No more Nu Nu

One thing that came along with Qavah, and the only comfort that stayed with her through all her hospital stays as an infant, was her NuNu. Some call it a Binky or Pacifier. We saw how much she needed it for comfort the first year she was in our home. Then we began to drop a hint this past year that the NuNu wasn't going to be something she would want any more as a big girl. Each morning we found her with it in her mouth bobbing up and down as she sucked on it. We would look down at her sleeping peacefully after she stated that she would not need it the night before. Obviously in the middle of the night she changed her mind and hunted down a NuNu. Just like a change of weather, the wind of change blew through the house today. Qavah is ready to give up her comforting habit. Tonight Qavah found all her NuNus and put them out in the trash. Paul prayed for her and thanked God for her bravery. And when he finished praying she looked at him and said, "I'm going to be all right Daddy."

When God asks me to give up some of the things I love to follow Him more nearly, I want to be able to let go and say, "I'm going to be all right, Daddy."

Daily Grace

Today was the last visit to the hospital with Kathryn for her Rocephin treatments. The sores in her mouth and on her skin are healing. Rather than seeing the hematologist every six months, Kathryn will be having labs drawn every three months to monitor her blood cell activity. Then she will see the doctor if the results show anything out of the ordinary.

Kathryn quit her job last week after visiting a home of an elderly man. She was to take pictures of the home for the purpose of making it handicap accessible. While taking pictures of the tub area for handicap rails, a male nurse met her in the bathroom and started flirting with Kathryn. He hoped she would return his interest. She fled the house and by God's grace Julie was waiting for her out in the driveway that day so that they could go out to lunch. Normally Kathryn took a bus to those appointments because she can not drive. Had she taken a bus, she would have had no way of escape.

We pray for the protection of our kids everyday. And it so happened that God poured out His mercy for Kathryn that day. Once Kathryn reported the incident to us, we talked about the risks and decided that Kathryn would be safer in a job where she could stay inside the building. Because Kathryn quit her job last week, she didn't need permission from her boss to go to the hospital every day for her treatments. It was actually liberating to have that freedom. I'm sure Kathryn dreams about having a life of her own with an apartment or home to decorate as she likes. But God has her under the umbrella of protection of our home. And while I'm sure that has its frustrations for a young woman, Paul and I are so thankful that we can provide for her. We are praying for another job that will utilize Kathryn's skills.

In a special report on Haiti we heard in Florida, the missionary said, "This has never been a safe world for children." She used the example of baby boys being killed in the days of Moses and Jesus. The dangers are many, and many are the prayers Paul and I lift up to God for the sake of our children and grandchildren. We can protect them to a point but rely heavily on God's grace and mercy.

Florida Dreaming

Winter is giving us another blast of Arctic air tonight but we have our memories of Florida to keep us warm.

Flannel Sheets and Home

If it has to be cold, damp, and rainy, there are some creature comforts to be found in flannel sheets, electric blankets, and space heaters. We left sunny Florida on Saturday morning. The sun had already warmed the air to 68 degrees and it was only morning. By the time we drove into our muddy driveway in Virginia ten hours later, the piles of snow and 41 degree temperature told me that we were "up north." So as we crawled into bed Saturday night we were happy for our warm flannel sheets and we slept long and hard.

After attending church on Sunday, Paul and I spent the afternoon together and planned our week. It is good to be rested as we look to the future and the responsibilities that lie ahead. Kathryn visited her hematologist last Friday and during that visit the doctor discovered that she has a serious blood infection. He started IV Rocephin right there in the office and she has to return to the hospital for the rest of her treatments this week. The sores in her mouth and all over body bruising might have been a good indication that something was wrong but it was her red and white cell counts that told a better story.

While Qavah had a good time in Florida she also had diarrhea for 12 days. I took her to the children's hospital in St. Petersburg and discovered that her red cell count had dropped rapidly. I brought her home for another transfusion set for tomorrow. So our vacation is over, but I have to say that for three weeks it was good to get more rest and have less responsibility. Aunt Lil did all the cooking and I didn't even have to think about meals. She may never fully know what a blessing that was for me but I know she reads this blog and will know how much I appreciated those things.

We had a conference call from Cincinnati last Friday. Paul and I sat by the phone in our hotel room in Florida listening to the test results on Qavah. It is very humbling to see how much time and effort the doctors are putting into trying to find a treatment for our daughter. One thing of interest to them was that Qavah has very few Natural Killer cells. That means she has no ability to fight viral infections and her white cells do a poor job of moving to the sight of infection to heal her. That is why she has so many problems with her skin breaking down, and why she doesn't get over illnesses easily.

The doctors are putting together a plan of action for us based on that information. At the first sign of a fever we will need to take Qavah to the emergency room for an injection to boost her immune system and to get an antibiotic. I mentioned to the doctor in Cincinnati how difficult it was to have Qavah treated in an emergency room quickly when the ER doctor had to be given a crash course in Red Cell Aplasia first. That led to a discussion of putting Qavah's diagnosis and treatment plan on a memory stick that I can carry around in my purse. It can be plugged in to any computer and the information will be there for Qavah's health care anywhere in the world. That was such a great idea that we are talking about doing the same thing with Kathryn's records. That way we can travel with the girls again with less anxiety.

Paul and I have been thinking about our time in Florida with a happy sigh. It really was the best thing for us. Uncle Tony gave us a key to the house before we left and told us to think of it as a place to come and rest. I don't know how often that can happen, but it sure is nice to know it is there. As we drove home I told Paul how blessed we are by God. He has given us a hard mission, then blessed us with times of refreshing; showing us that when we are weak, He is strong.

Packing Up

Paul arrived on Saturday evening and when he got off the plane I thought he looked very tired. He has spent the last three months trying to close his office and shop in Vinton. He went to work during the day, came home for dinner, and went to work in Vinton until bedtime. After all that he came to Florida to sleep. He has been going to bed early and after a morning of sightseeing in St. Petersburg he has spent the afternoons sleeping. This is a well earned vacation for him.

Meanwhile at home, Kathryn had some challenges of her own and handled them very well. She has developed a mouth ulcer that has caused her a great deal of pain. She made arrangements to see a dentist. After getting a special mouthwash and some antibiotics, she is hoping to have some relief. Paul Burton drove her to the store for baby food since that will be easier on her mouth, and Jennifer drove her to her appointment. Paul and I were here in Florida wondering who would be available to take Kathryn where she needed to be and prayed that the Lord would make a way. He heard our prayer and we were able to be relieved of that anxiety. We are both very grateful when our grown children care for each other.

We are getting ourselves organized today and plan to leave this area in the morning. After a couple of days in St. Augustine we will be heading home. I looked at the ten day forecast for Roanoke and saw that winter has my hometown in its grip. But we'll have our memories of warmer weather and sunshine to bring back with us. Our skin has taken on a healthier glow and we have a bag of Florida fruit to bring home. We are very grateful to Uncle Tony and Aunt Lil for this vacation. I know our blog readers have been checking for updates, so I hope you have found this encouraging. I haven't had much success getting wireless connections, but this morning I have a strong signal. God Bless you all wherever you are today.

Singles Awareness Day

As I have mentioned in the past, Paul Burton refers to Valentine's Day as "Singles Awareness Day" or S. A. D. I sent my family Valentines from Florida, but what Kathryn and Paul Burton really want is a Valentine to call their own.

Qavah cried several times during the night for her Daddy. I brought her in bed with me early this morning and called Paul while he was getting ready for work. "Can you just tell her you love her?" I asked. I held the phone to her ear and Paul reassured her and prayed for her while she listened. It was enough to calm her anxious heart. When I hung up the phone we talked about making Daddy a Valentine and buying him some peanut M&M's. She was perfectly happy with that.

When we can no longer soothe the aching in the heart of our grown children with a kiss and a pat on the head, it is nice to know that we can ask the One Who walks beside them every day to bless them in some special way. Single or married, He is the true lover of our souls.

Sweater Day

We had to break out our sweaters today, but Qavah insisted on wearing her little flip flops on her feet. I took her for a long walk in the neighborhood and while she was watching the Woodstorks swimming on the nearby lake she said, "I just want Daddy and Kathryn to live here with us." I guess that means she may be dreaming of warmer winters like our friends in Virgina. They are getting more snow and ice tonight.

Qavah has been complaining about being tired and slept thirteen hours yesterday. I'm not sure that she is going to make it back to Virginia for her next transfusion. So I drove her to All Childrens Hospital in St. Petersburg today just to see where it was and how to get a visit with a Hematologist. It is a new hospital that just opened last month. Qavah saw that the dining room had hot pizza slices for sale and told me that if she had a transfusion she would like some pizza to go with it. She told me that it would make her very happy. My girl is a dreamer and can imagine finding the "good" in the hard things. I want to be like that when I grow up.

Blessings All Around

Posted by Kathryn:

Our family friend (and Mom's walking partner) Linda flew safely home to Roanoke yesterday afternoon despite the wintry weather. Linda left my mother and Qavah in St. Petersburg, Florida where they get to enjoy, for another two weeks, the cornucopia of sights, sounds, foods, and warmer temperatures that she herself experienced this past week. They stayed with our relatives, Uncle Tony and Aunt Lil, who graciously opened their home and welcomed everyone, including Linda.

Mom has called many times to tell us the joyful surprises the Lord gave them. One such event Mom shared still delights me when I recall it. Because much of the week was spent visiting the local attractions, there was only one day available to go to the beach while Linda was there. On that particular day, the temperature when they woke up was in the mid-60s, a little too chilly to enjoy the ocean water. The sky was also filled with clouds that hinted of an impending storm. Everyone decided to stay positive and prepare for the beach anyway. Just as they arrived at the beach, the sky gave way to sunshine and the temperature climbed to the mid-seventies! Linda was able to spend four hours baking her bones, while getting a "real" Florida tan. Meanwhile, Qavah frolicked back and forth from the ocean to the sand, collecting seashells and enjoying the water to her heart's content. Just as they finished at the beach, the temperatures dropped again and, by dinnertime, there was rain. The Lord had definitely ordained their "beachy day".

In addition to the physical blessings, Mom and Linda were able to have their souls refreshed as they had extra available time to meditate on God's Word and pray together. There was even a mid-week church service and brunch that Linda got to attend. Mom will be able to share the Pastor's message better than I can, but it was about strengthening, preparing, and renewing our hearts and minds with God's truth, so that we can confidently soar "on wings like eagles" above the adversities we are sure to face in this life. (Isaiah 40:31)

Back here in Virginia, Dad and I have had blessings of our own. We are both healthy and have been able to get a lot accomplished while also spending some quality father-daughter time together. I'm also learning first-hand what it takes to keep a household running smoothly. The planning, the shopping, the cooking, the cleaning, the relationships, etc. etc. I told Dad this morning that I definitely have a new appreciation for all of you parents, especially mothers, who make "a house a home." I now see why it can be a twenty-four hour, seven day a week job and I don't even have little ones around (although I might babysit later this week).

From Florida to Virginia, we thank you for the prayers you have spoken on our behalf as we experience the "goodness of the Lord in the land of the living".

St Petersburg, Florida

Posted by Dawn:

Linda and I had a wonderful week of sightseeing, time on the beach, a couple of long walks, and time in God's word. On a shopping trip we laughed heartily when we spotted a sign that said, "When I say the word exercise I wash my mouth out with chocolate." Linda needed to be back in Roanoke for work tomorrow and flew home Saturday afternoon. I am staying on in St. Petersburg and Paul will be flying down here next weekend for the remainder of our Florida vacation. The weather is unseasonably cool with daytime highs in the sixties. However, each time I call home, I find out that Florida weather is a whole lot better than that of my hometown.

I worshiped with Aunt Lil and Uncle Tony this morning at Cornerstone Church. The guest speaker this morning had just returned from Haiti. She spoke about her work in 29 countries around the world. She seeks out children in great need and finds sponsors for them in America. The pictures she had with her made me realize again how great the need is for churches to support widows and orphans. The speaker this morning asked the congregation why we should care for the children and then answered her own question by quoting Jesus. "whoever receives one of these little children in my name receives me."

I held Qavah on my lap during the service. She was sleepy and nestled into my shoulder. And as I listened I thought about the presence of Jesus in our home. He is always near, and always covering us with peace and comfort. And I imagined what Paul and I would be like without Kathryn and Qavah added to our family. Receiving them gave us more of Jesus. It increased our capacity to love, and be loved by Him.

After church I spoke to Kathryn and Paul back home. Their church canceled services because of the snow so they went to church with Colin and Jennifer. They told me that they held Annelise and Nehemiah on their laps during the service and I could just imagine how sweet it was to listen to a sermon sniffing their sweet baby hair. These are precious days for our family. I love them all so much.

St. Augustine

We have left the snow and ice behind in Virginia and arrived in St. Augustine early this evening. The weather is balmy and rainy. Linda and I shared the driving and Qavah was such a good little traveler. We are looking forward to tomorrow when we will see the attractions that make St. Augustine such an interesting city.

I want to thank my husband for getting up extra early this morning to scrape the ice off of my car windows and for getting me packed and prepared for the trip. Kathryn also bought a little Netbook computer and with her blessing I will be using it to write while I'm here. I am grateful for the support of my family. They have been generous to let me take off for this adventure.