One week down!

Well, Timothy and I have passed the one week mark in the hospital and it has actually gone by pretty fast. When I think back to last Sunday morning, I remember the strange mixture of concern and peace as we drove to the hospital. It's the same mix of emotions that I recall from Brad's head injury a few years ago. In the flesh, you think about the worst case scenario, but oh how the Spirit brings comfort by bringing specific Scriptures to mind. I was assured that God is faithful regardless of my circumstances and would see us through whatever news we received at the hospital.

Now a week later, we praise the Lord for keeping our son safe and for the tremendous love we have been shown. We continue to take this journey a day at a time, but rest in the assurance that He alone holds the future. During this season of waiting and trusting, the body of Christ has reached out in tremendous ways. I have received word that people are praying that I have never met. On this side of heaven, we will never know how many people have lifted up this baby boy, and I cannot wait to see what God does with his life!

Many of you know that my sister Katelyn is getting married June 26, and one of the many blessings of their relationship is that the Fusons have become part of our family too. Because I have been on bedrest so long, I don't even remember the last time I had a haircut. I know it's trivial in the grand scheme of things, but once Linda found out, she was up here to give me a haircut, bedrest style!

Please continue to pray that the baby will stay safe and I will remain clear of infection until it's time for his arrival. Thanks!

Home away from home

Today is day 5 of my hospital stay, and surprisingly and thankfully it is beginning to feel somewhat normal. Of what could be a miserable experience, I'm amazed at how much phone calls, text messages, Facebook posts, and personal visits do to lift your spirits. Oh, not to mention the hundreds of prayers that are being lifted up for our family!!

Between my mom and Brad, someone has been here nearly round the clock and have definitely made it feel more like a hotel stay instead of a hospital (that is if I ignore the IV and constant nurse's care :))

Speaking of care, we have been blown away by the kindness and professionalism of the Centennial staff. From the immediate attention we received in the OB ER to the joyful high-risk pregnancy nurses, we are confident this is the best place we can be. I even had one nurse who told me she had spent 3 weeks on this floor with her pregnancy and was so appreciative of the care she received that she changed her major and career goals and now works on the floor herself. What a testimony to the purpose they feel for their daily work!

I am actually feeling much better than I was at home. I finally have an appetite after weeks of forcing myself to eat and am working to make this baby grow bigger and stronger. I also had a request from my 4 year-old friend, Lily, who has been praying for Jesus to make Timothy better. She wants to see my belly get bigger, and I want to make her happy as well. :)

We believe this is the beginning of a long stay where we never know what tomorrow  holds, so we continue to covet your prayers! 

Getting Started

As some of you know, Brad and I are pregnant with our first child. It seems like most of this pregnancy has not gone according to plan, and we are learning to let go of control and trust God along this journey. To this point, I have spent significant periods of the pregnancy on bedrest at home. Things seemed to be going well recently, but I awoke early Sunday morning when my water broke at 20 weeks.

Needless to say, we knew that was way too early and headed to Centennial immediately. After being checked out in their specialized OB ER, I was admitted for an "extended" stay. We later learned that "extended" means staying in a hospital room until the baby is born. Ideally, for the health of the baby we would like to make it to 34-35 weeks, but the longer I can remain pregnant, the better the outcome for the baby.

Now that I have a great deal of time on my hands, several people have encouraged me to start blogging about this experience. I hope to be able to share what I'm learning about reliance on the Lord, letting go of control, preparing for Timothy's arrival, and share some stories along the way. For those of you who are praying for us, I cannot begin to thank you enough. We are overwhelmed by the love we have been shown and my hope is that this blog will be an encouragement to you.