Natalie Hunsaker and Family

Brynn Finds Comfort for Her Bad News

2013-05-05T22:37:00.002-05:00

Less than 1% of the surgically-implanted Cochlear devices fail. But as we are learning the hard way, each and every "less-than-1%" person has a name, a story, and a family who grapples with that failure. Brynn is in the less-than-1%.

And so, alas, we are preparing for surgery number four. This one to re-implant her right ear.

A few nights ago, Brynn was acting more emotional than usual. We couldn't figure it out but she was whiny, indecisive, beyond reason, and finally screaming uncontrollably. Guessing she was tired, I tied her door shut (I hated to do it), just to try and force her to stay in her room and go to sleep. She only grew more enraged.

A few minutes later, I couldn't take it any more. I considered the evidence: she knew something was wrong with one of her beloved "ears" (she doesn't hear as well with only one), we'd been making several last-minute trips to her Audiologist in Logan (she is terrified of his office), and the word "surgery" was being discussed by all the adults around her (I didn't think she knew what that word meant but maybe she does?). Was she understanding--at least in part--what was ahead for her? What if her behavior was just an outgrowth of the enormous fear she must be feeling? Then add the insult of abandoning her in her room? I couldn't do it...so I untied her door and rushed in to give her a big hug.

I held her for a long time and waited for her to relax a little before asking, "Brynn, do you feel scared inside?"

She looked up at me and said, between rushed, heaving breaths, "Mommy? I'm scared...something bad to me."

I just hugged her and cried. And cried.

I said, "Brynn, remember how I told you that Jesus got owies so that He could help all your owies get better? He also knows how to help scared feelings. Would you like to say a prayer?"

She nodded.

"Whenever you feel scared you can say, 'Dear Heavenly Father, please help Jesus take my scared feelings away. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.'"

Long pause.

"Mommy?"

"Yes, Sweet Girl?"

"My scared feelings are going away!"

I cried some more and we celebrated with hugs and smooches all around.

After this tender experience, Brynn not only went right to sleep but has since prayed every day (several times a day, actually) that Jesus will make her "scared feelings to go away." She jumps up and down and excitedly says, "I pray and Jesus makes my scared feelings go away!"

He does. And what a miracle when you consider the added knowledge that my little girl, who has been through so much medical trauma that she gets hysterical when Paul gets a shot, can finally feel okay inside about her impending "something bad."

I might add before I end this that He takes scared feelings away from mommies and daddies, too. I should know.

Darla Isackson

2013-03-21T15:29:00.000-05:00

I found this to be a very informative series, originally published through Meridan Magazine, and republished here by permission from Darla Isackson.

Article 1: Education as the Early Prophets Saw It
Article 2: The Rise and Demise of Church Academies
Article 3, P1: Role of Religion in the Education According to the Founding Fathers and the Constitution, Part 1
Article 3, P2: Role of Religion in the Education According to the Founding Fathers and the Constitution, Part 2
Article 4: Public Schools vs. the Fundamental Purposes of Education
Article 5: Can Parents Counterbalance the Negative Influences in Public Schools? 
Article 6: Back to School: Readers Open Talk about Public Education and Tough Choices
Article 7: Charter Schools
Article 8: Creative Combining of Options: Could Dual Enrollment Be Your Solution?
Article 9: Education Reform from the Bottom Up
Article 10: Saints Seek Solutions to the Education Dilemma
Article 11: Mom Schools and Co-ops 
Article 12: To Homeschool or Not to Homeschool? 
Article 13: Education Series, Part 13 ABCs of Homeschooling
Article 14: Joyce Kinmont, Homeschooling Pioneer

Mr. Paul's Photo Shoot

2012-07-19T22:56:00.001-05:00

He sure is a happy guy. The nurses tell me he even smiles in his sleep at midnight in the nursery:

I love the little lip tricks babies do in their sleep. I imagine this one is because I keep calling him "princess" (sorry, little buddy, after 3.5 years of girls-only around here, it just slips off the tongue):

Soft kisses from a big sister:

Brynn LOVES to hold her little brother and will softly stroke him--pretty much forever--until you tell her it's someone else's turn. Her attention span for babies never ceases to amaze me:

Heidi's attention span, on the other hand, only lasts about 15 seconds (14 of which are spent reminding her that we can touch HAIR but not EYES). After that, she's off to look around for any good hospital food that I haven't finished eating:

And this face is because I wouldn't let her hold the camera. Although I have a feeling we'll see a lot more of this face when my Momma's Girl realizes that Paul is here to stay: