Jeannette Update!

Thank you all for your prayers. There is not too much to say other Jeannette is in somewhat stable condition, for which we are grateful. She was on an extremely high dose of steroids which kept the doctors from being able to run necessary test to discover why Jeannette experienced such terrible side effects after pregnancy. They are in the process of weaning her slowly back from almost 200 ml. to 30 ml. in order to do tests. Lord willing, those tests once done will shed some light on the situation. She is just resting at this point while my sister, Rachel, graciously agreed to take baby Samuel and breastfeed him with the intention of gradually teaching him to take a bottle. Rob and Jeannette hope to pick up Samuel early next week if all goes as planned, and my sister, Martha, will be going up to SC for a couple of months to assist. We are all doing whatever is possible to be of assistance, but we must primarily wait on God to do His perfect will. Thank you all again for your prayers and thoughts!!!

Need for Prayer

Please find below a prayer request from my brother-in-law, Rob in regard to my oldest sister Jeannette. The family would deeply appreciate this request being passed on in your churches:

Dear Congregation,

We would appreciate your prayers for Jeannette today. She was experiencing some difficulties last night, which became more severe this morning. The symptoms seem to indicate that she is having an Addisonian crisis, which means her adrenals are crashing after coming down from the high doses of IV soluble cortef before and after surgery. She has blurred vision, difficulty breathing, nausea, acute weakness and a list of other symptoms. We have been on and off the phone today trying to reach the right doctors. Jeannette's baby doctor is actually out-of-town at present. We finally got a referral to an endocrinologist, but they are unwilling to see her right away. Consequently, we are having to go to the emergency room to get treatment, which may result in the same endocrinologist seeing Jeannette in the ER. Little Samuel appears to be doing fine. Jeannette's parents were here today, and her dad is staying with the other children at our house. We would appreciate your prayers for Jeannette and the doctors who will be seeing her.

Warm Regards,
Pastor Rob McCurley


P.S. They did go to the ER, and by the time they arrived Jeannette was unconscious. Thankfully, they were able to reverse some of the symptoms and pumped her full of steroids which will hopefully serve her through the night and until she is able to go to a doctor tomorrow!

Funny Moments

Ok... So, I began to post a few pictures of Charis and then discovered that the supposed photos just become streams of letters and numbers. So... I thought that I might, until I get the dilemma sorted out, just post a few funny incidents that have occurred in the last couple of weeks. Nothing over the top, but simply amusing to me personally. If you do do not find them to be so. Please, by all means, do not feel obliged to read or comment! :)

1) So, I went to the bank today and decided rather than going in and seeing how long our credit union can take to deposit funds that I might see if things progressed more quickly outside. Sean was with me as we went just prior to a family outing, and He was awed by the chutes outside into which one can pull out the canister, slide open the top, place in the desired paper, push the button, and "bingo" ... the transaction is complete with a little help from the lady who pops up on the screen to the right of the the chute to answer any questions and to complete the transaction. Sean's comment was something like he felt as if he had stepped into the future like on the "Jetsons" show." I had to laugh! He really was impressed and never even knew that such outside banking existed!?!

2) Ok.... so I LOVE cooking with herbs, especially fresh herbs... Sean came in rather upset because the parsley had died the other day and had the whole plant in his hand which he had just pulled up. Thus, I consequently decided that dried parley would have to suffice until Sean came inside the from the garden again a couple of days later to state that the parsley must have spread seeds because it was now sprouting up all the way across the garden. I was delighted and then began to chop up the new "parsley" without ado or consideration. The moment I dropped it into my pan Sean pipes up, "I do not think it is parsley." He then asked me a very important question before which he had already discovered the answer. What looks like parsley just a little bit and could possibly be ready to spring up "all over the garden?" My answer was after some thought was... CARROTS!!! So... at least some of our carrots will serve as fertilizer since the tops which indicate their position is missing and we... well,... I am most likely the first to use carrot tops as herbs in my food! :)

3)Lastly but not least... I was traveling home from a conference last weekend when Sean and I, ever on the lookout for the cheapest gas prices, stopped at this little hole-in-between-two-mountains place at which the gas attendant didn't even have a cash register but gave me the correct return amount out of the wad of bills in his pocket!?! Anyhow, it was one of those mostly auto shops, so I overlooked this oddity, especially as we where in West Virginia and then proceeded to the bathroom in the back to wash out Charis' bottle the best I could while holding her in my arms. As the juggling act was not working I went to drop her off with Sean who was inside getting directions from the gentleman with the "wad of bills in his pocket." As I hand Charis off and prepare to go back to wash the not-very-clean bottle again... I turn around to see an old friend from UGA, who I knew that I knew quite well but absolutely couldn't remember a thing about him. Next thing I know, he had swept me into quick hug while my brain was racing through past history trying to reacquaint myself. During all of this, my innocent husband, the bystander, apparently exclaimed in mid-sentence the first thing that came to his mind when his wife exclaims in disbelief and hugs the first guy she comes to in the gas station... " that's weird!!!" This statement from Sean, as I after discovered sent the "guy with the wad of cash" to whom Sean had been talking racing into the repair half of the shop to tell all of the other guys about Sean's rather shocked response as he couldn't hold himself together. Anyhow, I did get a first name to this post UGA grad and previous friend. His name was Terry! We weren't great friends all throughout my undergrad but mostly during my last semester at UGA, and I have not seen him in over 5 or 6 yrs. Yikes! Even then, I would only call us good acquaintances... and then to see him in some random gas station at which most people wouldn't choose to go in WV???
Too odd! (Hey Jen... I know that you knew the guy to! I think he played a wind instrument and was getting his masters at the point I was getting my undergrad... he may have even been the orchestra manager at one point... Just can't remember a last name or anything. Anyhow, Terry had just finished his PhD and was head to Indy to teach... let me know if you come up with anything)

Well, that's it. I am headed bed!!!

Newest Addition in the Family

Well, as some or most of you know, my sister Jeannette was pregnant with her fifth. We have been very excited for her as well as concerned for both her and the baby due to Jeannette's health concerns. However, I am pleased to announce after some rather nerve-racking events (inducement, emergency c-section, etc.)Mr. Samuel Rutherford McCurley and Mommy are doing fine! He was a little tike compared the the usual McCurley babies but appears to be quite healthy. I do not have his measurements, but he was about 6 lbs. 8 oz. So far, he is just sleeping and enjoying not having the usual cone head and blotchy face. :) Thank you all for your prayers during this time!!!

Lovely Carrier!!!

You guys just have to check this carrier out if you have not already done so via Kelley's website. I just loved the color schemes available as well as the certain attributes specific to this carrier: waist support, color schemes, back or front wearing,and especially, the ability to pass the baby without completely taking the baby out of the apparatus!!!


http://www.alongfortheride.biz/Win-a-Free-Beco-Butterfly-and-
-Beco-Toy-Carrier-s/49.htm

Thank you Kelley for sharing!!! I will most definitely keep my eyes open in regard to this possibility for another child or... We'll see!