update!

Thought it was time for an update! Leanne was discharged from the hospital on Friday and has been resting and recovering. Since Leanne and Ryan cannot be at the hospital with Leo all the time, Grover keeps Leo company.

 Leo took a vacation under the lights and mom and dad had to join in the fun with their shades!

And lastly, Leo got to wear his first outfit ever! Then, later he initiated his mommy and daddy into the parent club by peeing and pooping on them :)

Leo update: He is doing great, off all oxygen, moving in the right direction. Eating more every other feeding and decreasing his IV. Loves skin to skin snuggle time with mom and dad. Again, he is doing great!

Leanne update: Her oncologist said Friday that the tumor looks like the medicine is working already! Praise the Lord! We go back in 3 weeks to determine what the next step is.

Thanks for continuing to pray for Leanne, Ryan, and Leo. Here are some specific requests:

• Praise! They are so thankful for the nurses and doctors that cared for Leanne this week and their wisdom and compassion.
• Praise! For Leanne and Ryan being able to snuggle Leo daily.
• Praise! They are so thankful for the knowledgeable nurses and doctors that care for Leo daily.
• That the tumor would keep responding to the medicine and shrinking.
• That Leanne would continue to heal from surgery.
• That Leo would keep growing and doing well.
• That Leanne and Ryan would have peace as they leave Leo each night. They know he is in the best hands but it is still hard.

As promised ...

Here are lots of pics of the Miller 3!

First, here is a pre-surgery picture of Mommy and Dr. Daddy.

Now for some Mommy and Leo moments

And we don't want to forget the Daddy moments

The whole family :)

I couldn't leave out the pictures of sweet Leo!

Look at that precious face!

He is on some oxygen and does have a feeding tube

Working on that sucking reflex

And for a size comparison, here is Leo next to Ryan's hand

A little update about Leanne:

With the great news yesterday that the cancer has not spread anywhere else in her body, the doctor's have changed their plan of care for Leanne. Right now they are trying some hormone therapy to slow the growth of the tumor. (The cancer Leanne has is hormone driven, so they are essentially trying to take its food away) We do know that most likely a combination of more chemo, radiation, and surgery are in the future. We just don't know when. But, like the past few months, we will trust God that He will give the doctor's wisdom to know how to best treat this cancer.

We still need lots of prayer! So please keep praying for Leanne, Ryan, and Leo:

• Praise! that Leanne and Ryan were both able to hold Leo
• Praise! that Leanne and Ryan have both been able to get good rest
• Pray that Leo would continue to grow healthy and strong
• Pray that the cancer would quit growing
• Pray for wisdom and knowledge for the doctors and nurses that are treating Leanne and Leo
• Peace for Leanne, Ryan, and their families as they await what the future holds for them
• Peace for Leanne and Ryan as they head home (either Friday or Saturday)

Great news!

No baby pictures today (I promise there will be some tomorrow), but we got some great news today. After two scans today, the doctors told Leanne that the cancer has not spread anywhere else in her body!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Later this week Leanne will know more about the plan of action for her care.

On a Leo note, he was moved from the NICU to the special care nursery this afternoon. The special care nursery is for babies like Leo who just need a little more attention than is given in the typical newborn nursery. He is also off his CPAP! Meaning, he does not have to wear his oxygen face mask anymore. And Leanne got to hold his sweet little head today! Such a special moment for this new mommy :)

Keep those prayers coming! We are so thankful for your partnership in that way.

Introducing ...

Leo Christopher Miller

3lbs 9oz

17 1/4inches

Isn't he precious?!?! Sweet Leo was born via c-section this morning at 11:37am. He is in the NICU (neonatal intensive care unit), but doing great! Leanne is recovering well and very thankful to have such a sweet baby boy to celebrate. And Ryan is one proud Daddy! Both sets of grandparents have been to the hospital and are prouder than words can express. And all the Aunts, Uncles, and cousins send LOTS of love from far away! A little meaning behind the name ... Leo is Ryan's grandpa's name who passed away when he was younger; Christopher is Leanne's dad's name. And Miller is obviously their last name :)

Even though things didn't go as planned, we are so thankful for your prayers. Besides, God's plan is far better than anything we could ever think or imagine! (Jeremiah 29:11-13) Please continue to keep Ryan, Leanne, & Leo in your prayers. Here are some specifics:

• PRAISE!!!!!!!!!! the Lord for a beautiful baby boy!
• Praise! that Leanne was able to deliver Leo without complication
• Pray that Leanne and Ryan can enjoy Leo without the burden of what lies ahead
• Pray for wisdom for the doctor's and nurses as they determine the next steps in the care of Leo and Leanne
• Pray for strength for Ryan as he leads and makes decisions for his new family of 3
• Pray for rest for Leanne and Ryan
• Pray that Leanne's pain would be under control
• Pray for wisdom & knowledge for the doctor's as they determine the plan for Leanne based on the results of scans she will have done tomorrow.

Thanks for praying and keep checking back for updates!

Almost here!

 

Leanne is 32 weeks and Grover will be here tomorrow! The excitement is intoxicating! Amidst all the tough stuff going on with Leanne, God has such a blessing in store for them. As they head into the hospital tonight we ask that you would be so faithful in prayer over the next 24 hours. Here are some very specific requests from Leanne. Please pray for:

• A natural delivery for Leanne
• Wisdom for Dr's & nurses as they guide Leanne and Ryan in making decisions
• Peace for Leanne and Ryan as they navigate the care of Leanne & Grover
• The ability to enjoy every moment with Grover without the burden of what's ahead
• God to reveal His plan for Leanne, Ryan, & Grover

**From Leanne: Thanks for every single text, email, message, card, & letter. We have read all of them and appreciate it more than you know. It has been such an encouragement. You are such a blessing to us. We wish that we had enough time to respond to each one of you, but we can't. We love you all and can't wait to introduce our son to you tomorrow!!!!!!!!!!!

celebrate!

There has been a lot to celebrate! We celebrated that Leanne has made it to 30 weeks!

Only 2 more weeks and we get to meet sweet, little Grover!

Leanne and Grover were celebrated in Henning with Ryan's family & friends. Isn't that diaper cake the cutest?!

Leanne got tons of cute stuff! Thanks to all who were able to celebrate with Leanne in Henning.

After Christmas, Leanne and Grover were honored at a shower in Eden Prairie.

Once again, Leanne and Grover were showered with lots of love and cute stuff! Thanks for coming out and loving on Leanne.

Please continue to pray for Leanne, Ryan, and Grover as they await Grover's arrival on January 10th. Please pray for:

• Safe, natural delivery for Leanne
• Continued growth for Grover
• Continued health for Leanne
• Peace for Leanne, Ryan, and Grover

Thanks for all of your love and support!

Grover update

Leanne had an appointment today to check on Grover. He looked great! I even got to go to her appointment with her!

Leanne will have one more appointment next week before Grover enters the world. They will measure him and do some tests at that appointment. 

Please continue to keep Leanne, Ryan, and Grover in your prayers. Pray specifically pray for:

• Continued health for Leanne
• Continued growth for Grover
• A safe, natural delivery for Leanne
• Continued peace for Leanne, Ryan, and their families
• Praise! that Leanne & Ryan are all moved into their townhouse!!
• Praise! that Ryan will start his new job on Tuesday!!

trusting

Leanne and her parents met with the care team on Wednesday, all 16 of them. The meeting went a little differently than planned, but isn't that the case with life? It did, however, go according to God's completely sovereign plan for Leanne, Ryan, and Grover. 

So here is the new plan:

• January 10: Leanne will be induced (a.k.a. we get to meet Grover!!!!!)
• January 11 & 12: Leanne will have tests and imaging done to make surgery easier
• January 13: Leanne will have a single mastectomy

First and foremost, Leanne, Ryan, and their families trust the doctor's and their knowledge about how to best care for Leanne.

With that being said, the doctor's want to deliver Grover so they can move on to the next round of chemo sooner. They also want to deliver him before surgery so the medicine and anesthesia won't affect him. Leanne, Ryan, and their families have a lot of peace about this. They are trusting God that, even though this is not what they expected, He will continue to watch over them. As Leanne said to me, "Look at how God has already been putting the pieces together?! This is just another piece to the puzzle."

Once again, here is where you come in. We are BEGGING that you will spend LOTS of time over these next few weeks in prayer about the following:

• That Grover would be a BIG, healthy baby.
• That Leanne would have a natural delivery (no c-section)
• That Leanne would have a smooth recovery from surgery on the 13th
• Continued health for Leanne, Ryan, Grover and their families
• Continued wisdom and knowledge for the team of doctors
• Praise! God's continued provision and planning in each step of this journey!!
• Praise! Leanne had good blood counts at chemo this week!!
• Praise! A great team of knowledgeable doctors!!

Due to the health and safety of Leanne, Ryan, Grover, and their families, we ask that you would use extra caution while being around them this Christmas season. The best gift you can give them is the gift of health. To put it bluntly, if you are sick, feeling sick, getting sick, or recovering from being sick keep your distance!

TEAM CHIN is praying that you would experience the peace and provision of Christ this Christmas season.

 
The Lord is my shepherd, I have all that I need.
     He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams.
        He renews my strength.
   He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to his name.
    Even when I walk through the darkest valley,
   I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me.
   Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me.
     You prepare a feast for me in the presence of my enemies.
   You honor me by anointing my head with oil.
      My cup overflows with blessings.
    Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life,
   and I will live in the house of the Lord forever.

Psalm 23 

New Living Translation

#4

Leanne had her final chemo treatment before she delivers Grover today! And she had some fun company ...

 

Tim and Aimee were both in town and decided to bring a little Christmas cheer to Leanne and the other chemo patients. Happy ugly Christmas sweater Tuesday! Leanne will meet with her Oncology team on Wednesday to discuss the plans and timeline for surgery. We will keep you posted!

As you celebrate Christmas with your family, we ask that you keep Leanne and her family in your prayers. Please specifically pray for:

• Health for Leanne during this Christmas season
• Continued growth for Grover
• Peace for Leanne, Ryan, and their families as they await Grover's arrival
• Wisdom for the doctors as they decide the plan for surgery and treatment
• Leanne to carry Grover to 37 weeks

And Praise the Lord for the successful move this past weekend! Thank you to all that helped! Merry Christmas from TEAM CHIN!

Grover & moving update

 

Leanne had a perinatologist appointment yesterday and got to catch a glimpse of Grover. I don't know about you, but I cant wait to kiss those sweet cheeks!! Thanks so much for your prayers. Grover is growing (2lbs 6oz!!) and doing well. Leanne even gained a pound :)

On another note, there have been some changes with the moving plans. Here is the new schedule:

Saturday December 17, 1:00pm - Load the truck in Fergus Falls

Sunday December 18, 1:00pm - Unload the truck in Eden Prairie

Please call, facebook message, text, or email Leanne and/or Ryan if you are interested in helping.

We are so thankful for your partnership in prayer. Please continue to lift Leanne, Ryan, and Grover up in prayer. Please pray for:

• Continued growth and health for Grover
• Continued health for Leanne
• Rest and peace for Leanne, Ryan, and their families
• Leanne to carry Grover to 37 weeks
• A smooth move this weekend

Moving!

*Written by Leanne

God is so good!  He is answering prayers and proving for all of our needs right now.  What a powerful experience it is to sit back and watch Him work and learn to be patient and wait for His timing!
We have been praying since the beginning of this cancer journey that God would somehow open up doors for us to be in the Twin Cities.  There were a number of reasons behind this prayer but the two most important ones were that:

1. Ryan and I could be together as I go through treatment and once Grover is born
2. I could be near my doctors so that if anything odd happened we would not have to drive 3 hours to get to a doctor who knows my case. 

For the last few weeks we have been working on details so that we can move to the cities.  Ryan found out at the beginning of December that Titan would work with him and allow him to keep his job and work out of the Shakopee store.  What an answer to a prayer!  They worked out the details and he will start there in January.  I have been in Fergus Falls this week and have been working to pack as much as I can.  Ryan's mom and dad came over on Tuesday and were a HUGE help!  They helped me pack sooooooo much!  My parents are on the other end and have been looking at places for us to live and found one last night!  It is close to them so they can be there quick if we need them. 

Here is the timeline:

Friday December 16- Celebrate Aimee's COLLEGE GRADUATION!!!!!!!!!!!! (our baby ... ok, my parent's baby is all grown up)
Saturday December 17- 1:00 pack up truck in Fergus Falls
Saturday Evening- unload truck into Chris & Fran's garage

We would love to have help here in Fergus on Saturday.  The truck will be here around 1:00.  If you want to help please send us an email, facebook message, comment, or text.  We could also use some help once we get to the cities but we don't exactly know what time that will be yet.

This move is what we need to do right now and as hard as it is to leave the Fergus/Alexandria communities we need to do what is best for my health.  We pray that if it is His will, God will bring us back to the area someday.

Thanks for loving us and supporting us through this.  We could not do this without TEAM CHIN!!!!

Bump update

Leanne is 26 weeks along! She had an appointment with her perinatologist (aka baby doctor) this morning and Grover looks great! His heartbeat was in the 150's; which is normal for him. Leanne is doing great and the Dr. said everything looks wonderful. Praise the Lord for continuing to knit Grover together in his mommies womb.

Please continue to pray for Leanne to have a safe, healthy, and long (37 weeks) pregnancy.

#3

Chemo treatment #3: Done!

 

Leanne had her third chemo treatment today. She also had an appointment with her oncologist, Dr. Bloom. They measured her tumor and said it had shrunk 1cm!!!!!!!!!!! Praise the Lord!!

Please continue to keep Leanne, Ryan, and Grover in your prayers. You can pray specifically pray for:

• Continued growth for Grover
• Continued health for Leanne
• Leanne to carry Grover to full term (37 weeks)
• Minimal side effects from the chemo for Leanne
• Peace for Leanne, Ryan, and their families as they trust God with their future plans

Thankful

We know it has been a while, but we have been busy celebrating all we are thankful for. Oh, and eating, laughing, and loving on these three.

 

We wanted you to know that we are so thankful for you! We are thankful for your prayers, support, encouragement, and love. We could not do this without you Team Chin.

Leanne has her next chemo treatment on Tuesday. Please pray for

• Continued health for Leanne
• Continued health and growth for Grover
• Leanne to carry Grover to full term (37 weeks)
• God's continued provision for Leanne, Ryan, and Grover in all areas of their lives

Grover update

Leanne had a Dr. appointment this morning. The Dr. said that baby Grover looked great! He is weighing in at 1 lb and 6 oz. Grover is growing and looking healthy. Thankfully Leanne is lucky enough to have frequent ultrasounds of Grover so we have a picture to share!

 

Please to continue to pray for:

• Continued good health and growth for Grover
• Continued good health for Leanne
• Rest and peace for Leanne

Baby Bump

I am sure you all have been itching to see some baby bump pics. Well here it is! 23 weeks is looking good on Leanne :)

 

Praises:

• Healthy pregnancy thus far for Leanne and Grover!
• The support Leanne, Ryan, and Grover have been shown over the past month! Thank you!

Prayer requests:

• Peace for Leanne and Ryan
• Health for Leanne and Grover
• That God would continue to provide for Ryan and Leanne in all areas of their lives
• Good news from the Dr. on Tuesday

wear it!

As promised, here is a way for everyone to help!

Once Leanne was diagnosed, we began brainstorming ways that we could help Leanne, Ryan, and baby Grover. So we got online and ordered some bracelets figuring we could give them out to those wanting to join TEAM CHIN and ask for a donation to give the Miller's some financial support. A few weeks later, all the way from China, we got these! Doesn't my niece look cute modeling the bracelets?!

 

So here is where you come in. Email me at teamchinny@gmail.com with the following info in your message:

• Your name & address
• How many bracelets you would like (Youth sizes also available)

I will connect you with your closest TEAM CHIN retailer :) or just mail them to you. Once you receive your bracelets, we ask that you would send a financial donation of any amount to:

Leanne Miller

17639 George Moran Dr

Eden Prairie, MN  55347

More than any type of financial support, we really covet your partnership in prayer. We specifically ask for prayer for:

• Peace for Leanne
• Leanne to find her true beauty in Jesus Christ
• Continued good health for Leanne

This has been a hard day for Leanne. With lots of tears and the support of her mom and Michelle, at DK International, Leanne shaved her head today. Please keep her in your prayers. Doesn't she look beautiful in her wig!!!!

#2

Chemo treatment #2: done

Leanne had her second round of chemo today. Ryan surprised her last night by coming down to the Twin Cities so he could go to her appointment with her. Ryan's mom, Deb, was also in town to go with Leanne. She is feeling pretty tired, but isn't feeling the side effects ... yet. The doctors said that she could most likely expect the same side effects as her last treatment:

• Days 2-5: feeling pretty tired and sick
• Days 5-14: tired and low counts (so don't get sick!!)
• Days 14-21: regaining strength and appetite

A family friend (Cindy) dropped off some of her famous sugar cookies for Leanne to munch on over the next few days. Yummy!!!

Leanne will remain in the Twin Cities until the 15th of November. After the 15th, she will head up to Fergus Falls until Thanksgiving. Thanks for all the love, encouragement, and support you are all showing Leanne and Ryan during this time. We appreciate your prayers more than we could say. Please continue to pray for:

• Health for Leanne and baby Grover
• Peace for Leanne and Ryan as they are making decisions
• For Leanne to experience God's unending peace in all areas of her life
• Leanne to feel beautiful (because she is :)!!!) as the chemo begins to take its toll on her body

Want to help?

I know a lot of you have been wondering how you can help. Well, here is a very practical way! Leanne wrote this on her blog earlier today.

Okay well I have lots of needs. . .  BUT I have a need that you can help me with. . . One of the things I have been struggling with the most in this whole experience is fear.  I can't explain it all but it is one of those things that just creeps up when I least expect it.  It is the devil's way of getting into this situation and trying to take the glory away from God.  I am working really, really hard to conquer this fear and repeat verses and phrases in my head to help me. I was thinking about how I can continue to conquer it and I decided that I wanted to write verses on 3 x 5 index cards and bind them together so I can flip to one every time the fear creeps in.  Here is where all of you come in.  Pick a verse, write it on an index card, write your name (and a note if you want) on the back of the card, and send it to me.  I will put them all on a ring and keep them with me all the time. Here is the address:
17639 George Moran Drive
Eden Prairie, MN 55347

Thanks for being a part of my support team and for letting me be real. . . I know I can count on you to help me conquer this fear and show the devil that my God is waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay more powerful that he is!

Stay tuned this week for more practical ways to help!

Please keep praying for Leanne this week. She has her second round of chemo on Tuesday. Pray for strength, health, and peace.

Look Good, Feel Better

On Tuesday, Leanne and Fran went to a class called Look Good, Feel Better. It is a class aimed at helping women who are going through chemo by offering support, encouragement, and beauty techniques. You can learn more about it here.

Here is some of the sweet stuff that Leanne got. Hello Chanel, Clinique, and Estee Lauder!

 

She said the class was helpful for learning things like how to draw on your eyebrows (in case they fall out). She was also pretty encouraged by one of the speakers who came up to her after the class and shared how she is really inspired by Leanne. She encouraged Leanne to keep fighting and that she will get through this.

Leanne also had a good time with the sweet, older lady who sat next to her :)

 

Good thing Leanne was there to help show her how to hold mascara, which one is the eyebrow pencil and which one is the eyeliner, and how to clean your face to get the makeup off! 

After the class, Leanne had a Dr. appointment for baby Grover. They had an ultrasound today ... always fun to see the baby! The Doc said everything looked great! Heartbeat sounded good and the baby looked great!

Please keep praying for:

• A continued healthy pregnancy for Leanne
• Health for Leanne while undergoing chemo
• Peace and trust for the entire Miller and White families