I'm really liking this tag team thing...

This is David- We hope that everyone had a great day today, at least we know that Grace did.  Grace had the nasal canulas put on last night, which she is able to tolerate much better.  She got pretty feisty and twitchy last night from her withdrawals, so they went back up on some of the sedation that they had tried to wean her on, but they started over again this morning and she has been able to come off of more sedation with less agitation (she is still getting regular doses of adivan and methadone).  She began the morning with being on 7 liters of oxygen in the hi-flow nasal canulas and is now on only 4 liters, so they will probably be able to transition to low-flow canulas in the morning.  Even though there has been a lot of changes for Grace, all of her numbers (blood pressure, heart rate, oxygen saturations, atrial pressures) are still doing well.  The only negative development for Grace is that she has developed a fever of 102 that has stayed the same all day, even though they are giving her tylenol pretty regularly.  They took blood and urine cultures on her today to see if there is any infections brewing.  Please pray that the fever is just related to withdrawals or a non-issue and not due to an infection.  Thank you for always praying for us.  We can't imagine going through this experience without all of the thoughts and prayers of everyone!

"Look Village, no mask!!!  I'm just trying to ditch these heavy narcotics that I've been on and it's rough, but I'm tough!!!"

I (Kristi) am fighting the temptation to edit David's above post because it sounds so "optimistic" and that makes me a little anxious.  We know all to well that "the wheels can fall off" in a matter of seconds, so the fact that things are going well right now, doesn't guarantee that by the time I hit "publish," the situation will not have take a drastic turn.  I will fight the temptation to think that things can't possibly go good (especially for a couple days in a row) and instead choose to praise God for the blessings and answer to prayer that is right before my eyes.  After all the bible says "Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble." Even more convicting and applicable, the bible also says "And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?"… and I would add, or add a single hour to sweet Gracie Doo's span of life? So instead, I will focus on…

I have a sort of funny story for you…  There have been times that I have cried out to the Lord, while soaking the arm of David's shirt with my tears during a tight embrace, because the uncertainty and fear of losing Grace was almost too much to bear and I couldn't understand why we "couldn't catch a break."  It is during those times that God has used David to remind me of some powerful verses that were spoken to Job as he walked through a storm of suffering that is hard to even fathom…  

Now, I know this is a long quote, but please at least read the first paragraph or two, so that you get the picture (it will be very helpful in the story that follows :-).

***this is from the Message Bible (I just love this interpretation)...

Where were you when I created the earth?
    Tell me, since you know so much!
Who decided on its size? Certainly you’ll know that!
    Who came up with the blueprints and measurements?
How was its foundation poured,
    and who set the cornerstone,
While the morning stars sang in chorus
    and all the angels shouted praise?
And who took charge of the ocean
    when it gushed forth like a baby from the womb?
That was me! I wrapped it in soft clouds,
    and tucked it in safely at night.
Then I made a playpen for it,
    a strong playpen so it couldn’t run loose,
And said, ‘Stay here, this is your place.
    Your wild tantrums are confined to this place.’

12-15 “And have you ever ordered Morning, ‘Get up!’
    told Dawn, ‘Get to work!’
So you could seize Earth like a blanket
    and shake out the wicked like cockroaches?
As the sun brings everything to light,
    brings out all the colors and shapes,
The cover of darkness is snatched from the wicked—
    they’re caught in the very act!

16-18 “Have you ever gotten to the true bottom of things,
    explored the labyrinthine caves of deep ocean?
Do you know the first thing about death?
    Do you have one clue regarding death’s dark mysteries?
And do you have any idea how large this earth is?
    Speak up if you have even the beginning of an answer.

19-21 “Do you know where Light comes from
    and where Darkness lives
So you can take them by the hand
    and lead them home when they get lost?
Why, of course you know that.
    You’ve known them all your life,
    grown up in the same neighborhood with them!

22-30 “Have you ever traveled to where snow is made,
    seen the vault where hail is stockpiled,
The arsenals of hail and snow that I keep in readiness
    for times of trouble and battle and war?
Can you find your way to where lightning is launched,
    or to the place from which the wind blows?
Who do you suppose carves canyons
    for the downpours of rain, and charts
    the route of thunderstorms
That bring water to unvisited fields,
    deserts no one ever lays eyes on,
Drenching the useless wastelands
    so they’re carpeted with wildflowers and grass?
And who do you think is the father of rain and dew,
    the mother of ice and frost?
You don’t for a minute imagine
    these marvels of weather just happen, do you?

31-33 “Can you catch the eye of the beautiful Pleiades sisters,
    or distract Orion from his hunt?
Can you get Venus to look your way,
    or get the Great Bear and her cubs to come out and play?
Do you know the first thing about the sky’s constellations
    and how they affect things on Earth?

34-35 “Can you get the attention of the clouds,
    and commission a shower of rain?
Can you take charge of the lightning bolts
    and have them report to you for orders?

The last time that David reminded me of this verse was last week (when I was with him and Grace in Boston) and it seemed like once AGAIN "the wheels were falling off."  We were already suffering from extreme sleep deprivation and it was now the middle of the night, as we we stood by Grace's crib in the ICU.  She had electrodes all over her head, her numbers were all out of whack, I could barely find a bare area of skin for me to kiss her, when I turned to David and said "WHY is God allowing all of this?  Haven't we suffered enough?"  It was at that moment that David with great peace, but exuding sheer exhaustion said " God wants to ask you…  Were you there when I created the world?… Where you there when I created the… whales and gave them their fins… or created the ocean and… gave it bubbles?"  Cue, hysterical laughter!!!  The poor guy was so exhausted that he couldn't finish the verse, so he just made it up and it was perfect!  David met my need of being reminded that we don't always understand what God is up to (after all how could we comprehend the ways of an all powerful, all knowing God), but one thing we do know is that He is good.  God also used David in that moment by causing extreme laughter, which is one of my favorite things to do in life! 

Please keep the prayers coming sweet Village!  You can trust that they are being heard or felt!