PRAISE JESUS GRACIE ANN IS OUT OF ICU

♥️PRAISE YOU JESUS♥️

Gracie Ann is out of the ICU

(Getting Gracie Ann ready to move)

Gracie had a hard night♥️but she was blessed with a wonderful day!

*She is holding her food and medicine down

*She is only requiring 1 liter of Oxygen 

(She started at 5 liters)

*Her doctors have deemed her stable enough to leave the Intensive Care Unit

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Psalm 118:28-29

♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️

You are my God, and I will praise You

You are my God, and I will exalt You

♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️

Give thanks to the Lord for He is good

His love endures forever

TRAVELING TO HER NEW ROOM

ON THE NEUROLOGY FLOOR

♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️

Thank you so much for your continued prayers for our little lamb.....Hopefully she can hold her own and be on her way back home very soon

Dearest Jesus,

We stand in total and humble gratitude for blessing us by healing our precious Gracie Ann.  She is such a delight to us and we are so grateful to You for allowing us to have her with us a little while longer.  

We know that Gracie Ann is all Yours, but we praise You and thank You for choosing Jeremy and I to be her daddy and mommy on this earth

We love you and we will praise You today, tomorrow, and forever until we breathe our very last breath

You are our Lord and our God and our Mighty Creator and You are Perfect Love

PRAISING HIM THROUGH THIS STORM

PRAISING HIM THROUGH THIS STORM

It is super late 2:45am...but I cannot sleep

Behold the Lamb of God

At the GUARANTEED chance of over-posting....I must humbly ask you for more prayers for our Gracie Ann

Gracie Ann was having a pretty great day and my heart was nothing short of jovial.

Jeremy even faceTimed me with Gracie Ann this evening and guess what.....

When I started talking to her, she opened up her beautiful blue eyes.

(Gracie Ann with her Daddy...the love of my life, stroking her soft hair)

My Lord God is so good to His little girl (me), to give me such a wonderful surprise tonight

(her eyes were small, but that is how she "peeks")

I got off of the phone cheery and filled with such peace and joy...even though seeing her responding to me, made me LONG for her all the more....

AND I DIDN'T THINK THAT, THAT WAS EVEN POSSIBLE

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AS I HAD MENTIONED IN AN EARLIER POST...

They started giving Gracie Ann food today through her G-button, and that was a huge step, as they were not feeding her earlier when she was struggling to breathe, just in case she needed to be intubated.

Well...Jeremy called me after our FaceTimed call, and said that she has thrown up both of the times that the nurses attemped to feed her. She has also thrown up all of her medications.

  

She was tested for the flu and RSV today, but thankfully both tests came back negative. She still has a panal, containing more viruses to be tested for tomorrow

I was really hoping that she would be moved out of the ICU tomorrow, which would make her one day closer to coming home.

But I am not really sure what is going to come of this.

I just cannot stop crying and I don't want to go to sleep without her in my arms.  

I stayed up almost all night last night because of the same reason, but when she was improving so much today, I thought that I would be able to sleep easier, with less worry.

I Know for a fact that our Lord Jesus Christ is in control and I know that I want His Will above all, but I am so frightened to see what our precious Lord's Perfect Will might be.

Even though it feels like it, I know that I am not in hell...I am at the FOOT OF THE CROSS
So I look up to see He Who stands before me

As I continue to praise Him without ceasing, it doesn't make the hurt go away and my heart remains broken

  

I didn't post this earlier when I found out 

(At about 10:00pm)

Because I was worried that I would certainly look too dramatic and annoying with all of these incessant pleas.....
but that worry is strongly rooted in vanity 
And this IS about God....NOT about me!

Peppered throughout Scripture are examples of Jesus requesting His children to ASK Him for what they need....even though He already knows exactly what is needed.

Even our Lord Jesus Himself, prays in the Garden of Gethsemane

"Going a little further, He fell with His Face on the ground and prayed"

Luke 22:39

  Jesus prayed to His Father, pleading for God to take away the suffering that was to come, BUT Jesus ended His plea with....

"Yet not as I will, but as You Will" 

Luke 22:39

So I am asking for you again to pray for Gracie Ann's nauceous little tummy....so that she is able to be nourished and gain more strength

We are so very grateful for all of your prayers!

You will never quite know, just how much they mean to our family!

(We are truly One Body in Christ)

Your prayers and comments truly helped to calm both Jeremy and my worried hearts. 

Just at the thought of all of you, interceding to God on Gracie Ann's behalf, is a gift that we will never be able to repay!

Please know that we are and always praying and offering up our  sufferings for all of you...today, tomorrow and forever

ALL GLORY BE TO THE FATHER AND TO THE SON AND TO THE HOLY SPIRIT

Dear Father,

Yet not as I will, but as You Will

Love,

kerry ann

JESUS, I TRUST IN YOU

ROMANS 12:12

ROMANS 12:12

"Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer"

Speaking to Gracie Ann's Doctor this afternoon, she said that since Gracie Ann had such a struggle through the night last night....they did not feel safe moving our little one out of the ICU today.  

If tonight goes better for Gracie Ann....they will discuss moving her into a regular hospital room tomorrow

She started eating again today and our Lord is healing our sweet Gracie Ann slowly....at just her perfect speed.

Dear God.....I just miss her so much!! 

Her feeding and medicine alarms kept going off on my phone and each and every one I heard, tore at my soul!

  My heart has a huge void without her home.

As her mommy, it pains me so greatly to NOT be able to stay right by her side at the hospital.....But because of my transplant, I cannot be in a hospital....and that suffering is a selfish one. 
Missing her so much is a wonderful opportunity to practice trust, moritification, and patience.

 As our sufferings are so valuable to our Lord, every tear that rolls down my cheek is offered up as a prayer 

Thank you so much for storming Heaven for our sweet Gracie Ann.

  Our Lord is listening....as He always does.

I will end with the beautiful Scripture that inspired me to start

ROMANS 12:12

"Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer"

Madison just sent this picture of she and Gracie Ann.
This is our oldest baby and our youngest baby

I call them my bookends
Dear Lord Jesus,
Thank you for making me a mommy

I CHOOSE JOY

I CHOOSE JOY

(My little sweet baby girl in the ICU this morning at 6:30am)

I was completely empty and heartbroken all day yesterday. I did not want to go to sleep because I always sleep nose to nose with my sweet Gracie Ann each night, so that I can feel her warm little baby breaths on my face, which comforts me knowing that she is okay. 

This morning at 6:30 AM I got a call from Jeremy (he spent the night in the ICU) He told me that Gracie Ann had a very rough night and was just struggling so much to breathe. 

My heart was already broken, but somehow managed to break all over again as I worried for her, with every bit of strength that I had left!

Through an OCEAN of tears, I prayed to Jesus, praising Him as He is truly Lord of all, while pleading with Him to help my baby's little lungs breathe. 

At about 8:00am, when Madison got up to the ICU (she gets to sit with Gracie Ann today) Gracie Ann was no longer on an oxygen mask…She only had the oxygen cannula in her nose. 

Madison called me right away and said that she was holding her own with only the cannula and that the nurses were discussing the possibility of her moving out of the ICU and into a normal hospital room. 

My heart fluttered with immense joy and I again praised Jesus for all that He does for His children. 

Then I stopped for a moment and had to decide whether I would allow myself to rejoice or if I needed to brace myself in case of bad news. 

At that moment, I was reminded that when there is joy celebrate it, and when their sorrow be sad. So I chose joy!!!  For now, my precious baby is getting better!

(My little sweet baby girl in the ICU this morning at 8:00am)

I am so grateful for all of you praying for our little Gracie Ann.  Knowing that so many of the faithful were lifting her up, gave me the comfort that I needed to make it through yesterday (truthfully I was barely existing)

Praise you Jesus… Merciful Lord Jesus, Who is the Alpha and the Omega..the Beginning and the End. He Is Who Is!!

I will glorify You Lord, always, no matter what the outcome….Because all in all, I only pray for Your perfect Will to be done. 
Even if Your Will is painful, I still desire You over everything else. Because “Without You Lord, to whom would I go?”

PLEADING FOR GRACIE ANN

PLEADING FOR MY SWEET LITTLE

GRACIE ANN

My Dearest little Gracie Ann,

Today I took you to see Dr. Dambro because you are really struggling with a cough and sniffles.

As Jesus always does....He puts us exactly where we need to be at your most crucial moments.  He is a wonderful Father to us.  You were having a lot of trouble breathing and I knew that you needed prayers and so I sent out a plea for prayers to all of our faithful friends and family, both from near and from far.  

Below is the plea that I sent out.  Oh my sweet little button...you are so important to me and my heart has broken into a million pieces.  It is barly recognizable.  

All I can do right now is pray for you with all of my heart and with all of my soul.  Jesus has you wrapped up in His strong Arms....just holding you and keeping you safe.

You had to be admitted to the hospital....you were still struggling to breathe so you were moved to the ICU.  I am just so afraid as I watch you struggle.  So many people are praying for you Gracie Ann.  I do trust in our Mighty and Merciful God.  He knows exactly what you need and He always has you under His most Careful and most Watchful Eye

Oh my Baby Girl...how this makes me feel empty inside to see you suffering so much

My Plea for prayers

Please lift up our little Gracie Ann in prayer. She has been struggling with a cough and pneumonia for weeks. She worsened over the past 24hrs, so I brought her to her pulmonologist (at Cook Childrens Hospital) this morning, and her oxygen sats were in the 60’s.  The nurse hooked Gracie Ann up to liquid oxygen and she is doing somewhat better, but cannot breathe well on her own. 

Because of her brain trauma, when she is sick, her brain does not tell her lungs to breathe harder (like our brain does)...Gracie Ann just breathes less. So, she has to be admitted to the hospital. 

My heart is broken and I’m just pleading with God to keep her safe.  I know that He loves Gracie Ann more than anyone else ever could....and He knows what is best for her, but (me) being His scared little girl.....I still look up at Him with big eyes, as I tug on His sleeve, just begging for Him to listen to what my heart desires!! 

With tears rolling down my cheeks (as I don’t always understand His reasoning).......the nurse just took her from my arms 

I will praise You Jesus in all of my joys....but I will also praise You in the storm. 

Jesus I trust in You

Please just fix it

SUNDAY MORNING SMILES

SUNDAY MORNING BABY SMILES

Gracie Ann is sick so Isaac and I stayed home with Gracie Ann while daddy and our three other sweet babies went to Mass

 I love You so much my Dear Jesus!!

Thank You for blessing Your little girl (me) with these heavenly little smiles on this very special Feast Day surprise

I love these little ones so much! I cannot believe that Jeremy and I were blessed FIVE times with these precious souls

I love You Dear Lord and I love being a Mommy so much

A WONDERFUL ADVENT TO PREPARE FOR OUR LITTLE LORD JESUS-HAPPY BIRTHDAY BABY JESUS-AND HAPPY NEW YEAR ALL IN ONE!

A WONDERFUL ADVENT TO PREPARE FOR OUR LITTLE LORD JESUS

AND
HAPPY BIRTHDAY BABY JESUS

We lit our Advent wreath during dinner each night

Our evening Lenten prayer time  

Isaac of course LOVED lighting the candles as we sang....
"O Come O Come Emmanuel" 

 Isaac was very excited for Jesus's Birthday, when St. Nicholas would come and bring the birthday gifts that Jesus wanted to share with us on HIS birthday.....because He loves us so much

Every day....Isaac would ask, "Is St. Nicholas coming tonight?"
It was hard to keep his focus on Advent, but I guess that the anticipation of St. Nicholas is just too much for little ones to NOT think about

CHRISTMAS VACATION FUN

 I love having all of my little chickies home with me from school

Matching sister Letter Jackets

 Matching sister outfits

Cute baby toes all painted up pink

Crazy time with Daddy 

Being crazy on the famous and super fun Plasma Car

TAKING A BREAK TO NAP

MORE MINION GOGGLE FUN

 Yet another crazy game wearing these funny Minion goggles

I cannot figure out which of my boys enjoyed them more

GINGERBREAD HOUSES

 Savannah decided to make sausage instead of a gingerbread house
but at least we were all together in the kitchen

Everyone had so much fun

MORE VACATION FUN WITH THE FAM

(THERAPY WITH GRACIE ANN)

The kids learned how to do therapy with Gracie Ann over Christmas vacation

 Moving her hands to play music

 Gracie Ann looks so cute on her "therapy peanut" 

 strengthening her muscles

 

 Then the kids came to our therapy at Cook Children's to see what Gracie Ann and I are up to

 These are little baby washclothes strapped onto Gracie Ann's little hands to help keep her grip open to offset her clinched hands caused by her Cerebral Palsy 

Working her brain activity on the swing 

Gaining strength in her legs 

 showing her what her hands can do...She doesn't even know that they are hers!

Stimulating different parts of her brain

EVEN MORE FUN

Snuggled up to eat out at Snuffers....forgot to bring her stroller so we had to prop her up in her highchair with blankets and it worked...she was all snuggled and comfortable 

Mommy time AND Juice time is the best

Daddies are funny

 Savannah is a goofball

Madison and Isaac being silly

 Out to lunch with Madison and TOTALLY forgot the blessing before our meal! So crazy, right?

I literally messed up the beginning and then forgot ALL of the rest of the words MID-BLESSING!
Madison thought that it was pretty funny so she took a picture AND made a caption!

FRIENDS/BOYFRIENDS

 Madison went to a fun concert with her boyfriend Benny

Me and my boyfriend on a double date with Andy and Bree

Jeremy, myself with Steve and Kristin....our longtime friends at Seinfeld Live

 Isaac and Jeremiah

THE 9TH GRADE GET-TOGETHER AT THE HARRIS'S HOUSE

 I even got to see some of my precious girlfriends AND remembered to take a picture.....that never happens!!
I always forget to capture these special moments with my friends

 Savannah, Rose and Madeline

More laughing with Madeline 

Madison and Ashely

RELAXING 

Afternoon movie with the kids at the Lakehouse

SISTER BONDING WITH HAIR COLOR

My girls knew that mama wouldn't say no to sister bonding...even if it included hair color

 

Savannah colored Madison's hair pink!!

 I gotta say it was fun and cute

NIGHT OUT 

 Family night at the movies with the 3 oldest

JEREMY AND ANDY AT OUR STAFF CHRISTMAS PARTY

MORE CUTE BABIES

 Cute Hair

Painting Rocks in the driveway 

 CHRISTMAS EVE
Making Baby Jesus's Birthday Cake

It's Gotta be an Angel Food Cake...because obviously it fits Baby Jesus perfectly

Jesus's birthday cake is one of my very favorite Christmas traditions
We have made a birthday cake for Baby Jesus for as long as I can remember

After we eat our beautiful Christmas meal......We sing Happy Birthday as we bring in the cake and then we enjoy eating it as Jeremy (used to be my daddy) reads the Christmas story from the bible

Luke 2:1-20 

 Making treats to take to Grandmas house to share with my Mom, Dad, My Sis Kel, Chris, and our beautiful Nieces, Courtney and Kerry on Christmas Day

.....Setting the table for Christmas Day Dinner

 CHRISTMAS MORNING
A MOST JOYFILLED DAY INDEED

 YUMMY FOOD
Christmas lunch

CHRISTMAS AFTERNOON AT MY MOM AND DAD'S HOUSE

(THE ONLY) Picture (that I could find from Christmas day) brought to you, curtesy of our 17yrs old Madison.....who really captured the spirit of Christmas

One of Isaac's favorite things at Christmas
This silly little Christmas tree that sings "Rocking Around the Christmas Tree"
I got it from my friend Eileen years ago and it makes us laugh every time we hear it

NEW YEARS EVE
With our Friends Chasity and Mike and their sweet kids

Hanging out is the best

I love the sound of kids playing all over the house

 HAPPY NEW YEARS

BTW.......WHAT YOU ARE ABOUT TO SEE IS SPARKLING CIDER

 Why do they think that this is so funny....I guess it is because it is so out of their character

They could not stop laughing!!! 

.....they are trying to be "funny" Boys are so goofy sometimes

Daddy/Daughter Kisses are the best ever on New Years

Of course we had a lot of food too

It was a blessed and very joyful way to bring in 2018

Thank You Jesus for all that Christmas means and for the fun of Christmas vacation that allows all of my family to get to be together.....

And especially for Your most important Birth

I love You so much and I am so grateful to You for all of the joy that You continuously shower Your children with.
Love,
kerry ann

There were so many more pictures and fun times that I could not even fit into this post...

Jesus,
I stand in total gratitude to You, Lord Jesus Chist for all that You do for Your children and for how mercifly You Love us with a total and Perfect Love