As of last Friday our precious Nyra Jane is 6 months old. We’ve been soaking up every opportunity to cuddle her, rock her, and read to her because we’ve heard these moments pass by all too quickly.

Since our last post we’ve been able to spend time with both of our families, so Nyra was able to meet, interact with, and get loved on by almost all of her aunts and uncles. She loves and thrives on interaction with people. With her Bargeron aunts and uncles she was able to swim in a pool and see a lighthouse for the first time. She also took her first boat ride and just loves ‘babble’ and play time with all 4 of her Davis girl cousins. We cherish these sweet times with our loved ones.

 With Nyra having turned 6 months last Friday, Lane’s first Father’s Day this past Sunday, and Lane’s birthday this coming Friday (tomorrow), we have much to look to our Heavenly Father in thankfulness for. Each of these events all have the common thread of the precious gift of life. We had no idea we’d have the privilege of celebrating (again or for the first) any of these after our accident. Not only has our gracious Father allowed us to celebrate my wonderful husband’s 24th birthday this week, but because Lane lived through the accident we are able to celebrate the gift of our precious daughter’s life and his fatherhood. We are constantly reminded that our good Father didn’t have to allow any of these gifts but he did. By this we are sobered, encouraged, and our hearts are overwhelmed with gratitude.

Our days as a family have otherwise been filled with Nyra’s feedings, playtime, and diaper changes, grocery runs, reading together, walks outside,  Lane’s therapy, outings together or with friends, and sleeping while we can. For the time being I am able to assist as one of Lane’s caregivers so I don’t have to work outside the home. This is a tremendous blessing as I am able to first and foremost be a wife and mama, then Lane’s caregiver as needed. In the near future Lane will be starting vocational rehab so please be praying with us that his vocational therapist will be able to assist him in finding work with his computer-related abilities.

Please also continue to pray that we’d find our encouragement, contentment, strength and perseverance only in Christ. And that we’d persevere in patience where God has us right now, not anxiously wondering what the future might hold. Some days as we look around us, our situation, our ongoing needs, or what’s before us today, it’s nothing short of overwhelming and discouraging. From the world’s eyes we’ve often been asked how we remain joyful or are even able to press on despite our circumstances. And as I’ve said in multiple posts, there are days that are incredibly hard. Christ didn’t promise that we’d have lives free of pain or grief on this earth. Nor does our grief or pain mean Christ doesn’t remain good. On days we choose to dwell only on our physical abilities/disabilities though our joy is quickly sapped and it does seem impossible to press on. This is why the source of our joy, encouragement, contentment and strength simply cannot come from anything within us, regardless of what the world attempts to say. Another reminder why we must fix our eyes not on what is momentary but what is eternal and unseen as we face affliction in this life (2 Corinthians 4:18). I was greatly challenged as I came across this blog the other day that speaks of how to stand beside, encourage, and pray for someone who is going through grief or a difficult circumstance. One specific paragraph reminded me of a truth I’ve been reminded of time and time again–
             “People can have great faith and feel great pain at the same time. Pain is not a sign of  weak faith. Many have testified that their faith and recognition of God’s providing hand was strongest during their toughest trials.”

The  entire blog post can be found here http://www.kendrabroekhuis.com/blog/i-dont-know-what-to-say

Thank you for continuing to pray for and stand beside us in the trying moments as well as the times of celebration. The discouraging (yet encouraging) aspect of a TBI is that there is no specific “pathway to recovery”, certain amount of meds to take before one is healed, or even prognosis of whether or not an individual will be able to recover 100%. The hardest question that we’ve been asked (by well meaning friends/family/strangers) from the beginning is how long the doctor is saying recovery will take. With grace we’ve attempted to explain that we have no idea, nor does anyone but God. What Lane will continue to do though is press on with therapy and whatever else his doctors recommend while being a spiritual leader/learner, husband, and father foremost.  We are so grateful that this injury nor should any difficult circumstances in this life ultimately define us. We hope you are encouraged by this truth today.

  With Christ as our guide and greatest certainty we choose to rest in His promise that He will never leave or forsake us.  Looking to the author and perfecter of our faith as we take on today,

Emily (for Lane and Nyra)

                                                          Chillin’ with Daddy in the sun!

                                                        Our precious girl is 6 months!
                                           

                                                                    First Father’s Day:)

As I write I hear Nyra squeeking with joy while Lane talks to her and  mimics different animals sounds in a nearby room. She’s in one of her very favorite spots, daddy’s lap! This momma’s heart is bursting with thankfulness.

Since I last posted we’ve had days filled with cooing, toothless grins, reading countless children’s books aloud, and getting as much cuddle time as we can with our ever growing 3 month old. Amidst the poopy blow outs, spit up covered clothes, and sleepless nights of course. Parenting is no doubt one of the greatest gifts our Father has given Lane and I as we take on this life together. In the mundane days, in the midst of the poopiest diapers and colic filled nights, we are humbled and learning ever SO much. We appreciate your continued prayer as we take on this incredible gift.

In the past two months a few other major things have taken place, one planned, the other not so much. First of all, Lane had a baclofen pump placed  and is in the process of getting it adjusted (slowly) to his therapeutic level. We’ve already seen some great results with decreased muscle tone and spasms. His therapists will work with him closely the next few months to get it to the right dosage for him. See previous posts if you don’t know what an itb pump is. Then at the end of February Lane started having extremely high temps and sustained tachycardia (high heart rate). Within a couple hours of going in to Urgent Care one day he was being treated for potential sepsis in the ICU. Thankfully the infection was pretty quickly treated with antibiotics, which they suspected was related to his kidney stone build up. They have been and will continue to address what will be needed to have the stones removed.

As a family we’re learning the importance of “being all there” wherever we are. Whether its an expected hospital visit, spending the day with our daughter at home, interacting with the aids that come and go, striking up a conversation with a neighbor as we get the mail, or in the unexpected moments where we have no idea what will happen next. We are learning to take on life with  the strength and grace and joy God has equipped us with in the circumstances of today. As our heavenly Father pours his grace into our lives over and over again we recognize that even in the days where it’s hard to look past the next moment, we are fully equipped. Pray with us that we’d never lose sight of these truths. Some days are most definitely harder than others.

We appreciate each and every one of you that is continuing to keep up with and pray for our family. Know that we will continue to post our happenings here, but  as you’ve seen with this post, they won’t be often.  Our social media time has hugely decreased since our Nyra was born as she needs every bit of the undivided attention we can give her:) Our family email is lanemily12@gmail.com if you want to keep in touch more often.

Gratefully,

Emily (for the Lane B clan:)

Psalm 90:12

Our precious baby is HERE!!

We appreciate your prayer as we begin the intensely wonderful journey of parenthood. Pray that we’d look to Christ for the daily strength that we need and that we’d be point our daughter to Him even in our weaknesses and frailties. Next month is Lane’s long-awaited Baclofen pump surgery. Please join us in prayer as he undergoes the surgery but also afterwards as his therapists work with the potentially positive effects of his decreased tone.

Gratefully,

Emily (proud wife and mama!)

So much has gone on the past (nearly) two months, hence neither of us being able to write until now. A trip to see family in NC, baby showers, appointments, Lane’s continued therapy, embarking on a new Bible study with friends, preparing for our little one, and enjoying any precious time we can get continuing to pursue each other.

Lane and I are becoming quite familiar with adaptive equipment these days. Although its not what we’d ever imagined we would need as we raised our first child, this is life for the time being and we’re SO grateful for the grace and strength AND people that God gives us one day and moment at a time. We are daily encouraged and amazed by Lane’s therapists at his new facility and are being pointed in tremendous directions as far as child care/adaptive equipment for kids. Lane’s OT specifically asked to see our registry the other day so she could help with adding things that will be an extra help for Lane and/or I, and will continue to work on adaptive child care type helps with Lane. So blessed by this woman and encouraged by her knowledge and desire to see Lane and I adapt well to our BIG upcoming change. We can’t describe in words how thrilled we are for the birth of our child, but having these people that are cheering us on and helping equip us in these kinds of ways gives us a an extra amount of excitement to take on this beautiful challenge.

Hope you are well, dear ones.

We can hardly believe summer is nearly over. The past week has honestly been one of the hottest/most humid here in MI though, so we are very ready for the cooler weather to settle in (and stay awhile:).

The past month has not brought a whole lot of changes, just much of  Lane’s continued diligence in therapy, preparation for our baby coming in December, and precious time together whenever we get the chance. Just this week Lane actually began therapy at a new facility in the Lansing area that we are loving so far. All of his therapists seem to be a great fit for him and have new/different approaches that he’s been needing. We are so grateful for every and any small or great gain he is making and are SO glad when the therapists take advantage of them and find ways for Lane to be independent with whatever he CAN do. We appreciate your prayer in this specific area. That Lane would continue to make physical progress and that neither of us would lose heart with how long the brain injury healing process can take. But most importantly that our focus would remain on Christ, what only truly matters in this life. Neither of us could honestly describe in words how much Christ has taught us in the areas of contentment and perspective the past 1.5+ years. And we know He’s not finished yet!

On another note, we are having a blast getting ready for our precious ‘Baby B’ that is 22 weeks old today! Our hearts are continuously bursting with excitement and joy as we prepare for and have the privilege of being this child’s parents. Just 18ish weeks until we get to meet him or her:)

Further ways you can continue to pray… diligence and peace where God has us now, our walks with Christ and marriage, health/safety of Emily & baby, and Lane’s continued health/progress.Thank you! As life continues to move on (and get busier) at this point we plan on keeping our blog updated about every 4-6 weeks.

On Christ the solid rock we STAND,

Lane, Emily, and Little B

We’re celebrating 16 weeks of our precious child’s life today! December 30th can’t come soon enough! We had our monthly OB check up on Friday and everything is going great. Thankfully I’ve been feeling really good too with minimal nausea/headaches/morning sickness.

Lately Lane has been working really hard on becoming independent with his power wheelchair. They practice it in PT about 3 times a week, as it’s one of his biggest goals for the time being (along with his other physical strengthening/standing/taking steps etc). We are so grateful for modern technology, as this is about the 3rd type of power wheelchair (controller) he has tried…and so far it’s definitely working the best. It’s called the Sip n Puff system, meaning he controls it with a mouth piece. It’s may or may not be what he uses long term, but we are grateful and glad for any independence he can have. I am daily encouraged by his diligence and hard work with all they place before him.

Another area Lane has gotten proficient with is his eye gaze computer system. He is not only able to communicate via email/social media etc, but found a way text me while I’m away and is a huge help with online ordering, paying bills etc. With his love for reading and everything being electronic these days he’s also able to read some via his computer. As time allows this will also be a way through which he can work (he is currently looking for ideas if y’all know of any part time online jobs).

Hoping you are enjoying your summer, dear friends and family. Thank you for your continued prayer. For Lane’s continued physical healing, our ever growing baby, and our walks with Christ and marriage above all.

Pressing on in His strength,

Emily (for Lane and our baby B:)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, LANE!!

So much celebration has gone on in our little household today:) Not only is it Lane’s birthday, but today we also celebrate exactly 1.5 years of his precious LIFE since the accident that nearly took it. Praising God that he is with us today!

We also have some incredibly exciting news that will forever change our lives for the better..we’ll be welcoming our first child into this world around December 30th! Lane and I are SO thrilled and can’t wait to meet this precious blessing. We appreciate your prayers for a safe and healthy pregnancy and delivery and that Lane’s health would continue to remain stable. I’ve had a wonderful pregnancy thus far with minimal morning sickness and just feel GREAT overall. So grateful for this!

We have SO much to thank our God for today. Mainly for the consistency of who He is regardless of our  uncertainties, but also for the precious gift of LIFE. Lane’s 23 years and our precious child that will be born in just 6 months.

My heart is overflowing with JOY tonight!

-E

 The past several posts I’ve mentioned how much Lane and I have absolutely loved our summer thus far. As of this past weekend we’ve been able to spend precious time with both our families. We were able to go to a nearly barrier-free cabin on Lake Otsego in Gaylord, MI over the weekend with our Bargeron family and had a blast (but missed John and Cordia:/). It was filled with eating, boating, fishing, swimming, relaxing and simply catching up.

On the way home Lane and I were able to stop by  Camp Barakel for a couple hours to visit my sister Elizabeth, who is counseling this summer. We were even able to drive down to one of my favorite lake view spots that I LOVED as a camper/part time staff member to show Lane. It was so good to go back to the place I cherished so much growing up (and still do) and to catch up with Elizabeth. As we ran into different staff members we were also reminded of the incredible amount of people we have praying for us at Barakel. We are so thankful for each  one of you!

I’ve attached pictures below.

Gratefully,

Emily

                                                                       Otsego Lake….

                                                   There was much sand castle building…
                               

                                                            And one fish was caught (ish) 🙂

                                                      Mom and Dad B with Lane and I

                                                                          Barakel:)

It’s been awhile… but as I’ve said before, that’s usually a good thing on our end. We are loving actually being able to do some summer-ish things this year, as Lane is (happily) out of inpatient facilities. I was looking back in my journal the other day and reminded that in just two days it will have been a full year since Lane’s skull flap replacement (cranioplasty)! It honestly seems that its been years by now. Praising God that no infection of the flap occurred (always a risk) and that it’s continued to heal so well.

Therapy wise Lane is continuing to diligently press on, he goes about 3 hours a day 5 days a week with an attendant caregiver so I can stay at home and do my “wifey” things like cooking/resting/cleaning (which I truly do love:) or work. We haven’t mentioned them a whole lot on this blog, but we are so grateful for the 2 caregivers that we have hired (through an agency, Neurocare) to assist us every weekday morning/ some evenings. They are able to assist Lane in getting ready for the day and with home therapy type things while I do other things around the house, run errands, or simply sit down with a book and coffee. They also help with cleaning so Lane and I can do more together (like reading/ devos together) even while they are here. It was something that Lane and I (understandably) didn’t want at first and had to get used to, but as we take on this season we’ve learned to gladly accept small blessings such as these that allow us to live as normally as possible within our marriage. Because Lane’s doctor has ordered him to have 24/7 attendant care, I am also able to be with him 12-15 hours a day/night, ALONE…while being paid, which is another incredible blessing. So ultimately I don’t have to work full time outside the home, which is wonderful. Something we are both tremendously grateful for in this season. Of course when/if Lane is able to take on a job eventually we will very gladly transition to that way of life once again, but we’re learning to be thankful for the many ways our God is providing for us today.

Thank you, once again, for your constant faithfulness in prayer. Please don’t cease. Along with Lane’s continued healing, pray for steadfastness in our witness for Christ and desire to know Him, above all.

Gratefully,

 Emily (for my dear husband)

PS. As I write this Lane just finished up his weekly massage therapy session. So far it has been a WONDERFUL thing for him, allowing him to sleep better at night and relaxing his tight muscles. Another blessing!