Unexpected Blessing!

My mom is here, cleaning my house top to bottom, and preparing the nursery, that I didn't quite get a chance to finish. Today, she came running into my hospital room with my WEDDING RING!! I lost it about two weeks after we found out I was pregnant--around Christmas, and we had counted it as "loss," after many months of searching. She found it in that tiny plastic pocket on the back of our dryer. I cannot tell you how much that has lifted my spirits. Rings can be replaced, but my wedding ring was SO special to me, and I knew that regardless, I would always miss "that" ring!
Just another blessing on this trying road!
I just came back from having a thorough ultrasound, and I am currently hooked up to the baby heart monitor. The doctor will be in shortly to discuss the results. We do know that from the ultrasound, the "estimated" weight is 4lbs 1 oz--better than we expected! Keep praying!

Rough Day

I had a rough sleepless night, and the antibiotics they had been giving me made me severly nauseated. However, I am feeling much better now, they have changed the antibiotic, and the baby is maintaining a healthy heartbeat. Praise the Lord! God has blessed us in so many unbelievable ways with insurance issues (Josh changed jobs two weeks ago), baby expenses, and so much help from family and friends. We are feeling very blessed and resting in a much higher Power to bring us all through this safely.
As an added blessing, the hospital has wireless internet, which allows Josh to work from my room, and of course enables me to keep everyone easily updated.
I cannot thank you enough for your prayers. We know without a doubt that these coveted prayers are being heard and answered!

More News!

A little change in plans came this morning, when I met with my doctor who was going to perform the c-section. He did an ultrasound and determined that the baby is "bottom down" and blocking most of the "break." This has allowed him to build up more fluid around himself, lessening the dangerous position. So, they won't let me leave the hospital, but they would like to hold off as long as possible to give the baby a better fighting chance. And as much as I hate sitting in the hospital (those of you who know me, know that this is not exactly my "cup of tea"), I would MUCH rather be sitting here, than in the NICU, feeling helpless and unable to care for my little man. The doctor says if I made it to 34 weeks, that would be great! He would love to schedule a c-section then--that is two and a half weeks from now. However, he said there is about an 80-90 percent chance that I will go into labor within a week and need to be taken to deliver via "emergency" c-section.
We are just trusting of course that the Lord knows best, and He will take care of us both. I cannot thank you enough for all of your prayers and encouraging words. To know that so many are thinking of us and praying for us is priceless, and this encouragement is allowing us to anxiously await the arrival of our precious little boy!!

PLEASE PRAY!!!!!

Yesterday (Tuesday), my water broke. I drove myself to the Kinston hospital (which is near my work and where I was planning to deliver), hoping it was a "false alarm." However, they quickly determined it was the real deal and transfered me via ambulance to Greenville, where the Neo-natal unit is capable of handling a baby so early. I am only 31 weeks, but obviously they will need to deliver. I am currently awaiting a c-section delivery tomorrow morning (Thursday, June 28). He is breech, and without the fluid cannot be moved or repositioned, so a c-section is the safest option. He will at best weigh just over three pounds, which is going to make his first few weeks very critical. Please pray that he will quickly learn to breathe and eat on his own. I have been given two doses of steroids to boost his lung development, and now that those are in me, they need to deliver quickly to avoid infection (since he no longer has a barrier).

God certainly has His hand in this, and we are optimistic that He is going to bless us with a healthy baby. Please pray that our spirits continue to stay positive and focused!

We covet your prayers at this time for the delivery of course, but more so for his quick development and recovery.

Thank you in advance!! I obviously don't know how soon I will be able to update, but I will post again as soon as I have the opportunity.

Bracelet and Bike

Laura Grace is VERY proud of her new bracelet from her dear friend , Chloe! ( I guess they would be more like "pen pals" since they have never actually met...)

She is also advancing in her bike-riding abilities quickly! I am very excited about that milestone. Each new adventure makes me all the more excited about my own little peanut, who should make his debut in about two months! Yippee!

29 weeks and counting!!

I am getting SO very anxious to meet this little guy! He's going to be an ACTIVE munchkin, judging by his present traits! So...this is me...or he, whichever way you want to look at it:)

Everything is still going well. I have one more appointment with a fetal specialist to check for any major problems with baby or placenta, and if everything is still looking healthy, he will then turn me back over to my regular Ob-Gyn, so please pray that all is well! My appt. is Tuesday!

Kiddie Pool Fun!

Isn't it amazing how nice the "kiddie" pools are these days? Amazing. Josh and I bought this pool for Xander for Kindergarten graduation. We are VERY proud of him, not simply because he graduated Kindergarten, but he is a special little guy and as brilliant as they come! We love you, buddy!

...and thanks for sharing your present with LG--she thoroughly enjoyed both the pool and the swimming lesson!