+141 another good week

Hello family and friends,

It has been a good week for me. I went to clinic today and they said I am still doing really well. I am only two weeks away from being off my CSA and they lowered my blood pressure medicine. So now I am on only 3 meds. two times a day. I am also going to get my Hickman line ( the tubes that go into my heart) removed and my tubes in my ears put back in soon. They are scheduling that for a few weeks from now. In August I am suppose to go back to Minnesota for my 6month testing but mommy said we are having a few problems working out all the details. My triplet friend Torie will be there for her 6m. check up too, that would be so much fun. She is back home now and doing well, Praise the Lord! Please keep them in your prayers.

My family has been doing well, staying busy around the farm. Mommy and Leah were sick at the beginning of the week but they are doing better and no one else got it. Daddy's computer still is not working, so no pictures yet to share with you. I still love posing for pictures and videos, it is so much fun. It has also been very hot this week but we are staying fairly cool and we are thanking the Lord for Air conditioners (that work :) We hope that ya'll are doing well and we are so thankful for your continued prayers. The Lord has blessed me so much! May God bless each of you also!

Lots of hugs,

Josiah

+135 A week off!

Good Morning,
I usually write on Fridays but this week is a little different. I got a day off of going to the hospital from last week because I am doing so well. The Doctor actually said that I am on "auto pilot" and we only have to call if I get a fever. I do still have a little rash that is moving and seems to be in and around my mouth but we are still just watching it. I also have been trying to say more things, it comes out in just sounds and syllables but mommy is happy that I am at least trying. I wish I could share a picture with you this week of the fun stuff I am doing but daddy's computer isn't working so we will get to share more pictures with you when he gets it fixed. The Lord has blessed us so much, even when it seems so bleak and everything is going wrong we realize I am doing well and we are home with family and friends. God is good!

Thank you for your continued prayer for my friends at the R.McD house. I know each one would covet prayers. Miss Gracie got to get a pass from the Hospital and come visit the R.McD house, that is huge and we are so happy for her. Hopefully they will get to go home soon. Also my bestest triplet Torie is on her way home as well, hopefully almost there by now. Please pray for continued grace in our dear friends lives.

So glad you stopped by to see how we are doing. Hope everyone has a blessed week and stay cool!!! :)
Love to all,
Josiah

+127 another great week!

Hello,

I hope your week has been blessed. It is hard not to keep up with everyone more than once a week but at least I can now and then. I miss hearing from ya'll too, I love to know how God has blessed your life as well and to keep in touch with whom ever God brings my way. I love reading my bestest Triplet friend ever, Miss Tories blog! She is doing better and we are praying she gets to go home next week!! Her Grandma's are super and we miss them so much.. please continue to pray for them. Also, all our friends at the R.McD house need much prayer. As Torie's grandma said "you know when people talk to you and say "I know exactly what you mean" and they have no clue, not at the R.McD. house". There are many families there that hang on to every moment in case it is the last. We met many families and dear friends there and continue to pray for them.

As for me, my week has been long and hot. My family has been trying to clean up our place a little, after being gone so long there are many different projects that need to be done. It has been hot and humid but the Lord has blessed with a cool air conditioner! I still love to go out and play but don't do to much because of this rash I still have. Mommy and daddy are still watching it and it doesn't seem to get much worse it just travels. So I try to stay inside and out of the sun but I still love swinging and playing with my kitty cat (that stays outside). I am trying to talk more with my signing, mommy got so excited the other day when I tried to say "candy" when I signed it. I don't know why she started clapping I just wanted to get her attention. She gave me a big piece of chocolate when I did that so maybe I will try it again!! :)

I go to clinic again today, hopefully no more car problems! It is just a lab check up and to see how my rash is doing. I am down to only 3 medicines, (CSA, Mag, and Blood pressure)!! As you can see the medicine is still making my fur grow. :) We are already trying to plan our trip in August for my 6m. check up, by then I should be off my CSA and almost done with my other two medicines. I can't wait!! Anyway, I will let ya'll go but know that you have greatly blessed me and my family and we so appreciate your prayers.

May God bless your coming week,

Josiah

P.s. please also continue to pray for travel mercies as we go to Vanderbilt for clinic every Friday. We seem to keep having vehicle problems each week. Today our tire went flat about 45 min from home. God greatly blessed and kept us safe and we pray He continues!

+120 God keeps our every step

Hello to all again,

Hope everyone had a wonderful week. We have stayed busy as usual and are adjusting to being back on a schedule. Today I had my weekly clinic visit and all my labs looked good.. still can't wean my Blood pressure meds or Mag. yet but I will get there. My Echo had no change, so the little fluid from last week is still there but they don't think I need another test for a month. I do have a rash that has popped up just today and it is all over my body. Can't really tell what it is from, but they don't really think it is GVHD so that is good. We just wait and watch it for any change. Please pray that it will go away (for mommy and daddy's peace of mind) and it is a little itchy. We also had our alternator go out on our van as we were coming back from the hospital today. It has been a very long day but things are never boring. We thank the Lord for keeping us when we don't think we can go another step. Please keep praying for Torie and her Grandma's, she is back at the R.McD. house doing some better but they would so love to go home.

Well, may God bless your week and hopefully we can touch base next Friday.

Lots of hugs from a tired boy,

Josiah

+113 Happy Memorial Day weekend!

Hello to all,

Boy has it been a long week..... When I don't get to talk to ya'll for a whole week it seems like so much happens. Last Saturday James and I turned 3!! Woo Hoo! We didn't get together with family like normal to have a big party but I still had a good day.

We have had some sickies in our family... such as my sister Sara had Pneumonia and I am on Antibiotics for a snotty nose and bad cough. James has had a bad cold all week and so has Hannah and Leah (off and on). Everyone seems to be doing better today though. Daddy still thinks that a lot of this is all allergy related since he has had some bad allergy attacks this week too. Over all we have had a good week and are very blessed!! All our friends at the R.McD House have had bumps in the road this week and really need our prayers. When we start to focus only on our problems and get a little down, it just reminds me to pray for my friends that aren't even home yet.

Today I am going to clinic to get my labs done. Shouldn't be exciting but then boring is good!! I am 3 weeks into getting off my CSA and hopefully I will get to start to wean my Mag. and Blood pressure medicines. I have another week of my Antibiotic ( which I really hate! Blah!) and then maybe I will be almost done with all these medicines. I can't believe how much God has blessed me and my family and are so thankful to you all who are praying for us. Please continue to pray as our journey continues but also please pray for all of our friends at the R.McD house ( Torie, Gracie, Danny, Mckenzie,Sydney,Liam and many more)... makes you count your blessings!!

May God bless you all and hope you have a wonderful week!!

Josiah

+106 almost 3!

Good Morning to all,

I am getting ready for my Birthday on Saturday.... James and I will be 3!!

I sure am enjoying life! My family and I are so thankful for all the Lord has done for me. I love being outside and playing with the cat, enjoy having fun with my brother and reading with my sisters... And so thankful that the Lord has brought me this far. No matter where you are or what the Lord has brought your way I pray that you will enjoy life!

Over all I am still doing well. I do have a cold right now but it hasn't gone into pneumonia like it usually does. I went to clinic today and my Echo showed that my fluid is still there but still getting better. My blood work looked really good and my platelets are 121 (finally!). My sisters and James have colds too, and I got put on some antibiotics (Augmentin) just to make sure things don't get worse. I don't know if it is allergies or just being back. But I am thankful that the Lord has kept me and my family from sickness for the past 5 months.

As we have been home so many people have thanked us for writing this blog... I can't express how thankful we are to you for following our journey!! To know that people read this and are praying is so very encouraging and has really been helpful to me and my family! Please continue to pray for our Miss Torie ( yes, our Miss Torie because she is part of our family now :), she is having some problems with kidneys and such (please refer to her blog)... she is in our prayers and I know the Lord isn't finished with this precious family!

Hope everyone enjoys their weekend!

We love you all and send lots of hugs to everyone,

Josiah and family

+101 over the 100 day hurdle!

Day 101!! Back at the beginning I thought I would never make it to this day... but here I am!

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases!

The fluid on my heart is going away and we made it home ok. Sorry I have not shared me news before but we don't have Internet at home (and we have had a busy weekend :)! I am doing well despite our van breaking down on the way to the hospital, Sara ( my oldest sister) getting a rusty nail in her foot ( shots on Monday!), no air conditioning, unpacking ...etc. but we are home. There is no place like home. I even got to go to church this morning and everyone clapped for me that I am home safe. It has been so nice to be home in my own bed and freedom to roam from room to room. I do have another Dr. appt and an Echo on Friday and since we don't have Internet I will have to wait to say Hi till then. We pray that everyone has a blessed week.

Lots of hugs,

Josiah