Jan 31, 2010

Please continue to pray

This is a photo of Jenna & Jake.
They are baby Axel's parents.  Please keep them in your prayers as they learn to take care of a baby that has severe limitations.  Pray that they will understand what the doctors tell them about Axel's condition and the care he requires.

Good Eating: Potato-Broccoli-Cheese Soup


Potato-Broccoli-Cheese Soup
10 small russets, skin on, chopped into medium dice
2 Cans chicken broth
1 Can Evaporated Milk
1 pound or so Velveeta Cheese
1 pound or so frozen Broccoli Florets, cut small
1/2 pound Bacon diced & cooked crip

1.  Cook the potatoes in boiling water until fork tender
2.  Drain potatoes and mash them up a bit with a potatoes masher or fork
3.  Add broth and evaporated milk & return to a medium heat, it has milk in it so   keep an eye on it so the milk doesn't scorch
4.  Add the broccoli.
5.  Chunk cut the cheese and add to the pot. 

While the soup is simmering cook the bacon and drain well.

After all the cheese is melted give the soup a taste  and season with salt and pepper as needed.

Serve garnished with bacon, shredded cheddar, sour cream & chives as desired.

Enjoy!

This soup DOES NOT freeze well.  The texture will be changed and become grainy.

We Have Snow

Friday night snowing.
Friday night snow-wheel not snow ballD& S and their friend D built a small fort by cutting and lifting the frozen crust of snow and making bricksOf course 'Ah-ker'  (real name Oscar but my favorite little person cant' say the 's' yet)  had to investigate and try to mark it as his!!

It is now Sunday Morning, Januray 31 and it's still cold and frozen outside.  We are staying warm and crocheting, reading, watching movies...
Tomorrow it's back to school for us even if the rest of the town is snowed in.


Living in  the Piedmont of NC, we don't get much snow, so travel is not safe when we have it.  There are no snow tires, or chains.  Only the main roads get plowed and treated and we hunker down and wait.

When bad winter weather is called for a mad rush to the grocery stores and gas stations ensues.  When Hubby and I went to gas up both cars on Friday, (they really needed it, I was close to fumes)  we had to wait in line! 

If you're not used to the reaction to the weather, you 'll think everyone is crazy.  The stores run out of the basics as everyone rushes to stock up.

When we first moved to the area in 1982, I thought it was crazy.  I was used to the weather in PA and wondered why people almost paniced at the thought of a couple of snow days.

Now 28 years late I totally understand.  And I might even make a run to the store if I think I'm short on supplies.

Oh well, the kids enjoy the brief respite from normal NC winter weather and have a blast while the snow lasts.


Jan 28, 2010

Grim Prognosis

Maybe we were premature in rejoicing about little Axel's health.  No matter what our Father is still in control, this news has not taken Him by surprise.  And it is because of the peace thet only He can give that I am able to write calmly right now.

The news from the scan of Axel's head is very grim.  The hydrocephalus was so bad that his brain did not develop.  The neurosurgeon said he will be an infant all his life.

Jenna & Jake have a long road ahead of them.  It will only be by God's grace and mercy that they will be able to stay strong and be loving parents to this tiny baby.

Pray.  Pray.  Pray.

Not only for healing for Axel, but for his parents.  For his grandparents, uncles, aunts and cousins.  For strenght to face the long road ahead.  For peace and wisdom.  For the doctors treating him, for the hospital staff that care for him.

We don't know what lies ahead.  There will be more procedures and he has to maintain his body temperature and be feeding from a bottle before he can be brought home.

Jehovah -Rophe & Wonderful news on Baby Axel!


Abortion.



Get rid of your ‘problem’.


It’s just a blob.


Everything will be fine and you can go on with your life.

These are some of the lies that are spouted by the pro-abortion, freedom of choice, Planned Parenthood folks.

THEY ARE WRONG!!!

This summer my niece Jenna was told that the baby she was carrying had Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus.

The prognosis was very grim.

I fully expected this child to be severely handicapped. I wouldn’t have been surprised if he hadn’t lived. Even the last few weeks, when I heard that the ultrasounds showed that little Axel was moving and doing all the normal things that babies do in utero, I was still steeling myself and my kids for bad news at birth.

From all the original information Jenna received most people would have suggested abortion as the right thing to do. Reasons being, lack of quality of life, lack of funds, lack of ability to care for such a child.

I am completely horrified at the thought of abortion for any reason. When it was suggested to ME that maybe an abortion would be best for all involved and that Jenna should consider it I was disgusted with the thought.
To be honest, I thought that adoption was the best option for the same reasons.

But Jenna & Jake chose differently. They chose to raise this baby on their own. They chose to take the road less traveled.

And so when Axel Paul was born on January 26, it was discovered that the bulge on his neck that was thought to a very severe Spina Bifida, one that would possibly leave him blind, deaf, and probably nothing more than a vegetable is NOT Spina Bifida.

This little boy that could have been aborted because of potentially severe problems, was given life and it looks like his life will be so much better than we ever dreamed.

I told Jenna that I do not use the word awesome lightly. Truth is I never use it except in reference to GOD.

I’m using that word today! Axel’s good health can only be described as awesome. AWSOME because our awesome God, our JEHOVAH-ROPHE, our God who heals choose to touch this babe while still in his mothers womb and formed him without a severe handicap.

If that isn’t an AWESOME GOD then I don’t know what to call HIM.




Jan 27, 2010

Update on Axel

Just got word that baby Axel is having an MRI ( right now 1.40 pm)- and that they will be placing a shunt to deal with his hydrocephalus after the MRI.  There is also talk of placing a trach, but I don't understand the reasoning for that.

He is having a bit of problems, but compared to what we were told this summer it is obvious that he is soo much better than we anticipated.

For those of you who aren't aware this summer Jenna was told that he would most likely be a vegetable because of the severity of the Spina Bifida. Now we're looking forward to a much better outcome.  Please keep them in prayer as J&J learn to care for this precious child.  Caring for a newborn is tiring to the best of us and 

The problems he is having are:
  • Not sucking well, may have to have a feeding tube
  • Not swallowing well
  • Can't or won't open his mouth wide
I'm very encouraged though by the blessing our Father has bestowed on Jenna & Jake in bringing  Axel safely into the world and by his problems being less severe. Pray for them as they continue to learn what Axel's health issuse are and as they starty a new season of like called parenting.

Jenna is recovering nicely from the c-section and we anticipate her release on Friday or Saturday.

I'm a GREAT_AUNT


Axel Paul is here!


January 26,2010 @ 2.30 p.m.

7 pounds 9 ounces
19 inches tall

Very active with lots of hair…(is the hair curly) Looks like it might be!


We are waiting to here more from the neurosurgeon, but as far as I can see, little
Axel is in MUCH better health than we were expecting.

As I get more news I'll update it here.






Jan 24, 2010

Welcome Back....

... to church.  Because of our run with nasty "bugs" recently, we have not been to ANY church service since the Sunday just after Christmas.

That's a total of 3 Sunday School classes
                             3 Morning Worship Services
                                 3 Evening Worship Services
                                     and 3 Wednesday Night Prayer Meetings missed.


We probably could have gone last Sunday, but decided to stay out one more week just to make sure we were not carrying and more bugs.

Let me tell you, the folks at our church truly missed us.  They missed us for who we are and not for what we do.

It is so refreshing to be loved for who you are and not only for the work you do or the $$$ you give.

Today was a yucky day, gloomy, rainy, chilly...
                                       ....my heart and soul were warmed by the service of worship, by sweet grammas welcoming my kids back and telling them how much they were missed, by the preaching of the Word with sincerity and love. 


Matthew 5: 3-12


Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are they who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

Blessed are the meek, for they shall possess the earth.

Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for justice, for they shall be satisfied.

Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.

Blessed are the pure of heart, for they shall see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.

Blessed are they who suffer persecution for justice sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Our Pastor is preaching through the Beatitudes and today he preached on being merciful. 
Some might think that the preaching ends when the pastor finishe, the final hymn is sung and the benediction given.  Sometimes it does.  And that's a shame.  I believe it is something to guard against.

Today the sermon didn't end...
it went on during lunch and for a while after.

I don't mean an actual sermon was being preached at our table while we ate pizza, but that the Father continued to use the words that we had heard and we, the Gibson Family, continued to learn and absorb and discuss what we had heard.

I am so thankful for freedom to discuss whatever has pricked our heart.  Thankful for a husband and children who prod me , challenge me to think, ask questions and really strive to understand and learn.  I never imagined 20 years ago when we got married, that one day we would be raising two children to love and seek to serve the King of kings.

But here we are, and the growth and challenges are a part of life.  A life given to serving the King.  A life of striving to be merciful and to truly live out the gospel.









Jan 12, 2010

Sick, Sick, Sick


Sick, we are all sick.


Four cases of H1N1. (David, Susan, Daniel, Sarah)
To that add
1 case of Sinusitis, (David)
1 case of Pneumonia, (Daniel) both lungs
& 2 cases of Bronchitis (Sarah & David)

Then factor in:

1 Trip to the ER, (Daniel)
4 Trips to the Pediatrician (Daniel & Sarah)
2 Trips to the Internal Med. Doctor, (David & Susan)

Don’t forget:
4 prescriptions for antibiotics
2 prescriptions for inhalers
1 prescription of an expensive cough syrup
&1 breathing treatment at the ER

Plus:
Multiple trips to the store for things like,
Propel, to keep the children hydrated
Delsym, to soothe the cough
Mucinex, to relieve congestion
Bleach, to disinfect everything in site.


But now the end is in site.
Finally, after 14 days I think w are turning the corner and heading back toward healthy.

My advice?


GET. THE. FLU. AND. H1N1. VACCINE.










Jan 1, 2010

Migraine Update

I had my first apointment with my new neurologist yesterday.  She was very thorough in her questioning of my migraine history which goes back 20 some years. Trying to compare a headache from 20+ years ago  to recent ones was difficult but it helped her to understand me and my type(s) of headache.

I say types because Dr. H. believes that I have 2 types going on. First the Classic Migraine which I get a few times a year. I also have what is called Rebound Headache. This headache is a milder, there all the time, won’t go away no matter what I do, nagging, wearing me down type of headache.
I had heard of Rebound Headache. I knew what caused it. I have even tried to get out of the cycle myself. What I didn’t know was it could take 6 to 8 weeks for my body to detox from all the Tylenol that I had been taking to treat my milder headaches.

Tylenol causes Rebound Headache. And I had been taking WAY TOO MUCH.

Here’s the plan: STOP all products with acetaminophen immediately!

Second part of the plan:
  • Taper off one of the preventive meds.  This is good because it has the potential for causing kidney stones and I have a history of kidney stones.
  • Increase another preventive med
  • Get a head and neck MRI
  • See her back in 4 weeks to evaluate how things are going
I intend to do the following during this time:
  1. Be very diligent about avoiding food additives.
  2. Keep a written record of what I eat, weather, anything else that can have an effect on my headaches.
  3. Avoid acetaminophen as diligently as I avoid MSG.

So, now I have a Doctor who understands what is going on is willing to work with me and actually seems to care about me as a person as well as a patient