Rebecca's tribute board.

When we were meeting with the funeral home director, he told us they have a hard time embalming babies because their veins and arteries are so tiny.  He said because of this we might not be able to have an open casket.

My heart broke at the thought of that.  I had already planned to have pictures of Rebecca at the funeral home and knowing this made me more determined.

So Dan downloaded the 500 plus pictures we took of Rebecca on both our cell phones and the camera over her 6 short days of life.  We cried as we looked at her beautiful little face and uploaded the pictures to the Walgreens website.  (Well, I cried.  Dan comforted me.)

On Easter Sunday, after the baskets, and Mass, and lunch and the pinata, and collecting all the chocolate eggs our bunny hides in the house throughout the day, the kids retreated to their rooms and Dan and I began our little craft project.

It turned out better than I expected. 

And thanks to an answered prayer, the funeral home was able to do the embalming and she looked absolutely beautiful.  Like a perfect little doll baby. 

I told Dan that she looked so perfect laying in her tiny little casket that I just couldn't believe we were burying her instead of taking her home.

After the funeral, I put this tribute board in the dining room not knowing exactly what to do with it.

Where should I put it? The attic? The basement?  The closet? 

I cry whenever I look at it but I just can't put it away yet because no where seems good enough. No where will ever seem good enough.

Been farmin' long?

We planted the garden this weekend.  I love how happy the garden makes my husband.  And I really love how happy a tomato sandwich makes me!

Grow, baby, grow! Mamma needs a sammich!

We planted corn, tomatoes, cucumbers, sugar snap peas, peppers (all different kinds!), basil, and cilantro.  Is it July yet?

The kids wanted to get in on the gardening action this year.  But not the vegetable gardening.  They wanted to grow flowers.

So, Dan nailed some old two by fours together and created a flower garden just for them!  We let them each pick out four different types of flower seeds and they got busy planting.

Their approaches were so different - just like their personalities.

Peter planted each type of flower in it's own row and followed the instructions regarding how deep they should be planted and how far apart they should be spaced.  He did all of this with Dan's help.

Sarah on the other hand chose to plant her seeds in a pattern in the rows and she planted them at whatever depth she felt like and spaced as far apart as she wanted.  She did this with zero parental help and even at one point told me she wanted to do it all by herself and implied that I needed to give her some space. (aka - Go away!)

I am hoping and praying that they both have good results.  I would love to look out this summer and see lots of beautiful colors blooming in the backyard. 

Farmer Pete!

Working hard with Daddy

Farmer Sarah doing things her own way!

My little farmers!

My little goofball!

What I Wore Sunday

In an attempt to get back to normal around here, I thought I would post for What I Wore Sunday.

But, before I do, I'd like to complain a little bit. (Just a little.)

I FEEL LIKE A WHALE!!

There.  That feels better.

With that said, here's what I wore to Mass this morning.

Dress:  Liz Lange Maternity/Target
Jacket:  Walmart
Scarf: MyCentsOfStyle.com
Shoes: Kohls

I hope you like this outfit because I've got a feeling I am going to be wearing this maternity dress to Mass for the next several weeks.  But don't worry, I'll try to accessorize it differently every week so it will look like a completely different gigantic outfit.

I gained 60 pounds with this pregnancy and over the last 17 days managed to get rid of 36 of them.  Unfortunately, that still leaves me with 24 more pounds than I started with and unfortunately, I don't think those are going anywhere with out dieting and exercising.  Blech.
 
Head on over to Fine Linen and Purple to check out what everyone else wore to Mass today. 

I'll be ready next year.

It was a typical Easter Sunday around here.  The kids got up way earlier than they should have, especially considering they may or may not still believe in the Easter Bunny.  But the lure of chocolate and other items in their basket was too much.

They seemed delighted with what they got and enjoyed a nice breakfast of candy.  It was a long Lent for them as well so I let them indulge.

I was hopeful that Mass would lift my spirits but unfortunately, it did not.  I wasn't able to sing any songs because I felt like even trying to raise my voice would cause the tears to start.

I did my best not to look at all the cute babies dressed in their Easter finest but Peter and Sarah insisted on pointing each one out.  And I let them.  They seemed to take joy in looking at the babies and even though it was breaking my heart, I couldn't tell them that.  So I painted on a stoic smile and sat there like a robot nodding each time they pointed out a little one.

I am certain that next year I will feel the joy that Easter normally brings but this year it just wasn't there for me.

After we got home from Mass we headed next door to my parent's house for lunch.  My best friend's family was already there and we enjoyed a wonderful meal. My mom is a great cook!

After the meal, we took all the kids outside and let them take turns at a pinata that my aunt got for them.  Even though I thought they might be a little old for the pinata, they all had the best time hitting it.  And it was loaded with lots of candy - the good stuff, too.  Lots and lots of chocolate.

It wasn't the Easter that I had hoped for but all in all it was nice day with friends and family and I know the kids had fun. 

I love this quote from Pope John Paul II -  

"Do not abandon yourselves to despair. We are the Easter people and hallelujah is our song!" 

I'm sure that next year, I'll be ready to sing it.

And here I am.

The visitation and the funeral are over. My sweet baby has come and gone.

And here I am.

I want to write it all down.  I need to write it all down. But I just don't have the words yet.  And every time I try to type a sentence the tears start.

But I was afraid that if I didn't try to write something - anything-  today that I wouldn't ever want to write here again.

Dan is back at work today.  His company has been so kind to him with all the time off he took for his mom and for Rebecca and for that we are so very grateful.

Peter and Sarah are still on Easter break this week and honestly I'm glad.  Not quite sure I'm ready to be sitting in an empty house.  Although, part of me thinks a quiet house may be exactly what I need.

I'm a crazy tangle of emotions.  Crying one minute, laughing the next.  Wondering why this  happened at all, thanking God that we had her even briefly.

I'm always trying to thank God.  And I say trying because if I'm being very honest these last two weeks, I haven't felt very thankful.  But I'm trying because I read a Lenten devotion last week that I can't stop thinking about.  Every Sunday at Mass, I hear these words...

"Before he was given up to death, a death he freely accepted, he took bread and gave you thanks, he broke the bread, gave it to his disciples and said, take this all of you and eat it. This is my body, which will be given up for you."

I've heard those words so many times that I guess I've taken them for granted.  But this devotion I was reading reminds us that right before his death, a very painful death he did not deserve, Jesus gave thanks!   So, even in my struggle with Rebecca's short life and her death, and my questions, and my tears, I am trying to remember to give thanks.  It's not easy.  And I'm struggling with it, but I'm trying.

And I'm going to try to get back to normal - whatever that is -  around here.  The blog will have pictures and stories of fun times and normal life.  But I'm sure it will also have moments of sadness and reflection.

Because just like my tagline says up there, I'm just taking it one day at a time.

The obituary.

Rebecca Irene Cotell  -  April 10, 2014 -April 15, 2014

Rebecca Irene Cotell passed away on Tuesday, April 15th, 2014. She was born on April 10th 2014 in Winston-Salem and was baptized and anointed at birth. She passed away in the loving arms of her mother and surrounded by her father, brother, sister, grandparents and uncle.

Rebecca was the beloved daughter of Elizabeth Tesh Cotell and Daniel Patrick Cotell. She is survived by her parents as well as her brother, Peter; sister, Sarah; maternal grandparents, George and Donna Tesh of Arcadia; uncle, Brad Tesh of Arcadia; aunt, Catherine Cotell of Alexandria, VA; uncle, Robert Cotell of Frederick, MD; uncle and aunt, Richard and Jennifer Cotell as well as her cousin, Jillian Cotell, all of Needham, MA. Rebecca was preceded in death by her paternal grandparents, Robert and Irene Cotell of Wellesley, MA.

Rebecca's time on this earth was short, but no child was ever loved more. She will enjoy eternal rest until her loving family comes to meet her again in heaven.

A funeral service will be held Tuesday, April 22, 2014, 11:00 a.m., at Holy Family Catholic Church with her great uncle, Rev. Robert Browne, officiating. The family will receive friends and family on Monday, April 21, 2014, 6:00-8:00 p.m., at Vogler and Sons Clemmons Chapel. Burial will follow funeral service in the church cemetery.

Good night, sweet baby.

Rebecca passed away this evening at 9:01 PM.

At 4:20, as the kids were coming in the NICU door for a visit after school, she took a turn for the worse.

So we spent the rest of the evening loving her, kissing her, holding her hand and rubbing that sweet little head.  I believe she received more hugs and kisses in the last 5 hours of her life than many people receive in years on this earth. 

My heart is broken but I do take comfort in knowing that she is resting tonight in the arms of Jesus. Thank you all for your prayers and support.

Monday Update

Rebecca is still fighting.  The big news of today is that her morning x-ray showed a tiny spot in her right lung that might be a pneumothorax which is basically a small hole in the lung. This won't be repaired as it is a very painful procedure and might ultimately be what causes her to pass.

Every day, based on the latest information, the doctors review the different scenarios but unfortunately they all lead to the same outcome. It's so hard to believe this beautiful little baby isn't going to be coming home with us.

Sunday update.

We are in a bit of a holding pattern here...and I don't mind one bit.

Rebecca spent the day entertaining visitors - my parents and my brother came this afternoon and they brought Peter and Sarah.

Baby girl loves it when we get her out of the warmer, swaddle her and hold her. It's always a production but so worth it to get to snuggle with her. And when we are holding her she tries to open her little eyes to get a look at who's holding her.

When we put her back in the warmer and the visitors are gone, we sit be her side and hold her tiny little hands,  massage her long feet and rub on her soft strawberry shaped head and whisper to her that she is loved.

The nurses let us change her diaper and take her temperature every two hours. And we know how to work the suction machine so we can help her get rid of all the saliva that has no where to go. And we are going to help give her a bath tonight which thanks to all the equipment and tubes and wires probably won't involve an actual bathtub.

Rebecca can't cry because of the tube down her throat but we know when she's upset. Her brow furrows,  her back arches, her arms flail and her feet kick. She may be the quietest baby in the NICU but we always know when something isn't right.

We have been revueeing our options and we aren't going to put in a feeding tube and tie off the trachea/stomach fusion. There are a lot of risks and potential downsides to that.  We also aren't going to remove her from the ventilator and other machines and watch her wither away either.

Instead we are taking a more middle of the road approach. We are hanging back, keeping her breathing and fed and we will just see what baby girl does.

If she starts to go on her own (which will most likely be the case due to the chance of fluid filling her lungs or air in her stomach bubble causing the stomach to push on her lungs) then we will make sure she is as comfortable as possible and love her as long as we can.

I think this approach  leaves the door open for God to show his power and his might. We are allowing her to live.  And if he wants to jump in with a walk on the water, feed 5000 people with 5 loaves and 2 fishes, raise Lazerus from the dead miracle then we will willingly accept that! But if that's not his plan then we will accept that as well.

And I guess, ultimately, that's what saying yes to God is all about.

Rebecca Update

I was released from the hospital today and immediately headed to Rebecca. She was stable today although the doctors insist that the end is near. (We had a bit of a scare this afternoon with a clogged tube and thought it was over. However, it ultimately ended up being fine.) We are enjoying every minute we can with her. Even though it's a big production with the tubes, we had her out of the incubator and held her for 5 hours. Peter and Sarah even got in on the fun when they came to visit as well. Thank you for all the prayers. It is a comfort to know that Rebecca is so well loved!

It's been a long, hard day.

I got a pass from the hospital so I was able to spend the day with my sweet Rebecca.  The nurses went out of their way to let us all hold her.  It was very complicated due to all the wires and tubes but it was wonderful to get to hold her even if it was only for about 30 minutes.

Later, after Peter and Sarah left, we met with her entire medical team and the news was not good.
In addition to the esophageal atresia (EA) where the top part of the esophagus ends into a pouch and doesn't continue on into her stomach , they believe she also has a tracheoesophageal fistula (TEF).  This means that the other portion of her esophagus which does go to the stomach has a portion that has fused with her trachea.

They were hoping to repair the EA yesterday but after arriving at Brenner, she was struggling so much to breath they ultimately ended up putting her on a ventilator.  Because her esophagus is so tiny, they had a very hard time even getting her onto the vent.  Apparently it took several skilled doctors attempting to vent her before they were successful.  Dan said at one point there were over 10 people around her trying to keep her alive and get her on the vent.

It is the medical team's opinion, based on the trouble she had yesterday, that she would not survive the surgery.  And now that there is a TEF involved as well, they are worried that they would get in there and there wouldn't even be enough esophagus to do the repair.

After that heartbreaking news we were left discussing our options.  After many conversations and many more tears, we are still trying to decide exactly which option is best for Rebecca. But whatever we decide, it will end with us saying goodbye to our little one.

Please pray for wisdom, peace and comfort.

Update.

Unfortunately they weren't able to get Rebecca's breathing stabilized yesterday so they had to put her on a ventilator. The doctor said they don't like to do that because once you put a T18 baby they never come off. This was not good to hear but I do know, thanks to a T18 Mom's Facebook page that I joined, that this isn't always the case.

Because they put her on the vent and we're having trouble getting a tube in one of her veins (they were finally successful but it was hard because things aren't where they should be due to her extra chromosomes) they did not do the EA surgery.  And then the doctor said she was too small so we needed to wait anyway.

I am waiting on a pass from my doctor and as soon as I get that my parents are going to take me to see her. I will have to come back here tonight but will hopefully be discharged tomorrow.

So at this point we are still praying for a miracle.

Rebecca has arrived!

Rebecca Irene Cotell was born this morning at 9:40 weighing a tiny 4 pounds and 3 ounces with a feisty spirit and a lot of brown hair!

The diagnosis of Trisomy 18 was confirmed as was the esophageal atresia so she was transported to Brenner Children's Hospital where the will hopefully be able to do surgery to repair her esophagus tonight

The nurse wheeled me, hospital bed and all, into the NICU at Forsyth where I was able to hold her for a glorious 5 minutes before the transport team took her to the other hospital.

She was crying until they put her in my arms and then she stopped immediately. Baby girl recognized her mommy!

Please pray that she is able to have the surgery this evening and that all goes well. Please also pray that I am well enough to be released tomorrow so that I can be with Rebecca.

Ready. Set. Pray.

The kids are at my parent's house.  The hospital bag is packed.  The house is neat.

I guess we are ready.  My c-section is scheduled for 9:00 AM on Thursday morning so if you could take the time to say a prayer for us I would really appreciate.

It has been such a blessing to know that we have so many people praying for us.

Family members, high school friends, college friends, former work friends, army friends, stay-at-home mom friends, blog friends, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, people from my kid's school.  All praying for Rebecca.

And then there are people that I don't know personally who are praying for us.  We are on prayer lists at various churches, in Bible study groups, friends have friends praying with us by sharing our story on Facebook, my cousin even got a group of her best friends together to specifically pray for Rebecca.

And each time I hear that someone is praying for my baby, my heart is full of joy!  Knowing that so many people are coming together to pray for our little one gives me such peace.

I know we are all praying for a miracle.  I also know that a miracle may not be what God has in mind for Rebecca.

But I also know without a shadow of a doubt that God will be with us in the delivery room tomorrow.  He will be holding my sweet baby girl no matter what and I will be trusting him through it all.

But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord,    whose confidence is in him. - Jeremiah 17:7

If you would like to pray specifically, please pray for the following:

• Pray that the c-section goes smoothly and that there are no complications for me.
• Pray for a miracle for Rebecca - that she be born free from any signs of Trisomy 18 or any other birth defects.
• If that's not the Lord's plan for her pray that Dan and I have wisdom and discernment when making decisions about her medical care. 
•  Pray that all the doctors and medical personnel that see Rebecca understand that even though she has a condition that deems her "incompatible with life", we see her as God sees her - beautiful and precious and worth doing everything we can to save.  Give these doctors wisdom on the best way to proceed.
• Pray that if she needs surgery to repair her esophagus tomorrow or Friday that the doctors are guided by the hand of God during the surgery.
• Pray for Peter and Sarah.  Pray that they feel God's love and peace. They are both dealing with this possible diagnosis in completely different ways and neither way is what I would deem healthy.

I will post as soon as possible on Thursday or Friday to let you all know what's going on.  In the meantime, please pray! 


Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results. - James 5:16

Tiny treasures.

I'm sure many of you have read Ann Voskamp's One Thousand Gifts or at least have heard of Ann and know what she's all about.

Last year I read her book. Well, to be completely honest, I read most of it.  Her writing is very, um, how can I put this without offending any of her many fans?   Oddly indirect?  Strangely descriptive?  Not straightforward?

Not sure exactly how to describe her writing but I find it very hard to read and I think I'm probably the only one who feels that way because most people love her book and her website A Holy Experience. 

Regardless of how I feel about Ann's writing style, it's her message that's most important.  And it's a simple one:  Give thanks in everything  and you will find joy.  She recommends taking her Joy Dare.  Write down three things every day that you give thanks for.  And they don't have to be big things.  In fact, usually, it's in being thankful for the small things that you find your true joy.

Last May after reading her book I started keeping a list.  And it's amazing that when you do this, when you start to look for God's little blessings throughout your day, you realize how much he truly loves you.

And if you write down three a day, you will easily get to one thousand gifts by the end of the year.  I am currently on gift 758 so I'm a little behind.  And I will have to admit it's because throughout this pregnancy, I have sometimes found myself wallowing in the uncertainty and the questions and the pain and not focusing on the daily gifts of joy that God is sending me.  But I've refocused myself the last few weeks and I'm trying to  go through each day on the lookout for these little gifts, and trust me, some days they are small. But they are there.

A bird perched on the top of a tree, my kid's laughing with each other, the sun after three days of rain, a Lindt chocolate truffle, a sweet email, a full moon, that perfect song on the radio at just the right time.....see, nothing huge but if you look around, really look around you for these tiny treasures, you will find that God delights in bringing good things to us.  We just have to make the effort to be willing to look for them.

As I'm nearing the end of this pregnancy, I've been reflecting on the good things that have come of it and I wanted to write down some of them so that I don't ever forget the good that God has sent us in the middle of this seemingly bad situation.

Here goes....

1.  My MS pain has been in complete remission since the very beginning of this pregnancy.  I have had zero pain and I have taken zero medications and I have felt better during this pregnancy than I have felt in the last ten years.  I am praying that my pain doesn't come back but most likely it will.  Even if it does, I have been extremely thankful for these last nine pain free months.

2.  I have  a great relationship with my husband.  In fact, if you asked me 9 months ago I would have told you that there was no way possible it could get any better.  Well, I was wrong!  Knowing that we are going to have baby that is "incompatible with life" has brought us closer than ever.  I have always felt that our love would withstand any struggle or problem life throws at us but now I know for certain.  And potentially, our struggles are just beginning, but I know that I have married the man God planned just for me and I know that we will truly be living out for better or for worse together.

3. Our prayer lives have increased exponentially.  I've always been a pray-er.  If I tell you I am going to pray for you, I will.  But there is something about praying for your unborn child that really gets you down on your knees so to speak.  Your prayers become raw and true and honest when you realize you have no power and that God is the only answer.

4.  The whole time I've known Dan, he has started and ended every day on his knees beside his bed in prayer just like his mom taught him.  Every day.  And I've always loved seeing him physically kneeling to pray.  I'm more of a pray as you go, anywhere, anytime kind of person but seeing him bowed down always brings a smile to my face.  He is also praying more than ever as well.  He has taken to finding a quiet place in the evenings, and retreating with his rosary beads and praying the rosary nightly.  Knowing that he is taking the time to do that really brings joy and peace to my heart.   

5.We have so many people who are praying for us, it's actually quite humbling.  It's hard sometimes to be on the receiving end of help but we need it and knowing that people we don't even know are praying for us is such a blessing.  And if you are praying for us, please know that I am praying for you as well.  I ask God every day to bless all of the people that are praying so fervently for Rebecca.

6.  Each email, text message, blog comment, Facebook message, note in the mail or phone call letting us know that people are praying for our baby has brought me much joy.  Reminders that we are being covered in prayer are a beautiful thing.

7. Even though I'm large and having trouble sleeping, this has been a fairly easy pregnancy on me physically.  I've had no morning sickness, no food aversions, no other health issues and for that, I'm truly thankful.

8. Doctors that seem willing to help Rebecca.  I have come across horror stories while doing my research on Trisomy 18 of doctors strong-arming women with Trisomy 18 babies into abortions or doctors that refuse to treat these babies or try to help them in any way because they are deemed incompatible with life.  So far all of the doctors we have spoken to seem ready and willing to help Rebecca even though the much of the rest of the medical world may not see value in her life.

9.  The love and support of family and friends.  This may seem like a given but it's so nice to know that in times of true need you have people there to support you and your family.

See!  Even in times of trouble, or sorrow, or despair, God is right there with you giving you exactly what you need to have a joy-filled life right where you are.

All you have to do is look.

Belly Shot - The final one!

Dan's brother, Bob, begins has his first round of chemotherapy today.  Prayers for him would be most appreciated!

I'm scheduled for my C-section on Thursday morning so this is the last belly shot you will see.  I might have Dan take one as we head out the door to the hospital but since I'll be wearing my glasses and have on zero make-up,  the internets will not get to see that one!

Week 38, Day 6  (but measuring 45 weeks plus)

I wore black to look slim.  I think it shaves at least two or three weeks off the belly.  HA!!! 

And isn't this picture a hoot?  We went to Dewey's Bakery on Saturday night after dinner.  I was unknowingly sitting in front of some Easter decorations and look like a very pregnant bunny!

Fun project for a 9-year-old girly girl.

Sarah's a girly-girl.  She loves make-up, perfume and clothes.  She also likes to watch You-Tube tutorials.

When she came to me telling me all about a tutorial she watched on how to make your own lipstick I knew there was no getting out of it.  We would be making our own lipstick.

She promised it was easy and actually - it was!!!

She picked out some crayons that were typical lipstick colors.  She removed the paper and broke each crayon in half.

She filled a big pot with water and put it on low to begin boiling.

She then put one tablespoon of coconut oil and a crayon in a small glass dish and placed the dishes in the pot of water. We left them to simmer while we did a few chores around the house.

Occasionally she would check on them and stir them a little.

After they had melted completely I helped her remove them from the water and we poured the liquid crayon/coconut oil mixture into empty paint containers which she had rinsed and dried.

This made a lot of lipstick so we ended up finding other containers to save the rest in. 

And here's the finished product:

My cutie with her pink lips! 

Free lipstick = happy girl.
Easy project = happy momma.
 

Final OB appointment and ultrasound!

I had my 38 week OB appointment yesterday morning.  And guess how big this belly is?

It measured a whopping 45 weeks!  But only 1 more week to go until the scheduled C-section so hopefully I can handle it.

I did talk to my OB and complained that my only problem with my giant stomach was lack of sleep.  He told me to take two Benadryl and call him in the morning.  Well, okay, not call him in the morning, but he did say to take Benadryl.  So I did and y'all, that's the best I've slept in weeks!  And because I wasn't tossing and turning and getting up and down all night long, it was the best Dan has slept in weeks, too.

After my OB appointment (which is my last one!), I headed for another ultrasound and BPP (biophysical profile) for the baby (which is also our last one).

She has been asleep for the last two and since they check to see that she's taking practice breaths, I wanted to make sure she was wide awake so I had some caffeine right before my appointment.  And that seemed to do the trick.

She was moving all over the place.  And as soon as the technician put the wand over her stomach we could see it moving up and down and quickly counted her breaths.

Her stomach bubble was still empty and thanks to all this fluid we are certain that the first major medical problem we will have to deal with after she is born (assuming that she's the fighter that I expect she is and comes out breathing!) will be the esophageal atresia.  But, we are ready to take it one step at a time with this little one.

And y'all, in addition to being fiesty she's ornery.  The technician was trying to get a good picture of her face for me and my little girl kept doing this:

But the technician was determined and after a lot of poking and prodding and turning we got her to show her little face:

And here's her sweet little profile:

And with that, we are officially done with all of our scheduled appointments and now we are counting the days until we meet this little one.

Thanks for your prayers.  Please, keep them coming! 

Urgent Prayer Request

First, I would like to thank everyone for their continued prayers for Rebecca and for our family.  As her April 10th delivery approaches, I have a feeling of peace and calm -something I did not think was possible when we first got her diagnosis. 

I have no idea how her life will unfold but I am trusting God with it every step of the way. 

Today I come to you with an urgent prayer request. We just  learned that Dan's brother Bob has Stage 4 Colon Cancer.  This has been a shock to the entire family as Bob, who is a colonel in the Army JAG Corps has always been so healthy.

We believe that God is bigger than cancer.  In fact, we believe that God is bigger than any disease or any problem that we may face in this fallen world. 

I am asking that you join with me in praying for the following:

That the doctors are able to quickly discern the right course of treatment for him. 
That his body responds well to the treatment.
That he feels the peace and comfort that comes only from knowing that the Lord is in control.
That the rest of the family feels this peace and comfort especially as we are nearing Rebecca's delivery.
That we continue to trust in God and in His plan for each one of us.

I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears; surely I will heal you. - 2 Kings 20:5