Settling In

*FIRST* an update on Jonny: He is doing great! I did not think recovering form open heart surgery would go so good. He's not bed-ridden like I was expecting. He sleeps more at night, takes little rests in the day, can't lift more than 10 lbs & his chest is sore, but he gets around & takes care of himself just fine. We went to the doctor on Tuesday to check his blood. The thinness (if that's a word?) is right where its supposed to be. He has to get it checked twice a week for awhile, but once it gets pretty regular & the doctors decide on the right coumadin dosage, he'll go less often. I do think, however, that he'll still have to go twice a month for this first year. The only bummer has been that Jonny has had 5 migraines in 10 days & last night he had a slight fever. The fever did brake this morning, though.

*SECOND* what this trial has me thinking about: Since Jonny has been home, we've been talking about our life on earth- what we're here for & what is most important to us. (Jonny will be making his own post soon about his thoughts.) We are so wealthy in blessings, but by far the most precious gift the Lord has blessed us with is our children. I LOVE my boys; I am crazy about them; I adore them; I delight in them! They bring me an abundance of joy. It's crazy how fast time flies by. We were reminiscing over pictures of Eli when he was a baby & it seems so long ago. Now we have another baby! You may be thinking, come on Jess, Eli is about to turn only two & Noah is an infant! Yes, I know. I've just been realizing more than ever that we cannot predict what will happen tomorrow. My boys will only be babies for a very short time, then they will only be toddlers for a short time, then young boys & so on. I want to enjoy every stage. I have a bad habit of focusing & stressing over trivial things like, the bathroom needs to be cleaned or when was the last time I mopped the floors? Having a clean house is obviously a nice thing to try to maintain, but there will always be something to clean or something to fix or bills to pay...my boys will not always be little. And what about soaking in the Word? Or being a witness for Christ? Or teaching your children about Him. Which of these has eternal effects? A shiny floor, or a child who is raised in the Lord & comes to know Him? Remember the story of Mary & Martha? (Luke 10:38-42) I so want to be a Mary! So... this open heart surgery thing has got us thinking about temporary versus eternal priorities. We've spent a lot of time thinking about our boys & how much we love them which has caused me to think about how the Father loves us. Like I said before, I love my boys so much. The amount of love I have for them is in-measurable. No word could completely define or give justice to the way I feel about my children. BUT how much more does God love us? (Matt. 7:11) His love is perfect; ours is not. Isn't that incredible? He loves us a million, billion, trillion times more. He loves us countless times more. We don't deserve to be loves that much, not to mention to be loved that much be the Creator of the universe. The author of perfection. The one who's voice can part seas & calm storms. Lord, let that be my focus.


Meanwhile... Eli & Noah are enjoying their Aunt Becky being here!

Yay! Dada is HOME!!!

Dada's BIG owie

We went to the pond at our old apartments to feed the ducks.

Look at all those ducks!

Dada even pushed (gently) Eli on the swings.

Noah enjoying the shade.

We are so glad Dada is home!

Pics from Jonny's Exciting Week @ OHSU

This was when Jonny was still in ICU

Trying to be cheerful

Three days after surgery

The Oelkers (minus the Monster)

On the Road Again...

Jonny can't come home today :( His liver is just doing a really good job at resisting the coumadin. They check his levels every day wanting to see his numbers be between 2.5 & 3.5. However, if he is at a 2, they will let him go home. Without an anticoagulant our blood level would be at a 1. Jonny's has been at a 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, & today it was a 1.6. He's really bored & lonely & wants to come home. We're planning for Noah & I to drive up either tonight or tomorrow morning & stay with him until he gets discharged. Eli will stay home & play w/ Aunt Becky. So here we go... on the road again.

Waiting, Waiting, Waiting

So things are sorta standing still for Jonny now. He is recovering fine- taking walks, taking showers, sitting up, getting out of bed, doing his little arm-strengthening exercises, etc, etc. Recovery is supposed to be more painful for young men b/c of their lean, strong muscles trying to heal back together, so it is painful, but w/ the help of his pain meds, he's coping just fine. They put Jonny on a blood thinner to prevent any blood clotting on the new valve, but Jonny's blood is taking to that medication very slowly. His blood is having trouble thinning out. They were hoping his blood would thin out enough to discharge him Friday b/c everything else looked just fine. Then Friday turned into Saturday & now Saturday has turned into Sunday. Ugh...

The boys & I came home Friday night. Eli was getting pretty whinny & waking up an hour too early in the mornings. I was getting tired of the drive back & forth, & honestly, I was getting a little bored @ the hospital. Also, Noah's car seat is very heavy to carry back & forth from the parking garage to Jonny's room. I say this all just out of a longing to be back in our regular swing of things. All in all, the week went very smoothly. My amazing sister, Amy, was wonderful to us. Donnie & Amy, thank you for your hospitality! I know Eli loved all the attention & food & toys & cousins to play w/. He keeps asking for Amy & then when I tell him Amy isn't here, he says, "Aunt Shelly?" So Michelle, thanks for your help, too! You are also an awesome auntie & sister. :) We so appreciate you guys!

It does feel so good to be home, to feel a little peace & relaxation instead of rushing back to the hospital twice a day. We all slept great last night. Eli slept in, Noah only woke up twice, & Jonny (although still in the hospital) slept like a log. I think we all felt good to be home; I think Jonny felt good knowing we were home & back in our routine.

The other troubling news is Jonny got another migraine this morning! He got one two nights before surgery, his first night in ICU & again this morning! Please be praying that Jonny's blood thins out enough to get the okay to come home & that his migraines would cease. I'm so looking forward to us all sleeping under the same roof again. Okay, that's all for now, night-night!

A Few Milestones

Today I took my first shower. Today Noah sat on my lap for a couple of minutes. Today I ate my first french fry, post surgery. These are the beginning steps of a long process of recovery. :)

The Road to Recovery

Jonny got moved out of ICU this afternoon & is in the regular recovery floor. He seemed much, much more alert today. In fact, when I walked in this morning, he was up in a chair eating his breakfast & seemed like normal Jonny as he greeted me w/ his usual, "Hey Sweetie". He still gets really sleepy when he's been up for awhile & he has to move very slowly & w/ assistance. His chest is going to be sore getting in & out of bed for awhile. I always tease Jonny for having a low pain tolerance, but I must say, he's doing quite well. He even took a walk down the hall this evening.

Eli is still having lots of fun staying w/ Aunt Amy. I had breakfast w/ him before I left this morning & then came back to take a nap w/ him at lunch time. Then I headed back up to the hospital until Eli's bed time. The day sure goes by quickly. I feel like I don't get to spend enough time w/ Jonny or Eli, & by this time in the evening I'm definitely read for bed. Noah has been wonderful w/ all the in & out of the car, in & out of hospital etc. etc. So that's it for today, I better get some rest so I can do it all over again tomorrow!

Amazing

Amazing. All I can say is amazing. God is amazing. Jonny's surgery went excellent. Although it was not the Lord's will to heal Jonny like we were praying, we cannot deny that God's gracious hand was on us today.

Jonny & I drove to OHSU @ about 5:30 this morning for pre-op stuff. We were both very calm & relaxed, even peaceful. I only got a little scared & teary when I had to say goodbye to Jonny. At about 8:30 this morning a team of doctors wheeled him away on his bed. It just all seemed so scary, serious & a bit intimidating. My sweet friend, Brea, was there waiting for me in the waiting room. We prayed right when I got down there & after that I felt totally at peace. Jonny's nurse called periodically to let me know what was going on. At about 9:43 they started surgery (opened up his chest cavity), then at 10:15 they hooked him up to the lung & heart machine. At 10:30 they started to cut his aortic valve. Then at 12:15 she called again to say it was over & he was all closed up & they were weaning him off the heart & lung machine. (They originally told us surgery would take 4-6 hours!) About an hour later he was in ICU & an hour after that I got to go see him! He looked pretty good, too. I was expecting him to look horrible, but he just looked like he always does when he's sleeping. Well, sleepy Jonny w/ a bunch of tubes coming out of him. His face was a bit swollen, too. He was awake, but groggy. He was talking, joking & kept asking for pizza & diet coke. :) We couldn't have asked for it to go more perfectly. Praise the Lord!

Eli & Noah did great, too. Eli had way too much fun w/ his Aunt Amy & Aunt Shelly & cousins. Noah was a perfect angle, like usual.

Here We Go...

It's time to leave for surgery. I'll post again when we have some news. In the mean time, pray, pray, pray!

Cute Boys

I thought I'd lighten the mood after all our serious posts & put up a few pics taken in the last few weeks...

'I'm not supposed to eat dirt?'

Mr. Tough Guy

Cute little Noah sleepin' on Aunt Amy... & look, he's actually awake!

This is what they look like after an afternoon w/ the dads... hehe, jk

Best buds, Eli & RoRo

Eli's silly face

RoRo's silly face

Brothers. Eli praying for his owies. Can you see them all?

Noah not enjoying being awake & in the sun. He's ready to fight!

Oh, that's better... back to sleeping in my swing.

Scratch That

NEVER MIND... Jonny's appointment is back to Monday. Sheesh...

Praying for Healing

Jonny's heart surgery is rescheduled for next Thursday instead of Monday. His surgeon & cardiologist spoke about trying a repair instead of putting in a replacement & the cardiologist would like to be present for that. He can only make it on Thursday. If the repair doesn't go great & if they don't think Jonny can get at least 15 years from it, then they'll do the replacement. There are pros & cons to both & the details would take too much time for me to type out. Basically, w/ the repair it would give technology 15 years to come up w/ an excellent replacement that would not require Jonny to take an anticoagulant.

We have just been praying for a miracle. It is not too much to expect great things from the Creator of the universe. He knitted us together for goodness sake, He is completely capable of healing Jonny's heart so surgery is not even needed. And that is exactly what we've been praying for. Our church has been praying for the same thing as well.

We often forget that God is the same as He was 2,000 years ago when Jesus walked the earth healing people left & right. Think of all the faith people had in His healing power. The women w/ the issue of blood just reached the tip of His robe w/ faith that that would be enough to receive His healing power. (Mark 5:24-29) Then there is the paralytic guy who was lowered through the roof just to get down to Jesus. (Luke 5:17-20) We could go on & on of all the people Jesus healed- all the sick, lame & lepers He healed. Jesus says all it takes is faith the size of a mustard seed & mountains will move. (Matt. 17:20) He was mighty, powerful & compassionate then & is no less today. James says that the fervent prayers of a righteous man avails much. (James 5:16) And that is what we are seeking. The blood of Jesus is the only thing that makes us righteous & gives us confidence to approach the throne of God to ask of such miracles. "Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need" -Heb. 4:16

The Lord asks us not to worry. He tells us to trust Him. "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus" -Phil. 4:6. We also want to be thankful for this oppurtunity to think about the things of the Lord & trust Him in a way we wouldn't have had we not have been in this situation. "My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. 4 But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. 6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways." -James 1:2-8.

Our heart is that God would be glorified through this event- whether His will is surgery or healing. We want Him to receive all glory.

Noah Smiles & Eli Swallows a Penny

It seems like there is always something exciting going on at our house. This morning Noah smiled for the first time & I think Eli may have swallowed a penny! I don't even know where Eli found the penny, but when I asked him where he put it he said 'mouth'. I thought he threw it somewhere but I can't find it anywhere. I called my mom b/c I didn't think it was possible to swallow a penny but apparently I swallowed a penny when I was little!

Also, the little monster has been asking strangers for hugs! I don't exactly know how to handle this other than telling Eli that we don't hug strangers. I don't think Eli would actually leave my or Jonny's side to go to a stranger, but he is still a little more trusting of people than I would like. Jonny has been trying to talk to him about strangers. He tells Eli, "stranger, danger. No No!" We recently got Comcast hooked up & when the installation guy came to set it up Eli was acting like the guy was his best friend. I don't really like this...

Noah is still a perfect little angle. He's had a little cold for the last couple weeks, but is still sweet as ever. He sleeps very good at night & still sleeps a lot during the day. He's getting cuter by the day. His cheeks are getting a little chubby; I think we may have another 90th percentile boy on our hands. When he is awake he just looks around at things w/ his big blue eyes wide open like Eli used to do. Noah is also adjusting to our schedule really well; he naps when Eli naps & goes to bed when Eli does.

Jonny has been teaching a class at OSU for TAG students this week, so I've been alone w/ the boys & it has been going surprisingly well. Well, that's about all for now! :)
HAPPY BIRTHDAY BECKY!!!

My Husband

Last week was Jonny & my wedding anniversary & I was planning on writing a mushy post all about how much I love Jonny, but time slipped away from me. That's what happens when you have two little boys! I guess Jonny's birthday will have to do. Okay well, lets be honest here. Jonny is not a perfect man. He absolutely drives me crazy sometimes, but I love him like crazy too. Jonny may think I'm really good at pointing out all of his flaws, but I can list quite a few qualities that remind me why I'm so glad he's my husband:
1. He loves Jesus.
2. He loves me.
3. He is an incredible dad.
4. He is intelligent.
5. He is fun.
6. He is funny.
7. He is a great leader of our home.
8. I trust him.
9. He is honest.
10. He is compassionate.
11. He teaches me things.
12. He fixes things.
13. He cleans the toilets.
14. He likes to grocery shop.
15. He'll run to the store to buy me ice cream or cookies @ 10pm.
16. He loves our boys so much it makes me cry.
17. He wrestles w/ Eli.
18. He teaches Eli.
19. He treats me like a queen.
20. He is very patient w/ me.
21. He works very hard.
22. He tells me I'm pretty.
23. He enjoys studying the Word.
24. His heart aches for those who do not know the Lord.
25. He likes to go to garage sales w/ me. (although i think that credit goes to his mom)
26. He knows how to drive a bobcat.
27. He loves kids.
28. He likes to save money. (Even if we don't have any.)
29. He isn't afraid to spend money.
30. He loves bacon cheeseburgers.
31. He has beautiful blue eyes & has passed them on to our boys.
32. He loves his parents & siblings.
33. He usually always has an answer to any question I have "How come..." or "Why does this..."
34. He loves to study creation & design.
35. He's a scientist.
36. He marvels over how awesome, mighty & powerful our God is.
37. He reads the bible to our children every night.
38. He plays the guitar. (Yes, Jonny even though I complain, I do like that you play. Especially when you sing to Eli.)
39. He writes songs.
40. He likes the same movies, T.V that I do.
41. He protects me.
42. He protects Eli & Noah.
43. He's not a material boy even though he lives in a material world.
44. He likes to cuddle.
45. He knows me better than anyone.
46. He's all boy & Eli is following in his foot steps.
47. Eli wants to be like him.
48. He wants a big family.
49. He's a friendly, likable guy.
50. He tells me I'm his favorite.

He's my favorite too! (for the sake of time, I'm going to stop @ 50)

Nice to Meet You

On Wednesday we met the cardiothoracic surgeon who will be operating on Jonny later this month. The meeting went very well. Dr. Song is an excellent communicator. We've met some really, really intelligent doctors who are terrible at communicating- not this guy. He's a genius, funny, & kind. After discussing the surgery & recovery, we feel very confident that this whole open heart surgery thing will go just fine. Dr. Song felt very confident that Jonny will do great during surgery. He commented that if 80 year old's do great then a fit, 24 year old will do awesome. He also seemed to think recovery will go better than we were thinking. I may not be as desperate for help taking care of my three boys as I initially thought. Dr. Song thought Jonny will just be spending a lot of time napping & laying around at first, then he'll be up walking around by the second week. He even made a joke about Jonny not really getting out of changing Noah's diapers. :) We also found out that two of Jonny's cousins had heart surgery in the last year. And one of them was walking three miles a couple weeks after surgery! We're praying that recovery goes that well for Jonny! I guess he'll mostly be on his own, probably watching T.V. in the bedroom & not needing much care, so I'll be spending my time hanging out w/ my little boys- life pretty much as usual. :)