Brand New

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go. (Joshua 1:9)

Dear Friends,

This morning I write from a place of thanksgiving and praise, and also a place of brokenness and desperation for prayer.

Below are unedited words from a new mama's heart- please forgive the rambling and emotion, as no sleep in 40 hours and delivering a baby in less than 10 minutes has it's effects. =)

Yesterday, April 14, 2010, we had the joy of meeting our sweet baby boy, who, because I am forever paranoid of the internet, will remain "Newbie" on our blog- if noting more than for his mama's sanity. =) Newbie weighs a whopping 8 pounds, 2 ounces, is 20 inches long, and is the sweetest little bundle his mama and daddy have ever, ever seen.

We were blessed with an incredible labor and delivery, which I will write about another time. No, maybe now...with more details later. It's just too good not to pass along. =) In essence, God was in each and every single one of the details. After a quick night of contractions, we were told both myself and the baby had fevers, that Newbie was facing the wrong direction, and that delivery would be very difficult and long. After hearing this news, I sent word out to my prayer warriors, and they to theirs, and, to the praise and glory of God, within five minutes, I had gone from 7 centimeters to 10, then ten minutes later, my sweet baby boy was born! The nurses and doctors were amazed at the ease and speed of the delivery, and I could do nothing but praise the Lord and thank my friends and family for praying so fervently in those few minutes leading up to his arrival. God is good all the time!

Once Newbie got here and we had some snuggle time, he had several tests done. They took a blood culture that will arrive tomorrow morning, gauging whether or not our sweet boy has an infection. We also found out he has a rapid respiratory rate. He started at 87 and slowed to the 70's throughout the day yesterday. We need him to be at least 60 to nurse, and ideally between 40-60. Since he was in the 70's all day, we had to have him tube fed. His daddy went with him each time he left the room. The Hubs is already such a wonderful father- always staying with our sweet boy so his mama isn't worried. Though I would rather nurse, it was so good to know Newbie was getting the nutrition he needed.

After much testing and observation, late last night, our doctors decided to send him to the Intermediate NeoNatal Intensive Care Unit. There he could be monitored and fed with more attention than in the nursery on the floor where the Hubs and I are staying. They are concerned about his breathing and the possibility of an infection in his lungs. Words cannot express how much this news crushed my heart. The most difficult thing I've ever had to do is watch my baby boy, only hours old, be swept away to another floor where he will be tube fed and not nursed, not snuggled, and not close to me and his daddy.

Throughout the day yesterday and this morning, I have clung to the promises of the Lord, knowing that in times like these, He is the One in control, and that as much as I love my sweet son, the Lord loves him even more. This is such a comfort to his mama and daddy! Yesterday we filled our room with worship music, and I snuggled my sweet boy for hours, just staring at him, telling him how much we love him and how much more his Heavenly Father loves him, and praying the Lord would heal our son, while the doctors debated what to do.

I have full confidence that God is good all the time, and that He will never leave us nor forsake us. God has provided everything we needed in the last 24 hours, and I have no doubt He will continue to do so. I've been dwelling on these words this morning and late last night from Phillipians 4: 5-7:

The Lord is near. 6Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

My friends, will you please join us in praying for my son? That he would be free from infection, that his breathing would slow to a normal pace, and that he would soon be able to nurse and come back to stay with his mama and daddy. These are the requests we are lifting up to the Lord, with great thanksgiving for everything He has done for us yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Words cannot describe the peace we have knowing that our sweet boy isn't lying upstairs in the INICU alone, but that the Lord is near. Thank you so very much for your love and prayers. We know, just from Newbie's amazing delivery alone, that there is power in prayer, and we thank you for engaging in that power on behalf of our son.

I never imagined looking at my son yesterday that I would not be able to hold him close in our days here in the hospital, but I have never been more grateful for a God who is present in the details and who loves beyond what we will ever understand. Nor have I felt so burdened to pray for the other babies and families engaged in a similar experience to our own. Please remember Newbie's neighbors and friends in the INICU while you pray for him.

My heart rejoices in God's goodness while I continue to pray unceasingly for our sweet boy. And so we continue onward, neither terrified nor discouraged, knowing that the Lord our God will be with us and our sweet boy wherever we go, and praising God for the promise that He is near.

More updates to come as we find out how our little man did over night and what the next steps are in getting him healthy and home. Thank you for praying!