Monday, November 28, 2011

Cash Learned To Suck His ThumbToday!

Well that little booger was a sweetie today! He gave his mommy 2 hours of Kangaroo time(skin to skin) and showed off his latest skill, sucking his thumb. As an added bonus she was delighted to be peed on, not once but twice! We are getting a new doctor. Each month the rotation changes and this will be our first female. He is precious to watch sleep, and it seems he is getting better quality sleep these days.

Savy is back in school, excited to see her friends and attend her Brownie meeting. I dropped by Anchor Dental to check on the biz, and visited Cash as well. I also spoke with an old friend, who as usual lended a good ear.

Today was a good day!

 

Saturday, November 26, 2011

11/26/11

Cash has been doing mostly pretty well the last few days. They tried the CPAP this morning but after just 90 minutes they re-intubated him on the ventilator. This is a set back for sure, but we hope that when he gains some more weight and gets a little stronger we can have a successful change in the coming weeks. He is eating 12.5cc's now, and for the most part has stayed pretty stable. We keep hoping for a major improvement but these things move very slowly. His brain bleed has not gotten worse but is "leaking", causing some minor damage that the doctor says won't be seen until he is older. Also that the damage if not severe, can many times be made up for with other parts of the brain especially since he still developing and so young.

We have fallen for this little guy. He is such a fighter, and has had to be so tough. His big sister continues to read, makes pictures for and writes notes to him that we will always keep. Kim is stressed but hanging in there.

Keep praying, we have a very long road.

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

You Dont Know...

You don't know pain, til you see your child in it
You don't know sorrow, til you see your wife live it
You don't know helplessness, til you realize you have it

You don't know love, til your child shows it
You don't know strength, til your baby uses it
You don't know prayer, til on you're knees and feel it

You don't know kindness, til you receive it
You don't know desperation, til you beg to forget it
You don't know family, til you need it

You don't know beauty, til you touch it
You don't know commitment, til you've tested it
You dont know a miracle, til you have seen it.

Sleep tight baby Cash. Momma, Sister and Daddy will see you tomorrow.

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Things To Be Thankful For

I'm going to start off with a quick Cash Flash. He is doing tremendously well! His IV and PICC lines have been removed and his feedings are up to 10cc's! Cash is gaining weight, and looks good! We are blessed!

Things To Be Thankful For

Baby Cash
His health
Our health
The many prayers for Cash
The many prayers for us
That they are continuously being answered
Family
Friends
Those who don't know us who continue to pray and ask how we are
Unexplained and surprise dinners, notes of encouragement, emails, FB posts and "Likes" and gifts
The doctors, nurses and TCH staff
Our staff, clients and others who have given more, provided flexibility and stayed with us
Our first time to hold Cash
You!

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone! Kiss your significant other and tuck your kids in this weekend, even if they are older. Say a prayer with and for a loved one, and cherish your time with family these next few days.

Love,
The Franek Family

Friday, November 18, 2011

Cash Flash 11/18/11

I saw Cash yesterday, while Kim was working and he is doing great! No Bradys yesterday!!! WoooHooo! His color is good, and his feedings are being raised twice a day. He is up to 5 cc's now. When he gets strong enough, hopefully in the next couple days they will remove his IV, which reduces the chance for infection.

Kim and I are doing christmas shopping today while we have the time and to assure we dont forget!

The Sustala's(neighbors) brought over an awesome dinner yesterday, and we cannot thank them enough. We were probably half way finished before Tommy even got back to his front door. Thanks again to all those helping!

We look forward to seeing my old friend Todd Cooper tomorrow, along with our new friend, his beautiful wife shelly who is 6 months preggo! They will get to see Cash for the first time, and a baby the size of the one still cooking in her! Should be a great visit.

I also want to thank my sweet cousin Merry for visiting yesterday. She has a great calm about her, which was handy while I was there by myself. Thank you Merry for being you!

Love to you all, til next time; keep up the prayers!

Matthew

Thursday, November 17, 2011

Cash Flash Update 11/17/11

Well we have made it two weeks since Little Man Cash decided to surprise us early. He has been progressing well, and by all accounts is right on schedule. Its still touch and go however, with Brady's still everyday, we are on edge. What is a Brady?  (These things scare the you know what out of us.)

He is getting caffeine, IV and a blood transfusion every couple of days. His ventilator is set very low(which is good) and we hope to have him on the CPAP in a week or so. His feedings are going very well! From .5cc's up to 3.6cc's now! 5 cc's is equal to a teaspoon, so he is eating less than that right now, amazing isn't it? When the feedings get to 120cc's per day they will remove the IV, which is currently running into a vein in his head. Its so sad to see a little baby all hooked up to this stuff, but we have to remind ourselves its for the best.

Savy is doing great, and keeping her school work up. Her classmates are amazing, sending little notes and pictures they draw for Cash. One of my favorite things to see is when Savy is reading to Cash, or holding his hand. It is amazing to see the interaction between syblings, even through the port hole of an intubator.

Kimberley is hanging in there. She is so strong, and for the first few days, definitely held me together. I was a basket case. Now the tables have turned a little, as the stress, and everyday life is mounting on Kims shoulders. Today is the first day she won't see Cash at the hospital. She had to go see a great friend and client in Copperas Cove for her monthly work visit. While I am at it, thank you very much for the flexibility and understanding by those clients who have stood by us with prayers and support the last couple weeks. To those of you who didn't, shame on you.

Kim has been staying with Cash about 5 hours a day, driving 2+ hrs each day plus pumping 8 times a day for 30 minutes each time, so she is a busy woman. Ive been visiting Anchor and making sure things are organized and remain pointed in the right direction. Thank you very much to our staff who have carried some extra responsibility over the last weeks, we truly appreciate your dedication. By the way, we need more biz at Anchor in Katy, and theres plenty of availability through the end of the year, so if you need dental care, please let us know. 281-392-1715 to schedule. Shameless plug, sorry. Ok, back to my schedule. Im shuttling Savy around, helping Kim when I can, visiting Cash on most days, and trying to get Savy to see him at least 3 times a week. I remain the chef of the house, so to everyone who has brought food, THANK YOU! You are allowing me to spend time with Savy and getting her homework done. We currently have about 2 weeks worth of dinners in the fridge, but when we drop below the 7 day mark I'll let you all know.

There have been so many of you offering help, its really amazing to hear. We will definitely let you know when we can use your help, its coming, we have just been blessed with great family helping to this point.

I'm going to post some new pics now, hopefully they fit down below here. We shall see.



Sweet! I figured it out! the top one we call "Peek-a-boo", the bottom is Savy reading to Cash while he is on his little belly.

Anywho, thanks again for all your support we've really needed it, and will continue to.
I heard a line in a song yesterday that rings true for us, and I'm sure will for you as well.

"We are all just one phone call away from our knees"

Remember that this Thanksgiving season and make sure God knows just how thankful you are.
God Bless Everyone!

Monday, November 14, 2011

Picture time!



Poem For Cash - From Uncle G

My brother gerald wrote a great poem for Cash. It defines a lot of what we experienced as kids, and the hopes we have for our own. For those of you that know Gerald, this will affirm your beliefs about him; for those who don't, welcome to G's viewpoint. I love it, and will cherish it. Can't wait for Cash to do all the things his uncle mentions. Thanks G, this means a lot to us!
As a quick side note, the players in the story are G=Gerald, Capt A=Ross Anderson(my cousin), Dillon and Peyton=G's kids, Cash' cousins, Taiton=Old dancehall near El Campo, Pringle is a fishing hole.
He couldn’t wait any longer, tired of missin’ all the fun,
Like at 4am, heatin’ up dad’s truck, camoed up and holdin’ a gun.
Cookin’ a new dish for his mama, he learned from Uncle G.
Being tested by Capt. A, while fishin’ at sea.
Makin granny shed a tear, cause he finally tied his shoes,
Drinkin’ coffee with his popo, while watchin’ fox news.
Gettin’ his first kiss from a girl that he met from Dillon and Peyton,
After loadin’ up three farmer’s daughters, plum-drunk at a dance in Taiton.
But they won’t let down Capt. G, still buzzin’ from the night before.
Learnin’ from the best, at fishin’ the Pringle Shore.
So hang in there little buddy, we’ve got memories to hoard,
Growin’ up to be a noble man, lovin’ family and the lord.

Sunday, November 13, 2011

Cash Flash: Update 4

Kimberley was able to change Cash' diaper today! All vitals remain stabile and his BP has maintained a good pressure even without Dopamine. His uncle Louis and aunts Cheryl and Laura Beth visited as well.
His little eyes continue to get closer to opening and his eyelashes are sooo long. Maybe he will get lucky and get his daddy's baby blues! We received a prayer blanket from some ladies from Rosehill Methodist Church. Beautiful and thoughtful. Thanks everyone for the prayers!

Sang This In Church Today...

Saturday, November 12, 2011

Cash Flash Update 3

Cash has been doing great! His vitals have remained good and he is being feed .75cc per feeding now. His jaundice is gone, and his hair is dark! His little eyes are starting to open up, and we cannot wait to see them. He knows all about hunting now, and is being taught about Jesus by his sister Savy when she reads Bible stories to him. His tummy is all better, and his brain bleeds have not gotten worse!! The doc says he thinks the bleeds will be reabsorbed over the next couple weeks. Fingers crossed. Thank you all so much for the prayers. In particular I wanted to say thank you to the following folks for going beyond the call of duty.

Louis Franek - Brother
Michelle Jeffers - Cousin
Mom, Dad
Patrck Schilhab- Father In Law
Laura Beth, Cheryl - Kims Sisters
Amanda Peyton-Rutt - HS Friend
Todd/Shelly Cooper - Kappa Sigma
Sarah and Lonnie Thomas - Friend
The Kostak and Webster Families - Friends
Deana Lara - Friend
Christy and Brian Johnson - Friends  (Pray for their precious little girl as well, she has been fighting cancer and is on the home stretch to winning the war!)
Rosehill Methodist Church and Rosehill Christian School
Anchor Dental Staff

You all have no idea how much easier you have made this tough time and I know you will continue to be there in the future.
Thank You!

--More news--

Just got off the phone with Kimberley! More blessings!!!  Cash has eaten 3 times today with no issues, and is off Dopamine!! So his BP is almost as awesome as he is!!
Thank You Lord!

Letter To Savy

11/12/11
Dear Savy,

You are just shy of your 8th birthday, an excellent student and second grader at Rosehill Christian School and a joy to everyone around you. You love pink, furry dolls and play teacher all the time. You don't mind getting your hands dirty, enjoy the outdoors and even sitting in a deer blind with your daddy. Your momma and I could not be more proud of you.

I am writing you so that you can read this when you are older, and get a sense of just how much love you have given to your daddy, momma and baby brother.

On 11/3/11, momma had Cash unexpectedly. He was 4 months early, but we have been waiting on him since we had you. We all were to have a long road to getting him home and could never have been prepared for the difficulties and trials we would face to do so. In the first few days since he was born, you have been an angel, and I think its just a glimpse of what is to come as you grow older.

The night Cash was born, our first concern was for his and momma's safety, but we quickly realized that you could not be forgotten, so we called on your uncles Louis and Marty to take care of you for the night, get you ready for the next day and keep you from dealing with the emergency in the delivery room. They did an excellent job, though by all accounts you were a trooper, even not complaining about your accomodations on the floor. Thank you. We needed to focus on Cash for the night.

That next morning we decided to skip school and bring you to the hospital where momma was. Both of you needed each other. I was on my way home from TCH when you arrived to see momma, but your smiling face gave your uncle and momma a sigh of relief. I wish I could have seen you do your "little brother" dance when she told you Cash was here.

Since Cash has been born, you have kept up your studies, hugged us when we needed it, and made us laugh more than we thought we could in this difficult time. We always wondered why we were blessed with such a smart, fun, happy and responsible little girl and now we know. God gave us you, the perfect child to help us through this test he had planned for us. You even passed on a birthday party that "everyone" was going to, so you could be with your baby brother and mommy. You said, "Momma, its cool, there will be lots of birthday parties I can go to, but how many times will I get to spend the day with you and read to baby Cash?!" I swear, we were stunned to hear that this morning.
And when you asked about Rice University while we drove through the village, you were so matter of fact in your answer as to how hard it is to get into the school, "Straight A's huh, I can do that; I'm going to write my own ticket." Amazing.

Savanah Grace, your middle name defines your mother, and it is proving to be a great choice for you as well. Your strength, happy demeanor and clever thoughts never cease to amaze us. We are so blessed to have such a beautiful, sweet and intelligent little girl. Cash will definitely learn how lucky he is one day, when he sees the videos and pictures of you reading bible stories to him while he grew stronger. Your selfless acts of kindness, from folding clothes to skipping birthdays and even doing homework late at night so we could visit your little brother, prove to us that you truly understand the situation we are in and the title of big sister.

We also are impressed by your complete devotion to your Christian beliefs. We have done our best to pass along the love of the Lord we have, but your understanding and acceptance of Jesus is precious to see. Your nightly prayers at the dinner table with us, your encouraging words to go to church when we didn't hop out of bed to do so and your charitable attitude are a blessing. We also cannot wait to see you play Mary in this years Christmas play at Rosehill Methodist Church.

I also wanted to tell you how much you remind me of your mother. Smart, quick, fair, firm and hard working are all traits she gave you. I give you the funny faces and goofy antics, some creativity and your love for music, but momma gives you all the stuff that matters most. You are lucky to have such a great role model, and you are following in her footsteps well. You will be successful in anything you do, and you will make many friends along the way. You also look a lot like your momma, and thats a great thing. Your beautiful eyes, thick wavy hair, flawless skin all come from her. I gave you left handedness and a temper. I'm sorry.

Last, I wanted you to know how loved you are, and by so many. Your grandparents, uncles, aunts and cousins love you dearly. Your teachers and friends hug you with love. The phone calls we get about some comment you made never end or dissapoint, and they always tell us about some sweet nothing you did recently. That is saying something. Thank you so much for what you have given to us and Cash, we will need more in the months that come.

In closing: Never lose your zeal for life, and always go head on into something you believe in. Keep your faith and never give cause for another to doubt your word. Always be an example of someone walking in the light, and never dishonor your family. God and family are first. Smile. Help. Love.

You will never know how much you mean to us, and you will always be our baby girl. You are a big sister, the oldest child and grandchild on both sides of the family. You will need big shoulders for your responsibilities, but you have proven perfect for the job.

I love you Savy G, and am forever indebted to you.

Love Always,

Daddy 

Friday, November 11, 2011

Still waiting...

Well they got us through the doctor rounds but still no results from the scan. We are so nervous. We know that whatever the result, God made that plan, but that doesn't bring us much comfort. Kimberley continues to be strong, but I'm starting to see signs of her wearing down. She needs to spend less time up here at TCH, make her visits more efficient. That's a tough sell to a mommy though. Balancing our time here and other responsibilities will be a huge task. K is my rock. It's unreal how strong she is. Her strength and grace are unmatched. She inspires me to be better and to stay the course. Her notes from the doctors and the organized bags of snacks, mags and breast pump needs make me smile. Kim is always put together, even in stressful times her personality shines through. I'd lose my head if it weren't attached, she remembers to make payroll for a client, or brings 3 snacks, so that any visitor has something.
I'm a lucky man. Savy is still as funny and beautiful as usual. She asked her Big Papaw yesterday, "Does Chevy really run deep?" You can't make this stuff up. Her new book about kittens surprised me, she chose it over the dog book, and I couldn't figure why. We are a dog family for sure. Well, I flipped through it with her last night and now I know why she got it. She wanted to write, "cats drool, dogs rule" all over it. She gets that combativeness from me. Like me buying an Obama book and writing idiot all over his pics. Anyways, we are STILL waiting for the results of the scan. I'll update you all when I can. Toodles.

11/11/11-Will Be A Good Day

As we wait here at TCH I can't help but overhear others. The cries, the puffy eyes, group hugs and sniffles fill the waiting rooms and hallways. It's hard to imagine how much pain is being felt here in the building. But today I cannot help but think that it will be a good one. I must, just to maintain hope. There are many great stories of little warriors that fought hard and made it home into the arms of their loving families. So that is what I must focus on, even to a fault; I have to maintain a positive outlook. I've heard calls being made to loved ones telling them of little ones who have passed, even a mom telling her husband that his child has
Down's Syndrome. Awful conversations, but all God's will. I need to accept his will, but the preparation to .... Ok test done... Be back

Thursday, November 10, 2011

Cash Flash Update 1

We have been updating friends and family(affectionately known as Team Cash) on Facebook until now. We will continue to do so, but this blog will allow us more space and the opportunity for those who really wanna know more, to do so.
Basically, to get you up to speed, here is the big picture. After some instability with BP, Cash has been fairly stable. His heart is beating away and his lungs are strong. Our biggest concern to date has been bleeding on the brain. Currently they say its a 4 and 3, 4 being the highest on a scale from 1-4. This is not good, but until we get another scan so we can determine if its getting better, worse or any damage to his brain we are just watching the other vitals. We just got word that his brain scan got moved up from next Monday to tomorrow. This is good for us, the wait is brutally stressful. Your mind races. He gained a little weight, and is up to a robust 18 oz! Woohoo! I will continually update both facebook and this blog for now on. Thank you everyone for your prayers. We cannot express how much this means to us.

This song has played in my head and in my truck over and over...

Who Is Cash Wyatt Franek

Cashton Wyatt Franek was born Novemeber 3 2011; 9:48pm at St. Lukes hospital-Vintage Park. He weighed just under one pound and was born at 23.5 weeks. His due date was Feb 21, 2012. At 12:45am November 4 he was transferred by Kangaroo Crew to Texas Childrens Hospital.

Cashton(Cash) Wyatt is the son of Matthew Wyatt Franek and Kimberley Karole Schilhab Franek. Brother of Savanah Grace Franek. Grandson to Victor and Patsy Franek, Patrick Schilhab and Teresa Wyckof. He has 3 aunts, 5 uncles, 6 cousins and 8 living great grandparents.

He was to be a big boy. His hands and feet are proportionally large to his little body, and one day we hope to see them cast a rod, shoot a gun, catch a ball and defend his family with them.

His namesake is Johnny Cash. As huge music lovers, especially country music, his mother allowed me to name him after my favorite singer. I chose Cash, momma added "ton" for Cashton. The name was picked because Johnny Cash was not only a great musician, but fought demons his whole life, managing to find his way back to his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ when he became lost. I appreciated the fact that he wasn't perfect, and recognized that everyone goes through trials, and hopefully  they find their way to God for strength and forgiveness.

I had no idea how profound this name would be, as baby Cash has had huge hurdles requiring him and his family to rely on God's strength since his birth. They say things happen for a reason.

Wyatt is my middle name and I proudly carry it along with at least 7 other men in my family ranging from Great Grandpa Buddy Wyatt to my cousins son Canon Wyatt. Its a strong name with southern roots and I'm glad I passed it to Cash.

Cash comes from a Christian family, which I'm sure he knows by now, since we are always praying about, for and around him. Our family and friends have been praying as well, so I'm sure God knows we all want his will for Cash, no matter how tough that may be on us.

Cashton Wyatt is my son, and my pride; he is a fighter, and for these things I am thankful.