Joy from the Mourning

I'm assuming, that by now, all of you have read my news from yesterday!

I wanted to give you a few details about what we know already.


First, the facts:

~Our official due date is November 11, 2011. Yup...that's right....11-11-11 (although I do not anticipate the arrival to actually happen on that day....) :o)

~I am currently 8 weeks and 3 days. (we have known about this for 4-5 weeks now! I've been bursting inside to tell you all!)

~I am considered high risk because of the hemorrhage as well as the heart defect. At first I was kinda bummed about being considered high risk, but then I realized that we will get top notch care throughout my entire pregnancy because of it. We are putting together an unofficial team of doctors who will be involved in the care of both myself and the baby- pediatric cardiologists, perinatologists (did I even spell that right?!), pediatricians, my OB, and anyone else that we may need later down the line. I take comfort in knowing that I will have such a great team of doctors who will be caring for us!

~My OB has not scheduled any early ultrasounds. I don't know if he will or not. (I kinda hope he does...I wanna make sure there is just one in there!!!)

~Around 18-20 weeks we will have an echo on the baby. We will be praying that this baby is whole and healthy in every aspect.


~I sooooooo appreciate all of your support, love, and prayers. Part of me was really nervous to let the cat out of the bag. I was afraid of what some of the "not so nice" commenters would say. I think it's quite sad that I have to worry about their hatefulness. Don't you?!

We have been sooooo excited to announce the expected arrival of our "Rainbow Baby." I'm not usually one for cutesy terms of endearment, but the term rainbow baby could not be any more accurate for our little one that we are so eagerly anticipating.

Here is the definition of a "Rainbow Baby."

 "Rainbow Baby" is the understanding that the beauty of a rainbow does not negate the ravages of the storm. When a rainbow appears, it doesn't mean the storm never happened or that the family is not still dealing with its aftermath. What it means is that something beautiful and full of light has appeared in the midst of the darkness and clouds. Storm clouds may still hover but the rainbow provides a counterbalance of color, energy and hope."

This baby is our long awaited promise. This baby will never replace Joshua, but without Joshua's life and death, this baby would have never come to be. It is our promised joy that came from the mourning. It is our answer to prayer that came with a resounding "Yes" after many many "No's."

I participated in a meeting a few weeks ago. We were talking about some ideas and concerns regarding a new ministry that will be opening in our town. The organizers of the ministry hit some road bumps along the way, but they explained that God had been faithful and had restored what was lost to them- down to the tiny details.

Wow. He restored what was lost to them. He did not replace them, or give them back, but he restored what was lost.

As I sat through that meeting, I could not help but hold back the tears. God has restored what was lost. He has poured out His blessing and has rewarded us with His mercy.

We are so excited to welcome this new little one into our lives. We are praying for a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby, but we are trusting that God already knows this little one inside and out and no matter what happens, this baby will always be our joy that came from the mourning.