Rattins living Coram Deo

Gracie is 4.5 years old, Ana is 6.5 months, and cousin Samuel is looking forward to his 3rd birthday! Samuel came to visit us in NH and we enjoyed the park!

Ana's unique fascination with her tongue found a match in this young giraffe! Family Portrait with my favorite animals! Yes, this is EXACTLY what it looks like - a slobbery-on-the-mouth-giraffe-kiss! yum!! By the end, Gracie couldn't get enough of these funny creatures! She kept wanting to pet them!

We are headed to Kenya at long last with our small team from our church. Everyone is very excited after 1.5 years of preparation! We are traveling with two amazing teenaged girls, my sister in law, my father in law, and the four of us! Please pray that Gracie would be seizure free and healthy. Please pray that Ana would not get sick at all (including malaria). Please pray for smooth and safe travels. Please pray for wisdom as we lead the team. Please pray for growth and maturation in our relationships with God through this experience. Please check the missions' trip blog at http://faithbaptistmissions.blogspot.com/ - we will keep updates on the trip on the blog as we are able. You can email us at jarattin@yahoo.com during the trip (more accessible there than gmail).

It was discouraging to end up admitted to the hospital again on Saturday. The day after we finished a taper off one of her seizure meds, Gracie had a seizure which was self-limited. Although concerned that it happened right after we got off Keppra, we rejoiced that she got out of it without rescue med (which has been a very rare event for her). But the next morning, she had a grand-mal seizure - like the ones she used to have on trileptal. Two doses of diazepam later, we drove her to the hospital and she require a third med in the ED. She stopped seizing but was so snowed that we snuggled in a hospital bed for the rest of the day. When she finally woke up, I convinced her to drink enough so that the nurse would believe me that I could take care of her at home and we got discharged. She did spike a nice fever, but hasn't shown us yet what is making her sick (she just got over a nasty cold). Today, she was as floppy as can be, grouchy, and tired. Very pitiful overall! She couldn'...

In 4 months, the girls have become friends, still, of course, jealous of our attention! Ana's sitting up very well, rolling over, and strong enough to do the "Rattin trick" of standing on Daddy's hand! Gracie has transitioned from toddler into a little girl. AND, I finally gave in and cut her hair. The torture for both of us wasn't worth it. Her beautiful hair will grow out and maybe by then she'll be ready to NOT assume that I'm killing her when I venture to even TOUCH her hair! Gracie is silly as can be and turns everything into a game. She has demonstrated that she knows her colors and knows her right hand from her left hand. She now also puts her toys back into her bin as part of her play rather than just taking them out - I'm sure that means something developmentally! Ana is all eyes for Daddy and for big sister with big smiles for them! At least I'm still the food source, so I still rate in there somewhere! ;-) I have been dealing with ...