It’s 10:45, I just got home, and I’m not even tired. It has been an emotional day of ups and downs, but we have survived another day! As you know, I received a call this afternoon from Tiffany letting me know that Makoa had a urinary tract infection. For some reason, the news seems to always come down when I’m not there and Tiffany is left to take the brunt of the emotion herself. We received a great piece of advice from a friend who had a child in the NICU. She told us, “You need to detach emotionally from what the doctors tell you, the bottom line is that every child is different and will react differently, so you just don’t know.” We are still working on that…
There was some good news, Makoa is back off the oxygen and doing well on his own. I showed up after work to the hospital and our little man was just relaxing in his new outfit Grammy bought.

He’s also gained another .5 oz which is great. They are also adding some extra calories to his feedings to help speed the process of his weight gain. It’s like their cooking up a mini protein shake for the little guy, and I love it! The hard thing for me tonight was seeing him with the IV in his hand, and I know it was just as difficult for Tiffany.
There are four things that have made me the man I am today: God, my Parents,my Wife, and my Children. There is nothing that breaks my heart more than to see my Wife in pain, whether it be emotionally or physically. I wish I could take that pain and those feelings of hurt she has from her, but sadly I can’t, so all I can do is hold her while she cries. I know it’s because she is a mother and there is something about that job and the connection that you have with you child that words cannot describe. People always describe Tiffany as “the strong one” and she is, but she’s also been through a lot in her life and there comes a time when you need to just cry. This journey has been difficult for everyone, but we must put our faith in God to carry us through.
I’ve been very blessed that God has poured his love onto me, giving me the strength to support Tiffany and our family through this. It’s also with the prayers, love, and support of family and friends that keep us going. I spoke with one of my dear friends Jason tonight. Jay and I roomed together in college, we’re in each others weddings, even played in a band together. But most importantly, Jason is the one who introduced me to God. I remember sitting in his Ford pickup truck in a Burger King parking lot in Westlake Village eating some dinner and sharing his testimony with me. It’s always great talking with Jason, but spiritually it always lifts me up because he truly understands God’s grace and how amazing he His.
I also ran into our “angel” Gina in the NICU. Joey is on schedule to go home tomorrow and she brought over some clothes that he had grown out of. We began chatting and I thanked her for praying with Tiffany that day. She told me that God had put in her heart that she needed to pray with that family. It’s amazing to see a light that is so bright in someone and that she’s willing to share that light with others. Gina said that if Tiffany ever wanted to talk, she would be there. I’m hopeful that Tiffany can find comfort in other mothers who have had children in the NICU.
I spent a couple hours with Makoa tonight. We sang some songs, prayed a little, told him to stop scaring Mommy. I love holding him and could do it for hours without blinking an eye. When it was time to go, I wrapped him up tight and put him back in his crib and he was snug-as-a-bug-in-a-rug. His picture of Nainoa & Kaialani is propped up and his crib so they can always be with him. And of course, God is holding our little man when we aren’t there, making him stronger so he can come home.

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