New Info

Caleb's been doing great - all boy! Exploring everywhere, playing with everything, pulling his sister's hair!

A couple weeks ago he was diagnosed with Ehler Danlos Syndrome by a genetic doctor that we were referred to who practices at Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital in Ft. Lauderdale. So what is Ehler Danlos Syndrome? Here's a quote from the EDNF (Ehler Danlos National Foundation) website:

Individuals with EDS have a defect in their connective tissue, the tissue that provides support to many body parts such as the skin, muscles and ligaments. The fragile skin and unstable joints found in EDS are the result of faulty collagen. Collagen is a protein, which acts as a "glue" in the body, adding strength and elasticity to connective tissue.

Basically it means that we can't throw Caleb around and he'll never be a serious athlete.

In other news, although he's doing great, we are still having big problems with his feeding. He won't eat with a spoon and it's quite an ordeal to try to feed him. He just celebrated fourteen months of life, by the way. We are researching some different programs, at the suggestion of Caleb's GI doctor, that are specialized feeding programs for children. They are all out of state so there's alot of issues to consider.

As always, we appreciate your prayers.

Dedication Picture

Dedication Thanks

We'd like to thank all that came to Caleb's dedication. Once again we were humbled and rejoicing in all the love that was shown. It truly has been a memorable year. The dedication was video taped and we look forward to watching it. Thank you all for making it and for standing with us as we pray that God would use Caleb for His glory.

Dedication Invitation

We are thankful to the Lord for blessing our lives with Caleb. Most of you know that the past thirteen months for us have been a test of faith and perseverance which would have been unbearable without your prayers and outpouring of love and help.

On September 24th at Calvary Chapel Kendall we will celebrate Caleb’s life by bringing him before the church and dedicating him to the Lord. It will be part of the 12:30pm Worship Service.

If you are unable to attend or do not live in the Miami area, please join us via a live internet web-cast by going to Calvary Chapel Kendall's webpage and clicking on “Live Broadcast”.

Calvary Chapel Kendall is located at 16435 SW 117th Avenue, Miami, Florida 33177

“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Cardiology Visit Postponed

Dr. Mas was sick on Monday so Caleb will see her on Thursday. In the meantime, he continues to please his physical therapist and keep his parents on the move!

CALEB'S DEDICATION: YOU ARE INVITED!

On Sunday, September 24, as part of the regular 12:30 worship service at Calvary Chapel Kendall, Caleb will be presented and prayed for. It will be a time for us to stand before our Christian family and acknowledge that Caleb's life is dedicated to the Lord and we will endeavor to bring him up in the wisdom and ways of the Lord.

It would mean so much to us if you would attend. So many of you have been part of Caleb's life directly and indirectly. The blessing we have received from each of you cannot be measured this side of eternity. Would you consider standing with us on September 24 in celebration and dedication of Caleb?

The church is located at 16435 SW 117th Avenue, Miami, FL 33177. The service begins at 12:30pm. The church phone number is 305-233-5433.

If you are out of town or are unable to attend, the service is broadcast live on the Internet. You can join us electronically by going to www.calvarykendall.com and clicking the appropriate link.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Cardiologist Visit Tomorrow

Tomorrow Caleb will have another visit to Dr. Mas. Lately, he's seemed a little tired, which could be nothing, or it could be a sign of heart failure. So it's just a precaution, a wise one, for him to get another echo. His appointment is at 1:00pm and we're making it a family affair. Genesis likes Dr. Mas because she always gets stickers!

Progress Report

He seems to be gaining weight. The GI doctor encouraged us not to weigh him everyday. He's throwing up less. He seems to get tired more than a normal child; but that could be normal for him. He's at the age where he's really fun to play with. Thanks for your prayers.

Something Like Crawling

Caleb is mobile. Although he hasn't been officially clocked, my guess is that he can do about twenty feet in about thirty seconds or so. I think I'll call it "sit-crawling". Maybe we can video tape it for you.

So here's my best attempt at a description. He sits, he leans forward, he moves his hips in a scoot forward type of motion. And then he repeats it many times. It's actually pretty inventive.

The point is no matter how you get there, you need to move forward.

CAT Scan Results

Thankfully, it looks like Caleb simply has a big head. No fluid, no obstruction of the ventricles was found in his brain. The CAT scan was compared to the MRI done at birth and there are no changes. So there will be no brain surgery. That's a relief.

Caleb will continue to get a CAT scan of his brain done every year until his head is proportional to the rest of his body.

We are thankful to the doctors at Miami Children's Hospital who are so cooperative and available to us.

CAT Scan Today

At 10:00am today, Caleb will undergo a computerized axial tomography (CAT) scan of his brain to determine the cause of the abnormal growth of his head. Of course, we hope his body is just simply growing disproportionately and that everything else will catch up to his head. Worst case scenerio, of course, is brain surgery. We should know today.

He looks and acts great. He did fantastic during physical therapy yesterday. The therapist, who hadn't seen him in about a month, said that Caleb made her day he was doing so good.

Large Head Update

The doctor said that Caleb is not mentally retarded because he makes eye contact, claps his hands, responds to his name, etc. We are a bit relieved. She thinks he just has a large head. She did order an MRI to be done within three days so that should give us more info.

Prayer Request

Well, we are thankful for the little reprieve from doctors, therapists, and hospital stays that we have enjoyed. Things have been heating up lately however.

Caleb hasn't been eating, and when he does he has been throwing up. To make sure nothing was wrong with his heart, Janet took him to the cardiologist recently. Dr. Mas noticed that his head seemed to be larger than it should be and that his fontanel (the soft spot on the top of his skull) has not closed completely. She said this should have happened by the time he turned one. (The GI doctor says it should be closed by the time he's eighteen months.)

So today, Janet took him for his one year checkup. The measurement of his head is off the charts. His weight is in the lower 25th percentile, and his height has decreased to the 75th percentile; it used to be in the 90th percentile. So it seems that something strange is happening with his growth.

We've been trying to make an apointment with a neurologist at Miami Children's. I'm sure we'll be getting an MRI and all of that.

The good news is that he, at least to us, appears to be developing well mentally. He laughs, moves, picks things up, etc.

Well, thanks for your prayers.

Dry Heaves

Please keep Caleb in prayer. For some reason, he is throwing up alot again. Thanks.

Birthday!

Happy Birthday Caleb!

Today is your birthday. We are thankful to God that you are our son. No doubt your first year of life has had it's ups and downs. Because we love you so much, our hearts have been pained to see you struggle for so long. But nothing can replace the amazing joy filled laughter and smile that you are famous for. We are so blessed to be your parents; it is an honor.

May your second year of life be glorious. We look forward to seeing you walk, talk, love, learn, and grow. We'll always be here for you little buddy.

Happy Birthday!

Weight Gain

On his last visit to the GI doctor, Caleb weighed in at the same weight he was at six weeks previously. For some of us, it would be an accomplishment to not put any weight on for six weeks. But obviously for an eleven month old, it's not what is best. So we still are working on trying to get this little man to put some weight on. We've been praying for his appetite to increase and for him to gain weight. Please join us.

On other accounts, he's doing great. He's increasingly mobile, working on crawling. He loves to laugh and play.

Pastor's Potluck

Last night we went to Pastor's Potluck, an event at our church, Calvary Chapel Kendall, where new people can come and listen to the vision and history of the church, meet the staff, ask questions, etc..

I was thrilled to see all those who God is bringing this way. But what was more thilling was hearing another "God story."

As people went around the room answering the questions, "What brought you to Calvary Chapel?" and "What keeps bringing you back?" My wife was the last one to share. She mentioned that we had been to Canada to plant a church and then came back. Pastor Pedro then asked me to share a little bit of our story. So I shared a little bit about Caleb, his heart condition, our desire to plant a church in Toronto, and our decision to move back to Florida, and how our in-laws and church family have been so amazing through it all.

Hear's the God story part of it. There was a family there that was new to our church. About a year ago, they were asked by some friends of their's to pray for an unborn baby in Canada that had heart problems and the parents were moving back to Florida. They never had met us, didn't know our names, and we didn't know them. But God allowed us to meet last night.

Sometimes we get moved to tears when we realize how much God loves us to raise up people we don't even know to pray for us, and then allows us to meet them. These people are our heroes - you - the ones who have gone to the Throne of Grace on little Caleb's behalf.

May we say thank you? Thank you to Jesus for His amazing plan, and for His indescribable love and faithfulness beyond understanding.

The Saga Continues

Caleb still is struggling with feeding and weight gain. A couple days ago, he weighed 18 lbs, 14.5 ounces. That means he's lost about five or six ounces in about two weeks!

We're pressing on and praying for him.

The GI doctor actually suggested that we look into some programs designed for child feeding problems. One of them is at John Hopkins. So this remains a possibility.

He moves alot, sits up, has been going to church, is saying ma-ma, has a great grip, and a beautiful smile.

Weighing In

Last night we pulled out the baby scale which was provided to us courtesy of Children's Medical Services. Caleb Elijah weighed in at a whopping 19 lbs. 4 ounces. He's just under the 25th percentile. Everyone that sees him comments how big and great he looks. Thanks. Who knows what the Lord is going to be with his life?

Doing Well...Pressing On

Every once in awhile, we get an email: "Hey, I noticed you haven't posted anything on Caleb's site in awhile. I hope that means everything's going well."

We're always thankful that people are praying and are concerned about our family. And yes, Caleb is doing well. He's moving alot! Laughing, growing, and pulling his sister's hair. He eats, but not really well, always with a spoon. We press on, though. Janet is an amazing woman that is perserving in the daily grind of Caleb. She continues to take him to therapy three times a week and the occasional doctor's visit. He's only on Captopril and Aspirin.

Thanks guys!