial concerns of whether he was ok and whether he was still breathing, we were able to drift off to sleep, but as we did the thought was already there...children grow up so fast.
Sunday, April 20, 2008
Saturday, April 19, 2008
We're Home!
We returned home from the hospital yesterday afternoon. Ethan is doing well and we're getting adjusted to our new life at home with him. We love him so much!!!
Here is a link to a slideshow from our first two days with him:
http://tntcommunity.winkflash.com/
Once the page comes up click on the icon that says "Baby". When the page with the picture comes up click the green play button. You can set the speed of the slideshow and if you'd like to make prints of any of the pictures you can easily create an account and have the pictures mailed to you within a few days.
We returned home from the hospital yesterday afternoon. Ethan is doing well and we're getting adjusted to our new life at home with him. We love him so much!!!
Here is a link to a slideshow from our first two days with him:
http://tntcommunity.winkflash.com/
Once the page comes up click on the icon that says "Baby". When the page with the picture comes up click the green play button. You can set the speed of the slideshow and if you'd like to make prints of any of the pictures you can easily create an account and have the pictures mailed to you within a few days.
Friday, April 18, 2008
Monday, April 14, 2008
Getting Closer
Today was Terre's due date so we weren't quite sure what the day would bring given that during the middle of the night she started having brief contractions. This morning we went to her doctor and found out that things are progressing. Terre is now 2 cm dilated, Ethan's head is very low and she is 85% effaced. The doctor is hopeful that she will go into labor in the next few days. If she hasn't given birth by Friday then we have another appointment. At this appointment they will take an ultrasound to check on him and if everything looks good then we'll schedule a follow up time at the beginning of next week for Terre to be induced. Our hope, of course, is that Terre will have delivered by then.
Today was Terre's due date so we weren't quite sure what the day would bring given that during the middle of the night she started having brief contractions. This morning we went to her doctor and found out that things are progressing. Terre is now 2 cm dilated, Ethan's head is very low and she is 85% effaced. The doctor is hopeful that she will go into labor in the next few days. If she hasn't given birth by Friday then we have another appointment. At this appointment they will take an ultrasound to check on him and if everything looks good then we'll schedule a follow up time at the beginning of next week for Terre to be induced. Our hope, of course, is that Terre will have delivered by then.
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Hopeful Words
http://blog.beliefnet.com/godspolitics/2008/03/from-prophetic-anger-to-apocal.html
Given the context of our neighborhood and our experience here, we know the truth of the reality spoken to in this article and we also hope for a new way to live that reveals another way is possible.
http://blog.beliefnet.com/godspolitics/2008/03/from-prophetic-anger-to-apocal.html
Given the context of our neighborhood and our experience here, we know the truth of the reality spoken to in this article and we also hope for a new way to live that reveals another way is possible.
Saturday, April 12, 2008
Queen of Sheba
In an effort to naturally induce Ethan to join our world we thought we'd give him a little ethnic kick with an Ethiopian dinner last night. We went to our favorite (and the only) Ethiopian restaurant in Louisville last night -- Queen of Sheba (http://www.queenofshebalouisville.com/index.html). If you've never had Ethiopian we highly recommend it. You get to eat with your hands, the food is full of flavor and the atmosphere is wonderful. Plus if you're a coffee fan, Ethiopia is where it originated!
As far as our attempt to naturally nudge Ethan out, it seems to have been to no avail...but the dinner sure was good!!
Friday, April 11, 2008
Trying Again ... 4 1/2 Years Later
Believe it or not, given the name of this blog and the soon to be new addition to our family, I created this 4 1/2 years ago. At the time, my hope was to use it as a space to journal my thoughts on life -- particularly from the vantage point of my daily life here in my neighborhood. My intentions were to share what I was learning, experiencing and reflecting upon and how, in turn, I was being transformed in the process. Well, as all good intentions go...that didn't happen. I've spent the last 4 1/2 years incredibly active in neighborhood life and have no doubt been positively transformed in a number of ways, but one regret I have is not taking the necessary time to adequately record my reflections.
So, with that little confession out of the way, I'd like to set out from this point to utilize this blog to not only share my reflections, but also to regularly update everyone on our family life with pictures, stories, etc.
Perhaps in the larger scheme of things, the timing of this is apropos as I'm sure that with the new life soon to join Terre and me that we will learn and know more fully than ever before what it truly means to become human as our Creator intends.
Believe it or not, given the name of this blog and the soon to be new addition to our family, I created this 4 1/2 years ago. At the time, my hope was to use it as a space to journal my thoughts on life -- particularly from the vantage point of my daily life here in my neighborhood. My intentions were to share what I was learning, experiencing and reflecting upon and how, in turn, I was being transformed in the process. Well, as all good intentions go...that didn't happen. I've spent the last 4 1/2 years incredibly active in neighborhood life and have no doubt been positively transformed in a number of ways, but one regret I have is not taking the necessary time to adequately record my reflections.
So, with that little confession out of the way, I'd like to set out from this point to utilize this blog to not only share my reflections, but also to regularly update everyone on our family life with pictures, stories, etc.
Perhaps in the larger scheme of things, the timing of this is apropos as I'm sure that with the new life soon to join Terre and me that we will learn and know more fully than ever before what it truly means to become human as our Creator intends.