5 Years Ago Today

How fitting it seemed this morning that when the mail was brought in it contained a printed picture of newborn Maggie that I ordered a couple of weeks ago.  Maggie has had a picture frame sitting on a shelf in her room for a few YEARS now, with a stock photo of someone else’s baby.  (Did I mentioned I’m the WORST at printing and framing pictures?? 🤦🏽‍♀️😂)  Well, it’s a special frame with a special message...and after I placed the picture of teeny little Mags in it, I just happened to sit down with my phone and open FB and to look through my “on this day” posts.

I always get a little emotional this time of year as I scroll through my FB memories each day and read back through all of the heartache, joy, and wonder of Baby Maggie’s Journey.  Well, today was no exception.  Exactly 5 years ago TODAY I received the phone call from the doctor with the MRI results that proved that little miss Maggie had received the miracle we had all been praying for.  It is still completely mind-blowing that God did what only God could do!  We are still so, so thankful.  I couldn’t imagine life without our little spitfire. 😊

“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.”

‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭3:20-21‬ ‭NIV‬‬

http://bible.com/111/eph.3.20-21.niv

The Day I Will Remember for the Rest of My Life

All day long I had felt like a failure.  I was constantly yelling at my babies because they were constantly letting me down.  They were incredibly disobedient and inconsiderate all day long.  5, 3 and 1 year olds ought to know better.  Right?!?

 

But I knew that I was the one who ought to know better.  I had been on this earth for almost 33 years.  I should know how to control my anger by now.  But I was failing over and over and over again today.  So I quickly stopped and prayed and gathered some wisdom from the Bible.  There.  Problem solved.

Then nap time was over.  The kids were back to their same old shenanigans.  Why did these kids constantly do the same disobedient things over and over and over again??

And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. I want to do what is right, but I can’t.  I want to do what is good, but I don’t.  I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway. (Romans 7:18-19)

And I was back to my same old anger issues.  Why did I keep yelling at my kids over and over again??  I needed to stop!!  But it was more important that THEY stop being disobedient.  I had anger issues, but they drove me to it.

Finally I had had it.  It was time to clean their room and put them straight to bed.  I barked at them over and over and over again.  How could they forget that many times that they were supposed to be putting things away instead of playing?  It’s like they had an attention span of a…sigh…5 and 3 year old.  But still.  I had had it.

Then all of a sudden I found something that the 3 year old had purposely broken.  Why was this kid so destructive?!?  I started to yell at him at the top of my lungs.  He just looked at me, not too surprised since I had been yelling all day.  But I wasn’t satisfied with the first few seconds of yelling.  I felt justified to keep yelling until I could get a whole day’s worth of frustration out into the face of this little boy.

Fools vent their anger, but the wise quietly hold it back.  (Proverbs 29:11)

Only it wasn’t satisfying.  After a few more seconds of yelling, I saw the change come over his face.  His mouth turned down and quivered and his eyes filled up.  At the same time that his sobs came, my sobs also came.  I rushed toward my crying boy and took him into my arms and begged for his forgiveness.

Then I fell to the floor and knelt, hunched over in the middle of my boys’ room sobbing deep, uncontrollable, sorrowful sobs.  Through the tears I kept begging my boys for forgiveness.  They granted it and left the room.  They were usually so loving so I didn’t know why they left.  I had really blown it.  I cried out to God and asked Him for forgiveness.  I was broken.  I needed His help.  I just continued to sob and sob and sob.

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.  (Psalm 46:1)

Then my 5 year old walked back in.  He shoved something in front of my face.  I didn’t know what it was right away through the blur of tears, so he gently shook it to motion for me to take it.  It was the Bible from my nightstand.

Oh, what a torrent of emotions rushed through my mind and heart at that moment!!  I was shocked at his thoughtfulness and wisdom.  I was prouder than I had ever been of him.  I was so humbled at the undeserved kindness he offered me.  I was convicted of my need of the very thing he handed me.  I cried harder…a mixture of sadness and pure joy.  It touched me deeply.

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.  (2 Timothy 3:16-17)

Then silently he left again, the 3 year old at his heels.  He was gone for several minutes and I had no idea what he was doing, but I could hear them in the kitchen.  I heard the stool being moved around and cupboard doors being opened and shut and little voices talking to each other.

But I was still broken and in need of my Savior.  I prayed out loud through my cries and told God that I could not get control of my anger without His help.  I needed Him.  I was through trying to fix this problem on my own.

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.  (Philippians 4:13)

My boys came back.  Again my 5 year old handed something to me…he had made me a cup of coffee!!  My sobs picked back up again.  I was so touched.  How could they offer me such love and kindness after the way I had treated them??  I just could not possibly be any prouder of them.

The 5 year old was setting such an admirable example for the 3 year old and he wanted in on it.  He tried helping me take deep breaths…the very thing I always do with him when he can’t stop crying.  It was so sweet...but they didn’t want stop with just that!  

The 3 year old prepared a sippy cup of water for me…so precious.  The 5 year old covered me with a blanket, had me lay back on a pillow, surrounded me with cozy stuffed animals, put an instrumental CD in his player and brushed my hair.  He also wrote a sweet note and gave it to me.  I read them verses from my Bible about controlling our anger and obeying our parents.  We prayed together.  It was such a sweet time together.

Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.  (Ephesians 4:32)

They left the room to go make paper fans so they could come back and fan me.  As I was laying there by myself I was tempted to clean up the “mess” and put them to bed and call it a day.  But I thought, how often do I get to be pampered by my boys?  So I just lay back, relaxed and stared straight ahead.  Straight in front of me was the open door of the boys’ closet…and the perfect image of a cross staring down at me.

Just like I didn’t deserve my boys’ grace, forgiveness, kindness and love in that moment, I also didn’t deserve Christ’s grace, forgiveness, kindness and love.  I didn’t deserve His sacrifice on the cross and His gift of eternal life.  What a deeply impacting example of Christ’s unconditional love my boys had set for me.

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.  (Romans 5:8)

As I was tucking the 3 year old into bed a little later, he asked, “Remember when we helped you stop crying?”  “Yes, Sweetheart.  I remember.  And I will remember it for the rest of my life.”

And the new name is...

I want to keep you all updated on the process of changing my blog topic and blog name.  I loved your ideas that some of you posted and I considered most of them...but wow is it hard to come up with a name that someone else isn't already using!!  After a lot of thought and research, I actually ended up picking a name that my husband came up with after tweaking an idea from one of you:

Thank you so much for your helpful ideas!  My next project will be redesigning Baby Maggie's Journey to reflect the new name on the blog and the Facebook page.

Have any of you ever renamed a blog?  What advice do you have to make it a smooth transition?

I need your help!

Friends!  I want to let you know that I loved keeping you all updated on sweet Maggie's progress while she was fighting for her life inside the womb.  I enjoyed sharing my heart with you during the good times and the bad.  I loved being real and honest with you and receiving heart-felt prayers and encouragement.  It gave me so much joy when you all celebrated her miraculous birth and health with me.  And I still love occasionally sharing pictures and videos of my beautiful, precious little girl.

But now I want to get real with you again.  I have 3 kids (5, 3 and 1), we are in the middle of our second year of homeschooling, and my husband is starting a new job as an airline pilot.  Life right now is amazing, crazy, exciting, difficult, fun, stressful, joyful, overwhelming, humorous and exhausting.  In order to survive this crazy-amazing life we have, I have to continually remember to give each day to God and let Him lead me safely through it.  And MAN do I mess up.  A lot.  All the time.  I mean, thank GOD for grace!!!

I want to share the good, the bad and the ungly with you.  Life is so much easier when we walk through it with other people.  Like with people who have walked through something tough, made it out alive, and can now help us through.  With people who are experiencing something difficult that we have already survived and now we can be there for them.  And with people who are celebrating a victory in their life and we have the privilege to join the celebration!  I want you to know that you aren't alone in your joys or struggles.

Very soon I will be renaming this blog to match my shift in topic.  I hope to start writing on a regular basis about life with little ones, homeschooling, and The One who sees us through it all.  I hope you will continue to take this blogging journey with me that we started together during one of the most difficult and joyful times of my life.

Last thing:  I need your help.  I am taking suggestions for a new blog name.  What ideas do you have for me?  Please post your ideas in the comments.  I will let you all know as soon as I make my choice!

Amanda

Forgotten Story

I found something on my phone today that I totally forgot I had. Shortly after Maggie was born I wrote her story from what I thought 4 year old Wyatt's perspective would be. It took me down memory lane...I hope you all enjoy it! 

My name is Wyatt. I have a little brother named Jack and a little sister named Maggie. This story is about Maggie before she came out of my mom's tummy. When my mom and dad told me that I was going to be a big brother again, I was so excited! I hoped I would get a little sister this time. I have always wanted a little sister!

The day came for my mom and dad to go to the doctor to see the baby in mom's tummy. They brought me with them so I could see, too! We saw the baby move on the tv screen and even got some printed pictures! After we left the doctor's office mom and dad said they were going to go again tomorrow. For some reason they didn't seem as excited about it.

The next day Jack and I got to go play at the babysitters while mom and dad went to the doctor again. We always have so much fun there! We got to stay and play even longer than usual because mom and dad were gone a lot longer than they planned to be. I didn't mind at all!

Later that day mom and dad finally came and picked us up. They smiled and hugged us like they always do, but they looked a little different because their eyes were all red. A few times their eyes looked wet like they were crying, but they still acted happy.

When we were back at home, mom and dad told me they wanted to talk to me. They explained that the baby wasn't growing right and that it might die and go to Heaven to be with Jesus instead of coming home to live with us.

I was sad that the baby might not get to live with us, but I also knew a lot about Heaven and Jesus. I knew that the baby would be really happy there and that I could go there someday, too! I even told my parents once that I couldn't wait to go to heaven and meet Jesus, but they said they hoped it wasn't for a long time because they would miss me. I guess I would miss them, too.

Mom and dad also told me about something called a miracle. Even though the doctors said the baby would probably die, my parents told me that God is so powerful that He can do things that people, even doctors, think are impossible. That's called a miracle! I decided I would pray every single day and ask Jesus to help the baby grow right.

A couple weeks later, my mom and dad were really excited about something. They gave me an envelope with a piece of paper inside that would tell me whether the baby was a boy or girl. I was so excited to find out! I opened it and read, "girl". I couldn't believe I finally had a sister! Her name was going to be Maggie.

It seemed like Maggie was in mom's tummy for a long time. We got to spend a lot of time playing at the babysitter's house because mom and dad had to go to the doctor a lot. It was so much fun! Sometimes mom and dad would come back happy and sometimes they would come back sad. But we still prayed for Maggie every day no matter what.

One day mom and dad woke me and Jack up in the middle of the night. It was time for Maggie to come out of mom's tummy! Everyone was so excited! Jack and I got to spend the rest of the night sleeping at the babysitter's house while mom and dad went to the hospital. The next morning we found out that Maggie was finally born! We made pink cupcakes to celebrate.

The next day dad took me and Jack to the hospital to meet Maggie for the very first time. She was so cute and I even got to hold her! After the doctors kept her for several days we found out that God healed her all the way and made her grow right. God answered my prayer! People started calling her "Miracle Maggie". I was so happy that she got to come live with us because I just love her so much!

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Happy Birthday, Maggie!!!

We are praising Jesus on our precious Maggie's first birthday!!  Here is a post written by Maggie's wonderful Daddy:

"I'm quick to discount what most people call miracles. I know that miracles exist, but I don't think we see them very often. I think that what often gets chalked up to being a 'miracle' can often be attributed to something else. Coincidence, self-fulfilling prophecy, luck, whatever. Despite my skepticism, 16 or so months ago, I knew a miracle from God is what we needed for Maggie. I was there when the extreme amount of fluid accumulating in her abdomen was first noticed. I saw it on the ultrasound tech's monitor. I was there when the damage to her liver was discovered. The doctor (a specialist in fetal care) spent time with us, showing it to us and describing it in detail. I saw what he saw when he examined her brain; overlapping sutures, calcifications, and the open space between her skull and the lining of her brain (that he would later tell us indicated atrophy he had previously seen only in babies that had already died in utero). All those things were there. Their existence wasn't open for debate...only their cause. Her doctor told us that IF Maggie made it, there would, without a doubt, be lasting complications. I specifically pressed him on this point, asking him to paint a best-case scenario, since we had been dealing with worst-case scenarios for weeks. I was also there when, one-by-one, every area of concern reversed itself. The ascites went away. It didn't just stabilize or reverse its trend. It disappeared. An MRI that was supposed to give us a better picture of the damage to her brain and a better idea of what disabilities to expect after she was born...showed a completely normal brain. Despite the improving news, Maggie was born a year ago today with a NICU team standing by, ready to assess the extent of the damage to her body. She spent several days in the NICU while they ran a whole battery of tests on her. Each one came back showing we had a completely healthy baby. It wasn't a case of a doctors getting it wrong. Everything they saw, Amanda and I saw too. The best diagnosis they could come up with after all the tests (a perforated bowel that had healed itself before she was born) couldn't explain away everything they had seen. I guess that's because miracles can't be explained.

A year later we have a perfectly healthy, gap-toothed, always smiling, go-getter of a baby who is going to take her first steps any day now. She's definitely proof of miracles. Happy Birthday, Mags!!" - Jon

My Secret Weapon for Sticking with my Goals

Every morning when I woke up, before my feet even hit the ground, I checked Facebook.  As I stumbled to the bathroom, I studied my newsfeed.  I left the house with frazzled hair and no makeup because I ran out of time…because I spent too much time on Facebook.  I was annoyed when my children wanted my attention.  Couldn’t they see that I was busy??  What I was reading on Facebook was important!  How dare they?!  I often went into rages during the chaos around me…the chaos that I created myself by not being present or prepared because I was living in a different world.  Even my husband was frustrated and often complained that I was always on Facebook.

Through a phone conversation, my friend Carla and I discovered that we both had the same struggle.  Our faces were always buried in our phones and life with our precious families was passing us by.  We also discovered that we both wanted to change but had been frustrated by our unsuccessful attempts.  That day we decided to become accountability partners to pray for and help each other overcome our addictions.

Carla and I have since texted each other almost every single day for over a year now.  It started out as a list of only a few goals, but now we each have approximately 10 or 12 daily goals that we report to each other on at the end of each day.  Her accountability and prayer has made a huge difference in my life.  It has served many purposes, including helping me to regain my focus on my family, survive during the toughest trial of my life, and helping me to grow in my relationship with Christ.

First of all, through trial, error, encouragement, prayer, grace, and godly advice, this last year of accountability has helped me to beat my Facebook addiction.  It didn’t happen overnight and it still remains on my accountability list, but I am finally free to give my children and husband the time and attention they deserve and I am so thankful for the accountability to make it happen.  

Shortly after we started our accountability partnership, I found myself in the most difficult trial of my life.  At that point I just needed to survive.  I needed to take care of myself and my family regardless of how physically and emotionally drained I was.  I rewrote my goals.  It was a shorter list than before.  It was very different.  There were things like getting dressed in the morning.  That’s something that most people would do automatically most of the time but it was all I could do to just get out of bed.  Knowing I had to let Carla know at the end of each day just how much or little I took care of my most basic responsibilities helped me to put one foot in front of the other and keep my head above water.  It also allowed her to know intimately how to pray for me, what scriptures to share to encourage me, and what needs she could meet.  God had a perfect plan when he put our accountability partnership together at the exact time that He did.  God is amazing like that.

One of the most important purposes the accountability serves is to help me and Carla to both remain in God’s Word, spend time in prayer, and to always encourage and help each other deepen our relationships with Christ.  No matter what season we are going through, being in His Word and being in prayer daily is something that we want to be careful never to neglect.  If you get accountability for only one thing, let it be this.

You may or may not be going through a life-changing trial right now.  Honestly, most days feel like a huge trial to me just taking care of three small children.  As mothers we have many seasons where we just need to survive.  There is nothing wrong with asking for accountability for even very basic things.  We all need to start somewhere and it is so awesome to have someone in your corner rooting for you and praying for you through those difficult times.

All you need to start your own accountability partnership is someone willing to be in contact with you on a regular basis.  And as a bonus, it’s a great way to start a deep and meaningful friendship (Carla and I knew each other through our mom's group, but after we became accountability partners we grew to be very close friends)!  The method you use to stay in contact with your partner can be anything that works for you both.  You can use e-mail, texts or phone calls, and you can be in contact daily, weekly or absolutely whatever works!  Be sure and take baby steps to ensure that it’s not overwhelming.  Start with one or two small goals and add to it as you grow more comfortable in your partnership.

Some examples of goals that you may want to set are things like getting up earlier, getting more exercise or eating healthier, submitting to and respecting your husband, limit spending and get out of debt, reduce time-wasters like TV, spending more quality time with your kids, spending more time in prayer and in God’s Word, reading several books on an topic you would like to learn more about, regular date nights with your husband, giving yourself more me-time to avoid burnouts, or spending 5 or 10 min a day de-cluttering your house.  The sky is the limit.

As we grow in some areas and our seasons change, we often need to reevaluate and change our goals.  Sometimes we need to challenge ourselves more, and other times we need to lighten our load and focus on only a few goals.  So don’t be afraid to rewrite them as often as you need to.  And always remember that everyone is different.  Do not compare your goals or progress with your partners or anyone else’s.  The only person you need to compare yourself to is your past self.  Have you improved over the last week?  Month?  Year?  An accountability partner can really help you stay on track with your own personal growth!

I’m convinced that EVERYONE can benefit from an accountability partner.  Whether you are just starting to set some goals to better yourself for the first time or you have been doing it for years, a godly accountability partner will help you make even more progress.  It may only be baby steps, but in a year you will both look back and go, “Wow!  I can’t believe how far we have come!”  Plus you will have the added joy of having helped in your partner’s success.

1 Year Ago Today, Plus 7 Month Pic!

One year ago today, on Halloween of 2013, Jon, Wyatt and I walked in to a routine sonogram to catch a glimpse of our new precious baby at 19 weeks.  What was supposed to be an exciting, fun day turned into a slightly worrisome day when we were told that there was something wrong with our baby.  We were referred to a high risk clinic to find out more information.  So tomorrow, November 1st, marks one year from the day that we were told that our baby was not likely to survive and were given very specific instructions on what to do "when" we miscarried.  And we were told it would probably happen in the next week or so.  This month has taken me down memory lane over and over again...especially all the sights and sounds.  Last year I watched, with joy, my precious boys jumping in leaves with a loved baby in my belly, knowing she may not make it.  This year I got to watch the boys playing in the leaves with Maggie on my hip.  Last year I watched all the leaves on our tree die and fall off...but first they turned a vibrant red and it was a beautiful sight to behold.  Just like the tree, we found beauty in the precious time we had with Maggie before she left us.  This year she got to see the leaves change colors with her own two beautiful eyes.  Last year we went trick or treating with the boys while trying to put the worries out of our mind for an evening so we could focus on giving the boys a fun experience.  This year I bought THREE costumes.  We may not trick or treat for very long because all five of us are all alive and healthy enough to be blessed with the common cold!!  I am in tears writing this.  We are so, so, so blessed.  During that time of pain there was so much beauty and I wouldn't trade that experience for the world.  I will never be able to stop thanking and praising Jesus for my wonderful husband, my precious Wyatt and Jack, and our little miracle Maggie.  She was 7 months old on October 24th and she brings us so much joy.

Video of Maggie's Story

Here is a testimony video of Baby Maggie's miracle story!  Click the link below and enjoy! :)

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=300199093498742

6 months old, family pic, and an invitation to YOU!

6 MONTHS OLD!!

Maggie was 6 months old on September 24th!!  She's such an adorable, happy and content baby.  Her brothers absolutely adore her and they are so sweet to her!

FAMILY PICTURE!!

On October 10th we had a fun day celebrating Jack's 2nd birthday!  What a special little boy!  We are so blessed!!!

AN INVITATION TO YOU!!

On October 18th at Crosspoint church in Hays, KS, Maggie and I will be speaking at their women's fall refresher.  Well I guess I will be speaking...Maggie will just sit there looking cute. ;)  I am going to tell about Maggie's story and everything God has done in our lives through that situation.  Also, my mom will be singing!

It starts at 10:30 am and there is a lunch following for anyone who attends.  If you live in the area, Maggie and I would LOVE you to come!  We would love to meet some of the wonderful people who followed her story and prayed for her.  Hope to see you there!

Crosspoint Church

1300 Harvest Rd.

Hays, KS 67601

1 Month Old!!

Maggie is 1 month old today! Can you even believe it?!?  For those of you who have not heard the full story of Maggie's journey, here is a glimpse into an amazing, real-life miracle:

•19 weeks:  "This is not a baby who is likely to survive.  Sorry.  If you are still pregnant in a week we will do another sono."

•20 weeks:  "There is so much fluid that IF this baby ends up surviving the pregnancy, the lungs just wouldn't have room to develop."

•Almost 22 weeks:  "You guys seem to be pretty optimistic...you may want to tone that down a bit."

•The next day:  "It appears she has a viral infection.  The liver is infected, the fluid doesn't seem to currently be hurting anything, and I'm seeing overlapping sutures in the skull, a sign that her brain has shrunk.  I have only seen that in babies who have already died.  She could possibly survive, but if she does, damage has already been done and there WILL be issues [with the brain].  One of your options is that you have two healthy kids at home and maybe you just don't want to deal with this right now..."

•25 weeks:  "Things look about the same and I don't think there will be any issues with the lungs developing and I think there is a good chance she will at least survive the pregnancy!  We will do an MRI to see how much damage has been done to the brain so we can get an idea of what to expect."

•Almost 29 weeks:  "Wow, the fluid is almost gone!  Liver looks about the same and we aren't seeing the issue with the skull but that could just be the angle so it doesn't necessarily mean improvement.  We will see what the MRI shows."

•2 days later:  "The MRI shows the brain to look VERY NORMAL!"

•31 to almost 34 weeks:  "The tiny amount of fluid in the abdomen still remains and is still not a major concern.  Her liver looks the same which we expect to see for the rest of the pregnancy because the calcification is a sign that there has been an infection, kind of like a scar. We will have to wait until she is born to find out whether or not any infection remains."

•Almost 35 weeks:  "The fluid is gone!!"

•35 until almost 40 weeks:  "Since her brain looks normal, the fluid is gone, and we see signs that the infection is going away or gone, we are at best case scenario for the situation as far as we can tell with her still inside.  Now we just have to wait until she is born to see if she will have any medical issues.  We will have a NICU team at her birth and we will run all necessary tests to asses her health and determine what treatments she will need."

•March 24th, 2014 at 10:52 am, 2 days before her due date:  "Congratulations!  She is 7 lbs, 7 oz and 20 inches long.  She is healthy enough that she can spend some time with you in your room before we take her up to the NICU for observation and testing!

•Over the next several days:  "There are no signs of viral infection of the liver or brain.  Her diagnosis is prenatal perforated bowel.  Bowel contents caused the infection and fluid in her abdomen.  This condition has healed without medical intervention.  We can't explain what happened with the brain.  You have a completely healthy baby girl!"

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, (Ephesians 3:20 NIV)

We are so blessed that God gave us our precious miracle and we are so blessed that so many of you prayed your heart out to our Savior on her behalf.  We were also so blessed to have God's peace throughout the whole journey (even when we knew God may choose to take her home) because of what Jesus did for us on the cross.  If you have not ever experienced this peace and would like to know how, I would LOVE to talk with you.  Please email me!!  mandie-lou@hotmail.com

3/31 Update

I'm going to steal my mother-in-law's wording from Facebook because she summarized it very well:

"Maggie is doing very well. She came home from the NICU yesterday. They will recheck her bilirubin level again today. She is eating, sleeping, and pooping! She is very alert when awake. There are no signs of viral infection of the liver or brain. Her discharge diagnosis was prenatal perforated bowel. Bowel contents caused the infection and fluid in her abdomen. This condition has healed without medical intervention. We have a healthy baby girl thanks only to God's marvelous grace. I give Him all the glory!"

(Her bilirubin levels were still good today so we will not need to check again until next Monday.)

Back in the NICU

Well unfortunately Maggie is back in the NICU. This time it's due to her bilirubin levels. They are elevated to the point that they wanted to get her in for phototherapy. They don't seem overly concerned but it's something that they wanted to address right away. Feeding, peeing, pooping, and hanging out under the light are the things that will bring her levels down the fasted. We'll be in overnight for sure, but hopefully this stay won't stretch out for days.

Papa T and Nana D got to meet Maggie for the first time today! They pulled into town just in time to meet us at the hospital...theygot to hold her for just a couple of minutes before we had to whisk her away to the bili light. Pray Maggie comes home quickly so she will get more snuggle time with them before they have to head back home!!

Pictures and Visits

PICTURES:

Click here to see Maggie's Birth.

(My birth photographer and her daughter had influenza so she was unable to attend. My mom took over the job.)

VISITS:

A lot of people are asking when they can stop by and visit...I would LOVE to have visitors and show Maggie off, but just make sure and text, call, message or email me first to let me know when you would like to stop by so I can make sure it's a good time. I also want to make sure I don't have too many people showing up at once so I get to spend time with each person who visits!  -Amanda

PS...click here for Baby Maggie's Journey's Facebook page.  "Like" to follow our posts on FB.  I am much more timely on posting updates to Facebook than I am to the blog.

3/27 Update

We were in the "rooming-in" room of the NICU last night since Amanda was discharged but they wanted to keep Maggie for a tad more observation and testing. These are bigger rooms that are designed to be comfortable for the parents (queen-sized bed, microwave, minifridge). It's awesome that they have these available. She slept really well and allowed us to get some good sleep as well. We hope that's a sign of things to come! She had her vision/eye screening this morning and that came back with good results. Since the last update a few other tests and screenings have come back with positive results as well. The doctors are satisfied and Maggie and Amanda get to come home today! After she's home she will have the typical appointments and exams with her pediatrician and some more of the slower lab results will continue to trickle in. We couldn't be happier and or more excited to get her home. We ended up with the very best of the best-case scenarios and we know it was due to all the prayer and love from everyone who has shared in this with us. I also can't say enough good things about the care she received while in the NICU. The doctors, nurses, and staff are all amazingly skilled at what they do and it's clear that they have a love for these NICU babies that need their care.

Another 3/25 Update

Another 3/25 update: We got a few more results back this afternoon. An MRI was ordered earlier today as part of the process of ruling out or detecting signs of a viral infection. Even though their suspicions have since changed, that order was left in place. The results came back clear. They didn't see anything abnormal on the MRI that would cause them to suspect viral infection. We also received positive results with the upper GI that was done earlier today. Nothing abnormal was noted. They did note that Maggie is not a fan of barium, however.

Thanks again to all of you who continue to keep Maggie in your prayers. While you're praying for her, please also say a prayer for the other babies who are here in the NICU, and their parents. We pass them daily in the halls and it's a constant reminder that we are surrounded by a lot of heartache and medical issues that we will never know about. -Jon

3/25 Update

Update: We just had a visit with Maggie's NICU doctor this morning. They're completely switching gears in terms of their thinking on what may have happened to Maggie. They're moving away from their focus on a possible viral infection and focusing instead on the possibility that Maggie suffered a bowel perforation...one that may have already healed itself (best case scenario). There are several factors that are pointing them in this direction, but they'll continue to rule out viral infection. This is good news because the prognoses are far better for this scenario than those for viral infection. Testing for this new route of thought begins now, starting with an upper GI series. This will lengthen Maggie's NICU stay by a couple days, but, like I said, it's even better news, so we'll take it!

She's Here!!

Baby Maggie was born at 10:52am!! She weighs 7 lbs 7 oz and is 20 inches. She's looking great and got to spend some time with us before she headed to the NICU. Mom is doing great as well!

Headed to the Hospital!!

FINALLY!!!!  We are finally headed to the hospital!! :)  Please pray for another quick labor and for me to have the mental and physical strength I need to make it through my last natural birth.  Pray that Maggie is healthy and that we get to spend some time with her before they take her to the NICU for testing.  Also pray for the grandparents to have safe trips to KC to meet their granddaughter.

Thank you all for being a part of this journey with us!!  I can not possibly express how excited I am to get the chance soon to announce that Maggie has finally entered the world!! :)

First Day of Spring...10 Years!!

Today is the first day of spring...and it is also our 10 year wedding anniversary!!  I cannot even believe how fast 10 years have gone!!

We have done a lot together in 10 years.  We have had the opportunity to laugh together play together and have a lot of fun together.  We have traveled to Hawaii and Alaska together.  We have eaten a lot of amazing meals together because we both love to eat! :)  We have supported each other through several different jobs.  We bought our first and second houses together.  Jon went back to school and changed careers and we supported each other through that time together.  We experienced 3 heartbreaking years of infertility together.  We experienced the joys of having our first child together.  We experienced the heartbreak of losing a child to miscarriage together.  And then we shared the joy of having our second child.  We have experienced the struggles and joys of being parents to our precious boys together.  We have experienced the heartbreak of being told that our third child would not be likely to survive.  We have grown in our faith of an amazing God together.  We have shared the overwhelming joy of seeing miracles happen right in front of us.  We are about to share in the joys of having our third child and our first baby girl.  What a ride these first 10 years have been!!

Jon is an amazing person and he amazes me more every day.  He is a strong person who is confident in what he believes and what he wants.  When he decides he wants to do something, he dives right in.  He's loyal, trustworthy and kind.  He does not let his emotions rule him.  He is always taking steps to better himself.  He's always seeking to learn how to be a better father, husband, pilot, employee, boss, financial steward, and athlete.  Anything he does he gives it his all.

I have learned so much from him and have grown so much stronger as a person because of him.  Because of him I am more confident in who God made me and worry less about what other people think of me.  He has encouraged me to be confident in my decisions and in myself.  He has taught me how to make a decision and dive into something I want to do instead of analyzing the decision for years and never actually getting around to it.  He has taught me to not let my emotions control me and my decisions (as much...haha).  He has encouraged me to better myself in any and every area I can.  He gets under my skin and pushes me, but in the end the push is usually what I need.  I love that we grow better and stronger together every day.

Marriage is a symbol of Christ's love for His church.  My prayer is that we are and example of this.  Nothing is more important than our relationship with Him and it is my hope and desire that our marriage will point others to a relationship with Him.  We are not perfect.  We have a long ways to go.  We screw up...A LOT!!!  But my prayer is that Jon and I continue to grow in our relationship with Christ, keep Him at the center of our marriage, and that this already beautiful marriage will just get stronger and more amazing.

I love you with all of my heart, Jon!!  I am so glad that God made you for me and that we get to grow stronger together for the rest of our lives!  Happy Anniversary!! :)