Week Four

    The Clines have made it home. September 17, Carter was discharged from the hospital. What a glorious day it was. We have been so blessed and excited to have him home.
    The ride home was a very cool experience. With Carter in his new carseat we headed south across the Mighty Pearl River to Rankin County. A white knuckle grip and my hands in the ten and two position we safely made it home. The sweat rolling off my brow, from nervousness and heat, couldn't hide the excitement that I had as I carried that little man inside. Meagan and I were just beginning the new phase of being parents.
    Carter has his days and nights mixed up. He sleeps all day and wants to be entertained all night. This is not cool! You see, Meagan and I are more of the in bed by 9 kind of folks. You can forget that says the new man in charge at the Cline house.
    Caring for Carter has been much easier at home. No cords, no buzzing or beeping monitors, and no pint sized isolettes for clumsy hands to make big messes in. Meagan has been amazing with taking care of Carter and she is doing a great job of teaching me. I tell her everyday, "thank you for being my little boy's mama." I am blessed to have them both, truly gifts from our Awesome God.
     We are enjoying having our little man home. Making the most of our time before any more surgeries and hospital stays is our goal for now.
     Also, we also want to thank everyone that has our family on a prayer list, prayed for us, brought us supper, gifts, the nurses and doctors at UMHC who took care of Carter, and of course friends and family! It is a miracle from God that we are where we are at right now and y'all have been a huge part of this team God has assembled for our lives. It is as simple as this... God is good! All the glory and praise to Our Father in Heaven. We wouldn't be here without Him.

Week Three

    Week three has been a tough one. Carter picked up an infection coming out of his first Holiday weekend. I believe the celebration from the Tennessee victory was just too much for him. Tuesday everyone noticed a change in him. High temps, inactivity, and a loss of appetite let us know something was not right. Labs were drawn and all indications pointed to an infection. His levels peaked at 11 and have since made it back down to 5.4 as of Sunday morning(9/12). Note: the higher the level the more severe the infection.

     This week has been the toughest by far. Bedrest was nothing compared to the nonstop pace we keep now. Very little time passes that Meagan and I are not at the hospital. I suppose we have a routine, but a very unorthodox routine. We know Carter is in the best possible place at this time, but we are so ready to have him at home. God's perfect plan in His perfect time! We are blessed to be apart of the plan for this little boy, Carter.

    God continues to bless us everyday. We have seen the works of prayer and have been praying for other families and their babies everynight. I ask everyone to remember these families and us as you pray tonight. Ask for peace, healing, and strength for our families.

    "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose." Romans 8:28

Week Two

Week Two

    God's blessings and an infinite number of prayers continue to rain on our family. Many family and friends have pulled together, prayed for all three of us, encouraged us, and been there for us again this week. It is wonderful to see God's people at work.
    Carter has had another great week! His colostomy started working earlier in the week and we were able to begin feedings. This is another answered prayer. It was very important that Carter's colostomy work so that he could eat. Eating is a key to nutrition and growth for all babies. However, not only did all these things fall in place, but Carter is feeding by bottle. His feedings have increased from 2cc's to 20cc's in only a few days. God is awesome!
     A trip to Baltimore is in our future. Carter's urologist consulted this week about going to Johns Hopkins for the orthopedic surgery(hips), placing the bladder inside, and urological reconstruction. We were referred to Johns Hopkins as a result of: 1) the severity of Carter's condition 2) Johns Hopkins experience with this condition and 3) Carter's doctors wanting the best for him. We thank God for doctors who want the best for our son and look forward to carrying our blessing, Carter, north for others to see!
     An update on Carter's spinal condition. It is still uncertain what exactly the diagnosis will be. It is, however, a form of spina bifida. This will still, more than likely, require an operation. The neurologist want to see him in 6 months and take a closer look. As of now there is no immediate danger to Carter. We praise the Lord for this also as we were fully prepared for a much worse scenario. God has heard and answered many prayers.
    We thank everyone who has said a kind or encouraging word, brought us food, gave us gifts, prayed for us, and followed our blog. We have been blessed beyond what we deserve. Please continue to pray for our son. He is just beginning this process in which his Mama correctly named "Carter's Journey." God bless y'all and to God goes all the glory. "Apart from Me you can do nothing" John 15:5.