We've been going to the park and checking out (chasing and catching) the local wildlife
We've been taking lots of baths...
Life doesn't slow down around these parts!
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Back in the saddle again
We've been going to the park and checking out (chasing and catching) the local wildlife
We've been taking lots of baths...
Life doesn't slow down around these parts!
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Long Overdue
... with blogging that is- not the pregnancy! The last several weeks has been a flurry of activity for us. Let's see... at the time of my last blog post, I had just gotten back from Texas where I spent a week with my family, I then left for our trip to Whitefish, MT- just John and I without the kiddies for a friend's wedding. Whitefish is a quaint little town on the outskirts of Glacier National Park and we were able to make the trip a fun and recreational adventure. Once back from Montana, I had two days at home then got on a plane by myself with two kids- more adventure that I care to partake in again! Traveling via plane with two very dependent little ones is quite the task, and being pregnant on top of it left me feeling completely outta fuel. Not to mention that on the way there, our plane was diverted to Tuscon, AZ because of bad dust storms in Phoenix and oh, by the way as we were circling Tuscon our plane got struck by lightning. I'll stop there but it sure made for quite the obstacle being stuck on a landed airplane at the Tuscon airport with two toddlers under 3 well past their bed time without dinner and no sight of actually getting up to Phoenix that night... Oh shoot- I said that I'd stop way back there. Anyhow, thanks to the generosity and selflessness of great friends we managed and the trip to Phoenix was still a success! I will say that unless it's an absolute emergency, you will not find me traveling alone with two kids through the airport again... Not till they're like 5 and above. I know my limits. And to top off our travels, a few days after coming home again we loaded up the car and made the 12 hour drive (it really doesn't take quite that long, but with stops for a newly potty trained little guy with a small bladder, those frequent 15 minute potty breaks really add up!) up to Sumter, SC where we stayed with some good friends and attended another wedding! I've been back from that for about a week and I am finally getting things back in order.
I've still got catching up to do with some photography stuff so a picture post will be at a later date.
As far as an update with Evangaline (or we like to call her Eva for short), I had an ultrasound about a week ago and things are about the same as far as her heart/head go. Not getting better but so happy it's not getting worse. The ultrasound tech was telling me that it was easy for her to read since I had more amniotic fluid than normal. Initially I thought, "great! I must be staying hydrated!" until the doc came in and cleared some things up. He also told me that I had a raised level of fluid which is not a good thing since it can cause premature labor. With my history of keeping the kids locked inside my uterus past the due date, doc said that it's probably less of a concern for me... although I did have a scare in which I woke up at night from cramps and it seemed rhythmic enough that I timed the contractions. After a couple hours they subsided and I went back to bed. The doctor said the cause of the high fluid was backed up by the fact that her stomach was not "full" which meant that Eva is having difficulty with her swallowing practice. It is a problem that many Trisomy 18 babies are faced with, which brings John and I to some difficult questions and something that we have to really evaluate and pray on because starvation as cause of death does not sit well in my heart. On the bright side, her weight seems to be keeping pretty steady with a normal pregnancy, which is truly a blessing since being underweight is a risk. So we are doing alright. I have never in my life been so covered in prayer and God is really carrying me (us) through this time with peace that is unreal. Most days I am able to carry on my "normal" life and just pour love into my two little ones on the outside as well as lil Eva on the inside! I feel like I am so full of love that it is overflowing into the the lives of my family members and that love is certainly from all the thoughts and prayers that friends and family have sent on our behalf!!! I can't begin to tell you what a blessing that is to us as a family and especially to me!
I have been put into contact with another Air Force "mommy" who has been through the birth and passing of a very special little T18 angel and that contact has been a God send! Talking with her brought much encouragement, but also some things that I didn't consider which has brought a little anxiety. I guess after talking to her, my concern is how I am going to take care of Evangaline fully and also have something in the tank for my two already needy little leaches, Riley and Scarlett. This question may just go unanswered until we are in the moment and when it comes down to it, I just have to rest in knowing that God will provide. I am trying not to worry about it because of Jesus' words in Matthew 11:28, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." I know that when that time comes, God will give me the strength, perseverance, and grace I need to get through it, and maybe a little help here and there from dear family/friends!
Here are some scriptures that I have been meditating on lately:
Psalm 3:3 "But you are a shield around me, O LORD; you bestow glory on me and lift up my head."
Isaiah 61:3 "... and provide for those who grieve in Zion— to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor."
Romans 8:18 "For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us."
And as far as music, I haven't given up trying to get a player on my site to play some songs that are ministering to me so if you would like to hear the songs that mean so much to me during this time, press the play button on the player on the right. I have found a couple other songs that are really good! One in particular, I will carry you by Selah speaks to me exactly where I am. Turns out they dealt with a very similar situation and wrote a song about it.
As noted before, future posts will be more of my usual style- lots of pictures and less of me talking... That's how I typically like it. ;) And I have a lot of pictures to catch up on!
Hope you all are having a blessed day!
I've still got catching up to do with some photography stuff so a picture post will be at a later date.
As far as an update with Evangaline (or we like to call her Eva for short), I had an ultrasound about a week ago and things are about the same as far as her heart/head go. Not getting better but so happy it's not getting worse. The ultrasound tech was telling me that it was easy for her to read since I had more amniotic fluid than normal. Initially I thought, "great! I must be staying hydrated!" until the doc came in and cleared some things up. He also told me that I had a raised level of fluid which is not a good thing since it can cause premature labor. With my history of keeping the kids locked inside my uterus past the due date, doc said that it's probably less of a concern for me... although I did have a scare in which I woke up at night from cramps and it seemed rhythmic enough that I timed the contractions. After a couple hours they subsided and I went back to bed. The doctor said the cause of the high fluid was backed up by the fact that her stomach was not "full" which meant that Eva is having difficulty with her swallowing practice. It is a problem that many Trisomy 18 babies are faced with, which brings John and I to some difficult questions and something that we have to really evaluate and pray on because starvation as cause of death does not sit well in my heart. On the bright side, her weight seems to be keeping pretty steady with a normal pregnancy, which is truly a blessing since being underweight is a risk. So we are doing alright. I have never in my life been so covered in prayer and God is really carrying me (us) through this time with peace that is unreal. Most days I am able to carry on my "normal" life and just pour love into my two little ones on the outside as well as lil Eva on the inside! I feel like I am so full of love that it is overflowing into the the lives of my family members and that love is certainly from all the thoughts and prayers that friends and family have sent on our behalf!!! I can't begin to tell you what a blessing that is to us as a family and especially to me!
I have been put into contact with another Air Force "mommy" who has been through the birth and passing of a very special little T18 angel and that contact has been a God send! Talking with her brought much encouragement, but also some things that I didn't consider which has brought a little anxiety. I guess after talking to her, my concern is how I am going to take care of Evangaline fully and also have something in the tank for my two already needy little leaches, Riley and Scarlett. This question may just go unanswered until we are in the moment and when it comes down to it, I just have to rest in knowing that God will provide. I am trying not to worry about it because of Jesus' words in Matthew 11:28, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." I know that when that time comes, God will give me the strength, perseverance, and grace I need to get through it, and maybe a little help here and there from dear family/friends!
Here are some scriptures that I have been meditating on lately:
Psalm 3:3 "But you are a shield around me, O LORD; you bestow glory on me and lift up my head."
Isaiah 61:3 "... and provide for those who grieve in Zion— to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor."
Romans 8:18 "For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us."
And as far as music, I haven't given up trying to get a player on my site to play some songs that are ministering to me so if you would like to hear the songs that mean so much to me during this time, press the play button on the player on the right. I have found a couple other songs that are really good! One in particular, I will carry you by Selah speaks to me exactly where I am. Turns out they dealt with a very similar situation and wrote a song about it.
As noted before, future posts will be more of my usual style- lots of pictures and less of me talking... That's how I typically like it. ;) And I have a lot of pictures to catch up on!
Hope you all are having a blessed day!
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