A Lesson in Humility

It's weeks like this that make me so grateful to live near my parents. Hubby headed to Vegas for a conference yesterday, which would normally be no big deal. I'd stay home, take care of J.K. and stick to our schedule. That's not so easy when you're on bed rest. So my wonderful parents came to the rescue and invited me & J to move in with them for a few days.

It's weeks like this that make this pregnancy a very humbling experience. When you have no choice but to stay off of your feet you learn to accept help with every aspect of life. Not only did my parents invite us into their home, but they've given up their bedroom so that I don't have to go up and down the stairs. Last week a sweet friend came over for lunch. Before she left she emptied my dishwasher and took out my trash just so my hubby would have one less thing to worry about when he got home from a long day at work. We've had countless friends bring food so there's no need to worry about cooking. Our friends and family have been beyond generous and we are forever grateful to all of them. Accepting these wonderful acts of kindness is easier said than done. As my friend was emptying my dishwasher I kept telling her that she didn't have to do it. As my parents were telling me to sleep in their room I tried to convince them that I could handle the stairs once a day. Why is it so difficult to just accept the help being offered? I'm not sure what the answer is, but I have learned a lesson in humility and I hope to pay it forward when I'm back to life in the real world.

Baby Girl Has A Name

It's official, baby girl's name is Chelsea Hope! We both really liked the name Chelsea and we felt Hope was the perfect middle name for our sweet girl. After all we've been through over the past 3 years, Hope just seemed right. God has given us much hope, peace and happiness despite the loss of Olivia and the roller coaster pregnancies with J.K. and Chelsea.

I'm sorry I've been such a stranger latley. I have been working all day everyday, don't worry I can work from the comfort of my couch! I just haven't had time to blog or read blogs. I have a lot of catching up to do this weekend.

As for how Chelsea and I are doing, we went to my OB on Wednesday and got another great report. The bleed measured longer, but my doctor reassured me that it was healing. Apparently as it heals it can change shape, much like a bruise. So we are still feeling very confident that I'll carry to term. I'll be 24 weeks tomorrow, which is a big milestone week for us. I delivered Olivia at 24 and was in the hospital having contractions every 2 minutes with Jeffrey at 24. So I'm just praying to get past this week with no complications. I feel great and don't anticipate any problems, but it's always in the back of my mind.

Oh, and one last thing, I finally remembered to take a CD to save the pictures from our ultrasound last week. Of course sweet Chelsea absolutely refused to give us a profile picture, but we did get a sweet picture of her little face.

Our Follow-Up High Risk OB Visit is Today - UPDATED

UPDATE: Our visit went very well! The bleed continues to shrink, it's about half the size it was a month ago, which indicates that it is healing. Baby girl is growing like a weed and continues to be in the 52nd percentile for growth. I have been released from the high risk OB's care and will only see my regular OB for the remainder of the pregnancy. Thank you for your prayers. He's giving us peace with each passing day.

I just wanted to write a quick post to let you guys know that we have an appointment this afternoon with the high risk OB at 3 p.m. central time. I'm feeling much more at peace about this appointment than I did before my last one, but I'm still praying and would love for you guys to remember us in your prayers today as well. If everything looks good then we will be released from her care and will only see my OB every 2 weeks. Our baby girl has been moving and kicking like crazy, which never gets old and always gives me even more peace. I have been praying that God will heal this bleed and if I'm being honest that's a big step for me. I've really never been one to pray for healing, but through this process I've realized that it's okay to ask and it's okay to believe that He can and does provide healing. I guess this is one of the many lessons that He'll be teaching us throughout this pregnancy.

I'll be sure to update you guys this evening on how our visit goes.

Thanks for all of your love and support. It means so much!

Thankful - Part 2

I was reading the daily devotional at The Upper Room and it reminded me of the post that I wrote a couple of weeks ago. While reading today's scripture and devotion I realized, once again, just how important it is to always be thankful.

I'm thankful for so much this morning. He has sustained us through this emotional roller coaster of a pregnancy for 22 weeks and we're still doing well. I'm thankful that He has given me amazing family and friends. I'm thankful for this blog and those of you who have kept up with our little family and prayed for us when we've needed it most. Thank you.

Here's the copy from today's devotion:

Thank You!

Read 1 Corinthians 12:4-11

Encourage one another and build up each other, as indeed you are doing.
-1 Thessalonians 5:11 (NRSV)

AT first it appeared to be just another magazine subscription offer, in a standard white envelope. However, when I ripped it open I found a surprise.


"You have made history" began the note from a man who searches for the correct addresses of subscribers whose magazines have been returned to the publisher. He went on to say that he had never before received a thank-you letter from someone he had located. He was sending me a "thank you" for the thank-you card that I had sent in appreciation for their hard work in getting my magazines to the correct address.


Each of us has a different set of gifts that we can use to serve others. It is easy to forget the value of saying "thank you" to people who have used their gifts and skills to help us. We even forget to say thank you to God.


Expressing thanks for the life that God has given me feeds my soul. Giving thanks also helps me to remember that I am not alone. Offering a prayer of thanks connects me to the One who has created this beauty-filled earth. God and God's people help me through every day.

Allan Baker (Ontario, Canada)


Thank you, God, for the life you are breathing into this world. Help us to thank others for the kindness they show us. Amen.

It's That Time Again

I believe most of you that read our blog know our story and that it only makes sense for us to do all we can to support the charity nearest to our hearts, the March of Dimes. For the third year in a row our families and friends will walk in Olivia's memory with our team Olivia's Butterflies in the March for Babies on April 24th. Now it's pretty obvious that I won't be walking the 4 miles since I'm on bed rest, but that won't stop me from doing all that I can to raise awareness and funds for the organization.

Prematurity or birth defects aren't really things one thinks about until it happens to them or someone they love. I had no clue about the reality of preterm birth until it happened to me. Our story isn't an easy one to read. It isn't an easy one to talk about, but it MUST be shared in order to save lives. Please click here if you don't know the story of our precious Olivia.

So once again, I'm asking for your support if you can offer it. If you live in the Birmingham area it would mean so much to us if you were able to join our friends and family this year to walk with our team in April. It is bitter sweet knowing that I won't be there, bitter because I want to be there and sweet because I know I'm doing everything in my power to ensure this baby girl gets a full 9 months. To learn more about the walk, donate or join the team you can click here or click that cute little button in the right-hand corner of the page.

Thank you for supporting us through our journey,
Lurenda

JK Sings His ABC's

As promised, here's a sampling of the fun we've been having with the new Flip camera. JK loves to sing his ABC's. Try to ignore my horrid back-up singing. :)

Blog Candy @ Hello Gorgeous!

Before I forget, you must go check out the Blog Candy Giveaway at Hello Gorgeous! She's giving away a bunch of supplies to make homemade cards, which would be an awesome way for me to pass time while hanging out on the couch. Not only does she have a great giveaway, but she also has some great handmade jewelry that you'll want to check out while you're there.