False Start...Five Yard Penalty...Repeat First Down

By now, most of you have heard about our day yesterday, but I thought perhaps you'd like more than just the bottom line -- perhaps a glimpse into what yesterday was like. And, besides, blogging is therapeutic for me!

Yesterday started (almost) like any other day. I had breakfast with a friend, which put me at work later than usual. I had a ton of stuff to do that day, starting with going over weekly project updates and finalizing a briefing for a couple of General Officers. I was working on the briefing with a colleague when Cristi called.

I saw the hospital number on the caller ID and figured something was up. It's not unusual to get a call at work, but not on my cell phone, and not since she's been in the hospital. Sure enough, she said, "We may have something." "Should I jump in the car?", I asked, but she told me to hold off for an hour while they ran some initial tests. I was excited, but not convinced; we had been warned about false starts. Two hours later, Cristi called back and reported she still didn't know anything, but she was having lunch with a couple of friends that had come up for the day and would try to find out something when she got back. By then, it was getting to be about 1:00, and I figured I needed to get on the road; the 4-hour time limit we'd ben told about was running out, and I didn't want to miss seeing my little girl before surgery. She told me to make train reservations for late afternoon, and we'd hope for the best.

By 2:00, we still didn't really know, but Cristi figured no news was good news (i.e., the longer we went without hearing something was longer they weren't finding a reason not to use it). Cristi advised me to go ahead and leave work and head to the train station in the hopes that we'd know something before I left. They were tentatively talking a 7:00 surgery. I told my boss, left work, came home, quickly finished packing my suitcase, and headed to the train station. As I got on the Metro, Cristi called and gave me the official word: It was a go! I made a few phone calls to family, boss, and close friends (those were interesting conversations to be sure! I think most were more emotional than I was!) By the time I got to Union Station, I had missed my train, so I had to trade it in for a later ticket. I traded for the 5:05 train and went to wait.

As I waited, I reflected back on the day and how "perfect" it had been. The timing was perfect: I was already scheduled for leave next week. My partner was already prepped to do the majority of the briefing, so I wouldn't be missed. Cristi had friends up there to keep her company to keep her from going crazy. The heart was a perfect match! I was even wearing my Mickey Mouse watch yesterday. How perfect is that? I thought, "Surely this day has been chosen. This is fantastic!" I took time to pray, but my mind was such a flurry of thoughts that all I could muster was, "Remember all those things I've been praying about? Do that!"

Finally, the time came for them to start taking tickets and letting folks on the platform. As I held my ticket and ID and gathered my stuff to move toward the door, my phone rang -- Cristi. Uh-oh. Why was she calling me? We already had a thumbs-up. As I said hello, ticket in hand, moving toward the ticket-taker, I could hear it in her voice: "Where are you?" "Just getting ready to go through the gate", I responded. Then the dreaded report came: "They called it off. Every member of the team agreed unanimously." I fought my way through the crowd to get out of the way so we could talk. How could this happen? We had gotten a thumbs-up! The whole hospital staff was absolutely ecstatic. They were certain, too! This was the perfect day! What happened?

They had run a battery of tests that are practically pro forma; they almost never come back with problems. Unfortunately, Lauren has always preferred to keep the bookies in business. Best we can determine, these tests look for, among other things, potential weird, wild infections that the donor may have had currently or previously, knowingly or unknowingly. It's probably something of that sort that called it off that late in the process, and so definitively.

So, I went back home. After a day of hope, promise, manic excitement, I was exhausted after the plunge from an amazing high to utter disappointment. Lauren was blissfully oblivious, but Cristi was definitely upset. I was okay, just tired. Today, though, was different. My boss gave me the option of staying home or heading to Philadelphia, but I chose to go in. I had work to do (and a briefing to give), and there really wasn't anything else to do. There was no point going to Philadelphia. But I realized my heart just wasn't in it.

The transplant team warned us about false starts, but we had been so close! Why does God allow false starts? Why when we were that far along? Maybe to offer hope after beginning to feel like it would never come? I don't know...At least we know what to expect now. And what of the donor's family? I can't imagine the roller coaster they went through yesterday. I don't know if this problem would have prevented other organs from being used, but if so...Wow! That would have been devastating on top of already losing their child...really tough on closure...I pray God's rich blessing on them. Wow!

Today is another day, though. Cristi and I are doing much better. Lauren's still blissfully oblivious. Another heart will come...in time. We pray it will be sooner rather than later, but it will come on God's time. We will wait, and we will be patient.

Where's That Magic 8-Ball?

It's been a while since I've written, but thankfully, things have been blessedly uneventful. The hospital's had a nasty GI bug going around, so a couple of weeks ago, they took some drastic measures to try to reverse it. They locked down the germ factories previously known as the play room and family lounge, and stationed a large guard at the entrance, turning away all kids and anyone else that breathes funny. Fortunately, as of this writing, they've opened the playroom back up.

Lauren has been healthy through all of this; it's really been great. But while she has been "healthy", there have been some subtle indications that something's just not right. Her resting heart rate has risen since we checked her in 2 months ago. Her pulmonary pressures seem to be creeping up. And, she's coughing more. All of these point toward a gradual onset of heart failure. The doctors have noticed, too, and have begun thinking about how to stay ahead of Lauren, rather than constantly reacting. They've also shared that with us so that we could be prepared, rather than having it sprung on us when it's time.

Lauren is still doing fine. She's in no imminent danger and really nothing to get too concerned about, but some kid ran off with the Magic 8 Ball and hasn't brought it back, so we're left with a few interesting questions but fewer answers: Is her heart, in fact, deteriorating? If so, how fast? Is there anything we can do about it? Will she be able to hold out until we get a heart? Since Lauren's as adept at the unpredictable as Agatha Christie, the doctors decided to do a heart cath -- partially because they like to do them every 3 months on transplant patients and partially to get some more clues to just how well (or lousy) Lauren really is doing.

We got good news. Lauren's heart function is effectively unchanged from December, with one significant difference: Lauren's heart isn't pumping as much blood per beat, but it's beating faster, so it's compensating. So...the doctors are as satisfied as they can be, but they'll certainly keep their eyes on her. Should she start declining, they have a few options. They can, of course, continue fiddling with her heart and diuretic meds. They can also put in a Berlin (mechanical) heart. She can theoretically keep getting up and around with one of those. If breathing becomes more difficult because her heart just can't keep up, they can put her on a ventilator to give her heart a break. Obviously, she couldn't be up and around then.

Lauren's had a fantastic attitude through all of this (except for those I'm-3-years-old-and-I-run-this-place moments). She's learned to ride a tricycle and has enjoyed riding it all over the floor. Check out Cristi's blog for pictures. And, of course, she's charming everyone. Because of that, we're certainly concerned that Lauren's health could decline before a heart became available. I know that God will provide a heart for Lauren on His time. I just continue to pray that Lauren will stay strong until that time comes -- however long that is.

Speaking of that, we did get a bit of good news the other day. Lauren was offered a "back-up heart" (whatever that means; Cristi forgot to ask), but they turned it down due to concerns of infection on the part of the donor. While it wasn't a "real heart" offer, it at least means we're getting high enough on the mythical list to get offered something. After two months and the promise of several more, that's really encouraging.

Many have asked how we're doing. The truth is that, in some ways, it's hard. We don't get to talk every day, and sometimes, the days we do get to, there's not much to talk about, so I feel like I've wasted my opportunity. My trips to Philadelphia seem rushed, like there's just not enough time. I hate that the kids don't get to see Cristi and Lauren regularly. I'm tired of sleeping alone. I worry that Cristi's not eating well or getting enough rest. I worry that Lauren is spending a critical time when she really needs good parenting, getting her way more than she should (i.e., getting spoiled). In other ways, we're doing fine. Our totally unselfish parents are quite literally keeping the household running. We've gotten countless notes and words of encouragement. I don't have to worry about health insurance bills. I do actually get to see Cristi occasionally. If this were a deployment, I wouldn't get to see her for 6+ months. I think what makes this different, though, is that a deployment has a (somewhat) definite end date with little to worry about but enduring. Conversely, we don't know whether this will end tomorrow or next year. Lauren's long-term health is uncertain. But we will make it. Our marriage is incredibly strong. And we do get to talk fairly often. And Lauren will come through transplant splendidly. But some days are just harder than others. Thanks to all for your prayers and words of encouragement. God has blessed us with an incredible circle of support.

The Best Wife Ever

With the exception of Christmas, Cristi and I hate gift-giving holidays: Mothers' Day, Fathers' Day, and, yes, Valentine's Day. With everything else going on, we find ourselves with so little time that these occasions just seem like a chore, rather than something we can put time and effort into to make them special. So we'd rather not make a big deal out of them than to cause additional stress that's not needed. That was illustrated quite clearly yesterday by my low-maintenance wife.

Yesterday, a friend of ours came up to Philadelphia and stayed with Lauren so that Cristi and I could just go out and enjoy ourselves. No big plans...We just wanted to hang out and enjoy being together -- pure and simple. Wow, it was great! We drove up to a suburb north of Philadelphia where they have a huge shopping center so that we could look for some stuff and just goof off. We went into Old Navy, and Cristi found a shirt to spruce up her spring hospital wardrobe. As we finished checking out, the clerk said, "Have a great day. Enjoy your holiday!" As we're leaving, Cristi says, "Oh yeah...I was trying to figure out what holiday it was today." I love that woman!

A Trip Home, Part Drei

Our last day there, the day we flew out, we started at Kaethe Wohlfahrt; I needed to pick up an ornament for my mother. We headed to Mackebach next. Coincidentally, Don and I both lived there while we were stationed over there. We stopped at the grocery store first to do our last-minute shopping. I still needed coffee and Kinder Eggs. If you’ve never had European coffee, it’s the best. And, German coffee is one of the best of those. Kinder Eggs, are little eggs made out chocolate – about the size of Cadbury Cream Eggs – that are hollowed out and have little toys inside them. Many of the toys you have to put together, which is the really cool part. It’s amazing how much stuff you can fit in a tiny chocolate egg! Addison and Brennan have had them before and asked me to bring them back some. I figured I better get some for Lauren, too. Not that Brennan and Lauren can eat them, but remember: It’s not about the chocolate; it’s about the toy inside!

So, I strolled through the store, first stopping for coffee. I initially picked up 5 bricks, but at about $6/brick, I figured that was a lot, so I put a grand total of one back. Hey, I’m only willing to sacrifice so much! Then, on my way to the candy aisle, I went down the sauce aisle. Yep. I’m all about the pre-made schnitzel sauce! The only complicating factor is that the ingredients are in German, so I couldn’t guarantee they didn’t have milk products in them and be safe for Brennan, but I was reasonably confident, figuring I could always translate via Google, so I pulled a couple of packets. Finally…on to Kinder Eggs. I pulled nine and went to check out. Now, since it was our last day, I had used up most of my cash; I was hoping to use a credit card here…But no luck. I was frustrated but not that surprised. In many ways, German culture is a good 40-50 years behind us. This was a good example: Using credit cards everywhere just isn’t the German way. So after embarrassing myself, Don offered up his remaining cash, and I brought back only half the coffee I had intended to.

Our last item of business before lunch and a drive back to the airport was to stop at Don's landlords' house in Mackenbach. Don's wife insisted that he stop by, but Don was afraid after so many years that they might not remember him, or like being dropped in on. Well, he was wrong -- way wrong! They opened the door, immediately recognized him, gave him a bear hug, and invited us in. We talked for a little bit, then their youngest daughter came in, now a college student; she had been Don's babysitter when they lived there. I mentioned how I used to live in Mackenbach as well, and in fact, lived just a few blocks away. When I told them which house I lived in, they said, "Ah, Frau Mayer's house!" Frau Mayer was my landlady. We both had digital pictures of the family handy, so Don left some for his landlords to keep, and they offered to tell Frau Mayer I said hello and take a family picture of us! Then they offered us coffee (Wow! Starbucks got nuttin' on German coffee!!) and offered to take us out to lunch! We tried to decline politely, because we really didn't want to impose on them, but they absolutely insisted. In fact, when they couldn't find a single restaurant open (not that unusual in Germany), they just made lunch for us. This was one amazing couple! I can see why Don's wife was insistent! After lunch, I took some pictures for Don, and we left for the airport. What a great way to end our trip to Germany!

I started this blog post with the title, A Trip Home. For me, it really has been -- and for Don, too, I'd say. I’m fascinated by Germany because of its history and culture, and because my ancestors emigrated from there (and by its good food – have I mentioned that yet?). Couple that with going back to the 1st and a trip down memory lane, and – even without any real “sightseeing” – you’ve got one of the best trips ever!

A Trip Home, Part Zwei

We took the majority of the afternoon off. I went to check e-mail and Facebook (to let Cristi know I made it safely). We met again that evening to do some more shopping before dinner. I had to go pick up a 110/220 adapter for my laptop (who’d’a thunk that there’d be no 110 outlets in billeting???), then to the commissary to buy some breakfast goods. We then went to find the Polish Pottery store tucked away in a little village somewhere. I had never been, but Don had when he was here a mere 6 years ago. I couldn’t even remember where the village was; he got us that far, but then the adventure began. He couldn’t remember exactly where it was, so he was looking for something familiar. Failing that, we turned down nearly every side street looking for it, ending up on two-way streets only wide enough for one car because of all the cars parked along the side because they were residential streets. Finally, we had to ask two Germans out walking. We finally found the place. It did have a fairly good selection, but man the prices were high – about 4-5 times what I paid for the stuff in Poland 10 years ago! I got the two pasta bowls to complete our collection, and Don got what his wife sent him for. Off to dinner!

When we were in the commissary, we were discussing where to go, and a lady overheard us. She told us if we wanted good schnitzel, and lots of it, to go to this place called “Big Emma’s” in Ramstein Village. We got half-portions that weighed in at a hefty 17 oz. The full portions were 35 oz, and for those big appetites, they had 71 oz portions available! It wasn’t as good as the Firehouse, but it was pretty good, and we certainly didn’t go away hungry! And so ends a great first day back in Germany…

The next day, we started our meetings – out at our new old stomping grounds. The 1st was planning a new building when I left, to replace the old WWII bomb shelter and hardened aircraft shelters we used for our workcenters. The new place was stunning! The troops now have bays big enough to store and work on their equipment indoors – a good thing considering the rainy German weather. That’s pretty impressive considering it takes a lot of space for satellite terminals, air traffic control equipment, and generators.

Combat comm units have a long tradition of high morale, probably because their sole mission is to go anywhere in the world to support the guys that put bombs on target. I already alluded that this was my best assignment, but we also have a long history of unit loyalty (we disparage the 3rd Herd and 5th Mob all the time because of their inferiority to the 1st), so I just had to get my picture taken with the 1st Combat Comm rock.

That picture will look nice in my office, don’t you think, right next to my 1st Combat Comm flag? Oh, and we had a good conference, too. The 1st’s commander, Lt Col Bill Waynick, was a great host (two more nights of good schnitzel), and we had the right folks here from the 1st, 3rd, 5th, and 644th to get some real work done figuring out what combat comm should look like in the future.

To be continued...

A Trip Home, Part Eins

(This post became so long, I decided to break it down into three parts to make it easier to read)

I got an amazing opportunity this week. I got to go back to Germany – the land of my ancestors and place of my first (real) assignment. Because of the flight schedules and jetlag, it’s almost impossible to make the trip without scheduling in a little extra time – a time I intended to take full advantage of!

I traveled with a guy I work with, Don Cournoyer, who had incidentally been assigned to the same unit I was in Germany, the 1st Combat Communications Squadron, just at a different time. For those of you unfamiliar with a combat comm unit, their mission is to deploy to a bare base that has no infrastructure whatsoever, and set up an entire base communications network, starting with a satellite communications link to connect back into the military network, and extending phone, classified and unclassified networks, video teleconferencing, and radio connectivity, among other things. We can also set up air traffic control services. Needless to say, this is about the coolest job in the whole Air Force!

We arrived Tuesday morning at 0700 with nothing to do except stay awake, because the quickest way (albeit grueling) to get over jetlag is to stay up all day, then crash early that night. So, we went shopping…and eating! We headed off to the BX to pick up some sweets to take back home for the family (Gummi Bears and German chocolate), then to Kaethe Wohlfahrt. This store stays open year-round, and sells nutcrackers, smokers, and Christmas ornaments. When we left Germany 8.5 years ago, we were pregnant with Brennan. To announce the news to the family, we bought these cute little wooden Christmas ornaments of a baby buggy under a Christmas tree. Unfortunately, we forgot to get one for ourselves to commemorate the occasion. So, I was under strict orders to go look for one over there. I didn’t hold out much hope that they’d still have that exact ornament, but Cristi asked me to look. Would you believe I got the last one they had?? I picked up four other ornaments (total of five – one for each member of the family).

By then, it was lunchtime, so we agreed on Fish ‘n Chips (authentic British-style) from this nice takeaway place in Ramstein Village. Unfortunately, it had closed. We had already discussed going to the Alte Feuerwache (Old Firehouse) at some point, so we took off over there to see if they were open for lunch. As you can see below, it really does look like an old firehouse, German-style (which indeed it was before becoming a restaurant).

This was Cristi’s and my absolute favorite restaurant in all of Europe. We had planned our last meal in Germany there, and we hadn’t had it in a while. Unfortunately, when we arrived, they were on holiday and weren’t open. We were crushed. I had wondered if it would still be open, because it was run by an older German couple. In fact, with the exception of a few grocery stores (like Aldi) and department stores (like Real, H&M, and Ikea), most businesses, hotels, and restaurants are all mom-and-pop operations. It turns out it was open, but under different owners. They had changed their menu to include Italian and some other things, as well as German. Fortunately, they still had a healthy selection of schnitzel. I ordered the Zwiebelschnitzel with bratkartoefln (onion schnitzel with fried potatoes). The portions were about as big as I remember, and the food was great, too. Here’s a picture (before I ate it!).

To be continued…

The Mother of All Invention

Whoever said that necessity is the mother of all invention was wrong -- or at least not completely right, unless it includes the necessity for a thrill. I explained to the kids this morning that, unfortunately, it iced last night, so they wouldn't be able to play in the snow today; it would just be all iced over. Leave it to Brennan to prove me wrong.

After lunch, I told the kids that I needed to go outside and shovel the walk. The ensuing conversation went something like this:

Brennan: Hey, Dad! I know something you could use in the place of a sled.

Me: What?

Brennan: An unused storage tub!

Me: Well, that's a grand idea, except that we have nowhere to sled!

Brennan (undeterred): Yeah, we do!

Me: Where?

Brennan: The hill across from our house!

Me: (I 've obviously forgotten how to think like a little boy that craves adventure) That would be a great idea, except for the bolted-down bench and the huge brick flower box that guards the bottom of the hill!

Brennan: I could sled down the hill without hitting it! I can steer the tub!

Me (laughing): Right! No, I don't want you to. It's too dangerous.

End of scene...Fast forward to me shoveling the snow outside...Out comes Brennan carrying an old Rubbermaid tub. I don't know why, but I just didn't tell him again that I didn't want him doing it. Instead, I resigned myself to watch him very closely. Back to the mother of invention, he positioned his tub so that he would slide diagonally down the hill, missing the bench and brick wall altogether. He turned over quite a few times to be sure, but, nevertheless, he had worked it out. I found myself just shaking my head at him, thinking that I couldn't believe he had figured out a way to do it. I went inside and grabbed my camera to capture his moment on film. After all, if this turned out successfully, Cristi would want it on film!

Next thing I know, Addison's decided that she wants to try! They must have stayed out there for over half an hour trying different configurations, all the while being careful to avoid the things that would quickly turn it into a bad day.

I just couldn't believe it. I'm still shaking my head. Of course, what I'm really wondering is whether I was a bad parent that got lucky today, or whether I've forgotten what it's like to be a kid...Given my typical positive outlook on life, I'll choose the latter. Now if I could just recapture that spirit somehow...

Our First (Only?) Big Snow of the Year

My parents had been up here helping with the kids -- doing school, fixing meals, ferrying the kids to appointments and activities, and doing laundry. I have to say it was nice to be able to go to work and still let the kids continue doing all of the things they need to. They left on Saturday, though, so I've been at home with the kids this week. As helpful as they were, it's been nice to have some all-by-ourselves time. I think I picked the wrong week, though! Yesterday, it was swim team practice at 0630, school, an allergy shot for Addison, and, oh yeah, try to get some work done from home. Thursday is school, another allergy shot for Addison, an appointment for Brennan (probably coupled with a trip to the pharmacy), and getting ready for Friday. Friday, we start the day with an egg challenge for Brennan (to see if he's out-grown his egg food allergy; I have to cook and bring some scrambled eggs and french toast) that will take all morning, then leave from there to go up to Philadelphia for an overnight trip. Saturday, Cristi's parents arrive.

Today, there wasn't much on the schedule other than school, and an appointment for Brennan. I was looking forward to getting some more work done. It was snowing when we woke up this morning -- what a wonderful surprise! We spent the morning doing school (interleaved with a little bit of work for me), then went outside to play for a while. It wasn't a blizzard or massive snowfall by anyone's calculation, but it was 2-3 inches -- enough to play in! They had grand intentions of building a snowman and a fort big enough to fend off an army of medieval snow catapults...but it just wasn't to be. The snow just didn't want to pack, so we had trouble getting any big snowballs.

Still they had a great time! After spending quite a bit of time working on large snowballs, Brennan devolved into the Ice Age hand-to-hand combat model of snowball fighting. Realizing he wasn't pounding his enemy into submission, though, he made his own catapult using the snow shovel! I would have gotten pictures, but I was too busy running! Nevertheless, I did get a few photos to share. We love snow, but this will probably be our only significant snow this year...Too bad!






After getting frozen in the snow, we came back in to thaw out. We talked about having our semi-official post-snowfall hot chocolate. Addison came up with a new idea instead: Coffee with chocolate milk (i.e., a mocha latte!). Mmmm...was it good!

P.S. Lauren continues to feel well, but can't shake the cough and runny nose. Consequently, she's still quarantined. We just keep hoping it will run its course very soon. Fortunately, Lauren is getting into a routine. Cristi says it's a delicate balance between having a schedule that Lauren can rely on and being bossed around by a 3-year-old dictator (i.e., "Mommy, I watch Dora. You go get breakfast.")! She's so cute, you can't help but love her! Finally, for those that were wondering, I suspect that if a heart were to become available right now, they'd go ahead with the transplant despite the persistent cold symptoms, so that's good news.

Inaugurating a New Year

Today, they had a special event in DC they were expecting a few million people for. Perhaps you heard something about it on your local news station: The inauguration? Rather than fight the crowds in sub-freezing temperatures just to watch the event on a jumbotron, I decided to take advantage of my free holiday by skipping town for a different inauguration. My parents, the big kids, and I left at 0630 this morning for Philadelphia, loaded with presents and a cake so we could celebrate Lauren's third birthday!

It turns out everyone was on the metro, because we flew out of town with nothing to even slow us down. Once we got up there, we all exchanged hugs. The kids were especially excited since it was the first time they had seen Cristi and Lauren since January 6th. Brennan didn't waste any time, though; we came for a purpose, and he was ready to get down to the business of Lauren opening her presents! Lauren had a great time opening gifts. She figured out the gift thing at Christmas, and it was just really special to watch her during that small window of time when it's pure joy and magic to a child.

After presents and lunch, we left Lauren playing with Nana and Papa while Cristi and the big kids and I went to the Narnia exhibit at the Franklin Institute. After the Star Wars exhibit last year, we had high hopes; we weren't disappointed. We started the tour by walking through the wardrobe, past the fur coats, and into a snowing land marked by a lamppost. The exhibit hall had many of the costumes and props that were actually used during the filming. We were quite impressed at the detail. These weren't just any old swords, helmets, and shields. Each piece was intricately made specifically for the movie. For example, one of the helmets had scenes from Narnian battles cast into it. We also got to see a working catapult, sit on the White Witch's throne (it was actually ice cold!), and see how they brought the creatures to life -- from computer generation to high-tech make-up! (For those wondering, while there was some computer generation done, all of the scenery was real.) If you look below, you can see..............wait for it.................the one picture we took. Unlike the Star Wars exhibit, they prohibited photography, so we snagged this one on the way in.

We returned mid-afternoon to the hospital to finish up our birthday celebration -- complete with birthday cake. My mother and Addison worked on the cake together. Lauren liked it because it had her initial on it. We all had a piece -- except for Lauren, of course -- which saddened me. Hopefully she'll get to start eating soon...




Unfortunately, once we had finished the cake, it was time for us to come back to DC...back to the real world for all of us tomorrow: The kids have swim team and school; I have to leave about 0500 to get down to the Williamsburg area for a meeting for the next two days. We had an absolutely fantastic time, though! Can't wait to go back again!

P.S. Lauren's still coughing and has a runny nose, so she's still on contact precautions (meaning she can't leave her room). The rule is that she has to be symptom-free for 5 days before she can be taken off, so she and Cristi still have several days ahead of them of staying in the room. I'm told RSV can actually take 21 days to complete, so she may only be halfway through yet...We could continue to use your prayers for a quick recovery. Thankfully they're taking very good care of her there.

One Week In

We're now one week into this journey, and it hasn't been rosy. Lauren came down with RSV the day I left Philadelphia after taking her up there to check her in. Despite feeling better after about three days of extreme puniness, she's still on contact precautions for about five more days -- meaning that she can't leave her room, period. No play room, no walks, no group art/music -- nothing but four walls.

After a week of separation, I really miss Cristi and Lauren. Cristi and I usually spend our evenings catching up with each other, talking about what happened that day, how we should tackle the medical concern of the day, what events are coming on the horizon, how we need to coordinate schedules, make joint decisions, why the girl on American Idol thought she needed to try out in a bikini, etc. Making decisions on who will keep the kids when and coordinating resolution of medical bills, etc. is also harder over the phone (or Facebook!).

At work, I got word in a most unsettling and unwelcoming way that my job may be moving to a different part of the organization with a different boss: I came to work Tuesday and had an e-mail saying that everyone on there was soon going to be working for this new directorate and so these slides needed to be done by the end of the day. (Interestingly, my current boss hadn't heard that I was supposed to be moving!) If that wasn't enough, the same thing happened again the next day! I was able to complete the tasks with no problem, but it seemed as if it might become a habit. I've established a good working relationship with my boss and boss's boss that I can pretty much take off whenever I need. I've done that a lot, while doing my best to keep up with work and not take advantage of their generosity. I have no such established relationship with the new command structure. Indeed, they know very little of Lauren's issues and certainly not this latest adventure.

On top of all that, yesterday was Lauren's birthday. I was sad that I didn't get to spend it with her. In fact, I didn't even get a chance to talk to her yesterday. Fortunately, she had a great day yesterday. Check out Cristi's blog for her heartwarming story. We'll celebrate as a family on Tuesday, when we take her presents up there.

Being fearless is a daily challenge. It's only natural to fear the unknown. Still, there are things to be thankful for. I still have our parents and friends to help out with the big kids, so they're getting their schoolwork done -- and I'm not missing any meals. Lauren and Cristi moved to a much larger room with more space to stretch out and play. They put a mat down on the floor, so Lauren can get down and play. The therapists and child life specialists have been good to come by and play as well, giving Cristi much-needed breaks here and there. The work move isn't a done deal yet (still hoping against it), but my current boss e-mailed my new (prospective) boss and told him the situation. Should I have to move, I'm sure that will work out, too. Last, but not least, I continue to be strengthened from all the well wishes, encouragement, and prayers from friends and family. The power of friendship/fellowship should never be underestimated. I simply don't think I could endure this trial without God's blessing of friends and family. You guys are awesome!