Gavin continues to do well today. He keeps sprinting and having good gases. This means that when they draw his blood after an hour of sprinting the results show that his body continues to be well oxygenated. His nurse last night even said that Gavin's gas was "textbook perfect" after the sprint! Yea! Go Gavin!! Like I said before this is great news, but don't get too excited. They hope to remove him from the ventilator tomorrow, but this doesn't mean he will do well afterwards. It's happened before that the patient does great with sprinting and they have to be reintubated soon after. So, he may still need the trach and vent at home. I can't help but be cautiously hopeful though! Keep up the prayers!

I am planning to come home tomorrow night. I really don't want to leave with all that's going on with Gavin, but it's Jacob's birthday on Tuesday and I want to be home for that! I will come back to Ann Arbor on Wednesday, so I won't be gone for too long.

Hope you are having a great Sunday! May God bless you all, as he's blessed us, especially with His gift of you in our lives!

Love, Alicia

I was very surprised and excited this morning when I called to see how Gavin had done through the night! I was told that he had been sprinted a couple of times on the vent and that he had done well with this. Sprinting is when the vent no longer gives a breath, the patient has to breathe on his own, but oxygen is still running through the tube and pressure is given through the tube so that the lungs stay inflated. This is great news because Gavin has only gotten this far once and at that time he was only able to sprint one time. They usually sprint about three times and make sure the patient is doing well before taking them off the vent. They plan on doing this with Gavin longer because they want to make sure he's ready and they believe he has another infection (this time in one of his I.V. lines). So, maybe Monday if he continues to do well. I'm hopeful, but not to much. Just because he may get off the vent doesn't mean he'd be able to stay off and a trach is still a strong posibility. Keep praying that he can at least give it a try without a trach! Thankyou!

He is doing well otherwise. He is staying very calm and not needing extra sedation meds. He just looks around and is dozing off and on. They had to poke him a few times to draw blood and he didn't even seem to notice. It was kind of sad to see, because it probably means that he is so used to being hurt that it doesn't even phase him! Poor little guy!!! He's definately a trooper! The nurse said he must have a good disposition. He definately has been our most laid back baby so far, thankfully with all he's been through!

The weather here is windy and cold with flurries, but nothing like Grand Rapids has been hit with, so I've been told. So, once again, I have a reason to be thankful to be here I guess. I hope all of you are enjoying time inside or out! Joel and the boys had a work of digging out our driveway, but then they were having a snowball fight, so they are loving it I'm sure! Have a great weekend! Keep those prayers going! We are thankful!

Love, Alicia

Gavin is having a great day today so far. He appears to be very comfortable and peaceful. He has been awake quite a bit, looking around and looking like he's trying to talk. Of course, you can't hear anything because the vent tube down his throat prevents noise from coming out. But, I'm sure he's telling us a lot! They have been able to make a few changes on the ventilator for the positive. He also had Physical therapy and Occupational therapy come in to work with him today. There is very little they can do at this time due to the vent being in, but they do some stretching and playing with him. So, we are having some fun!

Thankyou for all your positive and inspirational messages! I especially thought about the one how God makes children just how he planned and that they are perfect in His design! To us it may seem, in many areas, that Gavin has many imperfections; heart defects, lung issues, Down Syndrome...but God made him and all of us, so we know that these imperfections are just how God wanted Gavin and us to be. His Knowledge and plan for Gavin and us can only be perfect! So, the message lightened my heart and made me see clearly just how wonderful and perfect God's gift of Gavin is to us!

Hope you have a great day and weekend!

Love, Alicia

Gavin's surgery got finished around 2:30. They say it went well. I haven't been in to see him yet because they have to get him settled in first, plus it's unit shutdown time for nurse report. He always looks so lifeless and fragile after surgery, so it will be sad. But, as his nurse(Missy) said before he went down; he'll be out of it in a half hour or so knowing Gavin! They can't keep him down for long!

Anyway, I just wanted to let you know, so far, things are looking good! Thanks for your prayers!

Love, Alicia

P.S. Some of you have replies to your messages that you have posted recently. I took time (since I had some while waiting for Gavin to be done) to reply to your messages. Look for the reply under the message that you typed to us.

Gavin just went back for surgery. This means that he will have had a surgery in Jan., Feb., and Mar. I told him and the nurse that April was out of the question! I am booked for the month! I'm hoping God has the same plan! This surgery should last one to two hours. I'll try to update later to fill you in on how it went.

Since I have some time now I'll share something that I read in a book given to us from our pastor. It talks about how there are areas of the Word of God that can't be fully understood until we have experienced suffering. It also talks about reading the book of Job in the Bible when going through trials. I am going to begin reading here this week. There is a poem that really got my attention.

I walked a mile with pleasure,
She chatted all the way,
But left me none the wiser
For all she had to say.

I walked a mile with sorrow
And ne'er a word said she
But oh the things I learned from her,
When sorrow walked with me.

This is so true! I have learned so much in these trials than in any other time in my life. I've learned about the true love of God and His grace! I've been more apt to read His word and understand it! I've learned more about myself, my family, my friends and human kindness! Oh how kind people can be!!! What a blessing! So, though not fun to go through, be thankful for trials and take the opportunity to learn from them! Life is a battle, but with God we will win the war! And, be better off for having to fight.

I pray that all of you will have a peaceful week, but that you are able to learn when trials do come! I know I have! I am so thankful for all of you! God has blessed you and others in turn with your love and kindness! Thankyou for showing it to our family!

Love, Alicia