I am going to take a break from Facebook, Twitter, Blogger, Skype, and email. Tomorrow is our last full day as a family of 4, and it's also our last day of normalcy for a while.
I feel like I need to spend the last day and a half fully focused on God and on my family.
Please continue to be in prayer for us. Continue to pray that we are at peace, well rested, and that we are able to fully enjoy our time as a family over the next day and a half.
Pray that Caleb and Hannah are ok staying with Grandma and Grandpa for a few nights, and then in a hotel with them for the next week or so. Pray that they are able to take everything in stride and not become too overwhelmed with the disruption in their daily routines- especially without mommy and daddy around.
Once again, I am beyond grateful for all of your kind words, your prayers, love, and support. We have felt them and know that we are surrounded by people who truly care. Once again, feel free to pass any and all information regarding our family on your blog, and to your friends, family, and churches for prayer.
I will update on Sunday after we are settled in for the evening. Have a great weekend everyone!
5 comments:
Jill,
I just now read through your past few updates... I can't believe your daughter got sick! Oh no! The joys of daycare! Lol. I hope none of the rest of you get it. Also, your thoughts about God blocking those images from your mind and you have no idea what to expect- so true. Even looking back, I can recall the pain of it all, but God does add an element of peace in the mix, somehow. At the time, you will just feel like you are going through the motions. Like you can't control the one thing you want to more than anything. Handing them off for surgery is the toughest thing (I'm not gonna lie!) but you'll get through it. It honestly feels like an out of body experience.
Sending many, many prayers for your family as the big day approaches.
Jen, Craig & Andrew
My family and I did similar family-nesting type things the few days before my son William's surgery in Jun 2006. He had his anomalous pulmonary venous return repaired when he was 2. Our misery came his first year of life, when he was sick constantly and no one had the right answers about why. It's difficult enough preparing for an open-heart surgery; I cannot imagine preparing for that and my child's birth, all to happen in the span of a week or so. Reading through your blog, you all have managed it with grace ... education, faith and enormous love. I'll be following as Joshua makes his grand entrance. And praying that everything goes as planned (or if not exactly as planned that Plans B or Even C are sensible and easily enactable). Keep you, your family and especially Joshua close to our hearts and in our prayers.
Keeping you, Shane, your children, and especially Joshua in my thoughts.
Steve
The Funky Heart
Good for you Jill. Enjoy the weekend with your family! We will be thinking of you all Monday and excited for you for your newest edition to arrive. I know it's scary what lies ahead, but you can do it. Like Jen said, you do feel like you are just going through the motions in the beginning. You and your husband will just snap into "heart parent" mode and be able to focus. It just happens~ I don't know how, but it does. You are already phenomenal parents and God chose you for Joshua because he knew you could do it. Praying for you always!!
Heart hugs,
Jenny
Jill -
RELAX. Enjoy this time alone as a family of four because you will soon be a family of five. I believe in my heart that Joshua will come thru his surgery and you will soon be home enjoying the stress and wonderful wacky sometimes all consuming life that this road will lead you down.
As a poster stated above, the hardest thing is to hand your precious child over to the surgeon. When I did it, I cried but then this incredible peace came over me. It is hard to explain. You have faith and that is all you need. Faith that Joshua is exactly the way he needs to be for a reason. For me, that reason was to bring us closer as a family and closer to God.
Please remember to take care of you. Get plenty of rest and fluids (gosh now don't I sound like a mother) but I know how easy it is to "forget" to eat because you don't want to leave his side for even a moment in time.
Enjoy every kick, every turn and every hickup you feel this weekend....Joshua will be here soon!
Now that I have your blessing, I will pass your first names on to our prayer list at Church. The power of prayer is wonderful....what a Awesome God we have. He will watch over Joshua and guide the surgeons hands when the time comes.
Be blessed -
Shannon Egan
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