Friday, July 22, 2011

In It For the Long Haul

Today is this blog's one-month anniversary -- and it has received over 15,000 pageviews in that amount of time! Thank you for loving our daughter so well through your devotion to specific and timely prayer for her (and us). She really is the most popular little girl ... ever.
And it was oh-so-appropriate that today we received this awesome bib in the mail from Josh's great aunt and uncle:

Perfect, eh?

Hopefully a month of updates about our little girl has only left you wanting more, because it looks like we are still in this for the long haul. We had a sit-down meeting with her neonatologist to talk in-depth about her current condition, his plans for the near future, and potential take-home dates.
The good news? Nobody has heard her murmur in the last day or two, meaning that PDA has closed (or is really, really small)! Thank you Lord!
The bad news? She is requiring more oxygen support than she was just a week ago -- which means the doctor is going to do another x-ray (to see if she needs diuretics again) and check her cortisone levels. It would be such a blessing to us and such a testament to the healing power of Christ if her lungs were healed without more medical intervention, so please pray with all the "umph" you can muster. If you like, you can read Luke 18:1-8 for inspiration and start bothering Jesus for Phoenix's health!
The neutral news? Dr. Narayan has left the number of daily PO feedings up to the nurses in charge of her care. This (hopefully) means that, as she continues to succeed at breast/bottle, she will be given more chances per day to eat on her own. We spent most of the day at the hospital, and she did great with two PO feedings in a row. I think the blood transfusion did wonders for her energy reserve, so pray that she maintains the stamina that it takes to learn to earn her meals!
The bummer news? It looks like the "two weeks" goal is a thing of the past. Dr. Narayan is now predicting the middle of August (insert pouty faces here).

Josh and I humbly ask that you would direct some of you prayer efforts our way. In the past 24 hours, both of us have really run the gamut of negative emotions, and have both given in to bitter tears. After our time at the hospital today, neither of us had the emotional energy to do anything but take a nap. As much as we are trying to draw strength from the Lord, our breaking-point seems nearer than ever. Josh said, "You know it's bad when you feel like the #1 thing you're doing is enduring." Both of our hearts break whenever we have to leave her and they ache for her to get better.
Here is how you can pray for the two of us:
- Pray that our spirits would be uplifted, not necessarily because of a change in her condition, but purely through the activity of the Holy Spirit at work in us.
- Pray that we would be endowed with a bounty of endurance and patience. (Can you use the word 'bounty,' when it's not Thanksgiving?)
- Pray that God would lift the burden that Josh feels to provide (emotionally and financially) for Phoenix and me -- he carries the weightiness of those pressures heavily these days. And, since he is a fixer, I know it is killing him that he can't do anything to fix Phoenix's situation. Pray that God would give Josh little ways that he can tangibly help, and also pray that he would trust God for the things he simply cannot fix.
- Pray for our relationship ... our marriage is still so new, and we currently have a very steep learning curve on how to support each other through stress and crisis. And, of course, our coping mechanisms are VERY different, so pray that we are patient and generous with one another.

Thank you all so much for all that you have done for our little family!

3 comments:

  1. Big hugs to all three of you! And lots of prayers on your behalf. I so hope someday in the future we get to meet. We have been where you have been and my heart just breaks for you. Something someone (another NICU family) said to us was: "Believe it or not in a few months this will all be just a really bad memory". It is so true, but we found that it was more than that, that as time passed we discovered that although it was the most difficult season we ever endured both personally and maritally, we grew closer to each other and to God than we ever though possible and we wouldn't trade those times of intimacy and growth with God or with each other. One last thing I wanted to share was the verse that we had hanging over our area in the NICU that we prayed over him multiple times a day and later claimed as his life verse:

    "Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go." Joshua 1:7-9

    And today at almost 2.5 years old, our little preemie (who is actually not so little anymore) is the strongest and most courageous little boy I have ever met. He is our miracle baby and God has been so very faithful to him and to our whole family.

    Praying that tonight you feel the peace of God's presence all around you and with your sweet baby girl.

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  2. Emily, you know we love you guys so much, you are in our thoughts and our prayers so often, Brad and I were just discussing how hard this must be on the both of you. When we had our stressful pregnancy, we had been married for 12 years and it still takes its toll. Your beautiful mother sent this to me at that time, I still have it and just want to share it with you "Those who love me, I will deliver; I will protect those who know my name. When they call me, I will answer them; I will be with them in trouble, I will rescue them and honor them. With long life I will satisfy them, and show them my salvation." Psalm 91:14-16
    Praying for you every day Em and Josh, hang in there.
    Heavenly Father, we place our hope in You, hope for a strong marriage for Emily and Josh, miraculous healing for our little fighter Phoenix, good lives, successful work and an eternity in heaven. We know you have amazing and wonderful things planned for us, everything we are or ever will be is locked up in You. Without You, there is no future for us, but with You we know our hope is well invested. We are so glad you are our God. Amen.

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  3. Thank you so much for letting us know how to pray specifically for your family. We check your blog almost every night and are so privileged to be able to follow God's work in you three :)

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