My sis just posted even MORE good news on her blog today! I won't even try to summarize it...she does the best job! All I can say is "Thank You, God!!!"
This will be my family's best Thanksgiving yet...
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Saturday, November 21, 2009
My Sister Melissa
Many of you are also following my sister Melissa's story. She has been undergoing treatments for her Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma since her diagnosis in March of 2008. She underwent a stem cell transplant last winter using her own stem cells, which was unsuccessful. She is currently waiting to be matched with a stem cell donor. In the meantime, she has recently been receiving a couple rounds of a chemo regimen not tried yet.
This is why I'm posting this.
Today, there will be no announcing from me about my pregnancy week, and no baby updates. I'd like for us all to focus our thoughts and prayers toward her right now.
This Tuesday, at 8:45 am, she will be having a PET scan. It is so important for the results to show that this chemo is improving her condition. If it does, then she will be able to return to New York City to continue treatment with her new doctor there. If it does not show improvement, I am not sure of the available options at that point.
I can't say this enough, as I'm sure many of you cannot either... Please pray for a miracle for her. She wants a long life with her family...her precious little ones...and they need her as well. We all need her, and want that for her.
We are standing firm in believing that God can do this for her. Please join us now as we pray specifically for this upcoming scan. Will update next week, but sometimes it takes a day or so for the scan to be read by the doctor.
Thanks MORE than words from all of us!
Her Sister, Jenn
This is why I'm posting this.
Today, there will be no announcing from me about my pregnancy week, and no baby updates. I'd like for us all to focus our thoughts and prayers toward her right now.
This Tuesday, at 8:45 am, she will be having a PET scan. It is so important for the results to show that this chemo is improving her condition. If it does, then she will be able to return to New York City to continue treatment with her new doctor there. If it does not show improvement, I am not sure of the available options at that point.
I can't say this enough, as I'm sure many of you cannot either... Please pray for a miracle for her. She wants a long life with her family...her precious little ones...and they need her as well. We all need her, and want that for her.
We are standing firm in believing that God can do this for her. Please join us now as we pray specifically for this upcoming scan. Will update next week, but sometimes it takes a day or so for the scan to be read by the doctor.
Thanks MORE than words from all of us!
Her Sister, Jenn
Melissa holding her cute little visitor, Josiah.
Sunday, November 15, 2009
And now....
We are 32 weeks along!! I remember the days of just dreaming of being in this week. Thank you, God for bringing us here! Each and every week is such a milestone and a celebration, and will be until we are holding our little girl safely in our arms!
This week I am especially grateful for the many people who have offered to loan me baby supplies. Just this week, a couple friends passed on a load of stuff that will really help us to have when the baby comes. THANK YOU!!!
And there is my beautiful sister Melissa who passed on literally an entire wardrobe for the baby. You would never believe that they were already worn by her two little girls! Miss just took such immaculate care of them, which is such a bonus. Thank you, awesome sister!
So my next goal now is 34 weeks. It still helps me to break it up like that. I still have contractions every day, some seeming a bit stronger than what I've had. We would appreciate your continued prayers that they stay at bay, while the baby stays put as long as possible!
Thank you SO much, as always!!!
Jenn, Mike, and Baby Girl
This week I am especially grateful for the many people who have offered to loan me baby supplies. Just this week, a couple friends passed on a load of stuff that will really help us to have when the baby comes. THANK YOU!!!
And there is my beautiful sister Melissa who passed on literally an entire wardrobe for the baby. You would never believe that they were already worn by her two little girls! Miss just took such immaculate care of them, which is such a bonus. Thank you, awesome sister!
So my next goal now is 34 weeks. It still helps me to break it up like that. I still have contractions every day, some seeming a bit stronger than what I've had. We would appreciate your continued prayers that they stay at bay, while the baby stays put as long as possible!
Thank you SO much, as always!!!
Jenn, Mike, and Baby Girl
Sunday, November 8, 2009
31 Weeks and a Few Thoughts...
First off, I apologize for not posting sooner! I know there are many of you who communicate your prayers to me as you follow our story, and I so appreciate that! Although I've had contractions every day since about 17 weeks, I've noticed them a bit more often than usual lately. Because of that, I've had to try to lay low as much as possible. Good news is that Mike recently brought our laptop home now that his football season is over at school, so I should be able to update more often now.
I am SO happy to be 31 weeks now!! I am still loving every minute of it! What used to feel like little kicks and flutters has now turned into roll and slide movements from one side of my belly to the other. I felt her stretch the other day, with her hands jabbing one side, and her feet nearly poking out of the other side. (It helps me identify which end is which when she has the hiccups.) Yesterday, she was moving so forcefully that Mike and I saw something little stick out of my belly about an inch or so, slide across, and repeating. We actually thought that was a little freaky, like something from the "Alien" movie! We are enjoying it all!
Some of you have asked about my due date. I'm due January 9th. It will be a c-section since I had one before. Please pray that I can make it to that time without any complications from contractions, etc... Another prayer request is about a dream Mike and I have had...to get to be in the operating room together, with me awake, and meet our little girl together for that first time. We would really appreciate your prayers for those two thingn.
We are really getting excited just thinking about meeting her, and we are just so thankful to be where we are now. God has really shown us a lot through all this, and I look forward to sharing that with you as we go along.
One of those things is actually something I learned soon after we lost Tyler. I would hear some people say that they are so blessed, as they seemed to have everything going right in their lives. (Not specific people, just in general.) Which gave me the question, "Am I not blessed? And those like me who have lost a child or are struggling..are we all just forgotten or overlooked?" But the truth really is that we are all blessed no matter what is going on in our lives. Sometimes, the clouds grow thick and cause those blessings to be more difficult to see, but they are still there.
I learned then that true thankfullness for life's blessings should happen no matter how discouraging our circumstances are. It doesn't mean it is easy to recognize or that we need to smile as we go through hard times. I just believe that God loves us each the same, and not one person is more lavishly blessed than another. Our blessings and our circumstances may just be different from what we hoped or expected. I just can't imagine that God has tiered levels where he places us to receive varying amounts of goodness. The goodness is always there...He just has to open our eyes enough to see the big picture.
Mike and I realized at our son's funeral that we were so blessed to have him, if even for six days. Were we smiling and happy to be at the funeral? No way! I remember feeling as though I was totally drowning in sorrow. But still, we knew our time with him would forever be a blessing.
So again now with our baby girl, we say we are soo thankful for the blessing that she is too. Sooooo thankful more than words can say!
We are also thankful for you for following our story, and for your prayers for all of us!
(This post is where I first talked about this idea of "Thankfullness, In All Times." I have a feeling it will explain these thoughts a lot more clearly.)
I am SO happy to be 31 weeks now!! I am still loving every minute of it! What used to feel like little kicks and flutters has now turned into roll and slide movements from one side of my belly to the other. I felt her stretch the other day, with her hands jabbing one side, and her feet nearly poking out of the other side. (It helps me identify which end is which when she has the hiccups.) Yesterday, she was moving so forcefully that Mike and I saw something little stick out of my belly about an inch or so, slide across, and repeating. We actually thought that was a little freaky, like something from the "Alien" movie! We are enjoying it all!
Some of you have asked about my due date. I'm due January 9th. It will be a c-section since I had one before. Please pray that I can make it to that time without any complications from contractions, etc... Another prayer request is about a dream Mike and I have had...to get to be in the operating room together, with me awake, and meet our little girl together for that first time. We would really appreciate your prayers for those two thingn.
We are really getting excited just thinking about meeting her, and we are just so thankful to be where we are now. God has really shown us a lot through all this, and I look forward to sharing that with you as we go along.
One of those things is actually something I learned soon after we lost Tyler. I would hear some people say that they are so blessed, as they seemed to have everything going right in their lives. (Not specific people, just in general.) Which gave me the question, "Am I not blessed? And those like me who have lost a child or are struggling..are we all just forgotten or overlooked?" But the truth really is that we are all blessed no matter what is going on in our lives. Sometimes, the clouds grow thick and cause those blessings to be more difficult to see, but they are still there.
I learned then that true thankfullness for life's blessings should happen no matter how discouraging our circumstances are. It doesn't mean it is easy to recognize or that we need to smile as we go through hard times. I just believe that God loves us each the same, and not one person is more lavishly blessed than another. Our blessings and our circumstances may just be different from what we hoped or expected. I just can't imagine that God has tiered levels where he places us to receive varying amounts of goodness. The goodness is always there...He just has to open our eyes enough to see the big picture.
Mike and I realized at our son's funeral that we were so blessed to have him, if even for six days. Were we smiling and happy to be at the funeral? No way! I remember feeling as though I was totally drowning in sorrow. But still, we knew our time with him would forever be a blessing.
So again now with our baby girl, we say we are soo thankful for the blessing that she is too. Sooooo thankful more than words can say!
We are also thankful for you for following our story, and for your prayers for all of us!
(This post is where I first talked about this idea of "Thankfullness, In All Times." I have a feeling it will explain these thoughts a lot more clearly.)
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