Dax

Baby Dax minus the feeding tube!  YEA!

(He kind of looks like his Pops here--sleeping with his mouth open and all! ha!)

Isn't he precious?   I hate that ol' feeding tube in his nose!  (He hates it, too---he keeps trying to take it out!)  But...he may get to go home tomorrow!!  We're so excited!  He has to eat 60 cc's at a feeding to be able to leave the NICU and the hospital altogether.   For a while, they thought he was lactose intolerant because he wasn't digesting well.  So they took him off of breast milk and slowly added it back to his diet.  Thankfully, he wasn't.  And he's now digesting well.
His collar bone is healing nicely.  In fact, Zach told me that he's lifting his left arm on his own and isn't in pain.  They'd told us that by the time he was a week old, it would be healed enough that he wouldn't be in pain.  (Isn't it amazing how God has created us?)  And it actually happened sooner.  This little guy has had a rough start!
We're so grateful for all that God has done.  I know Mommy & Daddy are anxious to get their little bundle of joy home---and start being a family.  Thanks to everyone who has prayed!

WE'RE PRAISING GOD!!

Photos of Dax

These are the photos of Dax's delivery.  Zach took my camera into the delivery room and got the first two photos.

Shanna taking it easy during delivery.  (Not really.)

The monitor of Dax's activity.

And here's that boy!

Daddy's first photos with Dax.

Aunt Amanda

The Bishops getting a first glimpse of Dax.

Aunt Amanda & Dax---with Dad sharing the good news in the background.

Daddy & Dax

Little boy---next to dad's big hand.

Close-up of Dax

Kay & Amanda & Dax

The new little family

Mommy, Dax & Daddy

Dax peeking at Dad

We'd found out Dax's clavicle was fractured during delivery.  His reaction to the pain was causing his oxygen level to drop.  He'd been on oxygen most of the night.  They brought him to the room before they moved him to NICU.

Mommy & Daddy talking to him.

He was taking it easy. 

Talking to Dax

The move to NICU

Is that boy sucking his thumb??

We were on the elevator and Mommy was talking to Dax and his oxygen level started going up!  (A good thing!)  It made for one happy Mommy!!  So sweet to see how a baby responds to his mommy. 

I think we have a keeper!!

This is a photo from my phone of Dax in NICU. 

Zach texted me and said they've taken Dax off of oxygen in NICU.  Zach & Shanna got to go back and change his diaper tonight.  They'll keep him in NICU and see how he does tonight---hopefully off of oxygen!  They say his clavicle should be healed enough in a week that he won't have much pain.  Amazing!!

Dax Chandler Dietz

He's HERE!  And he's perfect!!  Dax Chandler Dietz--in full color.  (He has red hair!)  He was born Wednesday, February 23, 2011 at 12:30 p.m. and weighed in at 7 lbs. and 7 oz. and was 19 inches long.  The first thing we all saw were those fat, kissable cheeks! 

Shanna did a great job.  I got the call at 3 a.m. that they were on their way to the hospital.  She was actually in labor for 9 hours.  Shanna's so tiny that it became a difficult time for her.  In fact, Dax was very swollen and we later discovered he had a fractured clavicle because of the birth.  That makes me so sad.  Poor little guy!!  But he had healthy lungs!!!  ha!  Zach was texting us from the delivery room and the first text was, "HERE!!!!!!"  The second text was, "He's got lungs!"  I immediately asked him who he looked like and he said, "Both!  Shanna's lips for sure!" 

I see so much "Dietz" in him---I saw my babies and other grandbabies when I met him the first time.  I definitely think he has Isaac's cheeks!  But then he also has Shanna's lips and her dad's dimple in the chin.  He's perfect.  Did I mention he has red hair??  (Shanna's mom is a redhead, too--he had a great chance for that!)  That was the first thing the doctor announced as Dax began coming.

Can you believe I got to Lubbock without my cord to upload photos from my camera?  Get ready!  When I get home, there's a full blog of photos coming!

It's so fun seeing Zach as a dad.  He's so careful with Dax---and I know they'll be a little bit nervous now that they know he has a fractured clavicle.  Shanna is going to have a bit of a time recovering.  Bless her heart!  She did an amazing job--but it was tough.  Please pray for her and Dax to recover fully--quickly!!

Grandbaby #8 in the Dietz household.  And we're perfectly balanced at the moment--4 girls and 4 boys.

Meddling?

God took us on a journey this morning in our prayer time.  (He usually does!)  We moved through...
 II Timothy 3:1-7, Matthew 7:13, II Corinthians 12:9, Malachi 3:16, James 1:26-27, Isaiah 66:8-13, James 4:9-10, James 4:7-12, Luke 9:62 and I Thessalonians 4:1-28. 
I've even linked with the version of the Bible we looked it up in.  Whew!

But the verse that stood out in my mind was this one:

"Don't bad-mouth each other, friends. It's God's Word, his Message, his Royal Rule, that takes a beating in that kind of talk. You're supposed to be honoring the Message, not writing graffiti all over it. God is in charge of deciding human destiny. Who do you think you are to meddle in the destiny of others?" 
James 4:11-12  The Message

Is that not a graphic way of saying it?  What a good word.  It hasn't left my mind all day...

Grandbaby #9

Grandbaby #9 is on her way!! 

You can read all about it here---in Amy's own words.

And she's from here:

Please begin praying with us for this process. 

WE'RE EXCITED!!!

(And by the way...girls will outnumber the boys again!)

Mission's Conference at First Baptist Church

Poster created by Brock Plumley



Would you stop right now and pray for this conference?  This  is something Andy & his committee have been working on for over a year.  We're all so excited about it.  And boy!  Has there been a battle for it.  Which only makes me know God wants to do something amazing.

Andy & his committee are bringing in 8 missionaries who have gone out from our church or who are supported by our church.  On Saturday, February 26, we will meet at the church to BLESS our missionaries.  We'll pray over them, encourage them, and share scripture with them and let them know how they've blessed us.  This will be life-changing for them I think.

On Sunday morning, these missionaries will be speaking in our Sunday School classes.  That afternoon, they will set up "booths" where you can meet them and see and hear about their work.  We'll have a dinner with them before our big service that night.

Sunday night is the highlight.  The service starts at 6:30 and will include video testimonies of each missionary, music by our choir and Don Wallace, testimonies of people who have been converted (we're so sad our Asian girls didn't get a visa to come!!)....and so much more.

The main focus of the weekend is to BLESS OUR MISSIONARIES and to give our people a vision for missions.  So much work and prayer have gone into the weekend and it's going to be amazing.  Please don't miss this if you're in our area.  I believe God has an incredible plan in all of it.

And please...keep praying...and spread the word!

Kay Arthur on Egypt

I found this to be exciting and powerful!!



Kay Arthur discusses Egypt in the Bible from Broadmoor Baptist Church on Vimeo.