Miracles...

Miracles come in all forms, shapes and sizes. They may be big or small, something you have prayed for-or a surprise from God, a restored relationship, a new friendship, love like you've never known...but whatever form or size that they come in, they are miracles none the less. I have learned more about being thankful for God's miracles in the last 7 days than I have in my life. I pray that Daniel and I will be forever changed because of what God has done in our lives!



I have been blessed with 2 big miracles in tiny bodies. One is 23 months old and getting WAY too big too fast. She has curly brown hair, green eyes and a tender heart. She's my "bes fend" (best friend) as she says and I love her dearly. She is very verbal for her age, is very into knowing and telling you what color things are and LOVES music. During the last 6 weeks, her tender heart has shone like a bring light. During little "moments" of wondering if she would really get to be a big sister or praying for God's grace for getting us through the birth of her brother, I would be teary eyed and she would crawl into my lap (if she wasn't already there!) and say "K Mommy? Tissue Mommy...I wuv u mommy"...I pray that God will grow and use that tender heart of hers to minister to others. I pray that she will continue to be sensitive to God's calling on her life...my first tiny miracle is almost 2 and time has flown.


My second tiny miracle is 1 week old today. I was writing on his calendar in the NICU this morning...and EVERY single day has been a "First" of sorts so here's the rundown...



Wednesday: Born at 1:16 pm 7lb 2oz 19 3/4 in long. Brown hair, savage tan, diaphragmatic hernia...STABLE...cried 2 time for me to hear in the operating room...still STABLE



Thursday: Surgery to repair diaphragmatic hernia (Dr.'s said all along that Friday would be the earliest and best case scenario...took longer than expected, but went "very well" per his surgeon. He was able to repair the hole by pulling the diaphragm together and not having to use a synthetic patch to repair...very STABLE



Friday: Off of the Vent...are you kidding me...very stable...they suggested that you would be on this for a while! They took you off of the Vent at shift change and told us that you would be on a C-PAP machine. When we came back at 9-you were on Vapo-therm(a step below C-Pap)...basically a nasal cannula of oxygen with warm moist air. You remained on 21% (what you and I breathe) but getting 4 liters (a faster flow) STILL STABLE. Dr. Camps informed us that not only were your small intestine's in your chest cavity, but ALSO part of your large intestine, your spleen and your appendix. YET-he is amazed at how great your lungs look! HELLO-can you say miracle!

Saturday: First feed...yep-that's right first feed in your tube. 10 cc's...and you loved it

Sunday: Mommy gets to hold you for the first time! IV out of hand!

Monday: Line taken out of belly button. Tube moved to an NG tube and you are a happy boy to have that tube out of your mouth and in your nose instead...well not really-you try your hardest to pull out the oxygen and your tube!

Tuesday: First Bottle!! Daddy got to hold you for the first time and CHEST TUBE taken out!!! Dropped your oxygen to 2 liters

Wednesday: For your 1 week birthday they took you OFF OF YOUR OXYGEN completely! And as I type you are currently in a "special care" room-no longer in the "critical care" portion of the NICU. Translation...we are closer to the exit sign!

ARE YOU KIDDING ME!!!! I keep telling people that we are not walking with God, we are SPRINTING with God. I pray that one day y'all will get to see his chest x-rays as proof of God's miracles. His first x-ray after surgery looks like he has spaghetti noodles in 1/2 of his chest and his heart is completely squished to the side...now your heart is exactly where it should be and it appears as you have 3/4 lung function on your "squished" lung side. Your neonatologist said that Dr. Shipley (my OB) told him about us in December and he had been worried about you. We talked again today and he said that he was amazed at all you had done in a week. I said I know-I thought we'd still be on the Vent...and he said-or on ECMO. Just to remind you, that's the heart lung bypass machine that they prepared us for him to have to go on...and it sounds like they expected him to go on...but then there's God's plan. As I said earlier this week. God's hand has been described as "amazing", "poster child for diaphragmatic hernia's", "can't believe how well he's done", "he's a little miracle"...and yes he is. He is another one of God's miracles and he just happens to be entrusted to me and Daniel to be his parents.

I can not tell you how I feel, one week later. When I think about everything that God has done to heal him in the last 7 days...there just aren't words. There are no words to describe seeing your child hooked up to machines and wires and wondering, praying, pleading with God that he would be able to breathe on his own. That he would experience a true quality of life. That he would not have any issues with his heart, that he would not have to be on tons of medication or remain on oxygen for a long time. That somehow in all of this, God would work in such a way that people would see his hand and know that it was nothing that the doctors had done...prayers answered.

There are so many things that I can do now, that I feared before. I can throw away the funeral "just in case sheet" that I had hidden and focus on a birth announcement, I can finally purchase a "coming home" outfit, I can buy "brother sister outfits", I can complete his room by adding canvases with his initials, I can wash the bassinet bedding, I can sit in his rocking chair and pray for the day that he comes home....so much to do in a short amount of time...my newest miracle is flying through the NICU and ready to come home to his sister!

So, whatever size shape or form your miracles came in for today...be thankful for them...and don't stop looking for them every day! Thank you all for praying for mine. Here is the verse we have taped in his bassinet at the hospital along with Joshua 1:9, "Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to YOUR name, be the glory because of your love and faithfulness." Psalm 115:1