lindsborg, ks
monday, october 20, 2008
4:30 p.m. CST.
i took the first of three home-pregnancy tests.
i passed.
it was positive.
i called nick before the test had even had time to process and asked him to come home.
i already knew.
i was excited...
...shocked
...and a little scared.
i had a Spanish test that night and homework due. i surely failed the test and have yet to submit the homework.
i had been sick to my stomach for a week prior to taking the home test, but attributed it to nothing more than pms. i guess it is a WHOLE BUNCH more than pms.
i used stick No. 2 later that night, and I used stick No. 3 the next morning, all with the same result. nick and i are having a baby.
i scheduled a follow up with my pcp on Wednesday to confirm, and he did. i quickly chose an ob-gyn and scheduled my first pre-natal visit for Nov. 10.
fast forward
tuesday, october 28, 2008.
sometime in the evening
i am watching my Tivo'd "Oprah" episode of the day about miraculous children. the whole show was truly inspiring. one young man in particular--and, when i say young man, i mean the baby lived to be 99 days old--changed mine and my husband's lives forever.
eliot mooney was born with Trisomy 18, a syndrome they likened to Down's, where an extra chromosome shows up in the 18th position. i have no idea what that means inparticular, but i read on their page that it was found two months prior to his birth, and doctors said he would not live--that this particular disorder was "not viable with life."
anyway, eliot's mom and dad chose to live every day with eliot to the fullest. they celebrated his birthday everyday, and every event was a huge milestone. his parents never knew what day their son would return to be with Jesus, so they celebrated every single day they had with him. His dad blogged and they took many photos. in the end, eliot lived for 99 days. friends of the family posted a video on youtube. they showed the video on "Oprah" that day. i was in tears; Oprah was in tears; celine Dion was in tears; much of the audience was in tears.
i saved the Tivo'd episode to share with Nick. he, too, was in tears. (i may not be allowed to admit that.)
i say all of that to say i hope nick and i will be that kind of parents. the kind of parents who meet every joy and every challenge with humble and thankful hearts. i hope that we choose to see all of the many blessings that come with parenthood whether our child lives 99 days or 99 years.
i say all of that to say that on Wednesday, when Nick got home from work, he said, "I think we need to make a blog for hamster."
so i did, and here we are.
whatever may come.
thank you, God for blessing us and entrusting us with this child. God, help us to be present in every moment; help us to live our lives glorifying and praising you. Protect us--all three of us. we love you, Lord. -Amen.
