Day 11 - Thankful Hearts

O give thanks to the Lord, call on His name; make known His doings among the peoples! 1 Chronicles 16: 8

I think we are both just living in a spirit of thanksgiving right now. We are so blessed to have Levi in our lives and are just loving every second of being his parents. People constantly tell us how special he is to them and how he is a miracle baby. It's hard not to agree with them. The reality is that most parents look at their children with those same loving eyes. All babies that are born are miracles and God deserves all of the credit. So many things have to go just right for them to come into this world. It's no accident or mistake at all. 

Today was interesting because I got back to work and Anjie was left to handle things on her own. She is such a strong woman and is so grounded in her faith that I didn't even worry. Of course she sent me texts to keep me in the loop, I think we are turning into a better team than ever before. Work did me some good to get my mind focused on other things for a while but of course I couldn't wait to come see Levi this evening. I know you shouldn't wake a baby but its hard to resist with him.

I think he had a good day today. He has struggled with his breathing some but he got fixed up. He needed a larger tube for his ventilator. After the change out and a good cleaning he is resting comfortably. I think his stats are the most stable we have seen in a while. This large tube also allows for easier suctioning. He has some thicker fluid in his lungs that needs to come out. Levi had to get back on antibiotics today too. He had a couple of suspect blood cultures so the doctor is trying to hold of a possible infection. There really is allot more to tell but it would take all night. I know its crazy that that is the description of a good day. He did live one more day right?

 For my prayer warriors:

Levi - For no infections. For no swelling. For his bowls to start moving better. For his lungs to clear. For one more day of life!

Anjie - For strength, peace & rest

Trent - For strength, peace & rest



Day 10 - Just Another Day

Psalm 40

¹I waited patiently for the LORD; And He inclined to me, And heard my cry.² He also brought me up out of a horrible pit, Out of the miry clay, And set my feet upon a rock, And established my steps.
 ³ He has put a new song in my mouth—Praise to our God; Many will see it and fear, And will trust in the LORD.

 
I never thought we would feel settled here or that this would feel normal. The staff here is really amazing & with friends & family around all of the time you almost feel at home. Today Levi opened his eyes fully for the first time. I thought we should go throw a party or something. Its amazing how through a trial the little things become so huge. I am sure that after this things like going on dates or putting our toes in the sand at the beach will feel amazing.

The reality is that we are just normal parents. Those of you who have children can identify completely with these little victories. You would also do anything we are doing and more to see your child through a tough time. Children are truely a blessing from God. If you don't have children but are thinking of having them please don't let this scare you off. Every second we spend in this hospital during the tough times will be worth it to watch him grow up.

Levi has really had a great week. After last weekend I never could have imagined how far he would have come. He has been taking his feedings like a champ. He seems to be digesting but we are waiting on some movement now before moving forward. His head has not swelled yet which is great news so far. His BP is still very stable which is sign that the PDA is not an issue. He got his PICC (sp?) line in which will now be used for medicine & fluids. This is huge because it means he will not need a broviac implanted. There has been haziness on his lungs but it seems to be clearing with a diuretic.

For my prayer warriors:

Levi - No infections, swelling on the brain, no return of the murmor. This sounds funny but pray for a bowl movement and continued progress in feeding.

Anjie - Pray for strength as I try to go back to work.

Trent - Pray for focus and peace as I will not be around as much this week.

Day 9 - He is peeking at you...

Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name! Psalm 100:4

Family really does matter. We have been blessed with all of the support from that end that we could ever hope for. We have had a great visit this weekend with some of Anjie's family. We will definately give God all of the praise for that. He is so good to us in so many ways. Not once have we felt alone in all of this. It is so sad too me to see the other families in here that don't know Him and I wonder how they make it through. I just want to thank all of you who have our back out there. We love you and I promise we are not taking you for granted!

Levi is steadily progressing forward. As I think about his situation I still realize he could face many complications. We just have to hope and pray none of those things happen. He has been increased on his feeds and so far seems to be digesting it. We have been told this can be the biggest challenge. The nurses continually measure his head and no swelling yet. His PDA is still small which is also great news. He still needs a mainline put in so that may have to be done in the next day or two. We did get the results on a culture from his throat and there are no bad bacterias right now.

For my prayer warriors:

Levi - That he will remain stable. That his blood will clear out with no swelling. That he will get no infections. That the PDA will remain small or finish closing. That he will safely get the mainline  he needs.

Anjie - Peace & rest

Me - Peace & wisdom to lead my family

Levi is peeking at you. Yes his eyes opened almost fully tonight!

Day 8 - Steadfast Under Trial

James 1: ^12(U) Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive^(V) the crown of life,^(W) which God has promised to those who love him.

There are definately times that I feel like we might just break down. Just simple things such as hearing the baby across the hall crying can make you tear up. We can't wait to hear Levi cry one day soon. We can't wait to see him smile or even open his eyes one day. We fully understand though that before time began God purposed us for such a great task as facilitating Levi's life. We had to take the difficult track all so that through these trials the glory of God will be known. We realize that his glory may be known simply through the little miracles we see every day. The wonders of the human body just scream out there is a designer! We are truely thankful to have this opportunity to be parents. We will stand steadfast during these times realizing our treasures lay in heaven and not here on earth.

I never could have imagined that this blog would have such an impact on lives. I have been told many times that lives are being touched by this. It was started purely to keep friends and family informed. I do not at all like the attention that it brings on us. Do not point any impact the blog or Levi makes to any thing less than the Holy Spirit of God. We are only vessels in which He uses to make himself known to all nations. Answer that call if you hear him speaking do not deny it one more time.

I know you all want to know about the scan. God has answered your prayers and stopped the bleeding. One side of the brain looks clear the other side is starting to clot. This is the body naturally trying to move the blood out.This is where the damage is done though. As the blood is carried away along goes parts of the brain. That impact will not be known untill much later on. This does bring other possibilities into play. Those clots can impede the natural flow of fluids from the brain causing swelling. If this happens a sort of drain has to be put in to drain it. Of course the less procedures the better so we don't want that to happen. His aterial line was removed today so he needs a new line of some kind put in. The first try wasnt sucessful so hopefully it will happen next try.

For my prayer warriors:

Levi - For the blood to leave quickly leaving no damage. For the line to go in next try. For no swelling on his brain. Please God no infections anytime soon!

Anjie - Peace of mind, continued healing & rest.

Trent - calmed anxioties and rest

Day 7-Kangaroo Mama

Matthew 7: ²⁴ “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. ²⁵ The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. ²⁶ But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. ²⁷ The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

Words can't explain the day we have just had! Yes he has lived one week at this point but lets keep praying for one more day. We had a huge day today that proves to me prayer works. He is our little miracle baby and has exceded all of our expectations. Anjie got to hold him for the first time today (kangaroo care). He also came off of his light so we can see his beautiful face for now. We just finished his first feeding which was an amazing experience in itself. Yes he is my son so he took it like a champ. He actually looked up afterwards and asked me to run to Wendy's and grab him a cheeseburger.

I just want to encourage you guys if you aren't already to start building your house on the Rock. The rock is the foundation of God's word. Anjie & I in our daily lives have done so through reading, studying & memorizing. God used those disciplines to ground us for the storm of a lifetime. We never had a clue what he was preparing us for. There is no other way to make it through in my opinion.

As for the brain scan the date was confused so it happens tomorrow. For some reason we seem to have some peace about it. We will let you know as soon as possible.

For my prayer warriors:

Levi-For his brain to top bleeding. For him to continue to eat milk. For his BP to remain stable. For one more day of life.

Anjie-REST!!!

Trent-Peace

Talk about priceless pictures! Yes thats a mini passifier in one of them. He sucked on it some too.

Day 6 - The High Side

Isaiah 41:10Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.

So Levi has all of these monitors hooked to him constantly dinging. As parents we hang on every ding as if it means there is something terribly wrong with him. In reality unless you see the nurses burst through the door in a complete panic everything is just fine. The Oxygen saturation level is the one we hang the most because in our feeble minds thats the most important. He needs to get plenty of oxygen to survive. This monitor is currently set on a alarm range between 84-94%. If it hits the bottom number they call that the low side and the other number is the high side. I feel like we have been living on the high side the last two days. We are fully Saturated with love. No one could have explained to me what the outpouring would look like and I couldnt explain it now if I tried. It's just a perfect picture of what God meant by us living as the body of Christ. I feel like we are an injured part of the body and the rest of the body is repairing us so that we can all move foward. God has used you guys in a mighty way to strengthen us, help us and hold us up. Thank you so much for your support. Each of you have had some form of positive impact on us and we will never be able to thank you. Maybe we will one day be able to pay you back in the form of support like you have given us. It may sound mean or cruel but I hope some day everyone of you will be stripped of your self so that God can rebuild you better than before. I mean that in the most loving way!

Another reason we are living on the high side is that Levi is taking baby steps foward. I want to it call recovery but he has never been this healthy in his short life. His blood pressure is stable. His blood sugar is stable. His PDA is small to moderate now meaning he does not need another course of medicine right away. He is close to getting the Billy light off. He tried breathing through the CPAP today but wasnt quite ready. Can you say God answers prayers? We are anxious about the brain scan in the morning that will give us an idea of the progress of the bleed. Anjie is still sore so we need to see more healing there. Thank God for another day of life for Levi!

For my prayer warriors:

Levi-For the PDA to remain closed. For the bleeding to stop. For the blood pressure to stay stable. For him to breath on his own so his mommy can hold him.

Anjie-Peace of mind to rest. Healing from the surgery.

Trent-Peace of mind that my wife and son will be fine.

Levi kicked back living on the high side shades and all.

Day 5 - God's Peace

Phil 4:4Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. 5Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; 6do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

What a peaceful day. Thank God for one more day of life for Levi. Of course we still realize the severity of the situation but God's peace does surpass all understanding. Sure he hasn't answered every request the way we want everytime. He is still with us & He is still in control. Its His world we are just living in it. Anjie found peace today in the form of a trip home. We ran her out of here because she hasnt been resting enough for her own health. Her mother took her to the house and pampered her all day long. My wife looks like a new woman now that she is rested. I found peace today in a little father son bonding. I promised Anjie to stay by his bedside and thats mostly what I did. I did change my first diaper ever today. I used to joke around with people that I wanted my first diaper change to be with my own child so it would be special. Little did I know how true those words would end up being. After the diaper change I was able to put my hands on him for a long while and start letting him know my prescense. Hopefully this is not too much info but I wanted to give more insight into our day in case anyone was wondering. I have no profound words of wisdom but just know God can calm a storm just as quickly as he allows one to start.

On the medical side we did get word of the PDA being still of a moderate size. The slight improvement did give the doctor peace of mind to not start another course of medication right away. Anjie is still swelling and sore but I havve seen much improvement in her mobility. I slept a full night last night so I am slowly getting to normal.

For my prayer warriors:

Levi- for continued closing of the PDA. For the brain scan on Thursday to be better news than before.

Anjie- Continued healing and peace

Trent- Continued peace of mind.

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Day 4-Many women have done excellently but...

^{Proverbs 31:29}"Many^(AE) women have done^(AF) excellently,  but you surpass them all." ^30(AG) Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.


I believe I have done a diservice to my wife at times this week. She should always come second place in my life only to God. I have many times put myself and Levi ahead of her. Anjie is the best mom and wife we could ever have been blessed with. I believe she is an angel here on earth. I never praise her enough. I never serve her enough. I never love her enough. In fact I have many times been very guilty of the exact opposite tearing her down because of selfishness in my heart. I am not dwelling in guilt only trying to right the ship. Those of you that know her well will agree with me I am sure. This woman deserves all of this encouragement. I have learned much about her this weekend and I see her in a totally different light now. Anjie this one is for you. You are a woman after God's own heart.

Today we had a decent day as far as news is concerned. We believe the murmor is still present and are waiting for a definate answer and game plan tomorrow. There is no way to tell about the bleeding un till the next scan a couple of days from now. We praise God in the bad news so dont you think we will rejoice in the good even more! Levi is off of his blood pressure medication and for the most part the incillin (sp?). That is surely worth excitement! Anjie is dealing with the fun of learning to pump milk. She is sore and struggleing but of course in high spirits. It's excting to her to have that job of getting food ready for Levi to eat.

For our prayer warriors:
Levi- Of course all of the same. We want him off of all medications. We want no more bleeding anywhere. We want the murmor to go away!

Anjie-Reduction of pain and ease in pumping

Trent-To have a loving attitude around Anjie as we both get frustrated at times.

This pic is actually my Wedding ring on Levi's arm! The video is really the first time Anjie was able to contact him in a major way!

Day 3-Abide In Him

John 15:1“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. 2Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 3Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. 4Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. 5I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. 6If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. 7If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. 9As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. 10If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. 11These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.

This is the theme of today. If it were not for our desire to abide in him Anjie and I would have never made it. We had our hearts torn out this morning first thing. As the doctor gave the report I had an overwhelming fear that it was not going to end on a good note. We were told first of all treatments that were being done just to substain his life. In the end the Doctor unloaded on us our worst fear. Levi has stage four bleeding in his brain. Could it be any worse? In our eyes no it can't. We were forced to deal with the reality that Levi is not as healthy as we thought he was. Anjie nor I have ever dealt with pain as we did today. Let me tell you though at the end of this day Levi is still with us and so is God. Just as Jesus told us will happen our joy remains full. It was not in his will that Levi will be without bleeding. It was in his will that the name of Jesus will be glorified through Levi's life. So you ask what branch did he prune today? How could this possibly be a positive experience in our lives? God took the branch that we were holding that said Levi is ours not His. He took the branch we were growing that said no God we don't have to turn everything over to you just some of it.  We rest in Him and only Him. Speaking of rest We need it terribly bad. Don't waste one more second of your life. Its way too precious.

For the prayer warriors:

Levi-Pray the medicine will work and his valve will close without need for surgery. Pray that the bleeding in his brains stops immediately and that there will be no permanent damage. Pray for one more day of life for our precious Levi.

Anjie-Still healing physically. Please pray for her rest and mental stability as we truely begin to grow weary.

Trent-I must not be proud. I need prayer for rest and positive thoughts. I need strength from God above.

Day 2-Anjie's Birthday

The rollercoaster was not kind to Levi today. He is fighting hard but he's growing weary. Yes Anjie's birthday was today and she couldn't have had a better gift than she got from God (Levi of course). We have been told many times that there will be bad days but only God can give you the strength needed to get through a day such as today. We are so blessed with a support structure many many levels deep. I am exhasted but I want to give a medical update for today. I realize many of you are concerned as well as we should be. He has a long bumpy ride ahead. I feel lead to express my concern about putting this out on the internet. The only reason I do so is to get prayers for him. I plan to post a daily picture as long as  that goal is being reached.

For My prayer warriors:
Levi-He is finally resting some. The murmor showed itself today that the doctor assumed was there. One of his valves is open because it doesnt develop untill 28 weeks. This caused highblood pressure today as well as an increased heart rate and breathing issues. He is back on the ventilator as his little body is very tired. Also his blood sugar was up but the doc thinks all of these things are related. Please pray that the endocrin will work and the valve will close untill it develops naturally. Please pray there is no bleeding on his brain. Please pray for a better tomorrow and one more day of life.

Anjie-For rest and continued healing from her procedure. Please pray her pain will reside and she will be rested for her discharge.

Thanks so much for praying. No matter what happens we know God doesnt garuntee tomorrow to any of us. Do not waste another second.

Day 1-Levi's Birthday

Day one was CRAZY to say the least! I guess that was the word of the day. It was absolutely a humbling experience to see the birth of Levi. As much as we wanted him to stay put God had other plans for his life. We know He has a huge purpose for Levi's life...so how can you question Him? Isn't he the creator of all things? Isn't He the One who knit Levi together in Anjie's womb? Of course we have questioned God at times but its from a human perspective just to try and wrap our little minds around this plan He has. I believe God answered me late last night. He answered me with a question. How many people can impact their world so much on DAY ONE of their life? I know I cant say I did. I know it changed my parents lives when I was born. Levi had a chance at one day old to show many people that God is alive! He does answer prayers! He does love us all! He is the wonderful designer! You guys should not be sad for Levi or sad for us. We are overflowing with joy right now. As they constantly tell us in NICU we take things one day at a time from here on out. We fully understand that we are not promised one more second with Levi. So lets praise God for every second he gives us! Not just for Levi's life but in our own lives as well. Don't waste anther second!!!!

On the medical side of things...Anjie is resting well. No complications so far with her. She will get to hold her little boy for the first time this morning. There is definitely some anxiety with that but I think it will be eased very quickly. Levi is resting well too. He has the tube out and is breathing on his own from a CPAP mask. His heart rate has stayed stable so hopefully we see progression.

For you prayer warriors:

Pray for Anjie's continued healing

Pray for Levi to continue accepting the oxygen well & for his lungs to develop fully

Pray for me that my anxieties will be eased about the health of my wife & son

Happy Birthday baby Levi McCumbee!

Happy Birthday to the newest McCumbee!

Baby Levi McCumbee

arrived in the world today!

1 lb 9 oz and 12 inches long

Praise God for little MIRACLES!