Sweet Sunday

What started out as an extremely trying day, really turned around yesterday. The actions by the doctors, the devotion and attention by our nurse, the new meds, and mostly the prayers from all of you, and the healing grace of God made for a wonderful evening.

(some of the dozens of balloons brightening her room)

By 5:30 pm Julia was finally consistently comfortable. Our nurse's on-the-ball, attentiveness for her meds regiment today made all the difference. She was chattering away in the bed- telling us all kinds of stories, bossing around her brother, asking to eat, saying the sweetest things, and mostly just acting like the JuJu we all know and love.

They had removed her foley catheter around 4pm and by 8pm she still hadn't peed on her own. Right before they were calling in urology she filled her diaper. Not an hour later, she asked to use the potty. I carried her in and 300cc in an instant. Yes!! Everything is working! Praise God!

The surgeon said they were beginning to hear bowel sounds yesterday morning and he wanted to see her eating and drinking in the next 24 hours. Well, Julia must have been listening. We had heard her 'toot' several times and the nurses had her rumblings in her intestines and stomach, so at 6:30pm when she full on lost it because she wanted to eat, we decided to trust her intuition. (Kids have an amazing self-monitoring, healing system).

Okay, all you medical personnel cover your ears and close your eyes for the next few lines........
Her first meal was half a piece of pizza and some pringles. We cut her off at that point which did not go over well with her, but she was happy to have had something. The poor thing has not eaten since Thursday. The nurse knew, but said she just wouldn't watch :) Then we switched back to dry cheerios and ice pops- the typical fare. She has had no problems with nausea or vomiting through this entire process which we are so thankful for- that would really make things much more unbearable.

Last night we had a wonderful visit with Billy's Bible study guys. It was great to see everyone. Julia couldn't get over so many guys in one place. Though she kept asking them all where there kids were. They brought us some beautiful banners from all our friends at church and the room is looking so festive and homey these days. They also brought a mattress topper for me to use on the couch. Can I just say, it was like sleeping on a cloud last night. Thank you!!!!
Before they left they all took a turn praying over her and us. It was a powerful experience. Though only in a pediatric oncology floor are the prayers of the men backed up by an episode of Dora the Explorer. (It's all good- we feel like God has provided that as comfort and relief to Julia as much as medicine.) Thank you all for your steadfast love for us and commitment to prayer for our family. We pray God's blessings and special protection on all of you.

(signs made by her playgroup friends)

Julia started getting ornery around 9pm and difficult to appease, but it wasn't out of pain- just normal 'exhausted preschooler' behavior. I have actually found a place to be thankful for that. I can't believe I'm saying it, but its true. I laid down with her to read books, Bible stories, sing, and pray and within minutes she was asleep. We both went to bed at 9:30 and SLEPT ALL NIGHT in our own beds! She has been hanging on tightly to our shirts for the past 2 days out of fear and pain- to see her comfortable and secure in her own bed is heartwarming. It is just before 7am as I'm typing this and she is still sleeping soundly. They have a wonderful policy on this floor that sleeping children are left alone except when extremely medically necessary. Her night nurse has been an angel and brought all her meds on schedule without any thought from me. They gave her morphine every 2 hours in her portacath and she has slept soundly and peacefully. The prayers of many were answered. Last night we were no where close to this and I wondered when it would ever happen, but it did and we are grateful. Though I have a feeling she is going to wake up looking for the brunch buffet :)

(still sleeping at 7:45am!!)

Overall we are doing well. Carter had a great time with friends and family this weekend and was good while he was here yesterday. He was talking to Julia and bringing her things. They fought over a coloring book to- just like normal :) He loves the facility here and is very comfortable. We want to do as much as we can to make him feel a part of all this, too. We have not had a full conversation with either of them yet about the diagnosis and are waiting until Tuesday for that to happen. Right now this is just our new normal. It feels surreal at times, but it also just feels 'normal' too. This is where God has placed us and he doesn't put us anywhere where His grace does not sustain us and His hands do not reach.

I heard a speaker at Westover once say- when you hear of a family dealing with childhood cancer you cannot fathom being in their shoes, but that is because that's not your road. God gives you the grace to understand and cope only when you need it and He has for us. It is hard when she is in pain and we have to force her to undergo certain procedures while in pain, but overall this is just our life now and we have (crazy as it may sound) found a way to rejoice and be glad in it. We have little things to celebrate each day, we have things to be thankful for, we feel love and companionship, we laugh and play, siblings still bicker :) , and life goes on. I think the next hardest step will be leaving here because the world goes on as normal, even though our lives are forever changed. God is good...all the time.

(banner from our LifeCommunity class)

(cards and a sign from her friends and her Sunday School class)