God doesn't give us more than we can handle?!?

Sam had a wonderful week last week! He went to school four days in a row and seemed to feel really well too. We continue to struggle with feeding! I received a phone call on Friday afternoon from Sam's GI doctor indicating that they would like to put in a feeding tube. Sam is having an endoscopy and a colonoscopy on Feb 9th and he would like to also put the g-tube in at that time. This is a huge decision for us since we have worked so hard to avoid this the last five years. We know that there are positives and negatives to both sides. Please pray that we make the right decision for Sam.

Sam has been a handful the last two months and we don't know if it is due to stomach upset, hunger, sinus problems or ? When he is irritable he is extremely strong! This picture is Jeff after he lost a battle with Sam. I believe this time it was a run in between Jeff's nose and Sam's foot! We definitely have to have our defenses up when he is frustrated! He does have his good days, but it can change from hour to hour. His smile still helps to make the challenging days easier!

Back in School/Caregivers Conference

Praise the Lord! Sam has had two wonderful days in a row! He has gone to school and laughed and giggled most of the last two days. We are so thankful when he has a good day that it almost makes us forget about all of the challenging ones. Please pray that Sam continues to feel well and that his sleep habits improve so we can all catch up on our rest.

Today I attended a caregivers conference which was a bit helpful, but mostly applied to individuals who were caring for a spouse or aging parent. I was the youngest person in attendance and the only person with a child who has special needs. During the afternoon session the speaker opened it up to people to share their challenges in finding ways to care for themselves. I managed to stump the expert on caregiving with our situation! Go figure! Sam has defied all the odds thus far and continues to challenge those around him. The verdict is still out on coming up with a way to find time for ourselves! Our Motto: ONE DAY AT A TIME AND SOMETIMES ONE HOUR AT A TIME! Oh, and thank the Lord for humor!!!!

Health Challenges!

The last month has been full of health challenges with Sam! After 3 1/2 weeks on antibiotics, we ended up with three days of antibiotic shots this week! Not fun for any of us. He seems to be doing much better and hopefully we are in the clear for awhile. After losing almost three pounds, the GI Dr. decided we needed to put Sam through some tests. Last week Sam had a video swallow and lots of X-Rays to check on his GI system. On Feb 9th we will be spending the day in the hospital. He is going to have an endoscopy and a colonoscopy to rule out any complications. This will not be fun since he will have to be under general anesthesia. Hopefully, we will receive some helpful information. The good news is that Sam has not had a seizure in two months! We are waiting to hear the results of the GI tests before we decide if we are going to Rochester at the end of February or putting it off until spring. We are not certain if the seizure meds are causing the complications with Sam's tummy problems or not. Sam has also not been sleeping and he has started a habit of beginning his day around 3:00 AM!!!! This is exhausting for his parents. Please pray for Sam's health, his sleeping habits and that the tests go well. Also, please pray for Jeff and myself that life gets a bit calmer! We could really use a break!

Christmas Pictures