prayer request ... and a quick update

Okay ... so it has been FOREVER since I've updated my blog. And in a few minutes you will find out why. But first, I must ask a big favor. It is for prayer for my sister, Tobey and her sweet little boy Malachi Duncan Turner. Tobey went into labor late last night and Malachi was born today at 4:16pm. He is a big one .. 8 lbs 14 oz!! But, he is in the NICU (granted... he is the biggest baby in there by far!). Mostly for observation and to wean him off the IV fluids and onto breastmilk. The reason they took him to the NICU was he wasn't crying as much as they wanted, more like a groaning/moaning sound. Turns out he had some fluid on his lungs. The nurse practioner sounded very positive in her update, but there is always a chance things could change. So, I ask you to pray for a quick recovery on Malachi's part, and for the nurses and doctors that are caring for him. I ask that you pray for Tobey and Lem as well. I couldn't imagine how hard it is to have your baby in the NICU. Pray for peace and that the lean on God.

Okay... now back to the horrible job of updating ... well, it is all a boy's fault!! I met a great guy in March (probably sometime around the date of my last post!). And well, he has kept me very busy since coming into my life. And last week, on September 26 ... I became his wife! I know... how exciting, right?? Well, Tony definitely makes me very happy! He is a blessing from God in so many ways. He is an answer to many prayers. Andrew and I wouldn't know what to do without him now! And Andrew just loves him ... it is too cute to watch them play and interact! It makes my heart happy to watch them together! So, I apologize for the lapse in posting ... and I cannnot promise it will be better from here on out. But, if you really want to keep up with us ... look me up on facebook ... Sarah Ashley Ward ... hehe... cute name huh?!?!

Here is a picture of us from our honeymoon ... in Jamaica!

Quick Andrew update ... He is two and full of himself. His favorite word is "No". His favorite activity ... being busy or just chillin to "watch TV" (which I hear often!). He is a blessing everday. It is so fun to see him learn more and more new things each day.

28th Birthday Dinner

My birthday was last Thursday, March 12th. I can't believe that I'm 28 ... my how time flies! As typical with my family, we all got together for dinner somewhere. I chose to have my birthday dinner at Benihana's. It was so much fun to all be together at such a fun place. Andrew loved watching Jorge, our chef, cook everything on the "hot" grill!

Andrew and I before eating

Opening a gift ... wearing my birthday crown!

Andrew trying to move those utensils just like Jorge did ... He liked watching him cook!

Avery was a pro at using the "automatic" chopsticks. I think she may have even eaten some food with them! She had to concentrate a lot!Andrew trying out the chopsticks ... I know it looks like he is about to poke his eyes out, but he is really just pinching his nose ... one of his new favorite things to do.

Watching Jorge cook was very tiring for Andrew.

My birthday cake. One of my patients made this delicious cake for me. I brought it to dinner with us.

A group picture ... after they sang two versions of Happy Birthday ... one in English and the other in Japanese.

Finally ...

Okay ... so I have some free time on this snow filled Sunday afternoon, so I'm going to update this blog. However, I'm not putting pictures up from the last three months. WHAT?!?! I know, that is the only reason that you follow this blog. It would take way TOO long to upload all the pictures that I have taken since November. But, no fear ... I am giving you some links to look at the pictures that I have uploaded on this wonderful site called Facebook! :-) I hope you enjoy them!

Andrew - fun, random photos of Andrew
http://www.new.facebook.com/album.php?aid=39300&id=762739690&l=04da3

Family Time - pics of my family when we went to dinner at Red Lobster
http://www.new.facebook.com/album.php?aid=40502&id=762739690&l=38761



Christmas Card Pics -- all the pictures we took to get just the right one for our Christmas card
http://www.new.facebook.com/album.php?aid=42489&id=762739690&l=4ae86


December 2008
http://www.new.facebook.com/album.php?aid=53360&id=762739690&l=4c0c0


Christmas 2008
http://www.new.facebook.com/album.php?aid=53354&id=762739690&l=a7ecb


Josh's Surprise 30th Birthday Party
http://www.new.facebook.com/album.php?aid=53369&id=762739690&l=fdb9a


January 2009 http://www.new.facebook.com/album.php?aid=53362&id=762739690&l=14965

Andrew's 18 month photo shoot -- This is my favorite album ... so make sure you at least look at this one! http://www.new.facebook.com/album.php?aid=60867&id=762739690&l=c4ef9

Snow in March http://www.new.facebook.com/album.php?aid=60990&id=762739690&l=cc666

Okay ... so now you are all caught up on our life, well, at least our life in pictures. Things have been going pretty well for us. We enjoyed Thanksgiving and Christmas with our family. Andrew loved being with everyone and getting lots of attention! He knows how to entertain a crowd!



Thank you for all the prayers and notes of encouragement over the past few weeks. It is hard to believe that we have made it past the one year mark. This past year has had some ups and downs, but God is faithful and has given strength each and every day! It is great to know that He has great and wonderful plans for us! I pray that each of us would live each day so that we glorify Him in all that we do!

...

I cannot believe that it has been 52 weeks ...

Oh my ...

I apologize ... I have done a HORRIBLE job of keeping this updated. I am not going to make any promises, but I will try VERY hard to work on updating this week. Thank you for all your continued thoughts, prayers, and concerns! They are very much appreciated!

visit with the Stonecipher's

We had visitors this weekend ... Grandma and Papaw Stonecipher came to visit us! And they came bearing gifts ... well, one little gift for Andrew! It is an early Christmas present! It is a pretty cool little car and Andrew does love playing with it! It even has a cup holder!

Andrew playing in his new toy! He didn't want to get out for the longest time!

Saturday evening we went to a bonfire at some friends house. And it was COLD! So we bundled up nice and warm and had a great time!

Andrew eating his hotdog ... he wasn't so into taking pictures!

"You want some of my hot dog bun?"

Still eating ... sitting on Grandma's lap!

.... from Andrew
Thanks so much Grandma and Papaw for coming down to visit us! And thanks for my new car ... hopefully I don't peel out on the carpet! And thanks for watching me on Saturday so Mama could have some "her" time ... whatever that is! :) I love ya'll and can't wait to see ya'll again!

Love, Andrew

October ...

October was an uneventful month for us ... thankfully! Well, except one little thing ... Andrew had to switch day cares. The one that he had been in since he was seven weeks old closed. I wasn't too happy about having to find a new one ... but I think we found a pretty great one. It is closer to work, which is nice. And Andrew has done well with the change ... he never missed a beat!

Andrew with his fireman hat from daycare! He loved wearing it and we even had to take it to church one night cause he threw a fit for not having it on!

Andrew enjoys eating ... he prefers to feed himself ... and that can get pretty messy sometimes. Here he is eating yogurt!

Yes ... it is all over him ... sometimes I wish I could eat like that and it be okay! :)

Andrew playing with the soccer ball in front of our house!

Andrew sitting on Grandad's motorcycle!I know that I have already posted some pictures from our Fall Festival fun, but here are a few more!

Thing 1 and Thing 2

We even met up with Cat in the Hat!

Laughing and playing on the floor!

A Sweet Gift

While we were out in Arizona, I had the opportunity to meet up with some friends from Kenya ... friends that I hadn't seen in almost 10 years! While we were there, Keri presented us with a very precious and sweet gift. She had contacted me just after Jonathan had died and wanted to know if she could make something for Andrew out of Jonathan's clothes. I sent her all of his favorite clothes ... t-shirts, dress shirts, and pants. And she did the rest! The outcome is absolutely fabulous and something we will cherish for a lifetime. She made a quilt and a pillow. The pillow is called "What's in Daddy's Pocket?". It is made from pockets off the shirts and pants of some of the clothes. She had put little toys in some of the pockets for Andrew to find!

These pictures don't do justice to the quilt and pillow, but I want you all to see them.

Arizona ... in September

Okay ... so I am finally getting around to updating the blog. A lot has happened since my last post (well, since my last post about Andrew and I). We have been on a second family vacation ... to Arizona with the Stonecipher's. It was a great time to visit with family and to relax. We stayed with Randy and Bev Tozer, that is Jonathan's uncle and aunt. They have a beautiful home and had plenty of room for all of us. And they had a great pool! Andrew and I had fabulous time in Phoenix ... enjoy the pictures!

Papaw and Andrew hanging out by the pool

Sarah was our "resident chef" while we were there! She made an incredible pasta dish! It was the biggest bowl of pasta that I have ever seen!

Doesn't it look delicious?!?!

Andrew jumping to me ... well, he thought about it but never did!


Hanging out in the pool - Andrew loved the water!



Andrew and I - this is one of my favorite pictures!

The whole group of us ...

Andrew and I sharing ice cream at the train park
Waiting to ride the train at the train park


Going down the slide ... look at Andrew's hair ... gotta love some static!






Matt and Sarah - after one of our delicious dinners!

Papaw and his three boys!

Levi ...

Hi... Sorry for not posting this sooner. I've had several people ask me just today about Levi. He is doing well. He was discharged from the hospital Sunday morning. They even went to church on their way home! I know that Bonnie is so glad to be out of that hospital room! Thank you so much for each of your prayers. We appreciate it so much!

And just until I get some time to update the blog with some fun pictures ... here is one from Halloween. Andrew and I went with Avery and Granddad to the Harvest Festival at Josh and Bonnie's church ... we were a cute bunch! Avery was Snow White and Andrew and I were Thing 1 and Thing 2 - from Cat in the Hat.

Levi ...

Just wanted to let ya'll know that Levi passed his hearing test today! Praise the Lord! He will have to have another test in three months just to monitor it. Thanks so much for all the prayers. He has about 5 or 6 more days in the hospital, so please keep praying.

Levi Update

Hi. Just wanted to let you know that Levi did great with getting his central line placed today. I talked with Bonnie around lunch time and she said that they came and got him around 9 am and he was back in the room around 11 or 11:30am. And that he did great with everything. Thank you so much for all your prayers. Please continue to keep our family in your prayers.

Here are some pictures of Levi taken today after his central line placement ... (courtesy of Bonnie)

Update on Levi ... please keep Praying

Hi all! I just got another email from Bonnie with an update. Please keep Levi in your prayers!

I had mentioned in an earlier email that Levi was getting a better IV called a PICC line. He ended up not getting that line because his veins are too small. So in the morning he's going to get a central line. Please pray that everything goes smoothly. They'll be putting him to sleep and putting a breathing tube in and everything. I'm glad he's getting this line, but nervous about the procedure. He's already on his 3rd peripheral IV so it's definately needed. Thanks for your thoughts and prayers!
Bonnie

Update on Levi

Hi. Thank you so much for all your prayers. I ask that you keep praying. Levi was diagnosed with meningitis today. I am posting emails from Bonnie that give a little bit more information.

This first email was written at 10:30 this morning:

Levi is doing pretty well. The doctor's said his 24 hour blood culture results were negative, so that's a huge praise. Unfortunately they might want to go ahead and keep him for 10 days. He's being treated for Group B strep meningitis. They don't want to discharge Levi too soon and have more problems later. I really don't want to stay here 10 days, but I want what is best for my little munchkin! I guess they'll decide tomorrow for sure what the plan is after they get the 48 hour culture results.

This email was written at 3:50 this afternoon:

Well we are going to be staying for 14 days. One of the spinal tests was positive, so it looks like he has meningitis. There is still another test we're waiting on to determine if it's from the group B. Levi has gone now to get a special IV that will last longer than a peripheral IV. Please continue to pray for us. One of the side affects from meningitis is hearing loss. And I guess one of the antibiotics can cause hearing loss too so pray God will protect his ears. They also told me to watch out for seizures. I guess that's all for now.

Please pray that God would give the doctors and nurses wisdom in their treatment plan. Please pray that Bonnie would be able to have some rest, as much as she can sitting in the hospital room with Levi. I know that she is getting a little bored and stir crazy there. And continue to pray for Avery ... that she would do well with all the adjustments and changes that she is having to deal with. She got to spend the day with her "favorite" Aunt Tobey today, so I know that she had a blast! And pray for Josh as well ... he had to return to work today. Pray that he can stay focused at work for his safety (he works for the Memphis Fire Department).

I'll keep you updated as much as possible! Thanks again for your prayers!

a request ...

Hi all! So sorry for the long lapse in posting. I know that ya'll are just dying to see how Andrew is doing and what new things he has learned ... AND I promise that I will do that very soon! But I just wanted to write and ask a favor of you. I have a new nephew ... Josh and Bonnie had their little one on October 08. Levi Lawton Mann has been doing great. But he has had a fever for one or two days and Tylenol did not affect it, so they took him to the Emergency Department at Lebonheur Chil hospital in Memphis last night. That is where Tobey, my sister, works. They aren't really sure what is going on with him, but they are concerned since he is so young. They took blood and urine cultures to check for infection. They also did a spinal tap to check for meningitis. They admitted him into the hospital and are keeping him at least three days for observation while waiting on labs and cultures. Please keep Levi, Bonnie, Josh and Avery in your prayers. Pray that the doctors can determine what is going on with him. Pray that the nurses and doctors involved in his care communicate clearly with Josh and Bonnie. Pray that Josh and Bonnie get some rest during this time and that they would be comforted by God. And pray for Avery, I'm sure this is confusing and hard on her as well. Thanks so much for all your prayers!

LEVI LAWTON MANN ... isn't he just precious!

The Happy Mann Family

And you know I couldn't post without at least one picture of Andrew ... us with Levi!

And I will post some new pictures and get you all updated on life soon ... very soon!