Our Miracles in the Making

January 2011 is Birth Defects Awareness Month

2011-01-09T06:51:00.000-08:00

Did you know that January 2011 is Birth Defects Awareness Month?

while most genetic birth defects are caused by uncertainty, there are many things a mother to be can do to make herself healthy, and aid in prevention against Birth defects.

This is why our family is involved with the March of Dimes, March for babies. On May 1 , 2011, our family will be walking for the third straight year in honor of our son Liam.

If you are unaware of Liam's story, click here. Liam was diagnosed while just 12 weeks gestation with a Cystic Hygroma. This birth defect occurs about 1, in 5,000-10,000 births. Basically, Liam's Lymphnode system was "immature"" and not funtioning. In a normal body, your Lymphnodes are responsible for secreting your fluids throughout your entire body. As you know, you have Lymphnodes in your head and neck area, not to mention other areas. The fluid was not being secreted, and just filling up in n his neck and head. Of course, this is quite bad news, and is usually a symptom of another underlying cause.

Liams prognosis was quite grim. However, we watched him every week on ultrasounds, and monitored his well being. We had several tests done to determine his condtion including, amniocentisis, so we could deliver him at the best possible hospital.

Liam's story ends in victory with a miracle. However, we know that this for some reason isnt always the way the story goes. As believers, we realize God has a plan in all things. He has lead us to the March for Babies; to keep raising awareness for these such Birth defects, the QUALITY of life, prematurity, and sometimes still birth.

We are currently looking for walkers to Join TEAM MIRACLES 2011. Walk with us on May 1, 2011, and help raise awreness for all "miracle " babes!

Click on the link and Join our team, OR make a tax deductible donation....and remember no donation is too small.....just like,

" A person is a person, no matter how small"- dr. seuss

www.marchforbabies.com/amrisser

I am BACCCCKKKK, with a cool fundraiser ANNOUNCEMENT!

2010-11-23T08:30:00.001-08:00

Hello Faithful blogger friends! I am back and have a lot to say! It has been almost a whole year retreat since my last entry. I have lots to post but first and foremost I would like to announce A HUGE Cyber Monday Sale/Fundraiser coming up this coming Monday. please listen.....

A dear old friend, who is also known to many of you at the Knowing Norrah blog site, is adopting again. yes they are getting ready to open their home to a new life, following the call the Lord has placed on their hearts. The really awesomeness of the whole thing is they are anticipating the Lord to provide 100% of their adoption fees. For those of you new to the adoption conversation, you won't be surprised to learn that adoption is a process and costs well, a lot of money. On another amazing note Lu's family has already raised over $10,000 of their adoption costs, putting them about half way towards their goal.

Here is where it gets fun: This coming Monday is known as Cyber Monday. There will be a raffle/silent auction on the LU Adopts website. Up for grabs are some fun, amazing gifts, you can win, for much below their retail value! AND not only will the shopping be fun, BUT ALL of the profit will be going to LU's personal adoption AND the Davenport's embryo adoption. Click here to read another amazing adoption story. Some of the items include, a massage, photogrpahy session, Premier Designs Jewelry, handmade gifts like tutus, head bands, and many other really cute things. SHOP FOR the holidays, or shop for you! Please go to LU ADOPTS for complete details on how the raffle/auction works. You can do this from home or work, without even going out to the mall!

I am supporting this fundaraiser because it is supporting the sanctity of LIFE. I am boldly a pro-LIFER, and adoption supports the value of any and all life, including embryo adoption. Directions on bidding, raffling, and even some sneak peaks of the items, are here at LUadopts!
Happy bidding/and best of luck on those raffles!

Toxic Synivitis, and a stay at the hospital.

2010-04-10T09:12:00.000-07:00

Our last couple days this week spent on somewhat of a rollercoaster.

monday, Drew began limping slightly, figured he had been out playing all weekend, and he pulled a muscle or something, no biggie, tuesday came and he began mentioning his "boo boo" on his leg, pointing to his knee. And by wednesday, he was refusing to walk, climb, do stairs and making a fuss about it.

i decided to go with my gut and take him to the doctor to have it looked at. Felt a little silly doing this being that there was no swelling bruising or any trauma I could remember.

The doctor determined the pain was coming from his hip, and recommended x-rays, to rule out an infection in the hip joint.

X-rays, led us to ultrasounds, and we were recommneded by Orthodeic Associates to go to the emergency room. i was a bit surprised by the urgency of everything, and began to get nervous. The ER trip may have been one of the quickest i had ever experienced, and Drew went though all x-rays and ultrasounds very easily, with out a fuss.

The ER doc, wanted to take some blood and labs, and start an IV on drew almost right away. These showed that his white cell count was elevated. The doctor explained that small kids can get a cold virus in their hip. Howver, a few other things can mimic these symptoms as well, including lime disease and Septic Hip (toxic arthritis). Since the white cell count was very slightly elevated they admitted him and put in an IV.

We got into a room around 9pm. and drew was exhausted. He had napped in the er for about 1 and a half hours, after the IV was put in. I think he was exhausted, they had pappoosed him, and he was frightened. It wore the little guy out. In his room we met with a team of docs and nurses and told us they wanted to prep him for surgery in the morning, to drain the fluid and test it. This was so scary, they were very concerned about his well-being at this point.

He recieved hydration fluids, and motrin at that point. I literally just stayed in the crib bed with him the entire visit. That nite, he fell asleep around 11pm, and I just prayed with him for the next few hours.

Around 3am the orthodeic Doctor finally came in, and was pleased to see he wall healthy other than the limp hip. No high fever, no signs of infection. By the time he came in the next morning, he felt if wasn't completely nesc. to put him under genral anesthesia and drain the fluid. Praise God, I had been praying all night with drew that this would not need to happen.
We were able to be observed for several more hours and come home in the afternoon.

I must say, seeing Drew tied to wires and IV's wasn't easy. He was so strong and brave. In fact, as his IV was being put in, he began crying and then praying very loudly. It amazed me, he saw God in all of it. At such a young age he was looking to Jesus for comfort and to calm his fears. So precious. If only all of our faith's could be this strong all the time. As grown up's we can sometimes forget to go to our Father for healing and to calm our fears. There in the midst of Er docs and nurses, not worrying about what others may think: Thank you Drew, let us all have faith like the little ones:

"I assure you, unless you turn from your sins and become as little children, you will never get into the kingdom of Heaven. Therefore, anyone who becomes as humble as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven. And anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf is welcoming me. " Matthew 18:3-5

SOMETHING to blog about.

2010-01-28T09:53:00.000-08:00

Hey blog readers. If you read my blog frequently, you will know that March of Dimes holds a special place in our hearts, along with many of our friends. I often thank God for this blog and the many "miracle babies" and friends we have met on our journey. That's why I am asking you to consider pledging, and supporting Team Miracles this March for babies season. Your money goes right into our community providing research antreatments for prenatal care, and babies born too soon. By clicking on the link on my side bar :you can donate online, it's easy and simple! Whether is just $1.00 or $100.00 your decisoin will be a good one!!!! Thanks for considering, and check back on our progress...OUR TEAM GOAL IS $3000.00!!! GO TEAM!

Say What?!

2010-01-15T09:43:00.000-08:00

This little boy is beginning to have a lot to say......

last night he came to me very concerned and said,

"mommy, i have a broken heart...."
in to which I responded "you do?"

I am sure he heard this from someone else and was repeating it, but it sure was a hoot the way he said it with much passion.

aghhh drew, our little heart-breaker.

Check me OUT!

2010-01-12T09:55:00.000-08:00

here is a sneak peak of my newly begun Runner in the Making blog....stop by and watch my progess :)

Wordless Wednesday

2010-01-06T11:52:00.000-08:00

It was another windy, snow kissed morning in our neck of the woods today, what is the weather like where you live?

Blogger's Block, Jibber Jabber, a haircut and Fall Fun!

2009-12-04T09:41:00.000-08:00

I know I know, I am way behind on a post. i have to admit I have had a bit of "blogger's block" but have come up with a few things to post about in the near future. The first being is that We cut all of Liam's hair off. And for those of you who hadn't seen Liam in a while, you will know that his "mop" was an understatement.
BEFORE:

It had been time I guess. Although i teared ever minute of it! Comments like " oh what a beautiful little girl you have", and "what beautiful blue eyes SHE has"! lol. It was time, check out the before and after pics AFTER:

Little Liam has started talking quite a bit. It started about a month ago with mama, dada, bye bye. But he is moving up to things like doggie, night-night, granma, pap, mommy and so on. He never hesitates to repeat what we are saying. This has come as a big surprise to me. i never knew a 15 month old to talk so much. Drew never spoke until 2 or 2 and a half. and has only begun really talking in the last 3 months. I will be posting soon on Drew's progress ... As of right now all of his therapies seem to be paying off. This would include OT, Special Iterenrant, and Speech therapy. We still do not have a clinial diagnosis, which at this point has not been pursued, but is somewhat " assumed" he is in a very functioing autism spectrum. Such as asberger's or PDD (pervasive developmental disorder). Again i hope to post more details later on this subject! But I like to tell everyone, we really don't want to "label" him as any of things, because to us he is simply, Drew :) Otherwise, we have busy doing fun things this fall. Check out some pics and see how we have been keeping busy!

Baby Ava Grace

2009-10-17T19:26:00.000-07:00

It is with with deep sympathy I announce
the birth and death of Baby Ava Grace. Born silently monday october 12, 2009 at 8:34am. For those who have been following this story, i was able to get the opprutnity to get to know Jerissa back in August. At that time she was 12 weeks along, and her baby girl was diagnosed with a Cystic hygroma ( Liam's diagnosis). She found our blog, and was able to connect with me by phone. We then had the chance to meet on a few occasions, pray, and speak with one another. Jerissa and Eric's daughter was also diagnosed at 15 weeks with Turner's Syndrome.
There baby Girl went into Hydrops at that time and continued to press on until this week. She went to be with lord on monday morning, straight from her mama into the hands of God.
Ava Grace's service was this morning. It was a very beautiful service. I am so proud of my friends' Eric and Jerissa. It is truly amazing how god has brought these two strangers into our lives under such circumstances. He has truly revealed himself in this family. There faith in God has remained steadfast. Though the road ahead of them is a very long and tough one, In my heart I know they will remain faithful and use Ava's miraculous testimony to bring other's to Christ. Ava is a miracle. So neat to see and hear of yet another mriacle babe, whom God has used to change the lives of so many.
Would you lift this family up in prayer with me? As you can imagine, this family is rejoicing that their daughter is healed now, and in the amrs of Jesus. But they already are missing her terribly as well. Please pray that their hearts will be filled with peace and blessings. That they will continue to know God is near, and will sustain them with enough "grace" to make it through another day.

Unite to Fight Against Prematurity

2009-10-08T08:54:00.000-07:00

Join the Fight Against Prematurity and Prental Health!
Did you know that November is Premturity Awareness Month?
Join thousands and support the fight against Preemie babies. Our family supports the March of Dimes, and walks for the March for Babies every April. You can contact me to get involved. Team Miracles is forming now.
We chose to get involved, because of our son's poor prental disgnosis( see here), and the many friends and families, who have been touched by a baby given a poor prenatal diagnosis or have been born prematurly.
Recently, my very dear friend, Heather, welcomed her faternal twins into the world 15weeks Early. You can click here to read their story. It is truly one of many miracles. Jaron and Teagan are now approaching their "due date" and growing by leaps and bounds. they still have a road ahead of them. This is just another family who has been affected by this cause. Consider donating or joining the March for Babes this year (miraclesmade@gmail.com).
And remember on November 17-is Premature Awareness Day nationwide.

there is a preschooler in da house.

2009-09-24T09:01:00.000-07:00

literally. we now officially have a preschooler in our house.
let me start by saying I am not one of those mom's who tends to cry when my children reach a monumental milestone. just am not that way, sometime wish i was. Last week, on drew's first day, he was excited to don his Thomas "pack pack" as we took pictures and prepared. I imagined he would go in without much of a fuss, but maybe would be a bit hesitate just because he did not know anyone.
to much of my surprise, drew wasn't the one who had any hesistations!!!!
When I left him with his teacher, he marched right in the room, and didn't even look back. As I yelled "Bye Drew" he never even looked back. He didn't even say good bye.
Now i am not trying to sound ridiculous or anything. By i tried again, "cya drew"
but he was gone. Off with his new friends, classmates, and new adventures. As i walked away slowly with liam, I started thinking of all the things drew would be expereincing this year at preschool. field trips, circle time, playtime. Such a big boy already.
Tears couldn't help but find there way down my cheeks. I was filled with much excitement for him, and yet sad to see him off with out him actually clinging to my leg and wanting only his mama.
Yes, he is growing up. a whole three years young. sigh. (remember I am not one of those moms). when I pulled away that day, I wasn't even sure what lee and i would be doing, just the two of us and all. The time actually passed slow. I missed him....
When the time came to pick up drew, he was muttering a mile a minute, talking about Preschool. I wasn't sure what he was saying but it must have been good.
So, after all of this I am wondering what is it going to feel like the day he gets on the bus and goes to kindergarden?
Mercy.

March for Babies 2010!

2009-09-15T09:54:00.000-07:00

Last year we joined the cause and walked to gain awareness for Prenatal Care and the fight against Premature babies, One day ALL Babies will be born healthy!!!!!
As you can IMAGINE we had an AMAZING success and gained over $1440 for team Liam/Miracles!
This upcoming year, we are hoping to at least DOUBLE our team size and earnings!!!
The March for Babies is scheduled for Sunday, April 25, 2010 at 11:30am!!!
We had a BLAST last year, and our hoping to do this same this year. We will begin fundraising in December. Team Miracles is forming once again!
What can you do?
We need WALKERS!!!! you and your family can sign up to walk, by letting me know you are interested! I will get you all nescasary matierials and help you get underway in the new year. One member of your family can register, and you are all welcome to join us on the days event, which include picnic after the walk!!!!
We need sponsors/donations! If you are unable to walk you can donate come the new year, letme know, and i wll get the info to make a tax-deductible donation!
We need your prayer support! we would of course appreciate your prayer support through this, and most of all to reach people, who may need hope, in a time of grief, or dealing with pregnancy loss, prematurity, and still birth.

YOU CAN help make The 2010 March for Babies a Success! Thank you, and stay tuned for more event s and fundraisers to come!

Celebrating 8 years....and my wonderful husband :)

2009-09-09T09:53:00.000-07:00

it's fun to look back and remonice the youthful years. The past 8 years have brought about change, and looking back I can't help but think about how life used to be, and how it is now. let me clearify.
My hubby and i married young (20 and 22)...okay not that young, but according to some standards set today, that may be young. We we would have told you we knew everything there was to know, and marrying at that point was what we did. we had been courting for over 4 years.
Life for us began in 2001, just days before the world changed on 9/11/01, as we ourselves honeymooned at the beach. We ate at fine restaraunts, and stayed up past 12. we slept in til 9am.
We resided in a small apartment above my hubby's work, it was perfect, it was home. Our new adevnture in marriage where accompanyed by adjustmenst and sometimes bickering about learning of one another. Also, great late night dinner conversations over wine, and long weekend getaways, just about every month.
life seemd busy at that time....not sure what we were so busy with, except maybe eachother.
i look back at those early years, with fond memories to build on. We had many adventures, trips, arguments, and holidays.
I look at how are life has shaped into not just each other anymore, but a family unit. And the role my husband has become. father, provider, husband, strengthener, encourager and so on.
we often laugh when people tell us how good we are together. it's funny, i often say "we go together like peas and carrots"
anyoine who knows us would know we are almost exact opposite in personality but complete likeness in our beliefs and foundations. I guess that what has always kept us going strong. Not the disagreements about where to go on vacation, but maybe our spritual foundations and how we want to raise these boys to be great men of God someday.
i realize this blog is kinda of skipping around alot. i in no way mean to speak greatness or advice over 8 years of marriage. I will wait for our 50 year anniversary to do that.
Life HAS changed, and the truth is I am enjoying it. I will cherish those "early" years, and enjoy the days to come. Just as I cherish the years olf baby toes, diapers, and butterfly kisses. We have changed. But our lives and love for each other have grown stronger, together, and in the people we have yet to become.
1997-present.

The Birthday Cheese.

2009-09-04T11:11:00.001-07:00

here is a recap from the big day....

A very Happy Birthday Indeed!

2009-08-18T17:08:00.000-07:00

I still am in awe of this little miracle, and celebrating his one year of LIFE today!
what a miracle this past year has been, and will continue to be. liam's life has changed ours, and many others around the world! Through his cause we have met many amazing new friends, and brothers and sisters in Christ!

We celebrated Liam's special day all through the weekend! On Sunday we had a small party with our family, Liam even enjoyed some yummy zucchini cake!
He was a bit taken back by all the attention at once!

he did very well opening all of his thoughtful gifts.....

and on Monday we took a special trip to the Choo-choo barn and Railroad museum. I highly recommend the Choo-Choo barn when visiting our neck of the woods!

But most of all we celebrate Liam's LIFE, and are so grateful for God's grace and soverienty. Take a look at all of these other beautiful miracle babies, there blogs are to the left....stop by check them out, and pray for them and their familes, as you did ours...
I can remember a while back writing this post : The Power of 12. At 12 months of age. I think back, to when I was just 12 weeks along in my pregnancy with Lee, and his prognosis was grim. God has truly showed me many things on this journey, and lit a faith in me I want to share with the world. Our God really is a mighty God, the only one, and he has a plan through any circumstance.
I will be sure to post pictures from the birthday festivities, but first i love to reminice....

NOT Me Monday

2009-08-10T18:28:00.001-07:00

Here we ago with another Not me Monday. Click here to start your own Not Me Monday, it is fun, and guilt-free!!!
This IS NOT my my first monday in like 3 months. i am great about participating every WEEK IN THIS SILLY BLOG CARNIVAL!

I absolutely did NOT use this, a blue tootsie roll lollipop as a bribing device to give my 3 year old his hair cuit. He DID NOT kick, scream , and cry while my husband and myself held him down to buzz his very shaggy hair. it did not take 1 hour plus to achieve these results. I would like to add our 3 year old never misbehaves, or refuses to do things that are not on his agenda, including haircuts.

My little lee has NOT turned into a "SCA" (sweet corn aholic). Most evenings you will not witenss him sitting in his high chair knawing on corn cobs. He absolutely DOES NOT go crazy whenever he sees corn flapping his arms and clapping when we give him a piece. and in case you didn't know up here in these "parts" we have, grow, freeze and EAT alot of sweet corn!

And lastly,I did not "escape" on a 4 day trip to Texas with a few of my "bestests" for my businesse's National Convention. My Business just So happens to be A jewelry direct sales company I LOVE. I DID NOT have a blast; shopping, eating out and being "on my own" for the extended weekend. I DID however come home relaxed, refresshed, and ready to go back to my mommy duties. I think I missed them more than they missed me!

Can You believe it?

2009-08-08T11:45:00.000-07:00

Speaking of all these miracle babys...

Can you Believe this little blue eyed babe is having a birthday in just 10 days?? Me niether!!!

Isaiah 26:2-5

2009-08-07T12:12:00.000-07:00

"open the gates to all who are righteous; allow the faithful one to enter.
You will keep in Perfect Peace all who trust in you, whose thoughts are fixed on you!"
Isaaih 26:2-5

PLEASE be in Prayer for these Familes

2009-08-06T20:11:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends:

Twin Babies Shellenberger are here: just a couple of hours ago i was informed that my very dear friend Heather, gave birth to her twin baby boy and girl Shellenberger this evening, 15 weeks premature.
As you can imagine, we are drenching this family in prayer and petition. Baby Girl Shellenberger weighing in at 1 lb. 11 oz. and Baby boy weighing in at 1 lb. 14 oz. Babies are stable and mom is recovering.
Please LIFT THIS FAMILY up, these babies are a testimony of the miraculous power of Jesus Christ, and we ask that he keep them strong, and that they continue to move forward. You can read Heather and Mitches updates at the following site...click here.

Baby W-our friends J and E will undergo amnio in the next 12 hours for their baby just 15 weeks gestation. There baby in the womb has been diagnosed with a Cystic hygroma, and poor prenatal diagnosis. Please be praying for healing, and guidance of the doctors tomorrow during and after their procedure.
Thanks, and let's continue to lift these familes up to our Lord, the ultimate healer!

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Prayer request and Update , When God Winks

2009-08-05T18:21:00.000-07:00

Update****
I am updating on our friends J and E. They are currently 15 weeks pregnant. Their baby has been diagnosed with a Cystic Hygroma, and poor prenatal diagnosis. As mentioned before I have had the chance to meet with this family and though we have been brought together through similar, and unfortunate circumstances, we have been able to become friends, and help each other through their process.
On Friday, "J" will be undergoing her Amniocentisis, to determine what chromosome factors could be contributing to their babies cystic hygroma. Click here to read about Cystic Hygroma's (this babie's and our son's prental condition).
Our prayer is that God is ALREADY AT WORK in healing this baby's Hygroma, AND that this baby is a very healthy, strong life!!!!
God has a plan, and J and E are prepared for the path God lays before them.
Will you join us in praying for:
1. The great physicians guidance over Dr. B during the procedure on Friday,
2. for healing of this babies lymphnodes, to begin funtioning and secreting fluid prorperly, and
3. for peace and healing to J's body through the process.
We praise God for this little one, he or she is INDEED already a miracle.
I will update as needed.

When God Winks....

2009-07-23T17:52:00.000-07:00

This morning the phone rang, and I began a conversation with someone that i had never met personally, but felt like I had know an eternity. A fellow blog reader stumbled on our blog, looking for hope in their prenatal diagnosis with a Cystic Hygroma, the same as little Liam's.
I will refer to this couple as "J" and "E". (for their confidentiallity)
J explained last week of her diagnosis and her grim prognosis. She mentioned she was "surfing" for answers as weall do sometimes on the net. She found my blog on a google search and was stunned to find we lived in the same county.
We were able to spend a bit of time exchanging stories and exhanged information.
This evening after our conversation i had the opprutunity to sit and talk with J and E in their home. We met with their pastor, and another friend. Again we exchanged storiesand pictures of the babies, via ultrasound! Which is almost exact in nature to our diagnosis. Click here to read Liam's story. We even share the EXACT same doctors and specialists! We were able to pray over there baby, and ask God for healing of their childs lymphnode system and for a complete healing process, and perfect baby.
I specifically am asking my fellow blog readers, friends and family, to please uplift this family in your prayers. there are indeed praying for complete restoration, and our excited to see God's plan at work in their situation. Please pray for healing, peace, and grace over their hearts. And ultimatly for God's will to be done. Spefically for their tests on August 7 (amnio), and future ultrasounds to come. I will update as needed.
It's truly amazing the way God can work, even through the internet. Coincidence? no, I like to think of them as "winks" from our big daddy looking down :)

Blog Hop-Recipe, Pepper Steak 101

2009-07-21T18:39:00.000-07:00

okay-so we have Not me Mondays, Wordless Wednesdays...how about Tasty Tuesdays
if you know me, you know that since I have become a stay at home mama i have enjoyed taking more time to cook new dishes, with better ingredients. Not only that, I love to to then, pair the dish with a great wine. emmm. Nothing better than that really. So maybe you will want to join in for tasteful tuedays---probably won't happen every tuesday...these things take time :)

tonite i prepraed this SUPER easy Pepper Steak dish with Rice. Totally yummy. totally easy. Check it out and give it a whirl. Paired it with an AMAZING orchard salad, and red, medium bodied wine: Shiraz. Jacob's Creek one of the greatest in-expensive Shiraz variety. Yumm-o. totally goes great with the pepper steak. Enjoy...

gather your ingredients.

you will need:

brown instant rice- 2cups

1 green pepper

1 red pepper

1 onion

black pepper

salt

1 pound sirloin steak sliced thin stir fry style

1/2 c. your fav barbeque sauce

3T. lite soy sauce

cloves garlic

spray large frying pan with oil. slice all veggies and add to frying pan on med-high heat.

meanwhile-cook rice ( i use instant, brown) tonite I used mixed, that is what i had.

cook veggies until tender-crip-put in bowel-set aside.

Add meat to pan, season with garlic, salt and lots of freshly cracked pepper. (eye ball it) Be generous on the pepper-after all it is pepper-steak :) cook-5-7 minutes til medium finish.

Add Soy. Cook 1 minute or until cooked through. Reduce heat. add barbeque, stir until heated through. Return vegtables to pan, stir.

Place rice on plate, top with pepper steak ........emmmmm.

the orchard salad is simple. i use romain lettuce, top it with mixed greens, like spinach, escr., dandeloin, etc. Top with walnuts, and dried fruit. I prefer dried cranberries. Slice an apple and lay on the top. Drizzle with raspberry vinegerette. I prefer Wishbone's Raspberry Walnut Lite vinigerette.

Enjoy!

don't forget to top it off with a bottle of shiraz:

Love it, and hope you do too !

Welcom MckLinky, and Miracles in the Making!

2009-07-03T09:19:00.000-07:00

Welcome Mcklinky....a new way to check out some cool blogs while getting your own blog traffic!
click on Mclinky for details! Thanks for stopping by and read below our introduction to Miracles in the Making!
Welcome to our Miracles in the Making Blog!!!
Our journey began in January 2008 when our unborn son, just 12 weeks gestation was diagnosed with a Cystic Hygroma, a very rare, and dangerous birth defect in which his lymphnodes were not functioning properly. click here to read Liam's testimony. today we are sharing his remarkable story of healing, and giving the glory to our Father, Jesus Christ.
Miracles in the Making was renamed in May 2009, and included both of our son's acheivements even in times of uncertainty. Liam overcoming everything the docs ever thought he would be at only 11 months old, and drew, 3 years old showing his determination through significant speech and developmental delays. Stop our blog that frequents recipes, Not me Mondays, Mom to mom advice and humor from a busy mom's perspective! And most of all to reach out to those who may be going through similar diagnosis and trials...don't be a starnger!

Click here to enter your link in the blog hop and view the entire list of entered links...

How to Lose a Guy "Oey" in 10 days.

2009-06-03T18:23:00.000-07:00

So here it is. I am a "Paci" free Mommy to one half of my litter. I know you are all beckoning how...how?? lol. First of all, let me clearify: An "oey" (rhymes with Joey, without the j) is a Pacifier, well at least in our family. Drew has called it that for the last year and a half. We used to call it a Nunny, this was his translation of that.
We have all dreaded for the day we got rid of all oeys. We have talked of doing it for the last year really. However, Drew having some developmental delays, takes to change rather harshly, and we felt it was still a deep comfort object to him. This is the point where you all gasp that we still allowed our 3 year old to posses his Oey at bedtime. Let me explain....
I will start by mentioning I have been a mom from the getgo that is all about the comfort of my child. I tend to "like the idea" of attached parenting, although i find all aspects of it to not be pertentant in the world we live. Breastfeeding the first year if you can-yah! Co sleeping-yah! i have been even been seen "wearing" my boys in a pouch or sling carrier. Yes. i say I am maybe I little crunchy. But not full throttle...get my drift. I am not an advocate of the "crying it out" methods, such as ferber or baby wise. I kinda of Cringe at the thoughts to be honest. I say this b/c i feel these methods don't always work for all children, and sometimes, young babies need cuddles and closness : To build secruity and trust. Dont' get me wrong:These methods have worked for many mom's I know: just not my parenting style. i say to each their own :)
So when I brought my babies home from the hospital,nursing, i welcomed an "oey". I have heard of Nipple confusion and what not, however, my little guys were "suckers" literally from the get go, so, I soothed them by nursing AND pacifing, b/c to be honest, i myself did not want to be a human pacifier.
Drew was a very fussy baby, I nursed him a very short time, he grew attahced to his oey at a very young age. It was my only sanity through his infancy. (gasp).
There i admitted it. It only mountain-hilled as he aged, and got harder to convincemyself, or him of the idea of taking it. However, I felt, if he "needed" it as a comfort object, i would comply at bedtime. The "oey" was limited to sleepytimes around 2 years old.
I started really feeling the crunch a few weeks ago around drews THIRD birthday, noticing him only "needing" it to fall asleep at night, or nap time. What the hey? Why not replace it with another comfort object?
8 days ago, i cut the nipple right off of Oey, and stratigically placed it under drew's pillow where he finds it every night. On this night however, drew gasped and said uh-oh?
in his own words....
"uh-oh ummy, ut append?" (uh oh mommy what happend?)
"it boken." (it's broken)
I went on to explain that oey is now broken and we don't need it any more. At that point drew picked it up and THREW it against the wall.
I cringed at the thought of the on coming tantrum.
However, his lip just quivered, he got really sad, and hunkered down in my arms. It took awhile for him to fall asleep that night. But we haven't looked back. He has done amazing. And really, some big part of me is just so proud of him. It was a hard thing for him, b/c I know he was so attached. It was an even HARDER for thing for mummy and daddy, because we didn't not know what to even expect.
so there, that is how you lose an oey in 10, well really, 8 days. I bet you are so glad you read this post. Now you know what an oey is :)

Trip to the Mountains, take 1.

2009-06-02T11:59:00.000-07:00

So memorial day weekend landed us at the family cabin for the weekend. We were blessed by good weather, and good company. My sister headed up with us along with her fiance', "Gug". As drew likes to call him. Soon to be Uncle Gug.
We had a great time froggin, fishin, relaxing and walking. enjoyed seeing some deer and a family of five bairs on the premises as well. My ever so adventorous/Grizzly bear of a husband, gambeled with nature by taking a plate of scraps out to them WHILE they were outside with their cubs, enjoying some corn. Not the brightest crayon in the box you say?
Oh, in fact he is. I trust his natural/ mountain instincts a little too well I suppose. As soon as he made his appearance, "they" made their exit. My husband is the avid out doorsman. grew up on a farm, cabin in the mountains, fisherman, snake catcher, frog snatcher, bear chaser, whatever you want to call him. He knows what to mess with and what to avoid. Okay so maybe I was at the window beckoning him to come back inside the whole 1.32 minutes he was gone but , anyhow, you get the point. I trust his outdoorsy style.
We were only up for about 3 days. Totally got us stoked for our big trip coming in 2 weeks. We are heading up for 8 days. Have some amazing picnics and daytrips planned...can't wait!
Drew loves the mountains too, taking after his daddy. Liam didn't weather it too badly either. They both sleep well there, as it acts as a second home almost.
Here are just a few fun times from our weekend away....

An Overdue Facelift.

2009-05-28T12:34:00.000-07:00

No, not my face. I like it just fine thank you. Well, I don't love it, I mean I am not vain or anything. i (myself persay) would not get a face lift. It has nothing to do with me loving the way I look or anything. i just wouldn't. You get the point? Nevermind?
If you haven't noticed my blog has gotten a face lift. All thanks to the lovely Robin, over at the Bair Cubs. She is a family member of ours and as it turns out an amazing graphic designer! She left her day job for a 24/7 job of caring for her faternal twins. Just wondering Robin, however could you find time to take on this task? :)))) Step on over to the Bair Cubs and check her out. Thanks again Robin, you really did an AMAZING job! So what are ALL of your opinions??? As I mentioned before, Holly, took the lovely pics from PFMF Photogrpahy, so props once again to her!
Hold tight..I am just getting started with re-adding buttons and such, so stop back to see the full re-vamp soon.

Back to the blogger world, where did May go?

2009-05-26T17:45:00.000-07:00

So I have to be the first to admit my blogging lately has been...shall we say, ummm scarce? Okay-cut me some slack! The weather has been nice, and those boys have been busy getting their nails dirty, and bruising their knees...me? I have been busy trying to keep those nails clean and preventing a disaster. Lee has begun "cruising" whcih means for sure he will be walking very soon, which means I am in that stage where he is constantly crashing into things, so i feel like I am running from kid to kid some days! it's great fun, and by the way i finally shed those last 5 "baby" pounds from all that running.
So where did May go anyway? We were busy celebrating a third birthday for drew, a family photoshoot at the farm, and a trip to the mountains. It seems these long days goes so fast, and my blogging takes a backseat. The truth be: I am LOVING this weather, and have just been taking more time to be mom in the last two months. I have been working a little less, kept the house a little less clean, and played trains a little bit longer. But hey, in the end, who could regret a few e xtra moments with my favorite men?
Speaking of photo shoots...check out some of the favs that were taken a couple weeks back by a friend who has a Photography business, PFMF Photogrpahy...YOU MUST check them out. Holly and Anthony are so very talented. And we were blessed by their talents....We love all are pictures and our biggest dilema has been, which to hang in the family room! Stop by there blog! Thanks again Holly!

March For Babies-A Team Success!

2009-05-09T18:01:00.000-07:00

team Liam Team miracles walked to success! Take a look at the pics. The day of the walk was gorgeous! As a team we were able to raise $1440! We have been blessed by those who supported us and those who joined in walking! Take a look at the Shirts we had made....what a fun day!
If you are interested in joining Team MIRACLES next year, contact me to be put on the list! We will begin fundraising around December!!!! Thanks again to all who were involved!
We were also touched an article ran in our town paper, that talked about Liam's condition in the womb, and his testimony of healing, yah for babies :)

YAH! Team Liam!

Tomorrow, TUESDAY APril 21, Offically declared ORANGE DAY

2009-04-20T11:25:00.001-07:00

Tomorrow is officially declared wear ORANGE day to represent Stellan's life! Tomorrow sweet little Stellan will be undergoing a heart ablation at only 6 months old. In wearing ORANGE we will represent our prayers and thoughts for him. So wear ORANGE, and let everyone you know, know why!!! For more details on Stellan's trip to Boston and medical details click on over....

Lee takes a visit to the Emergency Room.

2009-04-07T05:01:00.000-07:00

Yes. the rumors are true! Eric and I spent 4 hours last night with liam in the ER.
Apparently that boy can move like a fox. The basement door ( we have a carpeted finished basement) was left open, Liam armied crawled to the edge quickly and tumbled down all twelve steps. i wasn't home at the time (I probably would have freaked)....but he maybe only cried 30 seconds. i called the doc....they panicked and sent us to the ER. For a 3 hour wait.....
The Dr. Checked Liam out, could only find one " boo-boo" on his eye, and one VERY smiley, happy 8 month old. He felt comfortable with us keeping an eye on him for 24 hours, w/NO catscan. Last night I woke Liam every 2 hours or so.....made sure he could wake...checked his pupils, made sure no vomiting, etc.
i will tell you what. that kid is resilliant. Well, we know he is a fighter, but certainly once again God had his hand on Liam.
Once again, i think how precious life is...it may sound silly...but the thought of an 8 month old rolling down the stairs makes me quiver. Thank you sweet Jesus for being near, protecting our Liam!

People People People!

2009-04-01T09:13:00.000-07:00

I got a widget! Check it out and March with our family in honor of Liam on April 26! Or click to the left to make a donation :) Our team goal is $500! We only have 25 days left. We are hoping that Eric's place of employment will match any donations we raise!!!!

Who's who?

2009-03-31T11:59:00.000-07:00

So I have been wanting to do this for some now, i thought it would be fun to play a little game with my fellow bloggers. This may be tough for some of you....try guessing whose who of our two little nosy boys drew or lee? you may be surprise??? i would love to hear your guesses!?

drew or lee?

drew or lee?

March For Babies!

2009-03-28T07:54:00.000-07:00

Hey Friends.
I would like to take a moment, to personally invite you ALL to get involved with the March For Babies, brought to you by the March of Dimes. Since many of our fellow blog readers know about Liam's Story, we are going to be walking in the March for Babies this year to raise awareness for Prental Care, Babies born prematurely, babies born with birth defects and babies born shortly after birth or during.
YOU can get involved by :
1. Joining the WALK. Sunday April 26, 11am Lancaster, Pa. Join our team : Team Miracles.
We are walking in Honor of Our healthy Son Liam, Miracle Baby Norrah, and Miracle Baby Stellan.
In memory of Miracle Baby Isaac Timothy Delisle.
2. DONATE. we are plegding to raise at least $500!
GO TO our site :
http://www.marchforbabies.org/amrisser
Hope you can get involve in some way!!!!
If you would like to walk join on our site, and email me : amrisser@hotmail.com

Keep Stellan Safe.

2009-03-25T17:14:00.001-07:00

Please step on over to mckmama's blog. Stellan needs your prayers. In a short matter of words, the same life theartning condition S had in the womb, has come about once again. Please pray for healing and for this mama to have peace in her heart and know God is in control!

She's a Mama....(in Mayhem) Check her out!

2009-03-17T18:13:00.000-07:00

ehem.

so I dug deep. the picture dates back oh i would say about 15 years. It is a picture of myself and and a very dear friend. (shes the one with the curly lox, in case you couldn't figure it out) i could only dream (or perm of) for those curls! yes, i know we are ancient aren't we dear friend?

It is fun to reminice of carefree, boy-crazy, football fridays isn't it?

So glad to mention ,Mama in Mayhem and i, have stayed dear friends through out the years. We have managed to stay in contact, and seem to always be able to reconnect even during those times we aren't in the closest of contact. We have been there through the ups, downs, boyfriends, high school, college, weddings, and more recently the bond of raising precious little boys :)

i invite you all to step on over to this Mama's Blog, where she will be candid and speak of child rearing, travels, and cooking 101. She is extremely well written..... I introduce to you mama in mayhem....take a look, you may get hooked :)

Wordless Wednesday

2009-03-11T18:21:00.001-07:00

Miracles for Drew.

2009-02-24T18:40:00.000-08:00

So many of my blog readers, know, and have experienced God's healing in their own personal lives. i have shared liam's testimony continually, as it is the ministry of this blog.

However, tonight I feel I need to mention, that I am praying for miracles for our oldest son, Andrew.

As mentioned before Drew has been diagnosed with apporximatly a one year speech and communication delay. It has come to our attention recently that Drew is also dealing with Sensory and some behavioral delays as well. As all of this is extremely new to us, we are asking for the prayer warriors to make their way out once again and raise up Drew to the mighty healer.

As of now, we are in the process of having an OT do a sensory profile on drew. All of this is complicated to explain: Basically, Drew has trouble in every day life behaving to everyday tasks. Touches, tastes and feels are extremely difficult to handle even if it means a complete night's sleep, new pair of socks, something that tastes funny or a new sippy cup. This goes way deeper than just these things--these are just examples. Behavior managment, and everyday life can be frustarting for Drew and family as well. So Frankly, we need your prayers.

As of now, Drew is recieving speech therapy on a weekly basis. The OT will meet with us and determine some techniques to help make life a little easier for Drew's personality.

Praise God!!! Here is the GREAT NEWS! Upon many separate evaluations, our providers do not feel that Drew is suffering from any Spectrum disorder, like autism or ausbergers (spelling) . But rather he is temporarily delayed in a few areas. Praise God!!!!Drew is intelligent!!!! Okay, I am not bragging here, but our little guy does well for his age, however he cannot express it! He speaks often, however his speech his not often clear, and not always spontaneous , it need prompting. Lastly, Praise God !!!!! Drew is healthy!!! He is indeed a miracle, and we love the sweet personality God has implanted in him. His strong-will is one in which God has given him, and our prayer is not only for healing for these delays, but that God will Make Drew's Strong Will in favor of His Savior!!!!

In Closing, at times Our (eric and myself), hearts, and body's grow weary. So we come to you and ask, please continue to lift up Drew, and our family for peace, healing and wisdom to get the best of help for Drew. Fo great therapists, and teachers, and for Our Lord's Will to be known through all of this!!!! Thanks Friends!!!

Not Me Monday--it's been ages!!!

2009-02-23T17:28:00.000-08:00

Gotta love NOT ME MONDAY,,step on other to mckmamA's to join in on the fun!

I totally HAVE NOT (for real) blogged in almost a month. my Blog photos are out of date and entries have been zilch. It has nothing to do with the fact that i am EXHAUSTED and a little worn out with my job as a mommy these last few weeks. Although I am NOT admitting that not here, not now.

i did not go into Drews room, into his bed and sleep on Saturday morning, once drew got up, and came into our bed, to sleep another hour in silence and stillness.

I did not skimp out on making dinner tonight and head to McDonald's on the way home from the store. I DID not indulge on a very "NOT SO " (YEAH RIGHT)-delish quarter-pounder with cheese, french fries, and half of a left over chicken nugget from my son's happy meal. That would be gross. And afterall of that, I certainly did not enjoy it, NOT ME!!!

January 30. A year in Review. les we forget.

2009-01-30T12:29:00.000-08:00

For those of you who are new to the blog, the whole resaon I began blogging was to journal "our miracle in the making" Our miracle Son, Liam. the blog has since turned into my daily ramblings of "both" our miracles, who are growing into men of God as the years quickly pass.
Speaking of years, what a year 2008 truly was for our family.
Yes, I am speaking of the last year. Specifically beginning January 30, one year ago today. The date will always stand boldly in my mind. Let me refresh your memory.
On the morning of January 30, my husband and I awoke to the excitement of meeting our unborn child for the first time via ultrasound. We were so very excited, I was just 12 weeks along. What a confirmation to see that tiny heartbeat flashing on the screen.
I was a bit perplexed throughout the ultrasound. The tech seemed to be pushing so hard, i was afraid she could hurt the baby. Pushing, more pushing, looking. Then a very long wait, probably about 40 minutes, for them to give us the okay to leave. weird I thought. The tech re-entered to tell us we needed to go to our Ob-Gyn to have the results read to us. Weird again. But none the less I sent, Hubby back to work and headed to my Doctor just to hear the conirmation of what I thought would be my due date. Little did I know, our lives would soon forever change.
As I waitied in the waiting room, I got this feeling in my stomach that something wasn't right with the baby. Maybe a mother's intuition. When i was called back to the examination room. My Fears quickly turned to reality. My doctor kindly placed his hand on my shoulder and declared. "this really isn't good." huh? what do you mean, i gasped?
"there is something wrong with the baby" From there everything seemed to blur together. My Doctor went on to tell me to get my cell phone and call my husband right away, he helped me make the call, and of course we couldn't get a hold of him. My Dr perceded to tell me our unborn baby had redundent skin growing on the back of his neck, which is typically an indicator of Major Chromosomal Disorders, and heart defects. Our baby had about a 3-5% chance of surviving in the womb. We were immediatly sent to Maternal Fetal medicine where the Specialists reconfirmed the diagnosis. Over 20 ultrasounds revealed our son's Cystic Groma, visibly to the naked eye.
Our baby's Cystic Hygroma was in the large catagory, his lymphnodes where not functiong. The fluid he was secreting through his lymphnodes was filling up on the back of the neck, soon leading to his body filling with fluid, this is called Hydrops. our baby's prognosis was; mostly likely miscarry late in the pregnancy, or baby would die shortly after birth. Our doctor's were almost certain our baby was carrying Downs or Trisomy 18 or 13 with is a death sentence in itself, not to mention major heart malformations, because, Cystic Hygroma's RARELY present in a healthy fetus. In Fact A cystic hygroma presents in about 1 in 5-10,000.
If you have read our story you know our Son Liam Joshua arrived on August 18, 2008, a full 40 weeks, 8 pounds, and 100% healthy. We named he Liam Josuha because lIam means protected and Joshua means "saved by God"
Our story unraveled thoughout those 9 months, God presented us with the most amazing journey, the most difficult, the most trying. I have never faced anything so hard in my entire life. The months of uncertanty were oh so devastating, however God showed us Grace and mercy through people, himself, and fellow bloggers we have never even met.
I am a believer that when terrible things happen it is either 1. God made it happen for some plan he intends to carry out. OR 2. God see's it is going to happen, and he doesn't stop it from happening for again some plan that needs to be carried out: yes this is tough to grasp. But in the midst of tradegy we knew that God indeed had a plan, and was trying tell us something.
We also know God has the power to stop something from happening, and that is what happened in Liam's case. But not with out the plan he had being carried out.
Maybe God's intention were for our relationship with him, to grow closer, or to maybe strengthen a wavering marriage which has been forever strengthened in a way that didn't seem possible, or possibly to make it proven that he STILL does work in Super natural ways. I am so , I am ever so grateful. Not only for my healthy son, but for the way he has come so much more into my life. That day started a new journey for our family, in pledge to follow God's plan, and live faithfully through him. Every day we look at Liam we know we are unworthy of such blessings, but afterall, Jesus paid the ultimate price on the cross, so our unworthyness and sin can be banished.
We will never forget the day of January 2008. It is engraved in our hearts forever. it is the day began the amazing, testimony of our Miracle in the Making.

Not Me Monday!

2009-01-19T18:29:00.001-08:00

Welcome to NOT ME MONDAY!!! Woo-hoo gotta love it :)
Get your own Not me Monday started by heading over to Mckmama's to get started!

I did not actually shed a few tears while dropping some baby clothes off that the consignment shoppe this week. Nope. That would be pathetic. i didn't then grab a few items from the consigment pile and tuck them away for keepsakes. I am not that attached to clothing that would be petty.

I did not give my five month old a haircut this week. What baby nescitates a haircut before one year? His hair was not so long it was hanging in his eyes. i did not then shed more tears for him already needing a haircut. I am definetely not that pathetic. (pictures to come )

Wordless Wednesday

2009-01-14T09:56:00.001-08:00

Not Me monday!!

2009-01-12T11:12:00.000-08:00

Awwww...gotta love Not me Mondays....don't forget to play along-by going to Mckmama's site......here we go!

hmmmm....it'not that i "don't" like bugs.....I just don't like them in my living space. I definetly did not squish a "stink bug" (you may only know what this is if you live in Lanky) with a Pantyliner this morning. It was NOT the only thing that could be found in a hurry upstairs in my room. Because I had NOT let the toliet paper run out, and did not replace it. Those pantyliners have so many "other" uses, don't they? I wouldn't know, because i only use them for what they are meant for!

in an attempt to begin "potty-training" my oldest drew, I did not ask my husband, what you "do" with the "thingy" when you sit him on the potty. "where does it go?" my husband then did not reply: "you just tuck it in"

that didn't happen. I knew that already. I certainly then would NOT write about it on my blog then, sounding ridiculous to all of my blog readers.

while reading a fellow blog this week about "miracle blankets" I did not do thorough research to see if one could be purchased for my almost three year old son. The headline read "help even the fussiest baby's sleep content" That DID not make me think of my toddler. Maybe wrapping him in something kind of like a straight jacket would keep him sleeping at night for more then a couple of hours? I am not that sleep deprived, that i would do almost anything to get a full night's sleep.........

hope you enjoyed MY Not me Monday....let's hear yours!!!!!

Stellan Fights On

2008-12-29T16:55:00.000-08:00

Friends, please be praying for Mckmama's youngest Stellan. He was rushed to the hospital again this afternoon with RSV from a terrible cold...he is only 8 weeks old and his heart is now in jeapordy. Click on the Mckmiracle button to the right for more details!!! Keep fighting little miracle!!!

a few of My Favorite Things!

2008-12-28T11:13:00.000-08:00

Rain drops on Roses and Whiskers on kittens.....
No! To be cute, I have included a few of my own Favorite things for the babies and myself, things I can't live without....enjoy! If you are unsure about "what" some of these things are...scroll down, I have took the liberty to explain :)

Robeez, Luvs Diapers, and Huggies warm wipeys,
Striped sox and small hats, pictures of my kiddies,
Truffels and cute shoes and surprises and rings,
these are a few of my favorite things.

Boys in white onseies and Baby wraps of plenty,
jewelry, and wine charms, and Pacifiers of many,
cozy warms slippers that make my toes sing,
these are a few of my favorite things...

when the kids cry, when the scale lies,
when I am feeling quite sad,
i simply remember why favorite things, and then i don't feeeeeeeeeel, soooooooooooooo baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaad!

hehe.
Robeez....many ask what are those adorable "things" on my kiddos feet. why they are Robeez! Yes, in addition to striped sox and hats, I am OBSESSED with Robeez. I got hooked on them when Drew was a wee man himself, and I have accumulated several pair since then. There are a snug fitting shoe/sock that actually stays put on your baby or Toddlers foot, and sort of molds to it. They are way comfy, and aid in the walking process. They come in many sizes and patterns...they are so fun! Here are a few of my favs:

Who can argue with the Luv's Diaper. I should really be a spoke person for Luv's. I belive they are the best disposable diaper around. The one both boys did not leak through as infants. And a fraction of the cost (BJ's large box of 260 count sixe 2=30.00) A case lasts me a month and half or so.
Got to hand it to Huggies on the wipes however. They smell comforting, and I like the ones calle d"natural care"...my kids have never gotten a rash from these...love em. Good thing is: Huggies comes out with coupons often in the local insert of the paper.

Gingerbread House Madness

2008-12-23T10:16:00.000-08:00

I decided to try out one of those GingerBread making Kits they sell at the store-thought it would be a fun family thing. I figured I would put together the house, let it dry and drew could decorate it. The house went together nicely...I myself may have had alittle too much fun with it :) Drew and daddy got in on the decorating and enjoyed themselves as well. Definetely a great buy for 8.99....comes with everything you would need, and decorater's tips (which I had fun with).

Not Me Monday

2008-12-22T10:55:00.000-08:00

Hey welcome to another crazy/ridiculous not me MONDAY :)

Ha! Diapers! I most certainly did NOT place a size 4 diaper (for my two year old) on my 4 month old infant waking up in the wee hours of morning for an early feeding. I WAS not sleep deprived or anything (from a certain 2 yearold) climbing out of his crib all night long....I did not stumble downstairs to feed Liam and place a ginormaous diaper on him, only to dicover it 5 hours later at his next feeding :)
I did NOT skip sending out Christmas cards this year. Who would do such a thing? Nope not at 44 stinkin cents a stamp. I wasn't trying to "cutt back" and get rid of some "unnecasary spending' I wouldn't do that, so if you don't get a card from me...it probably just got lost in the mail.

4 months old and Lee's first Cereal

2008-12-17T11:03:00.000-08:00

so hard to believe I know. I wish i could put on the brakes. my baby days with liam, seem to go by so fast. He is growing so quickly. He seems to be a hungry little bugger, so I tried offering some cereal in the eves before bed, since he likes his bottle early (7:00pm!) Enjoy the pictures...he hasn't quite gotten the hang of it yet, he just spits it out!

The Strong-Willed Child First Edition

2008-12-14T18:05:00.000-08:00

whew, it's been awhile between blogs. I have been a bit bogged down with Christmas planning, shopping, baking, fininshing up with my businesses busiest time of year, running my household and being a mom! To which none I am complaining!
Above all things, I have been burdened deeply with come complications with our oldest son Drew. Speech therapy is underway now, and I actually am feeling better that help is on the way. I absolutely love the Speech therapist who comes every Tuesday morning. We are on the same page as far as parenting/discipline, child-rearing issues, which makes a HUGE deal. At this point we will be seeking out the help of a behavior therapist as well. (explanation below )
For some time now, Eric and I have been beating our selves up, trying to puzzle together what we may have done wrong raising our son. From the outside people may look in at our lives and think as parents, we really don't have a hold on things, that our child is "one of those kids" that runs the household. No dscipline, no rules. hmmm, sorry not the case.
In talking with Early Intervention, and some help from a Great James Dobson book, we are piecing together the facts that we are indeed raising a "strong-willed child" :)
I used to laugh at this term. Oh yes, my son Drew is strong-willed. But it wan't until now that digging into some research, I am learning this is so much more than a personality type. Not something I have failed at, not something we have neglected to do. In fact, we have been raising our son in a loving, structured home with rules that involve cause and effect. But what happens when your child does not respond in anyways to that environment or any for that matter.

HENCE. "the strong willed child" By Dr. James Dobson. (my hero)
Diving into the book full throttle, Dr. Dobson has done an amazing job, at revealing that this is also part of God's will. whewww.
Okay so we didn't make our child this way. He was programmed genetically to be stubborn and willful against his mommy and daddy. Huh? Dobson mentions in this book, that our hereditary plays a huge role in our genetic make up in the human temperment, so A parent that has/had a strong-will will most likely pass this gene unto their offspring. (uh-oh). This is music to my ears becuase honestly I have been racking my mind as to where and what we are doing wrong....who knew it could be this hard raising a cute little boy? this sounds trivial I know. But this has troubled my heart so much in recent days. I worry, i cry, for him.
Help is on the way.
Ironically in speaking with the oocupational therapist and speech therapists. Many Children with speech delays have behavior delays and problems. After all, they are throughly frustrated with not being able to understand and communicate. A behavior therapist can come into our home and give tips on how best to deal with a child with a VERY strong will. Strong enough to put up a 70 minute tantrum. To cry for 3-hours on end in the middle of the night, to never give up until mom gives in. hmmmm. glad I am not alone. Anyone out there know what I am talking about?

here are some characteristics of a strong willed child:

quoted from the book "the Stong-Willed Child"
**"birth order has nothing to do with being strong-willed or compliant. the elements of temperement are basically inherited and can occur in the oldests child or the baby in the family.
**male strong-willed children outnumber females by about 5 percent and female compliant children outnumber males by about 6 percent. Thus there is slight tendency for males to have tough temperaments and for females to be more compliant, but it can be, and often is, reversed.
**the compliant child is more likely to be a good student thhan the strong-willed child"
**most parents that have a strong-willed child will know at birth or very early on.
in his exact words:
"They come into the world smoking a cigar yelling about the temperature of the delivery room amd the incompetence of the nursing staff and the way doctors are running things. Long before their children are born, mothers of SWC know there is something different going on inside, because their babies have been trying to carve the initials on the walls. In infancy these children fairly bristle when their bottle is late and demand to be held throughout the day. Three o'clock in the morning is their favorite "playtime"Later, in toddlerhood, they resist all forms of authority and their greatest delights include painting the carpet with mom's make-up........"

Drew fits this to a tee. And we have come to a point where we need help on how to help him, and stay sane at the same time :) After all, the Lord gave drew his strong-will. And we need to teach him to use his strong will in a way the God calls him to...here is a scripture that tells us that this is true:

Before I formed you in the womb, i knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you: I appointed you a prophet to the nations ( Jeremiah 1:5)

In closing, i realize this blog has jumped around a lot. But truthfully I have grown very weary physically, and emotionally. i know God does not want this to consume me. I am asking all you prayer warriors out there to Pray for Drew. We KNOW the power of prayer! Please pray that God will make his strong-will useful for his purpose only. And that Drew may see past his own willful ness and begin doing the things that "normal" two year olds do, like play in new places, sleep (haha), talk, laugh and try new things on an agenda other than his own!!! And, finally for peace, for Eric and i and energy to endure the consitency we need to give our son, during such a critical time.
I love my boys to pieces. It saddens me, that this stains my relationship with Drew. If you don't have a SWC child, you may have no idea what I am refering to. If you do...amen, I am praying for you.

Early Intervention : Another test in Patience and Faith

2008-11-28T18:57:00.000-08:00

So i have been wanting to write for quite some time on our oldest Drew. I briefly talked about how we may have his hearing tested, because of his lack of speech. Going on our pediatrician's recomendation, Early Intervention visited our home for an evaluation at the beginning of the week. The whole process took about four hours, and was exhausting for both Drew and myself. The Occupational therapists evaluated him physically, socially, communication, cognitive, speech. They dteermine if he is in a low percentile for children his age, and if so, the child qualifies for aid in that particular area. To no surprise, Drew fell below the average percentile in his speech, and communication areas. It is evident that Drew is suffering from a sppech delay. His vocabulary consists of about 30 words at this point. (now he can repeat anything you say to some degree) However he will only use about 30 words on his own, spontanously.
While we pretty much figured this was the case. It's sad, none the least. No one wants their child to have any trials such as this. Beginning in a few weeks a speech patholigist will be coming to our home for therapy on a weekly basis. This is exciting because, we are excited to hear Drew talk!!!
So, we are asking all of our AMAZING prayer warriors out there to BRING IT ON! And pray that this delay will vanish, and Drew will pick up on his speech in no time. After all, the power of prayer is amazing, and if it's in God's will, I am sure soon, we won't be able to keep Drew quiet!
It's so funny how with your kiddo's it always seems like something doesn't it? Busy, Busy, Busy. I wouldn't trade the "motherly" worries however, for any other way. Just another test in Faith and patience i guess.

Not Me Monday Third Edition!

2008-11-24T16:59:00.001-08:00

sigh. Today was NOT one of the longest Monday's to mankind. (well at least my mankind.). I was not so completely exhausted at this day's end, that I put my kids to bed at 7:30pm. Not me, I don't get tired. After all, I am super mom.

Today I did not succomb to my toddler's fashion advice. I certainly did not allow him to wear his Thomas the Train swimming trunks over his sweatpants.(see below).

3month photoshoot

2008-11-20T11:11:00.000-08:00

the Power of "12"

2008-11-15T18:10:00.000-08:00

My time between blogs has been longer lately. life has been busy and I have found blogging to be a bit more difficult these days. that doesn't mean my head isn't filled with great things to write about!
This past week, Liam celebrated his 12th week of life. In other words, three months just about. As I look at him in awe, as I do every day, I am taken back.....back to January 30 2008, the week i was
12 weeks pregnant.
That day will always be apparant in my mind. That was the day we were told our little boy most likely would die before he was born. If he did live, he would most likely have no quality of life. Chromosomes. funeral. termination. severe complications. tests. 3% chance. so many words were thrown at us, as we starred in awe at our precious boy on the ultrasound screen. How could this be? How could this happen? not us. not now.
All this, at 12 weeks gestation.
As the story goes, that day didn't determine our second born's fate. (Check out our blog for our testimony) No, God's plan had not yet been revealed.
It was about 12 weeks after that,
24 weeks gestation to be exact, our son's life threatning condition vanished.
the power of 12.
So I sit here tonight. looking at my son as he peacefully sleeps.
And I thank God for the power of 12.
12 weeks of healing.
For 12 weeks of faith.
for 12 weeks of GRACE,
and for a lifetime of sovreinty.
A lifetime testimony for such a small little boy.
And a miracle that has so deeply changed my heart, my life and my faith in my Savior.
I share this so you know not a day does by, I don't look at Lee and thank God for what he has blessed us with. And I especially want you to know how amazing our God really is. He is a God that is real. And he responds in real ways. i just wanted you to know.

Not me Monday Second Edition

2008-11-10T15:15:00.001-08:00

Here's just a few Not's me's from the week...have fun reading and participate on your own by going to Mckmama's website (linky button is on the right)

I did remember to blog between last Not me monday's first edition. That is NOT sad.

I did not phene the majority of my son's Halloween chocolate candy this week in prep for my PMS.

There is not four laundry baskets full of laundry in my room awaiting to be put away for the last 6 days.

I did not intentionally vacuum over my son's my first Leappad's "Bob the Builder" Cartidge, just to see my vacuum's full potential. And NO, it didn't suck it up either.

Not me MONDAY!

2008-11-03T18:42:00.000-08:00

Not me Girlfriends....

I did not look forward to blogging my first Not me Monday, so much, that I cheated and looked at other blogger's not me entries to for a starting point. i didn't do it, that wouldbe like plagerism.

I did not head out to my eye appointment this week, turn on the IPOD and jam to musical songs from the movie CHICAGO, while I was without the boys in the car. I especially didn't make motions to the lyrics and beat my hand on the steering wheel, pretending I was "Roxie" Rennee Zellwiggers character.

I absolutely did not enjoy a "small" shot of wine after three "rough days" this week. Sure didn't.

I sure did not wait until 3pm to get a shower today, Monday. Who stays in there pj's all day anyway, I am NOT that kind of Mom!

Check out NOT ME MONDAY at Mckmama's website, it sure is fun!

2 month Check up and another Miracle Baby

2008-10-29T11:03:00.000-07:00

Our little Lee is thriving wonderfully! 11 pounds 15 ounces and a whopping 34 inches long...what can i say we make long babies :)
Liam seems to be doing excellant, he had his vaccines (sorry Mckmama)! and was a bit fussy last night from them.

Speaking of Mckmama, if you are unaware, check her link to the right, she is my inspiration to the blog world. Baby STELLAN (mckmuffin) arrived this morning, healed, and perfect in every way! After suffereing major heart defects in the womb....
for details check them out on the blog. Just another testiment to our lord, and the power of prayer!

Diagnostic Hearing test

2008-10-24T13:34:00.000-07:00

Great news today finally!
Liam passed his diagnostic hearing test (number four to be exact) today. The test went off without a hitch! The doctors used brand new equipment today, that is perfect for a wiggly, active baby like Liam. There was no need for scrubbing his little forehead ( praise God), and it only took about 20 minutes!!! The docs were able to determine that Liam has great hearing in BOTH ears. At the previous screenings there were unable to get a "pass" result from his left ear. Today, they did.
Prasie God, again.
We were genuily prepared to deal with ever God's intention were, but are so pleased that isn't the road we are going down. At least not for Liam.
I talked briefly to the audioliogist about our oldest son, and his lack of speech development. Supposodly, at this age he sould have a vocabulary of approx: 1,500 words. This blew me away. Being that drew maybe has a vocab of 50-75. Don't get me worng, he may just be behind on talking like many boys his age, however, it may be time to start investigating his hearing. i will be talking with the peditrician on Tuesday, to see his recomendaton. I am totally not going to jump the gun on this. If he is just "a little behind" I am fine with that. However, Drew seems to be frustrated much of the time because he doesn't communicate so well...or at least to a point that we can understand him! So for now, prayers for Drew to be a growing and learning, and hearing just as he should be :)
As of now: 4:45pm All "three" of my boys are asleep :) No naps for the babies earlier today b/c of the test. And one tired daddy :) Weird. It is so stinkin quiet around here. Not used to it, but I'll take it!

Little Liam, 2 months old!

2008-10-19T17:10:00.000-07:00

Wow! So hard to believe. This week Liam is 9 weeks old. He is really growing, and learning new things to. He smiles in response to us quite frequently and he is loving his floor gym. He gets very excited when we lay him in it. Liam goes for his two minth check up next tuesday.

Secondly, Liam will revisit the hearing specialist this coming Friday for his next serries of hearing tests. I am honestly dreading this. I have decided, if the docs cannot get the info they need, or they want to "scrub" his little head raw again, I will NOT go through with the testing, and go another route. Your prayers would be totally appreciated for a good outcome this Friday afternoon. we will keep you posted.

On a happier note, Liam slept through the night this week one time. I was so tickled to get a good nights rest?! (although I can't complain, he is a great sleeper)!

Most nights he continues to wake hungry between 3-4am. I know this will soon end however. He seems to be thriving well, and I am anxious to get his weight checked next week.

I have included some pics taken this week, his hair appears to be growing fast as well. He may need a hair cut soon!

Feast or Famine?

2008-10-18T10:39:00.000-07:00

Yes. feast or Famine that has been the question these days at mealtime. At least for our oldest son, Drew. Most days drew really eats nothing. A couple of raisens, grapes and goldfish. But this week, we had spaghetti. We put drew in his booster, just as we do every night at dinner, thinking....hmmm....another wasted meal. But you have to try. So there he sat. (we always strip him when we have pasta w/red sauce, just in case). Lo, and behold. Drew dove in without holding back. We stared in awe, handful after handful. and then, seconds, yes, seconds!!! All Eric and I could do was laugh. He was getting it every where, but who cares, he was eating! After he appeared to be full (this is a new feat)....we thought we would positively reinforce him with an oreo cookie. (thus the black "crustache") overlapping the sauce. He then went on to eat two whole oreos. He immedialy went upstairs for a tubby, and was he (and mommy and daddy) were quite happy the remainder of the evening.

So, does this mean Drew's hunger Strike is over?

No. Next day, it was business as usual, and he hasn't had a good solid meal since!

A Special Prayer

2008-10-06T16:12:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends,
as many of you have followed Stacy and Spencer's journey via the blogger world, tonight I lift them up with a very special prayer. Tomorrow, Stacy and Spencer will welcome there son Isaac into the world. They have been told that Isaac's time on this earthly world will most likely be very short, an hour, maybe minutes. At this hour, this evening, please join me in asking God to intervene, and perfom a super-natural miracle. We of course know that he is a God of many miracles, , and if it is in his will, it will be done. Whatever God's plan is, please pray that he will sustain The Delisle Family, mommy, daddy, granmas and grandpas, auuts and uncles.
In looking through my bible tonight I have come across a few verses to pray among. Amongst your busy day tomorrow, would please pause, and take some time to pray for this family, there prayers are listed on their blog (to the right) click on He will carry me.

John 14:27 Peace I leave with you: my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

Jermiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.

In Christ...

Liam's Hearing Screening

2008-10-03T05:11:00.000-07:00

Well, I wish I had a btter verdict to report, but as of yesterday Liam did not pass his left ear screening. His right ear passed with flying colors, which is great. The audiologist noted he does have hearing in the left ear. Another good sign. However, it could not be determined to what degree. The test itself wasn't so bad once it was underway, but all the prep was annoying. I feel so bad today for little Liam. He has two bruises on his head where they had to scrub the skin away to place the electrodes. The doctor did all this while he was starving and screaming. Once I got to hold him and feed him, they did the test to ensure he would stay calm. Liam had other ideas. Instead of falling asleep (like most babies do) after his bottle, he was fidgeting around ( I think he was overstimmed at that point)....so they concluded the test. We will head back on the 24th for a more in depth screening of this ear. The doc also checked for fluid in his ears by doing a pressure test, both in which looked great, so no fluid.

Last night Liam was totally overstimmulated and took a long time to settle at bedtime. Once he did, he slept 6 hours! Poor little man. He was exhausted.

I spoke with the doc about how concerning it can be to have a hearing issue in only one ear. The good news is, speech, language and function shouldn't be an issue with correction. So he wouldn't be "deaf" His "cocliear" (spelling) is functioning properly. However if he is indeed lacking hearing to a greater degree in the left ear, he may need to wear a hearing aid. This saddened me a bit when the doctor explained. At this point we are far from making this verdict however. After every thing Liam hs been through, a hearing aid seems trivial. He is still a very healthy little boy. Even so, we are praying that Liam is hearing perfectly, and that the next test reveals what we need it to. I am told the next screening is easier on baby (and mom) :) it will not involve placing elctrodes all over his head and hair (which we ended up cutting out). Please also pray that Liam's bruises clear up and the skin heals quickly, I am saddened to look at them!

6 weeks Postpartum/Prayers for Liam

2008-10-01T10:05:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I had my follow-up check-up with Dr. May. All in all, things look great. I have about 5 pounds of "baby-weight" to lose yet. Here I come gym!!! She gave me the greenlight on excercise, which is great! The office was excited to meet Liam the little miracle baby as they call him, he slept the whole time I was there pretty much.

Tomorrow is our visit to Sonas Hearing Center for Liam's hearing exam. (Liam failed his left ear screening in the hospital twice). Honestly, I am nervous. I believe that Liam is hearing fine. However, I am hoping that the testing is as non-traumatic as possible. The test will take about 2 hours, and I was told to hold off on feeding him until we get there to induce sleep. Also, it could take several appointments for the doctor to gather the info that is needed. Could you please join us in praying that the tests will go as planned, that Liam will cooperate well, and that all information will be gathered as quickly as possible, hopefully in this one attempt? Also, of course specifically for Liam to have great hearing, specifically his left ear? And lastly for peace of mind tonite, and tomorrow while preparing for the test.... Thanks in advance friends! I will be sure to post on the results, we should have them immedietly following the test.

One Month Old already!

2008-09-24T18:06:00.001-07:00

It's hard to believe our Liam is already one month old and some. Today we visited the pediatrician for his one month check up. I was shocked to see that Liam weighs a whopping 10 pounds 6 ounces! The Dr. was very pleased with this progress and was glad with the switch we made to formula, it has proved to help with Liam's growth. Liam also passed all of 32 gentic screening tests as well, that were taken at the hospital, another amen!

The last few days I have found myself looking at Liam in disbelief that he is growing so fast. I no longer swaddle him, and he is growing out for those newborn sleepers. Also the size one diapers are getting snugger. ( I mentioned this to Eric last night and he replied (honey he's only one month old!). I just can't imagine not having my little boys being babies anymore. It will be backpacks and school busses rather than diapers and pacifiers. It all goes so fast. Somedays I even forget what day it is. I think time goes even more quickly now that there are two in the picture. it is easy to get wrapped up in : the next phase, like when will my baby be sleeping though the night, or crawling, or walking. I think I am happy with today. Enjoying the great and not so great moments. (today was a good day, maybe that's why I say that ) :)

Yawn.

Some pictures are included of our growing boy. Enjoy, and be sure to enjoy your kiddos, they just grow up too darn fast.

Blog Page gets a Facelift

2008-09-21T17:00:00.000-07:00

So as you can see, I have made some changes to the blog. You will notice the pictures of our boys on the right, and an update to the back drop as well. I have added some of the blogs I keep tabs on, and some information regarding fetal Cystic Hygroma's. I have also made it possible for anyone to leave a comment; you no longer need to create an account to leave a comment. I thouroughly enjoy reading the comments from readers, especially those of you I have never met, and those experiencing the diagnosis of a child with a Cystic Hygroma. For those who have anonymously leave comments, I would love to hear from you along with an email address...I have no way to keep in touch with you!!!
The soul purpose of our blog is of course to reach out and give hope to readers experiencing such a diagnosis, but also for anyone in need of hope that our Savior can provide in any time of need. (Oh, and also for friends and fam to keep tabs on our doings)! My prayer is that. My hope in the future is to get a little "deeper" or personal in my entry's and they can be a place for me to jot down my everyday thoughts and devotions that can later be reflected on. Hope I don't get too "deep" for you readers :) This blog thus far, has been my longest lasting diary to date.
(yawn) well, hope you like the changes here as much as I do, i will update this week on Liam's one month check up...nighty nite for now.

first cabin trip for Liam, are we nuts?

2008-09-17T11:52:00.000-07:00

So this past weekend, we packed the little ones up and went to our family's cabin up north. Eric's parents were there for the week, so we were joining them. It was an adventure as we headed north. so much to pack for just two days, not to mention, our back seat; carseat, dog, carseat! Soon time for a minivan I am afraid :)

The boys did well all in all, being that we were trapped inside all weekend from rain. Drew slept in a "big boy" bed and did rather well. He did wake up at 4am on Sunday...but better than we had expected. The four of us were all in one room, so it was quite interesting. The drive is about 3 hours, and they both did super well on the trip both ways! Another shocker. Saturday evening Liam got quite a bit fussy. Could have been the dampness of the cabin.....(as old wives tale say) ???

All in all, it was more of a re-location than a vacation! But a nice change of scenerary. It was nice to get out of our house for the weekend.

Monday, Liam was up all day, which is very unusual for him, and extremely fussy. Tuesday, back to himself again, Mr. Happy go Lucky :) Must have been the change in routine....my boys seem so sensitive to change.

A couple of pics from the trip are posted...I wanted to get a nice family shot outside, but the weather didn't cooperate.

Labor Day, 8/18/08

2008-09-06T11:22:00.000-07:00

Here is the official recap of my Labor story, so many of you are asking how Liam came into this world 3 mondays ago!

Sunday, August 17
contractions were noted from about 2:00pm that were painless, but regular at about 20 minutes apart. I mentally noted it, but thought nothing of them, b/c the weeks prior were the same old.

Monday August 18
awoke around 1:00am and noted braxton hicks were still seeming "regular" and crampy like a period. However nothing new, about 15-20 minutes apart. Tossed and turned awhile.

3:00am awoke to contractions getting "uncomfortable" like a bad cramp, and coming at intervals of 15 minutes apart. Eric awoke to my tossing and turning. i told him that something might be up, but to get sleep, and go to work at 6am, I will keep him posted. I slept in between contractions.

5:30am wide awake and noting contractions still uncomrtable "is this it or not" still to early to tell, but definetley getting more painful. Eric gets up for work.

6:00am-call mom and give her the heads up, she says she will be up in a half hour to pick up drew. Upon going to the bathroom I noticed some pink "show" Omigosh eric, i think this is it! I tell him to head to work anyway, they are only 15 mins apart.

6:30am-mom comes for drew, I jump in the shower to relax a bit (this helped a lot!)

7:45am WHOA! all the sudden contractions are about 5 minutes apart, and getting painful. I start doing deep breathing and call eric and say get your butt home.
8:30am-Not wanting to get sent home from the hospital, I call the office to talk with my midwife. She wanted me to call her when contractions were 5-7 minutes apart and not able to talk through them anymore, they tell me to come on in to the office for a labor check.
Eric gets home. and packs everything up. At this point contractions were about 4 minutes apart and I just wanted to stay laying on my side.

when we got into the office, I had to wait in the waiting room like 5 minutes, which was embarressing because I was apparently in labor, in front of about 5 strangers. When I got back to the room, Cheri was soooo excited to see me, and surpised. WOO-HOO she said, let's check you girl! the verdict : 3cm 80% effaced
she sent me over to the hospital, and said to get my epidural awhile (it would take a little to get it administered) and she would be over in a couple hours to break my water. She wanted to keep things moving along, so I wouldn't slow down, being a VBAC.
-On the way to the hospital the contractions started picking up, like 1-3 minutes apart. Youch. It felt super intense, and I no longer wanted to walk. It felt like forever, but I was able to bypass triage, and be admitted immedialty. The nurses were great and demanded anesthesilogy to come since my contractions were so close. Sometimes before one ended, another started. I was thinking, what the heck, I need a break here. At that point two nurses really started helping me with my breathing techniques, right in my face, while eric put a cold wash cloth on my face. I was sweating. I started to feel the contractions in my back so Eric just concentrated on my back, while the nurses talked me through each contraction. they were amazing. I remember telling them, I felt like my uterus is going to explode, they giggled. I began to get sick a little, but luckily I didn't have much in my tummy.
Dr. Steager (i think that was his name) arrived about an hour later to give me my epidural. It was AMAZING. I loved him for it! we laughed and I then began relaxing, and realizing the wonderful world of anesthesia. I had an epidural with drew, but labor was not nearly as intense the first part. We began watching baby's heart rate. ABout 10 minutes AFTER the epi, something strange began to happen. My two nurses quickly flipped me on my side, and I could hear on the machine baby's heart rate start to plummit. Before we know it, we had about 15 people in the room, oxygen slapped on my face. Me in a fetal position on my belly. I couldn't see Eric, I kept asking for him though. After about 3 minutes of moving me around my blood pressure and baby's heart came up. Everyone was freaked, but said that it was a rare side effect of the EPIDURAL. This was our first warning.
Cheri came in about an hour later and broke my water and checked me, about 5 cm. She was very pleased with progress. And was not overly concerned about the scare, we kept a close eye on Liam over the next couple of hours. Every once in a while we noted Liam's heart rate go down with a contraction, it is called a variable, it is normal, but they look for it to come back up, and it did for awhile.
At about 2pm, my sister and sister in law came in, they were so excited. Eric grabbed some lunch, we figured there would be a babe by evening!
Over the course of the next couple of hours, I dialated to 7 cm and slowed down. Liam's heart rate began dropping with every contraction, and still not a lot of progression. At about 4:30pm Dr. May came in and recommended the dreaded c-section. Not an emergency, but her recomndation. She feared that possibly, the cord was being compromised around the neck or somewhere else. With as many complications we have had with Liam, we decided on the spot, that a section would be the safest way for him to be born. I teared up for about 10 seconds, then realized I am so blessed to have Liam alive today, I shook it off and smiled. So excited to finally meet our miracle.
Eric suited up in scrubs quickly we bid our family good bye and headed off to the "O-R"

The surgery itself began great. Liam was lifted out of my tummy at 5:50pm on August 18, 2008 weighing in at 7 pounds 14 ounces, 20 3/4 " Long. A bruiser. We cried and laughed all at once as he was examined and determined to be 100% healthy and happy. Eric snapped some shots and cut the cord, proud daddy. Then our camera ran out battery, doh!
"closing me back up" took a lot of repair, and I bgean to feel sick on the table. My nurses and anestheologist talked me through it. It seemed to take forever, and I felt a lot of pressure on my chest the whole time. Dr. May explained there was a lot of scar tissue from my previous section, and I was losing alot of blood. Also, there was trauma to my bladder. (More on this later ) Finally, I was wheeled off to recovery, a bit exhausted and Eric followed Liam to the nursery for his bath. I rested in recovery anxiously awaiting to hold my little man. At about 9:00pm I finally held Liam Joshua in my arms for the first time. What an amazing little guy! Whew, what a day. The next week would involve much healing and resting to regain my rest. would I do it over again, in a heart beat, just not tomorow :)

we named him Liam Joshua because:

Liam :is gaelic it comes from William and means "helmeted, or protected"
Joshua: is hebrew, it means God has SAVED
these names were chosen because of there meanings, and we want Liam to know that his life has a purpose, and God will lead him to that, that is why he is here today!

this and that

2008-09-06T11:09:00.000-07:00

So I had Liam at the doc on thursday for his weight check, and still , the doc did not feel that Liam is up to par with weight gain. He did put on a few ounces, putting him just over his birth weight. He would like to see Liam gaining about an ounce a day at this point. His recomendation would be to begin supplemnting with formula, b/c Liam may not be getting enough breastmilk. I truly thought the nursing was going well, howver was surprised the night liam did a five hour stretch, I didn't "fill" up and get uncomfortable. the doc and and I discussed reasons why I may not have an adaquite milk supply. Still, showing a lot of jaundice...which at this point can get a bit risky, Through much discernment, Eric and I have decided to ween Liam, so he will begin to thrive at a better rate.

Having said that he seems so far to be doing great with the bottle as of now. Such a happy baby he seems :) We hope his body handles the formula well.

Drew is adjusting to life with baby brother as well.

This morning "the 8:00 am cleaning crew" swept through! That's what my mom called it anyways. It was sweet really, her and my dad arrived early and basically came through and cleaned my house to the "T"! Now mind you, it was not filthy or anything, just a little let go in the past few weeks!!! I would like to think of myself as a pretty good house keeper, none the less, it needed a good scrub. Thanks mom and dad!!

The help we have gotten over the weeks has been great, so thanks everyone for their part. mom in law was also a big help in those early days with drew, when eric went back to work. And thanks all who brought and are continuing to bring those yummy meals :) I have your tupperware!

Drew has been such a stictch at some points. Some of the things he says in his own little language crack us up....like the fact that he know refers to disposable nursing pads as "cookies"

and he wakes up from nap time yelling "alveterzane" (thanks to dora the explorer)!

Yes he's the big brother, and proud of it :)

Well, this blog tends to skip around a lot. Above I have recapped labor day, it was 3 weeks ago, howver some of you have wanted to hear the details of what went on, so enjoy, and thanks again for reading!

Time rolls along

2008-09-02T13:39:00.000-07:00

So.....

things are going really well. Liam was at his weight check on Friday, and gained 3 ounces. The Dr. seemed a little concerned that was not back to birth weight yet. We talked about supplementing if need be, and checking Liam again this Thursday to see if he is packing on more ounces. Will you pray with us on this? My instincts are telling me he is doing just fine, howver I get these "worrisome" mommy moments from time to time when he fusses just after I have fed him...is he getting enough? So Thursday (today) will tell us if we need to take another step.

I find the breast feeding to kind of be a labor of love, I must admit. Is that terrible. At times it is so peaceful and bonding, and other times I feel like a cow, nursing round the clock~!!

Last night, Liam did amazing and went 5 hours between 9-1am!!! I have been getting as good as sleep as possible, and it feels so good. It is amazing how different two babies can be. Drew is settling into the new swing of things, which is making things easier on me. I am amazed at how much my body has healed in 2 1/2 weeks.

So, I will update later on Liam's appointment and weight check today, I am praying everything is going well on that end. Here again are a few pictures of Liam......

Home Again, Home Again, jiggity jigg jig :)

2008-08-23T13:26:00.000-07:00

we are home! Ha...we have been since Friday, but as you know things have been a little crazy. As you also know, Baby Liam arrived last Monday evening, one week ago today! Where did the last 7 days go? Things are going well, better than expected. i am very apprehensive about Eric going back to work tomorrow, however, we have help lined up for the upcoming week.

Many of you are asking, "So How is Baby Liam?" We are so happy to report, he is perfect in every way. When Liam was lifted out of my tummy, and I heard him cry, it was the most amazing feeling ever, to be in witness to God's amazing miraculous power. Living proof. Right in front of our faces. There are no visible signs of the Cystic Hygroma, not even any redundant extra skin. Upon examintaion of the pediatrician, Laim appears to be a happy healthy baby. We ask for your continue prayers, Liam failed his hearing test twice, and needs to be re-evaluated in the left ear. However we we are told that this is common for c-section babies, because all the fluid does not get pushed out during the birth process. So we are believing that everything will be okay in that department.

My healing process is coming along as well. The first few days I had some "obstacles" to overcome in the hospital. However my body seems to be coming along every day a little more. Caring for a toddler is the most "trying" part. I am praying for God to keep healing my body quickly, so I can get back to my old self soon.

I have included some pics, and I will be writing soon to recap my "labor story" in the next few days.....things went well...I am so INCREDIBLY blessed, to be writing this entry, and I praise GOD to whom ALL blessings flow, for it is by his works, Liam is here today.

We love you all, and cherish all of your prayers and support, thanks again friends :)

Heading for Home, and Healthy!

2008-08-21T17:38:00.001-07:00

Greetings!
It's been extremely busy and Amy has been recovering wonderfully in the hospital! Her hemoglobin has gone back up and she will no longer be a candidate for a blood transfusion! woo hoo! Liam is perfect. God is amazing! Amy will be heading for home tomorrow, hopefully in the morning.
The other night, Tuesday to be exact, I slept over with Amy so that Eric could go home and get a refreshing, good night's sleep with Drew. I was able to hold and love up on Liam so much! He is precious. Just in case you didn't believe me, I've posted a few more pictures here for you :) ...I'm sure you will agree!
I also made sure to include a NEW FAMILY photo as per Amy's request!
Amy has also asked that I start scheduling in some days for people to bring a dinner since a lot of caring friends have been asking! I have a calendar with several days that would be helpful. If you would like to make a meal for Amy, Eric, and Drew, please email me at: lecheney@gmail.com. They said dinner would be good between 5:00 and 6:00 pm. Thank you to all of you who have already contacted me--you are so helpful!
This may be my last post--this will depend on how busy Amy feels as she's settling in at home.
You're prayers have been wonderful; Thank you all! It's obvious that God was at work here and that His power is Almighty and undeniable!
God Bless!
~Laura

Liam Joshua

2008-08-18T19:17:00.000-07:00

The little miracle has arrived!
The Stats:
Name - Liam Joshua
Liam means "protected" and Joshua means "God saves"
Date - August 18, 2008
Time - 5:50 pm
Weight - 7 lbs 14 oz
Length - 20 3/4"
Delivery - C-section
We wanted to let everyone know that Mommy and Liam Joshua are both healthy and are currently in each others arms! During the c-section, Amy lost a lot of blood and they had some difficulties stitching the incision because of scar tissue from her previous c-section with Drew. She is doing much better now - her spirits are high and she's very excited! Liam has some reflux from the delivery but besides that he is healthy! What a huge miracle packed into that little man! And he has a whole head of hair, too!
I've attached a picture of Amy and baby Liam Joshua. Keep them in your prayers. Pray that Amy and him have a strong, healthy day tomorrow. Amy may be having a transfusion tomorrow to help make up for the blood she has lost today and she's feeling like things are quite busy right now. Pray for peace of mind, trust in God! (because look just what He is capable of!), and that God would bless this new addition to the family! Thank You Father For Your Amazing Love! I will write updates as things change or as Amy has messages for her bloggers! :) Thank you for your prayers and encouragement.
~Laura

THE LITTLE MIRACLE IS COMING!

2008-08-18T14:20:00.000-07:00

This is it! That's right, this is Amy's little sis Laura adding this special blog entry! Amy is going in right about now for a C-Section and then Baby Risser will be among us!!!
The story as Amy told it to me, to the best of my abilities: Amy slept last night until about 1:00 am when she woke up feeling like things were quite uncomfortable. She said her contractions were about 10 minutes apart. In the morning, she told Eric "I think this might be it" but told him to go to work and she'd let him know! And she did! After a call to Sheri, Amy and Eric were heading into the docs office to see what was up. This was still quite early, before 10 am.
Sheri checked Amy, saw that she was dilated. They decided to break her water and send her into the hospital because Baby Risser was coming! I believe she was about 2 centimeters when Sheri checked her in the doctors office and she measured in at about 3 centimeters by the time she reached the hospital! She was progressing and they were anticipating that Baby Risser would be coming all on his own!
They admitted Amy and she received her epidural and things progressed throughout the morning and afternoon. I got into Amy's room at about 2:15 pm today... I anticipated the call ALL MORNING at work and was sooo excited to get in there!
We slowly watched the monitor as Baby Risser's heart would occasionally drop when Amy had a contraction. This went on for some time. The doctor's made it clear that it wasn't a very big deal because he would come down a little but then jump right back up to a very healthy heart rate between contractions. They also noted that he was being an active little guy!
Amy kept on keeping on until 7 centimeters! Then, it seemed is though she just wasn't progressing as much. And finally, around 4:45 pm or so, Dr. May came in and told Amy they thought it was time to consider a C-Section because Baby Risser might have some umbilical cord tanglige. As Eric was suiting up for the operating room and they were preparing Amy, I wished her good luck and headed back here to give you all this magnificent update!
I will be heading back to the hospital around 7 pm to see the little miracle! He's finally coming to us! I WILL be adding another post tonight, after I come home, with all of Baby Risser's stats and his NAME! :)
YAY!!
Pray for Amy, a healthy C-Section delivery, a healthy baby!
Thank you Heavenly Father for this miracle!
~Laura

39 weeks, 2 days NST and Check Up

2008-08-14T13:45:00.000-07:00

Today was my NST and 39 week Check. I recieved my NST first, as always, then my exam. The NST went very well, Baby was moving around and reacting great! The exam (yuck) revealed the dreadful; no progress, once again. Cheri and I had to have a long chat about Baby's options for delivery. As of now, no dialtion has occured. Which is a little rare for a second pregnancy. Here are the facts: Once the baby reaches 40 1/2 weeks, Baby needs to begin to be monitored for well being, because of being overdue. This would be like amnio fluid levels, NST's, and ultrasounds. In a VBAC situation, a mother cannot be "induced" traditionally, due to the higher risk of uterine rupture. The only thing that can be done is for the amnio sac to be ruptured manually, in hopes to start labor. HOWEVER, the amniotic sac cannot be ruptured without a small amount of dialation occurring for it to be reached. right now I am not a canidate for this happening. As many of you know, I had my first c-section due to fetal distress. I made it to 4cm after about 30 hours of labor. My doctors broke my water to speed things along and gave me pitocin which did nothing, Drew went into fetal distress due to an umbilical cord problem. I had an emergency c-section at that point.
My Midwife doesn't know if I will labor "well" or at all. Only a trial of labor (as it is called) will tell us that. However, if my body doesn't go into spontaneous labor on it's own, I will need to have a c-section. So. Such decisions are ones to be made! Going on my docs recomendations, Eric and I have scheduled a c-section for next Friday, August 22. If spontaneous labor starts before then, AMEN! We will begin the trial of labor and pray for Labor to take place on it's own, since the use of pitocin is too risky in VBAC canidates. If no labor by the 22 nd, a section it is. I have an appointment with Cheri in a week again, she said if I am dialated at that point at all, She can break my water in attempt to start things up, however, it probably will be unsuccesful. Worth a try none the less. So as of now, we are planning for surgery. Am I disapointed? Maybe a bit. However, our prayer through the trials of "VBAC" were clear that if God intended for a vaginal birth, he would allow that to happen in a natural matter. The more "tampering" we do, the more risk is imposed to our baby and a Uterine Rupture, which has can have fatal effects on mom and or baby. Baby Risser has been through so much already. We will be BLESSED beyond measure to have him here, healthy and unharmed, despite his method of entry into the world!!
As of now, we are feeling good about things. Again, it is in God's hands. It's funny, a week seems like such a long time away :) I cannot wait to meet him!
In the meantime, we will be sure to keep you posted on any progress into labor! Your prayers as always are kindly asked, for health, peace, and safetly of the docs during delivery!
here are some of thr final stats:

weight gain: -1 pound .....total weight gain 25 pounds
NST: pass
blood pressure:98/58
next appointment: 8/21
Baby Risser's anticipated arrival date: 8/22/08!!!!

Tom Petty was right, "The Wait is the Hardest Part"

2008-08-11T17:37:00.000-07:00

Tom Petty is one of my favorite artists. I have yet to see him in concert, but it will happen someday. These last few days I have found myself singing "The wait is the hardest part"
So I am officially 9 days from my due date. It is surreal really, yet I am soooooo ready. My last few days have consisted of a load of contractions, pelvic and back pressure and cramps. It so easy to start thinking, is this it?! Could this be the start of something!? Ahhh. You can really start to make yourself nuts! Obviously it's only a matter of time, but sometimes it feels like d-day will never arrive.
My prayers lately have been for a healthy, safe delivery, no matter what happens, and of course, patience. It has been a little trying the last few days taking care of a toddler while feeling the symptoms of pre-labor. I love the weekends, eric is amazing at helping around the house, and keeping up with the Drew-man.
We celebrated Eric's upcoming Birthday (the 15th) this past Sunday with his family. And we will celebrate with my family on Friday. Eric was hopeful that the baby would be born on his birthday, we will see. For some reason, I have a fear that i won't "go" by my due date. Big deal right??? It's funny the way you can get yourself so excited when you are so close.....okay, well I know this entry is all over the place....I am sure you will be hearing a lot more from me over the next couple of days :) I am trying to keep as busy as possible this next week, I would gladly accept any suggestions on how to do just that :)

38 weeks, 2 days NST and Prenatal Check

2008-08-07T12:10:00.001-07:00

So I had my routine NST and check up today. The NST took a little while. It seems Baby was in a sleep pattern! He eventually moved around a bit, and his heart rate accelerated, also he showed good heart rate during my contractions. I had to move around a bit, and drink some juice to get him going today! Cheri is back from vacation and is ready for my delivery :) I am glad I didn't "go" while she was away! She checked me today, and no changes really. She said I will probably go around my due date. That is pretty much what I have been figuring. She doesn't think I will have trouble going into labor on my own, which is good. We are just praying things progress naturally. So the waiting game remains. As of now, Baby Risser continues to look healthy and is showing no signs of fetal distress in the womb. i will upload a belly shot asap, it is quite the sight. It is funny, sometimes I feel like I need this baby out right now, and other times I can hardly believe I am almost there! We will continue to keep you posted.
the stats for today....

position: head down
belly measurement: none taken
heart rate base: 140's
NST: pass
blood pressure: 90/58
weight gain: 1 1/2 pounds ( a total of 25 1/2 pounds)
next appointment and hopefully my last!!! : thursday August 14

37 week NST and Prenatal Check up

2008-07-30T11:00:00.000-07:00

This morning had my 37 week NST and Checkup. The NST went great as usual, and I had a couple of contractions (don't get excited) while on the monitor as well, which showed a good heart rate responding to them. At one point I had to move around a little to get the man going, but his heart rate responded well to all the movements. I saw Dr. Eichenlaub today, since my midwife was on vacation. He is another great doc.
We talked about the usual, and he palpitated around to feel the head. The head is still "high" so he didn't bother checking me for progress because there probably hasn't been any in the last week! He agreed with Cheri that we will not be able to induce, so the baby will need to come on his own. As of now, It is up to me how long I would like to wait on that. Everything else checks out great this week, so for now we are asking for your prays for a safe and natural delivery. Many of you are asking "how will we know when it is time???" My sister will be sure to get on the blog here and keep you informed as the time comes. She will be with me most likely periodically during labor. As for now, the waiting game is on, here are today's stats:

position: vertex
blood pressure: 102/62
weight gain: 0 pounds (for a total of 24 pounds so far)
belly measurement: 36 1/2 cm
next NST /appointment: wednesday August 6
*on one other note: Dr. Eich seems to think the baby could be somewhere around the 7 pound mark....just depends on how long I carry...I can't wait to finally see for myself!!!

Almost 37 weeks....the 9th month

2008-07-27T10:34:00.000-07:00

Wow, hard to believe, 9 months has passed! I am officially "ready" for Baby Risser to arrive. We have put all the finishing touches on the nursery, daddy is in the process of putting the carseat in the Explorer, the diapers are out and ready to go.....all we need is baby! I also started putting together my hospital bag, with the things I could pack early; jammies, clothes, etc, and some of drew's things for his stay with Grandma and Pap. It all is starting to become so real. In a few weeks we will bringing our little miracle home. I have included a shot of the little man still in me belly....I am feeling pretty large at this point. In the evenings I seem to get the most uncomfortable, it is a little hard to breath when sitting on the couch, and finding a spot to get comfy when I go to bed in itself is a task. I'm not complaining mind you :) just "reminding" you of what that ninth month can be like :) I feel so blessed to be feeling all these "end of pregnancy symptoms" I'll take each one to heart. This morning I woke up and just laid in bed feeling the little guy squirm around in what little space is left, just so thankful of the life that is ahead of him, and how God has been soooooo miraculous in the makings of our precious son....

36 week NST (non stress test) and Prenatal Check

2008-07-24T13:29:00.000-07:00

Well today was my weekly prenatal exam and NST. The NST went well. Baby showed 3 good intervals of movement with an increased heart rate each time. It only took about 30 minutes or so. I visited with Cheri, my midwife after the NST, it was basically the same routine stuff. Head is down, but not engaged, everything looking good. She was pleased with the results at fetal-maternal medicine, however she does disagree with the fetal measurement, she thinks baby Risser will be smaller than Dr. Bayliss' prediction. Only time will tell who is correct!
I had the Strep-B culture done today and Cheri checked me to see if anything was going on. (ouch). Unfortunatly, no effacement, thinning, or dialtion at this point :( what a downer. At this point I am planning on not going into Labor til right around my due date.
Every one keeps saying "you are so close" yet it feels so far away. Up until this point the pregnancy has gone super fast. I just seem to be getting impatient at this point! I told cheri I am just going to try to stay active, and pray things happen on their own in God's time. If we are coming up on 39 weeks and nothing is changing, we will need to make some decisions. Induction is not completely safe, or effective with VBAC canidates, so, if my body can't start things on their own by my due date, it looks I will be having a c-section. At this point I can decide whatever I want. It would seem so easy to just schedule a c-section for a week or two from now, however, I would love nothing more than to wait it out and put things in God's hands. So that's where it stands as of now! My water could break tomorrow, only God knows, and up until this point, he seems to have had a plan which has all worked out for this Baby. please continue to pray for peace over the next few weeks for Eric and I. I am getting increasingly nervous for labor or surgery (neither is fun I know) but is so worth the tiny miracle we have waited so long for. I can't even imagine what it will like to meet Baby Risser for the first time, in the delivery room or the Operating room. It is just going to be one of the most amazing moments of our lives.
here are my stats, nothing too shocking......

blood pressure: 110/60 (an all time pregnancy high for me)!!!
weight gain in 2 weeks: 1 pound (for a grand total of 24 pounds)
measurement: none specified today
NST: PASS
Labor progress: 0% effaced and 0 cm dialted
next appointment and NST: WEDNESDAY July 30 w/Dr. Eichenlaub

Graduation Day...35 week Cardio-Gram And FINAL Growth Scan

2008-07-14T18:35:00.000-07:00

I feel like we have graduated. We had our FINAL growth check and Fetal Check up at the specialists office today. Dr. Bayliss confirmed that Baby Risser has indeed "graduated" from his practice, and is doing much better than ever expected. Today, upon arrival, our tech checked all organs, including heart, bladder, lungs, kidney's and spinal cord. She also took measurements of the head, abdoman, legs and neck, to estimate fetal weight....the verdict is in:

HE'S GONNA BE A BIG BOY :)

Baby Risser was very cooperative this afternoon, we got some great pics, and Dr. Bayliss was able to get a great measurement of 6 pounds!!!!! We were shocked (being that he still has a potential 5 more weeks for growth)! Aghhhh!!! Baby Risser is in the 77th percentile for his weight! All major organs and tissue seem to be developed as they should. (thank you, LORD!) I chuckled over again as I asked, "can my 5'2 frame deliver an 8 pound baby?" Dr. Bayliss replied if carried to term he could be 8 1/2 pounds! You'd be surprised what your body can do!" Dr. Bayliss encouraged VBAC also once again, saying I have about a 70-80% success rate.

We also got some more 3-D Shots today, and got up close and personal with our little man. He smiled at us several times, and we watched him swallow and gulp the amniotic fluid...very awesome!!!! He seems to look like.....my brother, Jim??? (hope you are reading Foehl Family) :) Dr. Bayliss also noted a "head of hair" on baby Risser that he could see on the ultrasound. As far as the cystic Hygroma stands: we may notice a small thickness of skin on the neck at birth, or there may be nothing at all, time will tell.

We thanked Dr. Bayliss and staff for their support and knowledge... and said our goodbyes. Dr. Bayliss once again reminded us that our prayers were answered with an amazing outcome, he will use our babie's story to share with other patients going through such trials. He tried "squeezing" out our little man's name once more, and said he is excited to hear of his name and meet him in person. As of now, he has referred to Baby Risser as "trouble."

Words cannot express our thanks from so many, for prayers and pleas to heal our son. Many of you have speard the word of our story and prayed without ceasing, along with your churches, groups, friends and pastors. I even heard from people in California praying for our baby. You will never know how much this touches my heart, to have this outcome is such an amazing testiment of the Faith that YOU have in the great Healer, Jesus Christ. From the bottom of Eric and My hearts, we thank you again. We still have about a month left of a long journey, please continue with us in prayers for a healthy delivery,healthy Baby Risser and for prayers for Baby Norrah and Baby Isaac.

Love to all---

34 week Non-stress Test and Prenatal Check-up

2008-07-10T12:52:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe we are now counting weeks instead of months!!! Exciting to say the least. We had our first non-stress test this afternoon at our Ob/Gyn. The purpose of the NST, is to check on the well-being of the baby and how he responds to contractions and his own movements. Basically, you get hooked up to monitors, one pad goes on the baby's heart , and one on the outside of the uterus. It is the same monitor that they hook you up to when you go into triage to have the baby. The nurse establishes a "base" heart rate, and I have a button I click every time the baby moves. The baby's heart rate should rise during movement, just like our's does when we excercise. They watch this until they are satisified with how baby is reacting.

To No surprise, Baby Risser was of course rolling around, which is indeed a good thing. He moved around so often, it took some time to establish a base heart rate. Once the nurse did, we just chuckled at the sound of his "horse-thumping" heart, and watched it rise with every passing movement. Pretty neat to say the least. I also watched a couple of peaks on the contraction strip...small ones however, nothing to get excited about.

Cheri was excited to see "EXCELLANT" NST results, and is getting very excited to deliver! Upon examination, the head is indeed still vertex (down) but, "floating" meaning not engaged in my pelvis yet. She said she would love to see it engaged, however, after the first pregnancy, moms don't usually "drop" til labor begins. Having said that, he could still flip. We are hoping and praying this active baby stays put!! It would be c-section for sure at that point! Everything else is looking good. We are both hoping (and praying of course) for baby to start the process of descending over the next couple of weeks, and just maybe I go a week or so early. This would mean no inducing or having to make decisions other than VBAC. Indeed we know God knows best, and we are placing this in his hands also.

This coming Monday is our FINAL Fetal-Maternal Visit with the specialists, and Growth and heart scan. whewww, I will feel like it is Graduation. We are praying for things to look continually good growth and body wise, and to have good results with our doctors. We will of course keep you posted on those results as well as a close estimate on weight! Thanks in advance for your prayers. Your prays for healing and peace have been amazing, and i know we will feel them Monday before and during our test and ultrasound.

Okay, I know you are dying to know the numbers:)

Belly measurement : 34 1/2 cm (1/2 cm big)!!!

weight gain : 3 pounds in two weeks! (for a grand total of 23 pounds)

blood pressure: 100/58 (yah!)

next appointment/NST: 36 weeks 7/24/08

FINAL GROWTH SCAN/ULTRASOUND: MONDAY!! 7/14/08

He has a plan!

2008-07-09T06:40:00.000-07:00

I have been so humbled this week to sit dow and start reading the blog of a special baby, Audrey Caroline. I have posted her blog on this site, I urge you to take some time and read the story of this baby, and the plan's God has chosen for her mom, Angie and the rest of her family. Audrey's story turns out different than what her parents asked the Lord for, however there walk is leading them to a cross they never knew they could bear, and that of one that is changing many lives of people the Smith's have never met. Audrey Caroline is another miracle baby. I just had to share with all of you. This is indeed another friend of Baby Risser. Although in heaven, Baby Audrey's Family is also in need of your prayers as well, as they miss there baby girl so very much.
The Smith's story has left me thinking this week about how good God is in any situation he HAS A PLAN, in that he gives, and takes away. Our hearts for sure know that God medically worked a miracle for Baby Risser. He answered a prayer that we yearned for. It is sometimes hard to swallow that. And sometimes, I feel that maybe I just am, not deserving of such a miracle, and God could take it away. I know theses feelings aren't of God, so my prayer this week is for peace, and that Satan would "back off" and know that we surrender everything we have to our father, and it is by him that all good things come from. As the coming weeks approach, I yearn more and more to hold our baby boy, and praise God for the outcome he has chosen. throuoght this pregnancy this one particular verse has stood out in cards, letters and prayers, and had things not turned out the way we prayed for, this verse would stand the same: as the delivery approahes, if I worry about the well being of our son, how he will look, or if everything indeed is "okay" I take such comfort in these words:

For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future. Jerremiah 29 :11

I take such comfort in these words... Thank you all again for your prayers, stay tuned tomorrow for the results of our Non-stress test.
Feeling blessed today!

32 Week Prenatal Check-up

2008-06-26T10:14:00.001-07:00

Today, I visited with Dr. May, one of the Doctor's in my Ob/Gyn practice, being that my midwife is on vacation. I was once again very surprised to hear that our little "man" is still indeed head down. The big hard "boulder" like structure I am feeling in my rib cage is a butt! I thought for sure he had turned :) I must say, in the last week, I can tell things are getting squished in there, these movements can be quite painful at times. Dr. May listened to the heartbeat for some time, and asked all the normal questions. Blood Pressure has been about the same, however I haven't been too light-headed, so I think I am keeping up with the fluids. We talked more about the VBAC. I have been doing a bit of reading, and I have to say I am getting more nervous. The whole uterine rupture risk is scary, however there is at this point no reason for me subject my body to unnecessary surgery either. She explained VBAC's are different than just a typical vaginal labor in that, my midwife will deliver, however a DR. will need to be on standby my entire labor in case I need sectioned immediatly. That is comforting. Also, as soon labor is impending, and I am aware of it, we will most likely head right to the hospital, instead of waiting it out at home awhile. The baby will need to be monitored continuesly during labor. Another reassurence.....If however the event arises that I need induction, I will be very limited at what can be administered. Pitocin is allowed in small amounts, and they can manually break my water, but nothing else. Also, if 40 weeks comes, they will not induce, it will be a c-section. So things could go so many ways, we just won't know until the big day comes. Right now, I am putting it solely in God's hands. I would love to experience birth, but God knows best!!

This morning I was pleased to run into "Baby Norrah" and her mama Lauren at the office. Please pray for Baby Norrah this week, as she has failed her third non stress test just this morning, and will be going for more tests today. They haved moved her c-section up to this Tuesday, July 1. Check out Norrahs blog for a complete update!!! We are so EXCITED TO WELCOME the first of the "miracle babies" :)

the stats are in:

weight gain: 2 pounds (for a total of 20 pounds)

blood pressure : 88/58

belly measurement: taken but not specified which means good I guess!

heart rate: 141 bpm

baby position: vertex (head down)

next appointment and non-stress test: July 10 with Cheri

Final Growth Scan: July 14 or 15?? (36 weeks)

A Special Prayer

2008-06-18T09:55:00.000-07:00

Thanks again all friends, family and those who have stumbled upon our blog for taking the time to read, pray and support our family during this pregnancy. Many of you have been touched, and shared stories and or experiences and memories that our Baby has help remind you of. this deeply humbles us. In the midst of awaiting our miracle in the coming weeks, there are two other very special babies who need your prayers as well. I have included there blogs on the site and many of you have begun following their journey's.
Baby Delisle (Stacy and Spencers baby) Have updated their blog, and need your prayers deeply, Their babie's Cystic Hygroma has shrunk by a miracle from God, however their baby is facing many other devastating health concerns. Most of all, this family needs to feel support and God's love as they continue to await more miracles.
Baby Norrah, (Lauren and Ken's baby) will be here very soon...about 3 weeks or so!!! Baby Norrah needs continued prayers for growth and a three artery umbilical cord, rather than 2.
Of course please continue to lift up Baby Risser and pray against still birth, or any growth restriction.
We are so glad these "miracle baby's" as us girls have began calling them are touching your lives as well as ours, stay tuned for what's to come :)

30 weeks, 3 days and Counting ! (Prenatal Check up)

2008-06-13T07:39:00.000-07:00

I visited my mid-wife Cheri today. We immediatly discussed that our little man is transverse (horizontal)....however upon further examination Cheri was very excited to see he has moved to the head down position!!!! I swear he turned last night, I was uncomfortable in both ribs! She could grab his head in the pelvis area....
Cheri and I talked about if he hadn't turned in the next 5 weeks or so, it would be c-section for sure. She did not recommend doing a version (manually flipping the baby) with a Section scar, and that this little guy has already been under enough stress. So we agreed, if our little man does not stay head down, and is breech at 36 weeks, a c-section it is, however as of now....VBAC!( for those who aren't familiar VBAC is vaginal birth after cesearean)
I filled out the VBAC form, and the risks are very nerve racking. The main risk is extremely low, 1% for uterine rupture where the previous scar is. A uterine rupture is extremely dangerous to mom and baby. However a c-section itself is stressful to the body as any major abdominal surgery is, even the High risk Doc, Dr. Bayliss said that a VBAC would be excellant for both me and the baby, unless fetal distress starts to occur. So as of now, that is where it stands. At any point, weeks, days or hours during or before labor I can change my mind. I sincerely trust my midwife and Doctors opinion, they will section me if at any time they think things are going the least bit astray. So.....prayers for optimal conditions during labor, and speedy one too! Not to mention continued growth and a healthy baby!
Otherwise, heartbeat today was great, Blood pressure up a little, everything looking great!
Stay tuned updated belly shots to come :)
Now the stats:

Belly measurement: great! (none specified, typical for Cheri :)
Blood pressure: 89/54 low still but up from last visit thanks to salt!
Great heart beat
Baby's position: vertex !!!!
weight gain in four weeks : 3 pounds (for a total of 18 pounds)

29 week Growth Scan and Cardio-gram

2008-06-02T07:24:00.000-07:00

We visited fetal-maternal Medicine this morning bright and early. I actually got up and had my glucose test done (woohoo!) and then met Eric in at the Women's and Babie's Hospital. I swear everyone knows us there! I guess that is not a bad thing however, when the big day arrives! We had a different ultrasound tech today, she was funny and very nice, just as are all of the other staff in their office. She started with the growth scan, by taking measurements of the babie's body, like head, chest, spine, legs and arms, they gather measurements and the machine gives back a weight. At first the baby's weight came back being that I was around 32 weeks, I started to panick a little as the tech said "how big was your first baby?" She repeated all the measurements again and came up with 3 pounds, which is right around the 50-60th percentile for growth at 29 weeks. So far, if Baby Risser stays on target his birth weight should be around 6 1/2-7 1/2 pounds at birth. The ultrasound tech said that this size baby is excellant for a person my size. So....as of now growth seems great!!! Thanks for your prayers.....
Dr. Bayliss is the doc who then came in and repeated the ultrasound, he said the heart valves looked "beautiful" He asked what the Baby's name is and we said " Sorry, it's a secret :)" So he said from now on he will be referring to him as "trouble". Throughout the tests, baby was going crazy, and even had the hiccups at one point, making it once again hard to get the shots they needed. As of now his position is still horizontal. However Dr. Bayliss says there is still plenty of time for him to turn head down. Dr. Bayliss tried to get a good "shot for the family album" however baby Risser had other ideas (as he has this entire pregnancy)....and we ended up with only one pic, and it is hard to even see him. Dr. Bayliss also noted the contractions I was having during the ultrasound, he said "do you have these a lot?" And I said, i have them frequently, just like with drew....soooo, he was able to take a look via ultrasound at my cervix, which he said was still long, and not dilating, which means that the contractions are indeed Braxton-hicks and not pre-term labor.
he looked at the neck area, and showed us just a small redundant amount of thick skin. He said it is hard to tell if it will even be noticiable to us at birth. He mentioned again that these "results" are not typical with this situation, and he indeed knows how pleased we are to see this kind of outcome. Having said that, the baby's growth and well being needs to continue to be monitored. He is very pleased with the baby's well being right now, with Cystic Hygroma cases there are instances of other disorders that cannot be diagnosed, however the docs have/are ruling out all of the major ones. Also, there is an instance of still birth, he indicated he thinks I am at low-risk for that, that things look good, and we should keep measuring baby's growth. He wants to see us one more time in 7 weeks (36 weeks gestation), and begin having fetal-non-stress tests at 32 weeks at the regular ob-gyn apppointments.
Dr Bayliss is a great doctor, he is very professional and very personable, he is very experienced at his profession. At the end of our appointment, he peeked back in the room and said he "sleuthed" in the computer and saw I passed my glucose test, that was just one hour before hand! He said "now you can go home and enjoy that ice cream sundae!"
Once again more "baby steps" (thanks stacy) :) have led us to this point. Please continue with us to pray for our son's well-being. God has and is continuing to be so gracious in his plans, we must not ever forget it.

28 weeks

2008-05-27T05:13:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe I have at least another 10 weeks to go! Things feel like they are starting to get a bit scrunched, and a jab in the hip or ribs has become a common occurence. I am starting to feel pressure low, especially when I stand up to get out of bed. Carrying drew around is probably contributing to this, as I don't remember that with him. Ahh, then there is the lovely swelling :) yesterday was a glimpse into what the next two months will most likely behold....by the end of the day, my new nickname could have been "cankles", and the wedding band had to come off as well :0 just a taste of what August may be like!

Other than that typical stuff, I am enjoying the pregnancy to it's fullest! I love feeling his little and Not so little rolls and squirms!!! Not to mention the frequent "morphing" of my belly! The braxton-hicks contractions seem to be a bit more under control right now, as I have been keeping up on my liquids. I am having them every day, but there is no frequency to them anymore.

Our next appointment at Maternal-fetal is Monday June 2, less than a week away. As these appointments approach, I must say I always get a bit nervous. Please continue to pray for our faith to stay strong, and for our baby to be growing properly and perfectly. The doc will be doing a growth scan, and looking at our little guy's heart again by echo-cardio gram. We are getting excited to finally meet our little miracle in the making!

26 week Check up-Bring on the Salt!

2008-05-15T11:57:00.001-07:00

I visited my Regular midwife, Cheri this morning. I wasn't at all surprised to hear that my blood pressure is pretty low again ( 81/61), which is why I have been feeling the dizziness and frequency in contractions. Cheri explained that I could be starting to get dehydrated and I need to increase Gaterade, water and salt! Bring on the salt (for those of you who don't know me, I love salty snacks)!!! In the past two days I have been having a ton of Braxton-hicks contractions, and she explained, that is due to the lack of hydration. The water just doesn't seem to be cutting it. So she said the Gaterade may "stick" in my body a little better and do it's job. Other wise, she said I could end up going into the hospital for my liquids to be replenished via IV fluids! YIKES! I vow to bring on the Gaterade ten fold :)
She ordered the Glucose test (woo-hoo), and listened to a great heartbeat. We were laughing because he was going crazy while we listened to the doppler.
I asksd her about the placental "lakes" and she said no need to worry, we will just keep watching baby's growth, via ultrasound, measurements, and non-stress tests after 32 weeks. Once I hit the 32 week mark I will be going into maternal-fetal for non-stress tests of the baby on a weekly basis. Sooooo....continued prayers for this little man to GROW, grow, GROW. So far our little guy's position is horizontal!!! Side ways in the uterus :) There is still another 10 weeks for him to make his decent into head-down position....we will pray for that as well. All in all, a good report......the stats:

belly measurement: " none specified" (she said good growth though)!
weight gain: 3 pounds
blood pressure : 81/61
total weight gain during pregnancy so far: 13 pounds
We will see Cheri again one more time in four weeks ( 30 weeks gestation) , then begin bi-weekly after that!

An amazing week!

2008-05-12T18:25:00.000-07:00

I am eager to write tonight as I learn more of the plans god has in store for us! The last few days have been eventful in that we again feel so blessed with everything going on around us. Church was amazing yesterday, I felt like the message was directed specifically toward us. Guess what the sermon was about...the power of prayer!!! The message spoke of Pentecost and the birth of the church, and how quickly so many have forgotten the almighty power, super-natural, of God. After all, the resurrection of Christ was not an event that can be explained scientifically!!! But an event that was super-natural indeed! Why do we think that God can't work in this way this day and age??? I could barely stay seated in my pew, as the pastor spoke of events, miracles that God performs that can never be explained by any specific matter, other than that of God. Amen, to that. And yet we don't ask, because we don't believe it is possible. I am here to say it is soooo possbile!!!! We need to be prayerful and ask for the miraculous, refuding what our inner lack of hope (Satan) is telling us! I think our "plan" is unraveling" and that our story could offer proof to those with disbelief. But how? This week I was connected via the internet, this BLOG , with a couple going through specifically what we are. New friends in Christ have been revealed, and also a new set of Prayers, to add to our pleas. There baby too has a large hygroma, and we are crying out to God to once again reveal himself in this baby boy. If you look to the right, you can check out the pregnancy blog of this family, asking for a super-natural miracle. Will you join with me in praying for them?
talking with this new friend has churned up emotions in my heart and I am asking that you continue to lift us up in your prayers for our baby boy as well. God is good, and he has brought us here, and I am so excited about what his plans are....I know this is getting long, but I am just so excited to share. I have never felt God's voice speak stronger than it has in the past few days and I am bursting at the seams!

Pray shout outs for Baby Risser, Baby Norrah, Baby Delisle and the arrival of the healthy "Bair cubs" !!
what an amazing week it has been!

25 weeks, Prayers for my nerves!

2008-05-06T08:24:00.000-07:00

Time has been going quickly, this week Pap (dad) is painting drew's new room, and we are preparing to move drew out of the nursery! It is kinda sad, but I am excited to get all the baby stuff out again, and wash it and put it away! Drew's new room is going to be awesome, of course done in blue and red (thomas colors)!

The baby has been very active, which is a great reasurrence that things are going well. We are continuing to ask for prayers, yesterday I recieved a call from Maternal-fetal medicine, and they would actually like to do a growth scan in 4 weeks again. After hanging up the phone, I immediatly started to worry....why the change, I had been scheduled for an 8 week scan??? Eric said if it is still worrying me today, I should call and just ask why the doc changed his mind. Anyways, I guess we have been bombarded with such great results from our tests lately that I am afraid to hear bad news. Soooooo, I just need to keep my faith strong, God gives, God takes, and sometimes he days just says, wait, and be patient!!!! It's funny how everyday we are reminded of how things were just a few months ago...I prayer God reveals to us how we can use our experience to help others.......

soooo.....the picture above is the 25 weeks belly shot, I am beginning to feel large. I did the unthinkable and went shopping last Friday for a maternity swim suit, what a sight. Two girls in the store said to me, "are you due soon?" !!! I laughed and replied, is August soon??? The girl that had asked was expecting in September and she barely had a bump! Oh well, it just seems to stick straight out, like a basket ball or something!

Fetal Echo Cardio-gram, 24 weeks

2008-04-30T09:35:00.000-07:00

This morning we had our test on the babie's heart. The High-Risk Office, performed the test, and it took about an hour. They looked very closely at the heart via ultrasound, and individually looked at it's interior (blood flow, valves, arteries, ventricles). Baby was being a bit uncooperative, moving around like there was a party going on or something....So it tooks some time to get some good shots. Also, i had to keep changing positions, because I couldn't breath very well on my back the whole time. They also listened to all the different areas of the heart, it was crazy, they all sounded a little different, but healthy none the less!

Today we saw a different Doc, Dr. Boley. He looked around awhile, and said so far everything looks healthy! He did point out a couple of "Lakes" in my placenta. he sid that these could cause Inuterine Growth Restriction, but in most cases mean nothing....he said not to worry about it, they will keep monitoring the baby's growth, with my next ultrasound, and by my OB's belly measurements. Speaking of growth, he mentioned that today, the baby weighs 1 pound 8 oz. He said that is average for the babie's age, he did a lot of measurements, and babie's growth as of now looks good. So overall, a good report! We noticed as we walked our notes up to the front of the office , we read "resolved cystic hygroma".....written on a note by the chart, this made me smile all over :)

The High-risk Dr.'s would like to look again at growth and the babie's heart in 8 weeks, (32 weeks along). So that will be our next appointment with them....we will continue to see our reg. OB/GYN on a regular basis. We are asking that you all continue to pray for health and growth in our baby, and that the "lakes" in the placenta will clear up, causing no IUGR. The picture posted with today's entry was taken today on the ultrasound 4-d. It is of the head, you can see his cute face, the stuff all around him is my uterus (ewww, sorry guys). It was really tough to get a good picture today, again there must have been celebrating going on in there!

Prayers for Tomorrow

2008-04-29T19:06:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow is our next big test, the fetal echo-cardio-gram. We are anticipating good results, as we feel God is working in this baby's health everyday. Parts of me are a bit nervous, however I am excited to see our "little man", it's been 4 weeks!
it's beginnning to feel like a boxing ring in my belly! This is definetely a very active baby. He is moving almost all the time it seems, and it makes me smile, it is a great reassurence. Some of the kicks are beginning to jabb my ribs (ouchie)!! and my back is starting to ache quite a bit by the end of the day. The ol' belly is rather itchy and tight, it is so amazing how much your skin stretches throught the last months....time seems to be flying along, we keep praying, without pause, we are getting more excited to meet this miracle....and we will post on our test results tomorrow.....please continue to pray, for a healthy baby, heart and safe delivery.

23 weeks

2008-04-21T04:25:00.000-07:00

I went for my doctor appt at my regular dr. thursday. My blood pressure was down again , but not quite as low, something like 90/59....I was greeted by Cheri my midwife and the staff excited about our excellant results from Dr. Bayliss the high-risk doc....we were jumping up and down!! Cheri gave me the OK to attempt a VBAC which made me very excited, but nervous, because she did explain all the risks, and give me a scary form I need to fill out for the hospital. She said I could afford to put on some extra weight :) Ha! I told her I have been eating everything in sight....she is said that's okay as long as it's healthy...(yikes) :) My belly measured 1 week ahead, 24 cm, but I always measured big with drew so......pretty typical for me I guess.... I go back to Dr. Bayliss for the fetal echo-cardio gram next wednesday....we will keep praying for a healthy heart! I am starting to feel stronger activity and a lot more often (like all the time)....we will post belly pictures and more baby pictures soon, the digital cam is still on the fritz!

Cystic Hygroma, a testimony of Faith

2008-04-12T17:48:00.000-07:00

On wednesday January 30, 2008, we went for a routine ultrasound at the Women's and Babie's Hospital, to check on the babies size and due date. We soon learned that are baby was suffering from a very rare birth defect called a Cystic Hygroma. A cystic Hygroma is diagnosed in about 1 in 5,000-10,000 babies. This Fluid filled cyst is filled with Lymphatic fluid due to the babies lymphnodes not working properly. Our ultrasound revealed a moderate sized cyst involving the head, neck and back. You can see the cyst on the ultrasound picture. We were immedialty sent to a Perinatoligist Group at the Women's and Babie's. Upon arrival, another ultrasound was conducted, and Maternal-Fetal Medicine reconfirmed the diagnosis. We were told that our baby has about a 70% chance of having a Chromosome abnormality and a possible chance of a heart defect. Our Doctor informed us that in very rare instances, about 3-5% , a Hygroma can shrink, and sometimes disapear. An amniocentisis was recommended to diagnose any Chromosome related issues, and serial ultrasounds to monitor baby throughout pregnancy. We were asked if we wanted to continue with the pregnancy, and we shuttered at the very thought of ever taking away such a precious life. Confused and shocked we took what little information we had, and went home to tell our family of the news.
The next several days were a whirlwind, and I can't say for myself that my faith didn't waiver. My very thought and fear was "How will I ever have the strength to move forward?" (this question was later answered)....We were bombarded with caring friends, family, and aquantences asking "how can we help?" I was too tired and too heart-stricken to even answer them, or face them. You just don't ever forsee something like this happening to you. I found myself in my devotions not knowing what to pray for or ask God for...."a small chromosome disorder, a miscarriage, health, " I knew in my heart I wanted a beautiful, healthy baby, but it seemed like that option was too far-fetched. A very-dear friend of mine, soon sent me a letter, that I feel was the begining of an amazing transormation in our baby's fight. She told me that I need to begin praying for just what our heart's desired, a perfect, healthy, baby. Which would require a "super-natutral miracle" From our Lord above. "YES!" I thought immedialty, of course! Our God is a God of supernautral miracles, and how easily we forget this. i turned to the Bible and began reading of the healing miracles that Jesus performed during his life. A blind man, a leper, a woman raised from the dead, a demon cast away.....all just a few miracles, given to those who asked. Jesus told us on the sermon on the mount, "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find: Knock and the door will be opened to you" -(Matt.6:7-8) Our hearts immedialty knew that if it is in God's will, this baby can and will be healed. We fell at peace about four weeks later, and realized that whatever happend, God had a plan, and he will give us the Grace we need to move forward. That's not saying there weren't hard days, sad days, when we just said "why?" but we felt a sense of hope.
In February a healing service was done in our home, with our fam of "four" and some fellow believers who felt led to come and call on the Lord in our home. We sang, prayed and they asked the Lord to please Heal our baby if it is in his will, and make him healthy, remove the cyst, and let there be no Chromosome problems. It was an amazing experience, I cannot wait to share with our little one someday. Our friends left and the following morning our hearts overflowed with more Hope and affirmation that we need to keep praying and asking....and so we did.....
In the meantime, during some routine bloodwork, an antibody showed up in my bloodstream, causing some concern on what blood type the baby was carrying. Evidentally, during my previous c-section, some of drew's blood and mine mixed in my blood stream, casuing me to build up an antibody to a protein in his blood type. If Baby Risser also inherited this blood type (from eric) My blood cells could possibly start to attack the babie's giving him a disease call HDN (hemolytic disease of the newborn) which can be very risky. My amnio results would also reveal if the babe had my blood type or eric's.
At the end of February,after much waiting and patience, our amnio results came back Negative for any chromosome abnormalites, and we immedialty praised God for his good works! We were told our baby is a boy! And we began once again embracing a "normal" pregnancy" We were told the Hygroma is still present, and needed to be monitored every 4 weeks. The amniotic fluid also revealed that the baby was carrying my blood type! Eliminating completely the possiblilty of the baby getting a blood disorder inutero. We praised God once again....!!!! Amen! We kept everyone posted and continued to ask for prayers and healing.
On April 2, 2008 Eric and I skipped through the parking lot at Women's and Babies after learning the Hygroma has shrunk and was almost visibly gone. Our baby was fighting, and looked vibrant and strong, and we feel we owe it all to our powerful Savior.
As of now our baby is out of the "High risk" cat. and needs to continue to be monitored for growth and heart-realted birth defects. We will be having a fetal echo-cardio-gram on April 30 and again in 8 weeks after that, our Dr. says as of now our baby's heart looks healthy and he can rule out about 50% of any defects, however we will continue to keep monitoring.
We believe totally that our baby is happy, healthy, and persistent like his big bro! He also is going to be a walking testimant of the Power of God. Our testimony as a couple and as parents is begining to take shape, and every day we realize the ways God is showing us things we may have never seen otherwise, hence, the journal. I hope here to make some sense of all the amazing things going through my head right now! We both agree that an experience like this can change a marriage for better or worse. This has strengthened us in a way we never realized, drawing us closer than before. I have to say, some days, it's easier to just say " I want to be alone" but in the end you need to turn to each other, not pull apart and use your partner as a partner in God. You truly realize, God has partnered me with just the person I am to be with. Faith, Grace, and such a depth of thankfulness for the blessings of family, our son, and people who care so much for us. These are just a few, i truly beleive God is doing some continuing work here, in that others will hear this story and be drawn to seeking him out and learning that our God really is STILL a God of Supernatural miracles, our son is living proof.

A journal in the making....

2008-04-12T13:05:00.000-07:00

I have been insprired by more than a handful of friends and aquintances to start a pregnancy blog. Our blog will begin at 22 weeks, however I will begin by explaining from the begining of our pregnancy, and how this tiny life has changed so many hearts, including ours. Many of you have requested info on the progress of our tests, ultrasounds, and prognosis of Baby Risser. Until now we have Blogged on myspace. However, many of you do not have access to Myspace, so here it is...:)
Our Journey begins on Monday December 10, 2007. A day "late," and slightly emotional, Drew and I took our weekly routine visit to the Grocery store. A decided to grab a prego test to rule out my baby-fever thoughts...it couldn't be, no, it had taken so many stressful months of trying with our first, how ?? without checking my temperature daily, peeing on an ovulation stick, and marking "smiley faces" on the calander for fertile days, could things happen without even a thought???
God works mysteriously and I believe, in funny ways :) That morning two lines were surprising, but totally, exciting nonetheless! I looked at the clock 9:35am....how can I wait until 5:00pm to share this with my hubby??? The hours seemed like days! At 4:55pm I started to watch out the window for him to pull in the neighborhood......agghhhh at last, the roar of the diesel jetta......I totally had Eric sit down for the news, he was utterly excited, shocked and could not stop smiling!!! Next came the hard part, keeping things quiet for 10 weeks.