God Is For Us

"What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?" Romans 8:31

Some days are just full of more excitement then we care to have.  Not all excitement is roller coasters and good times.  Some excitement we just wish we could do without, but we know that God will work all things to good.  Having a medical degree might be beneficial as a parent but it is a good thing we have a God that can make up for our weaknesses.  About a month ago we could have celebrated Isabella not having a seizure for 2 years.  Almost to the day Isabella climbed up in her high chair and watched us clean up lunch.  Then she started to grit her teeth and stiffen her body.  Drool began to come out the side of her mouth and she clung to her high chair.  She shook a little but seemed to fight off a big seizure.  Then she began to gag and I quickly took her to the bathroom where she threw up.  The whole process lasted maybe two minutes, then she just held on to me and fell into a deep sleep.  I was very upset that it happened and just sat down holding her while the family gathered around and her daddy prayed over her.  After several minutes she awoke and seemed to be alright.  I hoped that would be the last of it and we just continued on.  

Things just don't always go how you would like it and Tuesday was proof of that.  I was cooking dinner preparing to have a family evening and Brent and Latisha were joining us.  Isabella came out of her room after her nap and went to the table, that had been set for dinner.  She began to pull off the silverware.  She looked a little loopy so I took her to her sisters and said she was still tired and asked them to watch her while I finished preparing dinner.  Five minutes later Sierra carried her down to me concerned that something wasn't right.  She had been laying there and drool was coming out of her mouth.  Isabella began to twitch and I quickly took her into my room and shut the door.  I yelled for David and began walking her back and forth in my room praying over her and singing "Jesus Loves You."  She began to seize lightly and her eyes kept trying to glaze over.  I prayed harder and David joined me.  She calmed but still didn't look right.  We decided to take her to the hospital.  Life is full of choices.  Isabella was not back to normal but wasn't seizing, so which hospital do we go to, the one close by or the one that specializes in pediatrics, where she had been with her last seizure?  We chose the one with the pediatrics.  

We took off quickly and headed down the highway.  Isabella began to gag and threw up all over the car, herself, and me.  I thought that meant she was going to come out of it.  So onward we went.  Isabella was still glazed looking and trying to stay under control.  She would gag and shake a little here and there and threw up again.  All I could do was keep talking to her and telling her how mama loved her and so did Jesus.  Her eyes would glaze over and then I would start crying out, "Stay with me baby, stay with Mama."  As we exited the highway Isabella began strong jerking.  I was terrified.  It appeared that she was fighting it with all her might and gasping for each breath.  I began to cry out to the Lord.  It seemed like every traffic light was red and the traffic was quite heavy.  As the minutes passed I began to pray louder and louder.  With her last big seizure two years ago I couldn't find words to pray, this time I couldn't stop.  I felt God was with me but we couldn't seem to get to the hospital fast enough.  At the last red light I was contemplating jumping out of the car and running to the hospital carrying Isabella.

The light turned green, we pulled up to the emergency room, and I ran inside with Isabella in my arms.  The man at the desk asked what was going on.  I exclaim, "She is having a seizure."  He quickly grabbed her, told me to follow him, and headed to a room where several people joined him.  He laid her on the bed and she continued to seize and the room flew into motion.  Somebody was working on one side of her trying to get the IV started, someone was finding the right medicine to stop the seizure, a couple other people were trying to undress her.  Another person came in with a computer and typed as the the ER doctor asked me questions.  I had a hard time trying to explain it all to the doctor as everything seemed like a dream, a horrible dream that I was trying to make sense of  and questions were flooding my head: "did we do the right thing, should we have gone to the closer hospital, should we have called 911?  Oh God help her!"

Once she stopped seizing things slowed down.  Isabella was unconscious and I just stared at her as they continued to poke her.  They took her back to do a CT Scan.  Then they brought us back into the ER room.  More blood was taken and then everyone left and we waited.  I crawled up in bed with her and just laid beside her, feeling her breathing, and waiting.  David and I had left our phones at home, so he was on the hospital phone trying to inform the kids what was happening.  I laid there running her hair through my fingers and grateful for the peaceful sleep she was in.

The CT was clean and they admitted Isabella for the night.  In the morning they would do an EEG.  The night was long, monitors were going off and the nurses came in to take her vitals and look in her eyes throughout the night.  She never woke but would occasionally make a noise.  I laid beside her on a fold out chair/bed and would check to see her breathing.

The next morning she woke and we had the EEG.  She was not happy and I had to restrain her as they placed the probes around her head.  I don't think it was painful, but Isabella didn't understand what was going on and was very distraught.  As I restrained her arms and legs, a nurse tried to hold her head still, and the technician placed the probes.  The technician was not happy with Isabella's lack of corporation but I was very unhappy with Isabella terrified cries.  So I just held her as best as I could and tried to fight back as many of my own tears as possible.  After the EEG, Isabella was exhausted and slept for a few hours.  She wasn't eating much but we finally got some food in her.

The neurologist finally came in around 3:30.  This time the EEG showed an area that was sending off irregular charges.  I was sad to hear that.  Up to this point all the test have shown nothing, now something was showing up.  He decided we need to start medicine and see where we end up.  We went home later that evening but Isabella is still tired.  I don't know if it is from the medicine from the ER, the new medicine, exhaustion from the experience, or what.  But I believe God knows and He is still in control.  God has been so good to us and I am so happy to be back at home with my baby.  We are so grateful to all our dear friends and family who have been praying for Isabella and for my daddy and sister who spent time with us at the hospital.  Not to mention how very grateful I am to Latisha for packing up all our things and bringing them to us and taking care of the little ones till David could get back home.  Then the girls were so amazing and did all their school work and took care of things till I got home, and their Grandmother came over to help also.  God has surrounded us with a loving support network of friends and family and we truly are grateful.  "Thank you Lord for bringing Isabella home with us and we pray we will never have to do this again.  In Jesus Name."  God Bless you all, Alicia

"And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son." John 14:13

Isabella and I when she was a baby

A New Addition

An update on the newlyweds.  They added to their family… a cute little kitty.  They named her Daisy and she is really sweet.  She was an abandoned kitty that someone was trying to find a home for and Brent and Latisha took her in.  Our younger kids had so much fun with her and were thrilled to go to Brent and Latisha's house and play with her as we painted.  Saturday we painted a couple walls at Brent and Latisha's house.  It was quite a paint party with very yummy finger foods.  Latisha outdid herself with mini hotdogs and cheese wrapped in crescent dough, pita chips and artichoke dip, punch, and a pumpkin in a cup dessert.  Not to mention we brought some goodies also.  Latisha was a great hostess and Brent worked hard painting and running to the store when needed.  It turned out great.  They are having fun making their house into a home.  I hope to get pictures of the finished painting soon.  Hope you are all having a wonderful day, God Bless, Alicia

Good Samaritan

  Havesting, camping, schooling etc…. fall is in the air and things have been good here.  My garden did fairly well this year and I am enjoying the fruit of my labor.  There is such a thrill that fills my heart when most of our dinner comes from our garden.  So much so that I had to take a picture and share my joy.  Right now my poor garden looks ran over and quite sad.  Since we started school my time in the gardening has gone to almost nothing, but the garden is still faithfully producing good food.

Corn, cantaloupe, cucumbers, and tomatoes from our garden!

We enjoyed a lovely trip over Labor day camping with some friends.  The weather was lovely during the day and dumping buckets of rain at night.  One of the highlights for me was Huckleberries!!!  Yes, I really enjoy huckleberries and there were quite a few on the other side of the lake.  So, we could only pick enough for huckleberry pancakes but ohhhhh they were so yummy

a hike to a waterfall

part of the waterfall

more

Aidric and I 

Bellie, lovin Daddy

Aidric and I enjoying the creek.  

We hiked around the lake, Cassie was such a trooper and made it all around
without help, but at one point she said "my feet are getting heavy."

The other day I had several errands to run, and found myself driving down the road in my own little world.  Danika asked me about some guy back there.  I had no idea what guy she was talking about as I had been focused on other things and apparently oblivious to much going on around me.  She said, "you know the guy that was beeping at us and shaking a phone out the window that looked like your phone. "  I quickly glanced around the car and realized my phone was missing.  The guy had been pulled up in the turning lane next to us, trying to get me my phone, and I had been focused on the road in front of me and not paying attention to someone trying to help me right next to me.  We had traveled about a mile since that intersection when Danika had informed me of what I had missed.  I sat pulled over on the side of the road wondering what to do.  I turned around hoping that just maybe I could find this man.  Thankfully he was in a company truck and saw me in his rear view mirror, as he had given up on me and was continuing on his way.  How thankful I was to see this good samaritan turn around and pull over.  He ran across the busy street and returned my phone to me.  He told me he had seen my phone sliding off my bumper as I turned a corner.  He had gotten out of his car, picked up my phone and had been trying to return it to me.

There are a lot of lessons to learn from this story.  Number one, I had to ask myself if I would have done the same thing.  I might have told myself, "oh they will come back for it," and had driven on.  It is so hard to take time to help someone.

 The other lesson I learned was how important it is to pay attention to those around us, especially those who are trying to help us out.  As a homeschool mother I get focused on the road I am on and ignore people reaching out to me.  It took my lovely daughter to point out what was probably obvious to many around me that I had blocked out.

Finally, this good samaritan continued trying for several miles, apparently, picking up my phone, tracking me down, beeping, and turning around trying to help this woman (me) who didn't even notice his efforts or her need.  Dear friend, when your friend is in need of help don't give up, continue to be there for them, reach out and persevere, even if you don't receive any credit for your effort.  It is God who sees your efforts and will reward.

Well, God Bless you all, Have a great day and a big happy birthday to my baby sister and dress up pal, Tami!

Alicia

dress up for us wasn't frilly princess dresses from the store but
digging in our mom's closet for our favorite outfits.