Update on the Larsen family

Please pray for the baby this morning as she is having a surgical
procedure done to completely change out the Ecmo machine that is
sustaining her.  Apparently she was having complications with the
current machine.

This procedure is like starting over and she may have set-backs and
lose some of the progress she has made in the last 4 days.
Please ask God to miraculously not allow the set-backs to occur.

And please keep Lauren & Matt in your prayers too.  They are exhausted.

By the way, they have officially named the baby.
Life Lucia Larsen.
Her name, Life Lucia, was inspired from John 1:4

4  "In Him was life, and that life was the light of men."  (Lucia means "light")

so thankful for my iPhone

why, you might ask? because it saves all of your texts with one person as a conversation and you can go back and read them from months earlier, as long as you don't delete them.

 

i just randomly decided to delete my huge log of text conversations and came across the texts between my mom and I, since May 10, when I got my iPhone for my birthday. As I read them all, I miss her so much and wish I could text her and get her often, silly response, of "hehe snort snort, i love you today". (no joke she really wrote that).

 

the last text she ever sent me said: "Have a wonderful day. casting all your cares upon him: for the careth for you. 1 Peter 5:7. Love u, honey." That was on July 8th at 6:36am. She texted me almost daily, in the mornings before work, to tell me she was praying for me or to send me little encouraging notes like this one.

see the Larsen's blog entitled "pray" for the latest update. They are changing out the ECMO pump because some of Life's numbers were rising. Abby and I awoke with a text this morning informing us of these changes. Not sure how it all went yet, but I am believing it went smoothly and quickly! Praise the Lord she is still here with us and continues to be stable. 

16Be joyful always; 17pray continually; 18give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

1 Thessalonians 5

small update on Gracen Life:

Today she is starting to be fed! They are taking her nitrate levels down a little (which means her oxygen levels are great) and giving her a diaretic to take some of the fluid out. She is doing well! Thats all I know for now. Continue praying that the infection will be no more and that her brain does not bleed. Thanks friends.

hillsong ::: desert song

this is my prayer in the desert

when all thats within me feels dry

this is my prayer in my hunger and need

my god is the god who provides

this is my prayer in the fire

in weakness or trial or pain

there is a faith proved to more worth than gold

so refine me lord through the flame

i will bring praise

i will bring praise

no weapon formed against me shall remain

i will rejoice

i will declare

god is my victory

and he is here

all of my life

in every season

you are still god

i have a reason to sing

i have a reason to worship

this is my prayer in the harvest

where favor and providence flow

i know i'm filled to be emptied again

the seed i've received by the sower

___________________

last night at the village, matt spoke on confusing things in life, such as someone dying of cancer. his story of watching the process of a loved one dying of cancer was amazingly just like mine. it made me feel not so alone, that someone else knows what this is like, and has been like. matt's message to me was that all of the hard, questionable things happening in life right now, is not about me. none of it is to hurt me intentionally, none of it is done against me. it is for his glory, and his plan and much goodness will come from this, and already has. i thought this was a good thought process to add to my child-like faith pursuit.

Wholeness

Wholeness does not mean perfection. It means embracing brokenness as an integral part of life. Knowing this gives me hope that human wholeness - mine, yours, ours - need not be a Utopian dream, if we can use devastation as a seedbed for new life ~Parker J. Palmer

Baby Life

Linds and I just went and visited Baby Life. The ecmo is the biggest machine we've ever seen and she's hooked up to a lot of monitors. We felt hope and peace, in the presence of Matt and Lauren. Baby Life is, and will receive, the best treatment offered.

She is still stable at 98% oxygen in her blood. She's a precious as ever & just like any other baby girl. She's a beautiful baby. She has great color, sweet hair, and great shape. She's perfect in weight and size. She's a fighter & is going to come out of Children's to tell her story.

Lauren and Matt need your prayers as well. Continue to pray.

Great News!

Mel just talked to Lauren, who sounded at peace. Lauren is blown away by everyone's prayers and feels an army behind her.

The technical details are a blur to us, but there is a lot of oxygen in her blood.

Please pray:
Against bleeding in the Brain
For the virus to vanish

Right now she is hooked up on the ecmo, which is beating and breathing for her. This ecmo will be slowly reduced once the virus that the baby is fighting, is gone.

Baby Larsen is stable. Continue praying for healing.

A New Day..

Baby Larsen's oxygen levels have stablized around 98.

I googled this, naturally. Someone asked an ask & answer website: "what's the best oxygen level for an infant?" ---the response? 98!!!

The baby girl had a good night!

Continue to pray.

Lauren said that the baby made it through the first hard part. The Drs placed the ecmo on baby Larsen's heart. During the procedure, baby Larsen gave them a scare but seems to be stable right now. Apparently it is very difficult for the Drs to know which artery is which. The baby will be on the ecmo for a long time. Lauren said she is "not out of the woods".

I felt hope.

Lauren has been discharged. She is going to Children's to be with Matt and the baby.

Lauren delivered less than 24 hours ago, has barely slept, and has a virus.

Please continue to pray.