Thanksgiving

Well, I’m a day late (and a dollar short???), but HAPPY THANKSGIVING! We are, perhaps, more thankful this year than ever before! Every day we celebrate and give thanks that our little Koal is alive and with us, bringing us joy and happiness constantly. We are so very thankful that in a matter of days we will travel to Boston to have Koalton’s tiny heart fixed! Not only are we abundantly thankful for Dr. del Nido, our surgeon, Drs. Powell and Shah, our cardiologists, and ALL of the nurses and staff that have and will care for Koal, as well as the hospital, modern science and medicine and the time and place we live in that gives us the opportunity to give our son this chance at life, BUT, we are also SO thankful for the way everything has fallen into place for us to make this trip next week. God has given us an overwhelming sense of peace about the surgery, Koal’s recovery, the experts involved in his care, and all things concerning the procedures at Children’s Hospital Boston, along with all of the details of the trip: flights, accommodations, inner-city travel, care for Kade and Adry while we’re away, and ALL the logistics surrounding this venture. We are SO THANKFUL for so many of YOU for the ways you have supported and encouraged us, prayed for us and loved us through this time.  BUT, above all, we are thankful for Christ, our God and Savior…for His death and resurrection and gift of life with HIM. He is our strength and comfort, our source of peace and rest, and our loving, forgiving, life-giving Father.  

6 months

Our little man is 6 months old!  Here are some recent pics and the latest stats:

Weight:  13 lbs  1 oz  -- 0%

Length: 27 inches  -- 60^th%

He is long and skinny like Kade was (and is!), but is growing like he should.

We’re still not sleeping well, so that is a continued prayer request. Other than not sleeping, he is doing great though!  Koal loves to play on his belly and roll across the room. Kade and Adry (and Yukon!) make him laugh hysterically. He’s also SUPER ticklish and will screech if somebody’s getting his belly or neck! He got to try some sweet potatoes the other day and enjoyed them greatly! Hopefully he’ll continue to love the solids as we try new things.

And before I forget...HALLOWEEN!!

Here are a few pics from Koal’s first Halloween. Lots of fun for all!

Tiger Koal - nearly 6 months

Elmo Adry (2 yrs) and Green M&M Kade (3 yrs) with friend Tegegne

On the train!

T-minus ONE MONTH and counting...

Last week we finally schedule surgery with Dr. Pedro delNido at Children’s Hospital Boston for December 8^th! We will fly out the weekend before and Koal will spend December 5^th undergoing all his pre-op testing and procedures (EKG, echo, bloodwork, etc). Tuesday, the 6^th, he will have a sedated MRI, and after a day of rest in between, Thursday, December 8^th he will have the ‘double-switch’ procedure done (modified Senning-Rastelli) to repair his tiny little heart. We are so relieved to have it scheduled and to now begin working through the details of planning and preparing.  We are beyond thankful that my parents (Grammy and Tampa Baldwin) will come and stay with Kade and Adry while we are gone. “Relief” on weekends and whenever needed, will come from Adam’s family as well, and the kids will be THRILLED to bounce between all the grandparents for a few weeks! Please pray for all grandparents and aunts and uncles who will be helping out with the kiddos while we’re gone…taking care of my toddlers is no easy feat…so we cannot say THANKS enough!  Please pray for Kade and Adry, too, as time with us away may be difficult…but I actually have full confidence that they will be PLAYING constantly and living it up, rather than missing us much! J Who you REALLY should pray for is us, as I will miss those little stinkers SO MUCH!  I praise God for technology as I know we will get to skype and use the webcam often to keep in touch while we’re in Boston.

Here are some other ways to be praying as we prepare for Koal’s surgery:

*For Koal’s health. He MUST stay healthy before the surgery or it could be postponed or cancelled. For this reason we will likely quarantine ourselves the beginning of Thanksgiving week to keep him safe and well.

*For the doctors, nurses and staff that will manage Koal’s care while we are in Boston.

*For all details to fall into place with the planning for this trip. For God’s timing  and hand in scheduling flights, working out details on where to stay and how to travel within Boston as needed.

Thank you all, again, for your continued prayers and support.  God’s story is being told through Koal’s life, and this is only the beginning.  We pray it continues to bring Him glory.