The Land of the Living

Hey Good Lookin'!


We have seen...



and discovered...

a lotta-bit of...

our Eli's personality, this week.

It has been a great week this week. I am remembering what it feels like when you get adequate sleep. I felt normal this week, and motivated as well. It all started last Saturday, when Eli came down with a respiratory virus. He had been having a good week before (not great, bot better) and then this virus hit and he had trouble breathing. So, we had to put him on an oral steroid to get him opened up. Most of you who know me know that I hate medicine, especially prednisone. But, I also concede when I know there is an emergency with health. But I will try to find any other way before I use those kind of strong medications. I am one of those "mean" parents that won't even give my kids fever reducer meds, like ibuprofen, unless it gets way too high for too long. I believe fever is a good sign, it is. It means the body is fighting the invader. If we supress the fever we supress the immune system trying to do it's job. I have found that when I don't use those reducers, they fight the bug quicker and more effectively, and it usually doesn't go into infection either. Fevers actually make our immune systems stronger. But, I digress. I guess I just believe that God created and designed our bodies to do things and I don't want to interfere with the process. But, in saying that, I also know that sometimes intervention is necessary, because we live in a broken world and sometimes are bodies don't respond like they should because of our environment and nutritional state. At least, that is what I believe. So, I didn't hesitate to give Eli the steroids. And, not only did they help his airways, it cleared up the rest of the eczema and gave him the best week of his life--he was even able to eat cheese!! .He looks amazing, feels amazing, and has the most beautiful, sparkly eyes I have ever seen. WE gave him his last dose this morning--bittersweet, for sure. Basically, he is a sight for sore eyes. I know this is the drugs, so it is hard for me to believe he will not regress when he is done with the round. But, I am remaining hopeful. Because, I do believe we have been working on the "heart" of the problem, not just treating the symptom. At least, I hope we are. We have all slept through the night this week, and that, accompanied by the fact that I am not walking on eggshells wondering when he will start scratching (which is part of the exhaustion) has given us a wonderful week. Things piled up around our house, and emotions have been all over the place for the last couple months. But this week, I have done about 12 loads of laundry, sorted through winter and summer clothes, de-cluttered the entire house, enjoyed playing and schooling my other 2, yelled a whole lot less, smiled a lot more, and enjoyed every minute with a happy little Eli, who got to actually wear shorts!! I have even taken notice of things that have been brought to my attention, like the fact that Alexis has been eating pencil erasers and Aaron had not taken a bath in over a week. Yes, that is how it has been around here. Survival. I think my kids actually like me again. And I think I like them, too. They ARE sweet children who just needed a little attention and TLC! It is amazing what having a sick child can do to a family. BUT, I count my blessings, because I could have a child, like this precious baby Jonah, who has a disease called Epidermolysis Bullosa and will live life covered in painful blisters. OR, this sweet boy Stellan, who has been living life going in and out of SVT (high heart rate) for the past month, and may face a difficult heart surgery that most Dr.'s don't typically want to do until the child is over 3 years old--he is only 5 months old. I imagine their parents would much rather be dealing with eczema. And so, I am grateful. And I hope to better praise our Lord during the times of trial, because these parents, facing what they face--life, death, and suffering--sure do a good job of praising the Lord through their storm. So, if the rashes come back and he reacts to cheese again when he is off the meds, we will carry our cross without complaint, and wait on the Lord, thankful for this week of "normal" and hopeful for more weeks like this to come--without the roids, preferably!

Oh, and don't worry, after daddy made certain, due to a little scare tactic (sometimes those are necessary) Lexi will not be feasting on pencil erasers anymore--no matter how "yummy" they are! What???

And gotten lots of kisses!