Blood thicker than water??

Facebook Wednesday 8:00 am

Joseph has woke up a bit. Peeking his eyes open and wiggling his hands and feet. He is very responsive to my questions and says he's not in any pain. I asked if Dr A fixed his heart and he shook his head yes! So thankful for this team working tirelessly to manage him. His heart rhythms continues to be an issue. It's sporadic and they are trying to figure out how to manage it. Praise God for this miracle that has given to Feng Yu

Facebook Wednesday 8:30 pm

Some people say blood is thicker than water- I would have to disagree. Family is family. Orchestrated by God, Created by God in many different ways. These two met only 6 months ago and are as close as twins. Today was rough with many ups and down as we expect- but the one name that made him perk up and the one name that called him down was his little sister, Hua Hua.

Today was filled with many waves and bumps as expected for the first day post op his full heart repair. Overall Feng Yu is doing well. They are pleased with the repair. Now comes the hard part is getting his body ready to accept the new. He's swollen, beat up and his heart is sore right now. He still has a arrythmia where his atrium and ventricles are not working in sync. His heart rate is running high and his blood pressure is finally acceptable. He's staying intubated tonight due to some blood coming up this afternoon and being unstable at this point. His lungs look good for plural effusions as of now! So we ride the roller coaster of of post op heart surgery. As hard as it is to see him laying there, both Ryan and I were not as nervous as in the past, and seem to have a peace about this journey. Maybe ignorance, maybe experience, most probable the hand of God working in our lives showing only He knows best.

I'll end with last night as we anxiously awaited to come to see him for the first time. After leaving him in the OR 15 hours prior, we sat in the family waiting room. This is where you go before your child is brought to the room. They do not want the family in the room while they get them settled in because it is pure chaos. Ryan and I sat down and their was another man with his teenage daughter. We had seen him earlier in the day in another waiting room. You know by now you are the last ones left to see you children for the day. The last and probably most difficult cases of the day- because it's 10 pm and neither of us have seen our children. As we begin to talk we learn they are Christian missionaries here from India having a tumor removed from their daughter's brain. Both Feng Yu and their daughter were delayed coming up and would not arrive for much later than expected in their rooms, but God had that covered too! We spend the next close to 2 hours sharing fellowship with another family (his wife and their kids too and family friends) who serve the Lord as we do. We all felt so blessed to be surrounded in love rather than fretting over the things we could not control. So thankful for the blessings God has provided.

Surgery rescheduled for Sept 22.

Well we all left the hospital Tuesday morning about 9:30.  After numerous surgeries with multiple children, I turned to Ryan as we sat in the car  and said 'Well we never experienced that before!"  Always something new....but we were both totally at peace with the decision to postpone surgery.

Back up to 6:15 am Tuesday morning.  Everything was going as planned.  We arrived on time, for once!  We checked into his pre op room, watched a few cartoons, met with Dr A., the other surgeon, the anaesthesiologist.  He took his Versed (relaxing meds) and one the last trip to the bathroom, I noticed a small rash in the groin area.  After pointing it out to Dr A., he called in a team of peds doctors to look at him.  The whole team decided it was best to wait and not take any chances introducing a possible infection/complications.  This surgery is big-  not anyday kind of surgery for this team and they want the best results for little man.  We need him in perfect shape going in and any variable they can control (ie. possible sickness) they will wait.   So we enjoy his sweetness, laughter and the "FUNNY YU" for another week.  When I told him we would go next week to fix his heart, he responded with, "we already did!"  He is right, Yes, we did go to the hospital, but...  nevermind.

As time goes on, you would think our anxiety would be rising, but it's not.  I am completely at peace with this miracle surgery. God is on control of my heart and this little man is going to ROcK THIS!

Prayer request...Joseph (Feng Yu) does have the start of the sniffles.  It is going around our house like a fire right now.  Pray we can keep him away from these germs!

SURGERY SET FOR 7:30 am

 Just four years ago, I can only imagine the agony as someone placed their sweet baby at these gates in hope that he would live on.  They were selfless and honored their son in hopes he would receive medical care.  His heart was physically broken.  We exist in this broken world and I don't know why, but we were chosen and are honored to be this little man's parents.  He is the sweetest little boy, with the biggest smile. I only wish that his birth parents knew tomorrow he will be given the chance of a lifetime to repair his heart.  I wish for them to know we will walk beside him and show him love through this all.  I wish for us all to reunite in heaven one day and rejoice that their son tomorrow had a miracle of a surgery!

  Here's to you Little Man....We're fighting a big fight tomorrow-with the Lord leading the way!

 Romans 15:23  "May the God of hope fill you with the joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."

Preparing our hearts for what's ahead.

Can we ever truly be prepared for the unknown?  I have made freezer meals, packed snacks for the hospital, made child care plans, wash all the clothes, stocked up on groceries, talk in an attempt to prepare the children.  But are we prepared to head to into the largest medical battle our family will fight?  Emotionally I feel like a mess, disorganized, confused, second guessing our decisions, and very fearful of the possible outcome.  People ask how long will the recovery be.  Really, I don't know.  The surgical team doesn't really know. We don't know.  First, we need a successful surgery.  Then we will focus on recovery.  So how do you prepare for an indefinite hospital stay, an unintended surgical outcome,  the potential the loss of a child?

Ryan and I were blessed to have a great friend offer us a date this weekend.  Yes, a real date (We joke that our dates are the time during our children's medical procedures).  Kind of pathetic!  Dinner at the UW hospital gets old :(  Anyway this weekend we went to see the movie "THE WAR ROOM".   Oddly enough our answer was in the movie.   Prayer is where we will prepare our hearts for this battle that lies ahead.  And the rest will be left in God's mighty hand!  We pray- God does the Hard work!  Our God goes before us and knows the outcome of this surgery, recovery and HE WILL WALK BESIDE US THROUGH IT ALL.   Our peace will lay in his hands-whatever the outcome.

Last night I began reading 1 John and how we are to love one another.  Adoption began because our Father in Heaven loved us to send his son to redeem me.  What an awesome thought!  Then our family responded to the Lord calling us to three children who needed love-a family.  We adopted them.   We Love because he first loved us.  And what a blessing to have this child as my son......

Surgery is set for Tuesday, Sept 15.  Our 15th wedding anniversary will be Sept 16.  We hope to celebrate our youngest son's successful open heart bi ventricle repair.  If all goes as planned, he will have a fully functioning restored heart!  It will truly be a miraculous gift.

A little fun from the last month........

  Feng Yu, (Joseph depending on the day) turned 4 years old.  We celebrated at the park and pool.

  The little kids all conquered their fears this summer by learning to jump off the diving board.  Quite an accomplishment for those who just learned to swim!

Okay Justin....Show off!!!

   How many children can you fit onto the slide?  Just for fun can you pick out the ones that are not Oehlhofs?  The Douty cousins are sprinkled in place 2 and 4.

These two are like 2 peas in a pod.  Huahua gets home from school and asks where Feng Yu is.  Not like I miss you Mommy!  Where's Feng Yu?  

 There's always a doctor available in our house.  Good thing with our extensive medical needs.

 Then there is the poor bird who flew into the window.  Huahua thought at first it may have been sleeping.  But after a good examination, we decided it was DOA.

 After everyone held and thoroughly examined it.....it was properly buried! (by the kids)

 WHAT???   You don't do this at home too?

   JUST RUB IT FROM SIDE TO SIDE....   NO PROBLEM IF IT DRIPS ON THE HEAD.

   THEN LATER RINSE OFF OVER HERE!  VERY RELAXING MUD BATH...............

 Feng Yu wants to be like his GeGe, Justin.

James is trying to keep his hand out of the water (You know he had surgery on it a few weeks ago!)  Does this fall into the discharge category of self regulation?

 Not sure why I got this job..... I was not the one who gave the okay to enter the mud puddle????

 <<<OUR FIRST WEEK OF SCHOOL PICTURES>>>>


Some were excited, some were scared, some were numb to the newness, some faithfully walked beside those that were scared, holding hands as their solid post.  It was a week of big transitions in our household.  Two children whose lives a few years ago looked very different entered a school building for the first time to a structured day full of guided activities, lots of children and loving teachers.  I am so grateful for our New Glarus teachers and their willingness to embrace our children in the place they are and love them.  I am so proud of my bio kids and their willingness to love theirs brothers and sister through the unknowns with courage and bravery.    They have learned to love with no boundaries and many days with unselfishness at a very young age.  So proud of them all!

1John 3:18 says "Let us not Love with words or in talk only. Let us love by what we do and in truth."