What a great time!

Man, I love those girls! Sharon and Hannah got to come home last weekend. . . and got to stay the week! I still had to go to work, but, man! what a difference having those people around is! I mean that in a good way :) This weekend Sarah got to see her sister again and had a wonderful time feeding her, carrying her, playing with her. . . being a sister!

God has seasons for everything.

I've been bitter lately about some things God has chosen to act differently upon; Mimi for instance. (I don't really know if a semicolon goes there, but I know you read it with the appropriate inflection) Turns out, though, I'm not all that different than Jesus in terms of my prayer requests. Jesus asked His loving, all-knowing Heavenly Father, "Let this cup pass!" And God said. . .well, you know the story.

We had a drought. It rained. I had stress at work. It lifted. I missed my wife and daughter for 6 weeks. They came home. Be faithful. Sit back and live.

Hannah is smiling regularly (when she sees her father!), Laughing occasionally (much more so with her father), trying her darndest to sit up, sitting in the Boppy our friends Bob and Libby let us borrow, kicking and kicking and kicking, turning her head to and for and to, and being ever so expressive!

They have gone back to Chattanooga to square away things. . . but they'll be back :)

MiMi

Part of Hannah's story is the amount of drive that she gave her grandmother, Marilyn Holcomb, Sharon's mom. Mrs Holcomb was diagnosed with a rare cancer of the Peritoneam (sp?). She outlived the standard life expectancy of Peritoneal Cancer patients by double - all because she wanted to see, hold, love and enjoy Hannah. MiMi completed her journey today at 12:00p.m. It's funny because she had chiming mantle clocks in her house. That's not the funny part. The one in her bedroom has recently gotten hung up every 10, 11 and 12 o'clock hours. On those hours it would ringing seemingly incessantly. Actually it would ring about 15-20 times. Mrs Holcomb took her last breath right before the 12 o'clock chiming. We were right there with her watching to see if she was going to take another breath as the clock started. Well. . . we listened and watched as that clock started doing it's thing. But just as we noticed that it had rung it's annoying 20 times, it kept going. . . and going. . . and going. We all (me, Sharon and Shirley Bunn) started cracking up through our tears. I'll be danged if MiMi's spirit wasn't over there ringing that bell announcing her full and total arrival in Heaven.

So, how's the baby? :)

Everyone's so nice to ask. To which I say, "uhuhuh" (grunted version of "I don't know). Sharon and Hannah are in Chattanooga full time now. I've seen them 8 days in the last month.

Mrs Holcomb's friends have risen to the occasion to be there, helping Sharon in ways that are immeasurable. My mom and dad are up there for their 2nd week helping out. Of course, Hannah is in paradise with Nanny and PaPa there!

Mrs. Holcomb is very slowly declining. Sharon is doing an amazing job. Pray for 'Godspeed.'

Current

I know it's been a long time since my last post, but it's been as crazy as one would think with a new-born around. These days, though, Hannah is smiling cooing and being generally baby-cute! She and Sharon have been burning up the road in between home and Chattanooga to take care of her mom. Marylin now needs care 24/7. Yes, you all can pray us through this time.

All's Well

Everything is going as it should be. Sleep at night is sufficient, say, 3 or 4 hours. Healthy eating, pooping, crying and times of contentment is a part of every day. Sharon is a FABULOUS mother. Sarah is an ideal sister. I'm doin' alright, I guess.

Life is heaven.

This is the point in blogging when I don't know what to say.

Let us know if you have questions. . . that might prompt me with things to say!

Bitter Sweet

As I typed the last entry, we were waiting on Dr. Robbins to take care of an emergency plus a scheduled surgery. She finally came in around 3:00p.m. Sharon asked her, "how'd surgery go?" You know, a pretty gereral doctor-type of question. She said "not so good," which is cerainly something you DON'T expect the doctor to say. "Some days just stink." Turns out, going in to remove a cyst from a 24 year old single east indian girl, Dr. Robbins found advance staged ovarian cancer. One that is not detected through normal ovarian cancer tests. I forget the medical term she used for it.

Today is this girl's 25th birthday. She is weighing heavily on our hearts. Do pray for her.

On top of that news, we are home. We are safe, healthy. . . perfect.

Sharon is further on the mend. She made it up the stairs last night. Today, Saturday, she has spent her time sleeping, nursing, nursing again and she even organized and sorted for about 30 minutes. She then said, "ok that was my little outing for the day." So, she's been a good patient!

Hannah has been sleeping and nursing, being cute by making all those adorable sounds that infants make and then either sleeping or nursing some more. Did I mention the burping and other peripheral bodily functions she is displaying? Well, there is no need for another new parent blog that talks about that!

I'm Goin' Home. . .

Hannah doesn't really care for that song, as it is overplayed. But still, word on the floor is, we're going home today. Dr Robbins is due to come by ANY moment to start us on a speedy discharge. right. Mommy and baby are fabulous. Mommy's a little sore here and there, but anxious to get home and live a little.

Many many thanks to our parents who have been here for us this week! I'll post more once we do actually get home and squared away.

Please come visit 1) if you're not sick and 2) if you call ahead of time!