THINGS ARE FALLING INTO PLACE.....

Oh how things are finally falling into place! Cooper is doing really well. We were in to see Dr. Kelley this morning and Cooper is up to 13lbs 4oz. His SAT level was higher than it ever had been at his office (it runs about 4 to 5 points lower than the readings in KC) and Dr. Kelley said his color looked great. Besides the technical stuff, Cooper has not thrown up since Friday and he is starting to make a little sound. On Thursday we switched Cooper back over to the crazily expensive formula he was on just a few weeks before we went in for surgery. It is easier for his body to breakdown and digest. We saw some relief to the throwing up with that change. On top of that, Lisa discovered on Friday that if you simply "talk" Cooper through it, he will gag and act as though he is going to throw up but is able to keep it down. So that is what we do. He has spit up a little during these episodes and he sweats horribly but he does not throw up like he was. This is such a relief to me. The throwing up was very scary to me and I couldn't help but think it meant there was more wrong than just an eating issue. It was around Sunday that Terry and I realized we were starting to hear more out of Cooper. It is still very weak and whispery but it is noise all the same. We are very hopeful that this means his vocal cord is not permanently damaged. Only time will tell. Again we will have no testing in regards to this until July 15th so we will continue feeding him with the feeding tube until then. Cooper's general disposition is so different now as well. He seems so content. He is the happiest when Raelynn is playing with him and she is more than happy to do so. The two of them together is like a little fantasy world and I cannot help but just watch with a smile and tear at the same time.

This weekend was a very busy weekend and we had several things planned to do. I have been hiding at home since we got out of the hospital because I did not know how to manage Cooper's feedings and medicines and still be out and about. With the events of the weekend I had no choice but to venture out and I am so glad I did. Cooper's feeding pump comes with this little backpack where you can rig everything up and just be feeding him as your walking along or riding in the car. I was wonderfully surprised how easy everything went. Of course I was extremely nervous that he would throw up or that people would look curiously at us when I had to give him his multiple medicines through the tube, but then I thought to myself how trivial this all was in the whole scheme of things. Well I was right. Cooper did great and I didn't receive too many weird looks :) Besides, he is so darn cute people are going to stare anyway!!! So we were on the go all day Saturday and Sunday and although hectic, I greatly enjoyed being out and about again.

One of our many ventures out this weekend was to the Dick's for the garage sale to benefit Cooper. I have never been so humbled in all my life. Terry has lived here all his life and I since 1995. We love Lawrence and definitely feel it is our home and we are happy to raise our kids here. But what I never felt until Saturday was how much this community has become our family. People were so gracious giving donations and paying much more than "garage sale" price for items. So many people referred to this blog and how they could not stop reading it. I realized that people learned more about me in the past month or so than I would have ever allowed and all the sudden felt so vulnerable to what everyone knew about me. This blog has been very therapeutic to me and has kept me from completely losing control of situations on several occasions, but what I did not know is what it has meant to some of the readers. You have all taken this journey with our family and therefore became a member of our family. There is never a word that can completely encompass the way I feel about my family and now you are all part of that. I had people approach me that I "knew" but only knew them in a polite hello or good morning sort of way and there I found myself hugging them and telling them not to cry. I felt their love for Cooper and I know that they were some of the ones praying for Cooper. I know that each of you are who are responsible for helping bring Cooper home with these prayers. Everyone is doing these amazing things for us but I realized everyone has already done the most amazing thing and that is helping bring Cooper home. I could go on forever and ever trying to say how touched I am by your actions but I know that until you sit where I am you will never know how this feels but I wish everyone could because it feels warm and comforting and makes everything seem like it will be ok. Again I want to thank you all that helped bring the garage sale together, who donated things, who purchased things, who made donations in general, who gave us some beautiful gifts and who simply said a prayer for us.

We are very blessed!

So our week continues in chaos as we are planning Raelynn's 3rd Birthday Party Saturday and continue to keep up with Cooper's schedule. However, it is getting easier every day and as we finished our last delicious meal from Jenny, Kelly brought over another for tomorrow. This has been a huge help as I am actually able to spend the hour I usually would cooking and rushing around to meet every one's demands holding them and playing and catching up on their little world. In a weird little way each of these hours seem to be giving me back a little of the lost time we spent in the hospital. So once again, THANK YOU! We love you all!