Troubled, but not distressed

My company this afternoon:

It may not look like much, but this was my afternoon's excitement today.

Yes, there is an extra piece of tape holding his feeding tube in his nose.

Yes, it is hard to get a good picture with him making faces.

Yes, there are still wires everywhere.

But when he looks over at me and smiles, it makes this daddy very happy.

For the update: They have increased him to 28 kcals per ounce (28 food calories per ounce of feed), while keeping him on 27 ml per hour continuous feed. (9/10 of an ounce per hour)

They are continuing to increase his caloric intake because he is still barely growing.

One Dr. suggested it was time to do the arterial banding surgery, 

but the others say they don't see how that will help.

The x-ray was unchanged again this week, and another echo will be tomorrow or Wed., 

but it still seems they are scratching their heads over Timmy. 

Tonight, Jen is putting in a few extra hours at the hospital to relieve some stress on Timmy's nurse due to another patient who has had doctors and the chaplain hanging around all day. We are fortunate that with all their wondering, Timmy has been happy and seems healthy. We are fortunate that we can allow Jen to stay in Rochester to care for Timmy, even the extra hours until reinforcements come in to make it easier on the team caring for him. We are fortunate to have completed over 2200 miles in the last 3 weeks without incident. (By we, I mean Daddy. Mommy has completed around 200 miles, kids have ridden just under 1000). And God has used others to bless us in more ways than we can count. Tonight, a woman came up to me at McDonalds and asked if I was Timmy's dad. She knew us about 15 years ago (I guess I may not be aging as gracefully as I thought), and wanted to let me know that she was praying for Timmy and for us. Before she left, she made sure the next stop at McDonalds was on her. Certainly the most pleasant way McDonalds food has ever caused me to want to cry. 

All to say, we may have it rough right now, but we sure have it good.

Along the lines of what Paul shared:

For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake. For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us. We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body. For we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh.
- II Corinthians 4:5-11