Yesterday I talked about Skipper the cat and how cats (and dogs) love to lie on the floor in the path of sunbeams. Especially on cold winter days, that sunbeam can warm you right up despite the snow and cold outside. As I was thinking about my favorite cat Skipper, other pictures of him came to mind so that I can expand yesterday’s story.

While Skipper was in my care, there apparently was a cold winter day that did not include sunshine or sunbeams. The house was cold and the only light coming in from outside was gray and dreary cold. I suppose people can feel that way too at times. Life can be cold and dark. We might think there is no light or warmth to be found. But Skipper knew that warmth could always be found:

That kitty had to squeeze his furry body between the couch and the wall, right next to a heater vent, where he stretched out and let the forced heat roast his tummy. He actually looks like he’s plugged himself in, like a big rechargeable battery pack, to allow his belly to absorb and store up some heat for later. What a lesson for us, Skipper! You found some warmth – just like we should know that we can always find God in the midst of trouble and cold. We might have to search and stretch ourselves a little but God is there to warm us up and bring us peace.

Psalm 118:27 The Lord is God, and he has made his light shine on us.
Isaiah 60:19b for the LORD will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory.

So then I came across another picture of Skipper.

I didn’t realize it until today, but would you check out that pillow behind Skipper. I took the picture originally because he looked so darn cute. But if you are like me, you’d give anything to be able to sleep as peacefully as Skipper is in that picture. He’s all warm and comfy, almost literally on a bed of roses, and totally relaxed and peaceful. Looks wonderful. If we could only totally trust in God and have faith that He will be with us every step of the way, we could sleep like that.
Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.
So here’s to living more like a cat. Ha ha! Always looking for the light and warmth of God and totally trusting in Him so that we may have peace … and a good night’s sleep!
That would be purr-fect!
Just Laurel

No room at Children’s Hospital again today. We could go any time though – even throughout the night.

I asked the doctors here if we weren’t waiting to get to Children’s, then what would be the plan for Amanda. So here’s the scoop. Even though her CO2 was down today, it still is at a dangerously high level. She is also using 3L. of oxygen during the day – so she is currently oxygen dependent. They are watching to see if the CO2 level can get down to normal levels. They are afraid if she goes home, it would work its’ way back up. When CO2 levels in the blood get too high you can go into cardiac arrest. The doctor feels that Amanda’s multiple handicaps, small size, and all the other contributing factors have just worn her down through the years. He doesn’t expect a full recovery – that she’s been breathing with comprimised lungs for a time now and it’s finally catching up to her. From my perspective, I believe there is a contributing factor – the neurological issue – that has contributed to her problems. It is my gut feeling that until I rule out any breathing problems due to central nervous system issues (like a plugged shunt or a Chiari issue – see previous blogs if you don’t know what this is) I will not accept that her lungs are failing her.

So that is why we are still here and not waiting at home. The doctors are respecting my desire to go to her previous Neurologist to check out those issues and even stated that there are good pulmonary doctors at Children’s. He also said he’d be happy to talk to them. If there are no contributing Neurological problems that we can fix then we have to go back to dealing with strictly a pulmonary problem.

So I slept at home last night while Ted stayed at the hospital.  Wait – no – scratch that – I didn’t sleep.  I think I passed out.  I was so exhausted I think I was asleep before my head hit the pillow.

No phone calls through the night and no news is good news.  Actually, just spoke to Ted and he said pretty much that it was a quiet night.  She is slowing making ground.  I will be heading over to the hospital soon so that Ted can come home and rest and work a little.

So I must catch you up on the other two daughters.  Kristen is happy at work with her new job.  Thanks to all who prayed for her.  And Jillian has her white coat ceremony today.  For those who don’t know – when you are a freshman student at a medical school, they have a ceremony for the new class that is starting.  After settling into life in St. Kitts, she gets her white coat from Ross Veterinary School today.  They’ve been touring the island this past week.  Now it’s down to business and studying studying studying.

Continued prayers for Amanda please as she travels the road to wellness.

just Laurel

Just got home from the hospital after spending the night with Amanda.  We were hoping IV antibiotics, steroids, and bi-pap with oxygen would start to kick in and blow off this pneumonia.  Blood work from 6am to 11am showed things worsening so Amanda is in ICU with a breathing tube.  When she heard that she was going to be intubated, Amanda got super angry and started pounding her fists on the table.  I don’t blame her.  It’s not fun.  It’s not fun watching it being done to your daughter either.  Ted and I are both tired and numb.

I can still count the blessings.  Thank goodness we didn’t move her out to Canton where the distance would have exacerbated this whole predicament.  Thankful for a wonderful December full of family, friends, and Christmas celebrations.  So glad it happened on a Saturday under mine and Ted’s watch AND that it wasn’t a weekday where Ted was gone to Indiana.  So glad that we got her to the hospital right from the start – she had no symptoms until yesterday morning (that we could see any ways) except her being quite sleepy and tired over the past week.

Ted and I are fine – we make a great team from years of handling the hospital juggling vigil.  It’s not something you want to be good at.

just Laurel

This has to be a quicky blog … before I get back to the hospital.

Amanda hasn’t been feeling well and this morning she was not well at all.  When we checked her oxygen level with the pulse oximeter we have, she was satting way down in the 60’s and her breathing was rough and raspy – like she was drowning.  Yeah.  Off to the ER we went.

Definitely looks like pneumonia (again) but I guess we caught it early.  They hooked her up to a round of strong antibiotics and gave her a breathing treatment.  We have to spend the night but good chance of coming home tomorrow.

Not what I expected.

just Laurel

Have you read “Amanda, Perfectly Made”?  Yeah – ya know that dragon I wrote about.  Darn if he didn’t swoop low and catch us off-guard.

(This blog is the twelfth in the series about “Countdowns” as I count down to Amanda’s moving out and count down to the Celebration Concert.)

Sorry, readers, for not blogging for 2 days.  Thursday I had surgery on my hand so I was a little mentally foggy from anesthetic drugs as well as incapacitated by a large dressing on my hand that made typing a tedious challenge.  But surgery was all good and by the afternoon Ted and I were able to sign all the papers for Amanda’s apartment and get the keys.  That was all we were able to accomplish.

On Friday, the living room furniture was delivered to the apartment.  It looks great!  Amanda got a bit excited too.  But no more moving of stuff – still waiting for staff to get the ‘ok’ to start working.  We’re almost there folks.  Really.  Not that it took long.  It took years for us to get this far!  From thinking about moving her out, to checking out all the possibilities, to actually committing and seeing all the necessary pieces come together.  Whew.

So, the countdown is done for her moving out.  I will certainly keep you updated.

And the final countdown now is ONE DAY to the Celebration concert!  Tomorrow at 4pm folks at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Trenton.  Stop by if you can!  There will be some good music.  About an hour long.

And, our final song?  It’s called “Born is the King.”  I love this song and really tend to sing it quite enthusiastically.  It is just happy and joyful.

So lift up your voice and sing out His praise, it’s Christmas!
Born is the King, rejoice in the day, it’s Christmas!
Make a joyful sound, it’s Christmas!
Let His praise resound, it’s Christmas!

Thanks for joining me in this countdown blog series.  Hope to see you at the concert!

Then I will have to change directions and get the ‘ole creative juices flowing to see what I can come up with for my readers.

Hope all is well.

just Laurel

I don’t like bugs.  I would rather find a mouse in my house – than a big spider … or a centipede … or earwigs.  (Eeww)  If you walk into a room and there’s a mouse, he at least has the common sense to scamper and hide.  Bugs don’t.

Now I know that some bugs are beneficial to man-kind.  I read that the centipede actually will eat just about any other kind of insect – so they really are great to have in the basement.  Really??  We get visits from centipedes from time to time in the basement.  They are UGLY.  I try to strike a bargain with them.  I tell them they can eat as many bugs as they wish, just don’t let ME see them.  They are supposed to hide when they hear me coming.  They don’t.  I usually spray them with whatever I can grab (Windex, or GooGone – what ever is closest) or I smack them with whatever I can grab.  It’s really gross because those thousands of legs go flying everywhere.  I mean – I have to smack ’em dead, ya know!

We currently have this big fat spider outside of Amanda’s window.  I have provided a picture for you.  Amanda has decided it’s a ‘she’ and has named her Charlotte (yeah – not so original) but we have been fascinated watching her.  She’s been there a couple of weeks now.  She is a good spider because she is OUTside – where she belongs.  I can appreciate her as long as she keeps the window between us.  And I have enjoyed watching her build her webs, capture and eat her prey (gross – but resourceful), and grow big and fat.  Charlotte is actually quite beautiful if you take the time to really look at her.  Especially as she is getting so large – she is easier to view with the naked eye.

I am getting worried about our spider now.  It is getting cold at night and I don’t know how long she will last.  As other bugs die off, that means her food supply is dwindling.  And pretty soon we will have a frost and I don’t believe she will survive that.  I don’t know.  I guess I am just finally accepting of her, and look for her every day.  And as long as she stays OUTside, I have the greatest respect for her.

So I don’t mean to wax poetic about the noble life of a spider, but I think I can take this interesting arachnid and share a lesson here.  Perhaps you have people in your life that are a little ‘eeww’ – they may even bug you (pun – haha).  But for people who are different from us, I think if we just take the time to observe them a little, and maybe look for what makes them beautiful, we will find that they aren’t quite so bad or unlikable.

I just don’t understand how the bugs that DO get in the house know when Ted’s not home – and decide to surprise me every where.

Ick.

just Laurel

If you want to live and thrive, let the spider run alive.  ~American Quaker Saying