At the Park

We are trying so hard to return our lives to some semblance of normalcy. I guess the fact that we're "trying" proves that it's not normal, but maybe one day...a girl can dream, right?

Sam's recovering well - he is doing everything he should be doing at this season of his life. Today he even got up from a sitting position in the middle of the living room floor and just stood there for a long time, looking at me. I had time to call Bill in to look and Sam still just stood there. Bill's mother is visiting and she is really hoping he will walk during her trip. He might just.

He's having some real trouble with his tummy right now - apparently the defibrillator is squishing his insides a bit so he's not sleeping through the night because of gas pains, he's spitting up again and he's just plain uncomfortable. So, we've started him on Prevacid and Mylanta and we'll see how that does. Not much we can do except wait for him to grow into it. If you want to see a picture of it, scroll down a bit to my last post.

I went to my doctor yesterday and he told me meningitis is actually considered a "major" illness. I was shocked. He said it'd be a while before I will feel normal again. So, with everything that my doc said, Bill is (strongly) encouraging me to rest more. But, I convinced him it would be fun for all of us to go to the park today. Here are some photos...

Sam loved driving the truck.

We rode the swing together, but riding it alone seemed to be his favorite. Look how teeny weeny he seems.

We went to Goodberry's Frozen Custard afterwards or a treat. Sam loved walking around the brick wall.

Tonight we took pictures of Sam's curly hair. We're cutting it tomorrow since it's in his eyes. It'll be his third haircut, but I'm always scared that the next haircut will take away his beautiful curls. I thought some pictures would help me remember.

We were playing a funny game together, so he was laughing a lot.

Sam's Device - graphic photos

I am posting some pictures of Sam we took yesterday. Some of the ones lower on the page are a little graphic. So, if you've got a weak stomach, you may not want to look.




Here I am kissing his new belly. The surgeon put Sam's defibrillator into his lower right belly, since there is no room anywhere else in his body. Usually, on an older patient, they would put it in the upper left part of his chest. But, the device is large (about 2.5 inches in diameter) and Sam is still so tiny. After about five years they will replace it with a new one (because the battery will wear out by then). Hopefully by that time there will be better technology to make it even smaller.
Here is Sam checking out the bulge. It's quite big, don't you think?

From the Klears

This is Teesa writing, finally! I just want to say thank you to each of you for your prayers and support of us during this difficult time. Our church, Bay Leaf, my parent's church, Tabernacle, and family and friends have all helped us so much with meals, prayers and even monetary support. We are so grateful for the tangible outpouring of love, as well as the bruised knees each of you has from praying so hard.

We can see God's hand in this situation beginning as long ago as six years, when we first started trying to get pregnant. We saw His hand last year when I was having difficulties with pre-term labor and we see His hand now as He has spared our son's life (again).

Thank you thank you thank you. We are indebted to each of you.

We are back online and will be sending out a mass email tomorrow, after Sam's cardiology appointment (at 8:30am). At that time, Bill and I will also be tested for Brugada Syndrome via an ECG, since this disease is hereditary (there is a 50% chance someone in one of our families has it). My father has already been tested and does not have any indication of the disease. Our families will be getting tested soon too.

We had another good night's sleep last night and my headache hurts less every day. Keep praying for healing for the two of us! Also, my older brother, Seth, has been diagnosed with Typhoid Fever. Please pray for a quick healing for him too.

The above picture is of Sam's new scar. I'll post another one later where he isn't so swollen - you can actually see the device outlined in his skin now since he's so skinny. It seems enormous, but he'll grow into it.

Teesa, Bill and Sam

Oh, and I forgot to say a BIG thanks to Julie for keeping up with the blog every day. Now that's devotion!

Doing well so far

Bill says he had a "great!" night last night. It seems all the Klears were able to sleep well and get decent rest. Teesa did have a headache when we spoke earlier today and she said the doctors said the headaches would probably continue for several more days to come. Please continue to pray that the defibrillator will continue to work properly and that the Klears will all be able to get good rest. Please pray for continued healing for Sam and for Teesa.

Thanks!!

Pictures: At the Hospital

Sam in his hospital crib.

With Bill and a toy apple he got to take home.

Sam was allowed to move about freely in this wagon. Here are some pictures of Sam being wheeled around his ward.

Here he is lounging - yawning - I guess he was a bit tired.

This is Sam's favorite nurse, Holly. She is from Mainland China and spoke Chinese to Sam. Sam said his first Chinese word with her.



On the day we left the hospital.

Home At Last

Sam's defibrillator gave no alerts last night, so the doctors discharged Sam from the hospital this afternoon and gave special "handling instructions" to Bill and Teesa. Sam does still have a lot of pain from his surgery, but they are able to manage it with Tylenol. Bill and Teesa will take Sam to the cardiologist on Friday to check how things are going up to that time.

Teesa's headaches are lingering, but have diminished a great deal since her initial bout with meningitis. As you can imagine they are all more exhausted today than yesterday (and they were already very exhausted yesterday), so hopefully they will be able to rest much better now that they are back in familiar surroundings. Please pray for Teesa's continued healing and for rest for both Bill and Teesa. Teesa asked specifically that you pray for safety for Sam and that she and Bill will not be overly paranoid about leaving Sam alone in his room for naps and while he's sleeping at night.

Thank you so much for your faithful prayer over these weeks for Bill and Teesa. I know they sincerely appreciate it and your continued petitions on their behalf.

First 24 hours with therapy side activated

There were no alerts from the defibrillator since they turned on the therapy side yesterday. The doctor's tested the pacemaker portion of the device today and as a whole the defib seems to be working properly. They will continue to monitor the defib overnight and if Bill, Teesa and the doctor's are comfortable with the results, Sam could be discharged tomorrow. If they are not comfortable, Sam could be in the hospital up to two more days (discharge on Thursday). Please continue to pray for Sam's healing and for the issue with the defib to truly be corrected.

Last night the Klears had a terrible night and got no sleep--Constant interruptions and poor little Sam with gassy tummy issues. The doctors did have the IV port removed, so that point of irritation and pain should be getting better now. Sam continues to nurse and eat solids well.

Teesa asks once again specifically for prayer for rest. (Of course exhaustion increases the stress level of an already stressful situation.) Thank you for taking the time to continually lift up Sam, Bill and Teesa, and their extended families in prayer.

Second night of testing

Teesa wasn't able to talk for long, but here's the update. There were no false positive readings last night, so the doctors have turned on the therapy side of the defibrillator, and will monitor the device, both sides working together, for 48 hours. The doctors want to be confident that the defibrillator is working properly and they want Bill and Teesa to feel comfortable with the situation before they take Sam home.

Sam is doing well, except for some tummy troubles last night. Teesa was able to leave the room and get some fresh air for a few minutes today while Sam napped. Please continue to pray that the doctors will catch any remaining problems with the defib before the Klears leave the hospital, but also pray that Sam will not need further surgery. Continue to pray for healing for Sam and Teesa and for sound rest for all the Klears (of course there are still many interruptions during the night.)

Thanks for lifting these and all the other requests you can think of up to our Father.

First night of testing

Teesa called after she, Bill and Sam spent a little time in the play room. The results of the first night of testing with the detector set to its highest sensitivity produced no double counting of heartbeats. So, the doctor reset the sensitivity this afternoon to the "take home" setting and that will be monitored over night. If that shows no double counts, the plan is to turn the therapy side of the defib on tomorrow and monitor the whole device working together for 48 hours.

The general atmosphere is positive, but all (Sam included) are functioning in a state of exhaustion. Sam has not been napping well, and is having more pain, especially at the IV port in his arm. Bill and Teesa have interruptions to their sleep during the night. It is an extremely stressful time for the entire family, but it is such a testimony to see the entire family coming together in this situation to minister to each other.

Teesa has especially asked for prayer for rest--for Sam to nap well and for she and Bill to get sound rest while they sleep at night. Pray that the Spirit's presence will help to ease the stress that Bill and Teesa (as well as their extended families) are experiencing. Pray also for Sam's pain, especially concerning the IV port. Please also pray for the tests on the defib to give the doctors an accurate picture of how the device is working, so they can detect further issues before Bill and Teesa take Sam home.

Thank you all for your continued prayer support!

The Darling

The part of the defibrillator that delivers the shock is called the "therapy" side. The therapy side of Sam's defib has been turned off since it malfunctioned Wednesday evening, but the doctors have been monitoring the other side of the device that detects the heart beat and determines whether or not it is normal. For the past 36 hours there have been no false positives (a false positive occurs when the device detects a double heart beat that didn't actually occur), so over the next four days the doctors will adjust the detector to two different sensitivity levels to see if it gives any false positives. The last two days of the testing they will turn on the therapy side of the defib to see if the whole device will work properly at the normal (at home) settings.

It sounds straight forward, but even after the doctors conferred with the engineers and programmers at the manufacturer no one knows what caused the defib to malfunction in the first place. So even if all the test results indicate the problem seems to be solved, there is still the uncertainty of whether or not it will malfunction again. If the tests do not go well, then it is likely that they will need to go back in to change or replace the leads. But that still does not necessarily guarantee that all will be well with the defib.

There is so much uncertainty in this situation and so much to pray for. Bill asks that you continue to pray for insight for the doctors, but even more that you pray for he and Teesa to have enough trust that the device will work properly when the time comes to leave the hospital. Pray also for a strong sense of God's presence over the coming days to know and trust that God is in control and He will make things alright.

On a more positive note, Sam is improving steadily. He is eating well and his body seems to be prossessing the milk well, so they are regularly changing wet diapers. The bandage has been removed from the incision and much of the swelling has gone down. He is keeping up a chatter and is a little annoyed that he isn't allowed to play with all the wires. The nurses call him the darling of the [5th] floor.

Teesa seems to be regaining more strength everyday, and the headaches are easing a little. She and Bill could both use more rest, though.

Thank you for your efforts to stay current and pray.

Picture

This was taken yesterday (9/6/2007).

Here's a picture taken at around 9:45am Friday (9/7/2007).

A Better Day

Adam says the atmosphere in the hospital room is very positive today. The doctor came by last night after I spoke with Teesa. The doctors think that there is a good possibility that the problem can be corrected remotely. They have still not turned on the part of the device that sends the shocks, because they want to be sure they have corrected the problem before they turn it back on. Sometime today one of their doctors plans to talk with the manufacturer of the software to get his input on the situation. If the doctors are confident that the problem is corrected, they could turn on the "shocking" part of the device later today. If the problem cannot be corrected remotely, they will have to do another surgery to change the lead or replace the whole unit. Last night the doctor also gave Bill and Teesa detailed instructions of how and when to use the magnetic "donut" to turn off Sam's defibrillator in an emergency.

All the Klears slept hard and well last night. Sam's swelling is going down. He was able to nurse the morning and had a pretty good appetite. Sam will be in the hospital at least until Sunday, under the observation of the doctors. Please continue to pray that Sam will not need further surgery and that his body will continue to heal well. Pray for wisdom and insight for the doctors and technical personnel that are working on Sam's defib issue. Pray for Teesa's continued improvement, for Bill's strength, and for rest for all the Klears.

Teesa also asks that you pray for Justin and his son, Micah. Micah is about 7 or 8 months old and will be having surgery today to give him a portion of Justin's liver. They will be performing the surgery at Duke.

Thank you so much for your continued involvement with us in prayer and encouragement.

Waiting for the assessment

Teesa called this morning. Sam was heavily medicated through the night but still he didn't get sound sleep. Neither did Bill and Teesa. The defibrillator seems to be "double counting" Sam's heart beats and that's why it was shocking him yesterday. The doctors do not know why this is happening. The data has been sent to the manufacturer for assessment so that the next step can be determined. The manufacturer's rep is on hand to help with the adjustments. The doctors hope that they can reprogram Sam's device remotely, but there is a possibility that they will have to physically go back in to tweak the device or replace it. Teesa continues to have severe headaches and neither she nor Bill have eaten very well since yesterday. Pray for insight for the doctors and that they can fix the problem remotely. Pray for strength for Bill and Teesa.

Thanks.

An update on the defibrillator

Thank you for keeping the Klears in prayer. When I spoke with Teesa, she said that the doctors and the tech from the defibrillator's manufacturer were somehow able to get the device working again this morning. The doctor's still are not sure what caused the problem with the device in the first place, so they are still monitoring the situation closely. There is still a possibility that the problem is with one of the leads to the heart, so if that is the problem, the doctors will have to operate again. The Klear's primary prayer request at this time is for the issue with the device to be corrected without additional surgery.

Sam is swollen from the surgery and is in pain, but he seems to be recovering well, so the doctors are trying to medicate him just enough to ease the pain, help him rest, and keep him from being too active in these first days as he recouperates. The doctors ran an EKG on Sam's heart and it showed no damage from the trauma yesterday. Sam woke up today around 4:30 pm calm and alert, and he has been "talking" some too.

The doctor should be around sometime tomorrow morning. I'll have more information for you then. Thank you so much for your prayers and kindness. They are sincerely appreciated.

Please continue to pray for Teesa's healing. She is slowly regaining her strength. Today she was able to walk around. Please pray for Bill's strength and for both Bill and Teesa as they try to get rest there in Sam's ICU room tonight.

Urgent

Evidently the sensitivity of the defibrillator is not set properly, so that it began sending shocks through Sam's heart for no reason. This went on for nearly half an hour, while Bill and Teesa looked on, helpless. When the doctor arrived he turned off the part of the device that sends the shocks and they will be monitoring his heart overnight. In the morning they will assess what needs to be done. They do not expect to have to open him up again, but there is a possibility of that if they cannot correct the problem by remote.

Please pray for this problem to be resolved and for Bill and Teesa as they cope with this new complication.

In Recovery

I just talked to Teesa's brother, Adam, from the hospital. Sam was still in the recovery room, but he was awake, and the doctor said that he was very pleased with the surgery. They did not have to cut into the sternum as much as they thought would be necessary, despite the fact that Sam is the youngest patient they have performed this surgery on. The doctor commented about how strong Sam's heart is because they had difficulty inducing a quiver in his heart to test the defibrillator. They did finally induce a quiver and the defibrillator worked properly. Sam will spend at least the first 24 hours in the P-ICU, possibly the entire 3 days if a bed in the "step-down" unit does not become available. Please pray for Sam's quick recovery and healing, and that his body will easily adapt to the defibrillator. Pray for Bill and Teesa as they care for him and that they will get sufficient sound rest while Sam's in the hospital.

Bill is doing well and they are both very happy that the surgery is successfully completed. Teesa had a huge headache earlier in the day, but it had subsided when I spoke with Adam. Please continue to pray for her healing.

God continues to show his mighty hand. Thank you so much for your prayers and support.

Our Redeemer

Isaiah 43:4 -7

This is what the Lord, our Creator, says to his people:

"Since you were precious in My sight,
You have been honored,
And I have loved you;
Therefore I will give men for you,
And people for your life.
Fear not, for I am with you;
I will bring your descendants from the east,
And gather you from the west;
I will say to the north, 'Give them up!'
And to the south, 'Do not keep them back!'
Bring My sons from afar,
And My daughters from the ends of the earth--
Everyone who is called by My name,
Whom I have created for My glory;
I have formed him, yes, I have made him."

Surgery Details

Bill and his mother took Sam in for his pre-operation appointment today. Teesa had such a severe headache that she could not stand up this morning, so she did not get to go. She is disheartened that she was not able to participate in that visit. Please pray for her healing right now, specifically for the swelling to go down that is causing the headaches so that the headaches will subside. Please pray for renewed physical strength for Teesa and for continued strength for Bill as they will be spending the next several days at the hospital with Sam. Pray that Bill and Teesa will both be able to rest soundly despite the uncomfortable sleeping arrangements at the hospital. Pray especially that they will continue to rest in Jesus as they trust his power and goodness.

The Klears must be at the hospital at 10:45am tomorrow morning and Sam's surgery should begin around 1pm. The surgery is expected to take about 2 hours. Sam should be out of recovery between 4pm and 5pm. He will be in Pediatric ICU (at UNC Children's Hospital) for at least the first 24 hours of his stay, but possibly for the full 3 days if a "step-down" room does not become available. The surgeons will be installing a defibrillator through an incision made down his breastbone. Of course this surgery is very serious, so please pray that it goes smoothly and that there will be no complications. Pray for Sam's body to heal quickly and completely.

Bill and Teesa continue to express their gratitude to everyone for your gifts, meals, and especially your prayers.

Pray for Teesa's brother and Bill's mother as they will be spending the day at the hospital with the Klears.

A Day Closer

Hello everyone. Thank you so much for your prayers! Teesa is showing slow but noticable improvement today. She was up for a 3-minute stretch before her head began to hurt. To prevent the headaches, she must remain lying down, and this coupled with the effects of the illness has sapped her strength. Please continue to pray for the headaches to subside while she is sitting or standing, and pray also for her to regain her physical strength. Please also pray for Teesa's milk production to keep up so that it will be available for Sam to get the nourishment he needs, both going into and healing from his surgery.

Another answered prayer is that the heart monitor only alarmed once last night, so there were less interruptions to Bill's sleep. Thank you for continuing to pray that there will be no cause for the monitor to alarm during the night and that Bill and Teesa will get regenerating sleep.

Sam is his happy little active self, completely unaware of his upcoming surgery. Bill and Teesa are keeping him inside and are keeping him from getting overly excited (i.e. only relatively calm activities and only short bouts of crying allowed) so that his temperature does not go above 100 degrees (as advised by the doctor). Tomorrow the Klears have a pre-operation appointment with the surgeon and will learn more details about Sam's surgery scheduled for Wednesday. Please continue to pray for Sam's safety, strength and healing.

It's such a joy to hear of the overwhelming love that has been ministered to the Klears. They express such deep appreciation to each of you for your prayers, dinners and other assistance. Please continue to forward this!
If you would like to offer assistance to the Klears, please call 919-870-7753.

Klear update

Today the Klears are doing just okay. Sam's monitor alarmed every hour last night, so Bill got no real sleep. Please pray that Bill will get good rest when he has the opportunity today and that there will not be reason for the monitor to alarm as frequently during the night.

Teesa is resting but continues to have headaches. She is not contagious now, but she will still have the viral meningitis for another 12-14 days. Please pray for complete healing for Teesa, especially that the swelling in her brain will go down quickly and for relief from the headaches.

The surgery to insert a defibrillator in Sam's heart will be performed at UNC Children's Hospital sometime on Wednesday morning. Please pray for Sam's safety and that there will be no complications as his body adapts to the defibrillator. The doctors believe Sam has Brugada Syndrome. For more information about this condition go to http://www.brugada.org/. Here is an excerpt from an email from Bill with more of the specifics on Sam's condition:

"After consulting many ECG readings and examinations, he believes that Sam has Brugada Syndrome, a type of "arrhythmia that causes the bottom chambers of the heart (the ventricles) to beat so fast that they can prevent the blood from circulating efficiently in the body." This is quite dangerous. Therefore, on Wednesday (time yet unknown) Sam will undergo surgery to place a small defibrillator inside his body which will detect any malfunction in the rhythm of his heart and apply a small shock to reset its proper beat pattern. The cardiologist believes that a recurrence would be unlikely, however considering the possible outcome the defibrillator will provide a welcomed safety net."

Bill and Teesa ask that you pray for them to experience the Lord's peace and wisdom during this time. Thank you for your outpouring of compassion.

If you would like to offer assistance to the Klears, call 919-870-7753.

Home once again from the hospital

Hi everyone. I'm Julie Cameron, Teesa's best friend, and Teesa has asked me to update their blog over the next few days.

For those who did not know, Teesa was admitted to the hospital in the wee hours of Friday morning with viral meningitis. She was in a great deal of pain and since she had fever, she was quarantined (i.e. not able to see Sam). You'll be glad to know that Teesa is feeling better and her condition has improved enough for her discharge from the hospital (late Saturday morning). She should be at home again enjoying Sam's company by early afternoon. She still has throbbing headaches when she sits or stands, and the doctors say this will continue for another week until the swelling in her brain subsides.

The doctor's have Sam wearing a heart monitor anytime he isn't under Bill's or Teesa's direct observation (i.e. during naps and at night). The alarm sounds anytime Sam's heart rate drops or the leads become detached. Of course Sam's heart rate drops when he's asleep, and as he moves around the leads can detach, so the alarm may sound many times, especially during the night. As you can imagine this makes it difficult for Bill and Teesa to get a good night's rest and could cause a lot of anxiety. Sam will be monitored in this way until he has surgery to insert a defibrillator sometime on Wednesday.

Bill's mom has come up from South Carolina to assist them around the house this week as Teesa recouperates and Bill continues to focus his attention on Sam and Teesa.

Your continued prayers are sincerely appreciated.

If you would like to offer assistance to the Klears by providing meals or other help please call the Klear's home number.

Gardening Need

Everyone keeps asking if we need anything. I actually DO have a need - on the morning that all of this went down (last Thursday), Bill and Jane Bailey went over to Durema Bailey's old house and pulled some Iris bulbs up to plant in the Durema Bailey Memorial Garden at the back of our house. They have been sitting in a bucket outside our back door and neither Bill nor I have the energy or time to plant them. If anyone is a gardener, please feel free to come by and plant them. Thanks.



Sam is doing okay. We're still resting and trying to get him to rest really takes a lot of energy! He's still not himself, but we expect that.



Thanks again for your prayers.



Teesa

Sam's heart and seizures

First, let me write this to Will P. - I think I never changed your email address in my mass email - can you please write us with the correct one and send your cell phone too. Sorry for my negligence.

This is our mass email from earlier today. I'm posting it on my blog since there are so many people praying for him and they all want to know the latest. It's easier than calling everyone.



We just got back from the pediatrician. Here's what we know...


The seizures were most likely caused by the fever spikes that he had (due to a viral infection). However, there is some small chance that it could be a heart problem that caused the seizures. Therefore, we will be seeing a cardiologist on Friday and he will assess all of the findings so far. According to our doctor this morning, they should be able to see everything they need to from the information they've already gathered.


We are giving Sam further Tylenol to reduce his fever until Wednesday night, assuming there are no other problems between now and then.


The doctor this morning said that one febrile seizure is normal, but two febrile seizures are rare. Three would be almost unheard of, but if it was going to happen it should have happened within 8 hours of the last one. So, like my friend Erica told me, the further away from the last seizure we get, the better. However, we are still being cautious and need to continue watching him for another one, in case it is related to his heart or he has a third one from another fever spike (again, the chances of this are minimal).


We are to stay at home this week and try to let Sam rest. He is a little uncoordinated right now (falling down when crawling or standing), but the doctor said he will be, because one seizure's energy output is equivalent to running a marathon and Sam's little body is probably very tired. He is in great spirits though - he even sang along with his Uncle Adam last night when he played the guitar and danced a little too.


Keep praying for him. Please continue sending these messages to your prayer supporters as well, we appreciate it.

God is with us.


Blessings,


Teesa and Bill K

When Sam could finally stand up (when he got enough energy), he was pitiful. He'd fall down quickly afterwards. That cast on his arm is where the IV was - to keep him from pulling it out.

He didn't take a paci before this experience. He wants it all the time now. This pic is from when he didn't have a fever for a few hours. Those eyes really reveal the struggles he'd been through.He only wanted Mommy and Mommy's kisses. He won't go to sleep now without me holding him and he falls asleep in the crook of my neck. He never used to cuddle - I do believe he's a bit insecure.His hospital room.

UPDATE: He had 100.3 before he went down tonight. We're keeping a close eye on his temp.

Update

We made it through the night with no evidence of a fever. We just took the heart monitor off, as it was only for a 24-hour period.

My brother and sister-in-law spent the night. Kendall did laundry, cooked, cleaned and pretty much made sure we didn't have a meltdown. We followed Sam everywhere, questioning every little spike in temp or sweaty moment.

Sam is asleep right now, as he fell asleep in my arms while we were eating breakfast in the kitchen. We are exhausted.

Thank God we are part of something Bigger in this world and we know that with the hundreds of people praying for Sam, we will be okay.

I'm going to go crash now.

Teesa

Sick Sam

We are finally back home, so I have my master email list with me now.

Here's an update for those of you who haven't heard:

Sam had a second seizure on Thursday about three hours after we brought him home from the hospital brought on from another fever spike. He had an abnormality in his ECG in the ambulance on the way to the hospital and then three or four more once we were there. They transferred him to the UNC Children's Hospital pediatric cardiac unit and put him on a heart monitor, along with several other monitors and gave him tons of Tylenol to prevent future spikes in his temperature (which brought on both seizures).

They said that one febrile seizure is normal, but two is very uncommon (called "complex febrile" seizures when there is more than one). The seizure problem is a separate problem from the heart one. We had already seen a cardiologist about two months ago from what the doctor thought was a "gallop" in his heartbeat. It turned out to be nothing, according to the doctor, but he took an ultrasound and ECG at that point.

When the team of doctors began working on Sam, they immediately called our previously seen cardiologist, because he is apparently the "rhythm" expert in this region. He has been the one working with us to discover the root of Sam's heart irregularities.

We have been sent home with a heart monitor to use until tomorrow morning and have been given detailed instructions about checking his heartrate and when to call 911. We are giving him more Tylenol to keep his fever down. It was 97.1 when we left the hospital (and had been down for about 15 hours) and is now 99.1 (down from 99.8 about half an hour ago). So, needless to say, we are on pins and needles about him.

My brother, Adam, and his wife, Kendall, are going to stay with us tonight and care for our needs since we are going to be only focusing on Sam's needs. We really appreciate your prayers and ask that you continue to pray for a low temperature, no more seizures and no future problems with his heart.

Thanks to everyone for your emails and phone calls. I hope you will understand if we haven't written back personally, but this seems to be the best way to tackle this. I am reading all your emails though, and really appreciate the love and support we are feeling.
We will let you know more when we do. We are going to hunker down at the house until Sam's pediatric appointment on Monday morning at 9:30am.

Bill told our pastor, Marty Jacumin, this morning that maybe God gave Sam the second seizure so they could catch the heart problem. Otherwise, we would not have known. We DO know that God is in control and we feel His presence with us.

Blessings,

Teesa and Bill

Tupperware

Sam loves his Tupperware. I love this picture.

One year ago this week

You won't believe it, but one year ago this week was when Bill and I flew to Hong Kong with contractions every 3-7 minutes apart. Here is a copy of Bill's email once we had arrived (sent to over 300 prayer supporters):

Hello Folks,
I am writing to you from Hong Kong this time. Teesa and I have made an emergency trip very much like our trip a couple of weeks ago to Bangkok, due to Teesa experiencing consistent contractions starting two days ago. She is currently in her 30th week, so she is still quite a bit short for us to be ready for this.

Her contractions are still coming at a rate of one every 5 minutes or so. When she was first admitted the staff was on constant high alert for her to go into labor for about 12 hours. Today, however, they seem to have relaxed some. A senior doctor made rounds with his staff this morning. He spoke to us about medication, treatment, and preterm labor. We spoke to him about the power of prayer. He also ordered an exam which showed that Teesa has yet to begin the physical process of labor.

Although she is weary, Teesa seems to be holding up relatively well emotionally. She still smiles and chuckles, but she has also cried a lot in the last couple of days. We are still praying that Father will amaze us and this staff with a 40+ week pregnancy. Please join us in doing the same. Also pray for Teesa to get some rest physically and emotionally. As you can imagine, she has not slept much in the last 72 hours.

Thank you, one and all.

Bill Klear

Here's another letter from Bill to a friend of ours just a couple days later:

Hey,

An ambulance was waiting for us at the airplane, they took Teesa off horizontally! We went to the nearest hospital where they took her to the delivery ward. For two days they kept Teesa in an emergency observation room in the delivery ward. She was having painful and consistent contractions that whole time. They expected her to go into labor at any moment and were ready to deliver. Teesa was pretty scared at times, and in a good deal of pain.

Everyone prayed.

I saw her this morning and it seems as though her condition had improved some as her contractions slowed drastically during the night, she slept for several hours and they transferred her from the emergency observation room in the delivery ward to a normal antenatal ward on a
different floor. We are very grateful. Then I went in during my allotted visiting hours and found her out of bed and walking. I said, "What are you doing??" and she smiled and said, "Going to the bathroom." She had very few contractions today spaced out by hours. They let her eat and drink, which she hasn't done in over two days. She is at peace and says that she is ready for it if she goes into labor.

Dad is good.

Bill

As Bill and I were recounting this story earlier today, it brought tears to my eyes to think about God's faithfulness in our lives. James 1:12 says, "Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, for when he has stood the test, he WILL receive the crown of life God has promised to those who love Him." I know our trial was small compared to what others have experienced, but our prayers (read OURS, yours and mine) led to us delivering a very healthy, very adorable, very hairy! little boy.

Our commitment to you and to God is to raise Him in His ways, so that God will be glorified. We were counted worthy to be called parents of Samuel William Klear and we promise to to continue to be worthy of that title.

God is good!

Here I am on bedrest during the three months I spent in and out of the hospital in Hong Kong. Below it is another picture of me on bedrest, a couple weeks later. I had terrible heartburn and needed at least 15 minutes of sitting upright after eating a meal.

Gerry Ann's visit

We had a great time with Bill's mother, Gerry Ann, last week when she came to visit. She stayed with us from Tuesday to Friday and we did lots of fun stuff together. Bill and Gerry Ann got to hike the Mountains to Sea trail (http://www.ncmst.org/) one day and then we all went to Umstead State Park to hike a bit another day.

Sam showed off his "army crawl" for his Nana too. He still isn't crawling with his belly off the ground, but after six weeks of doing the army crawl, he's flying around the house. He's also pulling up to stand, letting go for seconds at a time (before falling) and walking around furniture by holding on tightly. We are in for trouble!



We got to see our long lost friend Paul Brown last night. I told him I was going to take a picture of him for our blog (Bill calls it "blog fodder"), but he and Bill both scoffed at me. I guess I'll have to wait until he's not looking to catch a photo. We were pumped about seeing Paul, since we hadn't seen him for four years and thought we'd never find him again. Luckily, he checks his old email address! We had a great time catching up on old times.

We also had a picnic with my brother Adam and his family yesterday at Umstead. It was SO HOT that I had to take all of Sam's clothes off and he was still sweating like mad. We finally went over to their house to cool off and rest up before our dinner with Paul.

Oh, and before I forget again, here is a picture of Sam's crazy-curly hair. I'd like to thank my mother and grandfather for their beautiful addition to our family in our curls. I absolutely LOVE them, mine included. (My mother doesn't, sadly.)

Mountain Retreat

We got invited to go to the mountains with our friends the Carsons this last week (we used to work with Hugh in China). We had such a fantastic time with them! Their daughter, Laney, is only two months younger than Sam is and they got along really well. We didn't really have any organized activity, except for one hike we took up to Linville Falls (beautiful, by the way), but that's what made it such a great little retreat. Here are are wearing the babies and hiking.

This is the Klear family at the Falls.


Bill and I have been going and going since we got back to America. We're speaking at so many places and have so many engagements that it has been difficult to catch our breath. Sam has been a real trooper about it though, and he is constantly surprising us with his flexibility. Two weeks ago we went to Tennessee with my parents (who have officially moved to Thailand now) and Sam's only protest was expressed by biting me while nursing. Once we returned home he stopped. I guess he "learned me good" with that long trip. I wish I could say we weren't going to take any more long trips, but it is the nature of our time at home to travel a lot.

We've gotten into a pretty good routine with our traveling though. We will stop every three hours at a gas station. Once I finish feeding him, he will sit with Bill in the driver's seat and play with the steering wheel. He LOVES pulling all the switches and pushing buttons. Here he is with Bill playing (don't worry, the car is parked and Bill is in full control!).

Sam really enjoyed playing with Laney on this trip. The two of them got along swell and I even learned a little something about Sam. Apparently, he likes to make other people laugh. What a distinct personality he has! He and Laney took a bath together and when he saw that splashing his hands in the water made her laugh out loud, he kept doing it over and over again - leaning in close to her face and smiling big. I think he takes after Bill in this regard.

Here we are having a picnic lunch on the day we went to Linville Falls. It was such beautiful scenery!

Okay, here's a story that will make your hair curl. We brought our little inflatable pool that my parents bought for Sam. Sam LOVES playing in it (see previous post) and Laney is no different. While Sam was taking a nap one afternoon, Hollie put Laney in the pool to play.

(Isn't she cute?)

The boys came out to join them and I guess Hugh sat down on a bench, mere feet away, that had a hornet's nest under it. He got stung (I heard him screaming, "This is for real - I'm really getting bit" as I saw a streak of him running across the deck). Bill went out a little later to investigate and here's what he saw:


They said it was the size of a softball! Good thing Hollie reacted so quickly and ran inside with Laney (it took her all of two seconds to get inside). There were a ton of these hornets. What a scary moment for Hollie.

Okay, take a deep breath and let your heart rate get back to normal now. No one was hurt, well, no one except for Hugh who got three stings, and the hornet's nest was dealt with.

Laney and Sam liked to play together in the mornings. We covered the bearskin rug (not kidding) with a sheet and after they were fed and happy, put them down together. Here they are sharing toys and enjoying each other's company.

Isn't she sweet, holding onto Sam like that? She's a real snuggle-bug.

And, finally, here are some photos of the mountain-range. Thanks, again, to the Carsons for a fantastic trip. We really enjoyed the food and company.

The Army Crawl

I don't actually have any photos, but Sam has been working his way towards actual crawling lately. He can "army crawl" all over the place, he even follows me from room to room. I was anxious for him to start crawling and everyone told me I would long for the days that he wasn't so mobile, but I'm still very happy with his new found independence. He seems so much more content with himself now.

We've been busy, again. Traveling from here to there and speaking at different places. We're currently in Nashville, Tennessee enjoying a final week with my parents. They are moving to Thailand on Tuesday to teach.

My mother loves to harass Sam and drive him crazy. Here she is trying to steal his food. She had to put her whole body into it, since he is so strong.

Sam's namesake came over yesterday. Sam loves his great granddaddy!

My cousins Meghan and Sam (yes, another Sam) came over on the Fourth of July too. Here is Meggie Moo holding baby Sam.

While my parents have been cleaning out their house, they have found many many lost treasures. One such treasure was an old rocking chair that used to belong to me. My father's cousin, Johnny, brought it home to me last Saturday (from the storage unit) and said that Sam will be ready for it soon. We put him in it later that afternoon and he LOVED it. Don't worry though, I was one inch off-camera, waiting for a fall.