Merry Christmas! I pray that the beauty and mystery of the God sending His son Jesus to be born in a manger as the savior of the world would be a bit more real to you this year. I pray that out of that the realization of new possibilities and limitless hope comes to you and your family.
Here are a few recent blessings and encounters with hope from my life right now:
Mommy, Daddy, Aidan, Addison, and Tanner
We might have been under the mistletoe... lucky for me.
First Christmas...
I saw the stockings hanging on the mantle while we were taking pictures and... well, I couldn't resist.
They acted like they liked it... ;)
As far as presents go... we're good on stuffed animals for a while... ;) The two tan bears on the bottom (one with a tank top and one without) were mine and Diana's growing up.
Daddy dressing his girl for some Christmas pics!!!
Aidan just being a stud...
I think we might have our hands full for a while.
I do a lot of things wrong in life. I find hope when I look at things like this. I find hope when I remind myself of stories like Christmas. I realize there really is a Hope for all of us. Friends, Family, folks I dont really know... Merry Christmas.
I found this on singer/song writer Robbie Seay's Website. It's really good. Makes you think about things. Take 4 minutes. It could help Christmas really come into focus.
So this past weekend my buddy Scott Wenger played trumpet and harmonica with me on Sunday morning. I have been wanting to play Feliz Navidad for a long time so he complied but he didn't know exactly what part to play. So, using my handy Mac I created a version just for him.
Musicians: Jason Gore - Acoustic Guitar / Vocals Pat Downing - Mouthing Trumpet / Vocals Larry Dempsey - Vocals Zack Van Hoy - Vocals Jon Gould - Innocent bystander
Then afterwards I decided to create a video for this well produced cover of the holiday classic. Note the quality of the "human mouthed trumpet" performed by Pat Downing...
In honor of Scott Wenger I give you... Feliz Navidad. If you dont know Scott Wenger then this holiday classic is just a gift from us to you. Enjoy.
I have a friend (ahem... I will not name any names) who accidentally broke their coffee pot... anyone have a replacement laying around??? It needs to be replaced by Monday morning... ;)
thank you,
-Jason
*I assure you it is not me who broke the aforementioned coffee pot. I am merely trying to help a friend (or family member)
Last night about 10pm we heard a loud bang outside our house. I ran downstairs and out on the front porch (this seems like the Christmas Story so far - I was upstairs and heard such a clatter... I ran downstairs to see what was the matter... ;) The story doesn't finish with 8 tiny deer or a large man with a white beard and a red suit.)
Upon getting outside I saw my car up on the curb... not parked by the curb at the appropriate 6 inches where I left it but literally, on the curb... by about 3 - 4 feet. My friends who hang out on the corner by my house yelled up at us cause they saw it. They saw some small red car plow into my car and then drive off. Judging by the angle that my car was sitting in relation to the curb, they had to have hit pretty hard and at a weird angle. They hit on the back left corner panel.. right into the gas tank and smeared all the way down the side to the front bumper. Both tires on that side were flat and both rims were bent. It looks like my rear axle could be broken as the back left tires is crooked.
We called 911, went out driving to look for their car as they couldn't have made it far (to no avail), and then called one of my brothers who works for RPD. I haven't heard anything from the Police yet so I am assuming they haven't found anyone.
This is a little sad cause it's the car Diana drove when I met her, it's paid for, and gets great gas mileage. Our plan was to drive this until the "wheels fell off." Well friends, that time has come sooner than expected ;)
Perhaps we will be able to fix it.. perhaps not. Either way.. it's no biggie. Things like this happen. In studying Exodus with our church over the last couple months I got closer than I have ever been able to get to a point where I thought... this is all just stuff. It's all "smoke and bubbles." Last night when I came back in and told Diana we actually just started laughing. We are gonna have to locate another vehicle if this one isnt fixable for a reasonable price and that could be troublesome but other than that... I am just sad cause our car looks sad ;(
I will post pics soons...
Until next time.. watch out for a little red car with beat-up front right side. They have difficulty staying on the road. (Unless ofcoarse someone at our church did this on purpose cause the music is too loud or something - of which case you have nothing to worry about ;)
We have much to be thankful for this year... Here is an attempt in no particualr order.
- First and foremost... We're both thankful to get to be married to each other - Diana could just be saying this to be nice but I really mean it ;) - I never knew you could have so much fun just being with someone. I know I am a better man for being with Diana. I hope she could say the same - well, except not a better man but a better woman
- We have 2 babies and they are home with us now - seems like so long ago this whole journey started
- Our familiy is incredible - our parents, grand parents, brothers and sisters, aunts and uncles, cousins... you've all been so great to us
- Our friends - seriously, you guys have gone so far to show us your love. thanks for making life more fun. from serving us, to giving us a chance to serve you, to challenging us to be the people we should be, for laughing with us and for crying with us... it just makes life better
- Medical Staff at Wake Med - our nurses, nurse practioners, and doctors were absolutely incredible. from our first night meeting with dr. Khera talking about earl labor and delivery to our last day there with Aidan and Addison's nurses we were blown away by their service, sincere concern, and compassion
- Our jobs - things are crazy right now. we consider ourselves fortunate to have a way to have income right now
- Health Insurance (I know everyone doesnt have this. we do. if we didn't we would probably be bankrupt. seriously. in a way... it's my fault your insurance cost alot. 2 babies born 3 months early cost a bit. we got a bill for Addison the other day. WOW.)
- Tanner - We have a great dog
- Our Roommates - we share a house with another family. things are hard when you live with people sometimes. it challenges you to examine lots of decisions you make and how you communicate. overall it's a really cool thing. i think it makes you a better person. kinda like a second marriage, which would be wierd. overall, they are pretty cool. we love them very much.
- Music - All aspects of it. that it is alive. for what it can do inside you. that i get to listen to it. that i get to play it. for the people i get to play it with... this is proobably the coolest part.
- Exercise - diana and i both enjoy it. she is thankful for her ability to run and go to the YMCA. lately i have been training at CrossFit and working specifically in Brazilian Jui-Jitsu. this is very close to wrestling in many ways. not sure why this is so much fun for me but it is. in some ways i feel i am better at this stuff than anything else in my life.
- Scent - I like when things smell good. i love how certain aromas can take you to a certain place. coffee, ocean air, oranges, basil, flowers... i will stop here.
- Where it all comes from - different people attribute things to different places. we attribute all that we have been given to God our creator. we are ever grateful for the gifts that we have been given in our life and our hope is to honor God in response. he is the author of all that is good and right. he is our provider and i believe everything on this list comes by Him.
Yep, we have our little man home! We were told this past weekend it could be as early as Wednesday that he could come home. Then we got a call Monday morning and the doctors asked if we wanted to bring our son home?!?!?!?!? Our answer was an astounding "Heck yes we do." (think Napolean Dynamite)
So now we are 2 days into having our entire family together and it's great. Seeing them together in our house seems to good to be true. It is a bit of a whirlwind getting adjusted to their eating and sleeping (and our lack of sleeping) and all that stuff but so far so good. We're just happy to have them home. I hate leaving my house now. I really do. This is unfortunate because I have to... well, you know... work and stuff.
Praise our God He has brought our family together. I get the feeling that an adventure we have never began to dream of is about to settle in. I pray we love and live the way we should. I pray we don't miss a moment of the excitement (I don;t think we have yt.)
I promise to get some pics (and video) up as soon as I can.
Please continue to keep us in your prayers,
-Jason, Diana, Aidan, and Addison
ps - I went to bed last night feeling under the weather and awoke this morning feeling sick. This could put us in quite the predicament as we are trying to keep sickness away from the kiddos... So regarding this I could use some prayer and... a good doctor downtown if anyone knows of any. I dont have one.
**funny video at bottom - reward for reading long post**
Hey guys... The childrens are doing great. A l ot of folks have asked about seeing them so we're writing this post as a head's up as to what to expect from us over the next few months when it comes to the babies.
First of all, thanks so much for the prayers, love, and support. I feel like I have said it 1,000 times but it still isn't enough. We have amazing friends and family. We are excited for you all to meet them and they are excited to meet you too (I mean, I assume they are.. they can't really talk yet.)
Secondly, as you are about to meet them we wanted to give you a heads up about somethings our doctors from the ICN (intensive care nursery), our nurses, nurse practitioners, and our pediatrician has drilled into our heads. We want you to know about something called RSV (respiratory syncytial virus.) Though most babies by the age of 2 have had RSV, for term babies, it may appear no different than a common cold. For premature babies it can show itself in quite a different way. Babies born before 36 weeks (Aidan and Addision were born at 28 weeks) are at the highest risk for pneumonia, bronchiolitis, RSV, and other possible fatal complications.
Preventing the spread of RSV is very difficult. Since we've just spent over 80 days (and counting) at the hospital we're gonna do all we can to avoid having to go back and to keep our babies healthy during RSV season (October - April.) RSV can be spread through touching, in the air by coughing or sneezing, or by touching an infected object (like these.) The virus can live as long as six hours on hands and up to twelve hours on objects, and it spreads very easily, especially from child to child.
When I first heard about this I thought, "don't they need to build up their immune system anyway?" The doctors have assured me the quick answer to that is, "No." Since our babies were so premature they have not acquired the necessary immunities to fight off infection. If they contract this virus they could have to go back to the hospital again and may develop serious complications.
So, to help us out with our quest to keep them at home and healthy we will ask you to follow a few guidelines when you stop by:
1. When you get here, please wash your hands and use hand sanitizer (it's not hard to find in our house right now ;)
2. If you're sick, live with someone who is sick, or have been in contact with someone who is sick during the day it probably isn't the best idea for you to stop by. (on a side note - if you are sick and need something.. feel free to give us a call and we'd love to help you out ;)
3. If you smoke, we ask that you change your clothes and not smoke before you come by as premature babies lungs are very sensitive to smoke (mostly during first two years of life.) (This is even hard for me as I enjoy smoking a pipe all through the fall and winter.)
Unfortunately we will not be bringing them out to large social gatherings thru the winter which is tough on Diana and I because we are so social. Their lungs are still very fragile until they are two years old and our goal is to make it thru these first two years without contracting this virus. Believe me this was not the plan we had for our kids and not the easiest thing to do. Diana and I are both a bit the type to throw caution to the wind with our own lives. We've always been adventurers of sorts but we do feel this is the best for them over the long haul.
I hope this stuff makes sense and if you've got any questions feel free to ask. We're so excited about being parents and hope that we can raise our children in a way that shows them and the world a love that is special. Thanks for playing a part in that with us.
Love and Peace,
-Jason and Diana
ps - writing this seemed like a public service announcement
Yesterday (Friday) was an incredible day. Many prayers were answered and our daughter has gotten to come home. It was a bit difficult for us though as Aidan just isn't ready yet to come home. When we first had to leave them at the hospital it was tough but we both knew in our minds they were there together. This is the fist time they have really been apart not to mention we cant be there 24/7 either. None the less I know he is excited for his sister to come home and get the place ready for him.
Since she has been home she has gotten her first bath at home, has been eating well, and Diana has not been able to put her down.
Here are some pics we've taken over the last few days.
You can tell they love each other already...
Telling secrets too...
This is just a cute picture - DAH HAH
Addison just found out she was going home...
Telling her brother bye for now...
Loaded up and coming home!!!
Diana finally getting to rest with our baby girl...
Same position... different location.
First bath at home...
All confy in her crib...
Finally at home...
One last one for safe measure...
So she is home safe and sound. Diana and I would like to ask you all to keep all of us, espeacially Aidan, in your thoughts and prayers right now. He is having a little more difficulty catching onto this little thing called... eating. You see it's quite necesary for growth and satiability to put food in your body on your own power. Right now he has good days and bad. Some feedings he takes it all himself and others he just runs out of gas and they have to feed him through a tube. It's not that he is way behind and more that Addison is just moving at a faster than normal speed but either way we still would love to get our boy home. Here is a shot of the big boy...
So - here is to our daughter coming home. Hopefully Aidan will soon to follow. I've been home for 1 day with my daughter and I dont want to leave to do anything. I am sure there will be bad days.. but with what we've gone through... I am really appreciating this time with her.
Well, I have other friends participating in this madness called Noshavember. Perhaps I too, will participate. I do have a moderate headstart due to my busyness (laziness) over the past 2 weeks. Perhaps we will keep a weekly photo log here just to monitor progress.
Here is today's photo. We'll do this again in a week.
Our brilliantly talented friend (almost family kindof) has taken some new pics of our babies. I am only gonna put a few of them up here but you can find the rest of them on her blog. These are from a couple weeks back so Aidan and Addison have both grown a bit even since here.
Health wise they are doing well. They are both off of oxygen... well, from outside help ya know... they are breathing plenty of oxygen from just the room ;) The next big step is getting to where they can eat all of their meals themselves. They are still a little reliant on their feeding tube though they have made a ton of progress. They just get a little tired after a while and lose focus. Once they get this down though, they will be comin home!!!!
Well, here is what you really want to see... Addison's tiny hands...
There aren't words for looking down at them... so many things I want to tell them...
I am not sure what happened here... I turned around for 5 minutes and my daughter has a tutu on.... This was actually a gift from a friend who makes them... you can track her down here if you want one ;)
I think we have our hands full...
Our beautiful babies...
Again, we're so thankful for all of the love and support throughout this entire process. It has been as beautiful and as challenging as anything Diana and I have ever experienced together. It has lead us to crying one second and dancing the next and I know has brought us closer than we ever thought we could be.
***note - this post descibes events that happend last week - but i forgot to finish the post. There is a bit or humor in that given the content of the post.
If any of you have known me at any point in the last 15 years of my life the content of this post will not surprise you.
Sunday afternoon I couldn't find my wallet. I really thought I put it in my book bag before I left Sunday morning but I looked and it wasnt there. I assumed when leaving our church building that I had left it at home. Got home Sunday night and no wallet. I went through the day Monday with no wallet and Diana and I tore through the house looking for it. It was not at home.
MOnday night, instead of meeting some friends out (because I didn't have my ID) we then went to the church building and again did not find it there. Late, Monday night before going to bed I looked in my book bag one last time (for the 20th time) and alas... there it was. Hmmmmmmmm....
Then tuesday morning I got to the church building and could not find my phone - DAHHHHHHHH. I knew I put it in my book bag but it wasn't there. I went all through lunch without my phone and went home then to look for it. I stayed at home for an hour and a half looking for my phone and could not find it. At this point I was very tired of having things... well, LOST.
I then went back to the building to finish my work day and my phone was... guess where... right in my book bag. Hmmmmmmm.....
So - in response to this series of events... I am convinced of 3 things:
1) I have always temporarily misplaced things and might be doomed with this trait til death 2) My bookbag not only is a black hole but also carries with it certain characteristics of the island in the tv show - LOST 3) I just may need to buy a fanny pack
perhaps it will not be so bad. After all - I will not lose my things and perhaps it will come back in style soon enough...
Aidan and Addison are doing great. Yesterday He topped the 5lb. mark and she is just under at 4lbs and 15oz. They are still needing a little bit of help breathing and are working on learning to eat. Those are the last 2 big hurdles before they can come home. Currently they need a little extra oxygen and they are getting most of their food (milk) from a feeding tube. I told them that when they get older they will realize this not the best way to do things but they are not following my rationalization.
They are so beautiful. Words can't explain what it's like holding them and looking into their eyes. i am starting to feel like they know we are supposed to be there or they are supposed to leave wit us or something. It's only a matter of time I guess. My uneducated guess would be another 3 - 5 weeks before they can come home though the nurses have said sometimes everything just comes together at once. We want to be realistic so we dont feel any let down but we would be happy if they could come home tomorrrow ;)
Here are a couple pics for you. The hats they have on are courtesy of our friend Elyse who made them for our family. Thanks Elyse!!!
Diana and Aidan. I think he is blowing a kiss to all the ladies...
This will make your day better. Great band. Great song. Awesome video. Seems to be a bit "chaotic" to quote a good friend of mine in Denver yet simple and beautiful. Plus you gotta love these guys for having fun with what they do... Needtobreath - They are an amazing band. Buy their album. At least one of them.
It IS official. We have both changed poopy and wet diapers and had the experience of the continuous pee/poop (you know when you change the diaper, get them all clean and ready for the new diaper, the new diaper under them and the pee/poop starts again!). We also participated in bath time for the first time this week. I have to admit it was a bit more challenging than I thought it would be to bathe the little ones. They are very... well, squirmy...which complicates the whole bath time ordeal. We have, however, now conquered the main "care giving parental tasks" (other than, well ya know... raising them, middle school, high school, peer-pressure, dating, etc :)
We've done the dressing/undressing deal... I know you are thinking, "come on guys, that is simple" but not with all the wires and tubes we have to navigate around. Not to mention the ever present "baby-always-moving-factor." I have wrestled really large men before and not had this much trouble putting them where I want them.
Addison and Aidan have conquered the 4lb. mark which is exciting. They are getting bigger and stronger everyday. It will not be long before they will be doing push-ups.... I just know it.
The reality of having 2 babies at home and all the responsibility that comes with that is really starting to sink in. It's kind of scary in some ways and in other ways more exciting than anything we've ever done.
I have a friend and his name is John Patrick Downing. He is a great friend, a killer guitar player, and has an accounting degree from NC State. He also is working on a new version of an old Styx tune, "Come Sail Away."
While back stage at a recent "place where we were invited to lead/play" ("gig" feels like the wrong word) I feel he made some great progress.
So Thursday when we went to see the kiddos this is what we saw...
Yep they are in the crib together! They love being back together, hence the snuggling they are doing!
Another plus of them being out of the isolets and in the same crib is that we can hold both of them at one time.
They are 5 weeks old now and that means that we should be at least halfway through their stay in the NICU/ICN. We really can't wait to have them home. We've made good progress with the nursery this past week. As soon as the glider comes and Pops finishes up with the dresser/changing table deal he is building for us we will be all set. We'll post some pictures of the nursery soon!
Here are a few other cute pictures for you to enjoy!
Mommy, Daddy, Aidan, Addison, and Tanner
We might have been under the mistletoe... lucky for me.
First Christmas...
I saw the stockings hanging on the mantle while we were taking pictures and... well, I couldn't resist.
They acted like they liked it... ;)
As far as presents go... we're good on stuffed animals for a while... ;) The two tan bears on the bottom (one with a tank top and one without) were mine and Diana's growing up.
Daddy dressing his girl for some Christmas pics!!!
Aidan just being a stud...
I think we might have our hands full for a while.
