Miracle after miracle

Today we had our first visit to the OB/GYN for the new baby. It was an appointment that, for me, seemed to be the turning point for a lot of the things on the horizon of our lives.

You see, normally I don't start feeling the yuck of pregnancy until I'm about 9 - 10 weeks pregnant. When I was pregnant with Elizabeth I remember, vividly, the 1st time I threw up. Christmas day 2003.

I'd felt FINE up to that point and was certain that I'd be one of those women who felt nary a moment of sickness while I blissfully carried a child inside me. (I have those friends and sometimes - like when I'm hovering over the toilet -  I hate them.)

My Mom made the best Christmas morning pancakes and I justified my overconsumption of them with the fact that I was eating for 2. Washing them down with a nice, cold glass of milk seemed to be the best idea I'd ever had. Until approximately 30 seconds later when I threw every bit of it up. Upon exit, the milk was still cold, y'all.

Awesome, huh?

With Ella I, again, thought that maybe I'd side-step the months of toilet hovering thinking that maybe she was a boy. I was coasting into week 10 and had only felt momentary nausea, but nothing to stop me dead in my tracks.

Then it hit me like a freight train and the next 14 weeks I puked so much that Ashlee would hover over the sink, make wretched noises and feign "growin' up."

So when the pregnancy sickness hit me this time right at about 6 weeks I was shocked and then perplexed and then stunned. The only other time I've ever been sick that early was when I carried the twins.

With Lucas and Ashlee, my body's 6 week alarm went off and the months of toilet hovering began. At the time I didn't really think much about why I was sick so much earlier than I was with my previous pregnancy. At my 13 week ultrasound, we found out why. Baby A (Lucas) and Baby B (Ashlee) put to rest any of the questions I had about why I thought I was dying due to lack of food.

Flash forward to about a month ago. I found out I was pregnant this time super early. Weird things were happening with my body and I just knew. When the nausea kicked in at 6 weeks, I naturally began to let my mind drift to the what if.

Twins? Again? Could it be?

So today came as sort of a turning point for Luke and I. I called my OB last week and all but begged the receptionist to ask the Dr if I could have an early ultrasound. Truth is, if we were having twins our July 2012 departure date for Africa could.not.happen.


(I have several markers for another multiples pregnancy. Previous multiples. Over 30. Some other marker I can't remember now. Drastic memory loss (ha, kidding). Multiple pregnancies. A SUPER early positive pregnancy test.)


Some days, I was okay with that. "If we have twins and can't go, I'm okay with that," I'd think.

Other days, or maybe in the same day, I'd think, "But if we have twins and we can't go, what does that say about the certainty with which I felt our calling? What does that say about all I know about how the Lord speaks to me?"

Over the last month, I've questioned God. A lot. I've questioned if He is who He says He is. I've questioned if He'll do what He says He'll do.

I felt today had the potential to be one of those turning-point days in my relationship with the Lord. If I saw two babies on the screen then surely something was wrong at the core of my relationship with God.

One baby and my heart would be crushed a little, knowing the joy of twins and longing for that again.

Maybe it's stupid to stake so much on an ultrasound or on the number of babies in my womb. In fact, it was.

But I still learned much about my God today.

As the wand swept across my abdomen and ONE tiny baby was revealed I saw a miracle. The flicker of that sweet one's heartbeat flashing back at me.

A miracle. One after the other. With each little flicker. One that I pray I will never take for granted.

I never ceased to be amazed by the mercy, character and love of our great God as he pours upon us miracle after miracle after miracle....

The Face of a Miracle

Ever wondered what a real, live miracle looks like?

Click here to see one.

If you're unfamiliar with Chris and Lindy's miracle story, I blogged about it here.

Congratulations to Chris and Lindy on the birth of the most anticipated miracle I've ever known (you know, besides Jesus)!

Today, I stand in awe of the God of miracles.

GOD ANSWERS PRAYER!

EVAN IS COMING HOME!!

Click here to read the official post from Evan's family but, y'all, SHE'S COMING HOME!!

The same judge that denied the adoption of another child with Down Syndrome just a couple of weeks ago GRANTED THE ADOPTION of Evan who also happens to have Down Syndrome.

THE SAME JUDGE!

God is amazing y'all. Simply amazing. Thank you for praying with me and countless others.

How I am praying that now, the judge will overturn her own ruling for Kirill's family! Will you pray with me about that too?

Prayer Update!

I read an update on one of the sweet babies in Russia who has Down Syndrome. (If you have no clue what I'm talking about read my post from yesterday by clicking here.)

CLICK HERE to read about Evan and her family's update.

I've joined the facebook page "Saving Kirill" and Kirill's mom posted this update sometime last night:

"IMPORTANT!!! Our appeal was filed today. I just found out from our agency that our judge *can* overturn her own ruling simply based on the appeal WITHOUT us going to the Supreme Court. Our agency says that would be a "miracle" but there is a chance. Good thing God works miracles! SO....START. PRAYING. NOW!"

Will you join with me in praying for these sweet babies who have Mommies and Daddies who desperately want them? Pray BOLD and pray BIG for these sweet treasures who could very well pave the way for more adoptions of children with Down Syndrome from this region in Russia. Pray for the judge's heart to be softened and for God's Spirit to move in her and that she would speak only the words only HE desires.

Thanks friends.

A Marvelous, Ordinary Miracle

I believe that God still performs miracles, just like He has done since the first day of Creation. Unfortunately, we often mask His miracles by calling them coincidences or give all the credit to medicine or even the inexplicable.

But you all already know that I don't believe in coincidences.

So I guess it's no coincidence that I was blessed beyond my understanding to be able to photograph some of the sweetest, most humble people I know. In fact in photographing them, I got to record for them a miracle. A God breathed, completely surprising, off the charts MIRACLE.

Let me explain a little more. Almost a year ago, my sweet friend Lindy and I were preparing for the birth of Ella Joy. At the time we didn't know it was Ella but you know what I mean. And when I say "Lindy and I" I mean that Lindy and Chris were home from Kenya (were they serve as missionaries) and I had invited Lindy to be in the delivery room with us when the "baby" was born. Why?

Well, for only reasons known to God, everyone (including Lindy herself) thought that Lindy would never get to experience the miracle of birth first hand. We all thought, Lindy included, that witnessing the birth of our 6th child might be the closest she'd get to a delivery of someone that she loves. I was beyond honored to have her share this experience with us. Truthfully, honored doesn't begin to describe how I felt having her in that delivery room. I don't know that I've ever told Lindy this, but I think I will always cherish Ella's birth in an extra special way just because I got to share it with her.

(Lindy, Ella (just hours old) and a very swollen Me)

You see, from the time we became friends Lindy and I have shared a special bond. It's something beyond what I can explain, especially here on a blog, but once I began to know Lindy I was drawn to her with a deepness that my heart could not understand. I loved her so deeply and I knew from early on that our physical time together would be limited. Chris and Lindy left for Kenya just days after Aaron was placed in our home. Before that, our friendship had only boasted a mere year or two in length.

For reasons that we can only attribute to the Lord, we both believe that God has knit our hearts together in a special way. How else can you explain a friendship that deepens with each passing day yet is separated by 8,000+ miles?

So the last time Chris and Lindy were in the US, I had the privilege of sharing with her one of the most life changing events a woman can experience. Childbirth.

For all either of us knew, Lindy would not experience such a thing again. And with their impending adoption from Rwanda on the horizon, it was uncertain when they'd grace American soil again. Afterall, it was expected that by today's date, they'd be months away from meeting their newly adopted child(ren) and they'd be settling in to life at home in Kenya with one or two precious babies.

However, in the fall of last year Chris and Lindy shared with us devastating news. Their adoption from Rwanda had fallen through. This was the second time that they were on pace to adopt children and the second time that it had crumbled in their hands. These two blows to their already tender hearts was tough. Friends and family here in the US wept and prayed for them, knowing that their hearts were breaking and their arms were longing to meet their children.

It was hard to see God working as we processed why these two people, who will no doubt bring honor and glory to the name of the Father as they raise their own children, were not able to bring their babies home.

Several months back, I was skyping with Lindy and she kept complaining of a stomach virus. I thought little about it because, honestly, she lives in Africa. But the stomach virus continued and, as it turns out it wasn't a virus at all. I wondered if she had a parasite, since she'd gotten one early on in their time in Kenya. Turns out, she did!

A beautiful, glorious, energy-sucking, strong heartbeat having, God knit parasite growing right in her womb!!

God is a god of MIRACLES. He loves nothing more that to bless His children with the unthinkable joys that only His heart can create.

A year is a long time, no doubt. But I can hardly believe that a year ago this month my own abdomen was so swollen with child I could hardly move. A year ago today we all believed that Lindy and Chris were months away from returning to Kenya and proceeding with a Rwandan adoption. We all believed that God had chosen another path for them that didn't include pregnancy.

Today we believe that God is a god of miracles. He's not a god who performed miracles 2,000+ years ago and then quit. He's not a god who has changed and stopped doing the things He's said He'd do.

Nope.

He's a God if overwhelming, completely unexpected, totally mind-blowing MIRACLES! He was then and He is today, and in June He'll be a miracle delivering God all over again!

I am so excited to see what God has in store for this sweet baby growing in Lindy's womb. I have no doubt that he will be told of Christ soon and often. He will be raised to be a warrior who boldly proclaims the name of the King and who has parents who fear, love and serve the Lord with their whole hearts.

Please join me in praying for Lindy, Chris and Baby T as they spend a month here with family and friends, then return to Kenya to prepare for the birth.

Thank you Lord for this amazing miracle that we all are getting to witness. Praise you Father for working while we all have such little faith! Thank you God for this marvelous, ordinary miracle.

(Click here to see the Lindy's whole set of maternity photos.)