December 31st

Beloved Praying Friends, God answers prayer. God answers prayer.God answers prayer.He's so good to me. (Well, to us.) =) After a series of delays, Joshua was admitted into the operating room about 3pm. Three hours later the doctor emerged and told us that everything had gone as expected! Praise the LORD! He will remain in intensive care for a couple of days more on oxygen, sleeping so that he doesn't feel the pain or move around too much and open up the wound. After that they will try to supplement his diet with breast milk from mommy through a tube. (Casandra had been told to wait until Jan. 6 to start pumping, so when Joshua was born early, she had nothing yet. Today she started pumping and got half an ounce! A small victory--but she still has a long way to go in three days!) By Sunday they should be giving Joshua a liquid to take to be able to see his digestive track by x-ray which should tell us how everything really turned out. Day 5 (Monday) is really a deciding day and will determine how much longer he stays in the hospital. Casandra by the way is recovering nicely. A friend brought her a wrap-around support (back-brace type) so she'll be able to get around a little bit when she leaves the clinic TOMORROW! The Pace family (Tom and Carolyn) offerered to let us stay with them for a couple of days, for which we are very thankful! It's not been easy trekking back and forth among Casandra's clinic, the baby's hospital, and home, but the Lord has been faithful to burden the hearts of our family in Christ here to provide company--and food!--both for me and for Casandra! We praise the Lord for the great family he has given us! Don't worry 'bout a thing, guys, we're well taken care of here. =) WE LOVE YOU AND CHERISH YOUR PRAYERS! Thank you so much!