Happy New Year! We had a great Christmas and we hope all of you did too! We had lots of family and friends come for a visit and Lincoln got spoiled with lots of gifts. The last three weeks have been very busy for us. Josh got sick on Christmas day and spent a week at home in bed followed by Kristen getting sick the next week. She too had to stay home and recuperate...she is still feeling a bit under the weather. It was so hard to stay away from Lincoln for so long but we can't afford to get him sick. It was a hard couple of weeks for us also as we had to say goodbye (for now!) to Lincoln's special friend Holly. As she was waiting for a heart too, her heart got tired and she went to be with Jesus. You may have seen her in some of the previous pictures...she was a bundle of joy. Please pray for her family as they are going through this rough time and missing Holly so much. To cap that week off...Lincoln got very sick. He has spent almost a combined 5 months in the hospital so far and has never been sick! That is a huge accomplishment...PTL! However, when you are in the hospital for so long...you will inevitably get sick. We think Lincoln got Sepsis (a bacterial infection in the blood) and has been on a huge regiment of antibiotics. He is starting to feel better but for a few days it was scary. We are still not sure if what we saw was his heart weakening or a bacterial infection....but continue to pray for a quick recovery anyway. Lincoln's heart remains stable. The last echocardiogram showed no change...which is good. He still has great pulses and blood pressures. He is only requiring a little bit of oxygen and his heart rate, although a little elevated, remains stable. He is still getting his food through his NG tube and is actually starting to get some meat on his bones! His little arms and legs are starting to get chunky. He turns 7 months on the 12th and he is 12 1/2 pounds. He has seemed to have made a full recovery neurologically from his stroke. Fluid balances and keeping his lungs clear seem to be the daily struggle for him and the doctors. Other than the sickness...Lincoln is doing fairly well. Learning to be patient and trying to trust the Lord has been the biggest battle for us. Dealing with the loss of Holly has brought the emotions and fear to the surface. At one point she was doing better than Lincoln, so it's scary to think that Lincoln's heart can get weaker at any point. The daily routine of the hospital and the atmosphere in the PICU is so overwhelming. We know God's ways are higher than our ways and we just have to trust and know that His timing is always perfect. Please continue to pray for a new heart for Lincoln and for us as well. We miss and love you all and can't wait so see you again. Talk to you soon! J&K