diapers galore!

Our Sunday school class threw us a diaper shower last night and it was awesome! There are so many sweet, sweet families here in College Station that have already blessed us and loved on us. We now have more diapers than we know what to do with. What a great problem! Thank you again P.O.P. Class.

A group shot. (you won't find Addi). We got a babysitter for the evening. She's still feeling great, but has been a little timid since the hospital. 

the loot we came home with. yaozers!

Addi found the stash this morning and played "building blocks" with them. If she only knew how much her little world is about to change. 

on the mend

The last few days have been WONDERFUL! Addison is back to her old ways of giggling, dancing and getting into trouble. Here she is with my new sewing machine (thanks mom!). I've been working on some curtains for the new house while Addi has been under the weather, but she's had her eye on me, and the sewing machine, since we got home from the hospital. Her curiosity finally got the best of her yesterday, and I found her here, in my chair, turning all of the buttons and makings "sewing machine" noises. It was so good to see her laughing and pretending the way she usually does. Never again will I take for granted her zest for life. Wether it makes my life hectic and chaotic or not, I wouldn't have it any other way.

home sweet home

We were able to come home Thursday afternoon, thank goodness. It feels good to sleep in our own beds and to not have nurses (as sweet as they are) checking up on us every 20 minutes. We've learned in the last few days, the details of what was really upsetting Addison's digestive system. It turned out that she struggled with something called gastroparesis. It's a disorder where your stomach muscles shut down and stop moving food down the digestive track, causing serious stomach issues. It's more commonly found in adults who have diabetes, but kids can develop it after a viral attack. Our pediatrician sees it about 4-5 times a year. So, Addi more than likely got over her virus last week and has been fighting this since. That would explain why she could eat a good meal and seem fine for a day, but then throw it all up the next morning. The healing process is a slow one, but it's now been 24 hours since her last attack. I was so relieved to go in her room this morning and find that she hadn't thrown up. I feel like we've finally turned a corner. Thank you again for all of your calls, texts and visits. Just knowing that Addi was being covered in prayer made this week easier. As much as we want to depend on doctors and medicine to "fix it", the LORD is ultimately in control. He hears our prayers as quickly as we can speak them. Isaiah 65. We love you guys!

Day 2

Well, I started this blog about 30 minutes ago to post that Addi was doing a little better. That was until she threw up again. Now I feel like we're back at square one. She's fallen back asleep so we're praying that she makes it through the night with as little disruptions as possible. She showed signs of improvement today. She was going stir crazy in this little room so they let her walk up and down the hallway a few times. The nurses will monitor her over night and we will talk to the doctor again in the morning. If you're up and reading this, please pray that we get through the night with no more vomiting. Thank you again for your love and prayers!

This is Addi's new puppy dog (thanks Smallwoods!). It was the only stuffed animal that survived tonight's vomit attack so she's cuddling with him right now.

Addi was able to walk down the hall if Ben tagged along with her IV. She loved pointing out all of the older kids' artwork. 

They even had a wagon that she could ride in. That was definitely the highlight of her day.

Thank you for all of your prayers today. As most of you know we've had a heck of a week. After 8 days of vomiting, 3 doctors visits and 2 trips to the emergency room, Addison has been admitted to the hospital for a viral infection. It's a relief to be here, to be honest. The doctors and nursing staff have been amazing. Thank you Lord, for their wisdom and gentle touch. Our pediatric nurse even prayed over Addi this afternoon. What a blessing. I tried my best to hold back the tears. Thank you Lord, for your presence. Addi has been on an IV since noon and has made it almost 9 hours without throwing up. (FYI. if your kid ever needs an IV, go through the hand. If you do the arm, they can't bend their elbow, which is HORRIBLE for a thumb-sucker. and if they go through the foot, they can't walk around). We learned this the hard way.

Addi is asleep now and we're hoping to make it through the night with no episodes. They'll take her off medicine tomorrow to see if she can hold down food on her own. If not, we'll probably have to stay another night. So that's our prayer for now. Thank you for all of your phone calls, texts, and visits. We are so blessed to have such wonderful family and friends lifting Addi up in prayer! We love you all!