Do you want to know why I look so tired in this picture? Well, if you read my shirt, it will explain it all! My shirt says, "Being cute is a full-time job!" I'm exhausted! Mom says that I must be working all the time just trying to look as cute as I am! Do you want to know who is also quite cute? My brother, Caleb! It's his birthday today! He is now 5 years old! Mom says that she's sad about that because it means he's growing up WAY too fast! She told Caleb that he couldn't grow anymore! Caleb said to her, "Well, you grew too mom!" He got her on that one! Anyway, Caleb is so excited about being five! Now he thinks that he should be able to go to school everyday, all day! He also says that he can reach the sink better this morning than he could lastnight! WOW! I guess turning 5 IS a big deal! Here is a picture of the Birthday Boy!



Caleb is such a great big brother to me! He treats me like anyone else. Even though I can't really play with him, he includes me in on a lot of his games! And, boy, what an imagination does he have!! The other day he told my mom, "I can't wait until Gavin can get up and play with me!" Mom had to explain to him that I might not ever be able to play like he is able to. She told him that we would just have to pray about this! Then Caleb said, "That makes me sad! Why did God give us a baby like Gavin?" Mom just said, "It makes me sad too, but God has a VERY good reason for giving us Gavin and we are very blessed to have him!" That made Caleb happy again and we went on to play Star Wars! I think this is Caleb's favorite thing to play, he talks about it all the time! Mom and I get a little tired of it, but that's O.K.

Oh, I went to the doctor this week. I had to have 4 shots! I'm not sure that I like nurses very much! Here I am, just minding my own business, and they go and shoot me! How rude! Mom says it's necessary though, so I guess I'll have to put up with it. While we were there I helped mom out by showing the doctor one of my impressive gags! She's been telling doctors about them and they always just listen, but do nothing about it! So, after he heard me, he said that maybe I should go see a gastrointestinal doctor! Finally! If you want something done right, I guess you've gotta do it yourself! Mom thanked me for helping out! I also have to go see a urologist soon. You should see the list of doctors I have! I guess it means that I'm being very well taken care of!

I've asked mom to add another family's website to ours. (http://www.cfhusband.blogspot.com/) This family has been in the hospital for a long time! The mother has Cystic Fibrosis and is awaiting a lung transplant. She also recently gave birth to a very premature baby who is still hospitalized. The father updates the site often and he does a great job! He's inspirational, faithful, informative and quite funny! If you go to their site, check out his update on cutting his hair. (March 26, I believe) It is too funny! Anyway, please add this family to your prayers! They have a long road ahead, but are trusting in God every step of the way!

Well, Have a great weekend! Thanks for all your prayers! Also, mom added a few pictures of me on my carepage site, if you want to check them out!


"I will praise You, O Lord, with my whole heart; I will tell of all your marvelous works. I will be glad and rejoice in you; I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High." Psalm 9:1-2

Love, Gavin and Family

As you can see, since Gavin doesn't have his glasses on in these pictures, Gavin is not keeping his glasses on quite as good as he was in the beginning! But, I was able to get some cute pictures anyway! He does well with them on for awhile, then he continuously pulls them off for awhile. I don't blame him though, I don't like having them on my face either! Gavin is still seizure free and we continue to go down on the Phenobarb medicine! He went to the neurologist yesterday. He is very pleased that Gavin is not having seizures since he wasn't sure if we'd be able to get them under control or not. He wants to do another EEG to measure his brain waves. Hopefully there won't be anymore spikes on the waves. The spikes show irritablity on the brain, which could result in seizure activity. I am PRAYING to and THANKING God often that the seizures are under control for now and that they hopefully stay that way!!! I asked the neurologist why Gavin is able to move all of his body if his whole brain was affected by the stroke? He told me that all areas of the brain were affected, but not all of the cells were. That and the fact that Gavin is so young and not all of his brain was "set" is why he is able to move inspite of the stroke. I asked if this meant that Gavin may someday sit up, walk or talk? He said that we just don't know. He's seen it happen, but rarely. He said that the stroke was quite profound, so only time will tell. This information actually gives me a little hope because I had accepted the fact that this was it for Gavin. I also know WHO holds the future and that only HE is capable of deciding it! This also gives me hope! I had been feeling a little sad lately about this. I have been reading a book on Down syndrome and reading of all the things these children CAN do! It makes me sad thinking that Gavin probably won't have the opportunity to do all that he could have been able to do prior to the stroke. I've been getting ahead of myself and thinking about how we'll be able to care for Gavin when he gets heavier and bigger. How will we take him to appointments? How will we transfer him to a car? How will we get a wheelchair to fit in our car? He can't even sit up on his own right now, so how will he sit in the car when he outgrows his car seat? How will we afford all this equipment?......Anyway, like I said, I have been getting ahead of myself and not taking things a day at a time and giving the rest to God to worry about. I think that I'm back on track, but please pray that these issues will be taken care of. Pray for our peace of mind. Pray that Gavin may, someday, be able to do a little more than he can now. Thankyou!

Gavin also went to the cardiologist this past week. His heart is still able to sustain his body's needs and the leak in the mitral valve has not gotten any worse. So, this is good news! I talked with the cardiologist about some items that I wanted him to share with the other doctors in his office concerning things that were done, or not done back in April when he had the stroke. A couple of the doctors made some very poor choices about the meds that they put Gavin on and they also did not listen to my concerns. We know what happened as a result of this! So, I wanted them to really be aware of this and to remember this when treating other patients!!! Gavin's cardiologist was not really around during those days when mistakes were made, so he was not aware of all that had happened, or so he says. I just REALLY need to know that lessons are learned from what Gavin has had to go through! I know that I have learned lessons and that my faith in God has grown, so if this is the only purpose in Gavin's suffering, I believe it's lesson enough! I am thankful for this knowledge and this peace! I read this recently:

"Now as Jesus walked by, He saw a man who was blind from birth. And his disciples asked Him, saying, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" Jesus answered, "Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him. I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world." " John 9:1-4

This gave me peace, once again, knowing that there is a purpose in all we go through! God knows the plan and will give us the strength and peace to sustain through it all!

Caleb said to me this week, "Mom there is a song that says: "working hard to get to heaven"." "That's a naughty song mom, because we don't have to work to get to heaven!" I said, "That's right Caleb! How do we get to heaven?" He said, "Only by Jesus!" So, as we come into Easter weekend, let us remember those powerful words! Only through Jesus, dying for our sins on the cross, do we ever have the possibility of heaven! Thankyou to Caleb for the reminder and THANKYOU to God for salvation!!!

Have a wonderful weekend! Thankyou for your continued prayers!

Love Alicia and Family

Aren't I handsome and studious looking in my new glasses?! Mommy and I went to have them fitted for me yesterday. I don't like it when she is trying to put them on my face, but once they are on I'm really good about keeping them on. Well, most of the time! Mommy has a new nick-name for me now, like I needed another one! She calls me Ralphie. I guess it comes from a movie called "A Christmas Story", one of the family's favorite movies. So, I guess it's O.K. to be called that since everyone really likes the boy in that movie. But then Caleb started to call me another name. Simon, from "Alvin and the Chipmunks." I'm not so sure about this name, but what's a little fella like me to do about it? Anyway, I can see a whole lot better with them on! Mommy says that I'm following objects a little better and I really stare at things now like I'm shocked to see something. I didn't realize the world had so much to see! I knew it was loud though, living with my brothers!

Mommy says she's so proud of me! I also went to the pulmonologist yesterday. The doctor said that my lungs sounded "Awesome!" He also said that he's surprised that I haven't gotten sick or been in the hospital this season. I guess it's the worst cold and flu season in a long time, according to him. He told my mommy to just keep up what we are doing because it's working! I guess this means I'm stuck in the house longer. Oh Well! Oh, I haven't had any more seizures either! I even got to go down on my Phenobarb medicine and I'm still seizure free since January! Mommy is REALLY happy about this! You wouldn't believe how much more relaxed she is because of it!

By the way, my big brother had a birthday yesterday! Jacob turned 12! He's so old! Mommy says that there is no way that she could possibly have a 12 year old, but he really is! My Grandma Doty also had a birthday this week, but I won't tell you how old she is. I guess you're not supposed to say how old ladies are after a certain age. It doesn't make much sense to me, but I guess I'll follow the rules! My Great Grandma Pylman is having her birthday next week and my big brother Caleb will turn 5 at the end of March! Boy! I guess we'll be having lots of fun around here! Happy Birthday to all of you!

Thanks for all your prayers for me! I really appreciate them and all the love that's been shown to my family! Mommy says she has a few things to add, so...Bye for now!

I wanted to let you know that I've added a new blog to the sidebar. It's about a family who has lost two babies soon after birth, the most recent a boy named Asher. I have been touched by reading their site and feel that I'm learning a lot by reading it. I have learned more about the fact that life is short and that we should all stop taking things for granted. I've also learned that we all complain WAY too much, if we just look around we'd find someone a whole lot worse off than ourselves! I've also learned even more that God is merciful and His grace sustains! Please add this family to your prayers!

I also want to share a little of what we heard in church this week. I'll start by saying that as humans we feel we need to be in control and that we fear way too much. I know I do! We learned that the ONLY thing that we should fear is the fear of sinning against God. God has the rest under control! We need to leave it all to Him and glorify in that God will never leave us, nor forsake us! He'll never leave us even in our hardest struggles or when we are being the worst that we can be. So, we should all try to strive to glorify Him in ALL that we do, knowing that He is always here for us! "Press towards that Goal!"

"For He who is mighty has done great things for me, And holy is His name. And His mercy is on those who fear Him from generation to generation." Luke 1:49-50

Have a great weekend! We are going to try, but we are starting to remodel our kitchen. So, I'm sure I'll be a little stressed with the mess and not having a kitchen for awhile. Especially, with all the medications that I prepare for Gavin in there! I know it will be worth the aggrivation in the end though!

Love, Alicia and Family