WE MADE IT!!!!

I am truly humbled and elated!!! We made it to a year folks! To God be the glory!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
We had our 1year doctor appointment today and though we are small and very far behind we are here to tell the tail.  Mr. Samuel is 16.9 lbs and 27 1/8 inches long, we are below the 5% but rejoicing in our victory.  We've made it through uncertain times, surgery, and unknowns and have come out on top.
Thank you family, friends, and people I don't even know for your prayers and support over the last year. We serve an awesome God who hears our requests.
As I look back on the last year it doesn't really feel like a full 12 months, feels more like 6-7.  Where does the time go?
We are pretty much settled into our home in Louisville and I can't wait to get it decorated for the Christmas Holiday.  I begin caring for a little 2 month old boy starting on Wednesday and will have him 5 days a week. Yet another chapter begins!
Continue to pray for Samuel's development.  We are growing by leaps and bounds but still have many hills to climb and overcome.  We still aren't crawling, walking, or sitting up completely on our own yet but we are getting there.  Our PT is very encouraged by his sitting and pulling up to stand abilities and thinks he may walk first and have to revisit crawling. I'm fine with that!  We will hopefully be getting new ear molds very soon so that we can start wearing and getting used to our hearing aids again, the original molds have gotten small and are causing air to leak into the aid which causes them to make high pitch noises which Samuel doesn't care for and so won't wear the aid very long.  We will also be going to a new audiologist which I am very excited about. 
We have also added a nutritionist to Samuel's first step plan so that we can keep track of nutrition now that we are moving onto people food and whole milk. I want to make sure we keep growing like we should. So far he's taken really well to foods and loves to try different things which is great!  When we are done with his current container of formula we will make the switch to whole milk, pray that it goes well and that we don't run into any problems. I've given him dairy and he has done fine with it so I'm hoping that the switch goes well. It will defiantly be cheaper which will be wonderful!
Scott is really enjoying working for Sarcom and so far things are going well with the project they are currently working on.  He also received an ARCOM at drill this weekend  after the family Christmas lunch that they had on Sunday.  It was so nice to be there for that surprise, Scott didn't know he was getting it. :) 
We continue to love our Church and Community Group and have been very blessed by the support we have gotten from them over the last year. Such wonderful, encouraging people!
I hope that all of you are getting in the Christmas Spirit!
If you don't have our current address here it is.
12218 Crosswinds Drive
Louisville, KY 40243

Merry Christmas Everyone!

The Paiges

It's Getting Crazy Around Here!!!

Well Folks sorry it's been awhile, I'm sure you will be forgiving when I fill you in on all the happenings.
First off, Samuel is doing amazing!!! He had his 9month check up a week ago and the pediatrician said he's happy with his progress, we are still really behind but keeping in mind everything that he's had going on the doc was happy with what he saw. Samuel is 26inches long and now weights 13lbs 11oz...I am thrilled with his progress.  He's more active and curious than ever and it's great to see how the Lord is healing him and allowing him to develop. We continue to ask that you pray for us as we take things one day at a time.
The house is coming along nicely, we have run into some issues with water damage in the laundry room but are thankful for home owners insurance that has been helpful in getting things fixed, or on the road to being fixed.  But on a good note we are really loving making this house our home...just feels like it's taking a little longer than I had hoped, but we do have the rest of our lives.
I have an exciting opportunity and will begin taking care of a newborn the Monday after Thanksgiving in our home.  I'm excited but keep us in your prayers as this will be something new and unknown. 
Scott is really enjoying his new job and so far things are going smoothly. 
All in all we are doing well and just enjoying our new home and the Lord's faithfulness to us as we watch Mr. Samuel grow  and develop.

Love to all from Middletown Kentucky

The Paige Family

Mr. Samuel

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Middletown Home

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So Good To Be Home

It's so good to be home! Home from the hospital and home in our new home! 
Samuel is doing fantastic! Healing really well and quickly too.  We went to the Cardiologist last Thursday (September 15th) and he said that everything looked great, no fluid around his heart or swelling.  Samuel was also up to 13lbs 4oz...I couldn't believe it! He really has changed a lot sense his surgery, it's amazing! He's more energetic for sure, but thankfully not in a bad way.  He's eating and sleeping really well, he took 8oz for the first time in his life this morning...Praise the Lord!  It's funny to watch Samuel do things that he's never really done before and be more active than I've ever seen him. It's such a joy to watch him grow and develop. The Lord is so good!
The house is coming along nicely...we've had a few issues arise sense moving in.  The laundry room had a leak that Scott fixed, but not before mold decided to grow in between the drywall and soak the wood.  So, the laundry room is out of order at the moment due to repair and deconstruction...haha We also had a few things like the garbage disposal and dishwasher that need repair.  So, for me the house is lovely but also kinda a pain in the butt, the joys of home ownership.  haha I told Scott that if we ever move again, many many many years from now that we are building so I know I won't have to do anything for awhile.haha
But all in all things are coming along nicely.  We've painted the master and guest bedrooms as well as the hall bathroom and part of the hall and everything really feels more like home.  We still have a lot of work to do, but I'm really enjoying making this house our home...it's easier being in a ranch style, no stairs. :)
I'll try and add pictures somehow in a different post, I'll check with my computer savie husband to see the best way of going about it. :)  So check back soon to see if I have them up yet.
Nona, my mom, was here for a visit. She arrived Sunday and left again on Wednesday.  A short visit but it was so wonderful to see her and have her help unpacking some boxes and to love on Samuel when I was occupied with a large task. Samuel really enjoyed his visit with Nona and is looking forward to our Thanksgiving visit down to Georgia when we can see everyone and show them how big we are getting.
It's been brought to my attention recently, thanks to my amazing mom the truth that we cling to the Lord more in the tough times than in the everyday mundane.  How true this is, especially for me. I find that the hardest times to cling to the Lord are when I get frustrated or upset with my amazing husband or Mr. Samuel.  Lord, teach me to cling to you even in the mundane! I've also been finding it hard to make the Lord a priority in my life, making time in my day to just fellowship, abide and just fall more in love with my Savior. I do desire to grow and learn but am so easily distracted by the things that need to get done in the home and unfortunately Facebook. I need to make time in my day somewhere so please be praying for me to use my time wisely and to the glory of God.
I'm looking forward to being back in church this week, I've missed fellowshiping with our brothers and sisters at Sojourn.

I pray everyone is well and that the Lord is working in your life in amazing ways, even if you can't see it yet.

Love to all!

The Paige Family

took these of Mr. Samuel today. :)

My Heart Is Glad!

Well folks, today is the day we close on the new house! I'm so excited! There is soooo much to do there but by the end of the weekend we should be all moved in! My Heart is glad, it's smiling, I'm pretty sure if I could see it that it would be smiling...haha 
I'll be sure to take lots of pictures of the new place so that everyone can see it. It's not really anything spectacular but we are in the neighborhood we have wanted to be in sense we got married.  Something we thought would take much longer than 3 years.  Again the Lord is great, and truly looks out for His children.
Samuel has been out of the hospital sense Saturday and man has it made a difference! He's so happy and smiling and you can tell he feels so much better! Makes my smiling heart want to burst!
The Lord is great and greatly to be praised. Samuel has done a lot of sitting today...mostly supported but I gave him a few independent moments and he did an Amazing job of keeping himself up. Hopefully we will start back with PT very soon! 
He's also eating like a champ! Today so far we have eaten close to 20oz, I think, and had a container and a half of baby food.  This my friends would have taken all day before surgery and might not have happened at all really.  It's so wonderful to see such a difference and so quickly. 
Continue to pray that he would recover completely and that no other issues would arise.  Due to the constipation issues we had while in the hospital the doctors thought I would be a very good idea to have an upper GI CT scan done, which we requested to be done this week.  Pray that it would reveal nothing and that everything would be fine, after the barium enema they think his colon or large intestine might be detached from his stomach wall which could lead to problems.  We really really really don't want to have to spend any more time in the hospital. Samuel has the CT scan on Wednesday morning, please be praying that all goes well and that it was all due to formula and medications during the hospital stay.
Well I had better say so long for now...trying to be a little productive while Samuel naps.

Love to all!
The Paiges

Is Today the Day?

Well folks...today we are waiting to hear if we can go home or not.  They want to do a barium enema to make sure that the constipation issues we were having aren't anything serious.  So for now...we wait.  Pray that it is something we can do later and that we will be able to go home and in time for the Georgia game at 4:30. :)
Samuel is doing well and looks amazing...maybe a little puffy and bloated but over all amazing!  When we got to the hospital at 8ish he was all smiles...talk about melt your heart!

The Cardiologist is still very optimistic that he won't need the pacemaker forever, so please be praying for that.  We will have a follow up visit on Thursday with the cardiologist.

It will be so nice when we are moved into our new house, hopefully some time this week. The hardwood floors will hopefully be done tomorrow (Sunday) and we will hopefully close on Monday and be able to clean some during the week and begin to move things in. 
I'm starting to get excited! So much to look forward to this week. Once we close on the house I will take pictures. :)  So check back middle of the week to see what's new.
Hope each of you has a wonderful weekend!

From Kentucky with Love,
The Paige's

Get Me Outta Here!

Well the more nights I spend at the hospital the more and more I'm ready to be home!
Samuel is still doing well but on the pacemaker.  They have started him on a steroid that has already improved the strength of his rhythm which is a great sign.  Pray that it would be effective and that Samuel would be able to go home soon. We are all ready to leave!
Today Scott is at the Shelbyville house working on the yard and finishing up all the cleaning and packing whatever small things and food items that are left.  He's such an amazing Husband and and even better Daddy!!! Samuel and I are so lucky!!! :)
Continue to pray for us as it's another busy week! Pray that we would get to go home and that we would have a smooth closing and move in at our new home! That there would be no unforeseen issues arise and that everything would be taken care of.
I'm ready for things to settle down and get back into a rhythm.
Thanks for all your prayers and support! This would be so much difficult without every one's prayers.
Hoping each of you are doing well!

Resting in Christ!
Lauren

Samuel chilling this morning after our mom son nap! :)

Just looking at the wires that show his monitor stats

It's Sunday

Well Folks, IT'S SUNDAY!!!! haha
the docs just did rounds a little while ago and are pleased with Samuel's progress.  He is still needing to be paced although he does have a rhythm on his own they are more concerned about it not being strong enough and consistent. We are still waiting for Tuesday to see if we will need to go back to the operating room for a permanent pacemaker...keep praying against it but it wouldn't be the end of the world if he had to have it.  But it would be AMAZING if he didn't! They have also decided to start him back on a steroid to see if it will help with some of the inflamtion and maybe allow him to start pacing himself again. Pray Pray Pray!
Scott and I should be finished moving and have everything cleaned and ready for the renters to move in this afternoon. This will be a huge stress relief for me, and one less thing to worry about!
Scott's parents are graciously allowing us to use their garage to store our entire house until next weekend when we will move in. We weren't able to close on the new house Thursday as we had originally anticipated. We had an issue with a hot water heater pipe that broke and ruined the hardwood floors so we weren't able to close.  The hardwood will be replaced this week and we should close by friday and be able to move in over the weekend.  I'm starting to get excited!

Pray for me as this will be a long week of waiting at the hospital.  Pray that I would spend time with the Lord and that it is a time of refreshment.

Here are two pictures...He looks amazing! Hope you enjoy looking at them!

The Lord His great and greatly to be praised!!!!

 

What An Awesome God We Serve!

Wow...God is so good! We have improved by leaps and bounds and so very quickly! Samuel is not free of his arterial and ventricular lines as well as his chest tube and catheter. We are down to the pacemaker and an IV in his foot for meds and such.   We are still praying that the Lord would allow Mr. Samuel to keep his heart rhythm on his own so that the pacemaker can be eliminated and we can get out of the ICU and be one step closer to home. 
We have had a few hiccups with the house which have added stress in unwanted places. We won't be able to move into the new house until next weekend and so will be at Scott's parents till we are able to close and get moved in.  Pray that I would rest in the Lord as this makes me toil and spin instead of running to my Abba.  I tend to try and solve the problem on my own instead of abiding in Christ.
Things are going really well though and all in all I have nothing but praises!
Pray for me as I am feeling a little disconnected from Mr. Samuel, that I as his mother am not able to sooth and care for him like a mother should.  It could me being over sensitive to the situation due to stresses. But whatever it is I feel it bringing me down and making me feel a little sad.  I tried holding Mr. Samuel for a little while and I don't know if it was just discomfort or him fighting sleep as usual but it wasn't easy to get him soothed and to sleep, which made me sad and feel like I'm not able to make him comfortable, especially when Scott had such an easy time this morning. Pray that I would just love on him and do my best to be the best mom I can be for him. God will supply all that I need, I just have to ask.
Well...we are here at the hospital for the night, loving on our boy.
Hope you all are having a wonderful evening!
Praise be to God for all the amazing things He is doing!!!

Abiding in Christ...
Lauren

This is Samuel before they took off his dressing and took out the chest tube...he looks less plugged in how

On the Road to Recovery!

PRAISE PRAISE PRAISE the LORD!!!!!!!!!
What can I say...God has again shown his awesome power over everything! He allowed Samuel's surgery to go smoothly and so far we haven't run into any complications or problems.  Continue to pray that things would stay this way.  He still has a breathing tube, this will hopefully come out some time today before noon if we are lucky.
We spent the night at Scott's parents house again so that we could get some good quality sleep, I'm still tired though. haha 
When we got back to the hospital this morning Samuel's night nurse said he was a handful all night...which didn't surprise me at all.  They had to weight down his arms so that he wouldn't keep trying to pull stuff out.  That's our boy!

Here is a picture of him...just took it a few minutes ago.  He's such a trooper!
We continue to ask that you would pray for a speedy, uncomplicated recovery. That he wouldn't need a pacemaker and that the Lord would continue to be glorified in everything. 
I am so thankful for all who are and have been praying for our Mr. Samuel, it's been amazing to watch the Lord work and answer prayer. We serve a mighty God who is capable of doing everything!
If you have any questions or anything you can leave a comment...I've got plenty of time and nothing to do while I'm here sitting with our sweet boy.

Love to all from Kosair Children's Hospital!
Lauren

Feeling Good!

We made it to the hospital...got all checked in and Samuel got his pre-surgery (buzz) medication.

Here's a picture of Samuel...He's feeling good! As you can see we look as tired as we feel!
We are really blessed that Samuel is such an amazing young man and has such an easy nature.  He didn't fuss at all this morning and he hadn't eaten sense 9 last night.  He was all smiles, even when he woke up.
Praise the Lord for a great start!
The Nurse came in a few minutes ago to let us know that he was on bypass and they were actually getting started on the surgery.  So far everything is going well...glad we only have a few hours left. 
I'll let you all know how things have gone once it's over.

Lauren

A Day to Go!

Our Kitchen face lift

Well folks...we have one more day of waiting then it's go time! Excited to finally be so close. 

Pray for us as this will be a very very busy and exhausting week for all of us.

I will do my best to make a post the day of Samuel's surgery some time in the evening once we have a better idea of how he did and what's going on with him. 

Please continue to pray for Samuel's health and his doctors and nurses. We know that whatever happens the Lord is totally and completely in control and that we have nothing to worry about. 

Thanks for all your prayers...keep them up! We still have a long way to go!

The house is almost totally packed up and ready to move...just have clothes really. Thursday we decided to paint the kitchen and cabinets. We love it and it goes well with the beach house color scheme we have going on in the rest of the house.
Pray that I would use the rest of my time wisely and be focused on what I still need to get done!
I'll  be sure to post pictures of the new place once the papers are signed and I can run by and take some. 
So many exciting things...I feel so blessed and happy yet at the same time so very nervous.

Loving each of you because of the Love Christ has for us!

The Paiges

Mr. Samuel last night at bath time... he reminds me of the guys from the lollipop guild in the wizard of Oz. :)

I hate waiting!

So...we are less than a week away from Surgery and closing on the house! Wow!  Can it be next Friday already? Yes, I'm tired of waiting lets just get this show on the road!
In the mean time, while waiting, I've been soaking up every second of our amazing Mr. Samuel.  After getting his hearing aids a week ago I have really noticed a lot of changes and each of them have been so delightful and encouraging.  I've noticed he is more curious and will actually play with his toys for more than a few seconds. He has also started pulling himself  up when seated in a chair as well as sitting independently for a few seconds (he does have to support himself with his hands)...praise the Lord for progress!  Keep praying! The Lord is doing mighty things and I'm humbled that the He is allowing me to see His Majesty daily. I was starting to get a little discouraged but once again the Lord has perfect timing!
We have started a new sermon series at church called PROOF...it's looking into Proof of God's Grace. It's been really wonderful going through the devotional they have provided. If your interested here's a link for devotional download. http://sojournchurch.com/2011/08/21/proof-sermon-series-devotional-free-download/
I've been trying to make time with the Lord part of my daily life as I find my days are more enjoyable and I have a few less meltdowns. haha  With everything going on I find I can make so many excuses as to why it doesn't get done. 
Well now that Samuel is asleep for his first nap of the day I had better use my time as wisely as possible and try to get some things done.

Love to all from Kentucky!

The Paiges

What A Week!!!

Wow! What a week!!! Glad to say one down...one and a half to go. 
Samuel's MRA as I said before, went well and we found out from the heart surgeon that he has the shunts (the problem areas) in his heart each of which are making little man stay exactly that.  But he seems confidant that the surgery will be effective and go well.  I'll be reporting on that next Thursday...as his surgery is next Wednesday!!!! Can't believe it's next week...pray for me I'm starting to get nervous and a little scared but I know that the Lord has everything totally and completely under control.
Please Keep Mr. Samuel in your prayers the next week and a half.  After his MRA this week he seems to developed a rather nasty cough and congestion.  I don't know if it's a combination of the breathing tube they had to put in for the MRA on top of some more teething and not an all together wonderful week.  But pray that the Lord would allow him to get over whatever it is and that he would be health and well for his surgery next week.
Oh yes, Samuel got his hearing aids this past week as well! HE IS SOOOOO CUTE...even with the hearing aids! Here's a picture to prove it! :)

These are a temporary pair as the ones they ordered for him are still not in. The ones they ordered for him are much slimmer and RED! :) We are still adjusting to having them and he's already pulled them out and tried to eat them a few times, the right ear more than the left. I can tell already that he is more aware of sounds around him and I'm trying to pay close attention to what sounds and noises he reacts to.  I'm hoping that our OT can help me a little with the hearing aids today and just kinda tell me a few things that I should be looking for in the way of his being able to hear things.  It's super exciting to know that he is able to hear more than he did before. Pray that he would continue to adjust well to the hearing aids and that he wouldn't be bothered by them.

We continue to pack up things throughout the week for our big move in two weeks...getting excited to be back in Louisville.  Samuel spent all Saturday with his Grandma and even had his first sleepover.  We are so grateful to Grandma for keeping him so that we were able to get the entire kitchen packed and moved to their garage.  We were also able to have a date night and celebrate Scott's birthday at the same time...first time we've been able to celebrate his birthday on his actual birthday sense being married. :)
We got together with friends and family at Scott's parents house yesterday for a pizza and board game birthday party.  Scott had a blast, he loves board games!

Well, I think that's all the catching up I have to do!
Busy week of packing and cleaning...keep me in your prayers!  I'm also trying to find lifeguards to take my last four shifts at the pool so that I can keep packing and getting things done, pray that the Lord would provide those guards easily and that I would ask the right people.

I pray everyone is doing well and that you had a wonderful weekend.
If you ever have any questions for us you can either leave a comment or you can e-mail us at
scottandlaurenpaige@gmail.com

For those of you that have requested our new address in Middletown I will but that and pictures up as soon as we close on the house next Thursday. 

Love to all!

The Paiges

Feeling Jumbled

As I sit here trying to type I'm finding it very difficult for some reason.  I feel things are off from the usual and it's bothering me.  As I took a little time to journal and pray this morning I found myself saddened at the feeling of being removed (on my part) from my normal enjoyment that comes from spending time with my Father.  I don't know what's wrong but I pray it's made right quickly.  I have a feeling it might be a continuation of our no good very bad day yesterday.
Samuel Had his MRA yesterday and although the MRA itself went really well we had a very very cranky, hungry, sleepy little guy on our hands. For some reason we feel he had more trouble with this non invasive procedure than with the cath a few weeks ago.  Once he woke up from the sedation the poor guy did go back to sleep for more than 10min around 8pm, he had only had a 30min nap earlier that morning due to a neurology appt. So, we finally got him home and in bed around 10pm...it was a really long day for both of us!   We don't yet know the results of the MRA but if they don't call me by Thursday I am sure when we meet the heart surgeon on Friday he will be able to tell us the results.
Here is a little growth update on Mr. Samuel:
Weight-12lbs 8oz
Height- 25 1/4in
we haven't made huge strides in this area but we are praying that all changes after surgery.

Here are some things I would love for you to pray for:

For us to enjoy Samuel as much as possible before his surgery
That surgery would be uneventful,uncomplicated, and successful!
That Samuel would recovery quickly and with no complications
That the Lord would use this surgery for His glory and that we would look for ways to Glorify Him.
That I would be patient with both Scott and Samuel as I feel stressed with appointments, packing, and finishing up my summer at the pool. 
That I would spend time daily in prayer, study, and fellowship with my Father. 
For my dad (Harold) as he has his last heavy chemo treatment today. That it would be effective in completely eliminating the cancer that is left and that the next few weeks would not leave him feeling ill, tired, and gross all the time.
For my mom as she takes care of my dad. That she would find refreshment and rest in Christ on days where she feels weary.

I can't thank you all enough for all the ways you love and encourage us from near and far!

Love to all!
The Paige Family

Hearing Aids...

Wanted to let everyone know that Samuel will hopefully have his loaner hearing aids on the 19th of August.  If the ear molds still fit from last time we will go home with them that day...if not we will have to have new ones made and wait for them to come in.  We should have them before surgery though which is so exciting! Thanks to all who have been praying for everything...keep it up!  I am continually blown away with how the Lord is providing.  My heart is full of gratitude!

Hope you enjoy the photos...I've discovered the only thing to keep Mr. Samuel regular is feeding him prunes daily! haha

this is a picture I took this morning...hehe

Our love to all!

The Paiges

Feeling Accomplished

Today I am feel super accomplished!  I have done a grand total of two things, that's right two!  #1...fed & played with Mr. Samuel, most important thing on the list! #2...cleared out the very very very small flower or should I say weed bed next to the front door!  Now to most of you, like my mother, this is like a really really small task that could have been done in about 15 seconds on any given day. For me,  it's one of the least important things on my list! Just so you know I have been watching it grow weeds sense spring and finally today, after noticing that one of the weeds was almost as tall as me when I stand on the porch decided that it was time to tackle the beast. It took me about 20 minutes start to finish...not bad.  I went out by myself and left Mr. Samuel playing on the floor inside...when I came back in this is what I found. :) 

I have loved only working two days this week, it's much easier to take care of the house when you have more than two days to clean it and still enjoy spending time with Mr. Samuel. With the upcoming surgery I find that I want to spend more time with him and less time working on things I know need to be done. He won't be himself for anywhere from 4-8 weeks after the surgery and so I am trying to fit in as many smiles and laughs as well as having as much play time as possible.  We continue to work on all our physical therapy stretches and activities on a daily basis, which some days prove to be a challenge for both of us.  But, we keep at it and are happy to be seeing results in all the areas we have to work on.  The Lord has been so good and so very very faithful to us through all the many trials of the last year.  Can't believe it's been almost a year sense I found out about my Diabetes and the reason for many of the complications we have faced with Mr. Samuel. It fills me with Thankfulness to know that I haven't had to work through all the bumps in the road on my own. I am thankful for the Lord being with me through everything and that He has provided such strong and amazing Christian family and friends to support, encourage, and love me and us through everything. I don't know how people deal with hardships and trials without the Lord to lean on.

Well while Mr. Samuel is still asleep I think I will try and tackle a through cleaning of the kitchen and a cup of coffee.  Well looks like I might just get the cup of coffee, Mr. Samuel's eyes just popped open! :)

Love You all so much!

Lauren

So Much Good News!!!!

Where to begin...
Mr. Samuel has a surgery date as of Friday!!!! Looks like the big day will be August 31st! I have to admit after I got off the phone with the office I cried.  I was happy to have a date but terrified that it was actually going to happen.  Please keep us in your prayers as we prepare for this physically and emotionally.  Samuel is also in the process of teething...go figure. He's being a champ about it and besides being congested is doing really well with it...you can already feel the ridges on the front, bottom left tooth! Super Excited!
For those of you that might be unaware we are in the process of buying our second home.  We will be closing on the house September 1st, yes that's right I said September 1st...as in the day after Samuel's surgery!  I can't help but notice the trend in our life. We closed on our first house last year around August 25th or so while I was in the ICU. Go big or go home seems to be the trend we are setting...haha not sure that's a good thing but I guess we will figure it out one of these days. So with the house closing being the 1st looks like we will be moving the same weekend as last year (Sept 3 & 4) depending on how things go with Mr. Samuel.
Scott found out last week that it looks very promising for the company he is working for to have their current contract extended for anywhere from another year to five years. We are very grateful that the Lord is providing over and over again. 
I got a call Saturday from a local Christian school after submitting an application for a substitute preschool teaching position. I informed her of Samuel's surgery and she said she would call me back in a month or so and then put me on the sub list and that if I was interested that she has three classes opening in January that she needs assistant teachers for...I am very interested, but want to see how things go with Mr. Samuel.
So, lots of exciting things going on! Lots to pray over and about.
We appreciate and covet everyones prayers as this month will be very full.
I Pray everyone is doing well and enjoying what's left of your summer!

Love and Peace In Christ,
Lauren

Getting closer

Hello All, 
Wanted to let you know we are still waiting on a surgery date. Samuel's cardiologist called Tuesday to let us know that after reviewing the cath they would like to do an MRA before proceeding with the surgery. They are concerned that one of his veins is not in the correct spot and want the MRA to be sure.  The MRA is scheduled for August 16th. It will be another sedated procedure, due to his age.  Please keep us in your prayers as we wait for the 16th and then wait again for our surgery date and day to arrive.  I am growing impatient and agitated as I'm ready to get all of this behind us.  I'm ready to have Mr. Samuel going down the road to recovery. 
We are thinking the closing date for our new home will be September 1st and will be moving that weekend.  Pray that the Lord would provide renters for our current home and that they will be people who take care of it. 
I'm glad that the summer is almost over, the sun is wearing me out more this year than ever and leaves me a little agitated by the end of the day. I have to apologize to my wonderful husband all the time as he is the recipient of all of this, he is so patient with me and I am so lucky to have him. 
Continue to keep us in your prayers as well have much going on in the next two months...pray that Samuel would handle everything well, continue to eat well and sleep well also.  Pray for us that stress would be minimal, we would seek and depend on Christ through all of the upcoming events and changes and that we would make time for one another in that mix.
We love you all and thank you for your support and prayers!

Lauren, Scott, and Mr. Samuel

Good News

I forgot to mention that we got the results back from the total body x-ray that Mr. Samuel had the end of June and everything was normal.  Praise the Lord for good results!  Hopefully we will have a surgery date some time this week, so check back I'll post as soon as I know.
Hope everyone is doing well!

Lauren

what a long day

As I sit here listening to the thunder outside and the motor of the baby swing containing sleeping Mr. Samuel I am filled with joy that though Monday was such a long day God brought us through smoothly! You see yesterday Morning I woke up at 5:30 a.m. wanting to make sure Mr. Samuel got in as much food as possible before his 7 a.m. food cut off time.  After getting in a 5oz bottle around 6:15 a.m.  I couldn't go back to sleep thinking of all the what if's of the day.  I laid in bed silently praying, crying, and asking my Heavenly Father to get us through without complications and with a definite conclusion for Mr. Samuel.  Scott told me he didn't have to go to work if I felt he needed to go with me, I assured him it would be better for him to go to work and to the home inspection we had absent mindedly scheduled on this important Monday, and that i would call him after I knew what was going on.  Scott got ready for work and then we prayed for our very busy day before he left a little before 7 that morning.  I took the opportunity to get myself  ready and gather everything I thought we might need for the day and possibly having to stay over night.  Samuel, being an amazing and already wise you man slept in till about 9:30! He handled not being able to eat very well and only put up a small fuss when he discovered his bottle only contained water.  I got him ready gave him some water put all our stuff in the car and we were out the door a little  after 10 a.m. so that we could run by Sam's club for more formula before heading to Kosair Children's Hospital.  We arrived around 11:15 a.m. and got checked in before heading to the 8th floor where they gathered information on Mr. Samuel before our long wait began. And and long wait it was indeed! We were on the 8th floor from 11:30 till a little before 3. This is where I have to brag about our little trooper! The whole time we were waiting he never once had a fit. If he started to get fussy we would go for a walk or find another distraction, thankfully we managed to get a nap in from a little before 12 till around 1:30, otherwise things might not have gone so well.  Scott decided to work a half day and showed up at the hospital shortly after Samuel had fallen asleep.  Around 3 is when our wait was getting closer to being over. We were down in the waiting area of the cath lab waiting on the doc and for them to come get Mr. Samuel, who is still being awesome! They finally took him back around 3:15 and the doc showed up around 3:20 with everything getting started around 3:45.  The cath took about 2 hours and went really well, the doc got everything he needed to have a clear picture of what was going on.
Around 4p.m. Scott left the hospital to go to the home inspection and shortly after my wonderful mother in law came and spent about 2 hours with me.  When the doc came and got me to take me back and show me everything I was glad to have her with me and couldn't think of a better more knowledgeable person to have by my side.  the doc explained all the pictures had taken and showed us where the hole was and how much was being pushed back through.  The hole he has is pretty big and between the right and left ventricle. I asked him how soon they will want to do surgery, if it was something they would wait a little while to do or would he want to get it done soon.  He said that he will be putting him on the schedule and he would think it will be happening in the next month.  So, I don't have a surgery date yet but I'll be posting again as soon as I know. After finishing up talking to the doc we waited for them to bring Mr. Samuel by on his way to recovery.  We headed up to his room where i waited for Mr. Samuel to arrive.  He was brought to the room close to 7p.m. and I was so happy to see my still out of it little guy.  The nurses got his vitals and told me I could go ahead and let him have something to eat. I used their little 2oz premixed formula bottles and he drank that in under 5 min, a record for our little guy! When I tried to switch out the empty bottle he had in his hands with a full one he wouldn't let go of the empty one.  It was so funny yet sad at the same time! I can only imagine how hard it was to go 12 hours without eating, especially for our little guy! He downed about 6oz before going back to sleep.  So, we waited a little more and around 9p.m. he had his blood drawn for labs and went down to get a chest x-ray. we waited for the results on that and for the doc to be called before being discharged.  We left the hospital around 11:20p.m., got home around 12 put Samuel to bed and then we crashed.  It wasn't a very restful night as Samuel seemed to wake up often and then was up for good at 7:15 Tuesday morning.  But, we made it through Monday and everything went SO well!
I want to thank you all for your prayers on Monday for Mr. Samuels cath and for us as we went through this process.
Please keep us in your prayers as we prepare for Samuels surgery as well as a move.  We also would covet your prayers and ask that you be praying that the Lord would provide the perfect renters for our current home. I would love to know it's in great hands.  Pray that in all things we would lean on the Lord, find strength and rest in Him.  Also, that we would seek Him daily and spend time finding refreshment in his word and in fellowship with our Father. 

Here is a picture of Samuel waiting...got so hungry even the book looked yummy!

SOS

It came to my attention this morning as I was spending time with the Lord that when my life gets crazy or more starts happening instead of running to the Lord for what I need I start running from Him.  After giving it some thought and wondering why I do this I figured it out.  I do it because the closer I am to Him the less control I have and what can I say, I'm a control freak at times!  So after what is turning into three busy weeks in a row and a crazy weekend somewhere in the mix I found myself feeling so distant from the one person that would help bring calm to what is a very large storm growing inside my heart and head. 
After reading 1st John this morning and spending some time journaling I feel like what could have landed me shipwrecked is now slowly calming to just a little rough patch on the adventure. 
I feel like there is so much going on! We are in the process of buying a home in Middletown and just had everything officially approved yesterday...exciting yes, but for me very very scary at the same time. I'm not one to take risks...how I've managed to come out of the house and live I have no idea.  But I like things for the most part to stay predictable and uncomplicated, my life that used to be the for mentioned is now anything but! 
So, house...big thing! Next we have pool problems at work that continue to cause problems for me in so many different ways that it's frustrating.  After that we have Samuel, he's having his heart cath done on Monday afternoon and I'm growing more and more nervous.  I know the Lord has every single one of these things perfectly under control but I don't! I don't know what is going to happen or come of all of these things and like I said...Control Freak! I feel like some of them, well all of them, I have no control over. 
So, I'm trying my very best to pray! Every time I start to feel overwhelmed just say a little prayer and ask the Lord for peace, wisdom, and a calm spirit. It's the only thing I can think to do...I'll let you know how it goes!  But in the mean time I'll just keep praying and clinging to the Lord and if I get off course He'll bring me back! He is so good and faithful to never leave me and He doesn't...I just try and take over and steer this ship in the wrong direction...will I never learn???
Praying, Clinging, Trusting, Resting, In Christ Alone!

Lauren

Put on your listening ears

We just finished our first session with the OT! I feel so truly blessed that the Lord has put together an amazing team of ladies to work with our family as we try to give Mr. Samuel every opportunity to have an upper hand in his development.  The OT showed me some signs to do with him to aid in promoting listening skills and speech in the future. 
For me it feels there is a lot to remember to do with Mr. Samuel between the PT and OT...pray that I will be intentional in doing the exercises and different things they have shown me to do.  Sometimes it gets a little overwhelming especially when I feel my time is limited already.

Here are two pictures from our trip down to Georgia.  We left Friday morning and got back very late Sunday evening.  It was wonderful to see my parents and on saturday evening to watch my girlfriend get married.  The visits never feel long enough but are always nice. Wish it wasn't so long of a drive!

I knew I forgot something!

Last Wednesday I took Samuel to get his blood work done for his single kidney as well as to get a full body x-ray.  The x-ray went well, I have yet to hear anything back from it but will inquire next week if I don't get a call by the end of this week.
The blood work was a little more challenging! It took them awhile to find a good vein in his arm and after they stuck him it filled up the tubing going to the specimen tube but that was it.  So, they had to do a heel stick which was painful for me to watch.  Poor kiddo was getting really tired, was hungry, and just ready to be done and we are doing this one drop of blood at a time...but we made it through and had a wonderful rest of the day!
I got a call from the urologist the same afternoon telling me that everything look fantastic and that they would be seeing us at our already scheduled appointment in December.  So thankful that though we have run into many complications the Lord has allowed his only kidney to be functioning beautifully!
Praying that each of you is doing well and that you are blessed and encouraged by reading this.

In Christ,
Lauren

Sorry this took so long to post

Where to begin??? First off I appologize for this taking so long to post! I feel like work and life have kept me very busy the last few week and so much has been going on that I  have wanted to share with everyone.  I am sure I will forget many things is this post...so there might be one shortly after.  I would like to try and set aside a day and time where I sit down collect my thoughts and update...but for some reason it's easier said than done! So...here it goes!

Mr. Samuel had his first ever pool experience a few weeks ago when Scott brought him to Norton Commons.  The water was a little chilly but he did really well and I do believe enjoyed it! I have attached the two best pictures from that day.

Last Tuesday Mr. Samuel and I met with the First Steps ladies as well as his Physical Therapist (PT) and Occupational Therapist (OT), I'm so excited to be working with both of them!  We talked about Samuel's service plan and decided on PT once a week and OT twice a month for the next 6 months.  Samuel had his first PT session yesterday and it went really well! Samuel was wonderful and tolerated being moved into positions that he doesn't usually care for.  The PT showed me some stretches to do with Samuel after diapers changes as well as ways to encourage tummy time, which he HATES! By the end of the session we went from 5sec on our tummy to about a minute...we are going for 5-15 minutes the more we practice.  Pray for Samuel as he will be challenged weekly at PT. Pray that the Lord would allow him to be patient and a quick study and that he would improve and continue to catch on as well as develop in the areas where he is behind.  I often find myself stopping and just silently thanking and praising the Lord for the miracle He continues to do in and through Mr. Samuel.  He is such a joy and blessing and I can't imagine life without him.  He is so talkative and expressive and melts my heart constantly with his crooked goofy little smile. :D

Hope you all enjoy the short update and photos. Please feel free to ask questions if you have them and make comments.  We love you all and hope this finds you well!

The Paige Family

Taste and see that the Lord is good!

Mr. Samuel has started on the world of baby food and cereal! How excting!!! So far we have tried bananas and carrots, the pediatrician told me to introduce the same food for three days before trying something different...so I have listened to wise councel and done those two for the last three days.  Tomorrow we get to start on Pears and Sweet Potatoes...yum!  I am sad to report that the bananas were not a favorite but as you can see from the pictures and video he really liked carrots! :D

Personally babies get more exciting as they age...it's fun to watch him learn new things...smiling, laughing, talking, playing, and eating. All things that a mear 6 months ago we never knew would be possible.  Children truly are a blessing from the Lord and I get to experience that first hand on a daily basis...How truly blessed I am!
I hope you all enjoy watching Mr. Samuel as much as I do! :D

this is the special spoon his great great auntie queen got him! :D

Little Foot :D

So upon watching this video again I realized that maybe to everyone else these won't sound like baby Dinosaur noises...haha  But to me that is exactly what they are...and due to that Scott has given Mr. Samuel one more name...Little Foot! haha   Our poor Child is going to grow up not knowing what his name really is and thinking he's a baby dinosaur...haha
I hope watching Mr. Samuel brings a smile to your face! I know that's what he does for me every single day!
The video should be flipped, he's sitting on the couch when I took this...but I don't know how to flip it so instead it looks like he is laying on the couch. haha

baby steps!

Well first off I know nothing about the world of blogging!  I thought it would be a great way for people to follow Mr. Samuel and the family in general. 
I'm not funny or whitty as most bloggers i've seen.. but hopefully I can learn! :D
I figured it would be nice for the people that don't have facebook to have a place to go to figure out what's going on in our lives. Especially with so many crazy things going on...never a dull moment around our neck of the woods that's for sure!  It's hard to always get e-mails out and here I can just type up a short something and post it, how wonderful!  This way Scott can also contribute if he so chooses. 
I hope all reading enjoy keeping up with us!
Till next time...

Lauren