Quite a week...

I don't have long this morning but I wanted to apologize for the lack of posts this week and also try to catch you all up on our week...it has been a doozy...

I haven't been able to post anything all week because Blogger would not allow me to access my post page for some reason. I don't know why but finally this morning I could get on. We have to leave in about an hour so this will be quick...

Isabelle started feeling yucky last Sunday evening. Monday she told me she said it hurt to breathe and she was really tired all day. I tried to get her an appointment for Tuesday but couldn't get in until Wednesday. I did not think she was in an emergency state, but she was wheezing noticeably. So, we got to the doctor Wednesday and he diagnosed her with asthma (the times before her symptoms were like those of asthma but it had not yet gotten to the point of a diagnosis). He could tell she was considerably worse this time than the previous times. She is now on Symbicort and will remain on it for the next three months. We are to monitor her and keep her resting as much as possible and really watch her overdoing it. She is struggling, though. She does not have her full energy level back yet and she is still really tired and gets tired with very little activity. She is even more sensitive than usual and will cry at the drop of a hat.

It pains me greatly to see her this way and I ask for your prayers for her during this time.

That same day, I also had an appointment for Audrey. She has complained of a stomach ache for about three weeks off and on. I thought it may be a parasite of some kind but it has not caused her extreme discomfort nor had she experienced most of the main sypmtoms of one so I thought it was not that. The doctor felt, however, that the best first step was to treat her for one and then she if that takes care of the pain. If not, we will go back for some tests to see what the problem might be. So, we decided to all take the medicine as a preventative measure. You can take it to prevent contracting a parasite once a year. Parasites are very easily contracted and are very common. We are all doing fine and Audrey seems to be better, although she has complained twice of a stomach ache. Please pray this medicine takes care of it!

All that was enough to wipe us out and cause me to probably go overboard on the protective mommy spectrum, but I am keeping Isabelle home as much as possible. We feel like it is better to do that than her get overwhelmed outside the house and get worse...

But there is more... :)

Yesterday was the fourth day Audrey had complained of her tooth hurting (her upper right molar). I called the dentist first thing in the morning to try to get her in. We went for her appointment at 1:30. The office works with a pediatric specialist and had called her in for the appointment. She was very nice and spoke almost perfect English, which is always a plus. :) After doing x-rays, she could see that Audrey had significant decay in that tooth, actually to the nerve. She thought that an emergency removal of the decay and then placing of a cap was necessary. So, I explained to Audrey what was going to happen and she was cool with it. The doctor kept speaking to her in English which was so nice of her. After she got the spacer thingy on the tooth and then the little tent to catch the yuck and decay, Audrey got a little freaked out. Then the dentist had to use the little thing to keep your mouth open. She just got a little scared and nervous I think. She did great through the numbing and the shot, but this was a little too much for her. The dentist, Lisbeth, offered for me to move the stool I was using right up next to the chair so Audrey could hold my hand.

What a way to break your self in to the dentist, huh?

Well, after about three hours, it was all said and done. It was really rough for her (and for me, too...to watch her be so uncomfortable...) but she did really wonderful! I am so proud of her. She kept saying she wanted to be done and I would say just a little bit longer. Just have to do and then this. And she would lay back down and let Lisbeth do her thing, even though she really didn't want to.

So, now she has a shiny new cap on her back tooth and can't eat anything gooey, chewy or sticky. The doctor gave us instructions and I didn't think Audrey was paying attention, but as soon as we got home she told her Daddy everything she could do, couldn't eat, and all that had happened.

Each of her molars has some decay. The other three are significantly less and Lisbeth does not think they will need caps. But we have to go back three more times to get those done. Please pray for Audrey to be brave again and for it to get taken care of. Lisbeth just thinks that she isn't get those teeth with the toothbrush so we just have to help her and be more regimined with her.

If you could pray for us as a family. We are certain this is the enemy's way to attack us through our children. And it works- nothing is harder to watch or deal with than having sickness or medical problems with your kids...But greater is He that is in us than he that is in the world.

As many of you know, we are experiencing very low support levels. Unexpected medical bills quickly add up. We are very thankful to have recently received an offering specifically for our family and we were able to pay for these things this week.

Would you please pray with us for God to grow our partnerships with committed families and churches during this time of need?

Please continue to pray against the attacks of the enemy as well.