Why I Love My GF Grill

People often ask me what tools I have in my kitchen - what are necessities for my family and what are just bonuses. I have a list of necessities, but they are probably similar to every other cook's.


My bonuses are probably a little different though. One bonus item that my mother-in-law gave us during our first year of marriage was the George Foreman Grill. She gave us a very basic version, and it was when they first came out (so, a LONG time ago!).


We took that grill to China with us and used it all the time. In fact, we used it so much, the coating was coming off the plates. We had a converter sitting in the corner of our kitchen and just pulled that grill down whenever we had a hankering for some low oil food and plugged it in. We ALWAYS cooked salmon in it - a little olive oil and some lemon pepper seasonings made it delicious - since our area had a lot of salmon farms and it was readily available. Hamburgers were another favorite, or grilled chicken.


So, when we returned to the States, one of our priorities was to get a new GF Grill, but one with removable plates (this is the key to cleaning it well). Last Christmas, Bill bought me a super duper GF Grill, that not only had removable plates, but also had a different variety of plates. I wasn't sure I would need so much grill, but I loved it anyway.

Here is said grill. I keep it on the counter at all times. It's very easy to pop some plates in there and grill whatever I want. It has waffle, omelet, normal grill and baking plates. Sam almost always gets a grilled cheese and veggie (butternut squash, yellow squash, zucchini, carrots, etc) sandwich for lunch - done with the GF.

But, I've learned that it has so many other functions. I pulled out the omelet plates the other day and realized that I could cook one of the best looking omelets AND bacon AND whatever else I wanted all at the same time.

Here's an example of Sam's dinner from last night. A cheese omelet on the left (with cilantro and sea salt) and some broccoli cooking on the right. I could have thrown a slice of bacon or whatever in the middle plate too. What I like about cooking bacon with the grill is that it doesn't splash up everywhere, and if I use the right plates with it (i.e the grill plates with the whole GF tilted down), the oil drains off the bacon, leaving us with a more crisp, less oil-saturated slice.

Here's the finished product. Sam loves his omelets. He used to stay FAR away from eggs, but I realized I could make him a little omelet (I also add some milk in it, to make it more fluffy) in no time and he would eat it. I also throw some flax seed meal in the eggs and different veggies (like peas or carrots) sometimes.

And, here is Master Samuel eating his meal. He likes to mix his veggies and food into his yogurt and eat them together. It's a strange combo, but as long as he's getting his vitamins and eating his meals, I don't care.

So, that's one of my bonus items in my kitchen that I feel like I can't live without (though I know I can). It makes my life easier in so many ways. If you're interested, I'll post about a different bonus item some other time.

AND, I will definitely be posting our menu next week. I didn't realize so many of you would be interested. I might post our back menu from this week, because everything turned out so well. I love sharing good recipes - especially ones that you can use all over the world.

Erica - I LOVE that Elizabeth asks for my cookies. I miss you guys.

Win Something

A friend of a friend is starting a new company and is offering a free giveaway at her blog. If you leave a comment on her blog, you will be entered to win a really cute bag. If you post a blog about it, you can be entered twice!

She and her husband work together and just started their own website too. Check out their stuff - it's really well done. They are based in Greensboro, NC.

Crazy Hair and Great Recipes

What do you make of this hair?

[I actually already published this post and when I went back to review it, I noticed something. The child in this photo doesn't look anything like the one in my "drunk" child photo below. Even though that was such a terrible picture (for obvious reasons), you can also tell that he is sick by his pallor. He's pale and has little circles under his eyes. But, in today's photo, he's pink and pretty - he looks like he's got color in his face and body and just seems healthier. Well, he was definitely acting healthier too - he was in good form today with no fevers. Just thought I'd throw that in.]

I added this picture to let you see his defibrillator a little better. You can kind of make out the scar from between his nipples to just above his belly button. Well, that big hockey-puck-looking-thing at the bottom of his belly IS the ICD. He often bruises his skin around the corners on the right-hand side because he goes down the steps on his belly so much.

You might also notice his tattoo. We saw Dora and Diego (and Boots) at Tweetsie Railroad today. We only went for about two hours so Sam could see his beloved Boots. We rode the Old Number 12 and I actually DID get a cinder in my eye! It really hurt, but it wasn't on fire when it hit me. Everyone on the train was covered with ashes.

I wanted to share a few really yummy recipes that I've made recently. Many of you know that I love to cook. I love it even more when people tell me they enjoy what I've cooked. Well, last night I made the absolute best brownies that I've ever made in my life. I was looking for a great recipe to make brownies with using my Hershey's cocoa powder. Well, here it is (be careful, they're addictive!).

Brownies

Ingredients:
1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 eggs
3/4 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa or HERSHEY'S SPECIAL DARK Cocoa
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped nuts(optional)

Directions:
1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease 13x9x2-inch baking pan.
2. Place butter in large microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at HIGH (100%) 2 to 2-1/2 minutes or until melted. Stir in sugar and vanilla.

(At this point, I changed and started using my hand mixer.) Add eggs, one at a time, beating well with spoon after each addition. Add cocoa; beat until well blended. Add flour, baking powder and salt; beat well. Stir in nuts, if desired. Pour batter into prepared pan.

3. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until brownies begin to pull away from sides of pan. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Frost if desired. Cut into bars. About 36 brownies.


Another recipe that we love here at our home is one that my brother introduced to us. It's a Parmesan chicken bake and it is so easy. We actually keep Italian flavored bread crumbs on-hand all the time so I can make this at the last minute if I need it.

Parmesan Crusted Chicken

1/2 cup Hellmann's or Best Foods Real Mayonnaise
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 1-1/4 lbs.)
Italian seasoned dry bread crumbs
Preheat oven to 425°.

1. In medium bowl, combine Hellmann's or Best Foods Real Mayonnaise and cheese. On baking sheet, arrange chicken. Evenly top with mayonnaise mixture, then sprinkle with bread crumbs - until covered.

2. Bake 20 minutes or until chicken is thoroughly cooked. I brine my chicken in a little salt and sugar before I cook with it - it makes it VERY tender.

I Can Stop Any Time I Want

We had a great day today. Sam has been relatively fever-free for more than 24 hours. The highest his fever got tonight was 100.8F. We even got out to the park this afternoon, where we played Frisbee with our friend Matt. And, the best part is - not one arrhythmia!!!




Sam is crazy about our stethoscope. He knows exactly what to do with it. Here he is taking his heart rate.

I thought this was hysterical. Where is he going?

And here's the big photo....the one he'll kill me for when he gets older. He's learned to climb up in the dining room chairs and sit at the "dinner" table (just a small table we're using for the dinner table). I tried to take some photos of my big boy sitting there, and this was the absolute funniest one. I laughed so hard after I took it. Bill helped me edit it a bit....

Cropped Photos

Obviously, we've been experimenting with the blog and photos since last night. Bill just showed me something really cool to do with the hummingbirds. So, I thought I'd post close-ups of them.

These are the same photos from my earlier post today. They're just altered by cropping them a bit.

Well, on to my details of the day. We tried to spend most of the day in the house - very low-key. Unfortunately, I had to run over to Samaritan's Purse this morning to get Bill to sign some paperwork for the adoption home study update. Once we left SP, we went over to Walgreens to pick up our new photo of the family (it has to be taken within three months) and then on to the post office to mail a few items. It feels like such a relief to get all of that done.

Once we were home, I had to pay lots of medical bills. Also, feels like a relief to get that done. It's amazing how expensive an ambulance ride to Charlotte costs - thank the Lord for insurance!

During all of that, Sam's fever shot up again to about 102.3F. I kept a close eye on him, listened to his heart rate, and tried to pin him down in front of the TV to rest a little. Since I only allow him one TV show a day, he got quite bored after the first one. I had to get creative by laying my head on his lap so he could play with my hair while he watched.

Later in the day, he started having diarrhea. Finally, some symptoms! Maybe it will help us figure out what he's got. Whatever the case, he's in bed now with a low-grade fever and we are praying for no crazy events to happen overnight. We're keeping him well-hydrated too.

Keep praying for us!

Pics of My Sickie

Just wanted to post a pic of my sick little baby. He seems very grumpy today and a little achy too. But, he's fever free for the time being. We're still doing Tylenol and Motrin when needed.

Also, I remember Shannon posting a comment about my plants. Just wanted to share some photos of my little patio garden. I had initially intended on transplanting these to the garden space at the house we didn't close on. Now, we've got a regular patio garden going. Tomatoes, basil, lettuce, beets, radishes, cucumbers, irises, a pecan tree (Sam and I planted it from a pecan at the house in Raleigh), and some miscellaneous items.

Who knew I had a little bit of a green thumb? I sure didn't.

Sick Again?

Sam woke up from his nap this afternoon and felt a little warm. When I took his temperature it was 103.1F. I was beside myself! He wasn't acting sick. His heart rate was normal. What in the world???

When I called the doctor's office (immediately), I started crying! I couldn't believe myself - I have never done that. But, I was so frightened.

We ended up going in to see his pediatrician and everything seemed normal. Yes, he had a fever, but no, there was nothing wrong with his blood work. He wasn't exactly running around, but he also wasn't listless either.

Oh, the frustration I have felt since Sam has been in my life. Love, yes, blessings, yes, joy, yes. But I have never felt frustration like I have with these fevers that come out of nowhere.

I brought him home, am keeping Motrin and Tylenol in him (we need to buy stock in the stuff!) and his fever never got below 100.9F before I laid him in bed for the night. About an hour ago - at 9pm - he woke up crying pretty hard. I was so scared that his defibrillator had shocked him. I grabbed the thermometer (per Bill's very intelligent suggestion) and headed downstairs. No fever - in fact, it was 98F - so I assume he just had a bad dream. Whatever the case, I'm going to give him more meds at 11pm, to make sure the fever STAYS down.

Keep us in your prayers. I hope it's not going to be a long night.

Friends and Family

Sam and I have had SUCH a busy weekend! It started on Thursday - with our trip to Greensboro. Then on Friday, we had a playdate with Sam's friend Elijah. Sam and Elijah got to play in Sam's new inflatable pool - they both went commando and it was adorable.





It was quite bright out!





Check out their tongues!





Elijah had such a great time in the water. Here he is having fun with his mommy!







Then, later in the day, Sam's cousin, Crawford, came into town for a few hours. We played with him at home and Sam learned a valuable lesson about why we don't throw wooden balls at little people's heads. Poor Crawford!





This is Crawford and Sam laying next to each other. Crawford is wearing an old onsie of Sam's. It's hard to believe he ever fit into it.




Here is Crawford smiling in Bill's arms. He really was a happy camper, despite being beat up by his cousin.

Right before this photo was taken, Sam said, "baby - ball" and pointed to Crawford's brow where he hit him with the ball. He was very sorry.

That evening, we went to a Contra Dance at the Apple Barn in Valle Crucis (pronounced Valley Crew-sis). We met some friends of mine who came in from Wilmington for the weekend. I met Beth and Abigail on Babyfit online. We saw them once before in Charlotte and then again this weekend. Abigail is only a few days younger than Sam.

Here's the beautiful Abigail after a long day of riding from Wilmington. They enjoyed the music at the Contra Dance, but had to leave early.

Beth, Abigail, Sam and me leaning over a railing at the Apple Barn. We had a blast!


To end the weekend, Sam and Abigail (and Sophia, Abigail's friend) got to color here at our place after brunch.

Love the hair!

Sam can't concentrate without sticking his tongue out. Apparently his father used to do the same thing when he was a child and I KNOW my father STILL does it.

And, as a bonus for you, we took some photos of Sam getting his hair cut two weekends ago.

It was a much more pleasant experience than the last haircut, but she took 45 minutes (way too long) and his bangs are uneven!


At least he enjoyed himself!

BFF

I appreciate all the encouragement that everyone has sent Bill about even attempting to change a cloth diaper! It's been very helpful to encourage a repeat, sans the mess.

I got a call today from my best friend (you may remember her from previous posts that she made for us during our darkest hours). Please pray for her as she and her family are going through a very difficult time right now.

Thanks.

Not for the Faint of Heart

We had a VERY funny cloth diapering first today. Do not read this if you get grossed out easily. However, if you want to laugh so hard you'll cry...read on.


Sam had a poopy diaper later in the afternoon. Bill brought Sam to me and said, "I think he has a poopy diaper." So, I thought he wanted me to change it. But, it turned out he just wanted instruction.

Bill took Sam to the bathroom (I would have done this laying Sam down on the changing cloth, but went with the flow) and I took Sam's diaper off of him. I showed Bill how we clean poop off the diaper in the toilet and instructed Bill to take Sam (who was standing on the bathroom floor) to the changing cloth to clean him.

I told him how to use the cloth wipes with the witch hazel and water spritzer. We had already gone over this once before, but he needed a little review. A few minutes later, Bill comes running in with Sam in his arms saying that Sam had poop on his arm. Then he said, "I think I have poop on my fingers too!"

Sure enough, Sam had a big smudge of poop on his arm - how it got there I have no idea - it was his upper arm! And Bill, bless his heart, has a big smear of poop on his finger. I set Sam down on the counter (before I realized there is still poop all over his rear end) and helped Bill wash his hand and Sam's arm. It was absolutely hysterical.

I'm crying right now laughing about it. I don't know what happened or where the breakdown was. In the end I had to take Sam back to the changing cloth and show Bill what to do. He calmly watched and then said, "I feel like it's all over me."

Priceless.

You're Not Going To Believe This

First, let me say that Sam has greatly improved regarding his virus. We have an appointment with his cardiologist next Thursday and will learn then what really happened to his heart during the 103F fever. Of course, I will post an update at that time.

We are wilting over here with no air conditioning! It's been in the low 90's, which isn't THAT hot (I know I know, at least we're not in Thailand, right, Mom?). But, it's pretty stifling inside the house. We have two fans and it was still a hot week. Sam and I played with plenty of water on our back deck.

In other news, I have bought cloth diapers for Sam. I have wanted to do this for a long time, but Bill couldn't get on-board. He was very concerned with my work-load already, since I have to care for Sam AND do housing and mortgage business AND adoption work. It has genuinely filled my days from the moment I wake up until the moment I go to sleep (and, with Sam, up to two times during the night!).


But, I know that we are on one salary now and I need to be careful with how I spend our money. I did the math and it really doesn't add up to keep using disposables. I used a calculator online to determine how much we were spending and saving. Here's the breakdown:

I will break even in 4.25 weeks or 0.98 months.
I will save $287.27 in 6 months.
I will save $516.12 in 10 months.
I will save $630.55 in 1 year.
I will save $973.82 in 1 1/2 years.

Now, add TWO babies to that, and I figured we have to do something different. Hopefully, Sam will potty train within the next year and those numbers won't be accurate. But, with Carolina (our adopted baby), the numbers are going to stay the same for one baby. Numbers don't lie and once I convinced Bill that I won't pressure myself and that we can do this, he agreed. I did not nag, FYI, I just brought him the facts and laid it out for him in logical terms.

Most of our housing issues are settling down now. I'm not spending all day on the phone with different people trying to set up appointments and making sure I have the right documents in. I made only three phone calls today to that end. Adoption issues are sporadic too. I got our homestudy via email today and we should be having the actual updated homestudy at our home within the next couple weeks.

So, I thought I would give cloth diapering a try and see how we do. Now, we are only on day two, but I am already in love with it. I can see immediately which ones Sam prefers (I got three different kinds in order to test them out).


I wanted to add that cloth diapering is nothing like it used to be. Even ten years ago, when I was a nanny and the little girl's family cloth diapered, things were different. The only real difficulty that I see is the washing and I believe that I have a good system now.

I took some photos of Sam in his snug-to-fit diaper today. This is one of his least favorites, which I was disappointed about. But, I believe they are a bit bulky for him. He really prefers the "prefolds," which are just a normal rectangular cloth diaper that I fold in third lengthwise and put inside a waterproof cover. Super simple, super cheap.



Oh, and I want to add that I am not being very strict about the cloth diapering. He wears disposables to bed for naptime and evenings. And, if I have a bad day or he has a bad day, we're switching back to disposables. Thanks to all the advice I've gotten from my many CDing friends - Shannon, Holly, Missy and Amelia - to name a few.

103F Overnight

How many posts start with that title?

Sam was feverish on Monday, so I kept meds in him all day yesterday, until afternoon. Then he seemed fine. We walked down to the mailboxes (a fair way for him to walk) and he was skipping and running all the way down there.

When I put him to bed, he did not have a fever.

At about 1:45am, he woke up and called for me a couple times. When I got into his room, he was standing at the edge of his pack-n-play reaching out for me. I picked him up and he was on fire. So, I took him upstairs and learned his temp was 103F. He was acting very lethargic and I was really concerned that if I riled him up too much his heart would beat too fast and cause him to be shocked (my thinking was that his heart must already be beating very quickly).

But, no shock. I prayed over him. I took his clothes off, gave him meds, took him outside, wet his hair down, told Bill what was going on...all the while, no shock.

We played with some water (to cool him off), bubbles and finally turned on a Blue's Clues episode (his favorite). I even checked his heart with our cheapo stethoscope. It was only beating 123bpm by my untrained ear. Bill and I sat in the living room while Sam laid on my chest and watched his TV show. Half an hour after the meds, I took his temp again and it was 101.1. Praise God.

I put him back to bed and Bill set my alarm for the next Tylenol dosage (at 5:45am). I won't go into all the details of the rest of the night, but needless to say neither Bill nor I slept. Poor Bill had to go to work today. I don't know how he will make it.

I spoke with Sam's cardiologist in Chapel Hill this morning, Dr. Buck. He said he was REALLY encouraged to know that having a fever doesn't always bring on VTAC, as it has in the past. Sam has shown himself to not have VTAC with high fever on several occasions now. Dr. Buck was very happy. I wanted to make sure that I made the right decision in not taking Sam to the hospital too. Normally we would take him if his fever got to 102F. But, Dr. Buck supported my decision. We also checked Sam's defib and there have been no events at all.

So, we see Dr. Buck again next Thursday for our normal appointment in Greensboro. And, we will see a pediatrician this morning to figure out, yet again, that Sam probably has a virus. No symptoms, but a slightly runny nose.

I'm looking forward to the day that Sam can talk to me and tell me what's happening in his body.

The Cross

Take a look at the third picture down in my last post. A friend of ours wrote me an email pointing out the cross-shaped puff of smoke. How interesting and unique!

Today was my and my brother's birthday. When I woke up, Sam had 101. Poor guy laid his little head on the floor in front of the kitchen and said, "Mama, Mama." I knew he had a fever from that behavior and from how warm he felt. He's been up and down all day, but seems to be responding to the Tylenol and Motrin. When it starts to wear off, that's when his fever goes back up. I'm staying up tonight to give him a bit more Tylenol and Motrin before I go to bed.

I really hope we won't be taking any trips to the hospital. He hasn't had a high fever like this (consistently) since we were in Charlotte!

Yesterday I was really pumped about the house we're buying. I killed a termite in Sam's room, six spiders around the house (along with their cob webs), we had a very loud June bug in the foyer, along with four wasps and a massive-sized cricket crawled on my hand when I reached into the closet to get some clothes for church. I told Bill I can't wait to get out of here, but he said I need to cool off a bit - we still have six weeks. Okay, I can wait, but no more bugs please! I only killed one wasp today and two spiders. Things are looking up.

In response to a comment, I'd like to post some fun things to do in Raleigh. Hollie, I'm sorry we never got a chance to show you around personally, but maybe my short list will suffice. Also, there are plenty of other moms in Raleigh who know WAY more than I do, so they should feel free to add to my list in the comments section.

• Marbles children's museum (you can purchase a reciprocal membership and get into museums all over the country for free)
• Pullen Park (great merry go round and train rides!)
• Lake Lynn and Shelley Lake (great greenways and fun place to feed ducks and fish)
• Make friends with someone who owns a horse - we would go on sleigh rides with the Clydesdale on the Creedmoor property.
• Duke Gardens and the Lemur Center at Duke University (my friend Julie's blog told me about this)
• NC Museum of Art (they often have different exhibits that can appeal to children of all ages)
• NC Museum of History (SO great for everyone, including Sam's age)
• NC Museum of Science (also a lot of fun)

That's all I can think of right now. Maybe Julie can add to it, if she reads this post. If you join a mommy group, you might be able to get the inside-track a bit better.

There's plenty to do here here now. We're always looking for something new, but we still haven't tried the stuff we've already heard about. I was really excited yesterday when I discovered an online group called High Country Mommies. They have very organized activities and insight on all kinds of stuff.

For now, scroll down and check out that picture of the puff of smoke above Thomas the Tank Engine!

Something More

I read this on this blog (which I previously posted). http://mnssams.blogspot.com/ I really appreciate this article. Although I don't have it nearly as bad as many women, I can really identify with some of the points she makes.

Some Mothers Get Babies With Something More
Written by: Lori Borgman Columnist and Speaker

Expectant mothers waiting for a newborn's arrival say they don't care what sex the baby is. They just want to have ten fingers and ten toes.

Mothers lie.

Every mother wants so much more. She wants perfectly healthy baby with a round head, rosebud lips, button nose, beautiful eyes and satin skin. She wants a baby so gorgeous that people will pity the Gerber baby for being flat-out ugly. She wants a baby that will roll over, sit up and take those first steps right on schedule (according to the baby development chart on page 57, column two). Every mother wants a baby that can see, hear, run, jump and fire neurons by the billions. She wants a kid that can smack the ball out of the park and do toe points that are the envy of the entire ballet class. Call it greed if you want, but a mother wants what a mother wants.

Some mothers get babies with something more. Maybe you're one who got a baby with a condition you couldn't pronounce, a spine that didn't fuse, a missing chromosome or a palate that didn't close. The doctor's words took your breath away. It was just like the time at recess in the fourth grade when you didn't see the kick ball coming, and it knocked the wind right out of you.

Some of you left the hospital with a healthy bundle, then, months, even years later, took him in for a routine visit, or scheduled him for a checkup, and crashed head first into a brick wall as you bore the brunt of devastating news. It didn't seem possible. That didn't run in your family. Could this really be happening in your lifetime?

There's no such thing as a perfect body. Everybody will bear something at some time or another. maybe the affliction will be apparent to curious eyes, or maybe it will be unseen, quietly treated with trips to the doctor, therapy or surgery. Mothers of children with disabilities live the limitations with them.

Frankly, I don't know how you do it. Sometimes you mothers scare me. How you lift that kid in and out of the wheelchair twenty times a day. How you monitor tests, track medications, and serve as the gatekeeper to a hundred specialists yammering in your ear.

I wonder how you endure the clichés and the platitudes, the well-intentioned souls explaining how God is at work when you've occasionally questioned if God is on strike. I even wonder how you endure schmaltzy columns like this one-saluting you, painting you as hero and saint, when you know you're ordinary. You snap, you bark, you bite. You didn't volunteer for this, you didn't jump up and down in the motherhood line yelling, "Choose me, God. Choose me? I've got what it takes."

You're a woman who doesn't have time to step back and put things in perspective, so let me do it for you.

From where I sit, you're way ahead of the pack. You've developed the strength of the draft horse while holding onto the delicacy of a daffodil. You have a heart that melts like chocolate in a glove box in July, counter-balanced against the stubbornness of an Ozark mule.

You are the mother, advocate and protector of a child with a disability.

You're a neighbor, a friend, a woman I pass at church and my sister-in-law.

You're a wonder.

Something Crazy

Do you want to hear something really crazy?

When I found out that I was pregnant, a friend of mine recommended an online support group. I joined the Oct 06 group and it was one of the best decisions I ever made.

Since that time, I have met so many women online who have had similar issues throughout pregnancy and infancy with our babies. I have physically met three of the women, one is Beth in the picture below.

Every time we have had issues and been sent to the hospital, they have prayed for Sam. One of them even writes poems for Sam.

One time, I got this big package with letters and cards and a few gifts, not to mention a gift card. I think that was after I had meningitis and Sam had his ICD implanted. Then, on Tuesday I received another gift from one of my online friends belonging to this group. Today, I received a package with a big plush toy, some books, cards and a DVD, not to mention a gift card to Wal Mart.

What a blessing these women have been to my heart. I have received support when I most needed it and they let me vent too. I just want to say thanks to them again. You have been a real joy in my life.

Just thought I would share.

Friends and Family

We had a great time in Atlanta (or Cumming), GA. On the way down, we got to see several friends. Here's a picture of Abigail, Beth and us. Abigail and Sam are about a week or so apart (Sam is older). They are from Wilmington, but were in Charlotte for the weekend. What an unexpected surprise to get to see them. Here's their blog (I stole this pic from it!).

We also got to see the Persall family in Spartanburg at their AWESOME house. I was so happy to get to visit, and Sam was happy to get out of the car. It took about seven hours to get down there with all of our stops.

Once we were in Cumming, we stayed with my aunt Nancy and her family. Her children are my only cousins - and they are 13 and (almost) 8 years-old, respectively. I had a fantastic time with them, and I know Sam did too. He fell in love with Meg (the 8 year-old) and loved playing ball with Sam (the 13 year-old). Uncle Mike babysat baby Sam for me so Nancy and I got a chance to go out and do a little shopping. It was the first time I've been away from Sam in a long long time. I really needed the laughter and love I got over the weekend - with no worries about a house or pending adoption. I really love my family.

On the way home, we stopped in Greenville to see Bill's sister, Jacque. Sam was happy to steal her fries at McDonalds. Another really pleasant visit with family.

I just got off of Skype with Bill. He's in the Philippines now. He's having a great time, but is a bit congested. I can't wait to have him back at home.

I got some video of Sam today. It'll take me a while to figure out how to upload it. I'm retarded with video computer stuff.

Atlanta

Wow, thanks for all the comments about the adoption. I knew this had been a long process, but I calculated the whole thing out the other day and it has been four years and four months since we started. Can you believe that? Plus, I'm more nervous about this homestudy than I was about the first one. What's up with that?

It has something to do with our rental home. It's not horrible, by any means, but it does have its issues. Our neighbors on one side smoke pot and lately have taken to playing their music very loudly. They have four children and her 22 year-old brother living with them. They also profess to be pagans. On the other side is a single woman and her four children with two different fathers. Her ex-husband was abusive and has taken to abducting (yes, taking them without legal permission) the children lately. This evening the two of them had a blow-out fight in the parking lot about money. They started the fight when he came to pick up the children (so they were present) and then he came back without the children, but with his mother, to finish it. I was very worried he was going to hurt her, but she went into the house before anything could happen.

She is a Christian and I believe God is working in her life to deal with everything that is happening. She comes over and hangs out with me sometimes, and her children LOVE playing with Sam (inside and outside my home). The other family is a bit more distant, but I have been able to make a connection with them as well.

Needless to say, there is a lot going on and I need a bit of a break from it, which is why Sam and I are driving to Atlanta tomorrow to hang with my aunt and her family. We'll stay until Tuesday. I believe it will pass the time without Bill being here a little faster.

The great news of the day is two-fold. One - the contract on the house is signed! We have a close-date of July 15th. Yeah!! Two - an adoption agency based out of Greensboro has agreed to do a partial (updated) homestudy for us! They seem very helpful, even with our unusual circumstances.

Bill is in Indonesia today - Bali, to be exact. They are doing an Operation Christmas Child (OCC)distribution! He is excited about it - because he finally gets to see the impoverished children receiving the tangible love of Christ up close. All of you who packed shoeboxes for OCC - I am going to have some awesome pictures for you to see the children who receive your boxes.

We're off early tomorrow morning.

Email From Chengdu

Some close friends of ours wrote out an email tonight from Chengdu. I asked them if I could post it on our blog and they said yes. I've changed it a bit for publication. Please pray for these folks. Also, they have some friends who have a small child and are expecting that live to the north of Chengdu and no one has heard from them.

We are at home now writing you and preparing for today. We are thankful for all of your prayers and your thoughts to us. Please continue to pray for the people here and that we would have wisdom on how we can help these people. We stayed the night in our home and were so thankful for peace as we slept. We are reminded that He cares for us, that His mercies are new every morning.

I was with the kids at home when the quake hit, the house was swaying like a boat and I ran with the kids with no shoes and nothing...they ran down 16 flights just asking the Lord to hold the building...the quake lasted about 3 minutes. When we got downstairs people were running everywhere. One Tibetan friend of ours saw me without shoes and just put her shoes on her feet.

Everyone waited by the street for several hours. Many people hugged the kids, hugged me and just were worried with them. Our house helper saw that we didn't have our dog, the kids had been crying that she was left there. She told them that she would try....she ran up the stairs and returned with Riley,our passports and the stuffed duck that our little one loved. It was so precious and very special to see her love for us.

My husband was taking his brother to the airport and felt like the car had a blow out, when he stepped out of the car to look at the tire, he felt the ground moving the same. The driver said hurry lets go, as they were under an overpass. They drove to the airport and saw that there were people everywhere...they began to make their way to us...through so much traffic they came to our home. He didn't realize the size of the earthquake until he saw us and just heard our story.

Fear gripped me in a way I have never experienced. I was so scared I would not get the kids out, I was scared that I couldn't find my husband....but the Lord has reminded me that He did not give us a spirit of fear, but of LOVE, POWER, and a SOUND MIND. My husband has said he has been reminded that God will never leave us or forsake us.

My husband made us a shelter in the corner of the soccer field and the kids slept so well in the tent. God sent us our brother-in-law, Bob, so we had one person holding each child. We needed one more set of hands and Uncle Bobby was there.

Will you ask for God to comfort our own fears and give us eyes for those around us...this is a time to be honest, where I want to hold my kids around me and keep them safe, ask that we could see others and have God's love to help.

Will you ask for our kids to have peace---that this would just seal in their hearts a trust in the Lord for His care.

We continue to feel aftershocks and just need prayer to have peace---the water and gas have been coming on and off...please ask for that "sound mind" for us as we care for our home and needs and things.

We look to Jesus--leaning, leaning safe and secure from all alarms, leaning, leaning, leaning on the ever lasting arms.

From Bell Shoals BC

We regret to inform you, our church family, that at approximately 11 AM this morning we learned that search and rescue teams found the aircraft of Pastor Forrest Pollock in the mountains outside of Asheville, North Carolina. Pastor Pollock, 44 and his son Preston, 13, did not survive the crash. Please continue to lift up Dawn and the children during this difficult time. We grieve with hope and assurance that our Lord Jesus will lead us and carry us through these difficult times.
We have lost a great brother, pastor and friend in Forrest Pollock as well as a precious little brother in Christ, Preston Pollock. We owe a great thanks to those who risked their lives, endured extreme hardship, and worked non-stop in the attempt to rescue our pastor and his son.

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38-39

Earthquake Update

This is an email I got from a few of our friends in Chengdu, where the earthquake was. They have three little ones. They lived on the 16th floor of a tall apartment building.

I haven't heard from anyone in Yunnan yet.

Keep praying for our friends.

We are ok. I came home to get supplies. We are sleeping outside tonight. The kids were really scared to go back home. There are about 3000 people sleeping out at a near by college.

Congratulations, Adam and Kendall!

My twin brother and his wife had a baby boy today around 4:12pm. He called and told Bill her water broke and I was in the car within ten minutes. It took me three hours to get to Raleigh (with Sam) and she had already had the baby an hour before I got there! I'm envious of how great her delivery and pregnancy were!

Sam is doing great. No fever since the last time I posted on Thursday. He was just right to meet his new cousin!

By the way, the baby has no name yet. I'll keep you posted on that one. He's beautiful though. Dark hair and perfect in every way.

Long Day

Sam slept through the night, which was a little odd for him. When he woke up, he coughed so much he vomited. I checked his temp and it was 101.1F.

An hour after giving him his Tylenol, it is still 101F.

So, I guess we're in for a long day.

Getting Better

Sam seems to be feeling better today. He's only had a few moments where he found it difficult to breathe (he was wheezing). That was while he was in his pack-n-play taking a nap. Probably just from laying down. He had another low-grade temp last night - 100.8, but nothing today.

Melissa asked me about Bill's job. I guess I'm guilty of not sharing with you about how much he likes it. I've been a bit side-tracked lately!

Bill loves his job. He gets to speak with people all around the world who work with Samaritan's Purse every day. His mom came up a couple days ago and we took a tour of SP and it was great. We both got a little choked up when we saw the work they do with heart patients who are children from other countries. I saw a few pictures that really gripped my heart. They bring infants and children from around the world to different locations in America to have surgery done. They have host families take those families to their doctor's appointments. It is definitely something I want to be involved in.

Back to Bill. He is leaving on Monday to go to Indonesia and the Philippines for about 12 days. It'll be a short trip, but it's an important one. It's taken him a bit of time to get used to cubicle-work, but now that Matt is back (his direct supervisor and great friend), I think he's enjoying it more. He said he's going to go to Colorado soon too.

Bill comes home everyday with stories about how children received their shoe boxes and how those boxes contained exactly what they needed. One story was about the public schools in the Philippines, who require a uniform for every child. There was one girl who didn't have shoes and she was given a fine every day she showed up without her shoes. While Matt was there, she received a pair of shoes exactly her size in one of the shoe boxes. It was a sweet story.

Also, for those of you who were wondering about how my parents are fairing in Thailand - great. They were worried about the cyclone hitting them, but it turns out they only got a little rain. My brother and I were very concerned this morning since we hadn't heard from them in a couple days, but I used Skype-Out to call Dad while he was grocery shopping. He said my mother has a stomach bug, but besides that they are doing well. They'll be back this summer (late June) to visit family and friends.

Thanks again for your prayers. I saw a house today online that was posted last night. I'm going to go look at it tomorrow at 11am. It looks promising!

Another Childhood Virus

Ugh. I guess you know what I'm about to say.

Pray.

Sam has a low-grade fever and is coughing and wheezing some. We went to the doctor and they did a CBC and we learned that Sam's lymphocytes are elevated. This indicates a virus. So, his pediatrician called the doctor on-call and told him the situation. Everyone is on-alert in case something happens (e.g. a fever spike and a defib discharge, which will take us to the hospital).

His throat is red, which is probably why he stopped eating yesterday. His temp is so low - 100.6 - so I'm not too worried just yet. Let's just unite in prayer to keep it low!

I talked to his doctor about how hard I'm trying to clean his hands, but continue to take him to the park and other fun places. He was very happy with our situation and said to keep it up. Therefore, I can only conclude that I am not guilty of exposing him to something unnecessarily, but instead, I am keeping him social and helping him to develop as naturally as a 19 month-old.

Hey, at least it's not strep (negative culture today) or hand-foot-mouth disease!

We have also looked for houses, continually, and there still doesn't seem to be much in our price-range that is habitable. We have one house on our hearts that we are praying through right now. Please continue to help us!

Thanks.

Other People

I've been noticing a trend in how other people view Sam recently. I get a lot, and I mean a TON, of comments about how Sam is more susceptible to getting sick than other children. It comes in many different ways, like one woman told me, after Sam drank from her son's sippy cup, that her son is "tough" so she wasn't worried about him (i.e. Sam isn't tough). Other people make comments about us not going to certain places because Sam's immune system is compromised (like the Children's Museum in town).

Now, I realize that I have a lot to process regarding all of this. I also realize what opinions I form now will probably follow me the rest of my life. Hopefully I'll be able to change according to different situations though. Whatever the case, I feel very defensive.

So, let's get some facts straight. Sam does not have a compromised immune system. He is, in fact, less sick than a lot of children his age. The doctors have even done a SED test on him to see how his immune system is and it is absolutely perfect (the lower the number the better, and his is 0). The issue is that when he does get a common cold or another type of virus and gets a fever along with it, his heart starts beating rapidly.

Also, I believe Sam is one of the toughest kids I know. He can take shock after shock directly to his heart and stops crying about two seconds afterwards. He falls down and doesn't cry, unless he's overly tired. The kid is very tough.

Now that I've gotten that out, let me apologize to any of you for being short about it recently. I feel like a judgement on him is a judgement on our family and I really hate to hear things that aren't accurate concerning him. However, it is impossible for anybody to have the big picture anywhere near correct. I don't share everything that happens with anyone - if you were at the hospital and shared an experience with us, you MAY understand, but for the most part, no one is totally aware of what has happened besides us and his doctors.

So, I need to change my attitude of defensiveness. I'm sure that other families with these types of conditions have similar feelings and have worked through them. I know Sam is always going to be a "special needs" child and that his teachers will always need to be aware of his situation. I also realize that I will never be able to put him in the church nursery or another place that is a petri dish of germs. That is definitely different from other children. He will never be able to play contact sports, because the ICD might get hit and it could damage it. But, the infectious disease doctor said to allow him to participate in all normal activities where I can be with him. So, a children's museum is a perfect place for him.

The infectious disease doctor, his pediatricians, his nurses and his cardiologist ALL said NOT to put him in a bubble, real or figurative.

I hope that I can be a very conscientious mother, who will be aware of the situation, but allow Sam to experience new situations and have a good time with other children. But, I also know Sam is not like other children and I am going to have to get used to that fact. It makes me a little weepy even thinking about it. He acts totally normal and is developmentally right on schedule. But, he does have limitations.

So, in summary, please forgive me if I have offended you recently by jumping down your throat about Sam's health. I am unsure of how to process all of my feelings right now, but I feel fiercely defensive about him. But, I am praying through it and working through it with others.

By the way, when I heard my new friend say her child was "tough," I responded emotionally to it. She didn't mean a thing about Sam - it was just something I was already sensitive about and it stuck with me. I know many of you are probably reading that first paragraph and saying to yourselves, "geez, I will have to be careful with every little thing I say with Teesa." The truth is, it's my problem for being over-sensitive. I know it's a problem and I'm working on it.

All Good News

Hi, it's Billy's mom again. I am pretty sure you can tell by now.
You will be happy to know that Sam is doing well, a permanent place to live is looking up and, drum roll please, Teesa has ordered Internet service.
I spoke with Teesa this morning as she was dressing a moving target. Sam is back to his bouncy normal self. As with most times that I speak with him Teesa tells him to tell Nana, that's me, hi. I don't recall ever hearing him say this until this morning. I got a big hi Nana, music to my ears. Yesterday Sam was at the doctor for a checkup. He got a good report, all seems normal.
As for the house, things are moving forward for them to purchase their new home. Won't we all be excited when they do? Teesa will have to tell you more later.
Speaking of Teesa telling you more later, it should be Thursday. I know you all are anxious to hear directly from Billy and Teesa. I also know they will be happy to have the opportunity to enter blog messages and to email you.
So with all of that good news I must tell you I will miss helping them by posting their blogs. It's been fun and nice but hope I won't have to do this again. I look forward to them getting settled and personally being able to keep you all informed.
Thanks again from Nana for all of you precious prayers and the opportunity to see God's mighty hand at work.

Update on the Klears

Billy's mom again. I know you should be able to tell the difference if it's me or Teesa or Billy.
First bit of information is that Sam has made it with no fever so far. Our prayers are still working. Sam has been waking up crying or crying in his sleep. Teesa and Billy think that he is having nightmares about his hospital visit. Wouldn't you?? I would. When you pray for Sam please pray that his memory of his hospital visit diminishes.
Good news on the house issue. I was told this morning that they have been told they will be compensated for the earnest money they put down. This is very good. They are now starting the house purchasing process again. They do have another house in mind. There are still a few issues to work out with all of this so they still need your prayers.
A personal note from mom. I spoke with both Teesa and Billy this morning. Although you can still hear a little fatigue and stress in their voices they did sound so much better. Sam was talking, that's great, in the hospital he had pretty much stopped talking. Hearing them this morning lifted my spirits and I know to hear that they are recovering will lift yours also.
Hopefully Teesa will be able to post sometime in the near future. She and Billy are so much better at this with so much more detail so I know you are looking forward to that.
Thanks for all of your prayers, thoughts and comments. Teesa is so happy to see all of the hits on the blog and the comments she gets back. Just shows how many people care and are praying.
Hope the next blog has even better news that this one.

HOME!

Yes they are home. This is Bill's mom again. Sam's temp is normal, he's eating better also. Please continue to pray his temp stays normal. Also please continue to pray for Billy and Teesa as they recover from the last week and for the housing situation. God has worked such a miracle with Sam over the past week. It is fantastic to watch His hand at work. The Klear's continue to need God's moving concerning Sam's temp and to show them the house He has chosen for them.
Thanks

Going Home

We should be leaving this evening to go home. Sam has ripped off his leads and was impossible to contain in his hospital bed. He is now sitting next to me on the couch. I tried to let him walk a little, but his legs are too wobbly and he can't stand up. I imagine that almost six days of laying in bed will do that to little legs.

His cardiologist here in Charlotte came in a spoke to us and we have a new game plan for treatment. Also, his pediatrician here called and spoke to me about what we can expect for the weekend (pending any unusual fever related to an ear infection or something else). We will continue to monitor his temps over the next few weeks and if he has low-grade fevers continually, we will come back and see the ID doctor here in Charlotte.

The cardiologist can't understand why Sam had such a high fever and plenty of them over the last few days but didn't go into VTAC. We absolutely attribute this miracle to the Lord answering your prayers. How do you feel to be a part of this? You helped spare Sam's little heart a trauma that would have been very painful. Thank you.

Blessings.

Adenovirus

We have an answer, finally. I think I said yesterday that one of Sam's nose cultures came back positive. It was the one called "adenovirus."

The infectious disease doctor came in today and said that adenovirus is the cause of Sam's high fevers. Of course, we know that any normal child could get high fevers and be okay, but Sam's heart is what landed him here. When he gets a high fever, his heart goes into an abnormal, very fast rhythm. Apparently, adenovirus causes children to get high fevers and have respiratory problems, just like he has. The quick swab of his nose came back negative, but the culture, that they have been looking at for four days, came back positive. He also might be developing an ear infection. Last night it was buldging, but today it is fine.

The ID doctor said she will be in touch with our pediatrician here alert him that Sam might have another high fever over the weekend due to his ear. But, he might not. It just depends on how his body heals.

They are probably releasing us this evening. We have weaned Sam's meds (Tylenol and Motrin) and are keeping a close eye on his temperature. If there is any rise or any fever, we will re-assess before this evening.

I feel good about all of this. I think the ID doctor knows what she is talking about and I feel confident that Watauga Medical Center will be able to handle us from now on (unless there's an even higher temp). The cardiologist said, "it is what it is," when he was talking about Sam's fever and his VTAC. He said it doesn't make a difference what the temperature is - a VTAC is a VTAC and Sam is going to have one with almost ever fever. We just have to sit by and watch - monitoring him closely to make sure nothing else happens (this means, go straight to the hospital).

Sam has been a different child today. He's still not eating like he normally does, nor is he drinking normally, but he's jumping on the bed and screaming "Mama" a lot. I think it's time for us to move on from here and go back to the rental at home.

Bill will be here after work, around 7:30 or 8 tonight and we'll likely leave after that. I will let you know what I hear. My phone is still not working properly, since Sam threw it down on Saturday (I can only use speakerphone on it). But, I should get my old new phone back tomorrow. Also, I won't have internet anymore once we are home. So, I'm not sure how you'll keep up with us anymore. Maybe I'll have some time on Saturday to break away and write. I'll post once more before we leave tonight though.

As always, keep praying. Sam is going to have a long road ahead of him whenever he goes new places or meets new people. The doctor said today that I STILL can't put him in a bubble, no matter what. She said he can play on the playground, in museums and even go to school when the time comes. But, no one is allowed to kiss him on the lips (save us) hands. And we need to wash them after every time someone touches his hands. So, if you see me bring out my hand sanitizer, it's not because I think you're disgusting. It's for his safety.

Blessings.

What's Today?

I don't even know what day today is. So, I'll just give a "Today" update.

Bill left for work about thirty minutes ago. Sam had an ok night - no fever, which is fantastic. But, his alarms kept going off all night. His pulse ox sticker kept falling off his toe and he couldn't breathe through his nose.

Something happened to me - I guess the week caught up with me - because I fell asleep and couldn't wake up. The alarms kept bothering me, but my eyes were so heavy, I finally told Bill that I couldn't keep up with everything and collapsed on the couch. I would wake up groggy and couldn't keep my eyes open. Bill had to take over. At some point I heard a commotion and saw that they were vacuuming out Sam's nose. He wasn't very thrilled about it. At that point, I crawled into bed with him and we slept fitfully the rest of the night. I would put saline in his nose every hour or so and that seemed to do the trick. At 6:40am, I realized Bill hadn't gotten up yet and yelled his name about 40 times before he woke up. I guess we're exhausted.

I haven't seen the doctor yet, but I'm curious to ask him about all of the strange rhythms we've seen in the last two days. Sam's been skipping beats and his pacemaker has begun working a lot.

So, keep praying if you will. Pray for healing of his little body from this cold that he's got. Pray for his heart to beat as a normal heart would.

I'll know about the CT scan later today. Also, just to let you know, his nose swab came back positive for a cold (viral). But, the particular cold he has doesn't cause high fevers like he's been getting.

Contrast

In preparation for his CT scan Sam had to drink about 6oz of a clear liquid refered to simply as 'contrast.' What that might actually consist of, I do not know. What I do know is that he did not like it. He has really not wanted to put anything in his mouth for a day now. He was, however, a real trooper and let Teesa give him little squirts from a syringe until it was all down. We all went to the imaging wing and once again he did very well in a hard situation. He didn't fuss too much as he layed in the scanner, Teesa held his hands and he shuttled in and out.

After the scan his face was pretty flushed and Teesa noticed that he was quite warm. We were concerned and wanted to get back to his room quickly. When we arrived the nurse took his temperature and it was up to 102.5 and we all sprang into action getting the cooling blanket, cool rags and Motrin. Only a few minutes passed and the head nurse was in to tell us that this was a normal reaction to the 'contrast.' His fever is coming down, but the cooling blanket is still on. On the other hand he is quite congested. Thank you all, for your continued prayers.

An Hour Later

I know I just posted, but the doctor just came in and I wanted to give a quick update.

Dr. Smith, his new cardiologist, was very encouraged to see Sam's temps low overnight. While we were talking, Sam's heartrate was dipping so low, his pacemaker was pacing him. We're not sure why it's doing that - Dr. Smith said it could be that his upbeat wasn't fast enough or that he is missing a few beats, but it just means the defib/pacemaker is working.

He also said that one of Sam's tests came back high - showing that he has inflammation. All that means is that he could have a bacterial or viral infection. So, we still don't know anything more than we did before.

I asked again why Sam has not gone into VTAC even though he's had a high fever. This is still perplexing him (though we know why - because of your prayers). Dr. Smith thinks it is likely that there have to be certain factors involved with his body in order for the fever to cause VTAC.

That's all I know for now.

Wednesday Morning

We made it through the night with no events. Bill and I took turns sleeping and the nurses came in every hour to check his temp. He has maintained a normal temp all night long. Can you believe it? I can. We had such faithful prayer warriors praying for him, his fever, his heart and for us. We greatly appreciate your prayers.

Today they will do a CT scan and the blood work is still out. I will let you know as I do. Keep praying for no more fever, to discover the illness and for his heart.

Since I finally have a minute to sit down, I will tell you something else that is going on in our lives. We were going to close on a house here on Friday (two days from now), but got word on Saturday (on the way to the doctor) that the loan won't come through because the sellers aren't cooperating. We will most likely lose our retainer as well, due to a poorly written contract.

We've learned a lot through this process. I have been laying in Sam's bed praying about the housing situation since 3:30am. I don't know what is going on, but I believe God is telling me that we should not pursue this house anymore. Bill had already come to this conclusion a few days ago, but I am just now getting on board. It will be difficult to lose the retainer, but I believe we are supposed to put a bid on another house. We had been praying about this other house from the beginning and chose the second one because we believed that is what we were supposed to do. I almost woke Bill up during the night to talk to him about all of this, but I decided it would be best to let him sleep. I'm curious to know what he thinks.

Please pray about the housing situation too, as you remember it. It's obviously not the most important thing going on in our lives right now, but it's still important nonetheless.

I can see the sun rising behind the mountains outside our window now. The hospital is bustling with more noise as nurses change shifts. Sam and Bill are breathing deeply in their respective beds. Sam's heart rate is 85 beats per minute. I know he doesn't have a fever because of his heart rate.

Thanks for praying. And thanks for posting - we read your posts all day long, when we're not in the middle of a harried crisis. We are reading them over and over again. We love the encouragement and to see God unify His family around the world. How awesome is that?

From Sam Himself

This is from Sam:

h ,mj nx / fffffffffffffffvh vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv v b

We're at another good point of the day. The fever that came this afternoon was the highest Sam has ever had. We're lucky he didn't have a seizure.

He was so dehydrated that it took three times of sticking him before they actually got it into a vein. It was devastating for everyone. I cried almost as much as Sam did. But the hospital staff is great and the nurse from the cardiology clinic was absolutely awesome. When I ran down the hallway to alert her to his high fever, she immediately put her arm around me while walking me back to the room and asked me if I was ok. Once I responded, she started barking out orders to get the fever under control. It took one hour of wet, cold rags on his head and on his body before his temp came down to 103.5.

My cousin Valerie was here for it, so I immediately asked her to post something. Thanks for your quick-acting prayers.

We are now looking for Typhoid, Malaria and anything else the ID doctor could think of. They're doing a CT scan tomorrow to see if it actually IS the defibrillator that is causing the problem. We have to wait until tomorrow because he'll need some sort of meds intravenously and his veins are too weak to support them right now.

After he broke his fever, he sat up in bed and asked to eat. He played with toys and is now watching TV in my lap. The ID doctor came in and we introduced her to Sam. She's seen him three or four times, but he has always been laying flat very sick. He's still sick, but is on one of the mountains right now.

Keep praying. We expect another high fever tonight. Hopefully it won't continue to trend of getting higher and higher as it has been doing. That's one of the reasons the doc is looking at Malaria. We're just grasping at straws, but who knows.

Thanks be to God for answering our prayers again. We are exhausted and are taking shifts tonight. I hope I can get two hours of consecutive sleep, since I have only actually had two hours in the last three days, I'm looking forward to it. I just hope we don't have another fever.

Blessings!

Sam update 4-15-08

I am Valerie Phillips Teesa's cousin, writing for Teesa. Sam's fever was 104.4 at 2:15 this afternoon. The doctors are scheduling a CAT scan and doing more blood work. They still don't know what is causing his fever to spike, and are looking for anything/everything. We give God praise that his heart did not go into V-Tac when his fever was so high. Please continue to keep Sam and us in your prayers.

Wow

Last night was by far one of the roughest nights we've ever had. I know it was hard for many of you too, as you have been on your knees for Sam.

But, our God is good. He is merciful. He is loving. And, we felt His love for us last night.

Sam's fever broke some time around 4am. His defib never fired. His heart never went into sustained VTAC. At about 4:30am, he sat up did a sign for cheerios and asked for some whole milk. He also asked to watch TV. Him sitting up was a big deal, because he hasn't had the strength to sit up on his own since Saturday. He watched TV until about 6am, when he laid back down and nursed for a while, then fell asleep. He slept until about 8am when his new cardiologist came in.

Here's the scoop on Sam's general health - his right side is still sounding "diminished." The doctors are looking at bronchitis or pneumonia. His nose is very congested. His temp has been running between 98F and 99.6 (right now) since about 4am.

We feel relieved and are wondering if that was the climax at the end. We have asked the nurse about finding a quiet room somewhere where we can take turns sleeping. It's been difficult not to sleep since Friday night for me.

Thanks for your prayers. Keep on praying!

Teesa and Bill

ANSWER TO PRAYERS

Bill was just reminding me how the book of James says that we must pray expectantly, asking in faith and not doubting. We have called upon our prayer warriors tonight and God has answered your faith. Sam's heartrate has dropped 25 bpm in the last ten minutes. He is now consistently beating at 125bpm. It's still high, but it's WAY lower than it was and his rhythm is returning to normal.

It just hit 119. Bill is asking for 115. Thank you for praying. Please pray that this fever would NOT come back. Pray that God would protect his heart and send His angels to keep gaurd over this boy.

We thank God for each one of you.

Teesa, Bill and Sam

103.4F VERY BAD

We are sitting by Sam's bedside watching his heart beat very rapidly. The nurses want to call it VTAC because the rhythm looks like a true VTAC, but it's not actually beating quickly enough to be considered VTAC. As he is asleep, his heartrate is varying between 139bpm and 196bpm.

Please pray for him. The cooling blanket is on. Cool rags are on his body. We are in tears.

Please pray that God would relieve him of this fever. Praise God that he has not suffered a true VTAC as of yet during this particular fever spike.

Pray.

Update - Monday Evening

Bill stayed with us at the hospital today instead of going to work in Hickory, where there is a conference he was supposed to attend.

Sam has had four high fevers today, each lasting one to two hours. The infectious disease doctor said it's normal to have fever, but for them to last so long is unusual. She also said his right lung sounds diminished and has ordered a chest x-ray. When she sat with him this evening, she said his breathing was labored and was concerned. She is also testing his blood to see if the defibrillator itself has caused some sort of infection.

At one point today, Sam's hands and feet turned a "dusky" color (basically, blue). I was very upset. He started holding his breath during that time too. They called the cardiologist, who came immediately. At the time, Sam was having a fever spike and had about 102.9F. We were using the cooling blanket, but he was shivering too much and we had to stop. The doctor said it is very typical in normal babies to have those symptoms when there is a fever spike. Also, Sam's heart was doing some very strange things and even got up to 193 beats per minute.

After all the fevers he has had today, even with the very worst one, where his fever was 103.1 at the highest recorded time, he never went into a sustained ventricular tachycardia. That means, his heart never beat so quickly that it couldn't be rectified without a shock.

That's good news. No, that's great news.

This evening my Uncle Jack and Aunt Joyce came by right in the middle of a cardiac event. Sam's heartrate got up to 197bpm. He was terribly upset, as were we, and the nurse stayed in the room the entire time. Once his heart slowed down a little, he actually smiled at Aunt Joyce. It was the sweetest thing. I left her with him and Bill and Uncle Jack took me down to the cafeteria to find some food. It was the first time I had been in the cafeteria or away from Sam's bed since we got here. I even had to go down to the first floor and get a badge, because I didn't get one when we came in via ambulance.

So, more ups and downs. I expect we'll have another night tonight like we did last night. Everyone is still thinking all of this through. The cardiologist, the ID doctor, us.
I feel bad for Bill - he's only on his third week of work and he's already missing days. But, I'm grateful to have him. I need his support.

Thank you for all of your support too. We appreciate reading all the posts and talk about them throughout our darkest times during the day. You are precious to us and we appreciate it.

Also, for those of you who are into homeopathic meds, we are all for them but unable to use them on Sam. With his heart condition, we cannot tell what any normal medicine will do to him, but especially one that has not been tested on this condition - which is all of them. It's frustrating, but that's life. Thanks for the advice, Hollie.

Fever

Sam has sustained a HIGH fever since 2:30am. It is going up. It is now 103.1F.

We have a cooling blanket on him. We're a bit surprised he hasn't had a VTAC yet, but we're not bothering him and not moving him, so his heartrate might not be bothered. In the past, he has had a shock when we have picked him up to take him to the hospital or agitated him in some way. However, he HAS had a shock before while just sleeping.

Please continue praying for his heart. It's obviously working. Please pray for the fever to come down - and whatever is causing it to go away.

Sunday 9:30 PM

It's about 9:30 PM here in Levine Children's Hospital. Sam's temp was taken about half an hour ago and it was 97F. I didn't believe it (this was a rectal temp), so I asked the nurse to do it again. This time she did it under his arm. STILL 97. It sounded strange, so I grabbed the thermometer and stuck it under my arm. I watched her take it out of the box, so I knew it was brand-new. It reached 97.1 on me when I stopped it. I just wanted to make sure it could get above 97.


All that to say, his temp is down. He was very sweaty when she took his temp, so I know his temp was breakng.


So, here we are - up and down, up and down: in emotions, heartbeats and fever. We feel every bit of it.

Bill is heading up to Hickory tomorrow for some meetings. It's only an hour away and I told him I would call him if Sam had any trouble. Samaritan's Purse has been really great about telling him he should stay with us, but we want to make sure he is going to be available at some later time if we should need it. Also, I have some family here in Charlotte and in the outlying areas, so I'm in good hands if I need something.


The cardiologist, who is NOT a rhythm specialist, suggested putting Sam on anti-arrhythmia drugs if this continues. He said it is extremely dangerous and goes against what our rhythm specialist in Raleigh recommended. He said that Sam's body could respond in two ways - positively, thus bringing down his heart rate and keeping things under control, or negatively, causing his heart to go into VTAC and possibly VFIB so badly they would have to paddle him from the outside. It would have to be done in the ICU so they could monitor him closely. This cardiologist suggested this as a last resort, but we are all in agreement that we need to get the rhythm specialist here in Charlotte's opinion before we do anything.


It's difficult to have to make decisions like this, but it's more difficult to have to stand by and just watch him get shocked and watch his heart rate get sloppy and go into VTAC on his heart monitor.

I know we're at a down spot right now and we feel safe, but a bit vulnerable at the same time. Please pray that his temp does not spike during the night, as well as during the afternoon tomorrow, when his temp usually gets to its highest.

Also, the infectious disease doctor said she would like to keep Sam in the hospital for 24 hours PAST his last fever. I asked her if that meant a week or more and she said we would re-evaluate in a week.

Thanks for your prayers.

FEVER

Sam is having a TERRIBLE time with a HIGH fever this afternoon. He struggled with it for about an hour and a half while we watched helplessly his monitor showing his heart having very bad rhythm. Then his defib shocked him.



He now has a cooling blanket under him and we've lowered the temp in the room to 65 degrees F. He has no clothes on, save a diaper.



You guys, we really need your prayers. Our own hearts can't take much more of this. We don't know what to do. The nurses don't know what to do. The doctors are helpless as well.



He probably just has another virus, but it is very common for 18 month-olds to get high fevers. If every single high fever is going to end like this, we're going to have an incredibly long road ahead of us. We have spoken with the infectious disease doctor and she is looking for a few things. She said it's probably just several viruses back-to-back.



Please pray for Sam's fever to go down.



I apologize for not answering the phone. We don't know what to say.

update

We are being moved to intermediary care, since Sam's defibrillator hasn't shocked him again. They are sending an Infectious Disease doctor over to see what could be the cause of such a long-term fever. They said we'll be here at least another 24 hours.

In Charlotte

This is Teesa, finally.

We are in Charlotte at the Levine Children's Hospital (Carolina Medical Center) in the PICU. We were transferred via ambulance late last night from home.

Sam had at least two events with his heart last night where the defib discharge, it is likely that he had even more events than that but his body came out of it on his own. We were admitted straight to ICU and when we got to the room, he got a big shock that actually hurt my arm and body quite a bit. I've never felt a shock before, but I guess I was positioned just right.

They were going to airlift him out, but changed the plan at the last minute. It was better for us, because I was able to ride with him.

Bill followed later in a car. He's currently sprawled out on the couch in Sam's room. Sam's heart is in better shape now than when we arrived. It was skipping beats and doing a few odd things when we got here, but it's steady and constant now.

We don't know what's causing his fever, which got to 103.1 last night. It started creeping up when we got here too, so we've continued to keep him medicated. They put a probe in his rectum to constantly monitor his fever. It's 98.8 right now and has been creeping up from 98 for about an hour.

Please pray hard for his temperature to resolve itself and for them to figure out what is causing the fever.

For those of you who have missed it, Sam's heart cannot take fever. If he has a fever around 102F, his heart will beat too quickly and his defibrillator will need to discharge if it beats too quickly for 60 beats or more.

Blessings. I'll keep you updated now that we have internet.

Teesa called

Teesa called around 9 PM saying they were on the way to the hospital. Sam's fever was 102.9 and the defib had fired. I'm not sure she wanted me to put this on the blog but decided to get the word out.
Please pray for Billy and Teesa also. I can hear the stress and fatigue in their voices. I know they are depending on God and know God will prevail. I believe it weren't for Christ in their lives this would be so much harder on them.
Again, your prayers are so very appreciated.
As you may have guessed, this is Billy's mom again. We'll let you know as soon as we can the update.

Sam Again

Sam has a 101.4, it's been increasing over the last couple of hours. They had him at the pediatrician this afternoon. More blood work and catheter were done. The lab work came back fine. They need to just to keep the fever down. They believe he had a heart episode today but it did not make the defib discharge. Pray for a normal temp.
On another note, there is an issue with the closing on the house which may cause them to lose a good bit of money. They ask for your prayers concerning that.

Sam's Dr. Buck Visit

I spoke with Teesa. She asked that I let you know Sam was shocked two times and had six events. Dr. Buck readjusted the defib raising it to 60 heart beats before it shocks Sam.
They will see his new pediatrician again on Monday and the new cardiologist in Charlotte Thursday, the 17th.
Teesa may be somewhere that she will be able to read emails tonight.
Thanks again for all you prayers.

Update on Sam

Hi, Billy's mom again. Sam came home from the hospital Wednesday morning. He seems to be doing well as of last night and no word since. It is possible that he has a stomach bug. He and his mommy have gone to Greensboro to see Dr. Buck today. I'm sure she or I will be posting what came of this visit. The blessing of this incident is that they are building relationships and a support group here. As always, thank you for your prayers and of course it would be appreciated that they continue. As for me personally, I also would like to thank you everyone. I know your friendships and prayers have meant a great deal to the entire family.

Sam in hospital again

This is Teesa's mother in law helping out. Sam started running a fever Sunday night. He was taken to the hospital last evening for a short time. They went home then at midnight Sam woke up with a 102.5 and the difib fired. By the time they got to the hospital his fever was 103.1. He was diagnosed a small ear infection and possible virus. They may stay until tomorrow afternoon. We have plans to see Sam's cardiologist on Thursday in Greensboro. Sam is feeling very bad. He just sits there so we know he isn't feeling well. They still do not have email or Internet. Bill and Teesa appreciate your continued prayers. As soon as possible or needed Teesa or I will update to keep you informed.