Grateful

     Our family is grateful for the prayers so many of you have said on our behalf.  I wanted to update you on the next phase of Faith's injury and put up a few pictures of our afternoon in the ER.  Don't worry, nothing gross.  :)


     We are in the middle of scheduling an appointment with an orthopedic hand specialist.  This doctor will look at her finger, change the bandage, and tell us exactly what we need to do next.  Right now I just want her bandage to be changed.  I called and got the run-around for a bit, but finally got in touch with the right doctor...and their computers are down.  I will try calling back in a bit.  I choose not to be frustrated and I will remind myself that the Lord is in control, He knew the obstacles we would face, and that there are always the evaluation surveys I can fill out after it is all done!  :) 

 Above is a picture of Daddy and Faith with the original bandaging (didn't work so well)

 Sweet Faith trying to rest in the really cool room- having a pediatric ER definitely has benefits (including a starry sky with lights that change color!)

Homegirl fell asleep on the way home- we were in ER during naptime, and it just caught up with her.  We put her on the couch to let her sleep for an hour. 

An Afternoon in the ER

                No one purposely goes down THAT road.  The road called “If only…”  We know it is pointless.  But around 12:30 this afternoon, I started my trek down THAT road. 

                 

                We had a great morning with our church family hunting Easter eggs!  We sang songs about Jesus, ate some yummy food, and laughed with each other.  It was a joyous two hours.

                We came home, and I decided to make a grilled cheese sandwich for Faith.  Timmy had fallen into a deep sleep on the car ride to our house, so he was upstairs.  That is when it happened.  I was slicing cheese with our grater, and Faith decided to insert her finger in the grater below the block of cheese.  I can’t describe the feeling as I pushed down.  It turns my stomach.

                I will spare you details, but we ended up calling 911 and were rushed to the ER.  Well, Faith and I went.  Jeff stayed at home until Pastor Dave could come get Timmy. 

                We were there for four hours.  Faith was bleeding for 3 of them.  The Doctors finally had to put a chemical on her fingertip to basically burn the skin closed to stop the bleeding.  It was pretty terrible.  My sweet sweet Faith will forever be missing the tip of her left pointer finger.  In the middle of the pain she said “Bye Bye Doctors… mama go home” (meaning I WANT TO GO HOME!).  There was a moment of laughter amidst the seriousness in the room.  God is so good to do that! 

                She was so brave.  She would cry, call out for Mama and Dada, but she would be so brave.  She now has a pink bandage on that is clean and dry!  We put a pink bandage on her bunny too.   

                Last night I wrote on my hand “Trust In Yahweh” as I dealt with insecurities and small stresses in my life.   I didn’t know what today would hold, but as the events unfolded, I was able to look at my hand covered in my daughter’s blood and “Trust in Yahweh” captured my attention again and again.  It was my anchor.  Yahweh was my anchor.  Yahweh IS my anchor.  Yahweh will ALWAYS be my anchor.  

                So right now, as I am coming down from an emotional rollercoaster, and as sweet Faith is sleeping on a mattress in our bedroom, I choose to trust Jesus.  Today I felt the helplessness of a parent whose child is in great pain.  (ha- interestingly the day before we celebrate the Resurrection of Christ) Today I realized (probably for the first time) that my daughter is not MINE, but entrusted to me for a season.  She is Yahweh’s.  She was His from the moment she was conceived.  She is a gift, and a precious one at that.  

                Please pray for us tonight.  Pray that her pain is managed by the medicine.   Pray that Jeff and I would have insight into her needs over these next few days.  Pray that I would keep my eyes upon Christ.  And pray against the temptation to go down THAT road.   It only leads to death.

Life in a Hotel Room

Wow. Since arriving in Charleston for Summer Project, life has drastically changed. Not because we're staying in a hotel room, but because Faith has learned how to do SO MUCH so quickly!

Here are a few things she's become an expert at:

1. Crawling. She follows me around the room and gets sad when there is an obstacle in the way.
2. Kissing Mama when she hasn't seen me in a while! It is slobbery, but so so so sweet.
3. Pulling up on things (okay, not an expert, but definitely getting there!)
4. Going from a crawling to sitting positon
5. Throwing a tantrum (usually when we're in a quiet place- her timing is IMPECCABLE!)
6. Looking really cute with one ponytail on top of her head (yup- hair is finally long enough)
7. Flinging herself off the bed (hasn't succeeded yet, but there have been some close calls)
8. Bonking her head (notice all the new physical activity)
9. Playing peek-a-boo (Faith puts her bib in front of her face, Mama says "where'd Faith go?" and Faith removes her bib and smiles and Mama says "There she is!")
10. Finding things on the floor to put in her mouth!

Sitting on grass for the first time!

On a boat for the first time!

Crawling on the grass!

6 Months and Counting...

Faith is now 6 months old! I can't believe it has been that long since Jeff, Mom and I were driving to the hospital! Seems like just yesterday...

And now for the pictures: Here is Faith in her day-to-day activities!


Faith with Daddy on a big, historic tree...


Faith with Mommy at Boone Hall Plantation in Charleston, SC

Sleeping like a diva!

Faith eats with both her eyes covered with her hands or an arm flung over her her face!


And my favorite pictures of Faith! These are taken at Boone Hall Plantation in Charleston, SC... Jeff is a great photographer!

Things I've learned...

Here are some things I've learned since becoming a Mommy- some are funny, some are serious.

1. I never knew I could love someone so much as I do my little girl
2. I think Jeff is a mega Hottie when he holds Faith
3. Poop can drip out of a diaper and onto a foot...and leave a trail on the carpet from the living room to the changing table in the nursery
4. The cry of a baby in the backseat of a car when you are driving is probably the most stressful sound I've ever heard... ever...
5. Sometimes someone (not to mention any names) can poop and spit up at the exact same time
6. If poop or pee gets on my sheets any time between 12am and 6am, I wipe it with a wipe, throw a towel over it, and go back to sleep- yes, on top of the poop or pee
7. I can fit into regular bathroom stalls now...
8. Running errands is a BIG deal, and I usually avoid them without Jeff
9. I can't figure out a good way to go grocery shopping- I can't see over the carseat sitting on top of the cart
10. I sit and wait for Baby Faith to smile... sometimes I just stare at her for a long time...
11. It is not always wise to kiss baby's feet- sometimes they take a dip into a dirty diaper when getting changed.
12. Sometimes jealousy creeps into my heart when someone else holds my baby for too long! Give her back! :)
13. The swing was a great invention- I've give that person a big HIGH FIVE!
14. You can't be prepared for being a parent- you just have to learn as you go along.
15. Having a baby makes me love Jeff even more- gosh, I can't even describe it!

Alright, that's it for now!

The Birth of Faith

It was 10:30pm on Wednesday night, October 13. We were scheduled to go in early Thursday morning where Noel would break my water and induce labor. Jeff and I were crawling into bed, well, for me, it was more of heave myself into bed, when I felt the first of my water breaking.

I went to the bathroom to confirm, and it was definitely my water breaking. I called out to Jeff to come to the bathroom, and with nervous excitement, I told him my water has just broken. He went to the top of the stairs and yelled down for my mom to come upstairs...we would be meeting Baby Faith soon!

And then the contractions started. Whatever I had been feeling for the last week was NOTHING compared to this immense and indescribable pain wracking my body. It started at my spine and intensified around my sides and met at my belly button. It was like a leg cramp but no relief. And this happened every 5 or so minutes.

The drive to the hospital, although only 10 minutes away, was hard. Jeff was trying to remain calm and telling me to try and relax my body, but there was no way I could relax. Why do they tell you to do that?

We checked in, and got settled into the room. For 3 hours I wanted to go natural, and when I hit 4cm and the contractions were coming closer and closer together, and I literally felt like I couldn't do it anymore, I asked for the epidural.

And my life changed.

I slept, chatted, and enjoyed my time watching my contractions on the monitor.

By 8:15am I was dilated to 10cm, and Noel had just arrived at the hospital. She told me to labor down, so they rolled me to my side for 30 minutes. Then at 8:45 I started pushing, and by 9:14am I held Baby Faith in my arms!

She was 7lb 8oz of pure beauty (even with all the gross stuff on her) and 20 inches long!

Although I wouldn't say I "enjoyed" labor, it was an overall positive experience. :)

3D Baby

Well, after waking up really sad that nothing happened last night, I went to see my Midwife today at 3:30. They did an ultrasound to see how big Faith was and to check out how much fluid is around her! She scored a 100% and things look great!

That said, the technician estimated her to be 8lb 5 oz. "AHH!" That was my first reaction. Second: "Time to get this baby outta there before she grows any more!"

So, after talking to my midwife, I'm dilated to 3 cm (she stripped my membranes) and she said that if I don't have Faith before, she'll schedule me to be induced on Thursday. Not through Pitocin, but by breaking my water!

So, we'll go into the hospital at 6am on Thursday! Water will be broken around 8:30- hopefully Faith will arrive soon after that! :)

Keep us all in your prayers! Sorry picture is blurred- Scanner isn't working so I had to take a picture of the 3D ultrasound...