This week

What a busy week! We started off Sunday at church. The twins and I made it to Sunday School. We nurses the majority of the time but we were there! We had our Harvest Lunch after morning worship. What a sweet time of fellowship!

Monday was spent in Grenada seeing clients. Bo and Carter headed to Memphis and receive the info in the last post. The rest of the week has been busy with house work, more church, homeschool and enjoying time as a family.

Today I came across a scripture that just seemed to speak to me. Luke 12:48b "Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more.". Wow. Just reaches in deep an grabs me. I am so very blessed. So much is required of me. God is so good. So amazing.

Bo and I are heading out tomorrow for my six week doctors appointment and then on to do some shopping for the kids Christmas. The boys will spend some time with Lyndee from church as Carter calls her and then some time with Kiki and Alli. Bo and I will take the twins with us...should be interesting!!!

Saturday we will take a moment as a family to discuss the importance of thanksgiving before we decorate for Christmas. We are looking forward to next week. Our Thanksgiving begins Sunday celebrating with the Rounsavilles and ends the following Sunday as we travel to spend some time with the shawa family.

I updating from my phone. I cannot post pics but will get some new ones up soon!!!

Believing
Lindy

New Carter Info

Hi friends,

Thanks to everyone who has offered their thoughts and prayers on behalf of Carter and our family over the past week. We do have a bit of new info to share with you all!

Carter and I (Bo) traveled to Memphis again this past Monday, Nov 16, to check in with our Cardiologist, Dr. Joel Lutterman. Our appointment was originally scheduled for December, but with the newest information that we received regarding the plastic bronchitis (see last week's journal), Dr Lutterman decided to go ahead and see Carter.

To make a long story short, Dr Lutterman is in agreement with Lindy and I that we should pursue a heart transplant. To our best knowledge, this is the last remaining option to strengthen Carter's heart. There seems to be a strong medical concensus that upon a successful heart transplant, the plastic bronchitis will no longer be an issue. Since the terminal prognosis was given last week, it seems our odds are better with the transplant despite all of the new "issues" that a transplant certainly will bring.So you may ask where are we in this process right now?

Well, Dr Lutterman is in contact with the transplant specialists in Nashville at Vanderbilt Children's Hospital. You might remember that Vanderbilt is where Carter and our family spent a large portion of time in 2007 dealing with major lung issues. I think that it was about 15 weeks that he spent in the hospital there in 2007. So we are pretty well acquainted with the hospital and the Nashville area. We are thankful that even though this transplant will be a TOTALLY NEW BALLGAME for us, we do have a level of comfort already established there at Vanderbilt and Nashville.

Now that being said, we obviously have never done this with two babies in hand, so despite all of the obvious challanges, such as relocating our family to Nashville for a minimum of six weeks (at least on a part time weekly basis), there are lots of other things to think about as well.

Please pray for us as we undertake these challenges as things become more clearly defined in the coming weeks or months (we have no idea how soon this all will come about). We will let all of you know as we have specifics, but in general, Carter has to be officially placed on the transplant list then wait for some poor family to lose their child so that a new heart can be donated. (So overwhelming) I am very thankful to know that our Holy Daddy is in control of all of these things, down to the last detail. As soon as we hear from Dr. Lutterman as to some specifics in meeting with the doctors from Vanderbilt to get this ball rolling, we will let ya'll know.

Blessings,Bo

Catching Up

Hello,

Life here besides the Carter diagnosis....has been busy!!! The twins are such an incredible blessing!!! The older boys have adjusted very well to the transaction of babies. Carter has become a little more bossy and demanding and Spencer has developed the ability to bounce off of walls...but overall things have gone smoothly.

I have recovered well. I am blessed with good genes...so surgery doesn't phase me nor does it have me still for long. Bo is doing well. He is adjusting to less sleep then we are normally used to...so learning to take naps has come in handy.

Church life is going great. We are very thankful to be in our church and in this community. I am hoping to be able to do another ladies bible study in the Spring. Bo is knocking through the books of Hebrews and Ezra right now...good stuff...God is amazing.

Homeschool is slowly getting started back again. Carter is as always all go. Spencer is hesitant this time around....doesn't think it is necessary...we are working through it!!!

Bo and I are going to our first Ole Miss football game together since....I don't know before kids! I vaguely remember watching Eli trip over his feet when I was pregnant with Carter...not sure I have made a game since then! We have never been to a TN game so this will be fun for us both!

All four kiddos will be hanging with Nanna and Mommamack. The older boys can fend for themselves and there will be a baby for each adult!

I am not going to make any promises on how much I hope to come here more and update...all I can do is say stay tuned...there will be an update in the future!!!

Hope you all have a blessed rest of the week and weekend!!!

Blessings,
Lindy

Update on Carter

Dear Friends of Carter,
I am sitting here at my kitchen table and am listening to Bo and the older two boys rough house and play – their usual bedtime routine. I hear Carter’s breathing treatment going in the background. I look over and I see two amazing little bundles of joy snoozing here in the living room.
I wish I were coming here with some wonderful amazing news, however as is the case most often with Carter’s journey, we come with heavy hearts. I am laying out the outline of this update and Bo is going to intermingle his thoughts in with mine so it is a complete picture from us both.
I think back to April 12, 2004 when we thought our healthy second son was about to be born…what joy…what innocence we had…how innocent our families all were. Then I think about the NICU at LeBonheur. I think about that perfect second born of mine needing open heart surgery at eight days old. I think about the machines, and those precious nurses that had the privilege of dealing with hard headed me (Lindy). I think of the verse that just screamed to me – my Holy Daddy’s voice speaking, “I know the plans I have for you…not to harm you…to give you a hope and a future” Jeremiah 29:11
I hear my Holy Daddy’s voice saying those same words tonight in my ear as I sit here exposing myself to the world. What have I learned in 5 ½ years? That His ways are not our ways, His thoughts are not our thoughts and we have learned to rejoice in that. I have learned that Job and I will have a great chat one day if we ever take a break from worshipping Jesus.
As many of you know, Carter had a heart cath in May 2009. This was the heart cath that was supposed to make his heart function better and set up a better life for Carter. Many of you also know that instead of receiving news of improved heart function, we received a different outlook for Carter’s future with a diagnosis of Plastic Bronchitis .
Over the past five to six months we have been to numerous appointments with pulmonology and immunology and have had an Upper GI and a Bronchial scope…all in search of a glimmer of hope that this diagnosis of plastic bronchitis was not true.
Dr. Schumacher, our pulmonologist at Le Bonheur, saw Bo and Carter this past Monday. Bo went with a list of questions to solidify what we already knew in our hearts from the research we have done. If our Cardiologists are not able to come up with a procedure to drastically improve Carter’s heart function, and we have tried everything possible at this point short of a heart transplant, then Dr. Schumacher said that the plastic bronchitis will be terminal (life ending) for Carter.
Now, here is where I want to clarify something. Bo and I firmly believe in a Sovereign God. We believe that He set this world in motion knowing long before earth was formed the number of days each of us have (Psalm 139). Meaning all of our days, as well as Carter’s, are numbered by a Sovereign God. My Holy Daddy knew long before I fell in love with Bo how long our Carter would live on this earth. So Bo and I are well aware that we do not have to worry about when Carter leaves this earth.
Now, I am human, so please do not think that I do not think about what this means. I worry often…to the point of extreme tears while fighting away panic attacks. But I also can cling to scripture in Philippians 4:4-9 when it says to be anxious for nothing and take this to my Holy Daddy.
We do not know how long Carter has; only our Father knows that. We do know from the research that most of these children live on average about five years after diagnosis. I started noticing Carter’s symptoms in August of 2008. The length of time that he has left will be determined by how aggressively the disease progresses in his little body. Dr Schumacher was disappointed at how much it had progressed since he last saw Carter. He said that there had been noticeable changes to his lungs already.
We will continue living life just as we have since April 2004 – one day at a time, often one moment at a time. We will celebrate life every day and live like tomorrow is our last. We will not go through this life in despair but remember that the joy of the Lord is our strength. He is our refuge and our fortress.
We do desperately need your prayers. We need God’s strength and wisdom as we trudge forward in what is ahead. We do not know if he even qualifies for a heart transplant, which is the only option at this point to try to rid his body of the plastic bronchitis. He has many secondary issues which may very well disqualify him from even being placed on the transplant list. We do not know what medically can be done for Carter’s comfort should a transplant be out of the question. There are many questions left unanswered for us, but two that we do know are 1) the plastic bronchitis is terminal and 2)plastic bronchitis or not, God is still in control.
We will see Dr. Lutterman, i.e. Dr. Joel, Carter’s main cardiologist, in December. Hopefully, we can begin to lay out how we will move forward at that point. Please put him on your prayer lists and/or chains once again. If he has remained on them, please update with this new information. Prayer works! You absolutely CANNOT look at Carter’s life and draw any other conclusion as far as we are concerned. Bless each of you for checking on us. Blessed be the name of the Lord!
Bo and Lindy

April is Autism Awareness Month

How has autism impacted our lives? Well Spencer would tell you in the form of his best friend Benjamin. Benjamin first entered our lives via his family in the waiting room as we celebrated Carter's successful 2nd surgery. He then continued to enter our world as his mom needed another heart mom to talk with about raising heart babies. Benjamin has continued to enter our lives through vacations, birthday parties and most recently he has left a Benjamin size whole as his family has moved farther away and the distance doesn't allow for random playdates any longer.

Here are Spencer and Benjamin in an obvious sugar high eating GF/CF candy!!!

Here are Spencer and Benjamin enjoying vacation at the beach!

Spencer would tell you that autism has entered our world via a special diet that sometimes is fun and yummy to sample and other times not so fun and yummy to sample as Spencer reaches over to Benjamins plate to try it out!

Spencer would tell you that autism has entered our world via some very interesting arm flappings and some very interesting repetitive noises that are fun to imitate back to Benjamin during there play time.

Spencer would also say that sometimes autism has made him feel crazy! Whether or not that is the truth or just that 4 years olds can be annoying sometimes is still up for debate!

Spencer would tell you that autism has entered our world in the form of "theraty" which he so gladly played right along.

Spencer would tell you that having a best friend with autism means some really great hugs and some fun boy time when there are no limitations on how rough and tough they can be.

Spencer's mom would tell you that autism has a definition but our buddy Benjammin cannot be defined. His limits are yet to be known...his restrictions we are finding out are not so restrictive....and his love...his love....it will blow you away if you are blessed enough to catch it.

Benjamin this post is for you....know we celebrate you, not just this month but every month!

Below are some ways you can do something this month for the autism in your life....

Activities for April: Autism Awareness Month
Here are some tips on what you can do to spread the word during April - Autism Awareness month.
FIRST: HELP TACA HELP FAMILIES!
Participate in TACA’s Annual Family & Friends campaign. Contact Roxanne Hall for more information or start your own online fundraising and awareness page at www.firstgiving.com/tacanow.

IN THE COMMUNITY:
Contact your local library, church or community center to see if they will let you create an autism awareness display that can include information about autism, local support groups, books, etc. Reference autism facts.

Reach out to your local video store and see if they will create a movie display featuring movies like Rainman, Molly, etc. While Hollywood may not always get autism right, this is a great way to begin getting people more aware.

Set up meetings to talk with your Parent Teacher Association, police department and fire

department. TACA can provide you with and educational presentation and handouts. Please contact Roxanne Hall for more information.

Educate pediatricians in your community about the early signs of autism. Early intervention and diagnosis is key to a positive outcome. Some wonderful tools are available at:
TACA’s poster project – please contact Susan
AutismNDI’s poster project
CDC’s Learn the Signs. Act Early campaign
First Signs

Write to your local and state legislators. Tell your personal story and describe the need for government support of scientific research, medical treatments and educational resources for this growing population of children. Request proclamations that designate April as Autism Awareness month. To find your local and state representatives, go to http://www.congress.org/.

Contact your local media. Neighborhood newspapers often feature human interest stories, so tell your story and share the facts about why autism is important to all of us.
Help children learn more about autism

Create a buddy program in your school where typical students befriend a child with autism. These groups could be during lunch, recess or after school social clubs.

If your child has a neurotypical sibling, visit their school in April and read a children’s book on autism to the class. Some suggestions include:
Andy and his Yellow Frisbee – by Mary Thompson
I love my brother!! By Connor Sullivan (A preschooler's view on an older ASD brother)
Ian’s Walk – by Laurie Lears
A non-autism book but for all disabilities is What's Wrong with Timmy? by Maria Shriver

Make Autism Awareness Ribbons. These ribbons are very simple to make. You can buy the puzzle pieces ribbon from a local Michaels or Joann’s, glue the ribbons and the pin backing. These can be passed out to family and friends to wear in the month of April or all the time.
Wear autism awareness merchandise, from t-shirts to pins to bracelets and bands. Show your support with car bumper stickers or magnets. Merchandise can be purchased from:
Shop TACA
National Autism Association

Plan an event to raise both awareness and funds: an autism awareness night at a local restaurant, a lemonade stand or bake sale, dress-down days at work or schools… be creative! If you would like to raise funds for TACA – please contact Elizabeth Kilpatrick for suggestions, the ability to create a personalized web site and support.

Send TACA’s HOPE FAITH RECOVERY cards to family and friends about autism awareness month with the message that AUTISM IS TREATABLE!

Send an Autism Awareness Month e-cardfrom http://www.123greetings.com/ (free) or http://www.bluemountain.com/ (free trial membership available). Search “autism” at the prompt.

For additional information please contact us.

Updating

So the last almost 4 weeks have been interesting. I have had some pregnancy bleeding. Not abnormal for me at all. Have bled all 5 pregnancies now! After an ER visit, and two doctors office visits and lots of bed rest it seems that Baby A has a small tear in the placenta. Could be nothing, could be somethng. We see the specialist on Tuesday in Memphis.

Bo has been a Super Man! Not only a great preacher but a Mr. Mom as well and a great husband as I have rested. We are currently at Le Bonheur. We broke our 15 month hospital free stretch on Thursday. Carter caught some strange cold and needed some observation at the hospital. Spencer has been with Rita and Jim and he also got the cold and was really sick. It has been hard being here on the couch not being able to take care of either son! Bo is currently on the couch after some dayquil. I am praying it is exhaustion and he is not getting sick! Here he is in the hospital eating food Amanda Newman brought....cheese sticks and chick fil a!!!

An interesting 4 weeks to say the least!!!!

That is our medical update....I will post some different post updating the other areas of our lives!

Trusting,

Lindy

Friday

So we made it throught this week! The kids are not liking the cold front. It is seriously hindering their time outside. Spencer did enjoy some wading in our yard, it turns into a small pond everytime it rains. He said it was "so dude awesome!" He was so excited he had to change clothes from being soaked! I do not understand boys!!! Spencer, Carter and Bo all walk around hitting each other and making noises at each other....sometimes I just sit all confused wondering why they do the things they do!!!!

I am so very happy for my husband that he has his little men. I am excited to see what God has growing in my belly! I am not sure if we can handle two girls in our family but one of each sex would be nice....Bo and I actually are praying for 2 healthy healthy babies!

I am continuing to experience extreme exhaustion...I have rested more in this pregnancy over any of the other ones! Yikes! I am limited to smaller portions already due to double the fun in the utero!!! So I am eating more snacks. I also as always have a loss of IQ for the duration! It is one of the first ways I know I am pregant! I was in Georgia and looked at Charlene and said hand me the receipt....and she said, Lindy, it's a coupon....and we both knew I had better quickly go to Walmart for the test!!!!

Today has been slow. Carter and Alli went with me to Columbus to grab Carter's meds that have to be compounded. Spencer had art this morning. This afternoon Bo has been gracious and allowed me to rest...he rather made it rest! Bo is busy continuing to work on the parsonage. There is lots of trim work still to be done.....the next place we live Bo definately is praying we have to do zero work to live in the place! Even the house in Oxford we painted before moving in!!!

We will spend the rest of day hanging here and tomorrow do alot of the same...Sunday's are big days around here...

Praying you all have a great weekend!

Believing,

Lindy

The Picture is of the boys being silly and playing one night in the clothes basket!!!

We made it through Monday!!!

Today we are officially 8 weeks pregnant. This is the first pregnancy without 7 week bleeding....Bo and I are trying not to hold our breath the whole time. We are doing this way sooner than either one of us felt we were ready for....and then doing twins with double the risk....it is really a challenge and test of our faith to believe that God is who He says He is and that He can do what He says He can do and that We are who He says we are and that we can do all things through Christ and that His word is alive and active in us.....

Our friends and family are so very supportive right now on this venture....it is refreshing to have the support and love and excitement.

There is still some shock....we have had a lot of random things happen in mine and Bo's 9 years together...but no one was expecting twins!

Bo and I celebrated 9 years this Saturday...we both feel like it has been more like 30! I am proud of our marriage for standing after all we have been through. There is rarely a point in our last few years where we have not been stretched to the max. I am blessed to have a Godly husband in him. I am looking forward to the next 9 years being beautiful!

We spent the afternoon in Greanda yesterday with me seeing a few clients and the boys playing outside with Alli at Mommamacks. We visited with Josh and Laura and Steven and T and baby Rilee!

Today Bo is way under the weather and the kids and I are doing homeschool and cleaning this house!

Hopefully I am going to knock out some more sewing. I had to walk away from it because I was frustrated with the finished product....but after talking things through with Mommamack, I feel I can try again today!

Praying you all have a blessed day today!

Believing,

Lindy

The Picture above is of Carter putting limbs on the burn pile!

The one below is of all the kids playing....Wilson, Spencer, Carter, Annie and Alli...what a fun afternoon!

Sewing....

Hello,

So we are trucking along! This week has been good week so far! I am trying this sewing thing again...yikes! The boys have had a great week of Homeschool. Bo has had a good week as well. I am very tired. We are doing our best to seek God's face and point the boys to Him. Spencer asked if these babies would die too and we responded the best we know how and said that if one lives we praise God, if two live we praise God, if none live we praise God. Please pray for him as he figures out this thing called life.

We enjoyed a playdate with the Shaws. They have Wilson who is Spencers age and Annie and Zoe who are I believe 3 and almost 2. The girls are here now so Mimi could take the boys to music and hopefully enjoy a few quiet moments.

Bo and I are reprioritizing things now that we are expecting. We do not know what is ahead in the journey, but we do know that we want to bring glory to the One who is laying out the journey!

Believing,
Lindy for the Oswalts

Snow Day

Hello,

Today we had a snow day! It was great to wake up at 5:45ish to snow on the ground and then at 6ish to be in the bed with the boys watching the wild wind and the snow falling. A beautiful sight! Carter had just watched a Maisy video and had said I wish we had snow....Bo decided to hold off on church this morning due to some bridges being iced over. The weather channel didn't have the sun coming through until after lunch. So when Carter realized the snow was melting early he had a melt down!

Bo and I had flashbacks of Oxford snow and letting Carter outside to play in it and then him getting really sick and needing two lung procedures....so we opted to bring the snow in to play! Sounds weird I know, but when do we ever do things "normal", eh?

Bo and I are expecting again.....we were not trying to nor were we wanting to be pregnant right now, good thing God knows what is best for us and not us.

With my history and it being so close to loosing Andrew, I wanted to go back to Oxford and use Dr. Hunt and his staff. We saw them Friday and much to our surprise we are pregnant with twins. Bo is still in shock and has trouble finding words and is looking for a vascectomy doctor as soon as we have 2 full term healthy babies!

Please be praying for us....this is a whole new ballgame for us and requiring a new testing of our faith in a lot of area.

I will try to update more later this week! I do not see the doctor againg until the 26th.

Believing,
Lindy for The Oswalts

About Lindy

Okay,

So I have been trying to slowly get this thang a updated!!! LOL! I have failed to mention anything much about me.

I am currently seeing clients in Grenada one day a week. I am slowly starting to pick up clients here and there in Starkville.

I have recently learned to sew thanks to Maggie! One of the items that survived the fire was my grandmothers singer sewing machine and cabinet.

Charlene has taught me to knit(almost!) and I am blowing up the kitchen with cooking....woohoo!

I plunged the sink today unsuccessfully...so I cannot add avid plumber to my list of recent accomplishments!!!

I am still wading in the homeschool waters....still wearing my full water gear and life jacket....yikes!!!

And the pastors wife thing...wow...sometimes I feel like I am still on the shore looking into the water going..."You want me to get in that water?" LOL! God's mercy and grace are so new to me in so many areas of my life on a daily basis. It is like you get to one point with God and realize there is a whole world of things out there that you do not even know about God.....like stepping into the wardrobe and finding Narnia!

Okay....I am off to bed...if anyone out there has some good receipes....holla!

Believing,

Lindy

Matthew 11:28 and Psalm 55:22

Life on Self Creek

Hello! We are all doing well. Carter is so far so good tonight. He has been requiring oxygen at night....hard for Bo and I to understand his limitations. I am so glad that we have faith in God. Not sure how we would survive this ride without Him!

We had live in company for almost 4 months. The wonderful Shawa family! Four kids plus Alli during the week was quite interesting to say the least!

The Shawas have relocated to Georgia, please keep them in your prayers as they continue to heal and as God brings restoration.

Spencer will one day forgive me for the underwear in the picture!!!

Christmas was great for both families!

This pic is of the Womack Christmas. The kids provided the entertainment! The two girls are Emily Shawa and then our niece Alli Mann. Carter is in front of Spencer. Benjamin is in the old navy shirt and cousin Jordan is in the Gap shirt. Fun times!!!

Currently we are attempting to get our house in order and all of our fire boxes finally unpacked. You would think that a fire is a one time thing....but it is not....it is the gift that keeps on giving. Giving ruined material things and memories of your life covered in black soot!!!

I finally unpacked the last fire box. I still have some things airing out that we are trying to save. Bo and I both smell smoke less often now then right after the fire. It is amazing what your mind can do to your senses.

Bo and I are also both saddened by the loss of our bedroom furniture...yes we lost lots of things but that was our first big purchase together and we bought the furniture with the intent to have it forever...now it is in storage still stinking and still really melted in places! :(

Okay....I have taken up enought time...will post again later....

Believing,

Lindy