Emma

Pete and I went to the receiving of friends for Emma last night. Everything was just beautiful...perfect! Emma looked just like a little doll. She was wearing a white dress and she had the Peace of the Lord on her face...so sweet! What a blessing she has been to her family...and what joy we'll experience when we all met up again...Emma, Gus and the families!!

Arrangements for Emma Cody

Emma Faye Cody

b. 1-2-2006

d. 7-27-2006

Receiving friends Sunday evening, July 30, 2006, at Farrar's Funeral Home Chapel, Jefferson City, from 6:00-8:00, services to follow at 8:00 p.m.

Interment on Monday, July 31, 2006, at 11:00 a.m., in Economy Cemetary, West Economy Road, Morristown.

In lieu of flowers, the family request that donations be made to the

Emma Cody Benefit Fund at Community National Bank in Jefferson City or Morristown, or mail to P.O. Box 1919, Morristown, Tn. 37816,

Bill Pearson, Treas.

Emma has pneumonia...

so please pray that this will clear soon! Continue to pray for her family too...this is certainly a long roller coaster ride and they especially need prayers and encouragement.

Samuel Travis Lewis

Samuel was born several days ago. He has a hole in his heart that needs to close...I think this may be a PDA but I'm not certain. Gus had a PDA that reopened after his first bout with sepsis and he had to have his closed surgically. As of this morning, the doctor feels like Samuel's hole has closed...further testing will show if that has happened. Please pray for this little guy and for his family too...I know the terrified feeling you have when soemthing is not "right" with your child! I imagine his mommy and daddy are quite worried....

Grayson Update

Look at this big boy sitting up on the couch! He is a real cutie!!

Grayson has been a little fussy here lately but other than that he is doing well. I did get an e-mail from his mommy saying that she may have a sitter for him...I need to check back with her to find out if this is going to work out. That would be a praise if it does...moms and dads need to get out!!

Please continue to pray for Grayson:

• 
  
  that his shoulder will continue to heal and not be so painful
  
  


• 
  
  that his reflux will not be so hard on him
  
  

Praise Items For Grayson!

Grayson had a really good visit to the dermatologist! He cried just a little bit when his hemangioma was cleaned but after that he calmed down. Also, Grayson's mom ran into a cousin that has offered to babysit Grayson!! I'm so excited for this family!!

I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth. (Psalm 34:1)

Long Over Due Update on Emma

Emma continues to hold her own. She has had a broviac line placed so the doctors and nurses can give her meds without having to perform so many sticks. This will be good for Emma. The surgeon was concerned at first, but went home, thought about it and returned to successfully place the line!

Here's a quick list of prayer requests for Emma:

Broviac will remain open and working and infection free
that Emma can be weaned of the paralytic med
that Emma can start eating again so that new lunf tissue will grow
that Emma's mom can remain encouraged and continue to be a wonderful advocate for her daughter!

Continued Urgent Prayer Needed!!!!

From Emma's CarePage:

July 11, 2006 at 11:31 AM EDTemma is still very sick her o2 will not stay up (it is going in the teens at times and staying there even when they bag her) all dr bucheitt said today is that he is very concerned and that this is the sickest she has ever been please pray for emma

URGENT Prayer Request for Emma!!!

This was just posted on Emma's CarePage site:

from Nana (Carole) Emma has had a VERY bad night....I got here at 10:30 last evening and she was desating into the 20's and 30's. The doctors and nurses would work with her and she would get better for a while and then her stats would drop down again. We called Jessica about 3:30 this morning and she took Gracie to Bapa (David) and came on down. The doctors are continuing to work and try to help her...they have tried different types of ventilators and oscillators, and lots of different meds. She is now on the ventilator and Nitric. They have started antibiotics, and checked her blood gases just about hourly. The doctor came by right before I came out to update the carepage and said her last blood gases looked a little better. I would like to ask everyone to please intercede for Emma, Jessica and the rest of the family today and pray for God to give each one of us the strength to carry on. AGAIN, A HUGE THANK YOU TO THE DOCTORS, NURSES, RESPITORY THERAPISTS, AND ALL OF THE OTHER WONDERFUL PEOPLE WHO WORK IN THE NICU. YOUR DEDICATION, SUPPORT, AND CARING ARE WONDERFUL. Please excuse any typos....it has been a long night. Thank you for your prayers, notes of encouragement, and all of the other wonderful outpourings of love you have given us.

Grayson Update

Grayson has not had a good day....his visit to the dermatologist to take care of his hemangioma resulted in three hours of crying...for him and probably for his mom too!! Let's surround this little guy with lots of prayer...let's ask God to heal this hemangioma so Grayson is not in so much pain. Let's also pray for a babysitter for Grayson so errands can be ran...and dates can be taken, etc. This is not an easy life folks but these kids are such blessings....Grayson's mom is certainly aware of this!!

Emma Update

Emma went through her trach surgery and all went well. They are letting her slowly gain strength in her lungs and not worry so much about weaning off the vent quickly. Emma is now 6 months old!! She may be moving to a less noisy part of the NICU...I think she and her mom will like that a lot. We enjoyed staying back in that corner when Gus was in the NICU. Please continue to pray for Emma and her family....6 months in the NICU is a loooooooooong time!

Congratulations...

to Grayson! He no longer is on the apnea monitor! This is great news and a huge praise item. Continue to pray for Grayson as he visits the dermatologist tomorrow and the rehab doctor on Friday. I know one less appointment is wonderful for the whole family!! I'm so tickled for the Ledfords'!! You can visit Grayson's Carepage site at www.carepages.com then type in graysonledford.

Urgent Prayer request for Emma

Emma is not having a good day. Her ventilator settings are high...her lungs need to be getting stronger. Please pray that God will heal this sweet little girl's lungs. Pray also for her mom...it is so tough seeing your child so sick.

Meet Grayson!

Isn't he just the cutest little fellow?? He looks so squeezable!! Grayson is a "26 weeker" who started out weighing only 1 lb. 12ozs.!! Preemie babies quite often experience a lot of different complications...Grayson is no exception. Reflux has been an issue for Grayson and he and his family need prayers for his healing. There's a lot of "work" that goes into taking care of a baby with reflux...there are several different medications and usually a gazillion different formulas have to be tried. Grayson's mom is dedicated to taking excellent care of him but I know from experience that this lifestyle can be quite tiring...so prayers for Grayson's mom would be nice too!! He also has a hemangioma which can be very painful...pray also that this heals soon.

Grayson's Prayer List:

• 
  
  Reflux situation alleviated
  
  


• 
  
  Hemangioma healed
  
  


• 
  
  Rest and Peace for Grayson's family
  
  

Here are some links about hemangiomas:

http://www.healthline.com/adamcontent/hemangioma

http://www.umm.edu/ency/article/001459.htm

Emma Update

Please remember to pray for little Emma and her mom. Today she was able to jump off the ventilator for a short time. She was not able to breathe well so now the doctors are talking about a trach. My heart really goes out not only to Emma but to her mom too. It is so hard seeing other babies around you getting better and going home...sometimes to parents who do not seem fit. It reminds me of something my dear mother-in-law always said..."There ain't much fair in this ol' world." Boy...that's the truth!! So, when you are praying for Emma, please remember to pray for her mom too.

Welcome!

Welcome to our new blog! Pete and I hope that you will visit us often and check out what Gus' Gang is doing. We are excited about this ministry and we look forward to encouraging families with chronically ill children. If you know of a family that you think needs to be encouraged by Gus' Gang please let us know!

Take a look...

at sweet Emma Cody!

Emma has set up residence in the East Tennessee Children's Hospital NICU...she's been there since January 2, 2006! She is a micro-preemie and is loved dearly by her family and her nurses. Right now Emma needs prayers for her lungs to heal, for her fundo to work and for protection of her bowels. Please also pray for Emma's big sister, Gracie. Times like these are very hard on siblings...let's shower this precious family with prayers!!

I'm a sucker for sucker pictures!!

Five for Friday...Grayson

Here's five pictures of the always cute Grayson! Grayson has been doing well lately...not so fussy. He has had some meds changed and this seems to be making a huge difference. Please continue to pray for Grayson and his family...they are still dealing with his hemangioma.

Look what a big boy Grayson is...holding his head up like that!!

OK...so who doesn't want to scoop this little guy up and cover him with "sugars"??

I wonder if Grayson's big sister Olivia was around...I bet so because he's got a good grin going!!

This is Grayson's hemangioma. You can see why it would be tough to deal with...nonetheless, he and his mom are troopers and they are doing what's necessary to make him comfortable. He continues to have laser treatments for the hemangioma...surgery may be necessary in the future.

Judi....Thank you so much for allowing me to post pictures of Grayson...it is a privilege to do so! Grayson's mom and dad have entered the blog world with their very own blogs...go visit them when you can!

Mommy of Two

That's No Hill For A Climber

CURRENT WISH LIST

Fabric…scraps or yardage, does not need to be kid prints.
Tea sets…for children. We’ll be sending these to siblings.
Cards…happy, encouraging cards!
Volunteers to help cut fabric
E-mail me if you can help us out with any of these requests and I'll get back with you concerning a "pick-up" place and time!

Thanks in advance!

Prayer for Emma

Isn't this such a sweet picture of Emma sleeping! She is such a doll...I would have a hard time not "squeezing" her!! (((((Emma))))).....sending hugs your way!!

We need to say extra prayers for Emma's tummy right now. She also has gone back up on her vent settings and is taking a bit of steroids...pray that these steroids will do their job and led Emma to healthier lungs!

Here's a quick list:

• 
  
  tummy issues resolved
  
  


• 
  
  be able to wean on vent settings
  
  


• 
  
  that the steroids will be effective
  
  

The Strength of an Egg

I found this story over at Lisa's CB site.

The Strength of an Egg

by Juliet Freitag

Parents of children with cancer, or really any serious condition, are often referred to or viewed as having strength "like a rock." Albiet flattering,it isn't quite true. It is more like the strength of an egg. An egg, you ask? Yes!



If you'll think about it, you'll see my point. An egg has a polished, smooth outer appearance, with no cracks or weak spots visible. It seems almost inconceivable that the inside might not be so smooth or solid.



Most children, at some point are shown the famous egg trick. An egg set at just the right angle can withstand enormous amounts of pressure and cannot be cracked or broken. Yet the same egg, tapped gently at an ever slightly different angle, will break. The contents, once so neatly concealed, will come spilling out. The no longer perfect shell will be crushed. It looks so fragile that it seems inconceivable that it ever held any strength.



A rock, on the other hand, is solid all the way through. To break it is almost impossible. If you succeed, you will find that there is nothing inside but more rock.



It takes a lot more than pure hardness to hold the hand of hope. Parents of [medically fragile] children are not solid all the way through. We hurt, we fear, we cry, we hope. It takes a very careful balancing act to keep the shell from being shattered. "Balancing an egg" while running a household, going for doctors' visits and hospital stays, keeping the family together, and holding on to the constantly unraveling ties of your sanity can be very tricky indeed! Occasionally, the angle will be off and the shell will break, shattering hope and all the neatly secured appearances of a truly fragile existence.



Unlike Humpty Dumpty, though, parents of [medically fragile] kids will pick themselves up and put themselves back together again.