Today!!!

Well, the amnio is in and the results are great!  They were very pleased with her lung maturity and are anticipated that she'll be breathing quite well when she comes out.  This is a huge praise the Lord!

So, the surgery time is set for 11am...less than 30 minutes from now.  Josh is fueling up at the coffee stand...and he's having one for me too. :o) And I am resting, waiting in anticipation to head on into the surgical suite.

We will post the update you've all been waiting for as soon as we can after she arrives. I will be in recovery for at least an hour & baby girl will be with daddy for at least that long as well. But we promise to post pics & stats as soon as we're able. 

Keep praying saints...we can feel it! 

Tomorrow...

Tonight I am excited...of course!

Let's recap:  Tomorrow morning at 7 am we will have the amniocentesis to check on the lung maturity of our little lady.  The results take about an hour and as long as her little body is ready, we will be added on to the surgery schedule.  It could be as early as noon or later, like 4 or 5pm.  
Josh will be with me all day and will be updating everyone with the latest.  He will post here on my blog and on the City (for our church fam), as soon as we find out when we'll be going in to surgery.

Wow.  It seems pretty sureal at this point.  Tomorrow we'll have this baby.  After all this wait and all the excitement, she will be here.

And despite all the things I will be going through tomorrow to get her here (some of which are not real enjoyable), I am overwhelmed by a great sense of peace & comfort.  My sweet sister-in-law came by yesterday and shared some encouraging words:

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.  For as we share abundantly in Christ's suffering, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too...our hope for you is unshaken, for we know that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in our comfort."

2 Corinthians 1: 3-5 & 7  (emphasis mine)

A wonderful exhortation to be comforted by our Lord Jesus!  Since He has been faithful every step prior to this, I am confident that He will continue to bring peace and comfort in tomorrow's events. 

So, I am heading to bed...my last night with this little lady inside the womb.  When she is here and we are able to look at her sweet face, I must admit that I will miss her little kicks & turns inside by tummy.  It is one of my favorite experiences to feel a little life growing inside...a miracle, that only a masterful creator could design.  And I am thankful & humbled to have experienced it.

We look forward to introducing her to you tomorrow...so stay tuned and please continue your prayers.  For safety, joy & comfort as we go through this next phase of the journey and get to meet the little miss.

Can you say 3 days?

We're in the final days...3 to be exact.  
And since the Olympics are on, my adrenaline seems to have kicked in.  I feel like I am in the final days of prep before a big race. (Once competitive, always competitive...yup, that's me in the picture.  I'm the third girl from the left.  And those are my GFU hurdle teammates & coach.)   

I watched the short track speed skaters last night and found my stomach churning as they prepared to race.  I was immediately taken back to my days in track & field.  (I started competing when I was 6.)  
The moments before the race were always the most nerve-wracking.  It was then that I would think of all the training I had done to prepare for this one race.  I would visualize my race...the start, every hurdle and myself crossing the finish line in the lead.  I had one shot.  It was a ton of pressure.  But the end result was worth it.  To cross the finish line in first place was a fabulous feeling.  


So after watching them compete last night, I laid awake in bed for another hour.  My old adrenaline had kicked in and I was ready to go out and run. (...although that would have been really funny to see, given my current condition!)  


And that is how I am starting to feel about this Wednesday.  I feel like I've been in training (funny training though...laying in bed?!?) and have been preparing for this day.  Maybe more so mentally.  For the surgery itself (the epidural is really not a favorite thing of mine), for the recovery after and for my return home (nights without sleep due to a newborn girl, readjusting to my roles as wife & mother, etc...).


I feel like I am "gearing up" for many things.  So many adjustments and changes ahead.  And I am so thankful for the mental prep that I have been able to have during these past months.


My mind is not full of fear, but of hope.  
I am bolstered by truths I have read about my Lord:

About His sovereign plan...which keeps me from unnecessary worry.
About His steadfast love...which brings me perfect peace.
About His Holy word...which provides constant reassurance.
About His unending grace...which is the only reason I am here today.
About the Holy Spirit...who intercedes when I have no words. 
And about His firsthand experience of suffering & pain...which softens my heart & encourages me to endure.

I am getting ready to finish this "race" on Wednesday.  For me, this is the best way to view it.  I am excited.  My adrenaline has started pumping.  And my eye is on the goal.

With my Lord by my side, I cannot fail.  
And that is even better than Olympic gold.