A new residence

Well... Jonah made his move to the new NICU and is liking it. Amy said that he is now a bit elevated in his bed and likes to look around at them and his new fish mobile which is hanging near his head. He is no longer on IV fluids and is just getting breast milk through his feeding tube. They are lowering his pain meds and moving down on the ventilator and hope to get him off of that next week. That would be wonderful because they will be able to hold him more often and for a longer period of time. Continue to pray that the periteneal dialysis will continue to remove the correct amount of fluids from him. He is a bit swollen and they may try the hemodialysis again tomorrow if this has not improved. Keep those prayers coming in! Thank you, thank you! We'll keep you posted. God Bless You All!! Jonah's family :)

God is good!

Friends and Family,

Thank you all so much for your prayers, love, and support (in many forms). We, (Scott and Amy) have received, heard and read about all the people who are praying for Jonah and us and we can hardly believe how many people care for Jonah/us. If you continue to be lead, pray for Jonah - he has come a long way, but there still may be a long road ahead and we know the only way we will make it is for our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ to continue to carry us every day.

We want to testify that no matter what happens tomorrow or in the future with Jonah - God has already done a miracle through him in bringing him this far. Two weeks before Jonah was born the perinatologist told us Jonah wouldn't make it to his birth because his heart would fail, and we should begin to plan for our next pregancy. Even if he did make it out alive his lungs would be uninflatable and wouldn't survive the day of his birth. Our response was let God make that decision. Then two days after Jonah was born a group of doctors at UCLA told us that Jonah needed surgery as soon as possible and his lunges were too underdeveloped - they said it would be a miracle if Jonah made it through the surgeries he needed and got off the osculating ventilator. Once again our response was to put Jonah's life in God's hands and let Him decide to take Jonah home or bless us with a miracle. Well, as you all know Jonah is alive and doing a little better every day - therefore, God has already preformed miracles in Jonah. We continue to pray for Jonah's complete healing and that he would get off the ventilator and be able to come home with us.

The staff at the NICU often have comments about how amazed they are that Jonah is still alive, how far he has come, and what a fighter he is. However, we know the truth - we don't have big faith, we have a big Creator and sustainer God.

Jonah is moving to the new Ronald Reagan Medical Center in the morning (Sunday). They have decided to slowly feed him more each day and go down on the iv fluids - so more of his nutrition will come from breast milk. He is almost off his pain medication-sedatives, but will always need a little something as long as he is on the ventilator. The vent settings are slowly coming down and we hope and pray God will grant Jonah the ability to breath on his own someday. His peritoneal dialysis is going well - they are getting off plenty of fluid. All in all he is doing well.

Once again, thank you all for your prayers and support - we hope to bless others the way the Lord has blessed us through all of you. Our prayer is that God would use Jonah's life to move others to seriously consider the claims of the Lord Jesus and who He says He is. (Creator God that came to earth in the flesh offering life eternal through His resurrection from the grave and death.) In doing so, obtain by grace a saving faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, our only hope for eternal life in glory. If your not sure about who Jesus is please read the Gospel of John, it will be well worth it!! With Love,

~Scott and Amy Goodman Romans 10:9 & Ephesians 2:8-9

Jonah is doing fine and is waiting for the big move to the new hospital on Sunday.  They are keeping his meds the same at this point as they want to keep him stable for the move.  Please pray for a smooth transition via the ambulance on Sunday.  They will be moving all 500 patients at the hospital that day.  We will update you as soon as we have news.  Thank you.  

decreasing pain meds

Amy just called and asked for prayer for Jonah as they are decreasing the amount of pain meds and he is more agitated. This is necessary and they are giving him ativan (anti-anxiety medication) to help with his withdrawal symtoms. Please pray that this tiny baby won't experience much pain and agitation. He is crying more now but this is also normal for a baby. It's just hard because it's not so easy to appease and cuddle him. Amy and Scott are doing their best to help him but I know it's hard for them to see their little guy uncomfortable. He was given protein through another IV today because sometimes the dialysis causes low sodium and protein. Thank you again for your continued prayers for baby Jonah and Scott and Amy!

Good News!

We just came back from visiting Jonah, Scott and Amy and found out that the Drs. have decided that surgery is NOT necessary and they think that the fluid build up is just part of the process. When the PD (periteneal dialysis) works more effectively, he will take in and give off the same amount of fluid and he won't be as edematous (swollen). Praise the Lord and thank you for your prayers. They are giving him less pain medicine now, so he can be a bit more agitated at times. When this happens any mom, dad, gramma or grampa wants to pick him up and cuddle him. This is not possible yet, but Amy and Scott know how to comfort and cuddle him with their hands and voices very well! Basically, we are seeing improvement and are trying to stay focused on the positive things. "Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen" Hebrews 11:1 He is in good hands, God's hands and the Drs. and nurses in the NICU are wonderful! Amy and Scott are learning so much and are also wonderful care-takers of their beautiful baby boy! With love, Nancy (Jonah's Nana :)

Please Pray!

We went to see Jonah, Scott and Amy today and found out he is getting Amy's milk via feeding tube about every 6 hours. Amy said he may get it every 3 hours soon. That is good news! However, we need everyone to pray because it is possible that he may need another surgery to repair a hole inside his body. Because of this hole the fluid that he gets during dialysis is leaking to other parts of his body. We should find out tomorrow what the Doctors are planning to do. It's another "bump" in the road but we know who directs and prepares his path. Proverbs 3:5-6. Jonah has grown since we saw him last week. He is now 21 1/2 in. long and about 7.5 lbs. Please pray that the problem will be resolved and that he won't have to have another surgery.. If he does, we will let you know and we will pray for that. Thank you again. Love, Nancy and Brad

Jonah is still doing well!

A quick note to let you all know that Jonah is getting use to the new dialysis. He still has the hemodialysis every other day or so and is on the new one 24 hrs a day. They are lowering the amount of pain meds he gets, but must give him a bit more of anti-anxiety meds. His tiny little body has seen so much in just 5 short weeks but we are continually praising and thanking the Lord for how very far he has come. Tomorrow is Jonah's "due date" and the first day of summer. We are looking ahead to what great plans God has in store for Jonah and family. Amy said that he was able to get a bit of mommy's milk through his feeding tube today. If he handles that well, there will be more to come. Amy has been daily pumping her milk since he was born and they will be giving it to him regularly when he is ready. His lungs continue to improve and there is talk that he may get off the ventilator in a week or so. Please keep praying for this because it will be much easier for Scott and Amy to hold him when this takes place. Again we have to say THANK YOU all so much for your prayers and Thank you Jesus for your sustaining and healing power. Please remember Robynn in your prayers as she continues to get chemo and fight her battle with cancer. Go to http://Robynnsbattle.blogspot.com for updates on her progress. God Bless you all! Nancy

Peritenial dialysis today!

Jonah started the other kind of dialysis today and it is going well. His numbers are good and we are so thankful as this is a great step forward. He will be on this kind of dialysis 24 hours a day for now and the goal is to eventually have him on it for 12 hours a day and getting 100 cc's in that time period. They also have been weaning him off his oxygen intake and he is doing well with that. Please continue to pray that he will be able to be taken off the ventilator. If all continues to go well they are talking about doing that in a couple of weeks. Today was an encouraging day. Thank you all for your continued prayers! And thanks be to God!! Aunt Amanda

A Good Visit

We had a good time with Scott, Amy and Jonah yesterday and today. We went out to dinner with Gramma Sandy and shared some smiles and laughs. Brad, Gramma and I were able to take turns with Jonah in the nicu today, while Scott and Amy drove to T.O. for an appt. I have to tell you it's not easy being in there because there are little ups and downs constantly. Their strength and constant attention to Jonah is a marvel! Watching him while on dialysis is not easy and I appreciate so much what they are doing for Jonah daily. Please remember to keep them in your prayers along with Jonah. They will need God's strength one day at a time for quite a while. Thank you again for taking care of them through your prayers. With much gratitude, Nancy

Daddy Scott held Jonah!

What a great day today! We got to see Jonah on a good day. Gramma Sandy was able to see her great grandson for the first time. His dialysis went well again and there were no problems. Scott did get to hold Jonah and Brad's wonderful father's day gift was to see his son holding Jonah for the first time. Amy gave Scott the most precious gift for father's day. It has Jonah's hand print and foot print and pictures framed together with his favorite verse, Proverbs 3:5-6 on it. The picture will be posted soon. Hopefully if all continues to go well, Jonah will start the peretineal dialysis on Wed. Thank you for your continued prayers. "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." Romans 15:13 We do have so much hope for little Jonah! With Love, Nancy

Happy Father's Day!

Scott said that yesterday's dialysis went well. They stopped early because they had gotten all the fluid off of him that they could. This was good news and Amy was able to hold him again! We (Brad, Gramma Sandy and I) are going down to see them this morning and I will hopefully get pictures of Amy and/or Scott holding baby Jonah. Happy Father's Day Scott and hopefully you will hold your little Jonah today! What a wonderful gift that would be! "Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the children of God.." 1 John 3:1

Keep praying Please!

I spoke with Allison today and Jonah is on dialysis again and doing well. He has been on it now for a few days in a row, which is good. Pray for his periteneal dialysis catheter area and his surgery area to fully heal. He will soon be on that instead of the hemodialysis, which will be easier on him. Pray also for him to be able to receive breast milk through his feeding tube. It seems that in this situation there may be 2 steps forward and 1 step back, but at least he is moving forward and we are thankful for this. Please continue to lift Scott and Amy up in prayer . They need the Lord's strength as they are daily watching and attending to their little baby boy. Jonah is becoming more and more aware as he grows, and it's a parent's heart to want to protect, shield, hold and nurture this little one. Thank you for your faithful prayers for each of them. Nancy

Amy held Jonah today!

Alison (Amy's sis) called me to let us know that Amy did hold Jonah today! He is 4 weeks old today and we are so happy for her. She also said that Jonah really settled down and all his numbers were great as he lay in his mommy's arms. I got all teary-eyed just thinking about it and realized once again what a wonderful miracle little Jonah is to us all! I should have some pictures to put up tomorrow for all to see. The Drs. agreed that Jonah would probably love to have some of Amy's milk instead of pedialite, and I think he may have gotten some today. Each day is another day of miracles and blessings! Thank you Lord! Love, Nancy

Jonah ate!

I just talked with Scott and he said that Jonah had about 3 cc's of pedialite through his tube...a first for the 4 week old Jonah (tomorrow). He also had a good dialysis today and his stats are normal. Amy was going to hold him today, but the NICU is very busy with a baby that just had surgery, so they will do it tomorrow. We are so happy about how well he is doing. Thanks be to God for His healing touch and to all of you who are faithfully praying for baby Jonah. Your words of encouragement and stories of how the Lord has helped you continue to be such an inspiration for all of us. Scott sent a text picture message of Jonah today which I wish I could put on the website for you. He was without his tape for the ventilator for a few minutes and we were able to see his whole face. He is a very beautiful boy and I'm not saying that just because I'm his gramma. :) Oh Happy Day!

Dialysis went well!

Scott said that they were able to take off 250 cc's of fluid today which is great! Yeah! and Hallelujah! After dialysis Scott says that Jonah feels good and looks around quite a bit. Brad and I had a wonderful visit with them and it was such a blessing to see Jonah smile! Amy's sis, Allison and her mom, Barb willl be there for a couple of days now and we plan on going back next week with Jonah's great gramma Sandy to check in again. We can't thank you all enough for your thoughts and prayers for Jonah and family. It makes such a difference.. Hopefully, today or tomorrow Scott and Amy will hold their little Jonah. We will keep you posted. With love, Nancy

A Smiling Jonah!

I wish I could put the pictures on here that I took of Jonah today, but that will have to wait until I see Alyse tomorrow. He smiled at Amy and I today while we were with him. (No, it was not an air bubble.) Even the nurse said "he is smiling with his eyes" also. A picture is worth a thousand words and you will see tomorrow. He did not have dialysis today as they are giving him a break. The nurse said that they would arrange to have Amy hold Jonah tomorrow!! Whoo Hoo!! What a great day! Thank you again for your prayers! Amy and I sang "You are my sunshine" to Jonah today but we need to work on the harmony. :) I think he liked it! Check back tomorrow for the wonderful pictures of darling Jonah! With Love, Nancy

More Improvement

I just talked to Scott and he let me know that today they got 340cc's of fluid off Jonah.. net. SO that is great! It is the most they have ever gotten from him. He also said he is showing more and more signs of health. We are so thankful. Thank you for your continued prayers. Love, Aunt Amanda

Jonah's dialysis was good yesterday as they were able to get 300 cc's of fluid off him which is actually 100, due to the amount they give him daily. Anyway, the plan is to continue with this daily and in a weeks time he will be back to "normal" as far as his fluids go. Then he will have a daily dialysis taking off and putting in equal amounts of fluid. (Amy and Scott... please correct me if this isn't right.) We get a lot of our information through family members who have spoken to Scott and/or Amy daily. We are so thankful to the Lord for his care for little Jonah. We will of course keep you posted on his improvements! Praise the Lord for his healing touch! Nancy

More dialysis today...

As long as we're praying specifically, let's pray that the dialysis session today will take more fluid from Jonah. He needs to have 300-400 cc's of fluid taken off because he takes in 200 cc's of fluid a day. His blood pressure has been good, allowing for the hemodialysis to work, but it's important for the dialysis to remove more fluid. Pray for this and for Jonah's comfort while he goes through this procedure. God is working his wonder-working power for Jonah and we are so thankful. Continue to keep Scott and Amy in your prayers for rest, peace and the joy of the Lord, which we know is their strength. Thank you! Nancy

Another good day!!

Jonah had another 4 hours of dialysis today and Amy said it went well. It was exciting to hear from her that Jonah was awake for about the last 30 minutes of the procedure and was looking around at her and Scott. Whoopee! He is 3 weeks old today and gave mom and dad a look! We are excited and happy for this good news. Your prayers are making a difference in Jonah's young life and Scott and Amy are getting through all of this because of you and your support. God is good and we are thanking Him continuously. Please keep it up! With love and appreciation, Nancy and Brad (Nana & Papa)

A Great Day!

We are so happy to let everyone know that Jonah's dialysis went well today. His blood pressure stayed up and they got a good amount of fluid from him. Amy sounded very blessed and relieved about how the day went. Please continue to pray for the hemodialysis to continue working until his stomach area is healed and ready for the peritoneal dialysis. Thank you , thank you so very much for your prayers and encouragement for Scott, Amy and Jonah. "Blessed be...the God of all comfort; who comforteth us in all our tribulation" 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 We are thanking the Lord for comforting us during this time.

Still waiting

The Doctors decided not to do dialysis today as Jonah's blood pressure is too low. They are giving him some medication to help raise it and hope to give him the hemodialysis tomorrow sometime. They want to wait until his abdomen heals more to start him on the dialysis in the stomach. Thank you for joining us in prayer for quick healing and successful dialysis tomorrow. We love you Scott, Amy and Jonah. Love, Mom, dad, and family

Another Critical Time

Hello all. In the last 8 or so hours Jonah has gotten very puffy especially in his lower region. They need to do dialysis tomorrow and they are 90% sure they will use the PD catheter in his abdomen that was hooked up during surgery 4 days ago. Normally they would wait for this site to heal for at least a month, but the neck dialysis is very hard on him. Also his blood pressure is very low and this needs to rise in order to do dialysis successfully. This is another critical time, but we know the Lord has seen him through all the other critical times in the last 2.5 weeks. It would be awesome if his catheter site for the dialysis would be healed and the dialysis would go smooth. Thank you for praying and keep checking for updates. Scott and Amy really appreciate all your prayers! love, aunt amanda

"Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilent in it with thanksgiving..." Colossians 4:2

A Peaceful Day!

Scott said that Jonah's blood pressure has gone up a bit with meds, and he may have dialysis today, although his numbers are still pretty good and he may not need it yet. Praise the Lord! Scott and Amy seem to be getting a bit more rest and for that we are very happy and thankful. There is a chance that he may start getting nourished with mother's milk soon through his feeding tube. Yeah!! Thank you, thank you for your continued prayers for Jonah! With much appreciation, Nancy