Some more videos of the boys

Here are two more videos of the boys. More pictures and updates are planned for next week. The Barnes grandparents will be back this afternoon and stay until Sunday. The city pool opens this weekend and we plan to take the boys for their first swim on Saturday.

Jack laying on the floor (video):

Link for iPhones/email/non-flash devices

Luke and Jack (video):

Link for iPhones/email/non-flash devices

Video of baby dedication

Saturday night was baby dedication at church. They have one every few months, and the last one was right before Luke was finished with his oxygen and pulse/ox monitor. This was a very small dedication with a total of five babies (sometimes there can be 15-20 or more). The timing was one week off, since the Barnes grandparents were here the weekend before and will be back to visit this weekend finishing up their trip out west.

Here is a video of us with the Elms grandparents and surrounded by our pastors:


Link for iPhones/non-flash devices:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ElQywyuTi2Y

Raising Support!

I want to start out by saying that I normally don't send out massive links/letters for financial support. I will pass along prayer requests anytime but raising money is different. Ken and I have decided that we both feel pressed to help this family.

Jodie and Jesse have touched our lives with their ability to turn a tragedy into something meaningful. There are many days that I read what they are doing to remember the life of their baby boy and I just cry because I am so touched and amazed. Ken and I almost lost Luke several times and I am sure that we would not have handled it with as much grace, strength, and inspiration as Jodie and Jesse. Many times I read the words that are written and think "this could have been our heartbreak very easily. One single moment and a turn for the worse and we could have been writing how we lost Luke."

The reason that I am writing this letter is because we want to help them get to Las Vegas! I know what you are thinking- Las Vegas, why would they need a fund raiser to go to Vegas! Their son's medical case was going to be presented in Nashville, TN in June at the Opryland Hotel. The flooding has changed those plans and it is now going to be in Vegas. Jodie and James were going to go to Nashville since it would be easy to drive but now they are not able to go due to limited income! (Ken and I understand because we too are a one-income family!). The AWHONN Conference is scheduled for the last weekend of September and they will present Eli's case and use his story to educate others.

Jodie, Jesse, and Walker (Eli's twin brother) could use this trip as a much needed vacation but also get to see their son's short life being used for a purpose. In one of Jodie's blogs she wrote:

We accepted Eli for what we 'thought' was to come. But even when it wasn't what we were told, we accepted that he was created for a reason. And one of the last things I told Eli as I held him in my arms was to 'come back to me', meaning I wanted to know he was alive in that other baby (they did ARORA). I wanted to know he was serving his purpose.



Jodie and Jesse have done many things to make Eli's short life have a purpose including:
1. Donating to ARORA
2. Team Eli- To educate Spina Bifida Awareness & Organ Donation
3. Project E.L.I. Documentary to be released Summer 2010.
4. Eli's Garden of Hope & Dreams-- for I CAN! Dance Arts & Resource Center
5. did an interview with KARK
and much more.........

Any amount would be appreciated. We hope to raise enough to be able to purchase plane tickets and hotel rooms for them. I would love to have it all together by the end of July. Pray about it and see where God leads you!

Thanks!
Rachel and Ken Barnes
raebarnes@hotmail.com


Here are the links to read about their story:
http://mcginleybabyjourneystory.blogspot.com/2010/03/how-it-all-began.html
http://www.facebook.com/?ref=logo#!/note.php?note_id=102012769842079

What I deal with most afternoons...

The Barnes grandparents will be here today and tomorrow on their way out west to the Grand Canyon. The boys are ready to see them again, and I am ready for them to get the extra attention so I get a little break. Jack and Luke did not want to nap at all today and were in terrible moods the rest of the afternoon.

Here is a look at how they are most days between around 4pm and bedtime (usually 7pm)...



Link for iPhones:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UgrapQdYJHw

Online photo album

We received all of the pictures from the boys' photo session and love how they turned out!  I won't take the time to post every picture here, but you can see all of the pictures in our Kodak gallery.

Click here to see the pictures and let us know what you think!

The boys have kept us very busy - as they grow and do more, the schedule and routine gets more complicated.  With two of them, there is always something to do.  As soon as one gets happy and quiet, the other needs something...  We keep the cameras out and try to capture new things as they happen.  Stay tuned as we will add pictures and updates in the next few days.

The boys professional pictures

Gretchen Davis came Saturday morning and did the boys pictures. Jack HATED the outdoor pictures and both boys were super serious and didn't want to smile much. I love that Gretchen used natural lighting and not many props. We enjoyed our time and I think the preview pictures are amazing--especially since Luke ended up in the hospital later that day!

Long week.....

It has been a loooong week! Last Monday the boys were super cranky. Ken was home by himself and ended up taking the boys for a car ride just for some quiet time. Tuesday Jack was coughing and wheezing. Jack went to the doctor and got tested for RSV and whooping cough--both came back negative and Dr. O started him on antibiotics and an inhaler. Tuesday Luke started feeling bad--coughing and wheezing so they called in the same prescriptions for him. Luke was not eating as well as he had been but still eating about half his bottles. Late Wednesday night Luke woke up screaming and he was hot. I thought he was just over swaddled so I uncovered him and he slept with Ken for a couple hours. About 3 or 4 he woke up screaming again and was still hot so I checked his temp and it was 102.3. I gave him some Motrin and we called the nurse on call. She assured us it was okay and we just need to watch him. We also canceled the boys pictures that were scheduled for the morning. Thursday he was not feeling good and wheezing and coughing but the inhaler helped. Friday I stayed home because he didn't sleep at all and we were all tired. He was still running fevers off and on but as the day progressed he acted like he felt better. Saturday morning he didn't eat very well and threw up everything that he did eat. We had their pictures done and they went down for a nap. Luke woke up crying and running a fever and wheezing. He tried to eat but threw up everything. He just wasn't acting right and the inhaler didn't work so we decided to take him to the emergency room. When they tested his oxygen level it was only 88%. They did lab work, chest x-ray, and gave him some IV fluids since he was dehydrated. The x-ray showed pneumonia--so that and everything else bought him a ticket into the hospital! He was admitted Saturday night and went home Monday afternoon. He is still on oxygen and needs suctioning frequently and fussy but he is eating better and gives us sweet smiles more every day!

Luke was scheduled to have surgery tomorrow (Wednesday) but since he was sick with pneumonia they told us that he has to wait 4-6 weeks after his antibiotics are done. Right now he is rescheduled for June 9th. Pray that he continues to get better and doesn't get sick again and can have his surgery.

Jack is much better and enjoyed his stay with him MiMi and PopPop while Luke was in the hospital. We are very grateful to have family close by that can help when we need them. Thanks mom and dad!!