Fourth Day

I can hardly wait until we can say it's been one whole week since Joel's cast was put on. That will mean 5 more weeks to go (or at least I'm praying for that). Yesterday we ordered some Baby Einstein dvds from E-Bay. I'm really not in favor of babies watching t.v., but I was told by two of my friends that I'd better give up that ideal and just concentrate on making it through the next month and half to two months.
My Bible study leader stopped by and delivered spaghetti sauce, ice cream, strawberries and a dark chocolate bar from Trader Joe's. Matt and I shared the chocolate bar after a stressful afternoon with Joel, who just couldn't be satisfied no matter what we tried. He's still pretty frustrated that he can't move. I'm hoping that soon he'll forget what he was capable of doing before he got the cast--it'll make life a lot easier.
Joel also got his first sponge bath yesterday. I think he really liked it. This was surprising to me because he usually pitches a fit whenever anyone comes near him with a wash cloth. He's also been quite patient during his 20 minute diaper changes. God is merciful.
Our friends Brian and Julie came over for dinner last night. Julie brought dinner and her kiddos to serve as a distraction for my kids. Brian brought supplies to make a special device that will enable Joel to be at the table with us when we eat. We've been holding him at mealtime and this will enable him to be more independent like he was before. Matt and Brian (the two engineers) love to work on these types of projects. I warned them to keep Joel's safety and comfort at the forefront of all design ideas (as if they needed that reminder)--this Mommy's pretty protective. Anyway, I think they were successful. Paul even helped "the guys" with his Dollar Store tools--pretty cute. Joel tried his new eating enabler at breakfast this morning. He was quite pleased. Tonight we'll put the finishing touches on it and it'll be ready to use for the next couple of months.
Last night during dinner, Matt's sister called to tell us that Nana was admitted to the hospital for swelling in her leg. When it rains is pours, I guess. Matt's mom and dad have been in Israel and won't be back until next week. Since they're the "emergency handlers" in crisis situations, the rest of the family has had to pull together to cover the more than usual number of emergencies that have arisen since their departure. The Lord is sovereign, though, and everything has worked out fine. After finishing dinner, I headed down to the hospital to see Nana. She has a blood clot in her leg and will be in the hospital for a few days. Trevor was able to visit her after I left. He made sure Nana had everything she needed from her apartment. So all's well that ends well.
We're praying for a better night's sleep tonight than what we got last night. This week has been emotionally and physically exhausting. It's in situations like these that we come to realize that our true source of strength is only found in our Savior, Jesus Christ.