The Momma's Perspective

 Thank you, everyone for your prayers. It has been a CRAZY 72 hours! We went from being told that there was a 98%  chance that we were two weeks away from delivery to having a 34 week preemie all in the span of 24 hours!

Thank you for your prayers during labor! It was painful and at times SCARY! I often felt disheartened and overwhelmed, but God carried me through. I praise the Lord that I was able to stay strong and in the end deliver Levi naturally (not through c-section)! This was something we had considered early on but when we went in on Friday I was preparing to have a repeat c-section. I am grateful that throughout labor Levi never looked unhealthy. I also THANK GOD for Mr. Monahan - he administered the epidural.... what a wonderful man :) 

Thank you for your prayers after delivery. I have had an amazing sense of peace and calm since Levi's birth. While it is hard not to have him at home we know he is in good hands at the hospital. We are grateful for his early progress (he had assistance with breathing for less than 24 hours). We are also grateful for the closeness of the hospital (less than 10 minutes away - 1.7 miles to be exact). Levi did not have an infection and his tests have been very positive. We have been able to hold Levi several times in the past two days and are enjoying our new little man very much. The NICU staff start by telling all parents to anticipate their baby coming home close to his actual due date; however, Levi's doctor anticipates he will be home sooner - perhaps in 1-2 weeks.

Thank you for your continued prayers. Levi has several hurdles to meet. First, he needs to consistently breathe on his own (this one is looking good). Second, he needs to be able to maintain his body temperature (there have been early positive signs). Third, he needs to learn how to suck, swallow and breathe (this will be our biggest challenge).Please pray that Levi will be hungry when I go to nurse. Pray also that I will be able to breastfeed this little man. I struggled to feed Naomi after her birth. Please pray for my patience and my perseverance. It was WONDERFUL to attempt nursing tonight and to see Levi respond. Pray that my milk comes in abundantly.

It has been interesting to reflect in the past 24 hours how parenthood changes you. I remember feeling incredibly anxious and unprepared to take of a newborn when Naomi was born. After her birth I stressed about every little thing... was she eating enough, why wasn't I producing milk, was she gaining weight, was I meeting her basic needs. This pregnancy, while it has had many reasons for alarm, has really found me in the place of trusting the Lord with all my heart (Prov. 3:5) and experiencing peace that surpasses understanding (Philippians 4).

I appreciate your prayers and support and look forward to sharing with you how God continues to meet Levi and my needs!