Family Times

So...Salem has kind of taken over the family blog, temporarily. We will have a Caring Bridge site to update you all on what is going on with Salem. Then this blog can go back to our whole family - as it gets updated, and it may not be as frequent!!

This morning was rather quiet and Salem was quite active. Drew and Ty were excited to be kicked by Salem and both stood next to me feeling the movements for over ten minutes. It was a special time and they have both mentioned it again throughout the day.

This week we experienced our first Colorado snowstorm. It was kind of a shock going from 80 degrees at the park one day, to a huge snowstorm with accumulations over a foot!! We still had most of the leaves on the trees and the heavy snow was too much for a lot of the branches. We had a lot of damage to the trees in our yard, breaking some of the wooden fence, ruining the antenna on top of the house - but thankfully all the damage was exterior. The boys have had a lot of fun playing in the snow and even helped Pete haul a lot of the fallen branches out to the curb. Because so many branches fell, there wasn't even room to build a snowman. :( Maybe next time! We are looking forward to the snow melting away and the warmer temps this weekend and next week! Jude has been sick and because of the cold and his ear infection he hasn't had a chance to play in the snow.

We were blessed with a gift that helped us purchase a bunk bed set for Ty and Jude's room. We only set up the bottom half for now, until Jude is ready for the bigger bed; but as you can see, Ty loves his new bed! Now we are able to get the crib and Salem's room ready for his arrival.

School is going well with Drew. There are days he is not too excited about it, but then there are days when he doesn't want to quit. He loves to write his name, and he is getting quite good at it!

I promised a picture of the colors in the mountains; this was taken with my cell phone so the quality is not as good. We were impressed - and yes, we know, there are no reds!!

Lastly, enjoy a pic of my little Drewby; all ready for Cubbies. He is doing well in Cubbies again this year and is enjoying it. He is good at memorizing his verses and get so excited when he earns a new patch or sticker.

I guess that is all for us now. Feel free to check out the Caring Bridge site for updates on Salem. There is a place to subscribe for updates so you won't have to continually check for news. The link is: http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/salemsandstrom

Salem’s Update:

This last Wednesday we had the family conference at Children’s hospital. This conference was held for us to ask questions and get all the information discussed earlier that morning as our case was presented to the team responsible for deciding whether or not Minda could deliver at Children’s. The answer we were given was YES! This really excites us; as long as Minda does not go into labor early and Salem remains stable, they will be together at Children’s hospital. Delivery is scheduled for December 13^th at 10:00 am. We do not have a time for the surgery to close his spine as there are still a lot of variables; but shortly after birth Salem will be going through a lot of tests, scans and procedures to check his overall health and stability. The appointment with the cardiologist went well. She felt quite confident in saying Salem does not have a heart problem at this point; however has ordered an echo following birth to be certain. He’s a growing little bugger and his developing rib bones casted shadows on some of the images making it hard to know for sure. Salem is also a mover and a groover!! He made sure both the technician and the Cardiologist had to work hard for each picture they got of his heart. He was punching and kicking at the probes as they pushed against him and did not want to stay still for anything! We feel this is a good sign! Starting this Monday we also begin the non-stress tests. The tests will be done twice a week, Monday and Thursday mornings. If Salem shows any signs of stress, we will be much more closely monitored and possibly have to deliver early. We are looking into options as to the best way to keep everyone informed. We also want to thank each of you for your prayers, cards and encouragement. God has blessed us immensely, first with Salem and also with each of you to stand behind us. We couldn’t have hoped for a better support group. Thank you for letting Him lead you to pray and encourage us. We thank God for you all!

Update on Salem:

Thank you all who have been praying for us and for Salem. So many of you have sent encouraging words and notes letting us know how God has brought us/him to your mind. Your prayers mean so much to all of us. On Tuesday of this week we had another round of appointments for Salem. Everything went really well. We have been scheduled for an echo of his heart in two weeks. It appears there may be some minor swelling on one side of his heart, limiting the blood flow to his body. Our Dr. feels this is a minor issue and the cardiologist will have no concerns after the test. Please pray with us that this would be true!! Because of everything else Salem is facing and with surgery planned for shortly after birth, they just want to make sure there are no surprises once he is born. Two weeks after that appointment we go back in for another growth check, just to make sure Salem is growing and progressing. We have made it to the 29 week mark! Praise God! Also, Minda is still healthy and has no problems with her hands! Our echo is scheduled for the 19^th of October; and we will keep you posted! Also on the 19^th, our case will be presented to the team of doctors and specialists and the decision will be made as to whether or not Minda can deliver at Children’s Hospital. We are really praying this will happen as well, so Minda can be near Salem. If Minda cannot deliver at Children’s, Salem will be transported to Children’s once he is stable. Please pray they can stay together!! Thanks again for all your prayers!!