Been listening to this song a lot lately...
"Beautiful, Loved And Blessed"
By a MPLS "friend"
Wake up
Ur beautiful, loved and blessed
When U found me I was just a piece of clay
I was 4mless, U gave me a new name
With the breath of life I now live abundantly
All I needed was the potter's hand
And the blood on Calvary
But 2 much power
Can sometimes turn 2 shame
2 much desire
Sometimes makes U feel the same
But 4giveness is how U win the game
I begged 4 truth, now I know the truth
And that is when U came and said I was...
Beautiful, loved and blessed
I'm better than the day b4
Cause U made me confess that I am...
Beautiful, loved and blessed
When U're free U're really free indeed
All U gotta do is just plant the seed
A constant battle 2 stay ahead of the game
Is anybody famous when everybody wants fame?
Always trying 2 break U down
Thinkin' that'll raise 'em up
I just wanna b happy
Come take this bitter cup from me
If I were ever 2 write my life story
I could truly say through all the pain and glory
I was just a piece of clay in need of the potter's hand
Cause when U whispered in my ear
The words I so now understand, oh...
Beautiful, loved and blessed
I'm better than the day b4
Cause U made me confess that I am...
Beautiful, loved and blessed
When U're free U're really free indeed
All U gotta do is just plant the seed
Everything U made U said, "That's good"
B4 the fall of man U said, "That's good"
Everytime I walk in faith, that's good
U let me see another day, that's good
B4 the earth was made U said,
"Tamar, I will lead the way and U'll go far"
Knowledge and understanding
Understanding is good
And when I wake up in the morning
All I hear in my hood is people saying that they're...
Beautiful, loved and blessed
When U rescue me from the darkness
And our heart just must confess
Beautiful, loved and blessed
When U're free U're free indeed
All U gotta do is just plant the seed
Hey, hey, hey
Wake up it's a new day
Hey, hey, hey
Wave Ur hands in the air and say
Hey, hey, hey
Wake up it's a new day
Hey, hey, hey
Wave Ur hands in the air and say
Beautiful, loved and blessed
U rescued me from the darkness in the wilderness
But I am beautiful, loved and blessed
No matter what the challenge
I always pass the test
That's what I am, beautiful
That's what I am, beautiful
I don't mean 2 put nobody down
Still I must confess that I am...
Beautiful, that's what I am
That's what I am
When U wanna give up, don't cause U know
U always got a friend
Sunday, April 23, 2006
Monday, April 17, 2006
Finally-New Baby Pics!
Here is a link to our new baby pictures, as promised, but very late.
Go to this link and then click on the "Juliet Rose Stratford" photo album.
Thank you all again for your prayers and support.
http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/danstratford/my_photos
Go to this link and then click on the "Juliet Rose Stratford" photo album.
Thank you all again for your prayers and support.
http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/danstratford/my_photos
Monday, April 10, 2006
Pics, Madison and the New Baby
So I won’t have a link to pics until tomorrow.
Rachel and the New Baby came home Friday. Little Juliet has been breastfeeding since about 15 minutes after birth-and nearly every hour since then. Great for the baby-rough on Rachel-what a dichotomy. She is such a sweet little girl, and her brother’s and sisters are so excited about her. Even Eva is starting to come around and get past the “I don’t know what to think” stage.
Madison went home to her mother’s house on Saturday. It looks she is in the clear, unless she bled since last night.
Thank you all for your prayers. Through all of my accidents and surgeries from mountain biking, soccer and just goofing around I have never had to have a blood transfusion. When they had to give two to Madison, and then the two surgeries did not stop her nose bleeds I began to worry that we might lose Madi. I thought; “Would God take away one little girl and give us another in the same week?”
I like to think all of our praying helped. I know it helped all of us and Madison stay in touch with the fact that we are loved by God, and that he will ultimately take care of us, but I am not sure he put his hand directly on this to help out Madi and the baby. One day, when I meet Him, I hope to find out the answer to that question and many others.
Of course, by the time I meet him I may be asking different questions.
Either way, thanks to God and all of His blessings. Sometimes His love is all we need to get us through.
Thank you again for all of your support-and I will post pics by TOMORROW morning.
Rachel and the New Baby came home Friday. Little Juliet has been breastfeeding since about 15 minutes after birth-and nearly every hour since then. Great for the baby-rough on Rachel-what a dichotomy. She is such a sweet little girl, and her brother’s and sisters are so excited about her. Even Eva is starting to come around and get past the “I don’t know what to think” stage.
Madison went home to her mother’s house on Saturday. It looks she is in the clear, unless she bled since last night.
Thank you all for your prayers. Through all of my accidents and surgeries from mountain biking, soccer and just goofing around I have never had to have a blood transfusion. When they had to give two to Madison, and then the two surgeries did not stop her nose bleeds I began to worry that we might lose Madi. I thought; “Would God take away one little girl and give us another in the same week?”
I like to think all of our praying helped. I know it helped all of us and Madison stay in touch with the fact that we are loved by God, and that he will ultimately take care of us, but I am not sure he put his hand directly on this to help out Madi and the baby. One day, when I meet Him, I hope to find out the answer to that question and many others.
Of course, by the time I meet him I may be asking different questions.
Either way, thanks to God and all of His blessings. Sometimes His love is all we need to get us through.
Thank you again for all of your support-and I will post pics by TOMORROW morning.
Saturday, April 08, 2006
Mommy and Juliet at Home-Madi is looking good!
I will post pictures of some of the week's events by Monday.
As of today, Madison has had all of the packing removed from her nose-and no bleeding YET.
Please keep praying that she continues to heal, and that she is able to come home from the hospital today or tomorrow.
Rachel and baby Juliet came home yesterday, and we had a busy night without much sleep.
I am trying to resist the nickname "Squeaky" for juliet, because she squeaked all night long like a little mouse.
She is so sweet and precious-her name fits her perfectly: Juliet Rose Stratford.
Again-pictures herde by Monday!
As of today, Madison has had all of the packing removed from her nose-and no bleeding YET.
Please keep praying that she continues to heal, and that she is able to come home from the hospital today or tomorrow.
Rachel and baby Juliet came home yesterday, and we had a busy night without much sleep.
I am trying to resist the nickname "Squeaky" for juliet, because she squeaked all night long like a little mouse.
She is so sweet and precious-her name fits her perfectly: Juliet Rose Stratford.
Again-pictures herde by Monday!
Thursday, April 06, 2006
Baby is here, Madi is almost in the clear...
At 3:30 pm on April 5th, my wife called me at the hospital where I was taking care of Madison because she was having contractions. (Rachel was having contractions-Madison was recovering from her broken nose-please see last 3 posts to get caught up)
By 8pm we left home to go to the hospital.
At 6:43am on April 6th, 2006, Juliet Rose Stratford was born at 7lbs. 14 oz., and 20 inches long.
She was nursing by 7:10am-Rachel was amazing and the baby is beautiful and perfect.
Madison gets the packing out of her nose tomorrow. Pray her nose does not bleed so she can go home by Sunday.
Stratford out.
Like a light.
By 8pm we left home to go to the hospital.
At 6:43am on April 6th, 2006, Juliet Rose Stratford was born at 7lbs. 14 oz., and 20 inches long.
She was nursing by 7:10am-Rachel was amazing and the baby is beautiful and perfect.
Madison gets the packing out of her nose tomorrow. Pray her nose does not bleed so she can go home by Sunday.
Stratford out.
Like a light.
Wednesday, April 05, 2006
Madison Update
Madison started to bleed a bit last night so we are probably going to take it to the next level with tests today. (See previous 3 posts to get caught up).
We are going to probably have them give her an MRA, which is like an MRI, but they will be trying to map all of the blood vessels in her head to see if there is a cluster of blood vessels they have not been able to identify visually during her previous surgeries.
It is not risk free because they have to put her under, which will be the 3rd time in a week, and not very good for her well-being.
Thanks for your prayers.
We are going to probably have them give her an MRA, which is like an MRI, but they will be trying to map all of the blood vessels in her head to see if there is a cluster of blood vessels they have not been able to identify visually during her previous surgeries.
It is not risk free because they have to put her under, which will be the 3rd time in a week, and not very good for her well-being.
Thanks for your prayers.
Tuesday, April 04, 2006
Madison/Rachel Update
Madison has been sleeping for the last 24 hours about 95% of the time.
(see two previous posts to get caught up)
No new news other than the good news that she is not bleeding.
Rachel is having some contractions, and we are going to see the doctor tomorrow on her "due date", so if she doesn't go into labor tonight we will have an on Wednesday from the doctor.
Thank you all for your prayers.
(see two previous posts to get caught up)
No new news other than the good news that she is not bleeding.
Rachel is having some contractions, and we are going to see the doctor tomorrow on her "due date", so if she doesn't go into labor tonight we will have an on Wednesday from the doctor.
Thank you all for your prayers.
The blood red saga continues...
Unfortunately, Saturday night was not the end (see previous post below to get caught up).
Madison began bleeding through her nose, mouth and eyes again Sunday night, and was taken back to the hospital to have packing put in her nose.
Unfortunately, by late Monday morning, she was bleeding again through the packing, and we had to go back to the doctor.
She was beside herself, and I was having a hard time keeping it together, but Madison’s mom and I had to for Madi’s sake.
At 2:30pm, the doctor said “He had never seen this before in someone so young and active, and that she needed to go in for surgery again to try and stop the bleeding. Hopefully we won’t have to give her any more blood transfusions.”
Madison is 12, she is a competitive gymnast (2005 state champion for her age group and level), rides snowmobiles, a motorcycle-she broke her arm 2 months ago, so it is very unlikely she had blood clotting issues, or we would have noticed. (Whether or not she should be doing all of those activities is a different issue)
On Saturday, her blood count was down to 16 (30 is normal), but it did not drop below 26 on Monday, so she did not need a transfusion.
By 3pm, she was taken away. The surgery was done at 5pm.
It was a very hard two hours, but at about 5pm the doctor came out and said that it went well, and that he had packed everything better this time, but he had no real answers for us. They are keeping her in the hospital for 3-4 days so they can monitor Madison and keep her under close supervision.
Her mom, step-dad and I are rotating who is going to be staying with her so she always has someone with her. Her mom is sleeping there tonight and I am heading there in the morning.
Please pray for all of us, and that when Rachel goes into labor (we are going to be delivering at the same hospital Madison is at now) I will be able to focus on her and the new baby because Madison is in the clear.
Thanks.
Madison began bleeding through her nose, mouth and eyes again Sunday night, and was taken back to the hospital to have packing put in her nose.
Unfortunately, by late Monday morning, she was bleeding again through the packing, and we had to go back to the doctor.
She was beside herself, and I was having a hard time keeping it together, but Madison’s mom and I had to for Madi’s sake.
At 2:30pm, the doctor said “He had never seen this before in someone so young and active, and that she needed to go in for surgery again to try and stop the bleeding. Hopefully we won’t have to give her any more blood transfusions.”
Madison is 12, she is a competitive gymnast (2005 state champion for her age group and level), rides snowmobiles, a motorcycle-she broke her arm 2 months ago, so it is very unlikely she had blood clotting issues, or we would have noticed. (Whether or not she should be doing all of those activities is a different issue)
On Saturday, her blood count was down to 16 (30 is normal), but it did not drop below 26 on Monday, so she did not need a transfusion.
By 3pm, she was taken away. The surgery was done at 5pm.
It was a very hard two hours, but at about 5pm the doctor came out and said that it went well, and that he had packed everything better this time, but he had no real answers for us. They are keeping her in the hospital for 3-4 days so they can monitor Madison and keep her under close supervision.
Her mom, step-dad and I are rotating who is going to be staying with her so she always has someone with her. Her mom is sleeping there tonight and I am heading there in the morning.
Please pray for all of us, and that when Rachel goes into labor (we are going to be delivering at the same hospital Madison is at now) I will be able to focus on her and the new baby because Madison is in the clear.
Thanks.
Sunday, April 02, 2006
Another Trip to the Hospital...
...for emergency nose surgery to stop Madison's nose from bleeding.
Believe me-this is NOT an April fool’s joke.
What a night. Madison broke her nose last Monday snowmobiling with her step-dad and a friend in Steamboat Springs. 2 1/2 hours later search and rescue got to her and took her to the hospital up there.
Madison is 12 years old.
After multiple follow up trips to the hospital and doctor back in Denver, including Friday to an ENT-by Saturday afternoon her nose was still bleeding off and on and she had lost so much blood she had become anemic. I took her to the hospital at 6:30pm-her step-dad, brother and mother got there shortly after. I wish they had gotten there at the same time as me so I didn’t have to face the interrogation by the nurse to make sure I was not beating up my daughter, but that was relatively painless compared to what Madison had and would endure. I kept telling myself; “It’s good that they ask these questions so they can bust the bad guys.”
For about the last hour before surgery while the ER staff was trying to figure out how the blood transfusion thing worked-that’s the problem with suburban ERs-very little experience with this process. Now if we were in downtown Denver, they would have had a clue, but it would have taken just as long because of the long line to see the doctor.
Pardon the tangent.
For the last hour before surgery Tyler (Madi’s brother), Me and Jay (her step-father) were holding her head and back up, rubbing her back, and catching the blood that was steadily flowing from her nose (and at one point-her EYES). She kept saying-“When are they going to put me to sleep and fix it?” She was very upset and her back hurt from leaning over to keep from swallowing all of the blood she could not spit out quick enough.
Just before we made the decision to give her a transfusion, my mom called (she lives in KC). She had no idea what was going on, other than she had heard Madison was at the hospital for some reason. I assumed it was Rachel, so I just tapped my blue tooth earpiece and said “hold on a second” (very “24”). All my mom heard was me ask the doctor “What are the risks associated with a blood transfusion?” Then I said-“got to go-I’ll call you back in a few minutes.” What a way to leave her hanging.
Finally, at about 9:30pm they took her back to the OR, while we were left waiting in “ICU waiting” for news from the doctor. We were all at our wit’s end by that time and after they took her away our tears finally started flowing and hugs were going around. Rachel and Eva came by the hospital to give me hugs and pray before they went home so they could get to bed.
At about 11:30pm the doctor came in and said he was able to stop the bleeding. From what I gathered it sounded like the doctor said her septum bones and cartilage were crushed and so jagged they were propping open the wound in her nose and preventing it from closing. He straightened it all out, removed some bone and put some “non-stick splints” in her nose that he would remove Sunday. All in all it was a success.
Madi and her mom spent the night at the hospital and I am going to be leaving soon to go help get her back to her mom’s house. If her nose heals properly we will be done with this. If not, they may have to go in and do another surgery sometime later.
I am hopeful that Rachel and I will be going back to the same hospital later today to have our baby that is due on Monday (or Wednesday-depending on whom you ask)
Believe me-this is NOT an April fool’s joke.
What a night. Madison broke her nose last Monday snowmobiling with her step-dad and a friend in Steamboat Springs. 2 1/2 hours later search and rescue got to her and took her to the hospital up there.
Madison is 12 years old.
After multiple follow up trips to the hospital and doctor back in Denver, including Friday to an ENT-by Saturday afternoon her nose was still bleeding off and on and she had lost so much blood she had become anemic. I took her to the hospital at 6:30pm-her step-dad, brother and mother got there shortly after. I wish they had gotten there at the same time as me so I didn’t have to face the interrogation by the nurse to make sure I was not beating up my daughter, but that was relatively painless compared to what Madison had and would endure. I kept telling myself; “It’s good that they ask these questions so they can bust the bad guys.”
For about the last hour before surgery while the ER staff was trying to figure out how the blood transfusion thing worked-that’s the problem with suburban ERs-very little experience with this process. Now if we were in downtown Denver, they would have had a clue, but it would have taken just as long because of the long line to see the doctor.
Pardon the tangent.
For the last hour before surgery Tyler (Madi’s brother), Me and Jay (her step-father) were holding her head and back up, rubbing her back, and catching the blood that was steadily flowing from her nose (and at one point-her EYES). She kept saying-“When are they going to put me to sleep and fix it?” She was very upset and her back hurt from leaning over to keep from swallowing all of the blood she could not spit out quick enough.
Just before we made the decision to give her a transfusion, my mom called (she lives in KC). She had no idea what was going on, other than she had heard Madison was at the hospital for some reason. I assumed it was Rachel, so I just tapped my blue tooth earpiece and said “hold on a second” (very “24”). All my mom heard was me ask the doctor “What are the risks associated with a blood transfusion?” Then I said-“got to go-I’ll call you back in a few minutes.” What a way to leave her hanging.
Finally, at about 9:30pm they took her back to the OR, while we were left waiting in “ICU waiting” for news from the doctor. We were all at our wit’s end by that time and after they took her away our tears finally started flowing and hugs were going around. Rachel and Eva came by the hospital to give me hugs and pray before they went home so they could get to bed.
At about 11:30pm the doctor came in and said he was able to stop the bleeding. From what I gathered it sounded like the doctor said her septum bones and cartilage were crushed and so jagged they were propping open the wound in her nose and preventing it from closing. He straightened it all out, removed some bone and put some “non-stick splints” in her nose that he would remove Sunday. All in all it was a success.
Madi and her mom spent the night at the hospital and I am going to be leaving soon to go help get her back to her mom’s house. If her nose heals properly we will be done with this. If not, they may have to go in and do another surgery sometime later.
I am hopeful that Rachel and I will be going back to the same hospital later today to have our baby that is due on Monday (or Wednesday-depending on whom you ask)
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