New Blog for Nathanael

We recently started fundraising with COTA to cover Nathanael's medical expenses, so updates about him will be on his new blog from now on: www.COTAforNathanaelB.com. Please check out the blog, pictures, and opportunities to help, and feel free to pass along the link to others. We appreciate your concern!

Thursday, February 4, 2010

Two weeks! (by Bree)

One of my parents' favorite movies is "Money Pit", a silly 80's flick starring Tom Hanks and Shelly Long about a couple whose relationship barely survives their purchase and remodeling of a poorly-built but beautiful house. Whenever they ask the builders, who seem like shady guys, how long the project is going to take the answer is the same: "Two weeks!" Well, of course, the project drags on for months, and when it's done, it seems that so is their relationship. But the builder reminds them that no matter how much work they had to do on the house, the foundation was good, and that made everything else worthwhile, and in the end they get married, having worked through their conflicts.
So, why am I rambling about this? If I had written this post when the thought crossed my mind the other day, it would have been two weeks until Brad and Jamison's arrival here in Cincinnati, so the phrase, "Two weeks, two weeks..." keeps coming to mind. Of course, the lesson about a solid foundation is also encouraging, as we are reminded that Jesus is our foundation, and that He cannot be moved. At this point I hope that nothing sets back their departure plans, but barring any illnesses we should all be together in LESS than two weeks. YAY! That will bring to a close this chapter of our journey that will have lasted for 3 1/2 months.
I think that one thing that kept me going during those long days in November and early December was the hope that Brad and Jamison would visit us for Christmas, and then the hope that they would visit us in January, and then February. Even though the date of their visit became a moving target, it was good for me to have started this journey not knowing how long this separation would be. But now we're at less than two weeks, and we are all so excited to get back together! When I told Jamison on the phone the other day that he and Daddy were going to come to Ohio to stay with Nathanael and I, and we would all go home together, his response was something like, "Just like the zebra in Madagascar! He left home and his friends went to get him, and they all went home together!" I was sure that Brad or Joyce had made that connection for him when they'd watched the movie a week or two earlier, but after talking with them I realized that the analogy was all his own...I was so proud! He has also started asking for hugs via skype, so I know he's missing me too, and when we finally all see each other next Saturday there will be lots of hugs and plenty of tears.

Please continue to pray for us. Nathanael is doing really well, but we have not been able to decrease his tube-feedings as I had hoped we could, since the tapering of his steriods has adversely affected his appetite. Pray that he would eat well, that he would be well-hydrated, that he would nap and sleep well, and that he would continue to show no signs of Graft vs. Host disease. Pray also for his continued protection from viruses and bacteria, especially with the addition of his big brother to our household. (Kids can manage to find germs anywhere, and generally present the greatest risk to their immuno-compromised siblings.) We also want to be sure that we teach Jamison to wash his hands without creating an OCD-like pattern. We need to find some balance in all of this. :)

1 comment:

  1. Oh Bree, I am so happy to hear your family will soon be reunited!!!!!!!!
    I can't wait to see pics of the family together. Praying daily for engraftment, no GVHD, and for Nathanel to start eating.
    Love,
    Melissa Merriman

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