Brooke meets her family

Brooke's big sisters (especially her oldest) are completely smitten over her. It's been such a joy watching them love on her. This day was full of meeting family. So fun finally being together as a family of five!

 

 

 

 

Brooke also got to meet her grandparents, Aunt Lucy and cousins, Holly and Haley. I think they're ALL pretty smitten with our sweet bundle. :)

 

 

 

A girl's gotta get some rest after that busy day!

 

Brooklyn Hope is here!

The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy. --Psalm 126:3

Our sweet baby girl is here. Born yesterday at 4:46 p.m. 7lbs & 19 3/4 in. She's as sweet and beautiful as her big sisters...except she has A LOT of dark, wavy/curly hair. :) We are absolutely smitten.

Delivery went very well. Brooke's SAT levels look good so far. She has great pink color. She had quite a bit of testing last night (echo, chest x-ray, etc.). She's doing well in the NICU. We will know results on those later today. For now, we are enjoying every moment with our sweet Brooklyn Hope. She will meet her sisters, grandparents, aunts, etc. today. Oh, and I'm doing very well with recovery.

Thank you so much for your continued prayer and support. I will try to update when I can and share more. For now, here are a few photos from her first moments and from our late night snuggles in the NICU...

the journey continues

We spent the weekend settling into our apartment. We enjoyed a little time with my parents the last day or so and have enjoyed some time as an immediate family today exploring our neighborhood, including the sundeck on top of our building at sunset just a bit ago. We're about twenty minutes from heading a block over to the hospital to check in for my much anticipated induction. At the moment, I have too many thoughts and emotions running through my heart and mind to express in writing. Delivering a baby is a big deal. Delivering a diagnosed "heart baby" is an even bigger deal. But...my God is an even BIGGER deal. And He's got this.

 

Thanks to each of you for all your thoughts, prayer, texts, Facebook messages, cards, etc. I've read them all and appreciate each and every one more than I can say.

 

Look forward to sharing pictures and stories of our sweet Brooklyn Hope and more evidence of God's grace and mercy sometime in the next 24 hours!

Oh, and, by the way, I can't imagine being on this journey without this guy by my side. So very grateful for him.

one week

One week.

 

One week until we meet our sweet Brooklyn Hope.

 

One week left of being pregnant. For good.

 

One week until we're a party of five.

 

One week until Little Sis also becomes Big Sis. Like her Big Sis.

 

One week until Big Sis gets to dote on Littlest Sis just as she does Little Sis. And she cannot wait.

 

One week until Daddy has the absolute joy of yet another little girl capturing his heart. And he cannot wait.

 

One week until I snuggle my Brooklyn Hope for a few short minutes before she is whisked away to the NICU.

 

One week until our new "normal."

 

One week until we begin...or maybe simply continue...a journey that we've never known. A journey with a "heart baby."

 

I don't know what the future holds for us or for our Brooke. But, this I DO know... God IS Sovereign. He IS here. He IS for us. Can He heal our Brooke's broken heart? Absolutely. Will He choose that path? I sure hope so, but I don't know.

 

Either way, I have a perfect peace that only He can bring. I heard this verse on the radio this morning, and it has lingered in my mind and my heart all day long..."You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you." Isaiah 26:3 

 

That He does. And that I do.

 

 

*************

 

Based on my ultrasound last Friday, Brooke's estimated weight was 6 lbs. 6 oz. She's on-pace to weigh around seven pounds at birth. Huge praise! Also, we moved my induction date/time back to begin on Monday, 10/28, at 8:00 p.m. so that she will hopefully arrive midday on Tuesday, 10/29. We are  in full prep mode. Moving into our apartment this weekend. Looking forward to spending some time settling in as a family before the big day.

 

We are humbled by the outpouring of love, support and prayer for us and our Brooke. If I could give each of you a big hug and personally thank you, I would. :) For now, please know that we appreciate you so very much.

full term!

How's it going? As of today our Brooklyn is considered full term. Woohoo! 37 weeks. An important mark for every baby for sure. However, we want this little one to get to 39 weeks in order to greatly improve how well she tolerates delivery, her first days of life, her first open heart surgery at 7-10 days old and her recovery thereafter.

An induction is scheduled so that everything can be planned (and more controlled). We have 14 days until induction. 14 days. Wow. Lots of preparation happening. Bags are mostly packed. Apartment is secured. Bins of things for our apartment are mostly packed. And the list goes on...

So many emotions. Very, very excited to meet our baby girl. Somewhat anxious about what follows the 15 minutes that we'll get to hold her and take pictures immediately after she's born. Overwhelmed by the preparations of being away from home for several weeks. But, amidst all of these emotions, we remain confident in God's protection and provision in the days, weeks and months to come. He continues to prove Himself faithful in our journey.

Latest appointment. I had an ultrasound with my local doc last Thursday. Everything looked great, and Brooke was as adorable as ever. :) We could see a little hair on the ultrasound again and got this 3-D picture of her sweet little face. LOVE it! I'm feeling good other than the swelling in my right leg...and waddling a bit at this point. :)

I have to give major props to my local doctor and her staff. They are absolutely wonderful. At my appointment last week I got lots of hugs, expressions of support and prayer and just all-around assurance that they're rooting for us. I really appreciate those ladies. We have been through a lot with them already with our three previous losses (before Emily). Their care, concern and support through it all means more than they will ever know. Ladies, if you're reading this...YOU ROCK! :)

Next appointment. I have another "growth" ultrasound this Friday in St. Louis. We'll also have the opportunity to tour the NICU and Cardiac ICU one more time before we head back down later this month for the induction.

Thanks so much to all of you for the continued support, concern and prayer. We appreciate you!

no heart change & fantastic growth continues

As a result of our fetal echo last Friday, our pediatric cardiologist indicated there was virtually no change with Brooke's heart. Of course, we preferred to hear that she was completely healed and now has no signs of HLHS, but, alas, no movement toward the negative was the next best news! We had a fantastic discussion with the cardiologist regarding what to expect immediately after delivery, before surgery, after surgery, during recovery, etc. We have a much better picture of what to expect throughout Brooke's first several days and weeks of life, and, while some of the details we discussed are hard to swallow, knowing what we know now is helping us mentally and emotionally prepare for Brooke's arrival and what's to follow. We so appreciate the level of care we have at St. Louis Children's. It makes this difficult road just a little easier to walk.

 

Also, the BIG news...as a result of my growth ultrasound, my OB indicated that Brooke measures very well and now weighs 5lbs 7oz! Wow! So, she's jumped from the 31st percentile to the 48th in just a few weeks. HUGE praise! Doc said she gets an "A+" for growth. That's my girl! :)

 

We also checked out some apartment options in the area while we were there and were able to secure one this week. Yay! This is a huge thing to get checked off the preparation list.

 

Praises/prayer...

• Praise that Brooke continues to grow very well. Pray that this good growth continues.
• Pray that God will heal her sweet little heart if it's His will.
• Praise that we have secured a good housing option for our time in St. Louis.
• Praise that we have had family and a number of friends offer to help care for our older two--as well as do whatever else is necessary--in the several weeks following Brooke's birth. We are truly SO grateful for you...and you know who you are!! :)
• Praise that I'm feeling good overall other than being tired and dealing with swelling and varicose veins in my right leg. Just trying to endure it for another few weeks.
• Pray that I get to 39 weeks. It's critical for Brooke to grow and develop as long as possible before I am induced at 39 weeks.
• Pray for the four of us as we attempt to physically, mentally and emotionally prepare for the road ahead. 

My induction date has been set for October 29. We meet our sweet Brooklyn Hope in just four short weeks. John and I agree it's becoming more and more real, this HLHS road we're traveling, with each passing appointment and each passing day. And as much as we try to prepare, I think it's nearly impossible to fully prepare for what's to come. But, one thing's for sure... We have a "confident expectation and desire for something good in the future," as John Piper says. We have hope. Not the fingers-crossed kind of hope. Hope in Christ. Hope, "confident expectation," that God will heal her and confidence that if He chooses not to do so, that she's still in His hands and He is still good. Ultimately, we have hope that He will be glorified in our journey and through our trial. That is our utmost desire.