Our Gift From God Named Ezra

Sanctity of LIFE!

2011-01-23T14:12:00.000-08:00

I have written about Ezra and his precious life.

the little things that aren't so little.....

2008-12-03T12:26:00.000-08:00

It has obviously been WAY too long since I sat down and wrote out my heart and what God has been teaching me....not because of having nothing to say, for those of you who know me in person, know that is far from the truth :) I love to talk and visit...but as for blogging, truly taking the time to think through my thoughts and then get them in word form, has proven to be an accomplishment....so again, I will use this blog as a journal of what this mommy heart experiences because of..."our gift from God named Ezra."

He truly IS a gift. This truth rang true again recently through the meeting of a new friend, that I may never meet in person, but forever we have something in common. Having to hear words come from the mouth of a doctor that make your insides ache, you actually feel that your heart may have stopped...words that report on the function of your child's brain. Words that tell you that your life and his will NEVER be the same, nothing can prepare you for having this "meeting" with the docs, reality setting in of how this is not exactly how you played make believe "house" growing up, your pretend children never had a wheelchair, it was never part of my make believe play. This new friend is a new mommy to three blessings...one of which the Lord took home sooner then they would have chosen, due to a brain that was injured...this blessing lived only weeks, yet my blessing will soon enjoy the sweet song of Happy Birthday, his fourth time. Why did Ezra live and he did not? God certainly has HIS ways that are higher then ours and with purpose, but I still wonder...my heart was heavy and still is for this new friend, this mom who continues on in the strength of the Lord, I am glad for a Rock unmoving. I have come to the conclusion, that yet again, God has chosen this path of life, caring for and raising a son that is in every way dependant upon his parents and family, because He wants to teach me...so when I re-visit those first days and the waves of emotion rush over me, thinking back to such uncertain possibilities of what Ezra's life would be like, I smile at where we are today...do I want some things different, well, of course, but I am peaceful with where Ezzy is in his development...it still makes my heart drop when someone uses some words so carelessly, but then again, the world of handicap is not their world, if they ever entered in, they would never be the same, I can guarantee.

As far as titling this post, let me explain...enjoying a smile from my son is not a common occurrence, he sorta kinda smiles, his lip curls in such a way and I know that he is happy, but to others it doesn't look like much. But let me tell you of an amazing GIFT God chose to give me through my son...I saw connection, I saw PURPOSE in a smile he gave me on Monday. It took my breath away...when arriving at therapy, a place he usually enjoys due to therapists who adore him, he gave me a HUGE smile, teeth showing and all and then again, when we were leaving, he SMILED a huge smile again, it was amazing, I tickled him and he totally responded with a SMILE, certainly was in relation to me playing with him...it was a gift, it was a miracle, a boy who would be a "nothing" to the doctors, is a SOMETHING in my eyes. He is special and I KNOW God is not done with him....this was a boost to my mommy heart, who struggles from time to time wondering how much my son understands.

This was an early Christmas gift and I definitely won't need a gift receipt for this one, nope, this gift is forever in my heart.

A big brother....again

2008-08-22T13:33:00.000-07:00

I know it has been a while since my mommy has posted anything here on my blog...she has been a little busy with my new brother, Boston Jude. I asked her to post a picture of me and him, so here we are when he was first born...I love him so much!!!

Ezra's Mornings...

2008-04-04T13:37:00.000-07:00

I thought I would give you a step by step of how a morning for our Ez Man takes place...so welcome to his world and his morning routine!
This is also a way to journal how he eats right now presently in his life...our prayer is that he will chow down on waffles like the rest of us, but until he has that ability, we are so thankful for his feeding pump, which can be unattached from the pole and brought with him everywhere, it has a ice pack tucked inside it to keep it cool and fresh...I call it his "friend".... :)

Here is a picture of everything Ezzy eats all day long.

Here is a picture of his morning nutrients and vitamins added to his PediaSure formula.

Here I am priming his feeding pump, which means getting it ready :) Doesn't he look ready to eat?

Here I am opening a new syringe, (love new ones :)I get new syringes, feeding tube,and new feeding bags once a month) to draw out his morning medicines. He gets the same ones at night too.

Giving him his meds.

Feeding pump going, dry diaper, all tucked in, music on...ready to rest and eat while the loud crazy kids are eating in the kitchen :) He joins us during meals, but for breakfast, we keep it low key for him...until little brother starts climbing up his railings to visit him...Owen is still too short, but sure does try :) I find the girls in there with him, reading to him and re-arranging his bed...Ellie tells me, so there is more room :)

Time for a Mickey change...

2008-03-18T17:18:00.000-07:00

A day in the life of Ez Man...here I am changing his Mickey G-Tube Button, which is the life saving invention that aids in the way that Ezzy eats.
Promise, there is no blood, but may be a bit much for some :) We are just used to "Mickey Land" here at the Borbe house!

cry ezzy, cry!!!!

2008-02-11T08:55:00.001-08:00

little brother...

2008-01-05T07:21:00.000-08:00

My heart is so blessed to see the blossoming brotherhood between Ezra and Owen...as with all our children, we make an extra effort to point out Ezra's needs to be hugged, kissed, and talked to by his siblings...we encourage the girls to love on him and say things to him, and then when they do it on their own, my heart melts...I believe it is a taught and also "caught" heart towards him that they learn, by way of watching us his parents and then by us teaching them about his awareness and need for love and snuggles...my prayer is that they grow up to be sensitive to those that long to be loved and just can't express their longings on their own...even many adults have not yet mastered this choice to love those that are not the "norm"...but education is what I am all about, educating those that come in contact with Ezzy, that he is a precious little soul, desiring some loving! :) Anyways, I could obviously go off about all I have to say in regards to people and what I am learning...but I'll save that for another day.

Back to the brotherly love...well, the other night after dinner, Owen was buzzing around in the boy's room, playing with toys...I brought in Ez Man to rock on his Rockin' Rody horse, Owen got all excited and came right over, and started to rock and bounce Ezzy...we then moved our playing to the floor, where I put Ezzy in a bumbo seat, great for him and his need to have a high supporting back, Owen went over to their toy basket and brought him a toy and then brought him a book...all the while smiling, like he was so excited to have a buddy to play with :) He leaned in and kissed Ezzy on the head, talk about a precious moment...I pray daily that the Lord would give me wisdom as I raise Ezra in the midst of his siblings, that I will take every opportunity to teach them about the goodness of God in his life and the blessing he is to our family. My prayer for our two sons is that Owen will grow up to love his brother and be the one to "push" him around in his seat, while playing some b-ball...that Owen will be his "arms and legs" and take on the role of his brother in a whole new way...only designed by our great God...one day I was talking with my mom and was feeling a bit "overwhelmed" with the task of raising Owen to love his brother and choose him for a playmate...I can't make that choice for any of our children...I can only pray and teach the importance to them as often as I can...my precious mom, reassured my heart and told me that I will do the same that we have done with the girls...include Ezra in their world and that Owen growing up in the midst of this family, will take on a love and care for Ezra...it was a blessing to hear these words, as she knows my heart and the burden I feel for all our children to "mesh" and be future friends...as I believe all parents desire for their children, to be adult friends and to care for each other...I guess what I am trying to say, in a jumble of words, I NEED God's wisdom in teaching my children to have a heart towards the needs of their brother...I was blessed to see the blossoming relationship between Ezra and Owen and consider it a nugget of strength to tuck away in my heart as I continue on in the journey of raising my children....

Thank you Lord for the blessing of actions brought on by the wisdom you give me in teaching my children...help me as I seek to raise loving, sensitive children who see a need and lovingly act upon it...thank you for opportunities daily in molding their character, may YOU be the fuel that pushes them to love from a pure heart and act from that love for others...I love you and thank you for the "teaching tool" you have blessed me with in the life of our sweet Ezra...only YOU know the countless lessons he has taught me...I am forever humbled and honored.

Eye and ear surgery went well...

2007-11-01T12:58:00.001-07:00

We are now home from a two day time away, the first day Ezzy was given some Botox injections at the first hospital, 1.5 hrs. away, to help with his very tight muscle tone and then after he was awake and ready to travel, we were off to Children's Hospital for eye and ear surgery. He did well both days, but is now peacefully resting, glad to be home in his own, comfty bed! :) (mom and dad are glad to be home too!) His eyes were a lot more red and "worked on" than we expected, but he is recovering well. We are trying to keep it low key for him these next days at home....even among his younger brother's cries of injustice in their room, (nap time) he is sound asleep! :)

Our sweet little guy sure is a trooper and we are so blessed with such a caring medical team that provides Ezzy with what his little body needs.

Thank you to all of you that prayed for a safe trip and safe surgery for our little guy. We are blessed by you!

Here is another praise, Ezzy is now 20 pounds!!! That is huge ( no pun intended :) for him, he has had such a hard time gaining weight and now in the last three weeks gained 2 whole pounds! He has been on a continual 12 hour feeding schedule, hooked up to a feeding pump. He has been getting a higher calorie Pediasure in his feeding tube. Seems to be doing the trick...our next prayer request is that he will start eating by mouth again. We have been taking a break from feeding him by mouth because of a painful mouth sore that was taking weeks to heal up, now that it is, I really would like him to eat by mouth in addition to his feeding pump. Thanks for your prayers! I am so thankful he is "beefing up"...he actually feels heavier! Nana and our Pastor's wife, have noticed his weight change too, we are all excited, because of his belly being content (eating at a slower pace) he is overall more alert and at peace...praise God! :)

Ezzy and Daddy

2007-10-16T07:43:00.001-07:00

On Saturday we went to a Farmer's Market to pick out some pumpkins. Ezzy and Daddy found a great looking pumpkin...when I told him that was his pumpkin, Ezzy smiled...can you see it?? He LOVES his daddy and we love these special memories of spending time together as a family!

a big boy ready for action!

2007-09-28T20:36:00.000-07:00

feeling understood...

2007-08-29T13:14:00.000-07:00

Two days ago we went for a Neurology appointment. Ezzy has them every six months, a check up, making sure he is getting as much assistance as possible. We really like his Doc and I always come prepared with a list of questions to ask and advice to learn. This last trip was a nice "get away" for Edwin and I. We had the two boys with us, and the girls were at Nana and Papa's, thanks! :) It is always nice to have the three hour drive there and back to chat and visit...I am so blessed that he works so hard preparing to be able to take the day with his family and that his job is flexible, allowing him to have time with his family.

As we were strolling through the hospital, I had a feeling overwhelm me, hard to explain, but I will try. While waiting in the waiting room, many parents and kiddos were patiently waiting to be seen. My hubby is always so friendly and chats it up with the kiddos that are near us. I smile and look at the moms. We kinda do a "glance" at each other's child and then kindly look back at each other, a "understood" smile is exchanged and I pray for the right words to come out of my mouth if our encounter leads to a vocal interaction. You see, even though no words have yet been said, we both have already "talked", an exchange of feelings understood and accepted. The Lord does bring about times when I am able to share the blessing of Ezzy's life, but sometimes it is only a smile exchanged. It is a good feeling to be understood and not feel like everyone is starring at your son. Being there kinda feels like you are part of a "club".

When I am there at Children's Hospital, I see a lot of sad things, often I see sick little kiddos being so lovingly cared for by mom and dad...and then poof, I am reminded of how blessed we are to have Ezzy, who does not suffer from being sickly, he is not dying, he is not on the verge of anything "bad" any more than a kiddo running down the sidewalk. Seeing these families puts my whole outlook on raising Ezzy into perspective. I am thankful for the reminder of how blessed we are.

On a note of update: Ezzy is doing wonderful, alert and responding to life all around him more and more! He is "smiling" more and I love to see him respond to his beloved family members. He is a tiny little guy and so we need to look into how we can "beef" him up :) I have a long list of calls to be making in order to set appointments up for him. I am thankful for the grace of God, His perfect strength that re-fuels my soul as I take it one day at a time...

Ezzy playing in his stander...

2007-08-22T09:33:00.001-07:00

Swim time for Mommy and Ezzy

2007-08-22T08:41:00.000-07:00

Summer heat brings on MUCH pool time at Nana and Papa's! We enjoy time together splashing around....Ezzy loves to be in the pool, in small doses! :)

Just Ducky...

2007-08-07T09:12:00.000-07:00

Ez Man recently had a blast playing in his stander! We had some fun playing with duckies in water...he would push them in and love our response of encouragement!
He is so very cute and I just LOVE this guy!!!
We just returned from some annual check-ups. I have a list of phone calls to make in regards to setting up future surgeries and appointments. I love this job and consider it a privilege that I am Ezzy's mom. Someone recently joked that I need a bluetooth to make the calls on the road... :) NA! I think that it is so funny when someone is "talking to themselves"!!! Who knows, maybe one day!! HE HE...

Anyways, the updates are good as far as his back...the doc said that there is NO deformity in his back...so that is a PRAISE! We still need to keep a close eye on his spine though and continue to stretch him and "help" him keep it as straight as possible. He still has a "slump" in his back, but when we straighten him, he seems to enjoy the stretch, so we are thankful for that! :)
Our little guy will need eye muscle surgery and glasses! How CUTE will that be?!
So looking into the options for glasses is on my list...
He also will need new ear tubes...fluid is still hiding out behind his ears and so since one tube fell out, he needs a new pair. We plan to do both surgeries at the same time, sounds good to me! :)

I am so THANKFUL for the doctors that care for Ezra...as his mom and his voice, I still have to be determined. I am thankful for God's strength that gives me the wisdom to know what to ask for and yet how much to "go for" in his care.
I was recently talking with his therapists; they are so encouraging to me in raising and caring for Ezra. I am so blessed to have their input and advice and yet their concerned ear that listens to me.
GOD is good.

Working hard in his stander

2007-07-07T08:59:00.000-07:00

Ezzy has been doing so well in his stander. Here I am stretching his arms, as his physical therapist is in our home helping us. We put on the tray for him to lean upon and he really enjoyed being able to take breaks and then straighten up again. His sisters were in and out of his room, and little brother was in his crib watching thearpy go on. His PT decided to do "ring around the rosies", so her and I and the girls all held Ezzy hands in a circle and did the famous song...falling down at the end of course :) At times Ezzy would scrunch down towards his tray! He too was falling down, it was so fun and the girls loved being part of his therapy time.

Melts my heart...

2007-06-21T19:34:00.000-07:00

Thank you!

2007-05-30T08:52:00.000-07:00

Thank you to those who watched Ez Man in his stander, for the encouragement and love you have sent across the miles to my little man! God is so good in blessing me with those of you who pray and cheer him on! :)

THANK YOU.

Ezzy has only used his stander that one time, due to the braces being a bit snug for him, leaving him with red marks due to the tightness of them. He has an appt. tomorrow and I will address this and hopefully have him fit for more braces, with that though, time will pass without the use of his stander. There is often hold ups in his overall care/therapy because of things like this, but I know God is in control and in His timing, will we start using his stander on a more daily based schedule. I will keep watching the video and be encouraged by his great response to feeling his legs in motion!!! :)

Thank you again....your comments and love is a blessing and sustains me!

I am blessed!

Brothers chilling together in Ezra's bed after bath time! Can you see the smile on Ezzy's face?! He LOVES interaction with his lil bro! :)

Ezzy, the Stander!

2007-05-20T13:04:00.000-07:00

Ez Man is in his stander. This newest piece of equipment he has gotten gives him the feeling of standing upright. As you can see, he is still tilted at an angle until he gets a bit more comfortable with being completely upright. He kept pushing up with his legs when he felt himself slouching down! It was fun to see him respond and USE his legs! Praise God!

http://youtube.com/watch?v=O54ahfzZD80

Sweetly sleeping...

2007-04-16T21:06:00.000-07:00

Ezra will often drift into a very deep sleep, a sleep that makes you smile, because he is at such peace. For those of you who have met Ezzy in person, know that he is often uptight and tense due to his very high muscle tone. So when he sleeps in such peaceful slumber, I enjoy watching him rest. The rest you see in this picture took place days ago after eating his dinner. The noise level was not at a low volume, actually there was commotion and life sounds taking place all around him, but yet, he was peaceful, content. Seeing him in such a state of contentment and peace made me realize that this pleasant peace is what God desires of our lives when we are trusting in HIM, when our mind is stayed on HIM, then we will have peace. He has told us that He has come into the world that we would have and enjoy peace; not only when things are going our way or life is quiet and "perfect", for there will never be a time apart for the craziness of life and the loudness of it all. So take a lesson from Ez man, who even in the noise surrounding him, opted to rest, to peacefully enjoy true God given REST; for God truly is the One who blesses him with the ability to rest....something that is not always easy for him to do...even more the opportunity to praise God and smile when his chest rhythmically moves to the rhythm of his peaceful rest.

"The Lord will give strength to His people; The Lord will bless His people with peace."

Psalm 29:11

Fit for a King :)

2007-04-12T13:58:00.000-07:00

This past Monday, Ezra was "fit" for his new Stander. This piece of equipment will enable Ezzy to experience standing. As he uses his little legs, safely and snuggly in his Stander, he will begin to gain muscle in his legs, so that ONE day LORD willing Ezzy will walk! :)

After about 10 minutes of fitting his cute little body just right in all the straps and braces, the therapists and equipment guy lifted him upright. As you can see from the pics below, his eyes were bright and ready to take in life in his new position...STANDING! He was so marvelously ALERT and awake, it made me smile! I loved seeing him respond so wonderfully to his new equipment. I just received a message that his new feet braces that he will wear with his Stander are ready to be picked up. So soon, Ezzy will be "cruising"! This Stander IS on wheels that also has brakes, which is good with the hardwood floors we have within our home! Between Ezzy and Owen in his walker, a baby gate is a sure order for the stairway.

Our little Ez Man continues to teach us so much about God's perfect PLAN and POWER!

We PRAISE Him for the wonderful day of being "fit" for new equipment and for the genius inventors who have thought all these new contraptions up for kiddos like Ezzy. We are blessed and wanted to share a little about what is new in the life of our precious son...

Clippers, bubbles, and my sneakers...

2007-03-15T20:53:00.000-07:00

My hair was getting really long, so Mommy and daddy thought it was a good time for a NEW haircut....so Daddy buzzed my hair off! I did really well, I sat very still for him.

Time for the a long awaited bubble bath.....it felt soooo good on my legs!!!

Howdy partner! Chilling in my Bumbo seat with my sneakers on...they feel kinda funny.

Here our my "boots" as Mommy calls them.
"These boots were made for walking"...well, not yet, but they will help my feet to keep growing straight so that one day, I CAN walk! :)
(keep praying for me, that I WILL walk one day!)

Hanging out with my Daddy, we were bouncing my new basketball.
I love my Daddy.

At the Docs with my Bro!

2007-03-06T12:38:00.000-08:00

Here I am with Owen. I had just gotten my casts off and then re-casted in the clinic office. The whole time while wearing my casts, I would go every two weeks for clean new casts. This picture was from two weeks ago....now this week, on Thursday the 8th I will be going into the surgery room to have my casts come OFF FOR GOOD!!!!

I am very excited! I will come home with leg braces and instructions from my doctor to regain my strength. My therapists are looking forward to having my legs FREE and are ready to stretch and work my legs!

My family and I are going to be "hitting" the road right after my casts come off and I am all set with my leg braces. We are traveling to attend the memorial service of one of my mommy and daddy's friends. They told me my FIRST full-body bath (in 6 months) will be in a hotel bathtub! How fun will that be?! My sisters even want balloons and streamers for my "casts off celebration"!

I love you and will have mommy put new pics up to show off my FREE legs!

Love you,

EZZY

Casts coming OFF!!!

2007-02-27T18:30:00.000-08:00

Yippee!!!

Hip Hip Hooray!

We are very excited to share with you that on March 8th, Ez Man will have his casts OFF!!!

He will then start wearing braces on his legs and it will be a long road of recovery and therapy, but we are THRILLED for this new journey ahead of us and will keep you posted once his little legs are breathing FRESH AIR!!! :)

LOVE ya, thanks for praying!

Baseball Birthday!

2007-02-08T20:02:00.000-08:00

Of course, a RED SOX Baseball Party! Fun was had by all as we celebrated Ezzy's SECOND Birthday!!! Thank you Lord for the blessing of another year with sweet Ezzy. Mommy made the Baseball cakes and cupcakes for the guests. We all had fun.

I had a BIRTHDAY!

2007-01-30T19:43:00.000-08:00

I had a birthday on Sunday. I am now TWO years old. I had a fun day on my birthday with my Nana and Papa, my Daddy, Mommy, sisters, brother, and Uncle Dave. I can't wait for my big boy BASEBALL birthday party on Friday with all my friends!

Thank you to all of you who pray for me and love me. I feel very loved!!!

LOVE,

Ezzy

Ezzy's Foot surgery

2007-01-01T22:38:00.000-08:00

I updated about Ezzy's foot surgery on our family blog.

Check it out!

Ezzy and his Nana

2006-12-15T10:12:00.000-08:00

I LOVE my Nana. We spend lots of time together. She snuggles me and gives me lots of kisses!

Love you Nana!

Love,

Ezzy

I am a BIG brother!

2006-11-18T08:59:00.000-08:00

I LOVE my little brother Owen! He is really cute...he makes this "noise" a lot...I am still trying to figure out why he makes this noise all the time! But it is nice, because as soon as mommy picks him up, he stops making the noise! I like to hold him and snuggle him.

Thank you for praying for my little brother and my mommy! We are all doing well. We LOVE Owen so much and thank Jesus for him!

Almost a BIG brother!!!

2006-11-06T21:28:00.000-08:00

"Can you hear me now??"

2006-10-19T08:26:00.000-07:00

This past Tuesday Edwin and I took little Ez man for an ABR, which stands for Audiotory Brainstem Response, in short a detailed hearing test. He was sedated and it took a couple of hours. The results proved what we as his parents knew all along :), that he can indeed hear! This test was to show whether or not there was any hearing loss at the time of Ezzy's brain injury. This test showed that there was not any hearing loss and that all mechanical parts of his inner ear are all working and ready to recieve sound. Our question to the "hearing test lady" was, "what can he understand and how does he respond to the sounds he hears?" She told us that finding out that information needs to be done through a Neurological test, such as an MRI.

So, as of right now, we KNOW he hears :) and we KNOW his ears are working correctly. As far as knowing how well he processes all that he hears, we will have to wait for another MRI if ordered by his Neurologist and also, time will tell as Ezra continues to develop and show signs of being more alert and understanding more of what is going on around him. We thank God that he did not suffer any form of hearing loss and now we view his continued development with an attitude of "the sky is the limit" :) when it comes to him processing and developing the world around him.

He does react to familiar sounds, such as mommy or daddy's voice. He will turn his head and find us when we walk in the room....something that melts both of our hearts! When I return from being away from him, I walk up near to him and in my mommy talk :) say his precious name and he will respond by opening his mouth, like as to say HI Mommy and give me a kiss! He is so very precious and such a sweet little guy! He loves to hear his sisters running and yelling all around him. We antinicpate some "getting used to" for when little brother enters the world!

Thank you to all who continue to pray for our little man. We are very blessed by your continued outpouring of love and support for our little Ez man!

Casting Day with our friend Crysten

2006-10-07T14:03:00.000-07:00

Mommy has a good friend named Crysten who is from Maine. She recently came for a visit. We had so much fun while she was here with our family for a week. She even was able to come and experience a Children's Hospital day with us when Ezra received his third set of casts....since then he is on to his fourth set...it has been a bit busy around the Borbe household!!! :) So here are some pics from a re-casting day that took place a few weeks ago!

I like this picture of his precious little foot "breaking free" from his old casts.....he has a 20 minute break free from casts and then he is recasted.

Here is a picture of how wonderful his little feet are coming along in reshaping and resetting his foot bone.

We had a fun day with Crysten!

Ezzy is ready for the town with his bright white new casts!
Thanks for coming Crysten!!!

Ezzy- casting take TWO

2006-08-31T19:00:00.000-07:00

Ezra was a champ while the doctor casted his feet this past Tuesday. He will wear these for three weeks and then will go again for another set of "cowboy boots" :) These this week are a bit larger and heavier. He is such a trooper and handling them extremely well. We praise God for this blessing of Ezra allowing the casts to do their designed job! We are already seeing some results. The doctor was very happy with the level of flexibility he saw and felt so far when examing his feet out of the casts! Praise GOD! It was fun to cuddle and snuggle him without the casts on for about 20 minutes before they re-casted him. He was so LIGHT and skinny :) My growing mommy belly and his casts can be a bit of a challenge at times....but worth it all.

His sisters, along with Nana, came this time to experience the casting experience. They were wonderful helpers and were able to sit right next to him, to encourage him and whisper, "don't worry bubby, your big sister is here..." Is there anything more precious? They LOVE their brother so much, we are blessed by them daily and their love and concern for their bubby. They are his prayer warriers....just this morning, we had to stop eating to pray for bubby's brain....they simple humble me.

Ezzy, our big boy...just had another hair cut!

2006-08-25T11:20:00.000-07:00

Ez Man with his big boy casts

2006-08-20T14:41:00.000-07:00

Thank you to all who have been praying for Ezra in regards to our new adventure of casting his precious little feet. As you can see, he is adjusting well to his new "cowboy boots" as Nana calls them :) and able to rest peacefully during nap time. He has his moments when they seem to be a bother, but overall, he is doing amazingly well. During the casting process he did great and was very relaxed, he actually fell asleep for a bit and seemed to enjoy the massaging the Doctor was doing on his feet to cast them into place. We will go back every two weeks for new casting and continue until his feet are corrected. There are a lot of unknowns to us. We do not know how long this whole process with take or if surgery will be needed. We will just take it week by week and see what God has for him.
At first, we were told that we would need to go back to St. Louis on a weekly basis, which was a bit stressful for mommy to fit into her already packed schedule. I decided to give it to the Lord and pray for the strength needed week by week. The Lord really calmed me and totally encouraged me when the doctor said that due to our traveling distance, Ezra could be casted every TWO weeks instead of every week! I am aware that this might change, but for now REJOICE in this schedule. I know this may seem like a little thing to most, but for me, it was an answer to prayer and again God teaching me that HE IS IN CONTROL and will never give me more than I can bear!!! So with all this updating, the biggest area of praise is definitely in God's amazing grace and consitent control of all things. God continually uses my son Ezra and all that it takes to care for him, to remind me of how GREAT God is and that HE ALONE knows the future and I may plan my ways, but HIS WAYS are best!

Love to you all. We treasure your friendship and love for our Ez Man!

Ezzy's big sisters had fun writing their names on his casts! They LOVE their "bubby" so much.

Ez Man at the Zoo a few weeks ago

2006-08-10T05:53:00.000-07:00

The world of HEARING.....

2006-08-10T05:47:00.000-07:00

Many have asked how Ezzy is now doing after having his ear tubes put in and my response has been GREAT!!! As far as daddy and I can tell, we do believe his hearing is better. Even his speech therapist has said that she thinks he is turning his head more to sounds and is finding the source of sound with much more ease! Overall, we are very happy and still have to have a official hearing test done at Children's Hospital to specifically find out how well he is actually hearing and if any hearing assistence is needed for him.

He is very alert and taking in all that is around him. It is so fun to "play" with him! He LOVES to dance and loves to have his arms swung all around!! He is just a sweet little buddy and we PRAISE God for the blessing he is in our life!!! His sisters ADORE him and I love to see them interact with him.

Thank you again for all who have prayed for him and continue to....God is working and ALL glory to Him for our sweet little Ez Man!

The most recent St. Louis trip

2006-08-04T05:22:00.000-07:00

Good Morning!

Mommy has written all about my foot and back check up in her blog.

You can check it out at:

www.jewelsofjoy.blogspot.com if you want!

THANK you for praying for me!

Love,

Ezzy

Home sweet home.....

2006-07-27T19:36:00.000-07:00

As I write this, Ezzy is "snug as a bug in a rug" :). After a very long day of traveling we are all glad to be home. The surgery went EXCELLENT! Thank you to all who were praying for our little man. Though this procedure is very quick and a very simple one, any surgery with Ezra seems to have the risk of turning into a serious situation. We PRAISE God that the whole surgery went well with no complications. When the doctors put the mask on him to "put him to sleep", his heartrate did drop, which they quickly responded with putting in an IV, but they did not have to give him any further meds., he calmed down and the rest of the procedure went great! Thank you again for praying....I know many of you were!

We will keep you posted on how he continues to heal up and experience a clearer world of sounds around him. The doctor did say that there wasn't that much fluid in his ear, which early this year they had found more, so as of today, there was not that much to drain. He said that made it easy to put the tubes in his ears and the tubes will continue to drain any fluid that may build up, such as it had down earlier this year. We were thankful that he did not have any infections in his inner ear and that now the tubes will start to help keep the canal open and ready to receive sounds.

Ezzy does already seem to "jump" more to sounds....the biggest jumps have come from his sisters happy to see him! He still is kinda resting up from having a long day; so we will see what the future holds for him. He will have another hearing test to see if the tubes will enable him to hear better, or if we need to do more for Ezzy to have the best hearing possible.

THANK YOU again for praying!

Love ya,

The Bunch :)

Having tubes put in.....

2006-07-26T05:10:00.000-07:00

On July 27th, Thursday, Ezzy is going to have tubes put in his ears to relieve his ears of fluid that has been there for months blocking his hearing. We are praying that the tubes will open up his hearing and development to a whole wide world of sounds for him. We pray that the surgery goes well in St. Louis at Children's Hospital and will keep you posted on the outcome. We are excited to see the difference his clear hearing will produce, since most of his little life has been muffled by the fluid in his innner ears. Thank you for praying for a safe surgery and a quick recovery for our little guy!

Love to all, The Borbe Bunch :)

Ezzy and his best bud Daddy

2006-07-22T14:12:00.000-07:00

On a boat....

2006-07-22T14:08:00.000-07:00

Here is Ezzy on his first boat ride on Green Lake in Maine.

The latest news....

2006-07-21T19:31:00.000-07:00

Hello Dear Friends,

I have been wanting to start Ezra's own blogsite as a way to stay in touch and get his precious story out for all to read and REJOICE in our GREAT God! So, with some extra (?) time on my hands :), thought I would post all the email updates from the past year and a half, along with updates to come.

Please feel free to link his blog to your web pages....the more that read of God's goodness, ALL glory to HIM!!!

We are truly blessed!

So what is new today??? Well, it is daddy's birthday and we are so happy to be seeing him soon....he has been on a youth trip for a week. Ezra has met some dear friends of ours, the Moffit family, who are missionaries with NTM and serve God in the Philippines. They are here for a month long visit and we anticipate good times together! It is always such a celebration to have Ezra meet those that have been praying for him!!!

The big sisers have been enjoying the summer months...with a great trip back East, we made lots of treasured memories with cousins. They are now enjoying the Moffit girls. Girl times are always a blast!

Ezzy man has been eating like a champ! This is such a praise, due to his drastic weight loss these past months. He is now slowly gaining and we are so thankful. I have added 2 tube feedings during the day, to try and "beef" him up. :) He is still a skinny little thing, but really long! He is super alert and loving life! He truly is a JOY to care for and such a snuggler!

Thank you again for your love and prayers. We serve a GOOD God, who is greatly to be praised!

Love, the Borbe Bunch

April 2006 Update

2006-07-21T19:28:00.000-07:00

April 2006
Hi to everyone!

We pray this e-mail finds you all well and rejoicing in God's complete goodness to us! Time sure does fly and looking back at the last time I sent out an update about our little man, it certainly is time to share what the Lord has been doing in his precious life and ours.

The girls have been enjoying the warm weather in our backyard. They took part in a project with daddy a few weeks ago; they helped him plant some grass seed. They helped him water it daily and were anxiously awaiting the grass to appear. They have had fun seeing it finally start to grow.

Speaking of growth.....we are excited to announce that our Borbe Bunch is now growing too! We will joyously welcome our new little Borbe to our Bunch mid- November! The girls are excited and are already picking out names! Mommy has been feeling great and we praise God for His sufficient strength during this pregnancy thus far. We praise Him for the blessing of a new little one. We're still not sure what our little "prince" of the palace will think of his little sibling! We will have to see his reaction!

Speaking of reaction, Ezra certainly has plenty of them! He is full of personality and the more he develops, the more we see the sweet little guy that God created him to be! He has certain things that he likes such as sweet things to eat and being held, the more snuggles the better! Then there are things he is certain to "tell" and communicate that he does not like, such as being chilly after a bath or not being held when he knows you are in the room! Lately he has been communicating by whimpering and actually letting out crys when he is "scared" or startled! This was of course music to our ears! He is not using any other vocal sounds as of right now. We are continuing in teaching him sign language. He usually will sign "eat" and "more". He LOVES music and having his hands involved with clapping. One of his favorites is Monkeys Jumping on the Bed :)

Now for the official Neurologist's report about Ezra's brain. Last month Ezra had an MRI of his brain. This test was a whole year after Ezra's brain injury. We had obviously been seeing HUGE improvements, but we still wanted the scientific results to back up what we all knew! :) Last Monday we went to St. Louis to meet with his Neurologist and we discussed the MRI. It shows that there is definitely more brain activity (yes!) and overall, not any real actual seizures taking place! Thank you LORD! We are now weening Ezzy off one of his seizure meds. that he has been on since birth! We have noticed that he is a lot more calm and as many have pointed out, focusing more and alert to what is going on around him. Dr. Noetzel, who has only once before seen Ezzy 5 months ago, remarked that Ezra seemed more content. We agreed completely and loved the word, CONTENT. It is a great way to describe his overall presence and crystal clear, vibrant eyes looking all around at life. Dr. Noetzel had also said that because of the great improvement we have seen in Ezra's development, we will most likely continue in this forward motion of improvement! Words we treasure and attribute to our GREAT GOD! We often say, "the sky is the limit" and with our little guy, we truly KNOW that God is working and Ezzy is where he is today, because of God and the POWER of prayer!

His two big sisters are his biggest prayer warriors! They remind us to pray for Ezzy if we did not mention him during family prayer time. Gabby continues to pray for him weekly at her AWANA Cubbies at church. She has such a heart for her little brother. Ellie loves to pray for her Bubby and won't start our family Bible time until he is with us, so even if he is peacefully sleeping...Bubby MUST come :) She has such compassion towards him and wants him very included, as do we, it is just nice to see her so aware of him and his needs!

Working with the youth is still a fast paced life, full of challenging kids to walk with God and to study His Word and of course crazy games that bring out the silliness in them! Edwin is an amazing teacher of God's Word and God is blessing his heart felt desire to reach out to the the kids of Camdenton. God is using him here in our tiny part of the world and it is fun and a blessing to see fruit of the work he so faithfully pours his life into. Youth are searching and sometimes it just takes a willing vessel to listen to their strife's of the day and the broken hearts that most of them have to bring them to the goodness of God and His complete love for them. It has been exciting to see that taking place in the lives of the youth we work with!

God is GOOD and we praise HIM for the blessing every one of you reading this update is in our lives! Thank you for being part of our lives and for the tremendous LOVE we continue to feel from you all! Thank you for your prayers for our little Ezzy man. Please continue to lift him up before our great God. We have some major concerns about the development of his back and spine. We are seeing a lot of twisting, therefore the outcome we are heading towards is scoliosis, which is a road God is not surprised by, so please pray for wisdom for Ezzy's therapists and mommy and daddy as we care for him.

"Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; For His lovingkindness is everlasting."
Psalm 136:1

In the GOODNESS of God,
LOVE,
The Borbe Bunch

June and October 2005 Updates

2006-07-21T19:18:00.000-07:00

June 13, 2005

Dear Loved Ones, my prayer warriors and friends,

With the girls actually sleeping during nap time and Ezzy cozy in his bed ready for his nap, I literally ran to the computer to write this update!!! :) Many of you, my wonderful friends, have been writing, calling, and asking how our sweet boy and whole family are doing. So, with many eventful things to fill you in on, I invite you to read about all God is doing and continues to do in and through our sweet son Ezra.
Each time I write an update, they seem to get longer and longer. My solution to this was to write more frequently, but as you have figured, wishful thinking! :) Let me once again take time to thank you for your love and prayers. Our family continually feels the power of prayer and God is using each of you in our lives. Thank you for being used by Him for His glory!
So, where do I begin?....About four weeks ago my heart was overflowing with joy as our family drove to a beautiful piece of land with a beautiful gray house, lovingly chosen by my parents as their new home. My parents arrived and became Missouri residents on May 8th. God, in His perfect wisdom, and love gave me wonderful parents, that without a blink of an eye, they relocated and moved what few belongings they have kept and are now living only 6 miles away from us here in Linn Creek. As I wrote earlier, my heart welled with excitement at the thought of relief in my day to day tasks, and joys at all the memories that will be made here with them. They have been a huge blessing and words can not describe how privileged we are to have them here to help us in the task of raising sweet Ezra and the girls. The house they have bought has already become the girl’s favorite place to be. Nana and Papa include them in all sorts of fun projects like planting and watering flowers, and just plain getting dirty!
God is Sovereign and in control of all things and His timing is perfect. Just after having my parents here for 2 weeks, Ezra became very sick, his first time since being home. What seemed to be a common cold quickly became very serious when his temperature would not go down. I brought him to the pediatrician and the girls to my parent’s house. After giving him a breathing treatment and seeing him struggle to breathe, we were off to the local hospital. Six hours later there was still no improvement, so they decided to fly him by helicopter to the University Hospital in Columbia. There they are better equipped to care for him. Watching him be taken into the air was not easy, but God in His perfect love gave peace to our racing hearts. Ezra was in ICU for one night and then moved to a regular room the next day. His breathing got much better, it turns out he had the flu and pneumonia. The girls were able to stay with my parents the whole time. Our minds were at ease, knowing that they were being cared for and that we could concentrate on Ezra. God’s timing is perfect in bringing Nana and Papa here to be the help that we needed. God’s timing is also perfect in the wonderful visit we had with Edwin’s sister April, her husband Jeremiah and their boys, Jordan and Judah. As soon as they heard Ezzy was sick, they came right up to the hospital along with our Pastor and his wife. Both couples were an amazing encouragement to our hearts as we all prayed over Ezra’s sick little body. God continued to encourage us through people who visited us for the next couple days of our stay. Once we were sent home, the “sick bug” took its turn with us all. Just when we thought we were in the clear, little Ellie became sick with pneumonia. We spent another 3 days in Columbia with her! Gabby and Ezra stayed with mom and dad. I have trained mom in caring for Ezra, we didn’t have to worry about him at all. God’s timing again perfect in having mom and dad here! After each breathing treatment she improved more and more. We were so happy to take Ellie home after 3 days in the hospital.
Ezra had his brain test (EEG) on June 2nd, the results are still pending. I often think about where we are and where so many of you reading this live; I marvel at how good God is in placing us here, with a loving church family ready to help at a moment’s notice and for those of you who live states or oceans apart from us, daily encouraging us through emails, letters, and phone calls assuring us of your support and prayers for our family!
Some days when I’m close to tears, I’m able to smile at the thought of all of you praying for our family. God gives us opportunities to share about His goodness in sweet Ezra’s life almost every day. A trip to Wal-Mart is never quick,(we spent 2 hours talking last night in the shoe dept.) there is always someone wanting to know about our beautiful son and his progress. When asked how old he is and seeing that he is very small for 4 months, an opportunity arises for me to share how he is a miracle and gift from God. Through sharing about Ezra and meeting people wherever I go, I have learned so much about the struggles and the sorrow others have gone through. It is in these times that God’s goodness needs to shine in my attitude in regards to Ezzy.
Ezra’s Progress: His therapy sessions are wonderful. He visits four therapists a week. We are so encouraged with all his hard work in learning to suck-breath-swallow at the same time. His muscles are finally loosening up and he is moving his head, on his own, to both sides, a huge step for Ezzy! He is opening his hands more and actually usually sleeps with them half open, HUGE! :) He now weighs 10 lb. 4 oz. and is 23 inches long! We have now moved to 3-6 month clothing! Yah! He is focusing on faces and responds to the familiar ones he knows. His big sisters continue to love on him and bless our hearts with their sweet care for their baby brother. Daily God reminds me of how He perfectly planned for our family to have the blessing of Ezra in our lives. Seeing him dance around with daddy and the special bond they share or watching him drift into peaceful sleep in daddy’s arms, warms my heart and brings joy at the privilege of raising sweet Ezra.
This email could go on and on at all God is doing through all of you, but I must come to a close and hope many of you have enjoyed my recap on God’s goodness in our lives this past month! We love you and praise God for each one of you. I encourage you to share all God is doing in Ezzy’s life with those you come in contact with. God created him for a purpose, as He did when He created you. Rejoice in God’s goodness in your life and give a hug to the ones you love!
We love you and praise God for YOU!
Lizy for the bunch of Borbes

“Every good thing bestowed and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation, or shifting shadow.” James 1:17

Many of you ask for specific ways to pray, thank you and here you go:
· For all of us to stay healthy!
· Wisdom in prioritizing and balancing our daily tasks
· That we would sneak away from the busyness and rest in God’s goodness DAILY
· For Ezzy to continue to learn to take oral feedings (suck, swallow and breath)
· His head would grow, a big concern about his development
· Wisdom in researching about more aggressive treatment for him
· Wisdom in raising our girls
PRAISE:
· For all the prayers we daily receive
· For God’s endless supply of strength!
· For four great years with Gabby, her b-day was May 21
· For God’s Word, which daily gives us wisdom and refreshment
· For friends and family, near and far staying in touch with us
· For a van that provides transportation to all the places we need to go!

October 21, 2005

Hello Dear Friends and Family!
As Ezra’s NINE month celebration nears, I want to write a LONG overdue update to his biggest fans! God is so wonderful and amazing, I just can’t be silent a moment longer! We have had so many victories in these last few months, you may want to settle in and get cozy!
Where do I begin? I am not sure of my last update to you all, but I do believe it was during the summer time. That would explain my lack of sending an update! Summer time here for the Borbe Bunch is a whirlwind! :) We had a great summer, making memories with Grandparents, Markley cousins, Jackson cousins, Rivera cousins, Aunties and Uncles! Our photo files are bulging with all the pictures of our summer fun. I was looking through them all today and enjoyed seeing how much Ezra has grown! He is now almost 15 lbs. and 25 in. long! I can’t keep up with all the clothes he is outgrowing! One of my many prayers when we first brought him home was that Ezzy would wear some of the clothing I excitedly picked out when we found out we were having our first son. God in His love and kindness has answered that prayer from a mommy’s heart and I praise Him for this blessing! Little victories, such as this, are met every day; celebrated secretly within a parent’s heart. Don’t get me wrong, we have big celebrations too! Every new month we have with our sweet son is celebrated with friends and family! We love giving glory to God for our precious time with our little man.
Some of Ezzy’s milestones have been drinking more from a bottle, at times a total of 4 oz.! He is also enjoying the world of messy faces due to eating baby food from a SPOON! :) His favorites seem to be strawberry yogurt and sweet potatoes, not together of course! He has more relaxed muscle tone, which gives him more freedom to discover how his body works, such as moving his arms and legs more. That is the main thing we are working on now in therapy; teaching Ezra what every body part was created for and giving him the sensation of using his cute little body parts God gave him. His hands are very open and relaxed, our goal now is for him to desire and choose to bring them together and grab toys, the first toy of choice being a basketball of course! :) He responds with his special smile (we see it in his eyes) when we clap his hands together. He loves it! We cheer “yah Ezra!” and I think he knows it! He quickly captures the heart of everyone he meets. His therapists sure do melt every time they see him! He now is the proud owner of his first set of wheels! Ezra has a new Kid Cart, which is an infant “wheel chair”. It mostly looks like a stroller, but has a base that can either be latched into a stroller base or an at home “activity” center that rolls around to be used as a highchair or simply a seat to just chill in. :) It was specially made and molded for his cutie little body and is the exact corrective positioning that Ezra’s little spine needs. We are seeing a definite C shape, due to his very tight muscle tone brought on by his injured little brain. He is however recovery wonderfully from his “muscle episodes” by being able to bring himself out of it and back to a relaxed position. Yet another victory in our journey!
Speaking of journey, daddy, mommy, and Ezzy just took a 4 hour journey to see a new Neurologist (brain doc) in St. Louis, at Children’s Hospital. Dr. Noetzel comes very highly recommended and we are so thankful to have this opportunity. We arrived to find out that insurance details were not finalized and therefore, we were unable to be seen by Dr. Noetzel. So after a very kind and reassuring husband loaded up his crying wife and sweet baby boy, Kid Cart and all, into our van for the drive home, a sweet sense of indescribable peace washed over me. I knew most of you reading where praying for our highly anticipated appt., an appt. that would answer questions and bring clarity to our understanding of Ezra’s condition. Thank you. Yes, I was sad and mostly just disappointed, but having Edwin there with me, assuring me that God was in control and that we were on a journey led by our Lord, was such an encouragement. We do have another appt. scheduled for October 31st and again we are anticipating many tests to be run and discussion on how to best treat Ezra. We did have an EEG taken in June, but did not receive answers as we had hoped we would. This finalized our questioning on whether or not we need to find a more aggressive Neurologist for Ezra. Please pray that Dr. Noetzel will desire to research out all we can do for Ezzy. We will keep you posted!
Along with the theme of journeys we have taken, there has been the midnight “run” (1.5 hr.) to Columbia University for a new Mic Key button to be replaced due to his simply falling out :); and then there is our journey of our family moving to our FIRST HOUSE! Yup, God has given us a home of our very own! How exciting it has been and well, busy! We have been living in our new home for three weeks now. We now live in town, which is much more convenient for our go-go schedule. Our church here has overwhelmed us with love and worked on our fixer-upper and made it into a beautiful home. Along with the older men of our church, my dad, mom, hubbie, sister, two brothers in laws, and many others have given their time towards making our house a warm and welcoming home. Edwin and I have been praying for a home to use to reach out and open to those around us. We host a weekly U Group for some youth (U for Unity) and it is during those times that we enjoy living right in town. Many youth are able to come because of where we live now. They have graciously respected our new location and given us our “space”. :) We have our family times and absolutely LOVE having daddy home for lunch almost every day! The church is now only 3 minutes away, making a great distance for “daddy pop-ins” during the day. The girls jump for joy every time their daddy walks in the door; you would think he was a movie star! And I guess to them, he is. :) He is an amazing daddy, he take every chance he can to brag about his kids and absolutely loves them dearly. We love our ministry here in Camdenton, Missouri. God is on the move and lives are being changed!
Ezra’s big sisters love action and actually ask me every day, “where are we going today?” They simply assume we are heading out the door. I LOVE the days when I don’t have to, which is usually one day a week :) No, really, I am sooo thankful for darling girls ready to go and do whatever we need to do for the day. They are so flexible and I praise God for creating them just as they are, full of life, ready and willing to be left with Nana and Papa or Auntie April and Uncle Jeremiah, at the drop of a hat, cause we have to tend to Ezzy. Our family dynamics and daily schedule on most days is “Borbe style” and for this I am so thankful. We retreat as a family when we can, whether it is having a picnic lunch on the church lawn with daddy or taking a drive to buy Youth supplies, we love any and every time we can be a family. Gabby seems to be our outside girl, ready to collect “beautiful” rocks and acorns, while Ellie likes that, but prefers rocking her baby dolls to sleep. Gabby loves a good book and usually cons any youth sitting in the back seat of our van to read a story to her J Ellie is still our little blondie and on a daily basis, we are asked if she is ours…..hmmm, maybe I should make a T-Shirt that says, ”my mommy always thought blondes were cute, but didn’t think she would have one, and YES, I am theirs!” Seriously, we are asked if we have adopted Ellie or if she is really ours! :) Hilarious. Gabby and Ezzy are definitely related, Ezra even stretches the same way Gabs used to as a baby!
Last Wed. we had a review time with Ezzy’s therapists, going over Ezra’s first set of goals. As my service coordinator was reading off our goals, written six months ago when we started therapy, I was in awe and thankfulness as every one she read has been MET! The sky is the limit when we serve an awesome God and because of HIS complete and outstanding goodness can I even write with true sincerity that I have loved every moment of our journey so far. Many of you are on journeys, whether outwardly known or not, and we all need God to see us through, whether big or small. Cling to Him for your wisdom, seek Him for your peace and rest IN HIM for your comfort. We love everyone of your reading this update and thank you for being part of this journey we are on……raising our sweet baby boy, Ezra Cross.
May you rest in the goodness of God today and every day!
Love,
The Borbe Bunch

“Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.”
Ephesians 3:20-21

Some past updates about Ezra- March and April 2005

2006-07-21T19:13:00.000-07:00

Hi, these are past emails we had sent out.
God is so good, it is so comforting to reflect on His goodness and ALL HE HAS DONE!

March 22, 2005
Hello Friends and Family,
I am writing to send you all a much needed update about our precious son, Ezra. I apologize for taking so long to send out an update! Life with three kids and being the wife of a youth pastor really doesn't leave a dull moment in my day! So today I write, to update and fill you all in on how wonderful our Lord is and how gracious He continues to be in our lives.

So, where do I begin?? Well today, I awake to the noises of Gabby and Ellie, full of energy, to say the least, ready to start the day by asking for juice. I then get out of bed to kiss my sweet boy, whom only hours previously received a kiss from mommy when I was giving him some more milk to eat and changing his diaper, usually around 2 am. Due to Ezra accepting the increase of milk volume over the past weeks, he is now on a new feeding schedule. His schedule is eat for an hour and then three hours off of his feeding pump. This new schedule allows for more times out and about. It has been very special to be able to take Ezzy out to meet so many people that love him and have been praying for him. Almost every day we cross paths with someone, some we know, some we do not, who express their love for Ezra and inform us of their prayers for our family. These little chats always warm my heart and encourage me. One very special "meeting" for Ezra was meeting his Auntie April, Uncle Jeremiah and cousins, Jordan and Judah. Meeting these precious family members, who are missionaries with NTM and are now home on furlough from Papua New Guinea, has been a blessing and to say the least, brought on many tears of joy as Auntie April, Edwin's older sister held her nephew for the first time. Another joyous time for our family was bringing Ezra to our church here in Missouri for the first time last Sunday. Tears of joy and thankfulness of God's grace in our lives overwhelmed many of us that day. God is good and because of His goodness have we been able to share Ezra with so many people.

A few weeks ago, when I was changing Ezra, I heard the most beautiful sound. My son let out his first cry! In my excitement, I called Edwin out of the other room and wiped Ezra's back, as I had done before and again, Ezra let out a cry! Days went by before we heard this wonderful sound again. And now, on a daily basis, Ezra let's us all know he does not like to be exposed to the cold air!! His cries have become more frequent, though not too often, but have even woken me up in the middle of the night when his tummy was bothering him! We are not sure what this all means in reference to how Ezra's brain activity is at this point . He does have another EEG schedule in the beginning of June and so we will see what, if any, improvements have taken place. Now, as far as I am concerned, Ezra has improved greatly and daily I see more alertness, responding to voices, startled at loud sounds, crying in response to pain or discomfort, and overall, a growing baby. :) He is now just under 8 pounds.

On March 31, Ezra will be undergoing a surgery to have a new G Tube put in. This G Tube will be a Button G Tube, which will be closer to Ezra's skin. The one he has right now has a long tube and a big feeding port. The surgeon was waiting for Ezra to grow and be ready to handle the Button type before putting it in. Because he is responding well to his feeding schedule, he is now ready. As of next week, Ezra will have 5 feedings through the day and none during the night. This will allow more sleep for mommy! Yeah to that!

At his last appt. at the University Hospital , Auntie April was able to come along. We sat in a room for four hours and in that time where able to be seen by many different doctors checking up on how Ezra is doing. We were encouraged to be told he is doing well. I met with a physical therapist and after having a mini lesson on how to best stretch Ezra's hands, arms, legs, and feet, I have been incorporating these exercises into my daily schedule, mostly whenever he is being changed. Soon Ezra will be starting a First Steps program, which will allow me to have therapists coaching and instructing me on how to best take care of Ezra. After meeting with the neurologist last Wednesday, he informed me that the movements that I was told where seizures, were in fact, not seizures! This was a huge encouragement. Ezra is now down to one seizure medication given twice a day. He still has seizures, but they seem to be minimal. Today I took Ezra for some blood work. Because of his brain injury, his brain does not make a certain hormone needed for proper kidney activity. His levels have been OK, but due to some signs I have noticed, I decided to get his blood checked and today we found out that his potassium levels are high and we need to go again for more blood work and then take whatever steps the doctor sees fit to do for Ezra. I am praying that this can be controlled by a new formula we may have to put Ezra on. We will update you when we know what we will be doing for him.

My days seem to fly by, which is something all mothers of young children experience! :) And when the end of each day quickly arrives, I praise God for allowing our family to enjoy Ezra for one more day. My sad days come, mostly just for everything to be "made right" for Ezra. I am only human, but am so thankful for a loving and patient God who gently reminds me of His goodness and the blessing Ezzy is for our family. My prayer is for contentment in whatever the Lord has for my son. He continually reminds me that His Word is living and active and that I can confidently approach His throne of grace, where I receive mercy and find grace in my time of need. What complete and perfect rest!!

Again we thank you for being used by God as instruments to encourage and bless our family. We have put new pictures of Ezzy and the family on our church web page, thanks to our wonderful Senior Pastor! Check it out at www.1stbc.org

Ways you can specifically pray for our family:
Pray for a successful surgery for Ezra's new G Tube on March 31st
Pray Ezra learns how to suck and therefore eats with his mouth
Pray his potassium levels go down
Pray for wisdom as his parents in decisions for his care
Pray for wisdom in teaching our girls about God's goodness in Ezra's life

We love you all and look forward to hearing from you. I know this was a long update. Thank you for taking the time to read it and for all the prayers for our Ezzy man!

Enjoying God's Grace,
The Borbe Bunch

April 9, 2005
Our Dear Friends and Family!
As I sit and write to you all, little Ezzy man is sleeping soundly in his front baby carrier that I have on. I enjoy having him close to me, while having my hands free at the same time! :) Many of you have written in regards to wanting an update on how his surgery went on the 31st and so in reply this email goes out to all Ezra's loving supporters!
First of all, THANK YOU again for all the love and prayers for our little man. Your outpouring of love and support has and continues to amaze and bless us all. Ezra's surgery went well. Daddy and Mommy were both able to be there holding his hand during the whole procedure. He was sedated during the surgery and woke up after all on his own, crying and very hunger, ready to eat. He hadn't eaten for 8 hours and he had no problem telling us his belly was ready for food! :) We are adapting well to his new "Mic Key" Button. This new Button still needs to have a 7" tube attached every time he eats. The beauty of this Mic Key Button is that the 7" tube can be unattached when done eating. This makes dressing and holding him much nicer and I even forget he has a Button under his clothing! :) He seems to be having a little bit of a tough time tolerating his latest volume amount of formula. So I have been working on finding an amount that suits Ezra's needs for hunger and comfort. Feeding him with a G Tube just doesn't give him the choice to stop eating. I have to watch his signs he gives to know when he has had enough.
He has started his Occupational and Speech therapy. I have enjoyed receiving helpful instruction on how to stretch his tight muscles and "wake up" his little lips and mouth, with the goal of having him eat with his mouth. Just the other day, after his first Speech Therapy, I tried one of the suggestions of dipping his pacifier, which I am continually sticking in his mouth, into some lemonade powder. Well, that definitely got a reaction! Instantly he puckered up and sucked on his tongue! I was so excited! I stuck my finger in and wow, he was strongly sucking on my finger. I cried out to God, " I KNOW You have the power to heal my son!" How amazing to feel the life behind his definite suck reflex! He smackes his lips together and sucks a bit on his bottom lip!
Please continue to pray for his sucking to become stronger and stronger and that he will learn to relate a full belly with sucking to achieve it. I give him his pacifier when I start feedings to help him associate the two. God is so good and has given me a boost of energy to keep giving him every opportunity to suck. He now has his pacifier attached to him all the time! :)
Stretching his tight little muscles is often tough work, but God gives me the patience and directs my steps as I go about my day incorporating his therapy into whenever I have a free moment. Ezra's hands are in a fist most of the time, but lately he has been opening them more and more on his own. His therapist has ordered some thumb braces to wear on his hands to train to open his hands more and more. He has been reaching in front of him, which is a huge achievement for Ezra. He has been focusing on my face and responds to the voices of his family by looking around until he finds where the voice is coming from! All these milestones for sweet Ezra are wonderful reminders that God is gracious and His mercies are new every morning!
My prayer is for Ezra to learn to smile in response to all the voices he hears all around him full of love. I am so encouraged at all the improvement we have seen in sweet Ezra! Another praise is that his potassium and sodium levels have been great since being home. When we first brought Ezra home, he was diagnosed with having Diabetes Insipitus, a result of his brain not producing the hormone needed to control his kidneys to maintain safe levels. But since being home, we have not needed to put him on any special formulas. I am so happy for this and now since his levels have been consistently been OK, we now only have to go once a week for blood work. Yah!

Again we thank you all from the bottom of our hearts for you love and prayers for Ezra. Daily I am so encouraged and as I go about my day, I often stop and remember that those that love us so much are uplifting me, probably at that very moment when I need it.

In His Amazing GOODNESS,
The Borbe Bunch :)

The beginning days.....

2006-07-21T17:41:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to post the first few e-mails we sent out when Ezzy was first born. For those of you just "getting to know us", I thought you might want a history on our little guy. God is so good and His Grace overwhelms me every day.
This first e-mail was when Ezra was only 11 days old. At this point in Ezra's life, we were very unsure of the future, but we rested in WHO held it.

Feb. 9, 2005
Dear praying Friends and Family,
Just wanted you to know that Ezra had his feeding tube put into today, and the surgery went well. They had to put him on a ventilator during the surgery, but he's already off of it!! Thank you for praying, God is so good. Ezra still shows no sign of waking up, he has not cried or made any "purposeful" movements as of yet. The doctors still say that it is unlikely that he will ever come out of this coma. We are so thankful for the 11 days that we have had with Ezra, he is such a perfect little gift. We are asking the Lord to help our hearts accept whatever it is He has for us. Thank you all for your emails and letters telling us what God has done in your lives through little Ezra, it seems as though he has touched quite a few people. Liz has said "If that is God's purpose for Ezra, to touch people like this, then it is our privilege". It's been hard, but we are learning to be brought to the edge of the fire and say "Our God can save us, but if He chooses not to, we will not bow to anyone else". These christian doctrines and truths about God really are true, and when the rubber meets the road, you really do find out what who's side you're really on. Be encouraged, family of God, His word never fails and His love never ends. Love you all, edwin for the bunch

Feb. 16, 2005
Dear faithful friends and family,
Thank you all so much for your prayers. God has heard your cries, and is answering them big time! Tomorrow morning (Wed 16th) we get to take Ezra home. He is completely off his oxygen, and he is keeping his own temperature relatively well. Again, thank you all so much for your ferverent prayers, awesome emails and thoughtful gifts, phonecalls, visits, and notes. God used you all to carry us through this time, thank you. The doctors are still saying that there will most likely never be any improvement in Ezra's brain. They think the damage was too severe. But we firmly believe in the power of prayer, and we know that God can do anything. So keep praying, its working. You guys are awesome, God bless you all. The www.1stbc.org website has been updated, and you can call or email anytime for details if you'd like to know more. Love you all, we're humbled by His mercy, Love the Borbes

Feb. 22, 2005
Friends and Family,
Some dear friends of ours always end their emails stating, "By God's Grace and For His Glory". I have always enjoyed reading these words at the end of each letter and now I truly believe that for myself, this precious phrase sums up exactly all that has recently taken place in our lives. Only by the grace of God am I now home with all my children, only by the grace of God am I able to care for Ezra in the extra ways needed, only by the grace of God am I able to daily rest in peace "beyond understanding" as I go about my day, only by the grace of God am I able to find true JOY in the condition of Ezra's health.
If you would have told me that all these medical complications were to take place for our sweet son Ezra, I would have freaked out and run the other way, yelling out, "I can't do this!!!" But, as I wrote earlier, ONLY by the GRACE of GOD, can I still calmly sit at my laptop writing to you all. God has given me such waves of peace continually and I believe that the fact that I can find peace in this difficult time truly does bring GLORY to God.
God promises to never leave me, He promises to instruct me, to lead me, to surround me with songs of deliverance, to strengthen and uphold me. I often find myself clinging to these precious truths and I thank Him for His Word. When I tuck my little Ezzy man into bed for the night, knowing that I won't be able to watch his every breath, I lay him in the arms of Jesus. A wonderful friend gave me a precious picture of Jesus as the Good Shepherd gently holding sweet Ezra as his little lamb while I am sleeping. I can honestly say that I am able to rest and sleep at night only because of the FACT that Jesus loves my son more than I and holds him in the palm of His hand.
Many of you have written and been used by God to bring encouragement and love to our whole family. I thank you for being used by our Heavenly Father during these past days and covet your prayers as we continue on this journey. One day in the first beginning days when learning of Ezra's condition, I sang out the words, "Because He lives, I can face tomorrow, Because He lives, all fear is gone, Because I know who holds the future and life is worth the living, just because HE LIVES!" I pray that these words ring from your heart as you go about your day enduring the trials and hard times that you may be facing. Remember to start and close each day proclaiming, "By God's Grace and for HIS Glory". Only by HIS grace can I say these words to you.
From a mother's heart,
Liz

We have made this webpage to share about our amazing journey!

2006-07-21T17:19:00.000-07:00

"Every good thing bestowed and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is novariation, or shifting shadow."

James 1:17

God has tremendously used our son Ezra to teach us of the goodness of God. We praise HIM for the blessing of our precious son.