Prayer Warriors Needed!!

We are so very thankful for Christian friends, family and even strangers who were faithful to lift up our family in prayer during Ethan's NICU stay. Our Heavenly Father worked in a mighty way to unite His children in prayer for our baby boy. I have an URGENT prayer request. Please PLEASE pray for baby Hudson Smith, son of Justin and Amber (Holland) Smith of Dothan, Alabama. He was born Friday and diagnosed with PPHN, the same condition Ethan was born with. He is at Children's Hospital in Birmingham being prepped to go on the ECMO (heart and lung bypass) machine as I type this. He also has a pneumothorax, which is basically (to my best understanding) a small hole in his lungs that causes air to accumulate in his lung cavities. Please pray specifically that Hudson's pneumothorax would heal quickly, that his little body would rest and respond to the ECMO treatment, that his blood pressure and other stats would stabilize, and for peace and comfort from our Jesus for Justin, Amber and their family. Hudson also has a big brother at home, Holland, whose first birthday is today. I know how our hearts were torn between Ethan and Helen during our time in Birmingham - please pray for Holland also. Amber is a sweet friend of mine and cousin to my close friends, Cicely and Molly. The Lord was so good and faithful to heal Ethan...please pray without ceasing the same blessings for this precious baby boy!! Bonnie

Just wanted to share a few pictures...we are loving our time together as a family of 4!! Helen is a SUPER big sister and is extremely interested in all things baby. Ethan had his first "outing" (other than to doctor appointments) to the pumpkin patch at Helen's preschool for some family pics. He is such a sweet baby...loves a bath...a good sleeper...and is GROWING...up to 10 lbs 11 oz this week!! Hope all is well and you are enjoying FALL!!
- BONNIE

I know all of you remember JR...well I spoke to his dad Rudy this morning. He said that on Tuesday of last week they told them that JR was probably not gonna make it. They arranged for his mom Kimberly to get to hold him on Wednesday. Rudy said that she held him for hours. Imagine two months and not being able to hold your child. Later that night JR started getting a little better. On Thursday he improved more and on Friday they took JR off of ECMO. This is nothing short of a miracle! Rudy said that they still have a long way to go but this is a good sign! Rudy and Kimberly are giving all the glory to God! I asked him if we could do anything and he said to continue to pray for his son. I told him that we had a great group of friends and family that were prayer warriors and they would be on their knees for his son just like they were for Ethan. They have been keeping a journal on www.caringbridge.org/visit/jrgibson/journal. (See link on right side under "Please Pray"). I just found out about the journal or I would have told everyone sooner. He will also send me his address tonight and I will post it if anyone wants to send them anything...they will be up there for a long time unless God decides that JR can leave sooner. Praise God!

One Month Old

What a busy week we have had since Ethan has been home!! He is doing wonderfully!! We came home Wednesday, September 30, with no monitors or medication. His NICU pediatrician in Birmingham fully discharged us to our pediatrician here in Dothan. We do not have to go back to Birmingham for any follow-up appointments - PRAISE THE LORD!! He weighed 8 lbs 15 oz the day we left Birmingham and had gained to 9 lbs 6 oz as of his doctor's appointment on Tuesday. His pediatrician here in Dothan said his heart and lungs sound great, and we don't go for another appointment until his 2-month check-up...just like any other healthy newborn!! We are AMAZED that he is "fully recovered" after being so terribly sick, and we are so thankful for the Lord's healing power!!

Helen has been SUCH a good big sister. She loves kissing and hugging on him and "playing" with him in his crib. She loves helping with diaper changes and thinks it is HILARIOUS when Ethan tee-tees or stinkies on one of us! She spent the past two nights with Meme and Jack (Bonnie's parents), so Bonnie and Ethan have thoroughly enjoyed some quality bonding time.

Everyone has been so great to call and bring us meals...we are so thankful for the friends and family in our life. Walking in our house for the first time in 3 weeks was the best feeling. We will never forget the relief it was to have Ethan at home and to have our whole family in the house together. We are praying that Ethan will stay strong and healthy, that Helen can be re-trained to sleep all night in her own bed, and that Mama and Daddy get some rest too! Here are a few pics from our first week at home. Much love to you all!!

Bonnie just called and wanted to share the most wonderful news!! They are on their way home with Ethan!!! God has been so faithful and brought them so far in 3 weeks.
Please pray that they will arrive home safely this afternoon and that Ethan will continue to be healthy. Words can't express how grateful they are for every ones prayers and concerns. So many people have graciously offered to help in any way they can. And although Bonnie and Kerry can't wait to introduce their son to everyone, they will have to be extremely cautious about having any visitors right now. The doctors stressed that Ethan not have visitors for several weeks to allow him to adapt to his home and not be overstimulated. The best thing we can do is continue lift them up and ask the Lord to protect his little body from infection or sickness. Also, pray that Bonnie and Kerry will be able to balance life with two children who need them!
God is so good!!!

There's an empty bed in the NICU...we're "ROOMING IN!!!" We got to spend the night with Ethan in a private room at Children's Hospital last night. His doctor wants us to be with him 24 hours a day for a while...taking care of him on our own...as he is still being monitored closely to make sure he's gaining weight. Ethan is off of all his stat monitors, so we are flying blind for the first time. This has been somewhat hard to adjust to since, up until now, we've watched monitors that tell his every breath and heartbeat. Ethan is very laid back...just like his daddy. He rarely makes a PEEP. It is so very wonderful just to simply be able to hold and love on him, free of wires and tubes, look him over and marvel at God's perfect creation. Today, we'll give him his first sponge bath!! We are all doing GREAT and pray this means home is not far away!!

Update!

PRAISE THE LORD!!! Ethan's oxygen cannula was removed this morning!! We have been kissing on those sweet checks all day!! He is now off of all meds, IV nutrients, and oxygen and is eating like a COW. He took 62 cc's tonight at his 6:30 feeding. His stats, including the oxygen levels in his blood, are all great. The nurses are removing his PICC line tonight as well. He sleeps a lot... which is a change for us. Those of you who know our little girl, Helen, know that she rarely sleeps to this day. So, hopefully, we welcome a sleeper to the family! If he continues to stay on this pace, we hope to be home soon. Our Jesus has healed our baby boy, and we give him all the praise and glory!! Please continue to pray for Ethan, JR, and all the other NICU babies that we have come in contact with. We love and so appreciate you all!!

Dad's Thoughts

Today as I held my son I prayed and rejoiced and thanked God for all that He had done. He has gone from almost dying to off of all medicines and machines and other than a few monitors is just like any other little boy. I started to think of how much I cherished him and appreciated him. I then was reminded of the story of Abraham and how long that he waited for a son. I imagined Abraham sitting and holding Isaac crying, and praising God for his son. Then I thought about the sacrifice that God asked Abraham to make...to offer his son to him as a sacrifice. Abraham didn't hesitate. He was willing to give the son that he waited so long for right back to God. God showed mercy and didn't require Abraham to sacrifice him but he was willing to. I know that I have come a long way in my walk with Christ over the last few weeks but God reminded me with this story that I still had a ways to go. I have given my son back to God and he has had mercy on us and healed him. But could I make the decision that Abraham made??? NO, not right now and that let's me know that I still need God's instruction in my life and I still have a long way to go in my walk. I desire to grow and learn over the rest of my life and I hope that God never stops teaching me. I also hope that he never puts us through another trial like this again. I give Him all of the Glory for my son hopefully coming home soon. I know that prayer works and thank God every day for all of my family and friends and brothers & sisters in Christ that I don't know that are praying for us.

Helen at the zoo!

Yesterday was Bonnie's birthday!!! When we got up I sang happy birthday to her and took her to a fancy breakfast at McDonald's. I even let her get the Big Breakfast. I told her that we would go shopping anywhere she wanted and she chose SuperTarget (that's why I love her). When we got the the hospital Ethan was smiling at us. I told Bonnie that he knew it was his mom's birthday and that was his present. I decided that I was gonna change my first diaper (since my daughter Helen) today. I was in the middle of changing him and he decided that he wasn't thru. So, two diapers later and another outfit (and many laughs from Bonnie and the nurse) dad finally had to call in for mom to come and finish the diaper. Bonnie and I are getting to feed him his bottle. He is up to 65cc's which is good considering he was at 25cc's 6 days ago. It is hard to wake him up to get him to eat. He has so much fluid still in his chest that he coughs a lot. All of these factors make giving him a bottle very difficult. Bonnie was feeding him yesterday at lunch and he spit up on her and outfit number two. At his 9:00pm feeding Bonnie gave him almost a whole bottle and we didn't have to change him again. He is now off of all IV fluids but they are still keeping his pic line in just in case they need to give him some medicine. His oxygen levels are great. He is an answer to many prayers and Bonnie and I no longer worry about what will happen when we walk in the NICU doors...we are confident that Ethan will be doing great. Many of you have asked about JR...his status has not changed. He is still on ECMO and they are gonna try it for a little while longer. Please continue to pray for him and his parents Rudy & Kimberly. We love you all and hope to see you soon! Kerry and Bonnie

The last two days have been amazing. Helen has been here and we have been consumed with running to the hospital to check on Ethan and playing with Helen. Ethan has done very good eating from a bottle today, he took 35cc's per feeding and he is not having any residuals (that means he is digesting all that he consumes). God blessed us with a beautiful afternoon to take Helen to the zoo. She had a blast and it is great to see her here and having fun. We are torn between wanting to be home with her and needing to stay close to Ethan. We are lucky that we have such loving family and friends that help look after Helen in Dothan. God has healed our son and we give Him all the glory. He has protected our daughter and we give Him all the glory. He has given my wife and I strength when we didn't think that we could go anymore and we give Him all the glory. Please pray that Ethan continues to progress on his breathing and eating. Pray also for the rest of our family as they work very hard to care for Helen. We love you all!

I spoke with Rudy (JR's dad); he said that JR wasn't doing so good. I spoke with him about giving God control of the situation and that sometimes we just don't understand His will. Rudy shared with me that two weeks ago, he gave the whole situation over to God. He said that he has an amazing peace about whatever God does in JR's life. He said "Some people think that I am crazy...they wonder how I can remain so calm." There are many things that you may not understand unless you have given your life to Christ: 1. God gives peace to those who need it, if they are Christians. That peace is incomprehensible unless God has ever given it to you. 2. If you don't understand how great Heaven is, you may think being on earth is better. You see, Heaven is a perfect place with no pain and fellowship directly with God. There is no boredom. There are no tears. God may choose to take some and He may choose to leave some. His will is perfect, but it is sometimes beyond our understanding. This doesn't mean that we shouldn't be sad that our loved ones aren't here with us anymore. It means that if they are in Heaven then they are better off than we are in this sinful world, and they wouldn't come home if given the chance. So give praise to God for those that have gone before us. It is through God's grace that some of my dear friends who have lost sons and daughters are able to have peace. They are some of the greatest examples of God's grace and some of the greatest witnesses that I have ever met. I love you guys...your strength is an inspiration to us all. Your strength and prayers have helped us through this. Rudy understands this grace...DO YOU? If you don't, fall on your knees, and ask God to come into your life so that you can understand this miraculous grace. He gave His Son to die on the cross for all of our sins. All we have to do is accept it and live for Him. Bonnie and I love you all, and our greatest desire is that God be glorified through our situation.

Today I read in Psalm 30:1-5 where David gives praise to God for answering prayers. This reminded me that we must praise God for even the "small" victories that we have. Ethan has come a long way in the 12 days that he has been on this earth. He is off all meds except a vitamin drip and oxygen. He is still pitching the occasional fit that causes his stats to go way up - he can't help it - he is a lot like his mama, and she can pitch a mean fit too!! He is learning to breathe on his own now as the doctors are weaning his oxygen. He takes short breaths because it takes less energy for him to do that rather than breathe deeply. Tonight when Bonnie was rocking him he was breathing much deeper. They let us rock him now as much as we want to - I think that we have already spoiled him, but we don't care. Ethan's NICU stay has helped put our priorities back in order. We will focus on God then family first and foremost from now on. Please pray that Ethan gets the hang of this breathing deep thing and that he will learn to eat from the bottle. Please pray for Helen - she wants to come visit but hasn't been feeling well. If she is sick then she won't be able to come because of the danger of spreading sickness to Ethan through us. Oh and Ethan got to wear clothes tonight - based on the big bag his mama brought for him, he had better get started!! THANK YOU all for your prayers and concerns - God bless!!

In my quiet time today, I studied Psalm 27:14 "Wait on the Lord, be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; wait, I say, on the Lord." I prayed "Help me Lord to get off of my clock and on your time." Last night, we were getting worried about things that we couldn't control...the length of time we would spend in the NICU, etc. This verse just reminded me to "wait". Today when we walked in to the NICU, Ethan was breathing well and seemed very relaxed. He is still on an oxygen cannula but otherwise breathing on his own - PRAISE THE LORD! We both got to hold and rock him today - he is already spoiled - he loved it and was very content in our arms!! Ethan also had his first bottles of breast milk today, and the nurses let Bonnie and I help feed him. Overall things are going very well, and Bonnie and I are giving God all the glory. Please pray that Ethan continues to breathe well on his own in order to wean from the oxygen cannula and improves on his feedings. We are excited to get in there tomorrow and hold him some more!!

Ethan had a good day today!! We came back from lunch around 1:15 pm, and they had him wrapped up in blanket and all of his tubes and wires were taped to it. They looked at us and said "Who gets to hold him?" Then Bonnie threw a shoulder block, knocked me to the floor, and hopped in the rocking chair...just kidding. Bonnie got to hold him for around 20 minutes, and Ethan looked so comfortable as did Bonnie. They then told us they were going to try removing the ventilator again, so we left for the afternoon and returned later that day. When we returned Ethan was off the vent but still on oxygen. He was having trouble adjusting to it. He would periodically pitch a fit and do what the nurses called "clamping down" meaning he would strain so much he shot all his vitals up. This was very nerve-racking to watch because there is nothing you can do but pat him, talk to him, and pray that he calms down. The only way I can describe it is like watching a clock tick-tick-tick and not knowing when the alarm will go off...just waiting. It was exhausting for us. When we got home God laid these verses on my heart and I shared them with Bonnie: James 1:2-8 "My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. If any of you lacks wisdom let him ask of God who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man and unstable in all his ways." We prayed..."God give us strength, and forgive us for doubting you." Please pray today that Ethan remain calm, takes deep breaths, and continues to breath on his own. Also pray that Helen continue to handle our situation so well...God is with her. We love you guys...Kerry, Bonnie, Helen, and Ethan!!

Joshua 1:5 says "No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life: as I was with Moses so I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you." I reviewed this verse from the notes from Bro Richard Sego's sermons for my quiet time this morning. I claimed these things as I prayed this morning "I have already won. He is always there. He is powerful so we can be brave and draw courage from Him."

Ethan opened his eyes tonight around 7:20 pm. He looked at Bonnie and me for approximately an hour. He also decided to spit up some of his food he had eaten earlier. We got to help the nurse clean him up and change the bedding and he pitched a fit...then went to sleep for a few minutes and then opened those beautiful eyes back up. Then I watched Bonnie sing to and smile at him. We were so grateful because these simple things that we got to see and help do were familiar to us. Another step closer to home. Thank you Lord!

Bonnie and I stared into Ethan's eyes tonight, and you could see that he was calm. Even with all the tubes in his mouth, he knew the Lord was with him. He knew that Mama and Daddy really needed to see him open his eyes. God gave us a little glimpse into our future tonight. Thank you God.

Quick update from Bonnie

I just wanted to give a quick update. Ethan started eating today! He got 10cc's at 10 am and is doing good so far. If all goes well, they will try again at 1 this afternoon. Pray that he continues to make daily improvements!

Update

Ethan was where the doctors wanted him to be tonight when we left him. He is being treated with a diuretic to remove fluids from his lungs so that they will be able to open more easily. We can already tell that he has removed a lot of fluids because he will briefly open his eyes as they are not as swollen as before. He is trying to breathe over the vent, and we need to pray that he will just relax and heal. The blood cultures were finalized as negative today, so he received his last doses of antibiotics. He is also off of all blood pressure meds. Praises to God for these small victories!!

Dad's Thoughts:

Today Bonnie gave me some scripture to read - Psalm 91. It talks about the safety that you have if you are abiding in the presence of the Lord. Just read it today...you will be blessed! I will let God's words speak for themselves.

Please Pray!

Kerry just called, please pray for Ethan because he is back on the ventilator. Even though this was expected, it is still a hard setback. The doctors and nurses said he was getting tired and was retaining some fluid. The vent will help give his little body rest and help with the fluid.
We can praise the Lord for the progress he has made in such a short amount of time.
Remember this is still going to be a long journey, so please continue to pray without ceasing.
Pray also for Mr. Norman, Mrs. Theresa, and Helen as they travel back home today.

Dad'd Thoughts

I am so happy that my son has come so far. I thank everyone for the prayers they have truly kept us going. We give God all the glory for this miracle and will continue to everyday He gives us breath.

Here is what God laid on my heart today. God has revealed to me a lot...today I was thinking about how I was so excited to get to the NICU and just spend time by Ethan's bed. God asked me "Are you that excited to sit by my throne?" I am learning that I should have the same desire every hour to see my Father in Heaven as I do to see Ethan. Wow! This is the most basic thing that God desires of us...to be with Him daily. How I have taken it for granted. I will never take it for granted again.

Ethan my son, I am watching you move and squeeze my finger. You are a miracle...I have prayed for you more than anything in my life. I will continue to pray like this the rest of my life. God used you to save me from my weak walk with Him. Seeing you move is one of the greatest moments of my life.

I am watching my wife look down on Ethan and she is showing the truest love I have ever seen. To imagine that that is how God looks down on us and loves us more than what I see in front of me is life changing. I've always known He loves us but never known how much. I will try not to hurt my Father any more and beg for forgiveness when I fail.

Children's Hospital Rocks! (this thought wasn't deeply spiritual but TRUE)

I have had some sweet time with God. My quiet times have been different every day. I've learned that God doesn't want us to just check Him off of our daily list. Some days I just prayed. Some days I read the word and prayed. Some days I was just silent (unless I was crying). God wants genuine time with us...not some routine that bores us and Him.

Bonnie and I love y'all...please don't stop praying Ethan has a long way to go we need you!

How Great is our God?

Can I please just testify about our God?! He is a BIG God and He can do BIG things when His people pray. Bonnie just called and wanted to tell everyone that Ethan is breathing on his own!! No oscillator, no ventilator, no C-PAP....on his own!!! The doctors were very aggressive today about turning down his meds and getting him off the machines. He is only on a very low dose of a couple of medications and getting great results on all his gases and blood pressure test. They are still trying to wrap their minds around the past 24 hours. They give God ALL the glory for this miracle, because that is exactly what it is...a miracle. An answer to prayer. They are so thankful for every prayer that has gone to the Father for Ethan. Please, please pray that he will continue breathing on his own and that his stats will stay up and that he will not have to go back to the ventilator. Bonnie was so excited to hear him cry this evening! That is great because it means he is having to take deep breaths. And to see their sweet, precious baby boy's mouth and nose free from tubes was so wonderful. Thank you, Jesus!!!
Also, they do ask that we pray for Helen. Her innocent little 3 year old mind doesn't really understand all that is happening and why she can't see Ethan. Pray that the Lord will calm her spirit and comfort as well. She has really been a trooper this week. It is the longest she has ever been away from her Moma and Daddy. Pray that God will grant her a special peace for the rest of her visit this week and as she goes home with Nana and Popa on Saturday.
Please still remember to lift up baby JR and his parents, Rudy and Kimberly as well.

Praise Update!

Kerry just called with a praise update. Ethan is off the oscillator!!!!! And now on the ventilator! He is off most of his medications and all of his gas levels are good. He is moving his arms and legs and starting to open his eyes a little! Even though they will be there a while this is a HUGE improvement!!!! Keep praying and we'll send more updates as they come!

Update from Kerry

Ethan has had a very good last 24hrs. He is off most of his blood pressure meds and they have turned the oscillator down a lot. We anticipated going on reg ventilator in the next 24-36hrs. They have let him come off of the paralytic meds and he is moving his little hands and fingers...especially when his mom is around. I think he is already a mama's boy. Prayer request for today is continue to wean from oscillator and blood pressure to stay up. We are absolutely amazed at the power of all the prayers that are being prayed...keep them up. Bonnie and I love all of you and are praying for you also!!

So many of you have told me that you were not able to leave a comment. I apologize and have changed the settings so that anyone can leave one if they want to. Just click the word comment below the post and choose the anonymous id. Please leave your name for Bonnie and Kerry, so they will know who sent it. Hope this helps.
I'll post any new updates as I get them. Keep praying and God Bless.

Big Prayer Request

Today is a big day for Ethan. He had a stable night and good gas test results today! Praise the Lord.
Today the doctors are going to be aggressively trying to wean him from more medications. I don't think I have mentioned in the past posts, but Ethan has been chemically paralyzed in order to let his little body take in all the meds and work on his lungs improving. Please pray specifically that Ethan will react positively to coming off the medications, for his blood pressure to rise, and that he will respond well to the removal of the paralytic sedation as they "wake" him up. If these things don't go well today, Ethan will have to backtrack and restart some of the process. We know that our God is "able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us" (Eph. 3:20). Pray for continued healing and God's will to be done. He has been so faithful and answered so many prayers for them in 6 days!

Also, many people have asked about where they are staying and if they need anything. Yesterday, they were able to get a great 2 bedroom apartment! The Lord has provided this through a church in Birmingham and it will be a wonderful blessing to have a place long term if they need it. Also, Helen is coming today! They are beyond thrilled to see her. Please pray for her understanding that she will not get to see her baby brother right now, and that her mommy and daddy will need to be with him during the day as well. I'm sure there will be a roller coaster of emotion (more so today than in the past few). So please pray for God to strengthen them physically and emotionally for the day ahead.

Dad's Thoughts

I have been keeping a journal of the things that God lays on my heart. I don't really know why I started but I know that God will use my families trials to open their eyes to a God that is greater than we all realize.

This makes my heart break.
God is changing lives through this.
I want God to use Ethan but I want to take him home and hold him.

My daughter Helen has always loved to put money in the "Children's Miracle" coin collectors. They have many in the lobby of the Children's Hospital where Ethan lives. She loves to watch the money go round and round. I sometimes got frustrated at her because I didn't want to slow down to put any money in. You see Helen was doing something she loved to do and she had no
way of knowing that she was giving money to an organization that would be helping her little brother one day. God was using Helen. I am trying not to question God. I remember the story of the Israelites when they started to doubt God on the way to the promise land. God had them wander in the wilderness and they never got to see the promise land...I want to see the promise land. I am looking forward to holding my child. I have taken that for granted. He lies there very sensitive to touch, so we can barely touch him. When I can hold him in my arms I will weep and rejoice! I will never tell him I don't have time for him or Helen. I can only imagine the embrace of our heavenly Father and His Son when He got to heaven. My testimony will never be the same. My faith will never be the same. My weak witness will never be the same. My weak walk will never be the same. I challenge any man that is not in love with the Lord and raising his family according to the Holy Word to start now. Pray right now and tell God that you are a sinner and invite Him into your heart claim His death on the cross and it's forgiving healing power. You see you may live for a long time and have plenty of time to live for Jesus but someone in your family may not. By not telling them about Christ and living as an example you are putting them in danger. You are helping Satan drag them to Hell. Give every piece of your life to Christ and your family will follow you and respect you. He has given me strength when I needed it and let me cry like a child when I didn't. But my pastor reminded me that God saves up our tears...they are precious treasures to Him. God hears our prayers. I am learning so much about praying. I am learning how to pray specifically. Please let me know if you need prayer right now and my wife and I will pray for you because we desire the Lords strength and grace to with anyone struggling or hurting. Please join us in praying for Tyler he is 8 and has severe kidney problems...continue to lift up JR, Rudy and Kimberly. We have had very specific prayers answered in the last 24hrs...Praise the Lord. Hebrews 4:16 " Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need." As I get ready to go to sleep my wife and I cry and laugh at the comments on this blog. Everyone wants to help and we want you to know that you can help by making sure that you know the Lord Jesus as your personal Savior. And if He is, then lead your family boldly in His word.
We love you Kerry & Bonnie,

Here are the promised pictures!! They are so thrilled to be able to lay hands on him and "love" on him a little. Ethan has had great 24 hours. He continues to be stable and they are still trying to wean him from the Dopamine and the oscillator. When he is weaned from the oscillator he will be on a ventilator. Please continue to pray that his blood pressure will go up and gases will stay stable so that they can wean him from the Dopamine. This will make them one step closer to coming off the oscillator. They are coveting your prayers so please keep praying. They are so encouraged by the progress Ethan has made and pray for no set backs. The Lord is so faithful and is really taking care of His own!

Also, Helen is coming for a few days, so pray for safe travel and a great visit. She will be so excited to see her parents and they can't wait to see their girl! It will be a great time for all of them.

Quick update and praise!! Clay and I are here with Bonnie and Kerry this afternoon. Ethan had a great night and is completely weaned from the epinephrine and 2 other blood pressure medications!!! God is so good. They are so excited because they got to touch his sweet hand and head this morning. The Lord has heard our prayers and is answering them. Keep praying for this precious baby and his family. I'll upload pictures tonight, when Bonnie emails them to me. They are so thankful for all the prayers and comments everyone is sending. Pray that they have another great day and check back later this evening for pics and an update!
Michelle

I just talked to Bonnie and Ethan has had a good stable day. They are currently trying to wean him off the epinephrine and that is going well. He should be completely off it sometime tonight.
Please pray that the weaning will continue to go well. Ethan is in a highly environment sensitive area of the NICU, which means there is very little physical contact (mainly from doctors and nurses). It is emotionally draining for Bonnie and Kerry to see their precious little baby laying there and fighting for his life and not even be able to "love" on him. Thankfully, we know that he has the most gentle and powerful hands holding him right now.
I know that Bonnie and Kerry are feeling all our prayers. So many people are praying for them and Ethan. If you want to leave a special prayer for them in the comment box, I know that would be encouraging. Gods word tells us to "pray without ceasing" (1 Thes 5:17) and "where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst" (Matt 18:20). My theology may be wrong, but I'm going to assume that we can "gather" in prayer on the web and He will hear our prayers and be in the midst of this situation!

This Morning

update: Ethan is holding stable for now - has not really made any improvements but no regression either - PRAISE THE LORD - specific prayers: good reports on blood gas tests for oxygen saturation so they can begin to ween from oscillator - blood pressure stability so they can begin to ween from some of his bp meds - wisdom, strength, and guidance for drs and nurses - and please pray for Ethan's nicu friend, J.R. who is on the ECMO machine and also a PPHN baby and his parents, Rudy and Kimberly

My Son

My Son,
God has used you to force me to deal with many things and revealed many truths through your sickness. I am not a poet or great writer these are words that God layed on my heart for all to read:

This is so hard...How did God give up His Son for me?

I have never hated sin as much as I do today...sin is why you are sick my dear son. We live in a fallen sinful world. God have mercy on us!

Ethan I have seen you fighting for your life. You are beautiful my son and tough and I realize that God loves you more than we do. That is why I know God hurts like we do right now. He hurts for you Ethan and for every other single person in the world. That is an unimaginable crushing burden to bare, yet God takes it on.

I have had to deal with my own sin. I have never really understood how to put more trust in God. I have taught sunday school lesson over the past few years on trials and I have never really understood why and how God uses them until now. I almost complained about all the lessons with the same subject matter..."trust God all the time through the good and bad times", why did God keep make me teach the same lesson? Now I know. I am coming face to face with a God that is telling me that I am not in control...He is! It is killing me to learn this and it is making me stronger. Stronger because I have never really understood God's sacrifice even though I have talked about it and shared it with others, it has never been as understood as it is today. You see son you are God's little helper.

I have seen your mother be as strong as ever. I was worried about her and her emotions and I didn't trust God to give her strength I felt like I needed to give strength to her. I thought I was the only one with strength. Today your beautiful mother held my head in her lap while I cried. She quoted scriptures and reassured me. She is a spiritual anchor with strength from God because she love Him and you. I will never underestimate or question her faith again. I Love You Son,Daddy

Ethan had a good afternoon. They got a really good report around 3:00 -his po2 had increased from 84 to 153 (the best # we've seen) after they had turned down his oscillator setting, so they were turning it down again - slowly weaning but it's a roller coaster -keep praying!!

I know the medical terms may not make much sense to us, but they are measuring his arterial blood gases and oxygen levels. Bonnie and Kerry are learning so much and have so much retain with all the medical side of things. Continue to pray for their strength of mind to keep up with everything.

Update

Ethan was transferred last night from UAB to Children's Hospital in Birmingham. He has officially been diagnosed with Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension of the Newborn (PPHN), with the possibility of the use of the ECMO (heart & lung bypass machine). Please pray specifically for Ethan...that his stats would progress without use of the ECMO, for wisdom and strength for doctors and nurses, and for Bonnie and Kerry as they are with him. Also, please remember to pray for Ethan's big sister, she is starting to ask for her parents. It will be hard, but the Lord will have His hand on every part of the way.
Bonnie also shared that the Lord is revealing so much to them through the most difficult situation they could imagine, HE is answering their prayers of walking closer in our relationship with Him, of growing their prayer life, of learning to completely surrender to Him.

What's in a name?

God has worked in the lives of Bonnie and Kerry and has given them an incredible testimony of His love and faithfulness. They honor Him daily in their lives and through their precious family. When they began to start a family together they were blessed with a beautiful, sweet baby girl, Helen, who is now 3 years old. They were so excited to be expecting a another baby 9 months ago. And to see Bonnie's reaction when she told everyone it was a boy was priceless! And like the rest of us they started deciding on a name. They chose to name him Ethan ~"Strength, permanence, firmness". How perfect is that name for this child who will need strength?

Ethan Howell Williamson was born on Thursday, September 10. He weighed 8 lbs 11 oz and was 21 inches long. He is a beautiful little boy with light blond hair, fair skin, and sweet round cheeks! After an eventful labor and delivery he was finally here. Soon after his birth he was put in an oxygen tent and monitored closely. Several hours later, the doctors decided that Ethan needed to be transported to Birmingham.

It has been a whirlwind for the past couple days as Bonnie and Kerry have faced the unexpected. They are currently at UAB Hospital in Birmingham. Ethan is being treated for pneumonia and they expect he will be there for a few weeks. He is stable right now, but will have a long road ahead as they try to ween him off the ventilator as his lungs get stronger and there is no infection. God's hand has been on sweet Ethan and literally brought him though so much already.
Please pray that Ethan will continue to be strong and will show signs of improvement daily. Pray for Bonnie as she continues to recover from a difficult labor and delivery. For her and Kerry to continue to hold steadfast in their faith while they rely on the Lord to make it through the next several weeks. Pray for peace to know that the Lord has gone before them, patience in a slow process, and strength of body, mind and spirit. Their families are also right there in the middle of things and need to be lifted up as well. Also, please remember to pray for sweet Helen. She will be out of her routine and at times away from her mommy and daddy. Pray that she will continue to be resilient and enjoy spending special time with her grandparents and friends for a few weeks!





Isaiah 12:2 "See, God has come to save me. I will trust in Him and not be afraid. The Lord God is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation."