I'M AT HOME NOW!!!

Micah has been home nearly one week now.

He came home last Thursday late at night. Micah’s hearing was tested before he was discharged and he passed in both ears!!!! Yayy, God!!! Also, the nurses did trials with Micah sitting in his car seat for 30 minutes to see how his breathing held up. After Chris and Stephanie were trained to feed Micah using the feeding tube/pump, they embarked on their first family drive home. Chris called me when he arrived home and told me that it was the scariest drive he has ever taken in his entire life! I guess, not only did he have the pressure of this precious new cargo in the car, but being completely responsible for him was overwhelming. Micah slept all the way home.

The first two nights and days were very trying for Chris and Stephanie as Micah cried most of the time – even through the night. On Saturday (now home for two days), Chris figured out a way to hold Micah that would calm and comfort him. He laid Micah on his stomach over Chris’ forearm and bounced him. Micah liked that and began calming down. The next discovery came early Sunday morning when Stephanie’s mom, Grandma Cary, came in to feed Micah in the morning. Stephanie was sleeping and Cary decided to just get a bottle and put milk in it and try to feed Micah instead of doing the feeding tube. After Micah cried for a while, Cary was finally able to get Micah to latch on and he drank 30 cc’s of milk. At Micah’s noon feeding, Cary tried again to feed Micah by bottle and again, after crying and fussing for awhile, he took the bottle. I think this time he took 37 cc’s. Cary decided to stay home from work on Monday and she continued to help Stephanie to feed Micah by bottle at every feeding. Micah did well, taking in up to 50 cc’s some feedings. Also, she started feeding him on demand instead of on the schedule of every three hours as the hospital had directed. He now eats and sleeps and then wakes up feeling hungry and he latches on much more quickly and just gobbles up his milk!!! He loves to suck and it comforts him so much. He is much happier and content, he doesn’t cry as much and enjoys sitting in his vibrating chair and swing. THANK YOU GRANDMA CARY!!!!! And, thank you, Lord, for your amazing blessings!!!!!

Today, Micah has his first pediatrician appointment and on Friday, Stephanie has her first Lactation appointment at CHOC. They are going to start working with Stephanie and Micah to try to get him to nurse. That will be a wonderful day when he can do that.

Do you remember the woman that Gary referred to in his recent update whose daughter had a large part of her brain removed? Well, that lovely mother (Trina) referred me to a book written by a man by the name of Glenn Doman. Glenn Doman is the founder of the Institutes for the Achievement of Human Potential in Philadelphia, PA. After her daughter was finally discharged from the hospital, Trina took her daughter to this Institute where they teach parents to help their children who have been brain injured and who exhibit symptoms of things such as Cerebral-palsy, Autism, ADD, Down’s Syndrome, paralyzation, blindness, deafness, etc. Through the teaching and help of the medical professionals at this institute, and by God’s amazing grace, Trina’s daughter’s brain was made well.

I share this with you because, as Gary shared, we do not believe in coincidences at all. God has proven Himself to be the God of miracles, the Great Physician and Healer. We believe with our whole hearts that Micah will be completely healed. We believe that meeting Trina and her daughter, receiving this book from her, and now learning about the amazing successes of this Institute along with the devoted parents may very well be part of God’s healing plan for Micah. I hope to take Chris and Stephanie (and Micah) to Philadelphia the first week of December for a 5 day, 50 hour intense teaching seminar. They will show us how we can best help Micah to get better and, quite possibly, completely well. I will share more on our journey in this area as time goes. Please be praying for that situation. If you would like, I would love to encourage those of you who might be interested, to look at the Institutes website – iahp.org.

Please continue to persist in intercession for Micah’s healing.

PRAY THAT MICAH CONTINUES TO SUCK WELL AND THAT HE WILL TAKE FULL FEEDING AMOUNTS FROM A BOTTLE.

PRAY THAT HE WILL LEARN HOW TO NURSE ON FRIDAY!!!

PRAY FOR MICAH TO GAIN WEIGHT. HE IS NOT GAINING ENOUGH WEIGHT.

PRAY THAT GOD HEALS MICAH’S REFLUX (he is on medications to help control the reflux).

PRAY FOR PROTECTION OVER MICAH AGAINST ANY INFECTIONS OR ILLNESSES.

PRAY FOR COMPLETE HEALING OF MICAH’S BLINDNESS.

PRAY FOR HEALING OF MICAH’S BODY AND MUSCLES. PRAY THAT GOD WOULD TAKE AWAY ALL SPASTICITY IN HIS HANDS, ARMS, LEGS & FEET, AND THAT GOD WOULD GIVE MICAH FULL USE OF ALL OF HIS BODY PARTS (he still isn't moving his legs or feet).

PRAY FOR A COMPLETE HEALING & RESTORATION OF HIS BRAIN.

Thank you for your prayers and your love. We are so blessed to have made it this far with all of your loving support.

With much love,

Teri and Gary