Noah and his monkey, PIP (acronym for his pediatric clinic).
The night before Noah was checked into the hospital on August 2nd, I changed the display on my cell from "i love em" to "grace peace". I wanted to change it to "i love em and noah" or "i'm the most blessed mom in the whole wide world" but those were too long. God has shown me so many times why "grace peace" were the words that would stare me in the face every time my phone rings. It is God's grace that daily sustains us. His grace that I draw on when I want to give a piece of my mind plus a little more to this person or that. It is His peace that enables us to look outside of our circumstances, beyond the mistakes and unknowns of medicine, and know in our deepest parts that Noah is in the safest "place" in the whole universe, God's protection.

We are truly grateful to God for all the wonderful people we have met through this experience. Obviously we would not have met so many great nurses if we were at home. We wouldn't have "met" a lot of you, and we've been really blessed to be able to join in prayer for your needs. We wouldn't have met so many other families that are fighting for their kids. No, hospital living is not ideal. I don't jump up and down every day with sheer excitement at our circumstances, because the reality is other peoples' reality is WAY worse. But, if I can't find the beauty in this, will I recognize it when it's in front of my face?