Sunday, July 15, 2012

God's plan for our family


Wednesday marks the 30-week pregnancy mark, which is pretty fantastic news!  

While this summer has been filled with repeated hospital visits and doctors appointments- one thing is for sure... My faith has never been stronger.  Thank you; thank you for all your prayers and words of encouragement.  I feel like I have definitely been on a spiritual journey this past year and while this pregnancy has brought me months of concern and worry it has also revealed a new part of myself that has brought Chris and me closer to the Lord.  


At the end of June my dad went into cardiac arrest and had to be resuscitated with CPR and a defibrillator.  His kidneys and brain suffered some very intense trauma that has led the doctors to conclude he has suffered some brain damage.  Visiting my dad at the hospital has been an emotional roller coaster these last few weeks.  He was intubated and sedated for 2 weeks and when he finally came off the sedation it was clear he was not himself.  However, we have since seen a pretty consistent improvement in his cognitive abilities.  He will soon be moved to a rehabilitation center where he will hopefully continue to improve both physically as well as mentally.  My brother has been by my dad's side daily advocating for his best care.  Watching my brother take on this responsibility with such love and devotion has given me a new found appreciation for him and has brought our family closer together.

When BG was first diagnosed with CCAM a very good friend of mine sent me a set of comfort cards.  Each day you read a new card with a different message.  Sometimes they have scriptures and other times just positive thoughts for the day.  Last week, after a very difficult day at the hospital visiting with my dad, I came home to the following card,
         “In God’s Plan, Every Life is Long Enough.  Although you and I might wish for a longer life, God knows better.”
We continue to pray for my dad’s mental and physical health and trust God’s plan for our family.

The past few weeks have shown no growth in BG’s lung mass, which is pretty positive news.  My OBGYN let me know at my last visit that the plan will be to induce labor at 39 weeks, on a weekday, in the daytime so that all the necessary surgeons and physicians will be ready and waiting for our little miracle. 
BG saying prayers in my belly!



Besides being at the doctor’s office and hospital this past month and a half, we also went on our first camping trip!  We all had so much fun.  Siege was entertained for hours just playing with dirt!  We went on hikes and nature walks with the kiddos, made some pretty great meals and enjoyed spending time with some really close friends.  I can definitely see our family getting into camping!  We might even be looking into pop up tent trailers for next summer. 
Little Campers

First dutch oven meal- chocolate cake!  Siege couldn't wait!



I also had the opportunity to attend a MOPS retreat at the end of June, where the MOPS leadership team worked together to plan events and meetings for the upcoming year.   I really enjoyed getting to know the wonderful women at the retreat and I’m so thankful for the joy, friendship, and faith that MOPS has brought to my life. 

Siege went to his very first movie last week where he got to watch Yogi Bear.  I was pretty shocked by how well he did!  He’s also loved this monsoon season of rain we’ve been getting and is so curious about the falling “Agua” from the sky. 
Yogi Bear
Loving the rain!

In other news, Chris has been working relentlessly on Siege’s new big boy room.  I can’t wait to post pictures of the finished product.  It tuned out amazing.  My hubby is one talented guy.  It looks like we will be transitioning to a new big boy bed and room next week!  Eeeek!  

3 comments:

Krista said...

I'm so glad that positive things are happening both for your dad and your pregnancy. It's not perfect, but sounds like things are improving in both aspects. We're starting to look for a camper too! We love to camp and think we would do it even more if we could just pull out whenever we wanted. I can't wait to see pics of Siege's big boy room! Continue to lean on God during these hard times. In 2009, we went through a roller coaster of hardships and in that year my faith and my marriage were strengthened 100 fold. God uses these trials to build that relationship. You are so strong because He is so strong! Love to the family!

Casey said...

I love this post! We have been thinking a lot about you guys. We hope things continue to go well. I'm glad to hear about the progress your dad is making. You're a great example to all of us of the faith we should have in God and in his plan. Thanks, Tracy!

Matt and Becca said...

Hang in there, Tracy! So glad you are 30 weeks and healthy. I'm hoping and praying everything goes smoothly with that little baby, and that your dad continues to progress. Thanks for sharing your experiences and faith! The bigger picture really does bring such calm and purpose in these rocky times. Miss you!