The Time Has Come!

I can't sleep so well this week. I guess it's because I am a little anxious about the next couple of days...you see, we're going to have a baby!

James is doing really well according to non-stress tests and movement counts. He is just a little small.  Last week the fetal specialist decided that his growth had slowed enough (down to the 9th percentile) to warrant an induction at 37 weeks...this Friday, August 31! We will go to the hospital Thursday night to begin cervidil. The pitocin will start Friday morning. Hopefully, we will have a baby Friday, though my doctor gave a precaution that my labor could take a while to really start, and we may have to try again another day (surely not!).  I moved from my blood thinner to heparin in preparation for delivery, and I have a trail of bruises on my belly from the injections. I will take the bruises in order to be able to have an epidural, though!

We have been frantically trying to reorganize our house the past few days. I had been procrastinating, but the time has come to get on the ball! With the help of friends and family, we moved Emmalyn into our guest room, which means all the furniture and junk from our guest room has to go somewhere. We put the old mattress by the road. One of the city workers asked if she could take it for her child whose home recently burned. We were skeptical that anyone would want a used mattress, but they were desperate. When they came by to pick it up last night, I also gave them the comforter set with pillows, a box of clothes sitting by the door we had planned to give Goodwill, and a lamp. I was glad to get it out of the house and happy that someone could use it!

Emmalyn loves her new room. She said it is "gorgeous!" In my head, I imagined that she would have so much room, and we could put all of her toys in there to get them out of the living room. In actuality, the room filled up fast. I just wish our house had more closet space!

James has been showered with so many sweet gifts. My friends and family threw me a shower this past weekend, and we were given a wonderful variety of useful baby things. The little clothes are all washed and put away, and the car seat is washed and ready. The diaper changing station is set up, the bottles are all washed, and his bed is awaiting a little warm body. He will sleep in our room in a pack-n-play for a few weeks. I also ordered a swing that I hope he enjoys while I spend some time with Emmalyn or rest myself. I am glad that babies sleep so much in the beginning while the family adjusts to having another child!

After the delivery, I will start back on my original blood thinner to prevent clots. I will see my oncologist two weeks after the birth to set a plan for starting taxol and possibly having a complete scan. I am a little afraid of what could be found on a scan, but I am trying to give those worries to the Lord. My oncogist believes the chance of seeing anything else is pretty small, but it might put my mind at ease. Besides, my life is about to be so full with two kids that I won't have time to dwell on the possibilities. God is so good!

I truly cannot believe how time has flown. It seems like our journey has only just begun, and here we are nine months later! I am getting excited to see his little face. To see his little features and smell his sweet scent and see what color all his hair is will be heavenly. I can't wait to see Emmalyn's face when she meets James for the first time, too!  She picked out a little stuffed chicken (of all things!) to give James when they meet, and I have gathered her a movie and toys for him to "give" her. They have matching "big sister" and "little brother" shirts to wear. It will be such a blessed time!

"When my anxious thoughts multiply within me,
Your consolations delight my soul." (Psalm 94:19 NASB)

"Behold, children are a gift of the LORD,
The fruit of the womb is a reward." (Psalm 127:3 NASB)

"Blessed be the LORD God, the God of Israel,
Who alone works wonders.
And blessed be His glorious name forever;
And may the whole earth be filled with His glory.
Amen, and Amen." (Psalm 72:18, 19 NASB)

The Countdown

A few significant things have occurred in the last month or so. Stephen and I lost a dear friend on June 30 to an accident. Jay Williams has been a great friend to us since college. He was always one for adventure, with a smile on his face, and he opened his home and life up to everyone. Some of my best memories with Jay include games of "Risk" at his apartment in college. I wasn't very good, and I didn't care whether I won or lost, but I always managed to be involved games with super-competitive guys (like my husband). Jay would slip me hints and game pieces to give me an edge, just to fluster his friends. We also enjoyed camping at his family's farm and games of "hide and seek" in hay fields with trucks. Jay was the first person we told about our first pregnancy. He invited us to visit him at his summer job in Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming in the summer of 2008. On a hike, we had him take pictures of us holding a onesie to use to share the news of the baby with our families.

In recent years, Jay held cookouts at his house with board games and hamburgers for his friends. He even welcomed Emmalyn, who usually found something to get into! The last few days of his life, he, along with his sweet girlfriend and other friends, painted Emmalyn's new room and the baby's room while we were out of town as a gift. Stephen and I have been so blessed by his friendship and generosity, and we have such a sweet, constant reminder of our friend. Jay loved the Lord, and we know he is praising our Savior for all eternity! I continue to pray for his girlfriend, who is a dear friend of mine, and his family as their lives have been greatly changed.

I had my last chemo sessions in early July. They went well, as usual, praise the Lord! I have had an issue with UTI's in the last month. I've gone through four rounds of antibiotics. Hopefully, I won't have any more flare-ups. I am enjoying my break from chemo. We are waiting until after delivery to determine when I will start Taxol. My weeks are still filled with doctors' visits, though...OB appointments! I am 34 weeks along as of Friday.

 Baby James has been measuring a little "skinny." I saw the fetal specialist this week, and James is about two weeks behind in growth, which puts him in the 20th percentile. I can't necessarily blame it on chemo, though. My daughter had the same issue. We delivered her at 6 lbs, 3 oz. It must just be the way I grow them! It means that I have to take non-stress tests twice a week and have even more frequent ultrasounds. Everything else looks great, though! We may be delivering a little early so that he can get out and eat. We can see a head full of hair on the ultrasound. I wonder what color his hair and eyes will be and what his little face will look like.

We are making an effort to have fun with Emmalyn these last few weeks. We took her to Pine Mountain Wild Animal Park last weekend. She had a blast! She loves animals. She started gymnastics this week, too. The class was quite entertaining, to say the least! We will probably move her into her new room this weekend, so we can set the baby bed up in her old room. I am excited to decorate her room with the few things I have gathered. Emmalyn is getting to be such a big girl! She is so sweet, and she'll be a great big sister!

One of our pastors gave a sermon recently that really convicted and encouraged me in my battle and view of the future. He was speaking about giants that we face, as in the confrontation between David and Goliath. After Goliath spouts about all his armor, strength, and sure victory, David gives a powerful response:

"Then David said to the Philistine, "You come to me with a sword, a spear, and a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have taunted. This day the LORD will deliver you up into my hands, ...that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel, and that all this assembly may know that the LORD does not deliver by sword or by spear; for the battle is the LORD'S and He will give you into our hands." (1 Samuel 17:45-47 NASB)

I have to remember that the battle is the Lord's, and he is able to defeat armies, giants, and cancer. I have to keep my trust in Him. I certainly don't have much to contribute to the battle, except my faith in the one who created Heaven and Earth!

As the time is counting down to delivery, I am starting to get excited about the new addition to our family. I guess I haven't really let it sink in that we are actually having another baby among all the other changes in my life recently. Reality will have to set in soon, though, like in the next month! My sweet sisters and friends are throwing a shower in a couple of weeks. It will be a lot of fun to celebrate our coming miracle! I love the cute little blue things! 

Again, I want to say how grateful we are for all the cards, gifts, meals, and especially prayers made on our behalf. I certainly feel them, and I'm so blessed!

"Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory, blameless with great joy, to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord,  be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen." (Jude 1:24, 25 NASB)