A Very Merry Christmas everyone!!  I hope you all have a wonderful and blessed Christmas.  It is a strange thing to celebrate Christmas in a hospital, in a way it has been a very richly blessed advent season.  As I watch people come in and out of the hospital, I can see their stress and I hear their conversations about "getting it all done", the presents, the parties, some people say they cannot wait until it is over.  It is a great blessing to have a very quiet advent, I have not had to do all of the "christmas things" that I normally am trying to get done, therefore leaving more time to pray and take in what this season is all about.  I also have found that in the hospital there is a small chapel where the blessed Sacrament is, what else do you need?  I am always alone in this chapel, I dare say this is maybe the richest retreat I have ever been on. 

I do feel a sadness that we may not be able to celebrate Christmas together as the younger children all have fevers, but we cannot take a chance with the germs. Christmas is not just one day though, and so we will wait to open the gifts people have so generously gave until it is safe. 

Dominic overall continues to improve although he has the yucky stomache again because of the antibiotics.  I am grateful for the progress he is making and most grateful that he knows I am there and will give me a smile and giggle in response to my interactions with him.  I cannot wait until we are out of here, but one step at a time.  On Wednesday he will get a G-tube (feeding tube) allowing us to get out of here sooner.  We then can work on the bottle feeding with no pressure.  There is talk about getting us out of the ICU (YAY!!!!) and also putting him in a stroller and walking him around.  All of this is such exciting news in the right direction.  Thank you so much for the prayers and please continue to pray for us as we work on healing completely and getting out of here!

On a side note, a friend of mine sent the link she believes works for Dominic's video, I am so touched by this act of kindness, I hope it works for you:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I3GfATG4DpE

                                  The hole is healing up nicely

                                 He's finally found his hands again

                                 He will play with balloons for hours

He loves Jacinta's hair

                                 Jacinta kisses

                                   Aunt Laura telling him about all of the fun they will have when he gets out of here.

                                He's pretty happy about what she is telling him

A Christmas message from Padre Pio which has new meaning for me this Chrismas:

The heavenly babe suffers and cries in the crib so that for us suffering would be sweet, meritorious and accepted. He deprives himself of everything, in order that we may learn from him the renunciation of worldly goods and comforts. He is satisfied with humble and poor adorers, to encourage us to love poverty, and to prefer the company of the little and simple rather than the great ones of the world.

This celestial child, all meekness and sweetness, wishes to impress in our hearts by his example these sublime virtues, so that from a world that is torn and devastated an era of peace and love may spring forth. Even from the moment of his birth he reveals to us our mission, which is to scorn that which the world loves and seeks.

Oh let us prostrate ourselves before the manger, and along with the great St. Jerome, who was enflamed with the love of the infant Jesus, let us offer him all our hearts without reserve. Let us promise to follow the precepts which come to us from the grotto of Bethlehem, which teach us that everything here below is vanity of vanities, nothing but vanity.