Monday, January 28, 2008

Monday, Jan. 28 update

This is Nate's dad filling in for him while he takes a break...

Gwyneth is still about the same. She did have an enema, which did produce some results! However there is still some swelling. So this afternoon they are going to do a barium enema in radiology, which will pinpoint any blockage. Doesn't sound like fun, and is more "invasive" (according to her nurse), but will hopefully give some answers. I know you'll pray.

Tricia is still in ICU. The stresses of everything in the past 3 weeks are being tough on her right now. It's (stress, baby, meds, hormonal changes, ICU, surgery, etc.) all ganging up on her. Her mom and dad, as well as Nathan are with her. She desperately needs some good sleep. Thanks for your prayers for her continued healing.

Nathan got some good sleep this morning after being up with Tricia all night.

I'm sure that soon he'll be back here with more updates and photos when he's rested. Your kind words and prayers are really helpful to them all.

Rick

77 comments:

Anonymous said...

Praying and sending positive thoughts your way....get well rested. Sending you our love from Dallas..

Patience Leino said...

still with you guys in prayer...

Cindy said...

My thoughts and prayers are with you all, especially Tricia. I can't speak for all you are going through, but I struggled with Post Partum alot. Hang in there.

Praying in Ohio.
Cindy

Heather Leech said...

Hi Rick,
Thank you so much for keeping us posted while Nate takes a much needed break. My prayers are with you all.
Thanks again!
Heather L.
Surrey, B.C. Canada

Jane said...

thank you for the update.
Living life is tough some times. Living life through blog world puts a totally different spin on it. EVERYONE needs time to breath, rest and heal.
It's been a very stressful time for your family....and they do come first.

I will continue to pray, today and always.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the update. We are praying for the sleep and Gwyneth's bowels. I'm sure all this has been exhausting to Nathan and Tricia. Everyone is just so impressed with Nathan and how he writes his feelings so well. I hear it all the time. Take care.

Candi said...

Any mother (or dads)can tell you that having a new baby can be stressful, but add to that all that this new baby has brought on for Tricia....I can only imagine.

Praying!

K Hutchinson said...

I continue to pray hard for all of you! I know had my first son a month early and the hormonal changes are so hard on a you! I can't image all the other stresses too!

God Bless!

Gail said...

Rick,
Thanks for filling in for Nate so he can get some much needed rest. I will continue to pray for Tricia and Gwyneth.
Gail

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the update. You are all in my families prayers and thoughts contantly.

Jim and Jami said...

thinking and praying for your family everyday!

Kelly said...

Thanks for the update. Will be praying for everyone!

Laurie in Ca. said...

Praying for Tricia to get much needed sleep and peace while she heals from so many invasive procedures on her fragile body. Peace for her mind to not try to take her faster than her body can handle. Praying for Gwenyth's procedure to produce good results and rest for her. And for Nate to continue catching up to himself after these past weeks. Thank you for keeping us posted Rick. We love your kids and you too.

Laurie in Ca.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the update. We will continue to pray.

Fran

Momnnashville said...

Holding all of you tightly in my heart and prayers. Motherhood is a huge adjustment -- certainly more impacted by Tricia's circumstances. Sending some special mom-for-mom prayers up for Tricia.

Jennifer said...

Continuing to lift Nate, Tricia, Gwyneth (and the entire community surrounding them) up to our awesome Father in prayer!

Anonymous said...

Still praying here at LU SOL!! God love you all, I can't even imagine going through all Tricia has in these last few weeks! Will be praying for God's strength, peace, healing and rest for her. Still praying for Gwyneth's swelling to subside, and wisdom for the doctors in dealing with her. Praying for rest for Nathan and the rest of the family as well.

Unknown said...

Thank you for the update Rick. I am continuing to think and pray for all of them.

Anonymous said...

Continuing to remember you all in our prayers, along with asking the Lord to divinely direct all the doctors & nurses. Just try to remember that all these sleepless days & nights are only adding to your testimonies of God's goodness. May you all feel God's comfort today & everyday.
Heltsley bunch in Ayden, NC

Anonymous said...

Thank you for the update.

I'll definitely pray for the girls' continued recovery, and especially Trisha's spirit and sleep.

I'll pray that Nate stays strong by their side, and that himself can find a shoulder to lean on.

Anonymous said...

Praying for your beautiful, blessed family here in Columbus, Ohio!

Tina

Rebecca (Ramblings by Reba) said...

Rick, seeing an update from you was a pleasant surprise.

Thanks for the news. We're praying.

Rebecca

nicole said...

Thanks for the update, Rick.

I think we all have fallen in love with your family and only want what's best for them. I hope none of you feel burdened to update. Rest and supporting one another is so much more important. We will keep you all in our prayers as you are part of our hearts to stay, updates or none.

Much love to each of you...and many, many prayers.

Anonymous said...

Oh, poor things, I'll continue to pray. She does need some good sleep, as does Nathan. Lack of sleep makes everything feel that much worse. I'll pray for her peace of mind so she can rest.

Anonymous said...

A word to all those reading this blog (not the family):
I hope everyone caught the last line of Nate's father's entry, "kind words and prayers".

I do not know this family (my friend knows the family from Tricia's NJ homeschooling association). But I'd like to pass on a little encouragement to all those reading this precious blog. The only thing this family really needs from us non-family, non-church family and friends, is exactly that -- KIND words and prayers!

The excitement and trauma of all this family is going through provides enough highs, lows, stresses and joys without us adding to that load. Nate has been very transparent and vulnerable in describing his family's journey and we are privileged to have that information, enabling us to know how to effectively pray, and "bear one another's burdens". But to put it quite bluntly, it does not give us license to insert ourselves into their lives.

I'd like to humbly and kindly make some suggestions. May the principles of the golden rule guide you. In other words, please put yourself in their place. I'm sure intentions are good. But when faced with trial, would you want total strangers giving you unsolicited advice -- or turning the story around to themselves?

I was shocked to read the comments from their father (a comment attached to an earlier post) requesting people refrain from visiting. May I ask, if you were in a hospital bed, standing in faith, needing miracles and in the midst of battle, would you want people just showing up?

Let's honor this family and our Savior by giving them the prayer support and the SPACE to see our Lord work. We will be the Body of Christ in action when we seek His face on their behalf, support the foundations financially which bless them and simply let them know we're praying.

I may be speaking way out of turn, but I know we all want to be a positive force in this journey. If your story closely relates to theirs and you want to share it, may I suggest you say, "If you'd like to be encouraged by my story, please contact me" and let them contact you. And don't be offended if they don't contact you!!

Let's not be a burden, but rather a blessing.

And to Nate, Tricia and the family, forgive me if I overstepped my bounds. But all over the world, (even in NJ!) people are standing with you and praying, and will continue to pray until the day the girls are home and your biggest concern is what you're going to have for dinner.

God bless you!

Julie said...

Thanks for the update...I must admit I kept checking the blog looking for news even though Nate said he would be taking some "time off".
The family is in my prayers, specifically for rest for Tricia & Nate and a solution to Gwyneth's bowel issues.

Anonymous said...

Thank you for keeping us updated Rick.

Anonymous said...

you can count on the prayers seeing that you have half the country visiting this site everyday :)

Anonymous said...

yes we'll keep praying

NCBeachMom said...

Bless her heart! Recovering from a C-section, post partum stuff, baby in ICU is enough stress to wear you out, add to it her own medical issues and it is truely a wonder she is doing as well as she is.

Praying God will wrap her up in his arms and hold her tight. May she feel his physical presence around her in that ICU room and may he give her peace and rest in her spirit and her body!

CFHusband said...

A couple of quick responses!

First, right now it is a burden for Nate to update. Too much is going on. When he's ready, believe me, he will! Because of that I offered to post an update simply because so many of you are praying and joining with us. And we don't take that for granted!

Second, to Anonymous in NJ, thanks for your words. They were very insightful and appropriate.

Keep up the prayers!

CFHusband said...

Just to make sure there's no confusion with my last comment, I should have signed it.

Rick

Anonymous said...

Thank you for the update!!! I will continue to pray for you all as you walk this journey! I pray that the barium enima will show something easy to be fixed!!!! She is in God's hands! Also be in prayer for the Hostetters (tristanasher.blogspot.com) as they have lost their baby on day 56 of the Trisomy 18 journey! They would appreciate your prayers! Bless you all!!!!

Anonymous said...

Just know that we are all out here for you all. This has to be such a crazy and very frusterating time..kind of hurry up and wait. Tricia has had so much to deal with and has been such a trooper through it all..she deserves a breakdown from time to time. She still has so much to face, it would be onr thing if she ONLY had to recover from the last few weeks, but her burden is so intense, she has to get strong enough to go through ANOTHER HUGE trauma and then try to recover AGAIN!! BLESS HER HEART! We are praying MORE THAN EVER in CAlifornia!!! Thankyou Rick, for sharing the prayer need with us, every update helps all of us stay focused on the seriousness of their situation.

Tam said...

Holding your family close in prayer.

Florida_Mom said...

Thank you so much Rick for keeping us prayer warriers updated. It is such an honor to stand in the gap for you and yours.

Thoughts and prayers continue for your precious family. The journey ahead is long but our God will supply all the grace needed for the journey.

Isaiah 40:31

"But those who wait on the Lord
Shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings like eagles,They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint."

Matthew 11:28-30 (NIV)

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

Love In Christ

Myra

Lizze said...

Sending lots of prayers up to Heaven for you. *hugs*

Anonymous said...

Rick,
I'm glad I could express those thoughts to the blogging community without offending your family.

May He continue to strengthen all of you...

anonymous from NJ
aka Kathy

Anonymous said...

We are and have been praying for you all. May God continue to bless you with His peace and presence!

The de Boer Family
Kingston, Ontario

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the update. Prayers for all concerned continue!!

Shari

Anonymous said...

Amen to anonymous in NJ.

Our prayers continue to be lifted for the whole family.

Unknown said...

Anonymous in NJ said it better than I could...we appreciate being able to pray with you all and will continue to wait and pray and wait some more as we ask God to continue to bless Nate, Tricia and of course Gwyneth as she undergoes all these tests...
Thanks Rick

Anonymous said...

Continuing to pray for healing for Tricia and Gwyneth, and for strength for all of you.

Mary said...

Continuing to pray for them here from Florida.

God Bless you all.

Mary

Megan said...

still praying

Megan @ SimplyThrifty said...

I'm lifting you up in prayer to the Great Physician. May He comfort, protect and heal Tricia and Gwen at this time.

Anonymous said...

things will get better soon! I am sure of it! I hope everyone gets good sleep and the baby's tummy feels better soon as well.

Anonymous said...

prayers stay with you all glad Nate is taking care of himself his girls need him in tip top shape

Christy Lockstein said...

I'm praying for you all.

Anonymous said...

Still praying for all of you...
Thank you for the update, Pastor Lawrenson.
Lots of Love, Dana and Wil Haupfear

Thodgson said...

We are still standing here in prayer for you all-
Mike, Tina and Elizabeth

Anonymous said...

Praying for you ALL in Charleston, SC! God Bless!

Terry Gray Sr. said...

Thanks Rick, for the update and filling in for Nate.
You know that prayers are streaming from the OBX, and the whole world for that matter, for these three special people.
We have started a special prayer huddle at our house, at 7pm, we all huddle together and say a special prayer to God asking for rest, re-newed strenght, and peace for N,T, and Gwyneth and a speedy recovery and trip back home.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the update. As has been so eloquently expressed, it is a *privilege* to know what is going on, but not an obligation on your end to share anything. We will continue to hold your family up in prayer in absense of any information.

Anonymous said...

Hello cyber family, I am sending cyber sweet dreams and prayers your way, and I mean LOTS!! I have told everyone I know about u guys and we are waiting for updates. Thanks again to Nate for being so helpful with my very own blog!

Anonymous said...

Praying for the "girls" and Nathan from NW Wisconsin! The best is yet to come!~karen

Anonymous said...

Lots of prayers being said.. Gods Grace is amazing and I will be praying that He continues to pour it out over all of you but the 18 wheeler full....

Thank you so much for updating us while Nate has a break for a while.. He is blessed to have such great family support and you sound like a great guy .. I read your blogs now all the time as well and you continue to inspire me.

Jennifers Hope
35 year old CFer

Jonathan Johnson said...

Your daughter is beautiful - praying for you all!
Love in Christ,
Jon and Denielle Johnson

Anonymous said...

Thank you for the update Rick. It was very kind of you to do that for Nate and Tricia.

I will continue to pray for the girls' health, sleep for Tricia and strength for Nate.

Anonymous said...

a couple weeks after giving birth is a hard time for ALL of us mothers so you just hang in there Trisha, give yourself and your expectations of yourself a wide birth, you are doing fantastic. Hormones are crazy right now so try not to take how you are feeling too seriously as it will change shortly and you will be feeling much better!

Anonymous said...

Rick, thank you for pinch hitting for Nathan while he gets a much needed break from his newfound celebrity status. : ) So many of us have come to love this family and check in many times a day. Even though we are owed nothing and understand that Nathan has much on his plate right now, it was a nice surprise to see an update from you. Thank you so much for sharing your family and your faith with all of us. It seems so clear that God is using all of you in a big way and that is so cool. Keeping you all in my prayers.

Unknown said...

Hi Rick!

Thanks for the update! Still praying for all y'all!

Love and prayers from Charleston, SC!

Anna

Patty Honeycutt said...

My prayers are for for peace, rest, and healing for everyone involved.
God bless!

Anonymous said...

You are in our thoughts & Prayers
Tricia Gwyneth Nathan and families Long Island New York

Melissa Dovel said...

I read all your comments and see the hearts of so many wanting to bring you comfort in your time of need. I would love to do the same but the reality is its the sheer act of letting you know how many care and are praying for you in this time of need. Stay encouraged and continue to stand in faith that He does hear our prayers and answers them every day with a resounding YES. Rest and peace to you all-
Blessings,
M.Dovel

Aspiemom said...

Thanks, Rick, for the update. I'll be praying for Gwyneth's bowels and for Tricia. Bless her heart, she's been through a lot. I'm sure if she was rested it would help her handle things better, so I'll be mostly praying for sleep for her. Never having given birth I'd totally forgot about the hormonal changes! The whole family is in my continued prayers. Debbi (Aspiemom)

Anonymous said...

We're standing in the gap for you. You are part of our body, all of us toes out here are praying-

Anonymous said...

Just thought I'd point something out - in the less than 10 minutes I spent reading this blog and checking Alice's for the update, over 100 hits came to Nathan's blog. That's AMAZING! I kept refreshing and it just kept growing!! At 10pm on a Monday night, over 100 people looked at your blog within minutes. That means that in ten minutes, over 100 people had the opportunity to read about God's love and grace - not to mention a BEAUTIFUL family!
Praise be to God and Grace to the Lawrenson's!!
I hope you are enjoying your restful time as a family!

The Gators in FL :)

Anonymous said...

Rick and Nathan,
Thank you for the updates. Connie and I are praying for you all. Even McKenna and Chase prayed for you all tonight.
Tom

Anonymous said...

Rick, thank you so much for the update! Praying for your family!

Anonymous said...

thanks for the update. i will continue praying here in colorado. may you all find the rest you so desperately need.

CJolly said...

Rick, it's nice to see you're taking over for the break.
I'm glad Nate's doing this, and am actually surprised he didn't do it sooner. I'm sure with the enormous amount of reaction and prayer coming in,he has felt a need to keep the rest of the world up to speed with things as they have unfolded, but he has more than enough to deal with as it is. Besides, you're not a bad writer yourself :)
Still praying....

Anonymous said...

Praying for peace and restfulness for both Nate and Tricia and a completely healed tummy for Gwyneth. God Bless you all.

Angela in central Ohio

Kellars Mommy said...

Praying that Gwyneths tummy issues resolve and for the barium study to show no blockages, and you are very much correct, it was no fun for my lil' one when he had it done..Get some rest you guys!!! ( and girls..)

UKNat said...

I will pray specifically for Tricia to be protected from post partum depression and for her to be able to get some much needed sleep/rest.

Praying for all of you in KY. Natalie

Perpetually Sarah said...

Still praying in VA!

Anonymous said...

Praying for all of you, especially for much needed sleep and peace...for your rest in the shadow of the Almighty (El Shaddai: Psalm 91)...

A note: If I offended you (Nate and family) or any other bloggers because I tried to give advice or related too closely to your story, I want to apologize. It was not my intention and I'm sorry. I just wanted to help and I thought I might be able to.