Walking August 3, 2010

Carter Brown IS walking now, not quite as he was before, but it is improving. He’s doing good and enjoying being up and going. It’s kind of surprising to see him just initiate walking, but we are so thankful to the LORD for His kind provision in Carter’s strength coming back. Lord willing, CB will regain all of his strength and be walking and running as he was before!

Please pray for discernment for Brandon and I as we deal with Carter not sleeping through the night nor taking good naps. Before we could put him down, and he’d be down for the night. Now he is awakening 2-4 times a night. Please pray for patience and gentleness and kindness for us to give to our son… may we be Spirit-led in everything, always trusting Christ and becoming more like Him.

Here are some pictures from over the past few weeks.

Here is Carter Brown after his first surgery with all of his sweet curls. They were getting a little nappy so we asked the neurosurgeon to just shave it all of before the second surgery!

 

Post surgery #2 with his new ‘do! So sweet.

 

Papa and Sissy brought over their four wheeler for CB to ride and boy did he love it. He rode for a little bit before tiring, but he enjoyed it fully.

 

Here’s Carter B getting some much needed tickling from his dear ole’ dad.

 

Caroline and me before going up to the hospital with Mom one morning.

 

Brandon and his little baby girl! She sure loves to look him and smile.

 

Our big little girl in her first time in the high chair! She just seems to fit perfectly in there and eating some yummie pureed food these days. She is something!

On her way March 2, 2010

Well, it has been longer than a month since we’ve posted! I am 39 weeks and 5 days pregnant, and in 2 days we will meet our little baby Caroline, Lord willing. We went to the doctor today and she is still in the wrong position, so a C-section is still on the calendar for Thursday morning. We will arrive at 5:30 a.m. and meet that little girl soon afterward!! They even said she could be around 8 pounds… whoa!

We are more and more warmed up to the idea of a C-section – the Lord has been gracious to calm my anxious heart and cause us to hope in Him as we prepare for something we never thought we’d go through! Thank you for praying for us during this exciting time in our lives. We will post pictures after we get home. We will probably be there until Sunday!

273,000… January 22, 2010

platelets, that is! We went to Nashville for Brandon’s 6-month post-transplant check-up today, and boy did it come with some rejoicing! The day involved a breathing test and extra blood work, some waiting, an ultrasound on his legs to rule out any clots (due to medication-induced swelling), and a bone marrow biopsy, and sweet words from his doctor. The doctor is not really concerned about his biopsy coming back with any type of blood disorder whatsoever because 1. God has healed him , 2. his bone marrow is 100% of the donor’s (not one ounce of Brandon’s old bone marrow), and 3. his platelets are N-O-R-M-A-L 273,000. Never in our married life, never since he’s had his blood drawn in the past two years have his platelets been above 160,000. Last month they were 160,000 – this month, the Lord jumped them up well over 100,000!!! Hooray!

They did say that they are predicting he will be completely off of his immune-suppressant medication by the end of the year. The taper of this medication is going to take a pretty long time with slow tapers because they don’t want to cause Graft-Verses-Host Disease to creep up again. A few weeks ago they think that it did come back in Brandon’s stomach because he began to feel continually nauseated, and they had tapered him from his medication a few weeks prior. So, they upped the medication for the time being to see if that would help – and it has! He feels really good, just has pretty swollen ankles and legs from the knee down. He’s good about resting them and getting up on them for a few walks and that seems to help.

We were able to go on a date last night in Nashville while Papa and Sissy kept Carter B over night. For some reason, and we are so thankful for this, that little boy SLEEPS at their house! He slept until 8:15 a.m. this morning. His routine at home is to talk from about 6:45 a.m. until we get him up between 7 and 7:30 a.m. But this little boy sleeps 1.5 more hours per night at their house, and I love it! I think he had a good time with them, and we so much appreciated some time together before this little girl gets here. BTW, Caroline Loren’s due date is a short SIX (6) weeks away! You can almost count that on one hand… that’s when you know it’s near and coming and really going to happen! haha

Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of Creation for His continued, sustaining work in my husband’s soul and in his physical body. What a sweet gift to see Christ’s work before our very eyes and to hear of Brandon’s growing faith. So thankful for his leading of our marriage and our family, the way he guides my thoughts in thinking on the Cross of Jesus Christ often and rightly and Biblically. So thankful.

Possibly moving forward January 7, 2010

We talked with the potential buyer’s realtor today, and she is going to bring by a contract tomorrow morning! Tomorrow – wow. We don’t have a clue as of to what to expect their offer to be, but the Lord knows and if these are the people He has brought to buy our home, the numbers will work!

It snowed here last night, just a tiny bit, but it is very pretty. The temperature is crazy cold, and we’re staying inside! Carter B and I did venture outside this morning just for him to run through the snow for a few minutes, and he tripped and got his jacket coated with snow. And he even tried to eat it… the face he made was funny. I’m not sure if it was because the snow was so cold or tasted funny?

We’ll update when we know something about this first offer!! Is the Lord really selling our home now? May it be – we can’t wait.

Praying for a change January 5, 2010

 

Brandon and my marriage has been highlighted by turns and twists and sweet presence of the Lord that we could have never anticipated at the alter two years ago. So when things come up that are unexpected, they are seemingly typical for our lives! Abnormal is our normal; haha!!

Yesterday two older ladies were looking at a foreclosure home across the street from us, and Brandon saw them checking out the house while he was outside. We had bought a For Sale sign for our home on Saturday and hadn’t put it out yet. So Brandon ran and got a marker, we put his number on it, and he quickly placed the For Sale sign in our yard. They got out of their car to look at the other home and asked if they could come in and check ours out afterwards. The house was a little in an upheval, but we were just pumped to have someone look at it. They were so sweet and complimentary, and of course, we didn’t know exactly what they were thinking, but we were muchly encouraged to be showing it 5 minutes after placing the For Sale sign in the yard!

One of the ladies said that she would tell her husband about our home and that they would be by later that afternoon for him to look at it. They are from a town near us but have lived and worked up north for decades and are retiring and want to be closer to their home. So it was dinner time and the Red Beans and Rice that had been cooking for 2 hours already was no where near being finished, and the family had not showed up yet! We fed Carter Brown something and then got a call that the family would be by in 20 minutes. We welcomed them in and the man reminded Brandon of his Pop and he enjoyed showing him around the house. The man seemed very interested and said they would talk with their realtor. They have been looking for a home since July, and he said upon leaving, “I’ve looked at many homes, but this is the only one I can go along with.” I loved that statement and thought it was pretty sweet!

So, lookers number 1 in 2010, but we are excited. The Lord knows what we need, where we need to be, how much the house needs to sell for, how we can sell the home, when we’ll sell the home, and who will buy it. He is sovereign in things of this nature and sovereign in our daily, mundane lives. I love the quote my friend wrote on her blog  by Paul Tripp. It says,

If God doesn’t rule your mundane,

then he doesn’t rule you, because

that’s where you live.

 

Very helpful and wise counsel for every day life!

So, praying to the end that the selling of this home would be pleasing to the Lord and that every decision and move we make would be guided by His hand and for His glory.

“Normal” still an unknown word! November 16, 2009

Other than Brandon’s counts, many things in our lives are still un-normal! Well, just our daily schedule, that is. Last week, Carter B and I went to see my mom in Arkansas and came back Saturday. Sunday we kept Carter B out of church because he hasn’t been acting very normal (eating habits/coughing/etc), and today, after his 15-month check-up, we found out he has only had a cold and is free to go hunting with his dad! So, Brandon and Carter B are on their way to northeast AR to see Brandon’s grandparents and maybe even kill a deer… Brandon’s got a “hankering” to get a buck! haha

Brandon and his mom went Friday to Nashville and received great news. His red blood cell count, platelets, and white blood cell count are holding on at normal ranges! They are wanting platelets and red blood cell counts to rise still, but they have continued on an upward climb since we’ve been back from Nashville, by the Lord’s KIND grace. Brandon’s hair is growing back in patches, and he and I seem to agree that it will probably be much darker than before – can you believe that?? I just laugh about the joke we’ve been tossing around that Brandon is an Englishman on the inside, and now maybe on his little head, too!

God is SO incredibly, undeservingly (to us) kind, gracious, faithful, powerful, and worthy to be praised. He listens to the cries and prayers of His children, and He provides what He requires… faith in Himself, trust in Himself, worship of Himself. I have been thinking on this verse over the past few days: Psalm 119:18 “Open my eyes that I may behold wonderful things out of Your law.” After many sermons that have bolstered my faith in the power of the Holy Spirit, I am convinced that it is HE who causes us to see Christ in the Scriptures; it is HE who causes us to see our abominable sin against a Holy and Righteous God; it is HE who reveals God to us!!! Do I even understand what grace is in the revealing of God to me? I am so thankful!

Brandon went to Louisiana last week for his first work trip since June. He was giddy to leave and glad to return. He has been so blessed to love his job, and he has loved being back in the groove of things as well. Pray for our dear friends, the Bensons, as they are half-way finished with their training. Pray the LORD would be near their hearts moment by moment and that their souls would rest in Christ and long for His life-giving Word!

I need to make a goal of posting often… I’m going to try to get more in the habit of it! In the mean time, hope in Jesus Christ, the author and perfector of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross! What a sweet and mighty Savior He is.

Day 85: Moving on up October 21, 2009

Today, Brandon and our Pastor Jordan traveled the trek to Nashville and received sweet news! Brandon’s platelets are rising at 156,000; his white blood cell count is 7.2; and his red blood cell count has risen to 27. He didn’t have to get anything today IV-wise, so that was a kindness of the Lord! The Lord’s work in Brandon’s body is undeniable and praiseworthy.

 

The nurse practioner is looking to steady him off of his steroids, which is a great thing! Also, next Tuesday they will do the final bone marrow biopsy to confirm officially if PNH is gone for good. On that day they will possibly also take out his Pic Line catheter. He has been saying how badly he’d like to get that thing out! He can’t wait to give Carter B baths and not have to “Press and Seal” his arm every time he needs a shower.

 

Tomorrow morning, Carter B will have his tear duct surgery. We have to be there at 8 a.m. The Lord has been kind to have loving friends remind me to trust in His sovereign hand as Carter B undergoes anthesea again. God orchestrates our lives as He sees best! How kind He is to work in and through other people in our lives to offer kind and wise counsel to focus our mind right back on Himself.

 

Sweet times with Carter Brown have been had by the Sheridan household. He can do some hand motions to “Our God is so Big” and I am amazed at how the Lord created such a tiny, funny, fiesty, rough boy and how He makes Carter so able to learn and retain and grow! It’s really a miracle. Being parents really is a joy and something I never knew I’d enjoy THIS much!!

Day 84: It’s been a long time October 20, 2009

Well, the Lord has been kind yet again! We are doing well, trucking along, and I forgot to blog even once. Brandon’s counts are remarkable; platelets are within single digits of normal, white blood cell counts are normal, and his red blood cell count is still working on recovering. The doctors said that it could take a little long for his red blood cells to come up because Brandon’s body is working to make a whole new blood cell type – from O negative to A positive! What a jump!! On a funny note, his hair is growing back and his facial hair is too; we can’t decide what color his beard might be… black, blond, multi-colored? We laugh often that he will look like an Englishman before it is all over – dark-haired and complected.

 

We have been given the go-ahead to move our things home and only come in for clinic visits! Sounds like a small thing, but it was been a huge difference in our lives. The first night we were here we truly felt like we were living in a mansion compared to our little apartment. Carter Brown has much enjoyed being here and sleeping in his own bed (though he was a trooper sleeping in that pack-n-play for 2 months)! He’s walking and talking (jibber jabber for the most part), throwing balls and opening many cabinets. Everything is his exploring venue and he loves it!

 

Our sweet family, Kirk and Amy, are in Virginia. They arrived last Monday and are doing well. The transition for the children was a little tough, getting into a new routine with new nap times was difficult, but Boaz had a great day yesterday, and the Lord has given the children much grace to cope and adjust. The gospel is going forth to Serbia, Lord willing, on December 28, through Kirk and Amy! They long to be there – their new home.

 

Pray for continued alertness to cleanliness and washing hands and taking precautions, please! Little Caroline, in the womb,  (yes it is a girl!) is moving and kicking and doing well, I believe. We saw that she was a girl a few weeks ago and were excited and amazed all at once. We’ve been moving furniture (not me!) and rearranging Carter’s room and it’s been fun to prepare the home for another sweet baby! I haven’t figured out a posting schedule… but I will figure one out soon.

Day 61: Adventure Science Center September 26, 2009

We drove to the Nashville Adventure Science Center yesterday, anticipating an empty parking lot on that raining Friday, but we saw about five school buses and tons of children jumping off the bus and running inside the Science Center! We laughed and drove right on by – Brandon being immune-compromised will definitely help us make more wise decisions, Lord willing, about what would be the most health-conscious for our family! All we could do was laugh yesterday, and we drove on to Bass Pro Shops to look at some hunting things for Brandon. I told Brandon that we frequent that store as often as the grocery store! haha Just a joke, but it has been a great place to go and walk around during a really sunny day or a really rainy day.

 

Brandon went to the clinic on Thursday and found out that his counts are still holding – blood volume is 30, platelets are 38, and white blood cell counts are 2.3. He feels great, looks great, and is such a sweet servant husband. The Lord has been UTMOSTLY kind in meeting with us daily this week, bringing us together as a family in the Word, and showing me how to lovinginly train and instruct our little boy. God has given us grace to REALLY enjoy our Carter Brown – to laugh at his sweet new words (“dink,” for drink, with a high pitched “nk” at the end; “ah du” for all done; and “haa” with a sweet growling noise for hot), to enjoy watching him learn how to figure things out, and to watch him walking, walking, walking.

 

The Bensons leave in 13 days for training for their work for Christ in Serbia! I know they can’t believe it, and the time has passed by so swiftly. The Lord was kind to bring Kirk to Serbia and back last week with confirmation of His sovereign will for his family. He sees how his family is made to live in that country – what a joy! Pray for their next 13 days that they will be filled with quick packing, soul preparation, and sweet time with their parents and friends.

 

It’s raining here, and it sounds SO good! I can’t wait for the trees to turn; my favorite tree in the fall is the Ginko Biloba and there are tons around campus. It looks like it is on fire when the leaves change… I can’t wait to see it soon! Have a great weekend; look to Christ through whom alone we have salvation.

Day 51: Celebration September 17, 2009

Well, Wednesday was Day 50 for Brandon which means in 50 more days, Lord willing, we’ll be home! Also, yesterday Carter B had his surgery to get his tubes placed; and he did pretty well with that. Waking up after the anethesia was hard on him, but after that, a drink of water and a bite of biscuit and a nap, he was a new little boy. His sweet Aunt Amy said he needed a sweet treat for his big day, and we thought we all might need to celebrate the 50 day milestone! Here’s the picture of Carter B’s celebratory cupcake from this sweet place.

 

 

He had the yummie Kiddie Kake with THE best blue icing we have ever tasted! He was a bit tired yet, but enjoyed getting his hands DIRTY and licking them.

 

Today went well at the clinic. Brandon only had to receive magnesium! His counts are stable, though his platelets have dipped a little. The doctor said that with a bone marrow transplant, the counts will rise and fall for a little while before stabilizing. The LORD is in control and He is our portion. He knows our lot (Psalm 16); He alone is good!

 

Brandon’s dad is coming tomorrow for the weekend! I know that Carter B will have a ball with him; Brandon is thinking about giving his dad the name “Papa T.” We’ll see how he likes it! Nothing much going on except enjoying being a family and a whole lot of walking. Our dear friend is overseas seeing his family’s new home, having the will of our great God confirmed, and eating some amazing food. Pray for Kirk’s travel all this weekend as he goes by train, I assume, to meet more people on his team. He will be flying probably Monday in the middle of the night back to the states – pray for his traveling safety!