Bee: Carrier of Wisdom, delicate physique

 The busiest time of year The end of July marks the end of the summer for most teachers. AUGUST starts one of the busiest times of year for teachers as we get back to our classrooms and plan for the upcoming year.  It can be exciting, but also stressful at the same time.  We are given one week to go over all the safety procedures, get plans ready, get our rooms ready for open house and first day of school, go over important paperwork for students and ourselves and listen to our administration go and on about rock bands or Shakespeare and how it relates to the important work we do each and every day.  😜 Evey has been busy getting ready to go home as well! It's officially bee season and she has made so much progress she is officially on the step down unit. One could say that she is on her way to her beehive.  S oon Joshua and I will be learning how to take care of her at home.  We will be relearning cpr, learning how to take her pulse, learning how to insert...

The Cross is the symbol of God's love.   As Christians, the Cross is a part of our faith. Some could say it's central to our faith.  It's the thing we (should) cling on to when things get tough. This past week has been nothing but tough. It's been a rollercoaster of ups and downs both physically for Evey and emotionally for me and Joshua.  She was intubated, extubated and intubated again all within a week. The doctors thought she was starting to be in a good position to get a CTA on Thursday 7/13 ( a 3D map of her heart to show the surgeons how to do the stent procedure) then get a stent the next day.  On Wednesday, 7/12, she had a great day, she was alert, her numbers looked good and she even got into the Mamaroo to be rocked some.  She was on 100% oxygen and nitrate through a high flow cannula. She was lifting her head in the bassinet a lot so we were thinking propping her up in the mamaroo would appease her and it did.  She loved it! She was sucking...

"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”  Joshua 1:9 "Be strong, Be brave, Be kind" is a quote on our boys' wall. I love reciting it in my head and it is something I have recited to Evey when I leave her for the day: Be strong, be brave, we love you".  She has come a long way since she was born.  Her goal was to be and stay 5.5 pounds or more before they could place her stent in her heart. We came to visit her on July 2nd (her 1 month birthday) and she was just under 5.5 lbs. I told her to eat all the food so that she could be 5.5lbs by July 4th.  We got the call on July 3rd that we had a room at the Ronald McDonald House, so we packed everything up and came to Durham on July 4th. In my heart I knew something was going to happen and me being hopeful, I was hoping that within the next two weeks she could possibly get her stent and be on her way home! On J...