Moran Family Blog

M I A

2010-08-13T20:35:00.002-05:00

Just a little post to let anyone who is still following us know that we are still around:) It has been one BUSY summer with a couple of trips and 3 busy kids. I lovingly refer to myself (as most of you moms can understand) as the "Activity Director" of the summer. During the year, we have a great routine, my kids (and I!) know what to expect, but the summer....everyday is different and my delectable 5 year old, who loves a routine asks me daily what we are doing "in 3 days". That is because I have already answered the question to "What are we doing today?" "What are we doing this afternoon?" "What are we doing tomorrow?" "...the day after that?" I will be glad to when the answer is "school, school, school, school, school, free day, church day."

Speaking of, Trey starts Kindergarten in a little over a week!!! I can't believe it! So, I know this isn't much, but I wanted to give you something and tell you that (hopefully) I will be back on the blog bandwagon in a few weeks. I will upload a bunch of pictures of all the fun things we got to do this summer. And of course some updated pics of William, or as I refer to him, "fatboy". Man, is he delicious!!!

William

2010-05-13T16:46:00.008-05:00

Here are some recent pictures of our little man. (Just for the record, the reason he is always against a striped background is so that if he spits up or pees, it doesn't get on my bed.) That is his main hangout...my bed...it's so nice when they are still immobile.

Finally caught some smiles on camera. This was this morning (5-13 10) I love that morning love!
Another smiley pic!

This was "posed" on our couch...no towel bed background:) This was before church this past Sunday, 5-9-10. I love this outfit. My nephews wore it as well as Trey and still in great shape.

Full body shot

This is the best shot of the three of them. Man, getting the three of them to look halfway normal is a challenge and I don't have much patience with the camera.

I don't mean to shock anyone with this picture, but I wanted to share. About 3 weeks ago, William started getting a rash (it didn't look NEAR this bad at first). It continued to get worse and was all over his body...face, head, arms. Anyway, at it's worst, which was the following morning that this pic was taken, the spots were nickle sized and basically all touching. By the way, these are hives. When we went to the doctor, we found out that William is allergic to milk. We know that so decisively b/c he is exclusively on formula. So we switched to a soy formula (which is the same price, thank goodness:), and he cleared up in a couple of days. The doctor said that lots of kids that have milk allergies, outgrow them. So we will see. I just to post this, b/c I had never seen anything like this before it happened to William. I mean I had heard of hives, but never actually seen them.

"Jesus Loves Me"

2010-05-13T16:25:00.002-05:00

This video was taken about 2 months ago. The reason it is of the back of Macy's head is because I was trying to be sneaky so she wouldn't stop singing.

Mother's Day Tea with Trey

2010-05-13T13:51:00.005-05:00

Trey's Mother's Day Out hosted a Mother's Day Tea last Thursday. This is Trey singing "skinnery dinky dinky dink..." So So precious:)

Trey and I. For those of you who noticed and were wondering, my necklace is a "Trey Moran original" and no, you can't find them anywhere:)

Macy's Birthday

2010-05-13T12:59:00.008-05:00

So this is VERY old, but Macy turned 3 on April 6. I had read in a Parents magazine ways to make your child's birthday special. And I loved the ideas and so we incorporated some of them into the kids birthdays this year. ( I only have pics of Macy's b/c Trey's bday was the day after I got home from the hospital having William, and Trey's bday pics are on my MIL's camera) Anyway, one thing we did was blow up a bunch of balloons so that when the kids woke up, their floor was covered. We also decorated the kitchen table and specifically their chair. Also, we made every meal that day special by putting candles in pancakes in the morning and singing and then lunch and singing and then of course dinner.

Dan carrying balloons upstairs to put on Macy's floor. One of about 4 trips upstairs!
Macy waking up on her bday...there really were more balloons than this pic shows

Macy showing us how old she is

Macy at breakfast

In car with their prizes after Chuck E Cheese's. Because we had just had a baby, we didn't really do bday parties for the kids, so this was the special event of Macy's day. She had a great time. We still had presents and cake of course, which is really all that matters!

Photo Shoot

2010-04-14T17:45:00.009-05:00

My best friend, Pam, came in for a quick visit this past weekend to meet William. Amongst other things (like setting up my treadmill) she did a photo shoot with William. I am not great at taking pictures or even at remembering to take pictures, so it is nice to have people around that do! Anyway, here are some shots of our big boy! (He weighed 10 lbs, 8 oz at his Dr. appt. last Friday...He was 2 weeks 3 days:)

This little boy definitely belongs to our family, but I don't know who he looks like. Everyone else has an opinion, but they are all different :)

Easter Review...

2010-04-07T15:47:00.012-05:00

I know this post is so late, but blogging is very low on my list right now...but I really want to keep up. So here are some pictures that other people took (namely my sister and mother-in-law!)

Macy was born on Good Friday 3 years ago and her birth announcement picture was of her in Dan's Easter basket (It says "Daddy") My sister re-created this with William. He never woke up
My biggest challenge is going to be getting 3 kids looking at the camera and smiling at the same time...this was the best out of about 15 shots...turned out cute!All the cousins after the Easter egg hunt! From L to R :

Sam, Andrew, Trey, Macy, and Luke

For those of you that aren't from Texas...we have something AWESOME around Easter. Cascerones, otherwise known as confetti eggs. My mother-in-law has memories from her childhood of saving egg shells for weeks before Easter and then filling them with confetti. We luckily can just buy them from the store! Basically what you do is sneak up on someone and crack the confetti filled egg on the person's head. It can get pretty violent...and the adults have more fun than the kids! Macy in mid-throw.

Dan getting my sister, Tamara

Dan handing out ammo

Dan running after getting my mom. This was taken with my sister's awesome camera! By the way, we went through 12 dozen eggs...and were left still wanting more! I am still finding confetti in my house two weeks later :)

Introducing William Patrick Henry Moran...

2010-04-01T17:09:00.022-05:00

William Patrick Henry Moran

Born: March 23, 2010

Weight: 9lbs., 12oz

Length: 20 3/4 inches

All along this baby's name was going to be William Patrick Moran, William because we liked it and Patrick after his daddy. Well, after he was born, Dan was looking at what significant things happened on that day in history. As it turns out, Patrick Henry gave his "give me liberty or give me death speech" on March 23. Our children are the direct descendants of at least 7 men who fought in the American Revolution and because of these two facts, we added "Henry". I love the addition but still can't believe I agreed to it at the last minute.

As far as the birth goes, I started having contractions Monday afternoon around 3, they were regular, but not painful. After a couple of hours, I went to the hospital, but I was only 1 cm. It took me until Tuesday morning to get to three and then another couple of hours to get to 4. I was pretty worried that I would stall and end up needing a c-section, but all of a sudden, I was 9 and then 10 and after a few minutes, William was born. It was my longest labor for sure, but besides getting no sleep, the easiest!

William has been a perfect little baby, sleeping well (the last couple of nights, he has gone for 5 hour stretches, eaten, and then another 3-4!!!) and having a great little disposition. Here are some pictures from the hospital.

Daddy and William

Mommy and William

Poppy (Dan's Dad) and William

Abi (Dan's mom) and William

Mia (my mom) and William

Aunt Callie and William

Trey and Macy meeting their baby brother

Grandad (my dad) will William

I tried and couldn't turn this picture, but I love it

My brother, Tim, sister in law, Anne and nephews, Andrew, Sam and Luke

Dan dressed William up in his medals.

Dan took this picture of William flexing his muscles!

Some Pictures... (that might be an understatement)

2010-03-19T13:17:00.014-05:00

Well, I thought I would post some pictures that I have taken recently. There are quite a few and there is no rhyme or reason to them. Sorry :)

Trey and Macy feeding the fish

My mom has been staying at our house this week b/c it is her spring break. (She is a school nurse.) I'm pretty sure we are all nesting, b/c she decided the kitchen chairs needed to be recovered. Here is Trey helping Mia. It doesn't look like he is doing much, but he really was. Macy was holding the screws...don't tell Daddy she had sharp objects...he's a little protective:)

Another activity this spring break week was a trip to the Fire station with some friends. The kids had a great time!

Macy in the Fire Truck!

Trey in the driver's seat!

Trey and his friend, Braxton.

The other night, I made a cobb salad for dinner. I had read in a magazine somewhere that in order to get kids to eat salad, let them put it together. (Just to give options, I put out all kinds of stuff. Including leftover asparagus and brussel sprouts, which I new my kids loved. I was trying to have some sort of success.) Above is Trey's plate. In his defense, the plate also had crasins, but those had already been eaten. He went back for more chicken and craisens about 5 times.

This was Macy's plate. A little bit of everything. I have to say that the most embarrassing thing for me is that we are eating dinner off paper plates. I promise we usually eat off real plates, but dinner was late and I was TIRED!

Macy at a birthday party a couple weeks ago.

She loved riding the horse!

About 5 or 6 weeks ago it snowed for about 5 minutes. We bundled up the kids...(as you can see, not very well) and went outside to enjoy it. It was right after nap and Dan and I were pulling jackets out of the closet and trying to layer the kids as fast as we could. Oh well, Trey's line from being outside was..."It's raining snow!"

After a couple of minutes, the snow turned to rain, so we ran back inside. That was our Houston winter thrill!

No news...

2010-03-17T13:19:00.002-05:00

Well, just thought I would put a little update out into blog world. This shouldn't take long because there is no change :) I went to my doctor's appt. Monday afternoon and I still haven't had any change. This is not very surprising b/c with my other babies, I never had change before I went into labor. So it doesn't really mean anything. And now, my doctor is out of town until Sunday, so I really don't want to go into labor until he gets back. I love him!!! Also, another little fact that is funny, is that the ticker at the top of the page says that the baby is 7 pounds...HA!!!! According to our ultrasound last week + 1/2 lb = at least 9lbs of baby in my belly! Oh well, I can't be pregnant forever! So tomorrow, I am officially 39 weeks and Macy told me yesterday that I was BIG!!! Like with 4 syllables. She's right. Hopefully next time I update will be baby pics. Actually, I have other pics to put up of Trey and Macy, we'll see if that happens! Ok, have a great couple of days!

Update...

2010-03-11T15:48:00.002-06:00

Well, this morning I went to the hospital to have a "stress test", which is essentially a reversible induction. After being on pitocin for almost 6 hours, there was no change in my cervix, so we are now home! The nice thing was that we know William is happy and healthy because he handled all the contractions without any decelerations. We know that God has ordained each day of this precious baby's life, including his birthday. My official due date is in 2 weeks, so we are sure that we will have a baby sooner than later :) I will update again when something happens!

37 week update...

2010-03-02T19:54:00.003-06:00

Well, I went to my 37 week appt. this morning and everything is looking good. After an 8 lb gain a month ago (in two weeks) I have steadied out at a pound a week. You think I might be worried about my weight, but I am enjoying my before bed treats and I have the knowledge that I have lost it twice before and I know I will lose it again! Anyway, the big news is that although my due date is in 23 days (YEA!!!!!!!!) it may come sooner. Little William is following the precedent of his older siblings and weighing a lot. (At 30 weeks, he was 4 1/2 lbs, not the 3 lbs expected). So basically next week, if he is near 9 lbs, we will schedule an induction so he doesn't get too big to come out the "natural" way. (sorry if this is TMI) (By the way, Trey weighed 9 lbs, 9 oz and Macy was 8 lbs, 10 oz) Anyway, of course, like every pregnant woman in her last month, I think I am DONE!!!! Every little pang gets my attention wondering if "this is it?" Dan and I finally had "the talk" this past weekend about the different scenarios and going into labor. Although this is our third baby, this is a new situation for us. The first time, Dan was deployed and I was living with my mom. The second time was only 5 1/2 months after he was injured and my in-laws were living in the apartment next door, so that was pretty easy. Now I have two youngish children, a husband who works 30-45 minutes away. There are endless scenarios...oh well, as much as I would like to hope, I'm pretty sure this baby is not going to fall out (again, sorry for the mental pictures:) So hopefully, I will have an exciting update next Tuesday evening after my appt!

Warning....New subject....Well, I thought I would tell a little story on Macy. This afternoon on our way home from MDO, Macy told me that she doesn't want a baby anymore. Quicker than I could respond, Trey told her "too bad, there's nothing we can do about it now". I tried to convince her that it wouldn't be her responsibility, but she continued to tell me that she wasn't ready to be a Mommy. I told her that she was the sister and I was the Mommy, but she never grasped the concept and the conversation went around and around until Trey and I agreed to just ignore it. Oh well:)

A little phrase from Trey from this weekend....The kids were playing outside and I don't know what initiated this comment, but Trey told Macy, "You're not the boss of me, Jesus is! Jesus and Mommy!" At least the order is right:) Ok, I will be back in a week or so!

Prayers for my David...

2010-02-16T16:20:00.003-06:00

Well he's not officially MY David, but close enough. Dan's brother, David, deployed with the 24th MEU about a month ago. A MEU is a Marine Expeditionary Unit; a huge battleship that floats around waiting for something to happen. They are called the 911 force because they can be anywhere within 24 hours and sustain themselves for 30 days, militarily speaking. On board is a battalion of Marines (800-1000), tons of air support and tons of other things making them able to kick butt if needed. So when he left last month, they actually went to Haiti for a while to help with that situation, and are now headed to the Mediterranean. So, bottom line, I just wanted to put it out there so that my prayer warriors could lift him and his sweet wife, Callie, up to our Lord.

David and Callie

The other amazing news from this sweet couple is after 3 long years, in God's perfect timing, Callie is expecting a baby. They found out the day before David left. Such a blessing...and even more so, Callie is feeling great! I know they covet your prayers in all these areas!

Where in the world have I been?

2010-02-05T14:43:00.009-06:00

OK OK OK, I am a horrible blogger. I haven't blogged in like 7 weeks, but I am going to try to be better. My excuses are as follows: the holidays were crazy with normal things and then friends coming in town not to mention my brother-in-law (and sister-in-law) in from North Carolina. Also for the past couple of months, Dan has had a surgery a month. So at the beginning of the year we were back in San Antonio for another laser procedure. Unfortunately he got a nasty infection that kept his face from healing like normal, and today, 4 weeks after the procedure, is finally looking normal. Anyway, scroll down the blog b/c I am updating. I was hoping to have more pictures, but if I don't do this now, it may never happen. The pictures included in this post are just some random recent pics and the rest are under different titles.

This is a true picture of Macy. Wanting to be the delicate princess, but toting around a shotgun. Also, she cannot stop talking about how she wants a "nake" (snake) for a pet. (It's not happening!)

Macy getting her teeth cleaned for the first time

Trey getting his teeth cleaned!

All those big strong men!

Trey has Dan's furniture that he used growing up. It is actually in phenomenal shape. A couple weeks ago we got the second bed from College Station to make it a bunk for Trey. Trey is beside himself excited and didn't want to miss a minute of it going together.

Trey and Daddy

For Christmas, I asked my brother, Taylor, to do some honey-do things around the house. This is Trey helping Uncle Taylor put the fan together for our porch outside.

Update on Baby William

2010-02-05T14:40:00.010-06:00

So baby William is growing and will be here before we know it. I had an ultrasound a couple of weeks ago and it looks like he really does belong to our family. First of all, the ultrasound tech mentioned how "fluffy" (aka fat) he looked, specifically his cheeks. Trey and Macy came out like chipmunks. Also, she pointed out that from the ultrasound, she could see a TON of hair...check 2, our babies come with hair. (I would really like a black headed baby, but technology isn't THAT advanced, we'll have to wait and see:) Also, at about 31 weeks, an average baby would weigh about 3 -3 1/2 pounds. From his measurements, he was already weighing 4 1/2... Check 3, we have toddler babies:) (Trey was 9lbs, 9oz and Macy was a petite little thing at 8lbs, 10oz) All of that said, he looks very healthy and on track, which we praise the Lord for!

One little glitch is that he is content in the breech position. If he doesn't turn on his own, it will mean my first c-section. At 37 weeks, Macy was breech, and my doctor performed an ECV (external cephalic version) which is where they turn the baby by pushing on your stomach. We had some complications and I was seconds away from having a c-section, but everything ended up fine. The doctor I am seeing now, whom I LOVE, doesn't do them, so if William doesn't turn soon, it will be a new birth experience for me. ok, sorry if this was TMI, just thought some would be interested. Onto the pictures...

Some of my sweet "burn wife" friends from San Antonio threw my a baby shower. I am so lucky to have such great friends...I mean, really? A shower for your third baby???

We had a 3D ultrasound with William. I was about 31 1/2 weeks when this was done and the results are just amazing.

In this picture, he has his eyes open.

Me at about 32 weeks pregnant

The big 3-0

2010-02-05T14:38:00.004-06:00

So it happened...On Jan. 4, I turned 30. I actually don't have any issues with it really because if I had put a wish list together on my 20th birthday of all the things I hope to have had accomplished or where I hoped to be in 10 years, this is pretty close to it. I mean, the actual journey certainly didn't happen like I thought it would, but God is so good and I am so lucky to have the life I do with the wonderful family that I do and even if all that was lost, I know that the Lord is the everlasting Rock and He is all I need.

I don't have any pictures of it b/c my sister took all the pictures and is making me a cd of them, but my family (specifically my mother in law) threw me a beautiful surprise party at the gorgeous home of Mike and Mindy Barrett. Just a side note...it truly was a party just for me, because it started at 4pm (after the kids naptime) and we were home by 9pm. I am NOT a night person. This is exactly the time I would have chosen had I been asked. It might be strange to some, but was perfect!

Christmas...

2010-02-05T13:37:00.007-06:00

So Christmas is always a busy couple of days for our family because there is a lot of them and they all live in Houston. Also this year, for the first time, we celebrated Christmas as our family of four in our new house. This was the first time we have done that and it was very special. But for us, Christmas started the day before Christmas Eve, when the kids and I (mostly I) made 15 dozen "Lizzies" for my dad. They are kind of like fruitcake cookies that my grandmother used to make. They are very hearty and my dad freezes them and eats them all year long. Mostly as breakfast when he is hunting or fishing. Christmas Eve morning we meet my Dad, brothers and sister for brunch and then open gifts with him and his wife, Fronie. Later that afternoon, we change clothes and head to Christmas Eve service with my in-laws. After church, we eat dinner with them and open gifts. Then, Christmas morning, we opened what "Santa" brought at our house. Late in the morning we head to my mom's and do it again. That afternoon, we spend time with my mom's brothers and sisters. By Christmas night, we are pooped! I wish the festivities could be spaced farther apart, but it is fun spending so much time with everyone. I don't know what is harder, being huge and pregnant, or next year, when we will have an additional child thrown into the mix? Onto the pictures...(fyi, I don't have any pics of my mom b/c my sister is the official photographer and that will be included on my b-day cd...but trust me, you won't notice, there are quite a few pictures:)

Family picture...don't mind the kids...

My in-laws, and David and Callie

Every child's Christmas wish...bowlfuls of candy at toddler height. Only at a grandparents house.

The main theme for Macy was babies and dress up this year. She is getting a lot of practice and going to be a great big sister!

Aunt Callie and Uncle David gave the kids dress up outfits. This is Macy admiring herself as Belle.

Trey as Buzz Lightyear

Just SOME of the 15 dozen cookies baked all day long

My dad, with all the grandchildren

My brothers, Taylor and Tim, with Dan

My dad with the kids and I

Last stop, Aunt Susie's...Don't even ask what they are doing...I have no idea:)

Rebellion...

2009-12-23T14:43:00.002-06:00

So I thought I would share a funny story from last night. Dan and I are pretty strict parents and our children aren't allowed to say certain words...obviously curse words, but others like stupid and butt come up most. So Trey and Macy know to call their backside a "bottom". Sometimes we run into problems when the word is being used as a transitional phrase, but most times they know. Anyway, Dan put the kids to bed last night, Macy first and then Trey. When he came out of Trey's room, he heard Macy talking and singing (not highly unusual). As he put his ear to her door he heard her saying "butt" over and over. Sometimes singing it and giving the word multiple syllables. Butt, butt, butt, buuuuuuuuuutttttttt, bu-uu-uu-uu-uu-uu-tt-tt-tt, butt, butt. Seriously, what to do? We decided on nothing...she was in the privacy of her own room. We have gotten a whole day of laughter out of it though.

I will post more pics in a couple of days! This will be the first time we celebrate Christmas in our own house. We have always been "home" with our parents every other year. We are looking forward to Christmas morning with our little family of 4! Merry Christmas!

Aggie game...

2009-11-22T20:01:00.004-06:00

This past weekend, we had the awesome opportunity to spend some time in College Station and see some Aggie football. Dan's brother, David, and his wife, Callie, came into town. We got to stand on the reviewing stand and watch the corps march in and then were invited to watch the game in the 12th Man box. (This was David and Callie's hookup:) I am totally spoiled...football in a climate controlled room where I sit in a cushy chair and someone brings me cokes. I was in heaven. Also the fact that the Ags won wasn't bad either. It was a nice getaway...my mom kept our kiddos, so I very relaxed...not worrying about nap times, mealtimes (other than my own) or behavior.

Dan and I
Dan, Gen. VanAlstyne, and David

David, Dan and their Dad standing at attention singing the Aggie War Hymn

Callie and I

(I would like to make the note that my brother in law, David, was making us laugh so my smile is unnaturally large, but it was the best of the three he took. Also note, that I am in flats and Callie is in 4 inch heels and I am still towering over her. It really sucks to have to stand next to cute skinny petite people...especially when you are just growing larger by the moment:)

Belly Shot...

2009-11-22T19:54:00.002-06:00

OK, so I feel a little weird posting a picture of just me...but I thought I would share a belly shot. Baby William is moving and grooving. Anytime Macy sees a picture of a baby (like her or Trey) she points it out and says that it is Baby William. Well, this picture is nice, but I know from experience that I will get three times this big and by the end my face (especially my nose), my ankles and feet will be HUGE! oh well, luckily it's not permanent.

Wordless Wednesday

2009-11-11T14:16:00.002-06:00

Halloween Pics...

2009-11-04T20:45:00.008-06:00

So here are some pictures from Halloween this past weekend. As I said in another post, Trey was Dash (a re-run from last year) and Macy was tinkerbell.

I really did take a ton of pics of the two of them and this was my best one, Trey with a funny smile and a crooked mask and Macy looking somewhere else.
Maya, Trey, Macy and Noah.
The Voltin family goes all out. This year they were characters from The Wizard of Oz / Wicked. Maya was Dorothy, Noah was the Lion, Ryan was the Scarcrow, Pam was Elphiba/ The Wicked Witch and Jaida was Ga-Linda/ Glinda. (If you haven't seen the musical, Wicked, you REALLY should)

Dorothy and Dash

Sweet big brother

Baby William

2009-11-04T20:28:00.005-06:00

So, if you are wondering, we are having a boy:) His name will be William Patrick Moran. The amazing thing to me is that these ultrasound pictures were from over 6 weeks ago when I was 13 1/2 weeks pregnant. I went to the doctor to get this ultrasound and Dan didn't even come with me. I mean, I was 13 weeks, what were we going to see? Obviously a penis! Anyway, I had my big 20 week ultrasound (of which my pics are not on disc and I don't feel like scanning) yesterday and we saw the penis again...I guess this is a confirmed boy! It is just amazing to me that some people argue whether that precious baby is really a baby...LOOK AT HIM...his sweet face...his beating heart...not to mention at that time he was a little maniac...moving all over the place. What a precious miracle and such evidence of God's love for us.

"For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in that secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, Your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be" Psalm 139:13-16

Really???

2009-11-03T19:45:00.003-06:00

Well, I certainly don't mean to offend anyone, but this evening on my way to CVS to get some Aquaphor for Dan (which I cannot find since we moved)... I noticed about 6 houses with Christmas lights up. I just thought it strange...The beginning of November? I will probably have decorations up the weekend before Thanksgiving, but now? I am a bit surprised, especially since I was eating candy that I stole from my kids Halloween baskets that are sitting on our counter:)

Surgery...

2009-11-03T19:19:00.003-06:00

This past Friday, Dan had another surgery. I think we are close to 30...You think this would be something I would have an exact count of, but...I don't. The real reason for this is that I am never sure what to call "surgery" and what is a "procedure". I have come to this conclusion...if he is under general anesthesia...it is surgery. If his body is cut into...it is surgery. I know this sounds cut and dry (no pun intended), but sometimes it's not. Regardless...Friday he was under general anesthesia, but no knives, only lasers...so it was surgery. Dan is having this new laser treatment with a CO2 laser. This last one was the third in a series of five. We are seeing amazing results. It is smoothing the texture of the scars on his face, evening out the pigmentation, and giving his skin more pliability. Anyway, we drove to San Antonio Thursday evening for Friday surgery. The best part of the trip was the excuse to stay with our best friends, the Voltins, for a long weekend. Pam and Ryan have 3 awesome kids, who I am thinking about stealing:) Their younger two are Trey and Macy's ages and then they have a 14 year old, Jaida. I wish I had planned better and had a 14 year old first. Man, she is so awesome! Anyway, the kids had constant playmates, we had home cooked meals and Dan had a comfortable place to recover. Not to mention the fact that although I was pretty prepared...I totally forgot wound care supplies...luckily we were at another burn guy's house, with plenty of supplies. One of my favorite memories was Saturday morning when I was applying aquaphor to Dan's oozy swollen face...all four little ones were standing and sitting around him discussing our method of wound care and how to care for him best...holding his hands or giving him kisses... among others... just another day in our kids lives:)

Saturday night we all went trick or treating on base. I don't know what life is like outside base, but our kids may have rung 3 doorbells. At almost every house, people were sitting outside on chairs to hand out candy. We had so much fun. Macy dressed up as Tinkerbell (courtesy of her Abi, Dan's mom) and Trey wanted a repeat from last year, so he was Dash, again. (No complaints from me!) I will post pictures tomorrow...with some news about whether this baby is a boy or a girl!!!

3 Years Ago Today...

2009-10-21T22:12:00.016-05:00

Three years ago today, a lot of lives were changed forever. 1095 days ago I could never have imagined the trials, tears but more importantly triumphs that we would be a part of.

I received a phone call in the middle of the night, (the second one in 10 days of this kind) telling me that my husband had been very severely injured. ( I would soon come to know this as VSI -an actual medical term). I immediately called my in-laws and they were on a plane within hours to North Carolina where we waited for information for days until we found out that Dan would be transferred to Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas to be treated for numerous injuries, the most life-threatening being 3rd degree burns to 50% of his body. I recall this information not to be dramatic or re-tell a story most of you have already heard, but to thank our Lord and Savior for the compassion, comfort and truth that only He can give.

In our first meeting with the doctors, my in-laws and I heard their "best case scenario" for Dan. During this meeting, Dan was in ICU, with machines performing all functions so that he would continue to live. The doctors told us that he would have a MINIMUM of 5 skin graft surgeries, (more likely 8-10), be in ICU for 4 months, the hospital for another 4-6, and it wasn't IF he got an infection in his skin, but "when, how bad and would it kill him". But, on December 26, exactly 2 months after being admitted to the ICU, Dan walked out of the hospital after being in the ICU 3 1/2 weeks, having 3 skin graft surgeries and ABSOLUTELY NO skin infections. Smaller things, like the scarring on Dan's body, the strength and range of motion of his hands, his perfect eyesight and his energy should all have had different...worse outcomes. This testimony doesn't change who God was, is and forever will be, it changes US. God would still be as almighty, compassionate and loving if Dan had died three years ago or had followed the doctors predictions throughout his recovery, but for some reason, God chose to give us this beautiful testimony and we feel honored to receive it and tell of His almighty power and love forever.

Below are a few pictures from the last couple of years.

Dan, three months out, working the range of motion of his legs, as well as cardiovascular strength and endurance.

Our sweet Trey, who was only 19 months old at the time of Dan's injury in the hotel we lived in for 3 months

Dan on the treadmill

Dan and I, 5 1/2 months out, on Macy's birthday.

Almost 3 years later, Dan literally walked out the same gate that an ambulance had brought him through when his odds of survival were less than 50%.

How true are the words by H.C.G. Moule, "There is no situation so chaotic that God cannot, from that situation, create something that is surpassingly good. He did it at the creation. He did it at the cross. He is doing it today."

Thank you Lord for the last three years. I am not the same person, nor would I ever want to be.

Things I will miss about hospitals...

2009-08-23T15:28:00.005-05:00

So as I type, I am alone in my house. Dan had surgery on Friday and my mom and Dan’s Aunt Lilly came yesterday to take Dan and the kids to Houston…for good. My brother came last night and left this morning hauling a Uhaul semi-full of stuff that the military will not move (ie-open food/open liquids/cleaning supplies) and things that I didn’t want the military to move (ie-my files/jewelry/pictures) Reminiscing about our time in San Antonio will be the next post (not for a couple of weeks as we will be getting settled into a new house) but today I thought I would share a couple of pictures of our hospital life that I love and also think is CRAZY!!!

So when you look at this picture you might just see a picture of me, but this is the craziness of hospital life. Dan and I held hands as we walked into the hospital together Friday morning after sleeping in the same bed the night before (trust me, this is part of the story), as we do every night. After we checked in at the nurse's desk, a very sweet nurse led us to a pre-op room where the doctors, anesthetists, and OR (not or, OR for Operating Room) nurses come in to talk to Dan before surgery. Right as we are about to walk into the room, the nurse reminds me that he is on "contact precautions" and that I must gown and glove up before I enter his room. I love it...really...if I were going to catch something from him or vice versa it probably would have already happened!

1 grilled ham and cheese sandwich - $0.90
1 order french fries - $0.55
1 large soda - $0.20
Knowing by heart that Tuesday is taco day and Friday is Pizza - priceless

This is one of my other favorite things about hospital life. While Dan was back in surgery, I went down to the cafeteria to get some lunch. This is my receipt. $1.65 for lunch. Crazy!!! And it's not like I chose the cheap stuff. When Dan was first injured, I kid you not, his parents and I would spend then ENTIRE meal discussing in disbelief how cheap our food was. It might take me a little bit to adjust to civilian life:)
Just thought you guys would like this little insight to our lives!
ps-do not judge my choices for lunch...I am pregnant and having SERIOUS food aversions.

Pictures of the house!

2009-08-04T17:19:00.008-05:00

One of the adaptations made was an extended covered patio

The view out the front

Good Things Happen in 3's!!!

2009-08-04T17:13:00.005-05:00

Well, a lot of things have been happening lately and as you can probably tell by our newest ticker...we are beyond thrilled to be expecting baby number 3!!! Our babies like spring, b/c this baby is due March 25, which is the day before Trey's 5th birthday and within two weeks of Macy's 3rd birthday and of course Daddy's too!

Other big news is that July 30th was a big day for our family. Dan retired from the Marine Corps and we closed on our new house in Houston. We are just going to be tying up some lose ends here in San Antonio and should be moving in a couple of weeks.

Naked Summertime afternoon

2009-07-09T13:15:00.005-05:00

Lots of Pictures...

2009-07-09T12:56:00.008-05:00

Trey and Macy with their cousins, Andrew, Luke and Sam

Macy, Andrew and Trey

Best friends, Maya and Trey

Loving ice cream...Macy, Noah, Maya and Trey

Wordless Wednesday

2009-06-17T17:25:00.005-05:00

These were taken this past weekend by my sister, she is a great photographer!

(Almost) Wordless Wednesday...

2009-06-03T14:44:00.008-05:00

Sweet Feet!!!

Macy playing in the water

"Before"

Our basement has been the catch all for everything we didn't know what to do with and I was convinced that I was not going to move a bunch of unorganized stuff, so I spent a LOT of time and energy going through it all on Monday. The best feeling was being able to get rid of the medical stuff, knowing that we are past that for the most part! As shameful as this is...the picture doesn't do the mess justice...it was larger than it looks.

"After"

Our new house...in the middle of being built!!!

Full Circle

2009-05-11T11:26:00.008-05:00

I finally got the pictures of Dan in the intersection in Ramadi where he was injured. The pictures speak for themselves. For more information on his trip, a long journal entry and what was written on the note, see my post, "Quite a Trip", from March 3, 2009.

Dan with some beautiful Ramadi children

The note and 1/6 Battalion coin he left at the spot.

Wordless Wednesday (or Thursday:)

2009-04-30T14:58:00.003-05:00

A friend of mine does something called Wordless Wednesday, where she posts a random pic from that week. Today is not Wednesday and this post is not wordless, but maybe next week, I will get it right!

Macy chose this outfit herself from things she could reach. I was packing for our weekend trip to Houston last week and she opened her armoire and got her boots and then found some pajama bottoms in the hamper (both legs through one hole mind you) and then her shirt inside out. She was obviously very proud of herself:)

Sweet afternoon...

2009-04-21T22:20:00.005-05:00

We had such a fun afternoon today just playing outside. Nothing out of the normal, we always go outside in the afternoons, but my children were angelic...playing nicely together, taking turns...such a joy!

Easter...

2009-04-21T22:06:00.007-05:00

OK, so there aren't any sweet family pictures of the four of us dressed up for church, but I do have some of the afternoon egg hunt! I have said this before, but we have the greatest group of neighbors. There are three families that all share a HUGE backyard and we all have kids the same age.

Trey climbing a tree for hidden eggs.
Macy filling her basket.

The kiddos...from left- Emma, Macy, Trey, Noah, Alexander and Lucas.

For those of you who are not from south Texas, you are missing out on something called "cascarones". They are cleaned out eggs that have confetti in them and the whole point is to crack them on each other. It is so much fun and I wish I had video of the adults chasing each other around. We went through about 10 dozen! Here is Daddy and Trey getting Macy.

Daddy getting Trey.

Taylor, the stud!!!

2009-04-21T21:57:00.007-05:00

I had to post these pictures of my brother, Taylor doing his first half-ironman a couple of weeks ago. He is such a stud and I am SO proud of him!

Taylor finishing the 1.2 mile open water swim
In the middle of his 52 mile bike ride

Running 13 miles...with a smile

Finishing!!!

I thought I would include this picture of my beautiful sister, Tamara, who is always behind the camera taking so many of the pictures and never included in many pics.

A Huge Blessing...

2009-04-21T21:16:00.010-05:00

Over the last two and a half years, we have witnessed some extraordinary acts of generosity, but never in our wildest dreams did we ever imagine that we would find ourselves the recipients of such a blessing. We always knew that we would make our permanent home in Houston and HelpingaHero.org is making that a reality. We are building a home in northwest Houston in the community of Bridgeland, and a few weeks ago we had the official groundbreaking. The foundation is going to be poured this week and construction should be completed by the beginning of August.

Site of our future home!

I'm not sure if Dan was more excited about the house or the presence of Astro's legend Craig Biggio.

Trey and Macy's Birthdays...

2009-04-21T20:55:00.006-05:00

Trey and Macy recently celebrated their 4th and 2nd birthdays! (I cannot believe it!!) Here are a couple of pictures...

Macy and Trey holding their balloons
Their cupcakes

Trey and Macy with Abi

Trey and Macy with Poppy

New York, New York!!!

2009-04-21T20:46:00.008-05:00

My mom recently celebrated a big birthday, so Dan and I took her to New York to celebrate. (I'm not saying which birthday it was:) We had such a great time just getting to spend time together...and the sights weren't bad either!

Dan and I in front of Moran's Pub on St. Patrick's day!
Mom and I in Times Square

Mom, Dan and I at Carnigie Deli Me, Dan and Mom on the ferry to the Statue of Liberty

And of course we got to see a couple of Broadway shows while we were there...the whole point of the trip!!!

A little update...

2009-04-05T20:21:00.003-05:00

Well, this has been a crazy week, but just wanted to give you all an update on Dan. He is still doing really well. The bandages and splint that were on his nose fell off so we can finally see what Dr. Thomas did. It looks great! His nose was (and still is) very swollen, but it looks great! Thanks for all the prayers! I will post a picture of him in a week or so, so those of you who haven't seen him in years can see all the things I am talking about. We have had a pretty busy month...a lot of traveling so I will update again soon with some pictures. Trey just turned 4 and Macy turns 2 tomorrow. Also, Dan and I took my mom to New York a couple of weeks ago. We are also building a house in Houston, but that post has to be for another day.

Dan's Home!!!

2009-04-01T17:39:00.002-05:00

Well, praise the Lord, 24 hours ago, Dan was still in surgery and now he is home sitting on the couch talking business with his Dad. I knew things were good when I got an email from him this morning from his blackberry. He looks like he got in a bar fight, but his pain is totally controlled! So thank you for all your prayers, they are working and I can't tell you how tangible they are on our side!

Surgery Update..

2009-03-31T21:36:00.002-05:00

Well, it was a long day to say the least, but Dan's surgery went well. Dan's nose gave them a run for their money, but the doctor's were very happy with the results in the end. He was scheduled to be the second case and went back to surgery at 11:40am. The doctor told us he expected to be back for about 3 hours, but it ended up being a 6 hour surgery. Nothing went wrong, but you never know what you are going to get with burn skin. Dan was resting when we saw him tonight, so I am excited to see him tomorrow and really talk to him. Please keep him in your prayers as pain control is always an issue. I will update again tomorrow evening.
Teal

Surgery Today...

2009-03-31T08:43:00.003-05:00

Well we are about to leave for the hospital for surgery this morning. Dan is second case and should go in around lunchtime. He is having his nose refined and shaped, and a couple other small things. I am not sure how long the surgery should take, but we covet your prayers as always. We are expecting that Dan will spend the night in the hospital for one night. I will update again tonight.

Wedding Weekend

2009-03-11T19:12:00.015-05:00

Well, two weekends ago, Trey and Dan were in his cousin, Chris'wedding to his now wife, Jamie. Trey was the ring bearer and Dan was a best man. It's not often that we are all dressed up, so here are quite a few pictures!

Trey and Daddy
The family

Trey kissing Macy (a side note...Macy stabbed herself with that pencil about 2 minutes after this picture was taken...lovely)

My sweet boy

Trey and Daddy at the rehearsal

Macy and Aunt Callie

Trey and Mia

Trey with Dan, Chris (groom) and his brother David

Trey with the beautiful bride, Jamie

Can someone tell me why I spent 20 minutes ironing that dress when she spent the entire reception running and sliding on the dance floor?

Quite a trip...

2009-03-03T20:07:00.004-06:00

Well, I know that it has been over a month since my last post, but Dan recently took a big trip that had to be under wraps for a little bit. Back in December, we were at a Marine Christmas party and General Amos (the Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps) was there. Over the last 2 1/2 years, we have gotten to know him pretty well. He visits BAMC regularly and is truly every wounded Marines biggest champion. (I really could go on and on about all the things that man has done for the Marines here.) Anyway, we were in a casual conversation with him and somehow it came up how Dan would would love to get back to Iraq one day. (This has been a desire of his heart since he was injured, but we were thinking in 20-30 years) Gen. Amos paused for 3 seconds and then said to Dan, "What are you doing the first two weeks in February?" Long story short, the General, his aide and Dan started talking logistics and Dan had the trip of his lifetime. He left from San Antonio Jan. 31 to DC. Then on Monday, Feb. 1, a group of about 12 flew to Germany, Afghanistan, Iraq, Italy, Germany and back to DC in a two week period.

When Dan was in DC, he met up with one of his good friends and fellow Marine, Brooks Bohlert. Dan and Brooks met over five years ago during Officer Candidate School. They then went through TBS, IOC and were both assigned to 1/6 and proceded to go on both deployments together. Brooks was one of the first guys to get to Dan when he was injured.

Some of you might remember that when Dan was injured, he was flown out of Iraq to Landstuhl, Germany. When he was there, this trip, he got to tour the hospital and meet the doctors and nurses. Something that is still hard for me to believe is that a couple of the nurses and doctors remembered him. They were listing his different injuries and remembered that he came in with another Marine (Cpl. Luis Blanco)

After Germany, the group went to Afghanistan. Dan was always sorry that he didn't get to deploy there, but at least now, he has put "boots on the ground" there.

Next on the agenda was Iraq. We never expected this, but amongst other things, General Amos had organized for Dan to go back to the intersection where 3 of his Marines were killed and he and Luis Blanco were injured. (Dan did not take pictures, but others did. I do not have them to post, but will post them as soon as they are sent to me.) Here is the email Dan wrote that night.

I am currently in Baghdad and wanted to send you a note while I could. We have been moving non-stop since I left. We came into Iraq this morning from Afghanistan. We visited every Marine position in Afghanistan. The environment is so different from Iraq. I will tell you all about it when I get home, but I wanted to fill you in on today's events. First sorry for waking you up, but General Amos ordered me to do it. I am glad that he did. As I was talking to you I was standing in the same exact spot where Luis and I were wounded and where Nathan, Cliff, and Manny were killed. I tried to take it all in, but it was the most surreal experience that I have ever had. We landed at Camp Ramadi on MV-22 Ospreys in the afternoon. We then were briefed on the current situation by Col. Lopez commanding officer of RCT-6. He was the speaker at 1/6's birthday ball that we attended after I was wounded. We were taken out to vehicles and given a convoy brief. After the brief was over I was presented a flag that had been flown in my honor on Camp Ramadi. I want Macy to have it. After all she is my little DAR. We then loaded vehicles and proceeded to the intersection where I was wounded. As we drove through the city I was amazed by the number of people on the streets and the way the city looked. Buildings that had been seriously damaged by bombs, rockets, and machine gun fire had been completely restored. The roads that used to be riddled with holes from IED's had been repaved. People were shopping, laughing, and living normal lives. As we turned on the road where I was wounded we dismounted the vehicles and approached the intersection. I recognized it off the bat. The street had been repaved, but there was still a hole where the secondary IED had gone off. As I walked down the street I talked to the locals (they had an interpreter accompany me). It was good to shake their hands and to see their smiles. As I reached the intersection I saw Iraqi police at the intersection. They had been sent out to provide security for us. I stood there unable to believe that I had returned. I took a knee and thanked the Lord for sparing Luis and my life. I thanked Him for Nathan, Cliff, and Manny. I thanked him for the opportunity, and prayed for the families of the Marines that I lost. I then took out a note that I had written and placed our battalion coin on top of it. The note read:

Nathan, Cliff, Manny,

Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friend. You were always faithful to the end. You will always be my Marines.

I left the note and the coin at the spot were over 2 years ago I lost these fine men. Once I got up off my knee the General brought over the Iraqi police lieutenant who was in charge of the Iraqi security. We talked to each other through and interpreter and told me he remembered the IED attack. He was a native of Ramadi. I don't know if at one point he had been part of the insurgency, but now he was wearing the uniform of his country and community. With tears in his eyes he said thank you and that the sacrifice of my Marines will never be forgotten. I told him I was proud of him and the sons of Ramadi and that the sacrifice that my Marines and I made was worth it. Peace between him and I was made today. In the spot where I was ambushed by a complex IED, small arms fire, and where I was wounded I was ambushed by smiling children. The children came up to me and thanked me for what I had done. They hugged me and gave me kisses on both my scarred left and right cheeks. The locals that were standing around also came up to me and shook my hand and thanked me. It was a very moving experience for not only me, but every Marine that was there. The SgtMaj for RCT-6 was the SgtMaj for 2/4, the first Marine battalion in Ramadi. They lost over 30 Marines during there 7 months. Being able to share that moment with him was very moving as well. I still cannot believe the events of the day. Peace was made in the eyes of the people I meet and in the faces of the children. I pray that Iraq and its people take the opportunity that we have given them and live long, good and peaceful lives. I am forever grateful for the opportunity that I was given today. As I walked back to my vehicle I felt a peace in my heart.

Pictures...

2009-03-03T19:32:00.014-06:00

Dan and Brooks Bohlert
Dan with two of the nurses that cared for him while he was in Landstuhl, Germany, two and a half years ago.

Dan and General Amos in Afghanistan

Dan on board a C130

The group loading a CH53

Dan met up with a Marine that served with him in Weapons Company during his Ramadi deployment, LCpl Cundiff.

Dan playing golf at one of Saddam's palaces in Baghdad, Iraq.

Dan in front of the palace.

Dan with General Dunford, General Lefebvre and General Amos.

This is my favorite picture so far. At the far left of of the picture is Col. Renz (we call him Dr. Renz) He is head of the Institute of Surgical Research at BAMC. He has operated on Dan and we interact with him on a frequent basis and this picture was taken in Baghdad. Next to Dr. Renz is General Amos, Sgt Major Terwilleger, Dan and our own Col. Olbrich. (He was in charge of the Marine Patient Affairs Team at BAMC until December and just deployed. Col. Olbrich actually sent me this picture and I love it. It just makes the world seem so small:) All these guys that we formed great relationships with in San Antonio, TX hanging out in Iraq.

The Little Gym...

2009-01-27T16:11:00.006-06:00

Although The Little Gym is the name of the gymnastics place that Trey and Macy go to, I sometimes feel like it's the name of our house as well. We are so lucky to have two sets of neighbors with children the same ages as our kids so they are always playing outside with each other and with each other's toys. This past weekend was the end of the semester at The Little Gym, so I had my camera. Here are some pictures...

Macy loves hanging...
She also loves laying on the balls....

But she REALLY loves hanging...

Trey likes hanging too...

and being on the bars!

This is Trey doing "TaDa" after he got his medal!

Christmas Review...

2009-01-07T13:48:00.014-06:00

OK, so in two and a half weeks in Houston, you'd think we would have had a lazy relaxing time...not so much. Between three Christmas', two birthdays (I am now 29), 1 5-year anniversary (yay for Patrick and me!!) 1 welcome home party for my brother-in-law, David, a wedding and a couple of side trips, we are pretty exhausted! We arrived back home to San Antonio Monday afternoon. Our children are adjusting to life with their real parents who have REAL rules. (No chips for dinner, no playing with my cell phone, crying doesn't get you what you want, no...there are no more presents to unwrap, and my favorite line of all time is back in play..."do what I say, when I say it, with a respectful attitude."-courtesy Voddie Baucham.) You might ask where Dan and I were??? Well, we were there, it's just that our incredibly intelligent kids knew to go to one of the 4 gullible grandparents to get permission for their ridiculous requests:):) We really did have a great time and truly enjoyed spending time with David and Callie. (This was the first time we had seen him since he came home from Iraq.) Here are a myriad of pictures.

Teal, Macy, Trey and Dan on Christmas Eve

David, Callie, Teal, Macy, Dan, Lizette, Trey and Victor on Christmas Eve.

Granddad (Teal's dad) with all the grand kids. Luke, Andrew, Macy, Trey and Sam.

The grandsons showing off their Christmas presents. Trey has already broken his fishing pole in, although he would have nothing to do with the worm.

Granddad and Trey

The number 1 gift for Macy was her baby doll that Aunt Callie got her. It is so neat how innate being a mommy is...feeding her baby, putting her to sleep...

giving her a bottle..

Trey and Uncle David with the biggest fire truck ever. (Thanks, guys, now I have to find a place to store it:)

All the cousins with Mia (my mom)

Out of hibernation...

2008-12-11T15:20:00.003-06:00

OK, so I know it's been forever since my last post, but we have had a lot going on. I can't go into tons of details, but God is so good and He continues to add glorious chapters to our testimony. Dan went through a procedure right before Thanksgiving and the doctors are astonished at the results. (It just makes me smile and shake my head wondering what God has in store) During this time, the kiddos spent time with Dan's aunt and uncle, Iris and David and then my dad and mom. They had a great time being spoiled and I actually got a lot done around the house. So now I am back to the blog...We will be in Houston for a couple weeks at Christmas, but I will try to keep up.

A few recent pictures...

2008-12-11T14:39:00.013-06:00

OK, so here are some pictures of the kids in the last couple of weeks. I will journal under each picture...

OK, so after (gasp) 3 days without a bath, I gave the kids a bath yesterday morning before heading to the mall to see Santa. Here is my confession...Macy's hair was wet and we needed to get moving, so I took out my hair dryer and brush and had SO much fun playing with her hair. She actually just sat there and let me do it. One more confession on why she just sat there, I have been known to run the flat iron through her hair in the mornings after I do my own hair and the iron has cooled down a little. It just looks so cute. I need help...I can feel myself being pulled into the world of baby pageants and ridiculous amounts of makeup...someone stage an intervention. So this is the picture I took, I paid $22 for the REAL one, but at least there is a Christmas tree in that one. Macy would have none of it....but her hair does look cute, right??
Yesterday was a full day of excitement with Santa in the morning and Trey's kids choir performance in the evening. Dan and I were the annoying parents. We got there early to save good seats and he ran the video and I took pictures. This is one of those parenting milestones...kids singing about Jesus is cute, but when it's YOUR kid, it kind of makes you want to cry and I really know the meaning of "my heart just melted". (Seriously, look at that smile!)

On the way to church I advised Trey not to pick his nose or touch his crotch, and Hallelujah, the only movements with his hands were the motions to the songs!

Another couple of pictures of Macy at gymnastics. She just loves it!

I included this picture to show how big she is.

Loving the bubbles...

Dan and I took the kids to Build a Bear workshop about a week ago and the kids loved it. Trey actually found a medical kit and a wheelchair for his dinosaur. It's so neat to see normal through his eyes.

Macy stuffing her bear

Trey, Dan and Macy

pouty lips Macy

Home again...

2008-11-05T09:29:00.001-06:00

Hey everyone,
Dan was discharged from the hospital yesterday afternoon. He is doing fine but still has significant pain in his face from the dermabrasion. Please keep this in your prayers.
Teal

Halloween Fun!!!

2008-11-01T20:50:00.009-05:00

We had a great time trick or treating this year!! One of the hardest parts of leaving military life will be not living on base. As you will see in the pictures, everyone in this neighborhood sat on their porches the whole night. I think Trey rang two doorbells!! I just love it!!! It's how I imagine "Pleasantville" to be! Anyhow, we all had a great time.

Dan is still in the hospital and will probably be discharged Monday. After trick or treating, we took the kids up to the hosptial to show off their costumes to Daddy!! Trey even shared his candy!!

Enjoy the pics!!

Trey and Macy....This is not our porch, it just looked nice!
Trey helping Macy

Trey was Dash from the Incredibles

Macy got that Marine tutu for her birthday and when I put it on her, in true girly fashion, she just kept petting it and then looking at me....like "aren't I pretty?"

Just a picture to show how people just set up outside. These are actually my babysitter's parents.

Another picture of the neighbors

No, this isn't our front porch either...maybe next year...

Implants out...

2008-10-30T20:21:00.002-05:00

Hey everyone,
Well, Dan had surgery this morning, well, I should say this afternoon...
After last week's 4th issue with his left implant, we decided, through a lot of prayer, to have the tissue expanders removed. Dan also had deep dermabrasion to the scarring on his face and z-plasty done to the scar bands that are near the inside of his eye, by the bridge of his nose. Yesterday was a crazy day with this surgery being canceled, then re-scheduled for Friday, then back on for today with a different doctor. BUT...when we were at the hospital in the pre-op area, Dan's plastic surgeon, Dr. Thomas, showed up and ended up doing the surgery. (I know it sounds crazy, but new patients come in all the time, and these "elective surgeries", get bumped so they can do the life saving skin grafts for the newly injured guys.) Anyway, Dan face is pretty raw from the dermabrasion, so please pray for pain control, as always. He will be in the hospital for a couple of days, and then home recovering. We appreciate your prayers!
Teal

College Station weekend...

2008-10-26T10:55:00.013-05:00

Well last weekend, we all went to College Station. As luck would have it, there were a lot of things going on. The initial reason we went was that Dan was asked to speak at the dedication of the "Freedom from Terrorism" Memorial. He did a great job!

Another thing that came up was the retirement ceremony of Lt. Gen. Joe Webber (A&M class of '72). Gen. Webber's son, Clint (A&M class of '98), worked with Dan during his Ramadi deployment and Dan has a vivid memory of Clint helping load him into the emergency vehicle after Dan was injured. This was the first time they had seen each other since. Such a great reunion! Gen. Webber was one of the first Marines we saw when we arrived in San Antonio and was able to tell us when Dan was going to arrive, so he holds a soft spot in all our hearts. The reason all these people were on the A&M campus was that Gen. Webber was retiring after 36 years and is going to be the VP of Student Affairs at A&M. It was a great afternoon!

We also got to go to and Aggie game and had a great time. Dan, Trey, my sister, Tamara, sister-in-law, Anne, and nephew, Luke all got to go. Below are some pictures from the weekend!

Sgt. Major Kent, Dan, Gen. Conway

Clint Webber and Dan

Tamara, Anne, Luke, Teal, Trey and Dan

Trey and Daddy going to the game

Trey and Aunt Tamara

Trey and Daddy leaving the game

Dan, Col. Olbrich and Teal

Col. Olbrich is the commanding officer of the Patient Affairs Team here are BAMC. The PAT team takes care of all the injured Marines. He is also an Aggie!! This picture was taken yesterday (Sat) at his farewell party. He is moving on and we will miss him tons! (You might notice Dan's right shoulder is big, that is the implant that will be taken out this week. His nose is doing good and will have a final shaping surgery sometime in the new year.)

Quite an update...

2008-10-23T20:07:00.003-05:00

Well, things around here are as unpredictable as ever. Last Thursday, we went to College Station (more about that in another post...) Dan wasn't feeling great and his left shoulder was starting to get a little red. (Yes, you are correct, this is the same shoulder that has faced the crazy hematoma, the port working it's way out of his body and a bleed after surgery which caused an emergency surgery.) As the weekend went on, the red area began to spread. Well in this house, red, hot skin means infection. So on Sunday evening Dan helped me unload the car and then he headed up to the hospital to have it checked out. (I know it sounds insensitive that he drove himself, but it is just our life and it's not like he was bleeding or writhing in pain) So just like expected, he was admitted to the hospital for an infection in his left shoulder. The reason he has to stay is b/c the course of action they take is IV antibiotics and he has to be inpatient to do that.

So on Monday the doctors noticed that the corner of his implant, not the port, the actual implant, was beginning to work it's way out. How does that look might you ask? You start to see blue under his skin, b/c the implant is blue. Not good. So to spare you all the hours of options and even more hours of prayer, Dan has decided to have both implants taken out. We are scraping the face-off surgery. We prayed about this decision before we went forward with the first surgery and have prayed hard this week trying to hear God's will and direction for this situation and this is where we are at.

Patrick was actually discharged from the hospital this evening, (yes, he drove himself home...I mean what was I supposed to do, his car was already up there:):) We are going to see the plastic surgeon tomorrow morning and expect to have this surgery done next week. My in-laws will be coming in town to help out, and if for nothing else to insure that he doesn't have to drive himself to and from the hospital after surgery:)

Another milestone of the week was Tuesday, Oct. 21. That was the two year anniversary of Dan's injury, but more importantly, 2 years since he lost 3 Marines. For those of you that knew, we appreciate your prayers. Dan was able to talk to all the families of those Marines and I know God was putting the appropriate words in his mouth to offer comfort in the way that only HE can.

Please keep us in your prayers. Although I can laugh at this moment, it has been a pretty exhausting week, physically and emotionally; the anniversary, trying to decipher all the "doctor talk" and really looking at all the pros and cons of all the different avenues have left me less than glowing. (3 hours at a well-baby appointment during nap time didn't help either...) But man is our God good and He continues to renew me.

"Praise the Lord , O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits-
who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases,
who redeems your life from the pit
and crowns you with love and compassion,
who satisfies your desires with good things
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's."
Psalm 103 : 2-5

Welcome Home David!!!!!

2008-10-04T17:09:00.008-05:00

Hi Everyone,

Well, as most of you know, my brother-in-law, David (Dan's brother) has been deployed to Ramadi, Iraq since March. Praise the Lord, he came home safely this past Friday, Oct. 3. Here are a few of the sweetest pictures ever. There is nothing like a homecoming!!!

First kiss

David and Callie

Sweet David:)

David and Callie in front of their house

One interesting thing that happened while David was deployed involved his promotion from 2nd Lt. to 1st Lt. As most of you know, Ramadi was where Dan was deployed when he was injured. On Memorial Day of this year, David stood in the intersection where 3 brave Marines were killed and two others were seriously injured (Dan and Sgt. Luis Blanco), and was promoted to 1st Lieutenant. Two years ago Ramadi was considered "lost" and through the hard work and sacrifice of many Marines and Soldiers, David was able to stand in the open and be promoted. You don't hear these awesome stories on the news. Here is the link to a great article that was written about it with a couple of pictures.

http://www.marines.mil/units/marforpac/imef/1stmardiv/1stregiment/rct1/Pages/Marinehonorsbrother,fallenMarineswithpromotion.aspx

Welcome home, David! We praise our wonderful Lord for your safe return!

Dan's Home...

2008-10-01T15:46:00.002-05:00

Hi Everyone,
Well, Dan was released from the hospital earlier today. He had an uneventful night and is now resting here at home. He is looking pretty good, but says his shoulder feels like it was kicked by a horse. We cannot begin to thank you all enough for all your prayers. We do not take this situation for granted and know that the Lord had His hand over Dan yesterday and still does as he recovers today. I will update again when I have some new information.
Teal

One day, TWO surgeries...

2008-09-30T14:56:00.002-05:00

Well, Dan was the first case this morning and around 10 am, I talked to the Doctors and everything had gone as planned. Dan was in recovery and doing well, scheduled to come home as soon as his pain was under control. At 11:30, I got a call from Dr. Thomas saying that Dan was bleeding and they were taking him back into surgery. After a solid prayer, a freak-out moment, and a good run down to where the doctor was, I was able to see Dan. He looked good to me, until Dr. Thomas pointed out his left shoulder. There was an internal bleed where they had just done surgery, forming a hematoma. This can be dangerous if it bleeds toward his neck, b/c it can cut off his airway or circulation, luckily, the bleed was not going towards his neck. Needless to say, within 5 minutes of my getting there, he was being rolled back into surgery to find the bleed, and clean out the newly formed hematoma. (Which if you remember from previous posts is a collection of blood, usually clotted, in a tissue or organ, caused by a break in a blood vessel. I did just copy and paste that definition b/c my brain could not come up with the right words. I have been up since 5am :) Anyway, about an hour and a half later, I talked to the surgeons and they were happy with how the surgery went.

The only reason I am home, updating this blog, is b/c I had to run home to pick up a few things for Dan b/c he will be staying in the hospital overnight. He actually looked great and was in pretty good spirits, all things considered. Two anesthesia's+two surgeries+ one day= stay in hospital. We are both fine with that and considering that my kiddos are in South Texas having tons of fun, it takes all sorts of pressure off me.

We continue to covet your prayers and know that our God is in control! I will update tomorrow.

Surgery Tuesday

2008-09-28T21:06:00.003-05:00

OK, so sorry for the lack of updates on this surgery. Dan will be having surgery on Tuesday. The doctor assures us that this should be a 20 minute outpatient surgery. We will see:):) Unfortunately we had to cancel our trip to North Carolina for the World Burn Congress, but we hope to go next year. On a positive note, the nerve block Dan had last week worked! His arm felt so much better, that I actually went away for the weekend. (This isn't making me look very good, with the hair appt and now this:) A friend invited me to a scrapbooking retreat in Kerrville, which is just over an hour away. I left Friday afternoon and returned last night (Saturday). I had a great time and got a lot accomplished. I'm pretty sure that all three members of my family ate pizza for every meal, but everyone is still in one piece. One eventful moment was when Macy had diarrhea during her nap, so poor daddy had to change her, the crib sheets, do a load of laundry all unexpectedly....but such is life. I did feel bad, but he handled it all fine. (I wish I could have been a fly on the wall during that incident:)

I will update on the surgery Tuesday evening. Our kiddos won't be here this week. My in-laws had previously decided to take them to the Valley (south Texas where their extended family lives) when we were going to be in North Carolina for the conference. They decided to still take them, so it will be a quiet week for us, and I know the kids will have a blast and be totally spoiled! Hopefully I use this time for some projects...we will see:)

Monday night update...

2008-09-22T20:05:00.002-05:00

OK, well no surgery today. Dan actually had a procedure done this afternoon called a nerve block. He has had this procedure done a few times for pain in his back and neck, but this time they blocked (or hoped to block) the nerves in the neuroma. It took about an hour and a half but we won't really know the results until tomorrow. We will go back to the doctor and they will test it. After that, we will go back to the burn clinic and get some sort of idea about surgery. It still could be any day. We might not be going to that conference after all, as this is our number 1 priority. But, when push came to shove, I did get my hair done today:):) I will update tomorrow when we know more!!! Thanks for all the prayers.

Never a dull moment...

2008-09-22T08:11:00.002-05:00

Well, Dan came home on Friday after having gone to the burn clinic and told me that he was having surgery on Sept. 30. The reason being is that the port in his left implant has developed a neuroma, which is a ball of nerves, all around the port. It is so large that you can see it when you look at his chest. This is the reason his left implant has been causing him so much pain (I mean after the infection was taken care of) He has not been able to lift anything or move his left arm much b/c of the pain. The implant has also shifted a little. So this is going to be a "simple" 20 minute surgery to re-position the implant and move the port. Dr. Thomas expects that Dan will not even stay in the hospital one night.

Here's the kicker, we have plane tickets to go to the World Burn Congress in North Carolina on Sept. 30. So at this moment, it is 8:20 am, Monday morning, and we are waiting for a phone call from Dr. Thomas telling us if Dan will be squeezed in TODAY(????) or TOMORROW! It still surprises me that Dan could be having surgery today and we don't even know. I am going to go to my hair appointment as scheduled:) Oh well, life goes on. I will post another update letting you know what is going on.

A couple of statisics...

2008-09-17T13:30:00.002-05:00

Well, since I don't have any updates to give you guys, I am going to give you all some information that I received at a forum yesterday at the hospital. What we so casually call the "burn unit", is actually called the USAISR (United States Army Institute for Surgical Research). This is where everything from the ICU and step-down units are located as well as the rehab gym and case managers. Yesterday, Dan and I went to a meeting/ forum that the director, Dr./Col. Renz (I call him Dr. Renz, but he is active duty Army). Every now and then they have these meetings to get all the burn patients and their families on the same page. Sorry for my long-windedness, but at the meeting we heard some pretty interesting statistics. You all always hear me talk about what great care we are receiving here at BAMC, but no details.

There are over 250 staff members in the ISR. This includes doctors, surgeons, nurses, physical and occupational therapists, case managers and a host of administrators, who are a mixture of active duty, reservists and civilian.

Since 2003 there have been 760 burn patients (that's all the ISR deals with) admitted. Of those, there are varying degrees of burns, from 2% total body surface area (TBSA) burns to 100% TBSA burns. (Dan is 47.5% TBSA, all 3rd degree) Of those 760, 40 have not survived. Dr. Renz did not spin this any certain way, but looking at this mathematically, that is a 95% survival rate. Of those 760, 65% are Army, 23% are Marines the the other 12% are Navy, Air Force, and National Guard. There are also civilians admitted to the ISR, but I didn't get those numbers. If you are admitted as a civilian, you do not get your outpatient care at BAMC. You are admitted b/c BAMC is a level 1 trauma center, but it only provides outpatient care to military, (active or retired)

We are so thankful to be here at BAMC. We are absolutely thrilled and satisfied with the care that we have received and that we see others receiving.

Speaking of doctors, we found out that Dan's plastic surgeon, (who after 20+ years in the Army, joined the reserves) will not be deploying. This is great news for us, b/c we won't have to rush these next two surgeries. We have an appointment on Friday and hopefully we can get a date on when those will be happening.

Thanks again for all of your prayers!! Leave a comment and let me know you were here.

A few weeks to breathe...

2008-09-07T13:57:00.004-05:00

Well, Thursday we went to see the maxiofacial prosthodontist. They make all sorts of things, but our need is these nasal stents that Dan wears in his nostrils to help shape his nose and keep the airway open. This was a huge relief to Dan b/c the permanent thing that has been in his nose for two weeks was taken out and the removable, more comfortable stints were made. That appointment is 4-5 hours long, so it makes for a LONG day, but it is done.
Then, on Friday, we went to the burn clinic and Dan saw his surgeon. Everything is looking good and Dr. Thomas is happy with how everything is coming along. All the stitches were taken out and fluid was added to the implants in his shoulders. The implants are two different sizes, one is able to hold 500 cc's and the other is able to hold 750 cc's. (The doctor said that they can actually be filled up to 3 times that and will be going over those numbers if his skin will allow it) Well, the smaller implant now has 140 cc's but much to every one's surprise, the larger implant has 320 cc's. They just kept filling it up until the skin was very tight. This is good news b/c the more skin that is stretched, the easier surgery will be. Obviously, we don't expect to get that much fluid each week. The doctor's actually average 60 cc's a week and as time goes on, not as much fluid can be added b/c the skin is so tight. Patrick's shoulders have been VERY sore these last two days, especially his left one (the one that was infected).
As far as surgery goes, the doctor expects that we will be having surgery towards the end of October. So that gives us a little break from that. Thank you again for all your prayers!
Teal

Patrick's home!!!!

2008-08-24T17:14:00.002-05:00

Hey everyone,
Well Patrick came home from the hospital today. He is doing great!!! His pain is significantly improved (thanks to all your prayers!!) He has been on the couch just hanging out with the kids all afternoon. He is really looking good and his spirits are high. We should have a pretty easy week; we go to the clinic for a checkup on Wednesday and Friday. Thank you again for all the prayers!! We should have about 8 weeks until the next surgery.
Teal

Recent Kid Pictures...

2008-08-24T16:50:00.013-05:00

This weekend, my mom, brother, Tim, sister-in-law, Anne, and their boys, Luke, Sam and Andrew came to San Antonio for a last minute quick get-away to Hyatt Hill Country. My mom came and got Trey to enjoy a little time with his cousins and swim. He had a great time!! (again, he DOES open his eyes, just not when asked:)
Trey and Andrew floating face down in the lazy river...my mom swears she was watching them:) Trey is on the right in the blue swimsuit.

Trey and Andrew (eyes open this time)

Trey and Macy started going to gymnastics at The Little Gym. Macy does a mommy and me class, but Trey is on his own. They both LOVE it.

Macy hanging on the bars

Getting her hula hoop

Macy loves going to the Little Gym!!!

Puerto Rico Pictures

2008-08-24T16:33:00.007-05:00

Patrick and I in Puerto Rico. We went on a week long vacation with Victor and Lizette for the wedding of a friend, back at the beginning of July. We had a fabulous time!

Patrick on a street in Old San Juan

Patrick and Teal at the Bacardi Factory. We went on a tour!

Our favorite thing that we did was go on a hike in El Yunque, the rainforest in Puerto Rico. It was absolutely beautiful, the temperature was perfect and there was such a canopy of trees above us that when it rained we could hear it, but only feel a mist.

Teal, Patrick, Lizette and Victor at a waterfall in El Yunque.

Beautiful view

Friday night...

2008-08-22T20:45:00.003-05:00

Dan looked great today!!! He was talking, joking and never once dozed off...(this is impressive regardless of just having surgery:) He is experiencing less pain now than in prior days, so that is a HUGE answered prayer. He should be coming home Sunday or Monday. This is not due to problems with his surgery sites, but more for making sure his pain is under control when he is here. Thanks again for all the prayers.
Teal

Thursday Night...

2008-08-21T20:20:00.002-05:00

Hey All,
Dan had a pretty good day today...( I mean, 3 milkshakes would make a good day for me:) His pain is under control and there has been a GREAT relief of pain from his shoulder. Still the main thing is a headache, but hopefully that will subside tomorrow when the dressing is removed (it was wrapped pretty tightly). Anyway, my in-laws are here and making everything easier!!! Dan should be in the hospital for a few more days so the doctors can keep an eye on him. Thanks for the prayers, I get to see the evidence everyday!!
Teal

Thursday morning update...

2008-08-21T08:35:00.002-05:00

Well, Dan went into surgery yesterday around 12:30 and was finished around 4pm. So much for a short surgery:) The doctors were able to save his tissue expander. So what that really means is that they took it out, cleaned out the shoulder and re-placed it. They also grafted his eye, cut out his bald spot and did quite a bit to his nose. They cut off the blood supply to his nose and trimmed down the actual nose part. After 3 weeks of a really weird looking thing on his face, his nose looks pretty normal. And...I'm sure it will continue to look better as the swelling goes down each day. Dan was pretty coherent yesterday evening (more so than after his last surgery) and his pain was getting under control. The main source of pain right now is a HUGE headache from what they had to do to the bald spot. Hopefully that will subside quickly. Visiting hours do not start until noon today, so I will get a small update in tonight after I come home. Thanks again for all the prayers.
Teal

SURGERY WEDNESDAY...

2008-08-19T21:09:00.002-05:00

Hi All,
Well late this afternoon we found out that Patrick (I know, I know, I call him Dan AND Patrick, same person, just bear with me:) is going to have surgery tomorrow. No real emergency, but there was space on the schedule and he was already inpatient so tomorrow it is. He will be second case (at least that's what they are saying now) so he should be in surgery late morning, maybe 10-11 a.m.-ish. He is going to have all the previously scheduled things done: eye, bald spot, nose thinning, but also the doctor is going to go into his shoulder, take out the implant, clean out the area, and HOPEFULLY put the implant back. Patrick is thrilled to be having surgery tomorrow so that he doesn't have to just wait around all day tomorrow until Thursday,(he is getting a little bored.)

Please pray for a successful surgery, pain control, no more infection and that the implant will be able to be put back in. We appreciate the time you all take to lift our family up in prayer.

Teal

We're Inpatient...

2008-08-18T10:32:00.003-05:00

ok, so after my LONG update Saturday afternoon, Dan got a fever Saturday night. This is never a good thing after surgery because it signals a problem, specifically an infection. With all that was going on with his shoulder, we wanted to stay on top of it. So up to 4 East. The great thing about knowing everyone at the hospital is that we don't have to deal with the ER. If we ever have a problem or a question, we go directly to the Burn floor step down unit. We know most of the nurses and they know everything about burns and all of these reconstructive surgeries. Long story short, Dan was admitted so he could start IV antibiotics to try to get rid of this infection.

So no real news until this morning, when his surgeon, Dr. Thomas, got to look at the shoulder. We were expecting anything....he could have taken Dan back to surgery this morning....but in the end, he decided to continue the IV antibiotics today and tomorrow, and see what all the cultures say and if his blood count improves. He is tentatively on the surgery schedule for Wednesday to have the tissue expander removed and shoulder cleaned if it doesn't clear up on it's own by then. I am not sure what this means for his previously scheduled surgery on Thursday.

Dan is doing fine. He really doesn't mind being in the hospital. Especially since he can get up and do everything for himself. He doesn't feel trapped. We are truly just trusting in the Lord and knowing that these small complications could be preventing larger ones. Continue to pray for healing, no infection and pain control as the shoulder is still very painful. Everything else is looking great!!

I will update again when I know something.
Teal

Saturday update...Praises!!!!

2008-08-16T13:41:00.007-05:00

Hello All,

Well, so much has been going on the last couple of days, so I have a lot to update.

We'll start with Thursday. We are finally down to seeing the ophthalmologist every two days. When we saw him on Thursday, he said that the ulcer had completely healed (prayer answered!) There are still lacerations which are causing dryness and irritation, but God is healing Dan's body. After that appointment we went to another hospital, Wilford Hall. (This is where Macy was born.) At this appointment, we saw a maxillofacial prosthodontist. This is a doctor who makes facial prosthetics. Dan had to have something called nasal splints made. He will wear these in his nose to keep the shape correct and his airway open. It was a pretty long appointment, but Dan got the nasal splints (that were sewn into his nose after surgery) taken out and got the new ones that are removable. It was a big relief for him. He could finally blow his nose and feel clean. (Oh, the things we take for granted:)

My last post, I talked about the pain Dan had been having in his left shoulder. It was more bruised than the other. Well, Tuesday, during another Dr. appointment, Dan's surgeon just walked in to check on him. We showed him the shoulder and he said that it wasn't just a bruise, it was a hematoma. A hematoma is when the blood from a bruise clots and does not dissipate naturally. Dan's hematoma started just behind his shoulder on his back and went halfway down his chest. This is dangerous because if that blood does not go away on it's own it could cause infection or at the very least the doctor would have to go in and surgically remove the tissue expander and clean out all the old clotted blood. This is a praise b/c we were able to be proactive about it. For the next two days, Dan used a heating pad to help clear it up. It made a big difference. OK, back to Thursday night....Dan's shoulder started bleeding a little bit out of the suture line. It looked like old blood, so we weren't too worried.

On to Friday....We had an appointment with Dr. Thomas, Dan's plastic surgeon. He agreed that there was much improvement in the shoulder, and as he touched it, blood shot out of it and across the room. He insisted to us that this was good news, and told the nurse to "milk it". And that is what she did. She massaged the area and was able to get all the old blood out of the area. Sorry if this is a little gross, but this is a praise as well, b/c we had been praying for no infection and no complications. If the blood hadn't come out this way, it would have taken surgery, putting us behind schedule. During this visit, quite a few stitches were taken out, specifically in his eye. They were bothering him and making his vision blurry, so I know that was a relief!!

Speaking of surgery....Dan is scheduled to have his second surgery this Thursday, August 21. During this surgery, he will have his left eyelid released, the large baldspot closed and his nose "trimmed down" (I finally found out what "tweaked" meant:) This one should be a "short" one, 1-2 hours and he should only be inpatient for a day or two. Dan's parents will be here again to help with the kids, hospital visits and caring for Dan.

Speaking of the kids....they are handling this so well. I was a little concerned what the kids responses would be to seeing their Daddy. He looked pretty beat up and his nose was really swollen and bulbous looking. It's as if Macy didn't even see it and Trey laughed and said, "Those silly Doctors...What did they do to your nose???" They are so precious and it is such a relief to all of us that they don't seem to have any "issues" with all that is going on in their lives. To them, this is normal. Trey's best friend, Maya, has a Daddy who is burned too, but is also a below the knee amputee. It was cute to see them discussing that the first time.

We are doing great here. Dan and I are so lucky to have such great family who will drop everything to be here for us. (My mom came in for two days this weekend just to be an extra set of hands, and b/c of that my kids were fed breakfast this morning, dressed and will have clean clothes this week:):) Often people ask what they can do for us or if we need anything, and the honest answer is : PRAYER. It is so beautiful to witness all of your prayers being answered. I hope this little blog encourages you, b/c our all-knowing Lord is watching over ALL of us and desires to answer your personal prayers as well.

Thank you again for keeping up with us, leave a comment and let me know you were here. It is such an encouragement to me. I will keep you updated this week as things progress with Dan's surgery.

More Pictures of the kiddos this weekend...

2008-08-11T20:01:00.006-05:00

This weekend, my mom came for a visit and to help out with Patrick. The kids love having her here (and us too!!!) These are some pictures from our friend, Addison's, birthday party. It was quite a zoo!!!

Mia, Trey and Macy
Neither of my kids can look at the camera...

Trey and Mommy (He really is cute when he opens his eyes:)

Macy loved her some animals....

She seriously did not want to leave the pen, oh well....

We had a great time at Addison's birthday!!!!

Happy Birthday Addison, we will miss you!!!

Pics of kids...

2008-08-11T15:34:00.013-05:00

Macy playing with Daddy
Trey, Macy and Maya jumping on the trampoline.
This was the original activity...

Then we decided to play with the water table....
(yes, Trey supports John McCain)

Macy decided that the water table should be a pool....

hey, this hose looks fun....

Surely it would be more fun without my clothes...

If Macy can do it, why can't we?????

Back to the trampoline....

Monday, 8-11-08, update...

2008-08-11T14:49:00.004-05:00

We saw the ophthalmologist again this morning and the ulcer is taking it's sweet time to close. We are going to try a different plan of medication to heal it. It is improving but not at the rate the Doctor expected or would like to see. After that appointment, we went to the burn clinic to meet with Dan's physical medicine doctor, who is like a physical therapy doctor and deals with pain related issues, as well as bone, ligament, tendon, and basic structural issues. (All went fine with this appointment.)

The great part about this is that Dan's plastic surgeon, Dr. Thomas, happened to come by the room and check on Dan. The good news is that he got the stitches in his forehead and scalp removed. However, Dan has been having a lot of pain in his left shoulder, (where he had a tissue expander implanted.) We had been noticing a lot of bruising on the left side even after the right side had cleared up. Dr. Thomas looked at it and said there was a hematoma there and that we should be using heat to help it be resorbed. This is of concern because if this does not go away with this treatment, they will have to surgically remove the tissue expander and clean out the tissue in his shoulder. The shoulder will then have to heal and the tissue expander re-placed.
This will definitely be a setback and we appreciate any and all prayers.

We will see Dr. Thomas again on Thursday and will have another update (and hopefully a surgery date) that evening.

Sunday, 8-10-08, UPDATE...

2008-08-10T22:06:00.000-05:00

Sorry it's been awhile since I've updated. After seeing the ophthalmologist every day since Tuesday, including Saturday, and putting antibiotic drops hourly, there has been improvement in Dan's eye. It is still causing him quite a bit of pain and his vision still a little blurry, although improving enough to watch the Olympics. He will continue to see the ophthalmologist daily this week until the ulcer is closed. It was just really big.

As far as surgery goes, he will have his second surgery in the next two weeks. We will know the date on Thursday. During this surgery, he will have his left eye released, (this is the eye with the infection and will solve the problem we are having now.) He will also have his bald spot in the back of his head that was caused from a bed sore cut out and his nose "tweaked" (again, Doctor's words.) The good news about this one is that of all the things done to him in the first surgery that will be performed a second time to different areas are not bothering him or causing much pain. Hopefully he won't have to be in the hospital as long this time, although, he didn't seem to mind much, as he knows so much of the staff.

Please check the blog again soon b/c I have some precious pictures of the kiddos this weekend playing with all their friends, but am to tired to deal with that now. Please keep us in your prayers, and keep pain control at the top:) Love you all....

Wednesday morning update...

2008-08-06T08:26:00.000-05:00

Well, we went to the doctor yesterday and all of the surgery sites looked great!! The nurse said that Dan's eye and nose look better than most at this point! So that was great news. The not so great news came a little later. Dan has been having problems with his left eye (to which nothing was done.) It has been causing a lot of pain and his vision is very blurry. None of this was of great concern at the beginning b/c it seemed natural after the surgery. After telling our concerns to the surgeon, we got an appointment with an opthamoligist. After 3 hours there yesterday evening, the findings are that Dan has a corneal ulcer that is infected. This isn't great news, but at least there is some reason for the pain and compromised vision. The opthamoligist started Dan on antibiotic drops hourly and we will see him daily until he sees the results he wants to. We are so fortunate that we caught this when we did as it could (and still can) cause permanent damage. Please keep this situation in your prayers!
Thanks,
Teal

Dan's Home...

2008-08-03T08:42:00.000-05:00

Hi All,
Well, yesterday afternoon, Dan was released from the hospital. He is home and resting as comfortably as possible. Friday he was joking that he wanted to go to church today (Sunday), but that really is not going to happen...those drugs wore off:) He is looking much better, swelling continues to go down.

We go for a check up on Tuesday and we will be scheduling his next surgery either Tuesday or Friday. I believe that it will be in 2-3 weeks. The next surgery will consist of releasing his left eyelid, "tweaking" his nose (those are the Dr.'s words) and closing the large bald spot on his head. This one should be about 1-2 hours, as opposed to the 5 hour surgery he had earlier this week.

We continue to covet your prayers as we are still just at the beginning of this stage of surgeries. Pain control continues to be a big issue. Thank you.

Friday evening update...

2008-08-01T19:46:00.000-05:00

Hey All,
Dan is doing much better today. This morning, all of the bandages were removed from his face, so we can get a look at everything and it looks pretty good (all things considered:) Now that the bolster is off his right eye, he can see better, but not as clear as he will be able to in another day or two, and the swelling has gone down more so he is able to see out of the left eye better as well. He might be home early as the Doctor has given him the go ahead as soon as he feels comfortable, (gotta love that military medicine!!!) and he feels he has a handle on the pain. I will keep updating!

Thanks again for all the prayers, God is listening and answering them!!
Teal

Friday Morning update...

2008-08-01T07:33:00.000-05:00

Dan was doing much better yesterday. He was very coherent and talkative and even joking a little. His swelling is much better. Today, the doctors are taking the bolster off his right eye (the one they did the skin graph release on) so he should be able to see. Nothing was done to his left eye but he hasn't been able to see out of that eye because of the swelling, so today should be a good day...at least he will be able to see the t.v.

Yesterday, the doctor said that Dan would be inpatient until Monday at least. This is longer than we expected, but not due to issues with the surgery sites, but for pain management issues. Please continue to pray for infection control and pain management. Thank you! I will update again tonight or tomorrow morning.

Teal

Wednesday night update

2008-07-30T19:46:00.000-05:00

Hey Friends,
Well, Dan is doing a little better today. He is not as swollen, he is a little more coherent and his pain is a little better. The surgeon saw him and is very happy with all the sites and how they are "taking". The main issue right now is pain control. He will be in the hospital until at least Friday afternoon, and maybe into the weekend. I cannot tell you how much your prayers are doing and would appriciate as many as you can say.

I will update again tomorrow evening.
Teal

Surgery Update...

2008-07-30T10:46:00.000-05:00

Hey all,
Dan is doing well. It was a long day for everyone yesterday and we are on our way back up to the hospital, so this is from an email my father-in-law sent last night. He will continue to be inpatient for a few more days. I will update tonight when I get home.

During today's 4 ½ hours surgery Dan was covered by your prayers of intercession.

Early this afternoon the surgeons reported to Teal, Lizette and I that their expectation for this initial surgery were met. This is the first of a number of surgeries to reconstruct Dan's face and insure skin integrity as he ages. It is the initial phase of a two year process. Though the surgeries are complex we are confident in God's healing hand.

"Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The LORD, the LORD, is my strength and my defense; he has become my salvation." Isaiah 12:2 (TNIV)

Please continue to pray for (1) complete healing and (2) an infection free recovery.

We covet your prayers.

Sugery re-scheduled

2008-07-25T15:08:00.000-05:00

Well, this morning we went to see Dan's surgeon and his surgery is re-scheduled for Tuesday, July 29. We are thrilled that he got back on the schedule so soon. We ask for the same prayers: no infection, fast healing, limited pain for Dan and calm in our household before, during and after. Thanks again for the prayers. I will update on progress Tuesday night and throughout the week.

Dan's Captain Promotion

2008-07-25T14:50:00.001-05:00

Dan was promoted to Captain, USMC, officially on July 1, 2008. We were on our way to Puerto Rico on that date, so on July 15, in front of the Alamo in San Antonio, TX, Dan was promoted by Col. Grant Olbrich. Col. Olbrich is the CO of the Patient Affairs Team for the Marines here are Brooke Army Medical Center, more importantly, he's an Aggie!!

Dan reciting the oath
Luis pinning on Dan's captain rank

Teal pinning on the other side

Victor, Macy, Lizette, Trey, Dan and Teal

Dan, Teal, Trey and Macy in front of the Alamo after being promoted!

To God be the Glory!!!

2008-07-21T21:13:00.000-05:00

What an addition to our testimony. Today, after coming to terms with the postponement of Dan's surgery, we utilized our already planned babysitter and went to a movie. Halfway through, Dan started to get the chills and has been in bed with a fever since we got home. God answered our prayers for a safe surgery, quick recovery and no infections by not allowing it to happen. How nice it is to be able to call on the all knowing King of Kings, to God be the Glory!

SURGERY POSPONED!!

2008-07-21T10:21:00.001-05:00

Hi All,
I'm sure you are all checking in for updates on Dan's surgery. This morning at 8am I got a call from the hospital saying that they had canceled Dan's surgery due to a respiratory infection that he had. He started antibiotics last week, but the doctors just don't feel comfortable going forward. In the original accident, Dan lost his spleen, and boy are we learning how important that organ was!! It basically houses tons of antibodies and is very important in helping with your body's immune system, so when Dan gets sick, he is down longer than if he had a spleen. Also, when you don't have a spleen you are very susceptible to lung infections, which explains the double pneumonia after his last hernia surgery.

It was a very frustrating phone call this morning considering that we were all ready for it. My in-laws were here, babysitters ready, meals planned; not to mention the mental and emotional readiness. But, we are trusting in the Lord and His perfect timing. We have prayed all along for a safe surgery, no infections and quick healing and see this as an answered prayer.

We will keep you posted on when surgery is re-scheduled. We expect that it will be next Monday or Tuesday. Thank you for your prayers.

Also, keep checking the site, b/c I am going to post some pictures from Dan's promotion last week.

A few pictures

2008-07-17T13:40:00.000-05:00

Trey and Macy (1 & 3 years old)

Macy's 1 year picture

Dan (Patrick) and two of his Marines, Brian Floyd and Luis Blanco

Trey and Macy Easter morning. (We were in Houston b/c Patrick was in North Carolina seeing his brother, David, off to Iraq.)

Macy eating her cupcake at her birthday party

This is a picture of the family on Mother's Day

This is me at my first triathlon, the Lonestar Triathlon in Moody Gardens.

Welcome to Moran Blogville....

2008-07-17T12:46:00.000-05:00

Well, this is my attempt at blogging. So much is going on and I can't remember who knows what about our lives, so I thought that I would stop emailing out updates (as if I send very many) and just let you guys decide how often you want to be updated.
I guess the biggest news coming up is that Dan is going to be having major surgery on Monday, July 21. (interesting fact...this is 21 months to the date of his injury). He had 5 major surgeries the first couple of weeks after he was injured and by the grace of God hasn't needed anything else pertaining to his skin/burns. He has had 3 additional surgeries, 2 hernia repairs and throat surgery (for the inhalation injury). On Monday, he will have the first of 4 major skin reconstructive surgeries. He is having tissue expanders put in his shoulders, his left eyelid released, and his nose reconstructed. We are doing this to get rid of burn skin, not so much for aesthetic purposes, although it will change the way he looks. Dan will stay in the hospital for a couple of days after surgery and my in-laws will be staying with us for a week or so.
Our little family is so lucky to have the support of our extended families and so many people have done so much for us to make our lives run smoothly. Specifically, my in-laws, who lived with us for the entire first year and now just drop everything to be here during these times. I really could not do it without them!

Specific prayer requests:
Health for Dan going into surgery on Monday (he has been battling a fever)
Pain management for Dan during his recovery
Wisdom for the surgeons, doctors and nurses
That he would not get any infections

Onto another topic, our precious children. Trey turned 3 in March and Macy had her first birthday in April. They are doing great! Trey is talking up a storm and it is so neat to watch him grow into the person he is going to be. Macy finally started walking at 14 months!!!! I honestly thought she might crawl forever. As for myself, I have a new passion, triathlons!! My brother convinced me to sign up for one this past March and boy am I hooked. It sure does scare me into working out! Luckily, my great friend, Pam V. (I know, I know, I am not allowed to have any more friends named Pam:) has gotten the bug too, so we are working out and doing them together!! That's all I have time for now, I will get pictures posted soon.

Thank you so much for all of your prayers!! I will post again Monday or Tuesday.