Happy Birthday Baby!

A year of memories is done,

Look at me I just turned 1!!!

Unexpected Anxiety

The day is coming that marks the anniversary since our unexpected journey with Caleb began. Even though, there is plenty to keep me busy with moving, plannng a micro birthday party, keeping up with Caleb, and cleaning I find myself reliving those moments. It seems that there are more times that my minds drifts off to "what I was doing last year on this day". Well it was a Sunday and I was helping host a very fun baby shower for a friend of mine. Then I become a little anxious thinking of what is to come on October 1st. It's wierd that I am anxious becasue God provided us with a very surreal sense of peace the ENTIRE time a
nd to feel anxiety now, just seems out of place. But I guess i can use those moments to remmeber how unbelievebly BLESSED we are to have Caleb with us.

Caleb's last visit to the doctor was a good one. He is 27 and three quatrers long and 20.5 pounds. He is already caught up on the growth charts for his actuall 11 month and and his adjusted 7.5 month age. We will plan to incorperate meats into his diet and will see the doc again in Janurary, when she said maybe we can look at introducing milk products. She is confident that Caleb will out grow whatever is keeping him on his high cost diet of broken down amino acids. As of now we were told that we should feed Caleb according to his adjusted age of 7.5 months becasue his digestive tract is still maturing at that rate. I know many people ask about the age difference and it's funny how some

times it matters to one doc and not the next. Caleb is still belly crawling & getting faster and faster each day. He crawls a little on his hands and knees but realizes that it's better for his speend to be on his belly.

If you would like to read Caleb's story you can start it here.

Moving Forward...literally

We went to the regular Ophthalmologist yesterday to see how Caleb's eyes are doing and to check his vision. This eye doctor differs than the ROP doctor because she is not looking just the ROP but the overall health of his eye. She said that Caleb was doing just perfect for his corrected age (7 months) and sees great. She did not want to see us back until he's 3 years old. It's hard to imagine that time will go by so quickly and we will be back before you know it. Our next visit to the ROP doctor is on October 3rd, for hopefully what will be our final send off. We have our last hearing test this afternoon and that will be one more specialist that we can cross off the list of having to see. Caleb has been doing so amazing the last several weeks. He has been learning to scoot around the floor and and getting quite good at it. Therapy has been such a huge blessing for him and I wish every child could benefit from having and extra set of eyes to look out for them. It's been a great bonding time for Caleb and I too since we practice at home. I have come to realize that so many people have a negative idea of therapy, and I wish that could change. There isn't anything wrong with it it's just a way to improve what you already have. He has been trying new foods as well and I think we have discovered he loves Cantaloupe. He gets this glazed look in his eyes and is off in his own little land when he's chewing on his teething net filled with cantaloupe. He's not a huge fan of those baby puffs or Cheerios, He grunts when he feels them on his tongue and acts as though he is gagging still. I guess it will take some time before he will learn to accommodate the new texture. He is a fan of celery though. Sometimes we let him chew on the stalk during dinner and he really enjoys that. We have estimated that he is just over 20 pounds or so and is becoming a little hard to handle for this tiny mommy. I saw this carrier that would be great to have. A lady at physical therapy let me try it out and boy was it comfy. You can see the carrier I'm talking about here. We've been planning a small get together for Caleb's Birthday with will be an owl theme in honor of my favorite time of the year and our little whoo. Just cake and Ice cream by the pool and a few friends to celebrate ALL that GOD has brought us through. October 5th will come sooner that I can realize and there is still more small projects for me to do to get ready. The word on the street is that Caleb's Grandmas might make a trip out to celebrate with us.... I hope they can because we'll have a HOOT together.

Fun times in California!

I wish they all could be California BOYS!!!!!

Caleb took his first trip on a plane to visit his friends and family in California. Here are some pictures of the fun he had while we were there. Since our arrival home Caleb received his 2nd tooth which is fully in now. He has been doing quite well with eating an array of veggies a fruits. His favorites are apple, peas, and sweet potatoes..who could blame the little guy?

His therapy sesions are going well and he is all but crawling....scooting and schimming all over the place. As Ryan and I watch this little miracle grow into a strong and determined little boy there are so many memoires that flood our minds and emotions that overpower our heart. I hardly can't belive that the day he was born he was only 1LB 10 oz and now on the cusp of what I'm guessing is 20Lbs. We really are so honored to be his mommy and daddy. I have been telling Caleb his birth story (kid friendly..of course) but I have yet to find the right version. One day i woudl really like to maybe write it down and have it made into a kids book. what do you think?

California Fun!

Small Victories!

I AM committed to making a consistent schedule in posting updates about Caleb. Every single milestone I want to celebrate and give God the glory He deserves. We just got back from California and Caleb was an amazing traveller. He slept all 4 flights to and from California. We went prepared for the worst.... we had toys, pacifiers, chew beads, teething gel, ear plugs, music, and anything else we could think to help sooth him incase it was not a good flight, but I guess our prayers were answered and there was nothing to worry about. However once we got there Caleb's sleeping schedule was less than stellar the 1st night. He woke up several times throughout the 1st night, but finally he settled into a great routine of sleeping 12 hours each night during our visit. My mom was very kind by inviting our family and friends over to meet Caleb and it was a little weird no seeing our son for the entire day as people were visiting with him. Many of you know that Caleb has been teething for the last few months and we have been anxiously awaiting for any indication of his 1st tooth popping through.....well on Saturday, July 16th I saw the tiny tooth breaking the surface of his gums making it's way through Caleb's glistening saliva. Just to be sure I stuck my finger to touch it and sure enough I felt the hard ridge. I was so happy, yet confused because there was no swelling or redness to his gums. Anyway I guess that could be a trend since there wasn't any indication that our little micropreemie would come so early too. Caleb has been doing very well on his solid foods and we have been slowing increasing how much he is eating. I think one of the most difficult parts about being a parent is that there is no set of instructions on how to do things because each baby is so different. We have found what works best is giving Caleb solids in between his bottles and since that has helped us put him on a schedule we are happy. As the year is inching closer to his birthday again I am so thankful for all the nurses and doctors who have made it possible to have our son with us. Thanks for checking in with us!

Be Blessed....

Caleb Update

Hi !!!

I am so sorry for such a delay in posting updates. Thing have been pretty hectic since the last time I posted and a lot of great changes have happened.

First I want to give you all of Caleb's Stats.

He is 9 months old

weight : 18 pounds (10th %)

height: 26 inches long

He is eating solid foods now and has tried butternut squash, carrots green beans and bananas. He rolls over when he wants to from his tummy to his back. He has discovered his toes and his ears recently and enjoys touching them both. Caleb is such a happy baby and smile all the time and makes a lot of noise. He just became aware of an "outside" voice and enjoys practicing it very much.

The EYE doctor said that she was very happy with how his eyes have been progressing and said that if all continues to go as it has been then she would only see us ONE more time..... please keep those prayer coming. We were so excited about that new the other day.

The EAR doctor said that he has no doubt that Caleb hears just fine and does not think that he has any hearing loss. WOO HOOO!!! They asked us to come back in September for a final screening and after that we shouldn't have to go back!

The Pulmonologist (LUNG) discontinued Caleb's APNEA machine TODAY!!!! That is a huge milestone we just passed. We are so very thankful GOd has given Caleb such a string body that has really been working well together. The doctor just made it very clear we need to stay away from anyone who is sick...... Caleb is still at rick for RSV or any other kinds of respiratory illnesses.

Caleb has also been continuing his therapy and we were just encouraged to take him to the pool to help his little athletic body loosen up a bit, so I'm sure one it stops raining we will surely take advantage of that recommendation.

I know Caleb has been drooling a lot more for that last couple of months and that is a sure sure sign of teeth to come, but he hasn't had any other indicators until 4th of July. Caleb woke up just after midnight had a low fever and was a little fussy. Why is it that fever always come at night?..... Nonetheless it went away during the day and then came back and then went away...... and then again in the middle of the night he woke up again.. so for the last few days Mommy and daddy have been tired all over again trying to comfort our little growing boy.

So as you can tell we are well on our way to no longer having multiple visits to the specialists office. Each day I see Caleb become more and more adjusted to what his peers are doing and there is nothing better than knowing what an awesome and amazing GOD we serve. Tune in next time for more pictures..... and thanks for praying for our family!

Moving Forward

Hi All!

Sorry that this post has been late coming. On Tuesday we made our way to the gastroenterologist. The excitement had been building for sometime because I was hoping to hear that Caleb was doing well enough that we could start solids. All the indicators were there, but we were instructed to wait since he had such a difficult time in the beginning of his life. So On Tuesday Dr. M said that we could start with cereal and then introduce a new flavor once a week. I think that his first food will be Butternut Squash since I still have some from our co op. CAleb's first go with cereal was a little funny. He wasn't quite sure what to do with the new texture. He tried a few bites and then became very angry. So we washed it down with a little milk and then half way through the bottle tried again which seemed better. With each feeding he has much improved his intake and ability to eat cereal. I'm so excited to be making his baby food that is one thing that I knew I always wanted to do for many years now and since we have been running our Organic Co Op I am more excited.

Caleb is 16.2 pounds and 24.75 inches long.

Our visits to the eye doctor and ear doctors went very well both gave us great reports on Caleb's progress. The ear doctor no longer has any concerns about his hearing. His eye doctor said that his eyes are progressing very well and it should be just a few more times visiting to be sure that everything is completely resolved.

Sitting Pretty

Guess who is sitting?

That's right today Caleb has been sitting all by himself. I'm so happy for him. He will be 8 months on the 5th of June (4 months adjusted). I now he is doing more and more because of his therapy sessions and I am so thankful he has a great therapist. She is so encouraging and has such a gift with working with babies.

On another note I have to say that I am a little obsessed with hearing other people's stories about their micro preemies. I feel like we belong to a special club or something, except no one wants to belong. I was reading this blog and my heart hurt so much for this family. There seemed to be so much guilt, anger and frustration through out the journey... I prayed for them as I read the blog...then I went to bed and the next day I resumed reading. Their son was in the NICU nearly as long as Caleb, but just couldn't get off the ventilators.... they did a tracheotomy but he was still requiring too much help to breathe. In they end they we not able to help him and he went to be with God...He was on the ventilator to long and had Chronic Lung Disease. I was so very much overwhelmed with gratitude at what God has given us. I know the medical odd were against us... because he was a boy, because he was 24 weeks..because it was out of the blue. But we have made it so far. This whole experience has given me a different perspective on Love and Life. I try to find JOY in everything. I do find Joy in our son, even one those days when I'm not sure what to do. I don't take for granted what a privilege it is to be a parent. I no longer want my parenting to follow a book or style but be filled with faith, love and laughter for our family.

Our family has been praying for another family who has a little one in the NICU who isn't doing very well. She too has been on the ventilator for a very long time. I can only ask that God will continue to bless them. Please pray for baby S.

Big Boy Bed

Happy Memorial Day!

Thank you to all of our brave soldiers who have fought for our country and have given us the freedoms we take for granted!

Caleb spent the first night in his own room in his crib last night. He did great and slept until about 5:30am then woke up for a paci fix and slept for another hour. Just wanted to share the happy news with all of you!

Sleep Study

Hi!

This week has been busy with my mom visiting and us preparing for Caleb's sleep study. He has not had any apnea since he's been home, but the sleep study was recommended by his Pulmonologist to have some documentation in his file that he has not had any problems while he was sleeping. We made our way to the hospital, one that wasn't as clean as I would expect, but there wasn't anything that we could do about that. I just prayed that God would protect Caleb fom all the unseen germs that are lurking in those places. We fed Caleb and got him ready for bed and then all the fun started. The Tech lathered... and I mean lathered Caleb 's head with his Vaseline like goo and then put probes all over it. The did the same with his legs and then put two bands around his mid section. They finally finished preparing him for sleep by inserting prongs up his nose to measure his breathing. They put all these probes on him to measure his sleeping patterns which include his heart rate, oxygen saturations, deepness of sleep patterns and a few other things. The read out looks like a polygraph test and was just as colorful to look at. The tech said that Caleb did well and everything fine, but the doctor will analyze the patterns and get back to us and then hopefully discontinue us using his monitor.

The monitor itself was given to us just as a precaution because Caleb had some later episodes of apnea while in the hospital. The apnea is a common in preemies and newborns, and is given when having a micro preemie. It just took Caleb a little longer than thought. We wanted to show you a few pictures of our little cable guy last night. Caleb has gotten so big that we are so very excited as we approach the summertime and hopefully will be able to spend more time with family and friends. He's is now around 14 pounds or so and is already in 6 moth almost 9 month clothing. He has been doing well with therapy and we are hoping that we will get the GI's okay to start with some solids next week. Until then ...thanks for reading and following our blog.

Sunday Thought

I'm sorry I have not been a very good blogger, but My mom has come in to town and so we have been getting acquainted with our little miracle. There has been so many moments when the reality if what our family has gone through the last year and yesterday at church was one of them. Our pastor said the God uses those people who have been "hit" the hardest.... Through our great trial I do hope that God will use us to help others. We recently found out about a family who was going throughout a very difficult and devastating time. They not only found out about a an unknown cancer taking over a young mother's body, but struggled through decision on how to help keep the 22 week old baby inside of her safe. As our family was praying for them over and over we later found out that God chose to bring the baby home after a couple of days here. Again my heart hurt for them on an unrealistic level. There are so many people that I have come to find out that have experienced pre-term labor and there seems to be so much guilt connected to it. I know what that feels like as I had to felt that for a brief moment. But.... as I remembered yesterday that God is more amazing and faithful than I will ever think and he loves His children.

As I mentioned before Caleb has ROP and as I watch him overcome so many obstacles that the docs ad said we would encounter I can;t help but KNOW it's because of God's favor on him. He has been in physical therapy for 2 weeks and is doing so great. Just the other day he was holding himself up more that I have ever seen him do on his belly, so of course i take a picture. I was so excited..but I missed it. I tok his picture and sent it to his g-ma and while i was typing in her name that is when it happened. I looked back at him and there he was smiling at me on his back . He ROLLED OVER! He has since then not chose to do it again, but he has been close. He is also so close to sitting alone. I can't wait for more of those moments.

If you would like to listen to the message I heard at church yesterday, Please go here

Seeing More Clearly

The other day I forgot to mention that Caleb had another eye exam and the doctor really said something that encouraged us. She said "It looks like they are better!" Woo hoo... that was so exciting for us to hear. We will probably need a few more visits, but we knew that from the beginning. Caleb's eye sight is great we see him observing and taking in the world each moment of each day. We have been praying for his hearing to improve, which it has. He will go and see the ear doctor again in June and hopefully the suspected fluid that was in his ear will be gone. Caleb has also been having physical therapy twice a week to be sure that he meets his developmental milestones. The therapist is fabulous and so sweet. She has been teaching us to work on some things with Caleb and I can already see an improvement. I am so thankful that our little guys is making such improvements with God's hand upon him.

Then and Now

A few pictures to show how far he has come...

Our Birth Story...The Final Part

October 4th...Day 4

The night was not good. The sleeping pill was not very effective and even through I tried getting through the contractions alone sometimes I just couldn't. They seemed to just be so piercing. Once again I had oatmeal and prune juice and hoped that it would be effective. We met a new doctor today, Dr. H. She was young, very friendly and pregnant too. She examined me and had said that you were still in a good position and that it could be any moment. She also had said not to try to push when I felt I had to go to the restroom. I had many visitors that Monday, but the pain was just so consistent that I know I was not very pleasant. I hadn't wanted to be touched or cared for. I prayed through each contraction and hoped that I could relax enough not to strain our baby. I remembered the message that Warren Wiersbe had given and concentrated on that. I knew that God was in control. My husband's mom had sent us some encouraging words that her dad use to say. She was on her porch when she thought of them...

"FAITH IS THE BIRD THAT FEELS THE LIGHT AND SINGS WHEN DAWN IS STILL DARK"

Since the contractions were more frequent the doctors had taken away my eat privileges. I started to feel very uncomfortable... as if I thought it could have gotten worse. My mom had a feeling that tonight might be the night so she stayed until about 10:30p, but had decided to leave as I was very sleepy. I went to bed and then..... I awoke with more contractions back to back. I was tired and couldn't breath, I was afraid that I wasn't going to be able to keep the baby safe, I was panicing and that is when my husband shared some of the words that I will never forget. He has said that God wanted Him to share them with me. From Revelations 2:10.. he said, " 'Do not be afraid for what you are about to suffer...' God is in control and He will decide when Caleb will come to be born, not you. So don't be afraid'" Those most unusual words..."about to suffer" brought so much comfort to me. I knew that I din't have to try to keep the baby in, I just needed to be the vessel He wanted me to be. After a few more contractions i noticed that the pressure have changed and the pain was different. The nurse came and called the doctor. Dr. H said, "it time".

My husband was called mom and telling me to remember that God was in control and that there was nothing we could do, but BELIEVE this was how He had written our story. Dr. H asked about the baby's name and we told her Caleb George. She said "hey my son's name will be Lucas Caleb!" How about that. I couldn't see anything because I didn't have my glasses or contact.... so as I began to push I couldn't see anything. After 3 pushes our son was born inside his sack. Dr. H had to cut him out and there was a small squeak of a cry. They allowed my husband to cut the umbilical cord and them right there they worked on stabilizing our son. I remember the doctor saying that she knew I was uncomfortable and that she was going to try to help me... I wasn't sure what that meant until there was pain again and then she said . "WoW there is a lot in there... you can go to the restroom now" Before they took our son away to what would be his home for the next 4 months they brought him to me to see. At that moment I was so overcome by feelings I cannot describe even today....

On October 5th 2010....Our life had changed forever and we would begin a new journey as a FAMILY with a baby boy that weighed 1 pound 10 ounces and was 12.5 inches long!

Our Birth Story...Part3

Day 2... October 2rd 2010

The night was very restless full of contractions and the doctors had continued to come in and check me fearful that they wouldn't be able to get the second dose of steroids in, but in the morning they were happy to see we were still there. They again asked If i wanted an epidural and like before I declined. My husband shared a very encouraging email that he received that morning. It was a message from Warren Wiersbe called : Remembering the Giver... It basically spoke about how we as Christians we cannot become to comfortable in our circumstances and not depend on God anymore and when we do .... God can change them in a hurry, But we can remember that He will always care for His children in the most dark circumstances. He is always with us. You can read the full message here. This was the day that my mom arrived from California. It was a great comfort to see her and know she was here to be with us. I had seen the fear in her eyes and knew that she was scared. The new obstetrician came in and introduced herself, Dr. J and said that she would be around in case we needed her. I asked her about using the restroom because I still had to go, but she had said.... "NO". I was very uncomfortable and couldn't understand why, but she had explained that it was simply because the muscles were too close together and I could rupture the membranes that held our baby safe. The nurse came in and asked if I wanted a painkiller or ice for the steroid shot that she was about to give me. I had told her "no" that I hadn't even felt the other one and I would be fine. SOOOOO I should have! The shot hurt so bad and then I throbbed... I asked for some ice and had said that it must have been the adrenaline that kept me unaware of the 1st shots affects. I tried to rest most of the day but it was difficult, having my mom there my hubby was able to go home and get a few items to help make our stay in the hospital a little more comfortable. The doctors had said that I would not be going home pregnant anymore however long that would be. The day was filled with many visitors who I knew were praying for us and I certainly felt the peace and power of God. That night proved to be difficult. The contractions were very strong and frequent. I began to spot again and the nurses checked me frequently through the night.

Day 3..... Sunday, October 3rd, 2010 couldn't come fast enough. We listened to our church's sermon on the local radio station, but it was very difficult for me to focus. The contractions hurt and were what seemed to be constant. I was exhausted! I kept telling myself with each contraction that it would be passing soon and I could relax. My mom and husband asked if they could paint my nails, play a game, read a book, brush my hair or anything that they were just trying to help me stay occupied. I knew my hubby was tired too. He was up all night with me writing and keeping track of our contractions and their intensity. The nurses changed the medication to another muscle relaxer in hopes that maybe they could stop the contractions. We watched movies and tried to pass the time, but it was so slow. I was so hungry and finally the doctor said that I could eat something in the evening at 6pm. I had not been able to eat or drink anything since they were sure I would deliver at any moment. I chose prune juice and oatmeal in hopes that It would help me pass whatever was still stuck in me. The nurse had given me multiple stool softeners, but they had not helped. The day had finally come to an end and we were so very very thankful for one more day that our baby had stayed put. The neonatologist had come by to see us and had said that everyday in the womb is 1 week out of the NICU. Each day had presented itself as a precious gift and we hoped for 2 more weeks at least. I was looking forward to trying to sleep with the aid of a sleeping pill that the nurse had suggested. As we got ready for bed we prayed with each other again and asked God to get us through another night of waiting.

Our Birth Story...Part2

ok.....I drove myself to the hospital and the reality of what was happening didn't seem very urgent. I knew a lot of people who had some bleeding and it all worked out fine. I was more anxious about all the red lights I was hitting. I parked about as far as I could form the triage unit because it seemed like everyone was at the hospital that day. The unit was checking in 3 other people and as we stand there in the line I felt more and more uncomfortable. My tummy began to cramp every now and then and I told my hubby that I was a little worried and I had to go to the bathroom. He is and will always be my hero! He walked up to the counter and politely explained what was happening with me and explained how early I was in our pregnancy. They took us behind the curtain to a bed and said that they would get to us in a second. As we are waiting there my tummy is getting cramps a little more frequent which was so uncomfortable, but not painful. We joke that If I couldn't handle these cramps how would I handle contractions when he came in January... It was then that I looked at my hubby and told him " do not compare this situation to laboring that was scary" and about 20 minutes later the nurse said that they are still trying to put us into the system. She was really nice and asked if I felt anything and we explained about the cramps. She decided to put me on the monitor to be sure that the baby was okay. We could hear his heart beating strong and loud. A few minutes later she returned and looked at the print out. I remembered her saying, "well it looks like you are contacting a bit I'll go let the doctor know". I looked up at my husband and felt immediate comfort from his eyes. I asked him could a baby survive this early and he said he didn't think so. I felt a rush of uncertainty and started to pray.

Then doctor, Dr. A came in said that she wanted to check me and see what was going on and in the meantime she wanted an IV started..... Ummmm for those of you who know me you know that I do not do needles well and those words sent the fear right up to the surface. I mentioned to my hubby that I didn't want one, but he gave me this look which told me I didn't have a choice. Dr. A came back and started her pelvic exam........

I am sitting here writing this entry and am feeling very overwhelmed by the reality and severity of what our son has gone through. .... Okay back to the exam.......

Dr. A shot up from under the cover and told the nurse something so quick that I missed it, but I could see her fear stricken face very clearly. I heart began to race because I knew It wasn't the best situation. I will never forget the words when she said," You are 100% effaced and fully dilated. You need to be prepared because you will have this baby in the next couple of hours. I need to get an ultrasound to see what position the baby is in." I remembered laying there not fully comprehending what she just said. I look at my hubby an realize this was certainly not what we had planned and apparently those were contractions! Dr. A came back and did the ultrasound. She explained that the baby was measuring on schedule and he was in position ...head down and ready. She explained that there wasn't anything holding him back except my water had not broke. She also said that they needed to give me 2 does of steroids to help the baby's lungs. . They explained that it would help the baby's lungs develop and if they were lucky they asked all sorts of questions, did we do this? and did it do that? All I could think about was everything was going so well. The nurse gave me the 1st shot which I didn't even feel and then they took me through the hospital's secret passages down to an Labor and Delivery room. It was then that Ryan and I decided that we should probably call our parents and tell them what was going on.

The contractions were very close 1 to 2 minutes apart and came all of a sudden. The room filled with nurses and different doctors of different expertise. Dr. A started me on "MAG" to stop the contractions. I focused on the only thing that reminded me how much God loved me...the "plus" button for the TV. It was a cross and it spoke to me... it reminded me that not only did God love me, but that He created me to have this baby that He knit in my womb. My whole body was seized and I couldn't breathe...then it was over and that is where we met Dr. S. He would be that doctor would care for our son when he was born later that day he told us. He explained that our baby would have an 80% survival rate, a 50% that he would have some mental defect, and a 20% that it would be severe. He told us that when he came they would do all they needed to to help him live and then he would find a new home in the NICU. Both Dr. A and Dr. S said they would see me later and they would be near by when the time came. The contractions continued to come as we prayed that God would rapidly grow this child within me and keep him in as long as He had planned. The nurse came in tipped my bed backwards so my head was toward the ground and my feet were up and said that I needed to get comfortable and stay put. Under no circumstances was I allowed to leave the bed. All we did was pray and wait....

Our Birth Story...Part1

As I said before I want this blog to be an encouragement to other families who have walked the same path we did in 2010 and 2011 with the birth of our son. I feel we have had such an exceptional experience and I know that it's been our faith in God that has made the difference. Although our story began in 2010, many people still don't know the full extent of how it all began. So, I figured that this would be a good place to tell our story for anyone who may come across our blog by intent or by chance. It will be detailed.....I want to share a little back story because it just goes to show how God plans everything out so perfectly and for good.

On May 26th 2010 I announced to my hubby that he will be a daddy. It was also the anniversary of the day that he asked me to be his wife in 2003. We had just started to pray for a baby if that is what God had planed for us. The first week of June we had an ultrasound done and everything looked wonderful and sounded strong. We decided to buy these picture frames that said "MIRACLE" on them for our parents to announce that we are expecting...ironic how that will be the perfect word to describe Caleb. So I had been feeling wonderful the whole time, no morning sickness or vomiting, just a lot of saliva and shortness of breath. We were so excited and started praying for our baby. We were praying that God would allow us to properly care for the child he has loaned us. Everything is going super all the tests had come back great and there is no indication of any problem. One day my hubby and I listen to the same Bible message on the radio about parenting and both (unbeknownst to each other) feel that me staying home is the best choice for our family. We start praying that God will help work it out for us to be able to do that. So, with that in mind we decide that we would find out the gender of our baby to prepare accordingly. That ultrasound is scheduled for mid August and we find out we are having a baby boy! We had tossed around several names that we both liked and decided to choose Caleb because we wanted a biblical name and one that had a strong meaning and story (you can read the story of Caleb here).

So the last weekend of August I had to work and I bumped into a friend at the church that I was working at. We talked about the plans that my hubby and I have made and she decided to share a little bit about what she knew about pre-term labor and babies. It was a very interesting conversation which really stuck with my heart and I walked away amazed how some women are so strong. I see the doctor on September 22nd and had a list of questions that I wanted to ask. I started out asking if pre-term labor is hereditary. And she says "no". I ask her if I could fly to California on Oct. 16 for an amazing baby shower that my mom had planned and she said that wouldn't be a problem because everything has been perfect. I also let the doctor know that I was planning on doing the HypnoBirthing method and asked if anyone has had any experience with that and she said "no". I really wanted to do a natural child birth, just because I wanted to. I guess I really wanted to have the full experience of feeling what God had intended my body to do. I was going to buy the hypnosis tapes next week or so. There had been a lot of issues going on at the company I worked for and my boss and I were praying that God would change hearts of people who made decisions for our company. We are praying for very specific things, such as the company giving me the opportunity keep my job & insurance to have our baby in January. With all my heart I knew He would answer those prayers.

So that brings us to sometime the week of September 27th 2010 my lower tummy is a little tender to the touch. Nothing painful but just sore feeling ...like my skin had stretch too tight... which it had. Duh I'm pregnant! I really didn't think anything about it but I did tell my hubby. I told him that I wanted him to know just in case anything crazy happens because "you never know"! I tend to tell him random things with that same explanation. So the tenderness persists through the week not getting any worse. I am 23 weeks and 4 days along on Thursday when a co worker asks me to take an online test at the office so in the afternoon I go in and do the test online. During which time I feel like I had a little accident so I went to the bathroom and noticed a little dampness and something else. This had never happened before so I call the doctor's office a described what happened and the nurse said that since everything was clear looking there really wasn't anything to be concerned about. She also said that it was normal for that to happen during pregnancy. I said "okay" and go about the rest of the day. I get home and cook then relax with my hubby. A friend of our sent us an email that night and told us that her husband was in the hospital and wasn't doing very well. It was such a shock to get this email and I hope that the news will get better soon and I looked forward to seeing her at the baby shower in California in a couple of weeks. I told my hubby that I would walk with him in the morning if I felt better. I woke up on the morning of October 1st and I was very thankful that it had rained and that I was not in the mood to walk that day. I got up, showered and put on a pair of jeans, boots and a top for work. I got to work that morning and started made some calls and confirmed my visits for that day. I really couldn't get my friend and work issues off my mind and so about 9:30am I decided to send an email out to some very special friends of mine asking them to pray for my job and for my friend in the hospital. As soon as I sent the email I felt the urge to go to the restroom...if you know what I mean. So I walked into my restroom see the RED spot . I stood up and decided that I should call the doctor's office again. I am 23 weeks and 5 days...basically 6 months and shouldn't have been bleeding that far along. The same nurse I spoke to the day before answered and I explained what I saw. She is calm and said "not to worry" and said I can come in later in the afternoon when a doctor is there or I could go to Triage at the hospital. I called my hubby and asked him what he thought and in the end we decided that we would meet at the hospital ....just to be safe.

Just One More Time!

Caleb enjoyed wearing his Easter ears so much we just had to wear them again, Thanks G-ma and Papa Im sad to have to put them away. Buy the way, the Chocolate Ganache Birthday cake was a hit. I'll post the recipe and pictures later.

Oh Happy Day!

Happy Birthday to the Greatest Man I Know!

This morning started out at 5am with a bottle for the little one in preparation for his eye exam downtown at 7am. After 3 hours of being there at the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute we were finally able to go home. The doc said that Caleb's eyes were slow to progress, but that they have not gotten any worse. Because he was a MicoPreemie he has an eye condition called ROP, which you can read about here. We know that his eyes can take up until he is 70 weeks gestational to correct themselves and we have decided to trust that God will heal his eyes completely in His time. NOW that the yucky exam is over we can celebrate Daddy's birthday tonight.

I am so happy that we have loved each other for the last 15 years. We were High School and College best friends and sweethearts and now we have a life time to create more memories for our family. Speaking of memories, the picture above is one of my favorites from high school. But back to tonight we will celebrate with Ryan's favorite Hot Wings from Sports Grill and then a homemade chocolate cake with Ganache topping.

So here's to Love, Laughter, Life, Family and Good Food!

Happy Birthday my BeLoved!

"You Never Know How Strong You Are Until Being Strong Is Your Only Option"

It is a quote that forever changed our family one October (2010) morning. It was the day I went into preterm labor at 23 weeks and 5 days. After defeating the odds of medical science for 4 days our son, Caleb George was born at 1.10 ounces and 12.5 inches long. It was a four month journey that God carried us through every step of the way. We found so much peace and comfort through the support of our faith, friends and family. I wanted to try to create a resource of encouragement for other parents who may be going through the same circumstances of having a Micropreemie. I also hope to provide other resources that have helped us too. A MicroPreemie is a baby weighing less than 3 pounds. I also wanted to have something special for our family to look back on to remind us how faithful God has been...in case we forget. I hope that you will enjoy our journey and adventures of raising our MicroPreemie. Please feel free to read Caleb's story at CaringBridge here.